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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1978)
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Monday October 23, 1978 Polish Pope symbol for reconciliation Given the profound changes within the Roman Catholic Church since the second Vatican Council, it was inevitable that a cardinal from outside Italy would one day ascend to the throne of St. Peter. But it was not at all inevitable that it should be a prelate from the Communist world. While the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II was not inevitable, it was fitting. It gave added meaning to the brief reign of John Paul I, whose papacy will be remembered as the bridge for a departure from four and one half centuries of custom. The election was also a dramatic gesture of openness to all mankind. Who might be better equipped than a PoUsh Pope to be the symbol of reconciliation between East and West, between believer and non-believer, between the past and the present? He is, after all, the spiritual leader of a Communist country where the rights of the Church must be both asserted and defended and where he would be forced by circumstances to be both flexible and determined. Now the world must wait to see whether John Paul has the richness of humanity necessary to realize the possibilities opened by his election. Meanwhile, the possibilities themselves are reason for joy. Boston Globe All that glitters is not litter By DICK WEST United Press International 1 WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim Sasser of Tennessee recently complained that the government was preparing regulations that would require 250 cat litter plant em ployees in his home state to take mine safety training. Although the company owns three clay mines operated by a subcontractor, he said, the cat Utter workers “never come close” to them. He called “this ridiculous proposal” by the Mine Safety and Health Administra tion "the worse case of bureaucratic over regulation I have seen.” As I was reading Sasser’s screed, my mind went back to the summer some years ago when I was vacationing in Mexico. One afternoon I was wasting away a couple of hours in a burrito in the quaint little town of Villa Margarita in the foot hills of the Sierra Padres, Suddenly the swinging doors, which the proprietor had installed to keep out pass ing doritos, swung open and a grizzled, dusty old miner lurched in. Humor Once his rheumy eyes adjusted to the dimness of the burrito, he espied me at the bar and sauntered over, requesting that I lend him a couple of muchachas with which to buy a botde of cheap caramba. Asked how he expected to repay, he limped to the window, raised a hand to his eyes, a seemingly redundant motion in view of the broadbrimmed hat he was wearing, and peered into the distant up lands. “Thar’s litter in them thar hills,” he drawled after a dramatic pause. A group of native marimbas playing fritos at a nearby table began to titter and snicker. They made twirling motions at the temple with their forefingers, a ges ture I recognized as the classic Mexican symbol of a loose screw. One of the calientes behind the bar leaned over and whispered that the old miner had spent months up in the Sierra Padres digging for litter. “It’s a delusion,” he chuckled. “Nobody has ever found a trace of litter in these parts.” The next morning as I was taking the sun in the village frijole, the miner ap proached again. Swearing me to secrecy, he unfolded a bizzare tale. Not two weeks before, he confided, he had noticed that Villa Margarita’s alley cats were going up into the hills to answer the call of nature. Curious, he had followed them and they had led him to a mountainside so rich in litter that cats came from miles around for the pleasure of scratching in it. “I tell you, it’s the mother lode,” the old miner cackled, dancing a little jig. “Front me with a grubstake and I’ll have us a litter mine that will make us both a fortune. I declined the opportunity and went my way. Later I heard that the miner had fi nally abandoned his quest, returned to the United States and gone to work for the government. Doing what, I can’t imagine. Letters to the Editor Constitution incomplete, needs changes Editor: As an off-campus undergraduate senator, I would like to encourage my con stituency and the rest of the student body to defeat the Constitutional referendum on this coming Thursday. The Student Government passed this constitution as it has every year for as long as I have been here. Again the people are going to the polls to vote for or against basically the same document they saw last spring, Fall ’77, Spring ’76, etc. This document has once again been given a facelift which includes very minor changes and corrections but essentially the exact same as previous years. Our student government here at Texas A&M could use some structural and pro cedural changes to make it a much more effective and responsive system for the student body. In the present system as well as the one on the referendum, you find vice presidents in the legislative branch instead of the executive branch where they could more efficiently perform their duties. You also find five vice presi dents in charge of areas that could be more effectively run by two or three. At Texas A&M change is usually looked at suspiciously and feared if it is too abrupt or extensive. I don’t believe that change is always right, but when you see faults with a system, don’t try to just patch it up until next year. Let’s defeat this constitution and work on a major change for the Stu dent Government so that we can better serve the student body. Please do go and vote. The easy way out is to avoid the issue or simply mark yes on a ballot if you are uninformed. Call your senator if you want more information on the content of this proposal. Take your time, only five minutes, to vote no and help us get on the road to making a better student government possible. Don’t al ways be happy with the status quo. I urge you to go to the polls on Thurs day, Oct. 26, and vote to defeat this Con stitution. We need a major overhaul, not just a few more Band-aids. —Laura Brockman, ’79 Off-campus Undergraduate Senator Thanks — no thanks Editor: I would like to thank the person who found my wallet which had been thrown in the trash by accident. This person (who ever it may be) was land enough to steal four credit cards, and $14. This fellow Aggie, and I use the term loosely, did not bother to put my wallet back together correctly. (What we have here is mental midget, not only did this jerk flunk simple reassembly, he also left it where I could find it.) From now on when I dump my trash down one of the chutes in Dunn Hall, I will make .sure it is just trash I would not like to lose something else of value only to have it found then lost once more. I do realize that this is one rotten person in a large group of great people. And if anyone is wondering if hanging is good for this t.u. exile; no, I think it is just right. —Steve Echols, ’79 Elections lacking Editor: On Thursday, Oct. 26, the 1978 Fall Elections will be held. From my under standing, the Fall Elections are primarily, if not solely, concerned with electing freshmen into the Class Officer and Stu dent Senate positions. Speaking as a freshman, I feel that the 1978 Fall Elec tions have several shortcomings that could be avoided. Many freshmen are not well informed about the qualifications and the duties as sociated with the available positions. A se ries of articles in The Battalion giving brief descriptions of the positions, their re quirements, and their responsibilities might help some freshmen understand more about the elections in general. If this would not work, then maybe a newsletter to all freshmen might. Another weakness of the upcoming elec tions is the campaigning of the candidates. The only “campaigning” I have been ex posed to is a few fliers tacked onto bulletin boards and some wooden stand-up posters placed at various intersections on campus. This type of campaigning will inevitably lead the voters into voting for the name they have seen most often. One way to eliminate name-voting would be for the candidates to campaign on a one-to-one basis for as much time as their schedules will allow. A campaign session would be another possible solution. It could be held at the Rudder fountain or be publicized not only through The Battalion and the video screens in the M.S.C., but also through the Hassle Free representatives in the apartments off campus. At the session, the candidates would be given the opportunity to give their reasons for running, and their qualifications for Of fice. Questions from the audience could provide more information for those seek ing it. Freshmen Elections are an important event that should not go unnoticed. Many freshmen will not vote simply because they do not understand what is going on, or because they know little about the can didates and his or her abilities. I feel cer tain that all the Aggies would come out to the polls if more information was made available. After all, we Aggies care about our university and its student govern ment. Right Ags? —Kelly Jack Brown, ’82 Cat’s no mascot Editor: I suffered through four and a half years of ridiculous “Letters to the Editor” in the Battalion. After: 1. one year of letters re lating to lavish settings in the MSG (promptly ignored by incoming freshmen); 2. one year of letters criticizing orange rimer on the water tower (which, when nished, was unnoticed by incoming stu dents); 3. one year of letters complaining about the wall built around campus (again, unnoticed by new students); and 4. one and a half years of other assorted “con troversies,” I return to find that the best the letter writers can come up with is the death of a cat (“Requiem for a cat,” Oct. 16) Perhaps this is a good sign. As a former resident and officer of Legett Hall, how ever, I resent the implication that former Legett residents are criminals. Mr. Schroeder, ’80 did go out of his way to mention that the fierce cat-murderer (“the crime”) was a former resident of Legett Hall. I had promised myself that I would never lower myself to the level of most people that write to the Batt. However, promises, like records, are made to be broken. If the “Letters to the Editor” sec tion was not the major entertainment sec tion of the Batt, I would request that said portion be abolished. Back to Mr. Schroeders letter. I am a pet-owner but also am a firm believer in the phrase “Don’t Litter - Neuter your Pets.” Incidentally, to refresh your memory. Reveille is the only mascot for all Aggies. We elected “Bertha the Beer-drinking Buffalo” as dorm mascot in one Longneck election but deferred because it wasn’t proper to praise an imposter as mascot. To paraphrase a popular letter-ending, if Mr. Schroeder ’80 wants a cat for a mas cot, there’s always Cougar High. Warmest regards to Squadron 3 and “Long Live Longnecks!” —Dave Dannelley, ’77 101 Crockett, Austin Facts in error. . . Editor: This is written is reference to the letter by Steve Eubanks in the Oct. 19 Battalion. Mr. Eubanks reported that when the first verse of the Aggie War Hymn “was first printed and passed out to the Singing Cadets, they threw it away, and it has not been sung since.” As a member of the Singing Cadets, I would like to correct this erroneous statement. On every occasion that I have per formed with the group or even seen the group, the Singing Cadets have sung both verses of the Aggie War Hymn. I feel that the singing of both verses of the song is perfectly appropriate. At the football games the band plays the tune twice — so why not sing both verses? Another point that can be raised is that “The Spirit of Aggieland” officially ends with the phrase: “We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We are from Texas-AMU.” The words were officially changed by the songwriter, years ago, when our school gained university status. Would it break tradition to sing the cor rect words of the song and let the world know that Texas A&M is not longer a little cow college? Mr. Eubanks, I hope that you will not fell that I am trying to be antagonistic or anti-traditional. I am proud to be an Ag gie, as I am sure you are. I am not even trying to “change” our school’s beloved songs — their composers have done that. I merely desire that our songs reflect the true mood and spirit of the thriving uni versity we are both privileged to attend. — Bob Harper, ’80 Editor’s note: Please see the next letter. . . . sorry cadets Editor: I am writing this as both an apology and as a retraction to my letter of Oct. 19. Having talked to members of the Singing Cadets, I discovered that most of the information I was given on the history of the Aggie War Hymn was erroneous. I apologize to all the Singing Cadets for this, and for not double-checking the va lidity of my information. I hope no one takes offense to this, for my purpose was not to offend. Now will someone please tell me, what is the true story? — Steve Eubanks, ’79 Top of the News STATE IFAA to fight energy bill The president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America said Saturday in Houston that his group may fight the latest federal energy legislation. Jack M. Allen said on the eve of his 5,100-member organization’s convention that the bill was a “monumental step backwards” that threatens to keep capital from the hands of independent oilmen. The law “contains the potential for infinite federal control of domestic natural gas production and mar keting,” Allen said. Fort Worth readies for ’79 gymnastics A group of Tarrant County officials left Saturday on a 10-day, $17,000 trip to France to view the World Gymnastic Games. The event will be held in Fort Worth in 1979 and 500 athletes from 35 nations are expected to attend. When asked why taxpayers were paying for the trip, County Judge Mike Moncrief said, Security is one aspect. We don’t want another Munich in Fort Worth. His reference was to the 1972 massacre at the Olympics in Munich. NATION Hickel loses election court appeal Former Alaska Gov. Walter J. Hickel’s hopes of returning to office apparently have been ended by an Alaska Supreme Court decision. Hickel lost the Republican primary by 98 votes to incumbent Gov. Jay Hammond, and challenged the results, charging “irregularities.” But the state Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision late Friday night, ruled the irregularities, including discovery of 247 uncounted ballots in a closet a month after the primary, had caused “no bias in the vote.” It was Hickel’s second attempt to regain the job he left in 1969 to become department of interior secretary under former Presi dent Richard Nixon. He was fired by Nixon 22 months later in a clash over policy. Relief well to check gas flow Work will begin this week on a relief well to stop the spraying gas and condensate from a blown-out offshore natural gas well. Mobil Oil Corp. officials in Cameron, La., said Friday the blowout probably will remain out of control for several weeks. The well blew out late Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of workers from a production plat form 35 miles southeast of Cameron in the Gulf of Mexico. Hie blowout posed only a minor pollution problem, since gas blowing from the well dissipated and a slick of condensate on the surface evaporated quickly. Experts from the Houston-based Red Adair oil field disaster fighting company were on the scene shortly after the blowout. Court martial set for Army doctor Capt. Leon T. Davis, an Army doctor at Walter Reed Army Hospi tal in Washington, has refused to practice on grounds his contract has been breached. He will be tried by court martial Nov. 1, an Army spokesman said this weekend. Stephen D. Keeffe, Davis' civilian lawyer, said Davis accepted a $11,000 medical scholarship from the Army in return for two years active duty. Keeffe said Army recruiters told Davis he would be eligible for the rank of major after three years, would qualify for a bonus program of $9,000 a year, would receive 30 vacation days annually and have his expenses paid to attend two medical conferences each year. Davis says a change in Army regu lations has nullified all those promises. WORLD Rolling Stone on trial in Canada Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards goes on trial today in a staid Toronto courtroom on drug charges that could send him to prison for life — and perhaps end the reign of the world’s most durable and successful rock ‘n’ roll band. Almost 20 months after Richards’ arrest, a jury will consider if he was the owner of an ounce of heroin the Royal Canadian Mounted Police found in his hotel suite along with a small quantity of cocaine. The maximum sentence for simple posses sion of heroin is seven years’ imprisonment while possession with intent to sell is punishable by life in prison. Pope congenial, aides flustered Pope John Paul II startled aides in Rome Saturday by plunging into a crowd of 2,000 journalists, shaking hands, laughing, exchanging quips and telling them he would like to visit RSA “when they’ll let me.” The new pope, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and first Polish pontiff in history, spent the eve of his investiture in an unprec edented session with journalists — much to the dismay of Vatican officials. The former Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, 58, archbishop of Krakow before his election last Monday as the 264th successor to the throne of Peter, was officially invested with the title in a simple outdoor mass Sunday in St. Peter’s Square. WEATHER Mostly cloudy, windy and cooler with a 30% chance of rain increasing to 40% tonight. High will be in the upper 70’s and low in the upper 50’s. Winds are northerly at 15-20 mph. |ng A has de^ | re o*. s to p™ he pr— Tha« . tl— itudy» Ived =3 ^Dr. he Lt_ eople he ho« Jiearby Hols i ye — •adua^ , He cr ksearcr Irea al i Ther jhis, h < |eam al ! Otl lient n By ;ampe < xmld n »5sibl< [amps. And lived w (cs left The 1 lents ar ause < ween t hole, v jhropoh hat it 1 in WA hire p ing, h unwar The footba mamn kickba The try. Tl ment < Wh, can co other I stock a "Yoi the wo official An ( sugges nished when i DPI $11 m fumito Dffi, been t “Shi many; 01)6- The Battalion LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from September through May except during exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday through Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates ftir- nished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Kim Tyso» I Managing Editor LizNewlinj Assistant Managing Editor . Andy William [ Sports Editor David & City Editor Jamie Alike® I Campus Editor Steve id News Editors Debbie Parsoni | Beth Calhoun Staff Writers Karen Rogers, Mark I Patterson, Scott Pendleton, I Sean Petty, Michelle Scudder, [ Marilyn Faulkenberry, Diane | Blake .Lee Roy Leschper, Jr. Cartoonist Doug Graham! Photographer EdCunniusI Focus section editor Gary Welch Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self supporting enterprise operated by student! as a university and community newspaper' Editorial policy is determined by the editor'