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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1979)
Viewpoint The Battalion Wednesday Texas A&M University February 7, 1979 Reflections Soggy promises Kerchunk, thud. Sound familiar? If you’ve been operating any kind of vehicle around campus recently, you’d know the noise immediately. It’s the noise that makes you wince when you realize that your “Midas guarantees it” muffler has hit rock bottom again and the company might have a real test for its slogan. Just trying to manuever around the chug holes is a major task here. The weather has been in cahoots with the chug holes, widening their claim to the roadway. More depressing is that the parking outlook doesn’t look much better than the muddy holes. New construction on campus has eaten more than 500 student, faculty and staff places. It’s cars on top of cars. For staff or faculty, if they’ve got a reserved space, they may find “illegals” daring them to have the car towed away. More than one car has been blocked in a space by an irate reserved space holder behind the Battalion’s offices. Three years ago, the construction was different but the parking headaches were the same. Once a happy administrator detailed future parking solutions — a monorail, multi-tiered parking, moveable sidewalks. No express sidewalk sweeps students from Zachry Engineering Center to G. Rollie White — yet. However, campus administrators say that Bethleham Steel will be visit ing the campus soon to survey for a possible two-story parking area, and the campus-based Texas Transportation Institute may be consulted for a study. With Legett Hall back in operation next fall as a women’s dorm, and a new 500-bed women’s dorm in the same area, the parking problem can only get worse. Administrators, we need some solutions. Help. Club. Goodbye to yet another patronage plume By CHERYL ARVIDSON United Press International WASHINGTON — One of the Senate’s prime patronage plums is turning sour in the Judiciary Committee — the result of Sen. Edward Kennedy’s decision to end the power of a single senator to blackball a federal judge nominee from his state. The Massachussetts Democrat is the new chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and abolishing a senator’s absolute veto of judicial nominees was one of his first acts. For those who wondered what Kennedy, a liberal, might do when he stepped into a job vacated by conservative Sen. James Eastland, D-Miss., the message was swift and clear: Senators had better have a good reason if they decide to fight a judicial nominee in their state, and that reason had better go beyond politics. The system Kennedy scuttled is known as the “blue slip” — named after a blue slip of paper bearing a judicial nominee’s name that is distributed by the committee chair man to home state senators for their com ments. Failure to return a blue slip has been tantamount to killing a nomination. It’s been a quiet death, with the nominee’s name frequently never being mentioned again. Often, nominations were with drawn. Rarely was it stated on the record that a nominee had been “blue slipped.” That will change under the Kennedy rule. He plans to wait a “reasonable period of time” for return of the blue slip. But if it doesn’t come back, he will let the Judiciary Committee know. Members will then dis cuss the senator’s objection to the nominee and vote — in public — on whether to honor the blue slip or proceed to confirma tion hearings. Sen. Strom Thumond, R-N.C., the committee’s ranking GOP member, ac cused Kennedy of “usurping the right of a senator.” Sen. Paul Laxalt, R-Nev., said it would “substitute committee judgment for a senator’s judgment. ” Some will argue that the decision will have little impact — because the commit- C ommentary tee may support the senator trying to tor pedo a nomination, and because the Justice Department rarely sends up a nomination without securing approval — and often the name itself —— from the senators involved. The “blue slip” has been used frequently by senators as a bargaining chip to win things other than acceptable judges. Threats to hold up or kill judicial nomina tions by use of the blue slip frequently have been a “quid pro quo” leverage against a president, particularly when a state’s senators are of the opposing party. That simply won’t work any more under Kennedy’s plan. Meritless opposition to a judge nominee will be seen for what it is: pure politics. Also, a senator who refuses to abandon politics for merit in selecting judges, or is Want answers from the ‘top’? The Battalion offers a column for readers questioning University policies, or wanting ffle “word from the top” — the Texas A&M E mt’s office. k with Dr. Miller” is a forum for s to address questions to the admin- n about University policies and pro- I'mild be addressed to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, and should specify that they are to be used for this column. Names and phone numbers will be required on all questions and Dr. Miller has the option to decline to answer a ques tion or request others on the staff or faculty to answer it. Questions and answers will be published on fhe editorial page. insensitive to the need to increase women and blacks on the federal bench, may find himself out of luck. Take the case of Sen. Harry Byrd, D-Va., who used a merit commission to secure nominees for four federal judicial vacancies in Virginia and has offered the names of 10 white males for the jobs. Although Byrd used a commission, there is a question of whether Byrd asked the panel members to look women or blacks, and whether the commission made any ef fort to find qualified women and blacks. Under the old system, if the president decided to reject the Byrd nominees and Letters to the Editor On friends Editor: I would like to submit the following quote by Winston Churchill to my Iranian friends, whose countrymen are now loudly yelling “Yankee go home.” “There are no people in the world who are so slow to develop hostile feelings against a foreign country as the Americans and there are no people who, once es tranged, are more difficult to win back.” —Charles E. Pehl graduate research assistant Forest Science lab Rack of the bus Editor: I can remember when certain phrases, like “have no place in” or “there are some places where they absolutely do not be long” was used in reference to black Ameri cans. Those phrases were popular when I was a small child and I had not heard them in years (thank goodness). Both of these phrases appeared in Thursday’s (Feb. 1) Battalion in a letter by Mr. Williams regarding the role ofwomen. This was a problem in another era. A man named Paul considered the dilemma and penned the words “there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” —Gala tians 3:28. Freedom, males, females and Christ are still with us today. Alas, so is prejudice. —Ellen King, ’79 ‘Waggie’ phobias Editor: Mr. Williams’ letter of Feb. 1 veritably trembled on the page with gynephobia: it made me wonder if he suffers from recur rent nightmares in which has has to tell a Corps father and grandfather that he did not make the Cavalry, Aggie Band, or Ross Volunteers because a “Waggie” beat him out of a position. His extremely narrow perspective of people betrays his need for the security of a severely limited reality, wherein every person, or any individuals which he can define to himself as a set, is pigeonholed into a very limited role. The classic “no girls allowed” clubhouse is a fairly common stage in the ontogeny of most male children in our society, espe cially during the age when the average height of girls exceeds that of boys. Nor mally, however, as girls grow into women, boys grow into men, and they lose their childhood fears as experience broadens their reality. It is only people who are uncertain of their sexuality who need to strictly define masculinity or femininity and then strive consciously to fit the definition. Men and women who are strong enough to be who they want to be don’t need society (or Mr. Williams) to hand them a script and a cos tume. submit the names of a woman and a black for two of those vacancies, Byrd could have killed those nominations with the blue slip. Under the new system, Byrd would have to state his reasons for opposing the female and black nominees, and the committee would vote on whether those reasons were sufficient. Reforming a system rich in politics and little else is not an overnight job. Nor can the results be absolutely guaranteed. But one thing is clear: Merit selection of judges can’t work when a senator can stop a nomination cold. With the threat of a blackball by a single senator removed, merit selection now has a chance. , Iranians “Waggies,” like all other people, should strive to grow into whoever they wish to be. A university is supposed to provide an ideal atmosphere for such growth for all of its students. —G.R. Dellmeier, graduate student Third in the line Editor: The tragedy of disassociation has once again permeated the minds and souls of the rank and file of Texas A&M. Let it not be said that any student has ever decidedly put up with the tyranny of one who has control and power far greater than the average learner. Though we be in the developing stage, there is not one pupil — wise or not — who is greater, by any means, than any other fellow classmate or student. When Emory Bellard resigned I grieved with the insecurity of a child, knowing not the fate of our noble warriors of the gridi ron. When Chancellor Williams resigned I mourned sincere emotions of despair, feel ing a great loss of wisdom in the parting of this scholar. For a long time the worries of imperfec tion drilled me nightly. I slept not for the longing of stability, yet no relief in sight. The leaders we had chosen worked not with us, they worked against us. Comforting us but little in our sorrow, aiding them not who they had been appointed to guide. When Jeff Hancock quit I sighed a long sigh of relief, and for the firt time in many months I slept. In the words of a relevant Russian proverb: “A man only lives until he dies.” —George R. Gagnon, ’80 Writing the editor The Battalion welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. However, to be acceptable for publication these letters must meet certain criteria. Thev should: V Not exceed 300 words or 1800 characters in length. V Be neatly typed whenever possible. Hand-written letters are acceptable. ^ Include the author’s name, ad dress and telephone number for verification. Letters to the editor are printed as a service to our readers. Publication of a letter is never guaranteed. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters to remove grammatical er rors and to avoid litigation. Address letters to the editor to: Letters to the Editor ( The Battalion Room 216 Reed McDonald Building College Station, Texas 77843 Top of the News CAMPUS Shanklin OK’d as head leader Ben Shanklin has been named the new head yell leader for Texas A&M University. Dr. John Koldus, vice president for student serv ices, approved him Tuesday to replace Jeff Hancock, who resignedlast week. Shanklin, a senior in engineering technology, was recom mended by the Yell Leader Committee late Monday. He saidhewill accept the job, noting there isn’t much to do since new yell leaders will be elected in early April. Hancock gave no reasons for his resignation; he terminated his Air Force ROTC contract and dropped out of the Corps of Cadets, he said, for his own and Texas A&M’s best interests. He plans to graduate in management in August 1979. Student recovering from mishap Robert Hancock, 18, a freshman finance major from Jasper, rested Tuesday in St. Joseph’s Hospital after an operation Monday for a fractured right ankle. Hancock and another Texas A&M Universit) student, Mark McAllister, 20, of Houston were struck by a car Sunday morning while crossing University Drive. McAllister was released from St. Joseph’s Sunday. STATE Davis trial witness cousin guilty Truck driver John W. McCrory was convicted Monday in Wichita Falls of the rape and murder of 17-year-old Jeana Melissa Walkerfrom Lewiston. The jury returned a verdict at 9:15 a.m., and found McCrory guilty of strangling and raping the high school student after her car stalled on a Denton County rural road. The state is seekingthe death penalty, but the jury adjourned without sentencing after three hours of deliberations. McCrory is a cousin of the star prosecution witness in the T. Cullen Davis trial, David McCrory. Noi Workers honor non-local pickeU Almost all of the workers at Texaco Inc. ’s largest refinery at Port Arthur continued to refuse to cross a wildcat picket line despite union orders to do so. Most of the 4,200 workers said they were unhappy wilt the work stoppage, but still honored pickets from a Westville, N.J., Texaco refinery. The New Jersey local of the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers Union sent the pickets because they charge Texaco with trying to break their union. Tension was reported high at the refinery gates between the Texans and the 30 or so pickets from OCAW local 8-638. No serious incidents were reported, however Port Arthur local 423 officals said that although the picket line is legal, it is not legal for its workers to refuse to cross the line to work. ] By The I re Cer Univers: png s aco But the problem ■ The hi at a cost jints fo jion of la sses ca iturbec Would-be assassin s escape flops \ office Attempted assassin Sara Jane Moore, went over the wall to limited freedom with another inmate, and headed for Washington, D.C. But the two women were picked up in a town near Alderson, W. Va.,afew hours later. Moore, 48, tried to assassinate Gerald Ford Sept. 22, 1975, in San Francisco. She was sentenced to life, but she and Marlene Martino, 36, jumped the Alderson Federal Reformatory fence in near-zero temperatures. They hitchhiked to White Sulpher Springs near the state border where they were captured without resistance Neither woman would say why she was headed for Washington. NATION Carter, Portillo to talk in Mexico President Carter and his Mexican counterpart Jose Lopez Portillo will hold three rounds of talks during Carter’s three-day visit to Mexico next week. Carter and Lopez Portillo are expected to touch on many subjects during the seven hours of talks. Vice President to visit Sweden Vice President Walter Mondale will visit Sweden in a two-day official trip in April, the Swedish government announced Tuesday from Stockholm. Prime Minister Ola Ullsten met with Mondale in Washington in January. WORLD Floods devastate central Brazil Floods have killed 200 persons in central Brazil, left another 200,00(1 homeless and virtually cut off ground transportation between northern and southern Brazil, government officials said Tuesday. Officials esti mated more than a month of rain has caused damage in four central states that will easily surpass $500 million. Federal officials Monday declared a state of emergency in three states whose combined areais that of Florida and Maryland. That will clear the way for millions of dollars in aid grants. Metereologists in the capital, Brazilia, said a cole front should pass over the stricken areas by Wednesday, halting the rain. Government experts said Monday the floods were facilitated by the destruction of large forests by timber companies that havealloweil rain-loosened soil to fill up river beds. Rivers throughout central Brazil are spilling over their banks, sweeping away bridges, roads, telephone lines, houses and farms. WEATHER Cloudy to partly cloudy clearing this afternoon with no rain sighted in the forecast. High today 60, low tonight in the low 30s. Winds will be north westerly at 10-15 mph. 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 furnished 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 Kin Managing Editor Liz' Assistant Managing Editor ,Andy"f Sports Editor Davidb 1 City Editor Scott Pe^ Campus Editor Ste' t News Editors . . . Debbie P-' Beth Calhoun Staff Writers Karen Rogers Patterson, Sean Petty, ^ Blake, Dillard Stone. Bragg, Lyle Lovett Cartoonist Doug^ Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschp® Photographer Lynn^ Focus section editor Gary " / - Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the ivriter of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of ^ Regents. The Battalion is a non supporting enterprise operated by si' 1 ’ as a university and community newsp u _ Editorial policy is determined by thed v par