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The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Friday
January 19, 1979
Vote on the grass
possibly useless
The Memorial Student Center grass.
No count was taken, but it’s probably been the point of more letters to
the editor than any issue (other than “Good Ags“).
The Texas A&M grass issue has even been immortalized by Houston
Post columnist Lynn Ashby.
Now a sign up in the main hall of the Memorial Student Center tells
students to contact their Student Government senators because the Se
nate is planning a vote on whether to “memorialize’’ the grass surround
ing the student center.
Last year the issue was rekindled after a number of visitors to campus
were rudely informed they should not be walking on the grass. (The
council directs a number of campus organizations on campus and makes
recommendations to the University about the building.)
The MSC Council was asked by the Student Senate to memorialize the
grass. The council found in records that the grass had never been dedi
cated, and ruled last year that walking on the grass “would not be discour
aged” and would be “left up to the discretion of the individual.” In other
words, no signs would be put up telling people not to walk on it.
The issue is emotional. Last semester one student staked out the grass
as a reading spot and a crowd of angry students gathered and threatened
him for not moving.
One “side” says the building is dedicated to Aggies who have died in
war, so the grounds should be revered. The other “side” sees the grass as
a living area that should be used and recognizes no tradition.
Now the student government is trying to come out with its own ruling
suggesting a hedge and sign to enforce it.
The point -— since it seems to be the subject of so much controversy —
should be decided, but not by having various student organizations assert
ing their own control over the “tradition.”
That will solve nothing.
But is there a solution at all? Probably not for all Aggies now.
Traditions can’t be legislated. Such an attempt would be ignored. The
sanctity of the grass would have to be enforced. And genuine traditions
don’t need enforcement.
But Texas A&M students — especially in the student senate — see
some of the school’s time-honored customs crumbling. And they are fight
ing to hang on to this one.
The student senate can’t win by changing rules — only by changing
minds.
Let students decide themselves, and those who wish to respect the
grass do so. — K.T.
Presidential hopefuls
Winter of decisions
Bv ARNOLD SAWISLAK
WASHINGTON — Events of the next
90 days may determine whether there be
any meaningful competition for the 1980
presidential nominations.
Although it is a full year before the Iowa
precinct caucuses that have been the first
test of the last few campaigns, the basic
decisions that will determine the 1980
field in both parties probably will be made
by Easter.
At this moment, there is no sure evi
dence that any Democrat who would be
given a chance of success is going to chal
lenge Jimmy Carter. (What that means is
that Teddy Kennedy continues to insist he
is not going to run in 1980.)
And, while both Rep. Phillip Crane of
Illinois and former CIA director George
Bush of Texas are announced or potential
candidates, Ronald Reagan is the consen
sus choice of the political community at
this time as the most likely Republican
nominee.
There are circumstances that could
change the situation and bring more can
didates into the field.
Continued high inflation, a sharp in
crease in unemployment, an oil crisis, final
collapse of Mideast peace efforts, an out
break of big power hostilities in Indochina
are all among the possible events that
could make politicians believe that 1980
would be a good year to go for the big
prize.
But presidential campaigns do not begin
the day before the candidate’s public an
nouncement. Carter began planning his
campaign a full three years before the last
election; Reagan never dismantled the
1976 organization that almost captured the
GOP nomination.
“How it was done” books like the “Mak
ing Of The President” series and
“Marathon” make it clear that the nine
months between mid-April and the first
delegate selection processes would be a
short time to organize and finance a re
spectable effort to win the presidential
nomination of either party.
The federal campaign finance laws also
push potential candidates toward “go-no
go” decisions. Before 1976, a presidential
hopeful could avoid public committment
C ommentary
while his friends began to raise money and
build an organization. Now, candidates
must publicly consent to the most prelim
inary fund raising and the law requires
same detailed financial reporting it would
if they were formal candidates.
That does not mean everyone who de
cides to run in the next three months will
announce it in the spring. With their or
ganizations already in place and the
sources of funds identified if not tapped,
neither Carter nor Reagan have to make
formal declarations until later in the year.
Some potential challengers like Demo
crat Kennedy or Republicans Howard
Baker or Bob Dole will be able to use their
positions as elected officials carry out the
first steps of organization and fencemend
ing without requiring formal campaign
committees or fund-raising efforts. Only
the candidates without the advantages of
incumbency, national recognition or
proven votewinning ability will have to
announce early.
But it is a good bet that most of the
candidates who will be in the running next
winter will have made their decisions dur
ing the cold months of 1979.
Korea is test for new Chinese diplomacy
By ROBERT CRABBE
PEKING — American humorist Dr.
Suess once wrote a poem about two stub
born creatures called Zax who met in a
vacant field and stood face-to-face for 59
years.
Neither Zax would get out of the other’s
way.
As time went by, the area built up and
one day the Zax found themselves stand
ing in a busy intersection.
Something like that happened to North
and South Korea Dec. 16 when President
Carter announced the United States was
going into full diplomatic relations with
China and would actively help build up
the Chinese economy.
The whole structure of alliances that
supported the two Koreas in their 33-year
confrontation, including the 1950-53 Ko
rean war, is starting to come unglued.
In the Korean war era, China and the
Soviet Union were the unflinching backers
of North Korea, whose President Kim 11
Sung, 66, seeks to unite Korea under
communist rule.
The United States supported South
Korea. In the early years of the Korean
confrontation it gave both military and
economic backing but today the American
role is mostly one of military support.
Japan since 1970 has taken over as South
Korea’s major source of economic aid and
foreign investment.
China and the Soviet Union long ago
ceased to be allies, and in fact have been
bitter enemies since around 1960. Now
the growing military might of the Soviets
is forcing the United States and Japan into
increasing cooperation to check the expan
sion of Russian influence in the world.
Neither the North Korean government
in Pyongyang nor the anti-communist
South Korean regime headed by President
Park Chung Hee had much to say about
the surprise news that China and the
United States were burying the hatchet.
Both know they now are in a tricky new
era. For the South Koreans, it was a shock
to see the United States cut its ties with
the anticommunist government of Taiwan,
in the wake of the fall of American-backed
South Vietnam.
Although the Carter administration still
insists that the American defense com
mitment to South Korea is intact, the Park
government is on notice that about 30,000
American ground troops will be out of
Korea by the end of 1983. Air force units
will remain.
The North Koreans, too, must be won
dering about the solidity of their support
from China.
North Korea started life in 1945 as a
Soviet satellite. But in recent years Kim’s
relations with Peking have been far more
friendly than with Moscow. The Chinese
are extremely anxious to keep it that way.
Possible loss of their special position in
North Korea is one of the big risks they
have taken in moving closer to the United
States.
The fact is that Korea is as big a con
tradiction as Taiwan in the new Chinese-
American relationship. The United States
can expect no help from Peking in its goal
of having the two Koreas settle down
peacefully as a divided country for the in
definite future. China will support the
North Korean line.
Chinese Vice-Premier Teng Hsiao-Ping
in a meeting with members of the Senate
Armed Services Committee Jan. 9 said
China would welcome a buildup of U.S.
naval forces in the Far East and expansion
of Japanese defense strength. But he made
it plain that while the Chinese wanted An
American military presence in East Asia,
this did not apply to Korea.
Teng told the group headed by Senator
Sam Nunn, D-Ga., that the United States
should get its troops our of South Korea,
and enter into direct bilateral negotiations
with the North Korean government.
It is easy to see why the Chinese are
anxious to keep North Korea’s friendship.
The Mongolian Peoples Republic to the
north of China is under complete Soviet
control, and Moscow has large military
forces posted there.
In the south, Vietnam is now a Soviet
ally, bitterly hostile to China, and has just
completed the conquest of Chinese-
supported Cambodia.
if North Korea tilted completely into
the Russian camp, the Chinese might face
another hostile front on their 200-mile
North Korean border.
Former Cambodian Chief of State Pr
ince Norodom Sihanouk told newsmen in
Peking that North Korea helped the Cam
bodian Communists by supplying foreign
currency and Korean-made arms in their
1970-75 struggle against the American-
backed Lon Nol government.
But in Cambodia’s hour of need against
Vietnam, North Korea gave little help,
Sihanouk said. He reported that Moscow
put heavy pressure on Kim to stay neutral,
despite North Korea’s cooperation with
China in aiding Cambodia in the past.
North Korea from now on will be under
heavy Soviet pressure to back away from
China. Regardless of their new friendship
with Washington, Peking must play the
Korean game Kim II Sung’s way.
By Dick West
The sound of broken crash diets returns
Tell m
e now;
WASHINGTON — That strange noise
you hear may be the sound of crash diet
ing.
And the next sound you hear may be
that of broken New Year’s resolutions to
lose weight.
Both are familiar sounds to operators of
weight control programs and exercise sa
lons. The basic scenario goes like that:
Joe Glutton, who is not exactly a pillar of
moderation to begin with, pulls all the
stops during the Thanksgiving-
Christmas-New Year’s festivities.
Humor
Then, come Jan. 1, he adopts a stiff
upper chin and resolves to take some of it
off.
Then, come Jan. 30, he encounters an
eclair in a weak moment and . well, you
can guess the rest.
This year, a spot check of reducing
academies in this area suggests the strug
gle is more intense than ever.
Oh, yes. Definitely,” said Hilda
Frishman of the Diet Workshop. “There
has been a heavy influx this month. Losing
weight is probably No. 1 on the list of New
Year’s resolutions.
“I subscribe to most of the women’s
magazines and every single one of them
had a diet in the January issue.”
Do most post-holiday dieters have the,
ah, guts to stick to the regimen, or will
their will power disso'- • 1 Tore the
Christmas fat does?
Mrs. Frishman allowed that many try to
go it alone likely will yield to temptation
prematurely. But those dedicated enough
to take up group dieting generally are
“truly motivated,” she said.
Ruth Weston, an offical of Weight Loss
Centers, said absenteeism in her programs
picked up sharply in the week before
Thanksgiving. But during the first week of
January, 80 percent of the dropouts re
turned. And 80 percent of them had taken
on poundage, she said.
She likewise described New Year’s reso
lution dieters as “very well motivated. All
during the holidays, she said, she heard
the same thing over and over —“I can’t
wait to get back on my diet.’Apart from
the need to shuck the suet of seasonal ex
cesses, January is an ideal time to go on a
diet, according to Mrs. Weston.
“When the winter coat comes off in Ap
ril, the body will be acceptable,” she
pointed out.
Janet Hall, manager of one of the Bar
bara Ellen exercise parlors, also reported a
“notable increase” in patronage since the
new year began. She deals primarily with
holiday over-doers who chose a more
vigorous route to body acceptability. And
“some are very sincere,” she added.
Top of the New®
United Pr
CAMPUS
ashvill
[its clampe
nessee’s C
/ent ousted
staff from i
ting to a grs
SCON A applications due today* aprons
epublican
Today is the last day for students to apply to be delegates wilder, wh
SCON A 24. Students may apply in Room 221 of the Memorial Sie Saturday
dent Center. The topic this year for the national students’ conferejay night, t
is “America’s Economic Environment: Business, Bucks and Burewced Blantc
cracy.” Interviews for delegate selection will be next week. > Monday i
sentences c
STATE
lexander In
completii
net and prc
Duration,
I Saturday.
, • 1 a Hi' Hander hn
Computers aid tax collection A fter
* K a ^ v ’ se<
State Comptroller Bob Bullock said Wednesday his office has iad substa
lected almost $750,000 in back taxes with a computerized system 1 that Blan
denies paychecks to anyone owing the state money. The comptn'ency actic
said during the past six months the program identified 26,34UM > n the g
nesses that owed taxes and collected $729,663 in revenue from BI agents v
delinquencies. Bp?s of Bl
: the reinovi
Bill to relieve beaten SpOUSCS that T
?s have bee
Sen. Jack Ogg, D-Houston, Wednesday introduced a bill provi; °ut of pri
relief and protection for persons who are beaten, battered or ab.,; s have be
by their spouses. Ogg said because of an increase in domestic Ik ^ anc ' bl
hold violence the state needed to expand treatment and rehabilit:^ '•he in
services for those abused. “Thousands of spouses in this statej an . ton P res
regularly beaten and in many situations killed by persons with
they are living,” Ogg said.
No end in sight for Texaco sfrilfest
A strike by 600 employees at Texaco’s Eagle Point refinery i
into its second day Thursday with the union’s president warning
end may be far away. The 600 workers walked off the job Wednesf
and set up picket lines after negotiations on a new contract!
down. Herb Ross, president of Local 638 of the Oil, Chemical^
Atomic Workers Union said, the company has adopted an "anti-k
position since its reorganization last month,” and was trying “toi
stroy a good working agreement that had been without any probltj
since 1969.”
rd
T<
NATION
*e Texas go
Testimony heard in Marvin
Michele Triola Marvin, seeking $1 million from actor Lee Mart
in joint property for the six years they lived together, adnij
Thursday the actor was “kind” and “generous” but said he sometiij
mistreated her. In cross examination Thursday, Mrs. Marvin’sa
neys established that Marvin’s business manager had set uperd
card accounts for her. Mrs. Marvin testified earlier she becamepr(
nant by the actor three times but he persuaded her not to haveli
children and she was left sterile by an abortion.
WORLD
■overnor:
■> some
pis indisci
P P handb,
le ai
agency.
;tween ig
Fuel explosions blamed on Z/L4 s E
" OIK anrl A
Bombs blamed on the Irish Republican Army Thursday blewuj t ^ <) ' e he
storage tank filled with 7 million cubic feet of gasoline in East Lontf ec . 111 (
Thursday. The blast ripped through a Texaco tank holding 100,(f r 1 m ' su se
tons of aviation fuel. Another fire broke out in a block of offices in 11 s
city ’s Strand district less than a block from Trafalgar Square and cl ^
to the Charing Cross railway station. A Scotland Yard spokesmans! ^ ) aml '
wns: no reason to fh** office xa/hq rplfltedav . , ^
s led to e
there was no reason to believe the office block blaze was related
the suspected IRA bombs.
Ford at ‘trilateral summit'
oiors par
c y handbo,
le govern
ay reprieve
a m sen tern
Pell 1
Former President Gerald Ford flew to the winter resort ofAflL 0 " s an
Thursday for a possible “trilateral summit” with Egyptian PresidC'^ 11 ?. 1 r<
Anwar Sadat and Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran. The si- C - 01 *
rne*
paper reported Wednesday he and his wife will fly to Palm Sprinf
Calif., either Friday or Saturday.
Red Chinese extend invitation
Chinese Culture Minister Huang Chen has invited entertaii
from Taiwan to come to Peking to help celebrate the Commi
government’s 30th anniversary Oct. 1. Huang extended the invital
Wednesday despite Taiwan’s certain rejection of it, the New Cl
News Agency said. He also invited Taiwanese entertainers to
make films on the mainland, the agency said. China last year invit
Nationalist Chinese athletes to participate in the Asian Gamesas^
of the Chinese delegation. Taiwan turned down all offers as a prof'
aganda ploy.
WEATHER
Cloudy and mild with a continued chance of rain. Hightodi
70 and a low of 50. Winds will be southerly at 10-15 mpha^
a 30% chance of rain.
The Battalion
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Editor
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Or
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