Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1978)
I :BAR “ Mn yogun The Battalion Vol. 72 No. 51 12 Pages Friday, November 10, 1978 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 How do you spell tax relief? Wayne Peveto, a state represen tative, spelled it A-M-E-N-D-M- E-N-T at Texas A&M University Thursday. See page 7. A satellite designed to view what scientists call “the invisible uni verse” of X-rays will be launched Monday. See page 5. eporters ex plain uperpower rights iV, NOV.i r EDiiid , NOV. 1l )$ED ,Y, NOV, :le c” HOURS Fri. 7:00.11 :00-1:00 Ct. m ss. oldjoke in Soviet Russia goes like this: student says he doesn’t understand difference between capitalism and nmunism. His teacher explains, “Un- capitalism, man exploits man. 'And under communism, it’s just the site." Washington Post journalist Robert Kaiser By LIZ NEWLIN Battalion Staff [he Soviet and American views of nan rights are not “just the opposite,” they are based on different ideas. Two nalists — one Russian and one Ameri- — who have covered each other’s ntry described the difference Thursday ntin Rudder Theater during a program nsored by the Great Issues Commit- •lelor Sturua, Washington bureau chief ■ the Russian newspaper Izvestiia, said I first and most important human right lolive, and to he able to obtain a living, ■he American said denial of expression Baccess to information creates mistrust ■ween the countries critical to peace, said that can only be alleviated by nting Russians more rights, iturua and Kaiser, who work in ishington and have won top foreign re ting awards, have often discussed the rent “freedoms in their countries, iturua, a Soviet citizen, said a person |st have economic means and pos- plities to live, and Russia provides |nomic equality. In affluence we are behind, the 50- iwlcl journalist said. “But money really t a measure of rights, jberty and equality are different, he “We stress equality. You stress lib- lobert Kaiser, U.S. Senate correspon- pit for The Washington Post, said dleges separate Soviet leaders from the sses, just as private wealth — con- nned by Sturua — can separate italists from the rest of society, le agreed with Sturua that Soviet- lerican views differ because of cultural 1 historical differences. Kaiser said the isian emphasis on government as pro- lor and provider comes from the begin- g of the country as a group of tribes king for security from a Seandanavian g. It gives rise to a theory and practice y different from our own. ” Now, he i, that outlook is reinforced as a matter jolitical expediency and policy. The whole notion of human rights is very different (in the U.S.S.R.),” he said. Freedoms Americans take for granted are not a part of Russian tradition. For instance, he said, the basic belief in the sovereignty and worth of the indi vidual is missing. “This is simply not a Russian idea,” he said. Americans expect rule by law, but Russians still employ rule by man and are only slowly evolving a system of rule by law. Later in the debate, Kaiser said the banishment of Alexander Solzhenitsyn showed improvement over a few years ago, when the dissident would probably have been sent another direction. But still, he said, Russian leaders deny their citizens’ rights out of insecurity. The leaders of Soviet society, who are elected by their predecessors, are not con fident they enjoy the mandate from voters that Western politicians have, he said. “The leaders believe power depends on controlling the movement of people,” he said, “of controlling the information in the newspapers. In 1976, he said, about 80,000 Americans visited the U.S.S.R. That same year, tourist visas for 577 Rus sians were granted by the United States. Denial of the rights to know, to see for themselves and hear conflicting opinions leads to mistrust, said Kaiser, who was The Washington Post bureau chief in Moscow for three years. Those rights are important, he said, be cause we are human. But more practically, he said, they are important because they contribute to trust. And any true detente between America and Russia demands mutual trust, he said. “Trust is more difficult than it should be, Kaiser said. As an example, the jour nalist explained that Soviets have easy ac cess to U.S. officials in Washington, can watch debates in Congress and may lobby for their country’s position. “Everything is out in the open,” he said. By contrast, American embassy officials and reporters in Russia are denied access and may not lobby for their positions. “We simply don’t know what the argu ments are in the Politburo (the policy making body of the Communist party)," Kaiser said. “We have no access to non government ideas. “We are in a dark room much of the time and that makes it harder to trust them.” The common Soviet’s lack of know- lege about the United States also contri butes to an underlying hostility, he said. Sturua, whose father was once president of the Soviet Province Georgia, said his colleague put too much emphasis on the right to know, to express himself and de monstrate. “If you just shout and don’t change any thing,” Sturua said, “is it a real right?” He said leaders can change bad laws eas ily and that the laws prohibiting publica tion of books and other opinions protect the citizens. Kaiser said that emphasis on freedom of expression is where the differences lie. He suggested that all Soviet censorship is not for protection. “I’d like to see The Washington Post published in the Soviet Union,” the repor ter said, or history books that include Sta lin and Trotsky. “A country that can t take the truth about itself can’t be trusted.” Until Rus sians are granted more rights, he said, the climate will be “too tense for my nerves.“ Two journalists, one American and one Russian, said different cultures and histories produced the different systems of human rights in their two coun tries. Their debate Thursday in Rudder Theater was sponsored by the Great Issues Committee. Robert Kaiser, left, won the Overseas Press Club Award for best correspondent in 1974, when he was Moscow bureau chief for the Washington Post. Melor Sturua received a comparable award for Soviet journalists. He is Washington bureau chief for the Russian newspaper Izvestiia. Battalion photo by Pat O’Malley Dorm plan revised By HARVEY IAAS Battalion Reporter A revised freshmen housing proposal that would reserve 80 percent of available space on campus for incoming freshmen, has been submitted to Dr. John J. Koldus, vice president for student services. Current policy reserves 70 percent of available space for freshmen. The proposal was submitted by Ron Blatchley, acting director of student af fairs, and Ron Sasse, associate director of student affairs. In addition, the proposal would reserve 10 percent of available space for returning off-campus students requesting dormitory space and 10 percent for transfer students. In the past no provision has been made for transfer students. The proposal also establishes quotas for the allocation of space for each spring semester. Eighty percent of available space would go to returning students, 10 percent to transfers and 10 percent to in coming freshmen. Previously there have been no guidelines for the spring semes ter. The proposal includes a statement that off-campus services need to be expanded to aid freshmen who cannot obtain rooms on campus. This fall 1,800 freshmen received rooms. If this proposal had been in effect, about 250 more would have been able to live on campus. Because the renovation of Legett Hall and the new women’s dormitory will pro vide 700 new spaces in the fall of 1979, Blatchley estimates the proposal would provide 2,640 spaces for freshmen next fall. The original proposal that Blatchley and Sasse submitted would have guaranteed a room for all freshmen who wanted to live on campus. Freshmen who accepted a room would have done so with the know ledge that they would only be guaranteed a room one year. Blatchley and Sasse developed the proposal because they believed that freshmen who were forced to live off- campus were at a disadvantage in adjust ing to college life. It was revised because most students and school officials opposed the idea of forcing students to move off-campus and believed it would lead to a loss of leaders on campus. Blatchley said response to the revised proposal has been favorable. He pointed out that there had not been any provision for transfer students before and that this plan at least gave them some hope of getting on campus. Koldus said he will discuss the proposal with the Academic Programs Council be fore making some form of recommenda tion to President Jarvis E. Miller this month. Football tickets available today In Thursday’s ticket lottery for the Texas A&M-Arkansas game, 318 out of 377 tokens drawn for tickets were picked up. Students with lot tery tokens that didn t pick up their tickets may get them at G. Rollie White Coliseum from 8 a.m.- noon today. If there are any remaining tickets, they will go to the general public at 1 p.m. today on a first come, first served basis at window 7 of the coliseum. President says elections won’t hurt him, SALT talks United Press International KANSAS CITY, Mo. — President Car ter Friday conceded the Democrats lost “some very key races,” especially in the Midwest in Tuesday’s elections, but thought his party did “fairly well” on a nationwide basis. Carter said he did not look at the mid term elections as a referendum on his presidency and said the fact the GOP picked up three new senators will not hurt the ratification of a new strategic arms limitation agreement expected soon with the Soviet Union. He said he believes both conservatives and liberals want a new SALT agreement and said he would not hesitate to intro duce controversial legislation to a more Republican, more conservative Congress. “I think the Democrats did fairly well on a nationwide basis,” said Carter, two days after the GOP added six governors to its current total of 12 and added a dozen seats in the House to go with its three new Se nate seats. “I think there is a general concensus of approval around the country for the Democratic Party,” he said. Carter noted his party retained a major ity of 60 percent in House, Senate and in governorships and believes a SALT ag reement will be approved by the Senate next year. “It will be a tough battle in the Senate, but I don’t fear failure,” he said. “I think liberals and conservatives favor an agreement with the Soviet Union which would limit the proliferation of nucler arms in the future.” Carter said he thought a “well- balanced SALT II treaty “would be infi nitely superior to no treaty at all.” Carter said he had “no intention of cal ling Congress into a special session to pass mandatory wage and price controls, as urged by AFL-CIO President George Meany. Carter said he will stick within his own proposal calling for voluntary wage and price controls to fight inflation and that he will strive to keep upcoming labor contract negotiations in line with that plan. “Mr. Meany did not reject the voluntary wage and price standards that I proposed. Carter said when asked about Meany s at tacks on the proposal. But he noted Meany had strongly ques tioned the effectiveness of voluntary con trols on prices and had called for a special session of Congress. “I do not have intention of doing this,” said Carter, “and I don’t think Congress would approve. Preregistration begins Monday Preregistration for the spring semester begins Monday and continues through Friday for students currently enrolled at Texas A&M University. Students should preregister as early as possible because courses fill up on a first come, first served basis. “The system is designed such that those who come first will have a better chance of receiving the courses they request. There are some departments that fill up fast, but generally, during preregistration, we can honor about 75-80 percent of the re quests,” said Robert Lacey, Texas A&M registrar. Lacey said that it is important for the students to see their advisers to be sure they are taking courses that will work to wards their degree. Fee slips for the spring semester will be mailed to those who preregister and must be paid by Jan. 2, 1979. Failure to pay fees by this date may cancel the student’s pre registration . Class schedules are available in Heaton Hall so students may arrange a tentative schedule before they preregister. Registration card packets are to be picked up from the department of the stu dent’s major. Registration advisers in each department will help students in course selection and check the final schedule for time conflicts. General studies students should see an adviser before the preregistration period, especially if they wish to declare a major, said Hilliary Jessup, a general studies ad viser. “The students should come in before preregistration because we have over 800 students in the program and they will not be able to get much help after Friday,” Jessup said. “To help the student decide on what courses he will take, the Personal Counsel ing Service offers career planning work shops and the Academic Counseling Center gives interest evaluations,’ Jessup said. Career planning workshops may be scheduled for Dec. 1 by calling 845-4427. Tests from the Academic Counseling Center may be arranged by calling 845- 1651. Students with physical disabilities who may need assistance in preregistration should call the Texas Rehabilitation Com mission at 846-4781. Norman Rockwell dies at 84; ‘America’s Rembrandt’ gone Here at last &(■ Ol. The center pole of the bonfire is being raised today at noon. And with only 20 days ’til bonfire, the crew is working continuously to have it ready on time. They have breakfast at Duncan Dining Hall at 5 a.m., and leave for cutting sites at 6 a.m. Persons interested in helping out may call Wendall Pool at 845-1948 or Rod Luedeker at 845-5174. Battalion photo by Mike Bailey United Press International STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Norman Rockwell, whose hundreds of homey paintings depicted the fabric of American life like no other artist, died at his home late Wednesday. He was 84. Rockwell, who drew 317 covers for the weekly Saturday Evening Post, was in fail ing health for two years and had been un able to work in the studio he kept in the Berkshire mountain town of Stockbridge. On the easel at the time of his death was his last painting — an unfinished depiction of Stockbridge. Rockwell’s personal physician. Dr. Franklin Paddock, said the painter died at 11:15 p.m. EST, of an undisclosed illness. “Norman Rockwell as a man was very much like his paintings,” said Paddock. “He had a most delightful and charming personality and was a wonderful person. But in addition, beneath that, he was a very well-read man of much greater depth than his illustrations would appear to show.” If he was sometimes dismissed as a pan- derer to sentiment — one critic called him the “Lawrence Welk of painting” — he also was praised as “America’s Rem brandt” and its favorite painter. His gaunt figure, wavy hair and ever present pipe were as much his trademark as the signature that appeared on hun dreds of his works. He consistently re ferred to himself as an “illustrator” or “a storyteller” but not an artist, although an original Rockwell fetched $27,000 and he was once asked to make an even trade of one of his own paintings for an original Andrew Wyeth valued at $50,000. “If you can tell a story in a picture and if a reasonable number of people like your work, it is art,” he said. Bom in New York City Feb. 3, 1894, Rockwell dropped out of high school at 16 and on the strength of a few months’ edu cation at the Academy of Design, began illustrating youth magazines. In three years he was art director of Boys Life Magazine. He sold his first painting to the Post when he was 22 for $50. It showed a young boy reluctantly pushing a baby carriage and marked the beginning of an era. Over the next four decades, he turned out throat-catching, eye-wetting scenes that caught Americans being American — a doctor patiently examining a little girl’s doll, a bare-bottomed boy ready to receive a shot, a family solemnly giving thanks be fore dinner, Rosie the Riveter doing her part for the war effort. “I didn’t set out on purpose to paint a sunny America,” he said. But gentle humor and charm characterized the Rockwell style until the troubled and divi sive 1960s drove him to comment with his paintbrush.