Viewpoint
The Battalion Monday
Texas A&M_ University - March 26, 1979
Tuition bill unfair
to graduate students
Roommate sufferings
Roommates. They can be good, bad, friends, enemies — you name it.
Sunday night one Battalion reader came in with his girlfriend, anxious
to let it all out about his roommate. He asked for his name to not appear
on his letter to the editor, against the Battalion’s general policy of using a
name with each letter.
In all fairness to the “roommate” and the writer — the letter needed to
be shared for the benefit of Battalion readers:
Editor:
With the end of another semester a new one on the horizon, many
students are plagued with the prospect of finding roommates for the
upcoming semester. Having suffered through this dilemma, I have found
that there is almost always one roommate that spoils the unity of the
entire household. Here are just a few examples of bothersome habits
which my “one” roommate has done to divide the unity of rest of us strive
so hard for.
Once a day, he brushes his teeth in an unusual manner. He starts out in
the bathroom then proceeds to waltz around the living room and dining
room flinging toothpaste everywhere. (I can assure you that a toothpaste
sandwich isn’t too appealing.)
He never helps clean the apartment since he claims he never causes it
to become dirty. When the need arises for a common necessity of life (like
toilet paper), he will only pay half of his share since he believes he only
uses half as much toilet paper.
Likewise, he will only pay a prorated share of the cable TV bill depend
ing on the number of hours he watches it a month.
Finally, the last and probably worst trait is his apparent ability to lie.
For instance his stories include:
—While in Korea, he was a record-breaking football quarterback, re
ceiver, running back, place kicker, linebacker, and not to mention, head
coach.
—He was an award-winning professional photographer with one of
“Korea’s” biggest newspapers.
—He’s also a gifted rock and roll drummer who not only has a 53 piece
drum set “back home” but also cut half a dozen hit albums with an
up-and-coming band last summer.
Let me conclude by saying, be careful choosing a roommate or you may
end up despising a human being as I have.
—Name withheld by request
What price eloquence?
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON — Despite television,
all channels open, spewing forth 24 hours
a day. Despite movies, quantitatively and
perhaps qualitatively unequalled. Despite
concerts and sporting events from sea to
shining sea. Despite all of these and other
attractions stretching as far as the eye can
gee, many Americans will pay good money
to hear a senator speak.
The ability to command handsome hon
orariums, as lecture fees or called in Cap-
Cant, the lingo of Capitol Hill, was what
recently prompted the Senate to retain the
present $25,000 limit on outside earnings.
The maximum had been scheduled to
drop to $8,265 this year, but ere the ceil
ing closed in, the old lid was renewed for
four more years.
That substantial numbers of people pay
to be addressed by senators suggests that
their oratorical level is rising. Yet jour-
Humor
nalists who spend a good bit of time in the
Senate chamber, locally known as the
Cave of the Winds, dispute that assump
tion.
“The piffle index is as high as ever, ” one
colleague told me. “Platitudes still fall like
rain. Redundancy arises from every tonsil
and verbosity abounds.”
That critique suggest there must be
another explanation for the senatorial
rhetoric. For a possible insight into what
makes it so popular, let us look in on a
meeting of the convention committee of
the National Association of Boar Bristle
Importers.
“Very well, gentlemen,” says the
chairman, “it’s all set. This year’s conven
tion will be held in Sinking Hills,
Montana, the third week of August. That
takes care of all the arrangements except a
speaker for the closing banquet. Any
suggestions?”
“Maybe we could get Senator McBosh,”
says the association’s chief Washington
lobbyist.
“McBosh?” says the chairman. “Isn’t he
the senator with that horrid nasal twang?”
“That’s the one,” replies the lobbyist.
“And doesn’t he ramble on for hours,
and tell a lot of racist, sexist and ethic
jokes, and hem and haw and trip over his
own words?”
“Check.”
“And doesn’t he usually drink too much,
and knock over the water glass, and bang
his head on the microphone and nearly fall
off the podium?”
Correction
An article appearing in Thurs
day’s Top of the News column was
inadvertently headlined “New band
leaders chosen.” Actually, only two
of the eleven cadets listed will head
band units next year.
Other cadets and the units they
will command are Dale Harbour,
First Battalion; Jerry Ellington,
Second Battalion; Ken Jones, Third
Battalion; John Sneed, Fourth Bat
talion; Kevin Udell, Fifth Battalion;
Tim Ferree, Sixth Battalion; David
Hagan, First Group; Dan Hughes,
Second Group; Terrell Pruett,
Third Group; Tom Rheinlander, Ar
tillery Band; and Tim Gaither, In
fantry Band.
The Battahon regrets the error.
“Check. ”
“And isn’t he the ranking member of the
subcommittee that handles legislation re
lating to imported boar bristles?”
“Check. ”
“I’d love to hear him speak,” the chair
man says. “Is $2,500 too small a fee for a
speaker of his caliber?”
“I wouldn’t be so crass as to offer a
senator a lecture fee, but I’m sure McBosh
would appreciate a small honorarium, say
about $5,000. With that bill to restrict
boar bristle imports coming up this year,
we’ll need all the eloquence we can get.’
Letters to the Editor
Editor:
I read with dismay the blown-up ac
count of the Waggie situation in Jack An
derson’s recent column. It is this debacle
which finally compels me in my last year in
the Corps to speak out on this matter.
For the past several years I have kept an
open mind about this controversy. In spite
of some people’s actions, I have always
treated the female cadets with respect and
kindness, regardless of whether or not I
agreed with their beliefs.
During the past four years, I have seen
the general attitude in the Corps toward
them progress from extremely negative to
tone of general acceptance. Most Waggies
now freely socialize and even date within
the Corps.
In spite of this improvement, Melanie
Zentgraf has seen fit to resurrect these bad
feelings by her involvement with the An
derson editorial — to the embarrassment
of many of her fellow Waggies.
Anderson’s hatchet-job was full of
exaggerations and its one-sideness is par
ticularly disturbing. The folks who toss
garbage in the women’s dorm are the iso
lated minority — hooligans will be hooli
gans — and no amount of rules cure that.
Practically every male cadet who has
been in the Corps for a while has been the
By BOBBY PARKER
As many of you are aware, there is now a
bill in comittee in Austin concerning
foreign student tuition presented by
Bryan’s Sen. William Moore. One section
of this bill, which has received little atten
tion in the press, proposes to triple resi
dent graduate tuition at all state colleges
and universities.
Resident graduate student tuition would
be raised to $12 per semester credit hour
from the present $4 rate. Non-resident
graduate tuition would be unchanged at
$40 per credit hour. Alien student tuition
would be dramatically increased from $40
to $75 per semester hour.
Considered at an average of 12 credit
hours per semester, this would amount to
$144 in graduate tuition charges per
semester as opposed to the present
minimum rate of $50 for Texas residents.
As presented, this bill gives no back
ground into the reasoning behind this
proposed increase.
Upon inquiring to Sen. Moore and ex
pressing concern, I received a very in
formative letter.
The following statements were pres
ented by the senator:
—Traditionally, the distribution of the
total economic costs associated with higher
education has been divided with roughly
one-third of the costs borne by the indi
vidual (parents and students) and two-
thirds by the public (government! agencies
and philanthropy).
—In Texas, tuition income per FTE
(Full Time Equivalent) student accounts
for only 5.8 percent of the net General
Revenue Appropriation per FTE. At Texas
A&M, the average tuition revenue per
FTE student in 1979 is $162, while the
state appropriation per FTE student is
$2,308.
— Nationwide, between 1970 and 1978,
tuition and fees increased $67.7 for state
resident undergraduates and $91.1 for
non-resident undergraduates. This com
pares with a $67.7 increase in the Con
sumer Price Index during the same
period.
In contrast, resident tuition at public
colleges and universities in Texas re
mained substantially unchanged for more
than 20 years while the general level of
incomes has experienced significant in
creases during this same period. In 1977-
78, Texas ranked 45th among the 50 states
in terms of tuition and fees for resident
students.
victim of manure or water poured outside
his door and it is very often not done in
fun. The use of physical violence against
the females is unthinkable in the Corps
and reports of these threats are probably
more hot air than substance.
From a first-hand point of view, the “re
lentless hectoring” (whatever that is) of
Miss Zentgraf is largely the result of her
. own militancy and is not experienced by
the typical Waggie, as charged by Ander
son.
Anderson’s column is entirely partial
and probably based on only one person’s
account. Why didn’t he even send a re
porter here to gather all the facts? By his
article, Anderson apparently does not
even realize that Texas A&M has a Corps
— not just an ordinary ROTC unit.
The Anderson story certainly did not
help anything or anyone — including Miss
Zentgraf and her cause. Its gooey, mudsl-
inging content served only to bring na
tional dishonor upon Texas A&M. Its major
impact will be to stir up more hatred and
investigations and misunderstanding.
No amount of regulations will force un
willing male cadets to vote Waggies into
their organizations. But the Waggies who
quietly continue to work hard and gain the
permanent respect of the Corps will find
I think that the proposed bill allows for
no change in the present tuition rate of
resident undergraduates. Senator Moore
feels that tuition increases at the graduate
level are generally considered preferable
to increases for undergraduate students for
several reasons:
—The cost of graduate education is es
timated to be approximately three times as
expensive as undergraduate instruction.
—A current study of doctoral sup
ply/demand in the South by the Southern
Regional Education Board projects a $38
surplus of new Ph.D.’s who will not find
employment in the academic labor market
between 1961 and 1986.
—Graduate students are generally con
sidered to be afforded greater oppor
tunities to support themselves through
Reader’s Forum
teaching or research assistantships, fellow
ships and other means than are under
graduate students.
I think that any of us could find a
number of problems in this line of reason
ing. As graduate students we know our
worth to our institution and to our indi
vidual departments, in terms of classroom
instruction and in terms of inexpensive re
search labor.
We also know what our personal finan
cial responsibilities are. The typical
graduate student is paying his own way
through school. Many have family respon
sibilities, and that additional $94 each
semester can take a chunk out of any gro
cery budget.
If you are a Texas resident and con
cerned, and would like to make your voice
heard, write to your home district state
senator. Or write Sen. Moore about Se
nate Bill 396:
William T. Moore, Senator
Post Office Box 12069
Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711
Invest 15 cents to save $94! We hope it
isn’t too late for you to make your feelings
known!
Bobby Parker is president of the
Graduate Student Council at Texas AirM
and a graduate student in educational ad
ministration.
that their labor will pay off.
Let’s hope this nasty mess has not made
all of their hard work in vain.
—Larry Chek, ’79
Grads good profs
Editor:
In regard to some recent controversy
surrounding the qualifications of theology
and economics teachers, I would like to
comment. Granted, ministers are very
well qualified to preach religion; not all
may be as qualified to teach the subject
without a certain amount of bias involved.
As far as graduate students in economics
teaching undergraduate courses, I am in
Economics 203 and even though the
teacher can not spell as well as he should,
his knowledge of economics is quite exten
sive and his teaching skills are very effec
tive.
A teacher of an undergraduate course
should not only have a thorough under
standing of the course material, but also a
good rapport with his students and the
ability to approach the subject from a rela
tively unbiased point of view.
—Chuck Mullin, ’80
Anderson article exaggerated, biased
Top of the News
CAMPUS
Board plan installment due Friday
The third installment board payment for the 1979 spring semester
is due Friday. The bill is $162.25 for the Seven-Day Board Plan and
$145.45 for the Five-Day plan. Students may pay at the Fiscal Oice
in the Richard Coke or the Cashier’s Office in the main lobby of the
Rudder Center.
Sen
ati
Regents’ committees meet today
Regents for the Texas A&M University System began committee
meetings this morning on campus. Today they are scheduled to con
sider bids for new married student apartments and other projects.
One subject not on their agenda but probably on their minds is
finding a replacement for former Chancellor Jack K. Williams. He
resigned Jan. 23 at the last board meeting. Clyde H. Wells, board
president and acting chancellor, said he would appoint a searcli
committee to fill the position, but no action has been taken yet.
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UH will sue investment firm
The University of Houston has filed a suit accusing a New Jersey
brokerage firm of cooperating with a fired university financial analyst
to cheat the institution out of $700,000. The state court suit filed
Friday accuses Bevill, Bresler & Schulman Inc. of Newark of improp
erly collecting fees on securities bought by the university and split
ting the fees with the analyst, Samuel Harwell, betweeen 1975 and
1977. Harwell is serving a federal prison term for fraud in connection
with his handling of UH investments. Officials have estimated Har
well’s improper trading in securities of the Government National
Mortgage Association, considered too risky for university investment,
cost the institution $14.6 million. Spokesmen for the-firm were not
immediately available for comment.
“S
Proposed raise too small
teachers
The Texas State Teachers Association has sent Gov. Bill Clementsa
telegram complaining of “shabby treatment because Clements sup
ports smaller pay raises than the teachers want. The telegram, pre
pared at the organization’s 100th annual convention Saturday, com
plained the 5.1 percent annual raises Clements proposed would
“cause teachers to fall further behind a 9 percent inflation rate. We
have subsidized state government for too long,” the telegram said.
“We can no longer put up with shabby treatment.” TSTA has de
manded pay raises that would lift Texas some $2,065 to the national
average level of teacher pay in four years. Texas currently ranks 33rd
among the states.
NATION
Mistrial declared in Newton case
The murder trial of Black Panther co-founder Huey P. Newton
ended in a mistrial Saturday with a deadlocked jury that voted 10-2 in
favor of acquittal. Prosecutor Tom Orloff said he did not know if he
will ask for a retrial. However, he said if there is a second trial he
would have time to investigate some defense testimony. Newton had
predicted the mistrial Saturday when he arrived in court. Newtons
attorney, Michael Kennedy, said a second trial would be a wasted
the taxpayer’s money. The two jurors who voted for conviction, he
said, “represent fear and loathing in Oakland.” In the trial, Michelle
Jenkins, 21, a former prostitute, first testified she saw Newton shoot
Kathleen Smith, 17, the victim, in the face on a street corner Aug. 6,
1974, in a fit of anger at her failure to recognize him. But Jenkins later
took the stand as a defense witness and recanted her testimony,
saying she had been pressured into it by police.
Carter is peace prize nominee
President Carter is among this year’s Nobel Peace Prize candi
dates, the director of the Nobel Institute said Saturday. Jacob Sver
drup, director of the Nobel Institute, said Carter was proposed last
year after the Feb. 1 nomination deadline and “this means he is
automatically among the candidates this year.” Sverdrup did not dis
close who had nominated Carter but said the American president had
been proposed by “several persons since he was first nominated last
year.”
WORLD
Italy’s new leader suffers stroke
A stroke that left Deputy Premier Ugo La Malfa in a coma Saturday
confronted Italy’s 4-day-old government with a major crisis even be
fore it can ask the Senate’s unlikely approval. Not only was La Mafia
Premier Giulio Andreotti’s top economic adviser, but replacing him
will pose almost insurmountable problems of political balance in a
cabinet whose days politicians say are numbered. The 75-year-old
Republican Party president, one of Italy’s most respected politicians,
suffered a brain hemorrhage during the night and doctors said they
feared permanent cerebral damage.
WEATHER
Partly cloudy and warm. High today 79 and a low of 53.
Winds will be S-S.E. at 10-15 mph.
The Battalion
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Kimfi 1 |
Managing Editor Liz^
Assistant Managing Editor .Andy |
Sports Editor
City Editor Scott
Campus Editor Stevf
News Editors Debbie
Beth Calhoun
Staff Writers Karen Rogert ■
Patterson, Sean Petty, ^
Blake, Dillard Stone.
Bragg, Lyle Lovett, ^
Taylor
Cartoonist DougCi®'
Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschp^
Photographer Lynn
Focus section editor Gary'”
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are
those of the editor or of the writer of the
article and are not necessarily those of the
JUniversity administration or the Board of
Regents. The Battalion is a non-prof.
supporting enterprise operated by ^
: as a university and community neu J
Editorial policy is determined by the