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
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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
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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
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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 . City Editor 0^1
Using Services, Inc., Newport atl cK " Campus Editor u , ifL
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The Battalion is published Monday through Frid-.v f Beth Calhoun )|
permd" mdUi'es^' ^ e ’£ ept d, >ring exam and holiday Staff Writers Karen ° r
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