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Viewpoint
The Battalion Monday
Texas A&M University March 19 ? 1979
Oil conservation
must he way of life
As Iran swings back into oil production, after a shutdown of more than
two months, the United States and 17 other members of the International
Energy Association (IEA) have pledged themselves to reduce oil con
sumption by 5 percent.
The IEA program hinges on whether the United States can actually
curtail its thirst for petroleum products.
This country has been promising to reduce its oil imports ever since the
Arab oil embargo of 1973. But imports last year were higher than ever, /
nearing 50 percent of total consumption. The European counties and
Japan, which depend much more heavily on imports to keep their indus
trialized economies running, have never gobbled up oil like this country.
Yet many in the United States are unconvinced conservation is necessary.
The government must find a way to impress American citizens that
conservation is urgent. It hasn’t done so yet.
Providence (R.I.) Journal-Bulletin
Reflections
Spring break: dawn to sign-off TV bore
Lack of funds and decent transportation (I hope my parents are reading this)
kept me close to home in Houston during spring break with nothing to do but
watch dawn-to-signoffTV. For those of you wondering what you might be missing
on the tube, the following will ease your mind.
The typical morning starts with your choice of cartoons or religious shows
(whatever gets you going in the morning is all right with me).
Then come shows like:
FATHER KNOWS BEST — In my favorite last week. Father fought the ele
ments to collect plants for daughter Kathy’s nature folder. If you missed this one,
maybe you can catch it in a couple of weeks. If this show is rerun as often as the
Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island, you won’t be able to miss it.
HAPPY DAYS — In one thrilling episode, Potsie and Ralph let Fonzie’s dog
Spunky get loose.
And in the afternoon, for those hard-core addicts —- the soaps.
One channel offers 3 1/2 solid hours of human misery. The writers, however,
must be talented. It’s not everyone who can generate that much dialogue and not
say anything.
Afternoon syndicates: Batman, Bob Newhart, Andy Griffith, Bewitched, the
Beverly Hillbillies, it all comes in a 6 % hour afternoon sandwich guaranteed to
give you indigestion.
Now for my favorite: “Prime Time.”
Among the shows to debut this season:
CLIFFHANGERS — This series presents three scenarios in which actors are
left in precarious or compromising situations at the end of the hour (was that all it
lasted?). The only suspense is whether the viewer will tune in next week.
PAPER CHASE — One of my favorites. It does me a great deal of good to see
someone else sweating his way through a class. However, it was again preempted
last week for another fictional work: Carter and Peace in the Mideast.
THE ROPERS — A spinoff from Three’s Company featuring the ex-landlords
Stanley and Helen. The bedroom humor continues. However, the only thing that
I think will get up in..tbfs series is the viewer — to change the channel.
MRS. COLUMBO — In one episode, a ventriloquist murdered a puppet-
maker at the urging of his “evil” dummy. Shades of Anthony Hopkins and the film
“Magic.” The only dummies here were the ones who tuned in.
JUST FRIENDS — Stars Stockard Channing as a newly divorced woman trying
to make it on her own. I don’t even consider this series a passing acquaintance.
Now for the good old standbys:
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE — As one writer said, “Every time
there’s a dip in the ratings, they blind another child.”
EIGHT IS ENOUGH — If they were talking about episodes, I agree. Every
n'i ’'i?''
episode contains a plot and a subplot. That way, you know the .family will have to
deal with two problems each week. You only have to deal with one — whether you
have something better to do.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS — TV repairmen lost millions after they explained to set
owners that it wasn’t the picture that was jiggling.
FAMILY — This series ran out of plots so fast they had to sign a new little kid
who lisps. Don’t bother to “lithen.”
THE WALTONS — This series ended after the Waltons cleared their mountain
of timber and then dug it up to strip mine coal.
BENEDICTIONS — At last, the end of the day. And for that, I am thankful.
Letters to Dr. Miller
Shuttle system poor
Dear Dr. Miller:
This is my second semester at Texas A&M and I have some questions about the
shuttle bus service. Both semesters I have purchased bus passes and relied heavily
on the buses for transportation. Lately, some aspects of the system have become
increasingly annoying. The buses (at least on the HOLLEMAN route) seem to
always be jammed-packed, and I often end up being pushed and squeezed into the
back of the bus. Many drivers, it seems, make it a game to see how many
passengers they can fit into a bus, and often times this requires waiting 10 or 15
minutes for the bus to leave campus. Rumor has it that the underlying problem is
that many non-payers ride the buses.
I would appreciate some answers to the following questions: Who, exactly, is it
that runs the shuttle bus system? How many people officially buy passes? Theoret
ically, are there enough buses for the passholders? Why aren’t the rules enforced?
How could they be enforced? Why must drivers wait 10-15 minutes before leaving
campus? Isn’t it against the law to overcrowd a bus?
I have more questions, but my point is that I don’t believe the shuttle bus system
is run as efficiently or fairly as it could be, and I would like to see something done
about it.
If the students have any recourse in this matter, I would not mind helping out. I
know that I am willing to pay my fair share for an efficient shutttle bus system, but
I also know that I will no longer pay for an unfair and inefficient service.
—Bemie Gojer, ’80
Dear Mr. Gojer:
I appreciate your taking the time to share your concerns about the off-campus
shuttle bus service.
The service is provided through contract with Transportation Enterprises, Inc.
(TEI) of Austin, Texas. The contract is negotiated and administered by the (Texas
A&M) vice president for business affairs. Input to the local TEI management is
provided through the University Shuttle Bus Operations Committee, composed of
three students and five faculty-staff members. This committee reports to the vice
president for student services.
This input involves the type of information you mentioned, including route and
schedule planning, times and distances of routes, and meeting peak demands. All of
these factors relate to the number and concentrations of students purchasing
passes.
During the fall 1978 semester, 7,313 passes were issued; while this semester,
6,537 passes have been issued. The total ridership varies since some users purchase
individual-ride coupon books and several passes are refunded each semester.
A constant monitoring of actual ridership counts indicates that there are enough
buses to serve the users on each route provided everyone does not try to ride at the
same time. For example, most buses coming to the campus between 7:00 and 7:15
a. m. carry less than 15 passengers. Spreading the ridership over the number of
available buses helps maintain a reasonable cost to the student.
In regard to rule enforcement and checking of passes, courtesy and cooperation
between the users and drivers is necessary. Any driver who is discourteous or fails
to operate a bus in a safe and lawful manner should be reported to one of your
Shuttle Bus Committee representaties (Reed Hughes, 693-0417, or Chuck Wiuse,
846-3641) or to TEI management, 779-0812. Finally, the occasional time waited on
campus is necessary so route schedules may be maintained as posted at the bus
stops.
We constantly strive to improve the bus service. We believe, despite its deficien
cies, it is a good service, particularly for the cost to the user (26 cents a day). Input
from individuals such as you is most helpful. I encourage you to contact members of
the shuttle bus committee if you have other ideas that might improve the service.
—Dr. Jarvis E. Miller
President, Texas A&M
Editor’s note: This letter was submitted Feb. 6 but inadvertently failed to
appear in The Battalion because the reply was not sent back to the newspaper, but
to the author of the letter.
Letters to the Editor
Gymnasts need coach
Editor:
A few weeks ago, the Texas A&M Gym
nastics Club competed in a men’s gymnas
tics meet at Southwest Texas State Uni
versity. It was the club s first competition
in several years and we placed second of
four teams entered.
Try to realize that we never practice the
vault during our workouts because of
space limitations and that we aren’t al
lowed use of the beautiful floor exercise
mat used by the women’s team and you’ll
see that we did an amazing thing.
However, gymnastics is a difficult and
tedious sport without a coach. All-America
Kurt Thomas from Indiana State could
never have gained national attention with
out years of expert coaching. We re not
asking for chartered buses, matching gym
bags, or a new spacious gymnastics room
(although we hope the teams we competed
with are sufficiently grateful for them). But
a men’s gymnastics coach isn’t asking for
too much.
It is an asset that many high schools,
junior colleges, and universities in Texas
have had for years. We’ve been told that
Texas A&M “can’t afford” it, but who
would deny this to be the richest school in
the state? Also, football and gymnastics
can co-exist.
Oklahoma University has the nation’s
number one gymnastics team. Look up
their football record if you’ve forgotten. At
this time the only way Texas A&M will
give us a gymnastics coach is if someone
volunteers, without pay. Our club is
funded from the same source as the wrestl
ing club. We receive $600 annually,
enough for traveling expenses to five or six
meets using our own cars.
There is more interest in men’s gymnas
tics on this campus than is realized. At our
next meet, when we shake hands with the
coaches of the other teams, we’ll again be
hoping for the day when the great poten
tial in men’s gymnastics can be turned into
a national power.
Gymnastics is an exciting sport to per
form and to watch, and everyone at Texas
A&M can benefit from it if we are only
given the chance.
—Joel Weddington
Gymnastics Club President
Editor’s note: this letter was accom
panied by 19 other signatures.
Treachers, profs
Editor:
I am sorry that Rev. W. C. Hall feels
personally offended by my comments and
regards them as “name calling. ” Until the
preceding sentence I had not used his
name or that of any other minister. Nor
did I intend to disparage religion in any
way or to indicate anything but apprecia
tion for the role that ministers, priests,
and rabbis play in our society.
I am not an expert on the qualifications
of ministers as ministers and I would not
maintain that even the most eminently
qualified of our professors is necessarily
qualified to preach. I simply said that, as a
group, ministers do not possess the partic
ular qualifications we expect of those we
hire to our faculty. And from Reverend
Hall’s recital of his own credentials, I see
no reason to alter this generalization.
This is not a disparaging comment but
merely a recognition that churches are not
universities and ministers are not profes
sors. These are different institutions and
different professions. The training, orien
tation, objectives, and qualifications of
professionals in the two fields naturally dif
fer. Recognition of these differences does
not imply that one is any better than the
other. To say that a spoon is better for
eating soup and a knife for cutting meat in
no way belittles either.
Again, I urge our students to take ad
vantage of every opportunity to strengthen
their religious faith, including attendance
in classes conducted by local ministers of
the denominations of their choice. But I
also urge our students to take university
courses in philosophy and literature that
deal with the great religious questions
with which man has always been in
trigued. Finally, I virge everyone not to
confuse the two.
—W. David Maxwell, dean
College of Liberal Arts
Readers’ Forum
Guest viewpoints, in addition to
Letters to the Editor, are welcome.
All pieces submitted to Readers
forum should be:
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Top of the News
CAMPUS
Early registration of vets begins
Veterans attending Texas A&M University may begin signing up
today for both summer school sessions with Jim Moore of the campus
Veterans Administration office. Veterans wishing to enroll early
should come by the VA office in Hart Hall. The office is open 8-5
Monday through Friday.
NATION
Wyoming firm in oil probe
The Crude Co., an oil firm based in Casper, Wyo., has been under
investigation by the Justice Department in connection with a probe of
crude oil prices, the Casper Star Tribune reported Sunday. The in
vestigation is part of a larger examination of alleged overcharges, said
the newspaper, quoting Mig Schaff, a U.S. House subcommittee on
energy and power staff member. The alleged violations involved sell
ing so-called old oil — or crude produced before 1973 — for higher
“new oil” prices. Overcharges could total $2 billion, Schaaf said. Bob
Smith, vice president of the Crude Co., reserved comment. “We
don’t choose to have any comment until we’ve had a chance to review
the situation. The investigation of The Crude Co. was probably
begun, Schaaf said, because of its association with Summit Gas Corp.
of Houston, another firm under investigation.
Carter campaign audit continues
The Federal Election Commission has yet to complete its audit of
President Carter’s 1976 campaign finances, the FEC said Saturday.
No deadlines are involved, but the FEC said the audit was to have
been completed as soon as possible. Because of confidentiality re
quirements, commission officials refused to state at what stage the
2 1 /2-year-old audit is. They would only say it is expected to be com
pleted soon. The Washington Post quoted sources as saying the Car
ter campaign committee had a problem obtaining documentation for
items questioned by the commission.
Carter, advisers ponder oil prices
Cabinet-level advisers are preparing to give President Carter sev
eral options for removing federal controls from domestic oil prices at
his Camp David energy meeting today. Despite its billion-dollar in
flationary impact, some type of decontrol may come as soon as this
spring, White House officials said. One plan under consideration
would eliminate price controls June 1 on 26 percent of the nation’s
crude oil and phase out controls on the rest through Sept. 30, 1981,
officials said. Existing laws allow Carter to follow such a route without
seeking congressional approval. Preliminary estimates show such a
phased decontrol plan might cost consumers $1 billion next year and
as much as $15 billion when all controls are gone, officials said.
Park cross-examination begins
e mi<
Tongsun Park, the South Korean rice merchant who testified he
handed former Rep. Otto Passman, D-La., almost $200,000 in cash,
returns to the witness stand today for what could he a full week of
cross-examination. Park has been granted immunity and is the gov
ernment’s key witness in the conspiracy, bribery and tax evasion case
against Passman. The former representative promoted numerous
United States rice sales to South Korea hut denies receiving anything
from Park. The trial enters its third week Monday with Passman
attorney Camille Gravel trying to undercut Park’s testimony about
cash payments and watch purchases intended to disguise the transac
tions as business deals.
toxic
WORLD
China offers to begin peace talks
Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-ping) said
Saturday he was “satisfied with China’s four-week invasion of
Vietnam and Hanoi offered to begin peace talks Friday. Deng at
tended the first Peking performance by the Boston Symphony Or
chestra and told reporters at intermission, “I’m satisfied,” with the
month-long border war launched to “punish” Vietnam for its invasion
of Cambodia. Deng also said that the 100,000 man invasion force had
withdrawn “entirely.” Both sides have claimed military victories in
the fighting. China said its capture of several northern provincial
capitals “smashed the myth of Vietnam’s invincibility” but Hanoi said
it had forced China to withdraw.
New Mideast treaty criticized
Opponents of an Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty from Moscow to
Beirut condemned the pact Saturday and one report said Palestinian
guerrillas planned to revive the Black September terrorist gang that
carried out the Munich Olympic Massacre. Palestine Liberation Or
ganization leader Yasser Arafat cautioned the treaty would have
“grave repercussions for the destiny of the Arab and Islamic nations.”
Arafat arrived in Jordan Saturday for talks with King Hussein, a move
seen as further evidence of the growing reapproachment between
Jordan and the PLO. Diplomatic sources said Hussein had agreed to
back Arafat in opposing the treaty and in invoking sanctions against
Egypt.
WEATHER
Overcast skies, partly cloudy and mild with a 70% chance of
rain today decreasing to 40% tonight. High today 79, low
tonight 66. Winds S.E. at 15-20 mph.
>nt
The Battalion
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