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News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
The Singing Cadets are per
forming in Dallas today. See
page 7.
The student senate passed a
c—^“-Y^tned budget, revising it
to include restoration offunds for
Muster and Parents’ Day See
page 6.
Prison head calls
for media blackout
Sweet, sad, gentle — jazz
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans
performed in Rudder Auditorium Wednesday night
as a special attraction of the Memorial Student
Center Town Hall Committee. The musicians are
Frank Demond, trombone; “Cie” Frazier, drums;
Percy G. Humphrey, trumpet; Allan Jaffee, tuba;
Willie J. Humphrey Jr., clarinet; “Sing” Miller,
piano; and Narvin Henry Kimball, banjo. See the
review page 5.
Battalion photo by Paige Beasley
United Press International
HUNTSVILLE — A spokesman for the
Texas Department of Corrections says a
day-old news blackout is necessary to “en
sure institutional order” but would not de
scribe the “problems or potential for prob
lems” that brought it about.
Prisoners in the 15 units that comprise
the nation’s largest prison system have
staged work stoppages, hunger strikes and
disturbances to focus attention on a class
action suit concerning prisoners’ rights,
according to a prepared statement au
thorized by TDC Director W.J. Estelle,
Jr-
A spokesman for the director Wednes
day declined to comment on reports of a
new hunger strike in the Ellis Unit in
Huntsville.
Ron Taylor, Estelle’s administrative as
sistant, said the director had “authorized’
the news blackout Wednesday.
Taylor said the situation has "substan
tially diminished” by the beginning of the
news blackout, but said he could not
j
SA
riticism forces revision
of freshman dorm guarantee
By HARVEY LAAS
chool Of Battalion Reporter
nterested Because of concern expressed by stil
ly of (hi ^ nts > ^ on Blatehley, director of student
ffairs, says, major changes will be made in
he proposal to guarantee dorm space for
ncoming freshmen.
The original proposal would have
[uaranteed all freshmen a room on campus
irone year. Under it, any freshman who
ccepted a room was to be told that he
light have to move off campus after his
eshman year.
Due to the opposition bv students,
ilatchley said the proposal would be
Ranged in favor of modifying current pol-
lagemeni
vho wish
I respon-
c sectors
SS
Currently, freshmen receive 70 percent
*fthe available space each fall. Blatchley
adicated that giving freshmen about 85
ercent of available space would be a rea-
onable compromise.
Blatchley and Ron Sasse, associate di-
ector of student affairs, spoke to about 50
onimons residents Tuesday night to ex
plain their proposal for guaranteeing
freshmen dorm space. After a short expla
nation by Blatchley the rest of the meeting
was devoted to questions and suggestions
by students.
Blatchley said the proposal was not a
fixed policy change, hut a means to discuss
the freshmen housing situation.
Sasse had said previously that current
policy neglects the needs of freshmen. He
said freshmen who wish to should be able
to live on campus. He said many freshmen
have a difficult time making the transition
from high school to college, and that living
on campus makes the change easier, be
cause they do not have to worry about
such things as apartment leases and shut
tle bus routes.
A majority of the audience agreed there
is a problem with lack of dorm space for
freshmen. However, most students were
concerned that dorms inhabited mainly by
freshmen would lack the role models
provided by upperclassmen.
One student said, “I came to Texas
A&M for its traditions and Aggie friendli
ness and upperclassmen are important for
this.”
Despite Blatchley’s statements to the
contrary, most students expressed the
feeling that the proposal would lead to
dorms made up almost entirely of
freshmen. Roger Ferguson, Dunn Hall
head resident, said, “Despite what you
say, most students are afraid of all
freshmen dorms. And this could be due to
a loss of faith because of 400 over
assignments made this fall.’’
Other students said they did not see a
reasonable solution for determining which
upperclassmen will live on campus.
Blatchley said no method has been de
cided, although possibilities mentioned
were a lottery, percentage of each class or
a merit system based on need and grades.
The possibility of the University con
structing more dorms was also raised.
Blatchley said costs would make more
dorms prohibitive. He said a study indi
ays say law would start witch hunt
dy Mai
IlC 93® United Press International
SAN ANTONIO — A group of five na
li n l0 ! 1 ? ,f? a y leaders, beginning a four-day
J ilO Pu licity tour of Texas, says a proposed
a itornia law binning homosexuals from
eaching school could be detrimental for
netrosexuals.
. ^. e S r oup, including former profes
Sjonal football player Dave Kopay and Troy
au ^ 10r °1\ The Lord is My Sheperd,
t " e Knows I m Gay,” held a news con-
rencc Wednesday to gain support for its
" raising tour of six Texas cities,
a U are , tryin 8 to raise $50,000, half of
ic would be use to combat California’s
nggs Amendment — also known as Prop-
. 1 ! on . ~ w ith the rest going to establish
Ri uf 1 " office for the Texas Gay
Rights Task Force.
« ■ a ? re are plenty of laws on the books if
j er e is misconduct of teachers, whether
/l
they are heterosexual or homosexual,” said
Del Martin, who has authored books on
lesbianism and battered women. “This
(Proposition 6) is the danger of the witch
hunt. Already the witchhunt has started
and it started with heterosexual teachers.
All you have to do is point your finger and
say, ‘you’re gay.’ That kind of thing is as
damaging to heterosexuals as to homosexu
als.”
The Californians maintained many con
servatives in California, such as former
Gov. Ronald Reagan and the major teacher
groups, were opposing the Briggs Amend
ment because of its implications for false
accusations against heterosexuals.
Kopay likened the California law to a
football “cheap shot.”
“When I played for the Washington Red
skins, Coach (Vince) Lombardi had a play
known as the ‘bootsie play’ to take care of
cheap shots,” he said. “That’s where you’d
send 11 guys after the guy who committed
the cheap shot. That’s what John Briggs’s
amendment is — a cheap shot.”
“If we lose in California, then it’s going to
slow us up 10 or 15 years,” said Troy Perry,
founder of the Metropolitan Community
Churches which accepts homosexuals as ac
tive members.
Perry said the group hoped to raise $1.2
million nationwide for television and other
advertising to “educate” the public against
such amendments as the one proposed in
California.
Kathy Deitsch, moderator of the Texas
Gay Task Force, said, “we believe we can
expect a similar measure aimed at gays in
the next Texas legislative session.”
Deitsch said a bill was passed in the most
recent session banning gay rights organiza
tions from the state’s college campuses.
“The statewide tour is the first major
push to raise the money necessary to fight
repressive legislation in Texas,” she said.
“In Texas, we are actively preparing a legis
lative lobby to ward off legislation which
would seek to prohibit gays teachers from
classrooms, as we do have Texas lawmakers
who believe ‘the perverts must be kept out
of the classrooms.’”
Five conditions must be met for death
to be labeled euthanasia, professor says
'con
1 Bu
Frida:
10 P-
bl
By BECKY DOBSON
WKil j Battalion Reporter
\ euffa , e .bate on the morality of
1 has " aS \ a ^ as * ncreas ed recently, no one
Tom I a ec l uatel y defined the word. Dr.
W ec ]n es d. eauc 'b am p said at a colloquium
se , ss ' on ' sponsored by Texas A&M
sooliv^t I ^ y S c °b e ge of Medicine and philo-
a tia e 1 P artmen t> Beauchamp presented
Previ!? r j .^°' aut hored which challenges
offers US e . ln *bons as being deficient and
an alternate one.
Georgetown P rofessor of philosophy at
ditions • 'I .^ mvers ity outlined five con-
Euthana 111 R’ entitled “What is
and cuff; . ’ w hich he said are necessary
eu thanasia ent t0 ^ escr *be the concept of
volves Ir^ditinn that must be met in-
the ,r iL en tton of the person causing
Used Lw, ^he term “Idller” cannot be
P^sonwt 1186 n- in f ers malice. Rather, the
rerred to ° ln ^/ cts .^cath on another is re-
another’s death ” ,person w h° ‘causes’
v °lves S ^L X)nt * enndition that must exist in
dent. Thff ^ m ® un t of suffering by a pa-
whole point of euthanasia, says
Beauchamp
Beauchamp, is to relieve suffering; that is
why it is considered a merciful action.
Therefore, an instance of euthanasia oc
curs when there is good evidence that
acute suffering or an irreversible state of
coma is present. Beauchamp defines suf
fering as conscious pain, mental anguish or
self-burdening.
Beauchamp’s third requirement calls for
an acceptable motive for causing death.
The primary reason for causing death must
be one of ceasing the suffering. There
must also be good evidence on the part of
the person who intends to relieve the suf
fering that he does not produce more suf
fering than would have prevailed had he
never intervened.
Other requirements are that euthanasia
be painless as well as merciful.
Beauchamp contends that causing the
death of a human being is euthanasia only
if the means of death is as painless as pos
sible, unless there were some other over
riding reason for not choosing the least
painful means.
The fifth and final condition Beauchamp
requires excludes abortion. According to
the previous conditions it would not be
possible to distinguish an abortion case.
Therefore death of the' humaee nuia, says
Beauchamp, only if he is a non-fetal or
ganism.
Beauchamp’s paper contends that if all
five conditions are satisfied, then the
death is euthanasia. If any one condition is
lacking, the death cannot accurately be
called euthanasia.
Kid Stuff
Squealing piglets and fluffy lambs
entertained hordes of bouncing
youngsters Wednesday at the Chil
dren’s Barnyard.
The annual event is sponsored by
the Saddle and Sirloin Club anded
by the Dairy Club and the Col
legiate Horsemen’s Association, all
of Texas A&M University. It is an
opportunity for kindergarteners and
first graders to see and touch several
types of farm animals.
Children from College Station,
Bryan and many surrounding school
districts arrived on buses.
They toured the Horse, Swine,
Dairy and Sheep and Goat Centers.
They also paid a visit to the Texas
A&M Creamery to consume ice
cream donated by a local company.
At each animal center, the chil
dren were told about the animals
housed there and how they are
cared for. They were also allowed to
hold and pet some of the animals.
Fritz Steiger, a Dairy Center
employee, said when the children
milked a cow, they wanted to know
where the milk was coming from.
Children’s Barnyard continues
today from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
When it ends, over 2,000
youngsters will have petted and
held breeds of animals some of them
had never seen before.
comment on whether that was still the
case today.
The state prison system has drawn na
tional attention since its announcemnt
Monday that prison officials would force-
feed condemned murderer David Lee
Powell of Austin rather than let him starve
himself to death.
“We re force-feeding him again,” Taylor
said Wednesday. “We force-fed him Mon
day. We thought he would eat voluntarily
from then on, but today he refused to take
in solids. So, we are now force-feeding sol
ids.”
Taylor said Powell, who had refused
food for two weeks, had been transferred
from death row at the maximum security
Ellis Unit to the hospital section at the
Walls Unit in Huntsville.
Other inmates have been protesting
conditions at various units, particularly El
lis, and have staged strikes in support of a
federal suit alleging poor working condi
tions, denying constitutional rights, bru
tality and other institutional complaints.
Before the blackout, it had appeared
that all inmates involved in a systemwide
sitdown strike — except for eight at the
Ellis Unit — had returned to their cells.
Taylor said all prisoners who participated
in the five-day strike would be charged
with failure to work.
But in his statement, Taylor declined to
say exactly what the current situation was.
“The actions of inmmates over the past
several days to focus attention on the case
in litigation, Ruiz v. Estelle, have been
substantially diminished. While there re
main problems and potential for problems,
the situation appears to be easing and sig
nificantly impj.
“Throughout this time the department
has attempted to show its concern for the
public’s right to know by actively respond
ing to press inquiries,” he said. “However,
it is the department’s feeling that our
primary responsibility to ensure institu
tional order and the safety of inmates and
staff has not been aided by our willingness
Jto respond in detail to the various in
quiries that have been made.”
“Heretofore, the department will make
no further statements regarding attempts
by inmates to disrupt the programs and
institutions until such a time that those ac
tions have been curtailed.”
cated a new complex like the Commons
would cost residents $1,000 a semester.
Blatchley said he believed the Board of
Regents will reject plans for any more
dorms other than the two female dorms
already scheduled for construction when
they learn the cost. He said rents would be
so high that the University runs the risk of
being stuck with “white elephants” in
which no one will live.
He said he expects the regents to reject
the idea of building a 100-bed dorm for
which a feasibility study is being con
ducted. ‘
After listening to the students, Blatch
ley said, the proposal will definitely be re
vised.
Blatchley said they would be submitting
whatever proposal they devised to Dr.
John J. Koldus, vice president for student
services, around Nov. 1.
The problem will be discussed with res
idents of the North dorm area Monday at
7:30 p.m. in lounge A-l near Keathley,
Fowler and Hughes.
Sales errvptti store
Shop discontinues
victory discount
By LIZ BAILEY
Battalion Reporter
After Saturday, Ron Vandiver can pull
for the Aggies without worrying about the
repercussions.
Vandiver, owner of Coaches Shop
Menswear and Fabric Care Service Inc.,
has been putting everything in Ins store on
sale each time Texas A&M University wins
a football game.
The percentage discount on all items
has been equal to the number of points the
Aggies won by. Each sale lasted for the
first five and one-half business days after
the game.
Vandiver said he is discontinuing the
sales because the Aggies have been win
ning by such large margins that the store
cannot handle the influx of customers.
He said he did not lose money after the
first two games, but lost $10,000 when
Texas A&M beat Memphis 58-0.
“A&M is going to win and they’re going
to win big and they’re going to keep on
winning,” Vandiver said.
The store was almost completely sold
out after the first four games, all Aggie vic
tories.
Vandiver said if be continues the sales,
“I’ll have more people than ever flooding
the door and nothing to sell.”
He said it will take four to five weeks for
him to restock the store with merchandise
of quality equal to that presently being
sold.
He said the only way he could be ready
for another sale next week is to sell inferior
merchandise.
“I’m not going to buy merchandise (to
sell) that I think is inferior,” he said.
Vandiver said he will resume the sales
next year and will have the same policy of
not limiting the amount that can be
discounted.
He said he feels he should not place a
limitation on sales since he is using the
Aggies for advertising.
Saturday is the last day for Coaches
Shop customers to reap the benefits of the
Texas A&M win over Texas Tech.
And after Saturday, Vandiver can yell
for the Aggies without worrying about get
ting skinned.
First graders from South knoll Elementary School in College
Station observe and pet a goat at the Texas A&M University
Sheep Center during the Saddle and Sirloin-sponsored Chil
dren’s Barnyard. John Fisher, president of the club, is hold
ing the goat. Battalion photo by Martha HoIIida