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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1979)
Viewpoint The Battalion Thursday Texas A&M University February 15, 1979 Slouch By Jim Earle WHEN YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO INVEST IN GASOLINE FUTURES, I THOUGHT YOU MEANT A PAPER-TYPE TRANSAC TION!” Reflections Doorguards a sign? Reflections on Valentine’s Day ... The old man walking toward the parking lot waved a handful of red Valentine’s carnations then flashed a big smile as he retired for the evening. I didn’t know his name, but recognized him as a doorguard from the Texas A&M library. You’d be surprised at how many students these men know. Seeing those flowers in his hand told me he wasn’t just friendly with me. When I was a sophomore I seemed to be always passing through the library and came to be on a real “howdy” basis with a few of the doorguards. Evidently I wasn’t alone. This spring when the new library addition opens, the old man with the flowers may be one of the doorguards at the library who will be closed out of a job he’s held for many years. Not to be maudlin, but the old doorguards are a sign of the times. They 11 be losing their jobs later this spring when an electronic book checker takes over most of their former duties; one guard will be left to man the single library door. Going back through old 1940 “Aggielands” recently I realized how much this university has changed in the last 30 years. Photo captions from those days had only to say first names like “Joe” or “Bob” for their references — everyone knew each other then. Texas A&M’s now has more than 30,000 students, not 6,500. Thirty- thousand students does not help make a school personal. Whether this university will retain its personal closeness, its feeling of togetherness is something only time will answer. The replacement of the library door guards is a sign of the times. Will Texas A&M follow the signs? Baker presidential bid all or nothing By STEVE GERSTEL United Press International WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Howard Baker is hedge-hopping key states in a private twin-engine plane, hop ing that the heavy travel will help him de cide whether he should seek the GOP pres idential nomination. Airlanes are filled these days as candi dates -— announced and unannounced — move from state to state in a never-ending procession with the emphasis on the ones which have the earliest primaries. In one respect, however. Baker, the 53- year-old third termer from Tennessee, is unique. Of all the potential candidates. Baker has the most to lose should he decide to go after the nomination — a decision due around July 4/ If Baker decides to go to the post,- the question of his remaining as Senate GOP leader is certain to be raised. It is obvious to everyone — Baker in cluded — that it would be impossible for him to mount a serious campaign for the presidential nomination and, at the same time, be the active leader of Senate Repub licans. Lyndon B. Johnson, who was much more powerful and much better known, tried running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960 from the confines of the Senate and was handily beaten by John F. Kennedy. And that happened before the explosive growth of primaries and at a time when key politicians could still hand over state dele gations en bloc. A top aide said that if Bilker does run, he will step aside as Senate leader and turn over the day-to-day duties to his deputy. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska. “Step aside,” the aide said. He added that Baker, explaining his intentions, does not use the phrase “step down.” That, however, may not be enough to satisfy GOP conservatives in the Senate, - especially those who hunger for Baker’s job and see this as an opportunity. Human Events, the conservative weekly, said recently that if Baker tries to hold on to the post and run for the nomina tion at the same time, either Sen. John Tower of Texas or James McClure of Idaho will challenge him. Exactly how this would be accomplished is unclear. The Baker aide told a group of reporters, ‘ “As I recall, he was elected for two years.” Presumably, there is nothing to keep the Republicans — if enough of them want to — from throwing Baker out and electing someone else, although history shows that leaders are rarely ousted at the start of a Congress and seemingly never in midterm. It would be difficult for Baker to emerge from that kind of an ugly showdown^— win or lose — without slow-healing bruises that would ‘ultimately damage his-presidential campaign. Yet, stepping down as leader also has its drawbacks. Should Baker fail in a presiden tial quest, there is no assurance and, in fact, no likelihood that he could get elected leader once more even though he was un opposed last month. So, if Baker decides to go, he better win. Then he can sit back and wait for his inau gural while his former colleagues elect a leader in January 1981. Letters to the Editor Top of the New / CAMPUS Spring semester payment due The second installment board payment for the spring semestp due on or before Friday. The amount is $162.25 for the 7-Day hi] Plan and $145.45 for the 5-Day Board Plan. Payment can be madet the Fiscal Office in the Coke Building, or the Cashier's Office in th main lobby of Rudder Center. Apply now for Fellows Frog ram Applications to participate in the 1979-1980 University Under graduate Fellows Program are being taken now through April 16 l Room 120D, Halbouty Geosciences Building. The program allows students to substitute six credits of 485H courses (three credits pe semester) in their senior year for other courses in their curriculum to pursue research in their field. To be eligible, students must be sec ond semester juniors with a 3.5 or better grade point ratio, must be seniors next year and be enrolled on campus both semesters next year. Students should submit a research proposal and endorsements from their faculty research adviser, department head and dean to Dr Melvin Friedman, program coordinator. HEW increases education fund The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare has increased Texas A&M University’s Basic Educational Opportunity Grant fund ing by almost $500,000, said Robert Logan, student financial aid director. The increase brings the total BEOG funding at the Univer sity to $1.47 million. The maximum amount of the grant is $1100 and any student having an eligibility report should bring it by the student financial aid office in the YMCA Building as soon as possible for payment. CIRCLE K Tower. TAME FEIN | Rollie W1 SBLOOD PR Teamanc 8a.m. to I and Fridt thepubli Ieadlini r tion. For ?ESTIVAL' Russia’s f cers, and festival w ICGIE PA1 Aggie Pa: meat Offi 2. iamu WAn to attend meeting 1 AMU RAC nament a the intrai STATE Wrotenbery named new director Gov. Bill Clements announced Wednesday he has appointed Paul T. Wrotenbery of Austin as director of budget and planning for the governor’s office. Wrotenbery, 44, has been a director and vice-pres ident of Informatics, a computer software firm, and previously worked with Tracor Inc. and United Systems International Inc. ol Dallas. “With his extensive background in business, Paul Wroten bery will be extremely useful in helping me achieve my objective ol efficiency in state government,” Clements said. Acupuncture decision upheld The Texas Supreme Court Wednesday upheld disciplinary action against two North Texas doctors who allowed unlicensed assistants to practice acupuncture in their offices. Dr. Oliver H. Thompson of Carrollton and Dr. Raul Baptista Mascarenhas of Dallas were placed on 10-year probation by the Board of Medical Examiners in 1975. The doctors had appealed the action, contending the board had overstep ped its authority in ruling that acupuncture constituted the practice of medicine. The board on Dec. 2, 1974, issued a policy statement saying acupuncture would be included in the definition of practice of medicine, thereby making it illegal for persons not licensed as physi cians to use acupuncture in Texas. NATION epheid guard frc power to and KFS 1 cents. placeme: for the fo views or Amoco F Station), Southwe tory Mut Houston Controls Builders. Corp. STUDENT graduatf Room 2 *GGIE Cl gives a s at the pi Auditori MIDNIGH stars in betrayal shown ii LACEME for the f views or Inc., Bx Public S Service, Joske’s ( tional, S FBI confiscates stolen ore The FBI Wednesday said two men charged with interstate trans portation of 5,000 pounds of stolen uranium ore were employees of the SOHIO uranium milling operation at Seboyeta, N.M. The man- ager of the SOHIO mining and milling operation at Seboyeta con firmed Pete Lucero, 35, of Albuquerque and Teofilo Savedra, 25, of Bibo, N.M., were employed in the mill. An FBI spokesman said an investigation had not yet determined where the “yellowcake’ ore was stolen. FBI agents confiscated the partly refined ore valued at $200,000 in five 55-gallon drums from a rented or truck near El Paso last week. ^ Cal ‘Loves’ don’t compare to Band’s halftime Editor: Anyone who suggests that the Longhorn Loves replace the Aggie Band at G. Rollie White (Mark Patterson, Battalion — Feb. 12) should be writing for the Daily Texan, not the Battalion. I’ve seen them both perform at basket ball games and the Aggie Band is better. The band deserves to be there — all 252 of them and their dates. They are students and would be entitled to their seats any way. Enough of this insane idea that the Aggie Band should be replaced by the Longhorn Loves when we play t.u. —Ben Morgan P.O. Box 4980 Austin Never be ‘beaten Editor: Several things I saw at the Aggie-t.u. game disgusted me, and brought to mind something I’ve been thinking about for quite awhile. One event stands out over all the others. Several Aggies were bitterly replaying the loss as they left the coliseum. Berating the opposition, belittling the refs, and ver bally crucifying our players, they ‘iffed and butted’ the whole game until we had won at least 77-0. As I was probably the loudest in the group, I thought I ought to write this letter. Any time an athlete walks onto a basket ball court, football field, or cock-fighting rink, it’s because he/she has proven that he/she is good enough to be there, and for this, they should be respected. Instead, they have to play before a bunch of abusive jerks like us who haven’t got near the talent they do. Nor does the decision go to the better team anymore. It’s always the refs, or the ball was (overinflated, underinflated), or we weren’t wearing our lucky socks. Most of the time, though, we just beat ourselves. As painful as losing is, there is a fine distinction between it and getting beat. Any time a team gives it everything it has for the whole duration of the contest and never gives up no matter how great the odds, there is no way that that team got beat. They can only be winners, one and all, and nobody has the right to demand any more of them. Lousy fans are everywhere. By and Y ' • ’ ... . » I ^ fans in the world. No one suffers a loss like an Aggie. I just wish that we could realize it’s only a game, and that no matter what happens to our teams, none of us ever need feel shamed by their performance, fbrmance. —Doug Wright, ’77 Look at evidence Editor: I am writing in response to Michael Con- foy’s letter of the Feb. 5 Battalion. He made several unsupported statements. Also, his prejudice was especially evident, when he asked the question, “Can you imagine reincarnation being taught in the classroom?” I suppose that since reincarna tion seems ridiculous, it shouldn’t be taught. The point is, the credible thinker doesn’t let prejudice obscure his vision, but examines all of the facts, on an equal basis, and dismisses something only after he has subjected it to rigorous study. Darwin’s theory of evolution, which Confoy asserted as being “basically cor rect, has been rejected by many scientists. Much of evolution is based on circumstan tial evidence, and it is interesting to note that a significant number of scientists who support creation, reject evolution on a sci entific, and not a religious basis. As to the reliability of Genesis, in the entire Bible for that matter, much of an cient history, accepted as truth, is not as well substantiated. Rousseau, the great French philosopher, provides one exam ple, when he remarked that, “The facts concerning Socrates, of which no one entertains any doubt, are less attested than those concerning Jesus Christ.” The Qum- ran scrolls, dating from about 100 B.C., and containing the entire book of Isaiah and parts of nearly every other Old Testement book, compare remarkably with the He brew Massoretic texts of the 10th century A.D. This is just one example of textual evidence. Of course, you can look at the world, with all its vast complexity, diversity, and delicate balances, and tell yourself that it is nothing but the result of a cosmic accumu lation of accidents — pure chance. And are you satisfied? Maybe either way, I ask that you shed your prejudices and look at the facts, head on. I dare you. —Lee A. Phillips, 80 ‘Pulse of G. Rollie Editor: In his “Viewpoint” of Feb. 12, Mark Pat terson concluded that the Aggie Band is grossly out of place” at basketball games. He suggested that the band needs to cut down the number of musicians it brings, as other SWC bands do. That the band brings too many members is his personal opinion; I disagree. The sound of the Aggie Band is “that big band sound. And when Mr. Patterson wails “Why can’t Texas A&M follow the lead of the other conference schools?” I can only reply that I never thought Aggies needed to follow anyone’s lead but our own. Mr. Patterson also complained that the songs the band plays at the games “all sound the same.” Perhaps he’d better go buy some Q-tips. At the Texas game the band played music ranging from jazz (“Night Train") to traditional (“Noble Men“) to downright raunchy (“The Strip per”). And this all sounds the same? If that isn’t “good music that the fans enjoy,” maybe Mr. Patterson can get Boston to play at the next game. Coach Metcalf thinks the band needs to play during the game to help the team. A player says “All we need is their support, not their music.” Should the band play more (as Coach Metcalf says) or not at all (as the player thinks)? It sounds like a case of you-know-what if they do and you-know- what again if they don’t. Another player (who didn’t want his name printed) complained “the band takes up ... a lot of seats that fans could better be utilizing.’ Did it occur to him that Aggie Band members and their dates are fans too? Last, Mr. Patterson thinks that the Longhorn Loves should have performed at halftime Monday night in place of the band. Who are the Longhorn Loves, anyway? The Aggie Band is still the pride and the pulse,” in G. Rollie White as well as Kyle 1 Fie ^’ —Laurie Mitchell, ’82 foure going to have +o Spuak quifitfjf, 15 S&nsi rivs* Oklahoma speed limit studied Rep. Jim Townsend, D-Shawnee, the principal author of a bill to increase the Oklahoma highway speed limit to 65 mph, predicts House committee approval despite a threatened loss of federal funds, The House Transportation Committee invited supporters and oppo nents to a public hearing on the bill Wednesday. The bill drew oppos ition from Former Gov. David Boren, now a U.S. senator, who urged lawmakers to be cautious about passing such a bill. Utility firm takeover questioned Public Service Commission Chairman Louis Lambert said Tuesday e would actively oppose Gulf States Utility’s takeover of Central Louisiana Energy Co. if it appeared to be against the public interest. A thorough investigation will be conducted, Lambert said. An agreement in principle for the $258 million transaction was an- nounced by both companies Monday. The takeover would create one ot the largest power companies in Louisiana. WEATHER Cloudy skies, changing to partly cloudy & warm with a cold ron moving in tonight. High today 80, low tomorrow morning w and winds moving south-southerwesterly at 15-20 n# SnS 3171 ! 1 , 09 gusty toni 9ht with winds at 30 mph. We have a ^0% chance of rain. The Battalion: LETTERS POLICY „„„ U tters to the editor should not exceed 300 tmr,L MEMBER subject to being cut to that length or less if lonaer Til Texas Press Association editorial staff reserves the right to edit such Inters and does Southwest Journalism Co"* 1 * not guarantee to publish unu letter Each I ,7 i f ^ .KlW 1 signed, show the address of the writer and l^TteZZZ dlt ° r ’ ’ j number for verification. 1 lL Managing Editor ' j BanaUoni STif fleeV^T/ / V'T / £rf " or ’ r,,t ’ Assistant Managing Editor -An^ f Station, Texas 77843. °nald Building, College Sports Editor Scott P eDl Represented nationally bv National . 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