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The Battalion Thursday
Texas A&M University, April 12, 1979
Debating against
what’s his name
Special Muster tribute
Next week Aggies from all over the world will be celebrating Aggie
Muster, an event to honor all Aggies who have died the previous year.
Despite the rampant use of traditions at A&M, here’s one idea for
revising the most honored of traditions — Muster — that should be taken
seriously.
Professors at Texas A&M who die are not honored in any way for their
time at this University. They are not recognized with Silver Taps cere
monies or at Muster, which have traditionally been reserved for students.
However, why not make Muster a chance to honor professors who’ve
died after giving many years of service to this University and recognize
their contribution at the Muster service on the main campus. The number
of years as a professor could be debated, but say about 15 years teaching at
A&M.
There would be few professors who could qualify for this type of recog
nition, so the time involved in adding this limited number to the cere
mony would be minimal.
It could be a special tribute to a group who have given of themselves to
make this University better.
— K.T.
Giving bubbles bad name
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON — To the extent that
recent events at Three Mile Island can be
said to have a positive side — millions of
laymen now have a clearer picture of how
nuclear power plants work.
Or don’t work.
Our week-long crash course in nuclear
technology was enhanced by dozens of
schematic drawings of the plant’s innards
— pipes running that way and this, little
arrows pointing in sundry directions, cap
tions everywhere.
The main thing we learned from the
diagrams is that a reactor has a uranium
core. When enough uranium is present to
develop a chain reaction of fission, it is
ing bubble baths. Attendance has dropped
50 percent at night clubs that feature bub
ble dancers. It’s terrible. Virtually every
phase of the bubble business has been
hurt.’’
But he expressed confidence that con
gressional hearings will demonstrate that
bubble power is here to stay.
“By harnessing the energy of bursting
bubbles we could go a long way toward
solving our fuel problems,” he said.
“If a nuclear reactor can produce bub
bles, there’s no reason Lawrence Welk’s
bubble-maker couldn’t generate electric
ity.”
By ARNOLD SAWISLAK
United Press International
WASHINGTON — A study commis
sioned by the Twentieth Century Fund
has recommended another round of tele
vised debates for the 1980 presidential
candidates.
Will it happen? It probably depends on
whether the “What’s his name?” rule of
politics is in operation next year.
Simply stated, the rule says candidates
should never help give opponents public
ity. The rule was considered especially
important when one candidate was well
known and the other not.
The theory' was that even an attack on an
opponent could boomerang in the form of
increased voter recognition for the oppo
nent: “Call me anything you want to,” says
the politician to his critic. “Just be sure to
spell my name right.”
So established politicians, especially in
cumbent office holders, would go to ex
treme lengths to avoid even speaking their
opponents’ names.
The idea of appearing in public to de
bate an opponent was regarded as about as
helpful to a campaign as a public flag
burning.
The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858
often are cited as the model for the presi
dential debates. Advocates of the “What’s
his name?” rule note that Sen. Stephen
Douglas was the famous participant in
those debates, but it was the relatively ob
scure Abraham Lincoln who ended up in
the White House.
Mass communications, particularly
television, has made it a lot easier for polit
ical unknowns to become known to the
electorate. Even so, some campaign man
agers still counsel against giving oppo
nents free publicity and it was widely pre
dicted after 1960 that John Kennedy
would find reasons not to debate his 1964
opponent.
There were some efforts to set up de
bates in 1964, 1968 and 1972, but they
bogged down in what appeared to be a
morass of legal problems. More likely, at
least in 1964 and 1972, was that Lyndon
Johnson and Richard Nixon simply didn’t
want to give their opponents the national
exposure of a debate setting.
Apart from all the legal hairsplitting,
there always were loftier reasons given for
an incumbent president to avoid debates.
One was that the chief executive would
be put in an untenable position by having
to discuss issues about which he possessed
information that simply could not be dis
closed, while his opponent could make all
sorts of charges with a clear conscience.
Worse yet, there was the expressed
concern that a president might get so
caught up in the debate that he might let
slip classified information.
In 1976, Gerald Ford, even though he
was the incumbent president, agreed to
debate Jimmy Carter. Ford did it because
he had not been elected to the presidency
and because he believed that with his ex
perience in congressional give-and-take
and his knowledge of government, he
could blow Carter out of the water. Of
course, that’s not quite what happened,
and Ford may even today be wishing he
had found reasons to avoid debating
“What’s his name.”
Thotz
By Doug Graham
Mr. Alur* , bu-V parking a-VVer^avV^
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lovy could yo\J
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well I c^ef a vjarmoi
Letters to the Editor
Test grading laziness inexcusable
called a “critical mass.”
If something untoward occurs, as at
Three Mile Island, the “critical mass”
changes into a “critical mess.”
When that happens, the reactor starts
blowing bubbles, much like the machine
that provides the background for Lawr
ence Welk’s “Champagne Music.”
No state wants a bunch of radiated
Lawrence Welkian bubbles floating
around, especially a state that gave the
world Fred Waring and the Pennsylva
nians.
It therefore becomes important to learn
what caused the Three Mile Island bubble
Humor
and to find ways of preventing others from
forming.
Toward that end, so many congressional
committees are investigating nuclear
power safety that a shortage of expert wit
nesses has developed. The waiting list, I
understand, is such that one subcommit
tee is switching to an investigation of the
bubble industry.
“Up to now, bubble production is this
country has enjoyed a commendable safety
record,” an industry spokesman told me.
“Lawrence Welk’s bubble machine has
performed countless times without getting
out of control, even when the band is play
ing polkas.
“The only accidents have been caused
by bubble gum erupting prematurely and
spreading over the nostrils of the chewers,
thus impeding their breathing.
“To date, however, there have been no
fatalities.
“Nevertheless, the Three Mile Island
incident has created an anti-bubble
backlash. All that publicity about the reac
tor bubble has made the public mistrustful
of bubbles in general.
“Thousands of women have stopped tak
Writing the editor
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Editor:
How would you feel if the last three
tests you took had not been graded and
returned? Perhaps not too badly if these
were mere weekly quizzes.
How would you feel if these were major
tests taken Feb. 27, March 22, April 5 and
account for 40 percent of your final grade?
It seems to me that at a quality institute
of higher learning only quality professors
should be employed. Well, it seems that
even Texas A&M’s employment office
workers take coffee breaks. How else
could a “teacher” who i$ responsible for
such inexcusable actions have slipped
through the screening process?
How can a “teacher” sleep nights know
ing that he has failed in his responsibility
and duty to keep his students informed
about where they stand in their course
work? How can a “teacher” leave on a
week-long trip to Hawaii leaving major
duties such as these unperformed? How
can a “teacher” expect anything but apathy
from students when he himself is apathe
tic?
The purpose of this letter is not to sal
vage this course this semester It is too late
for that. I feel confident, however, that
this “teacher” takes time to read the paper
and hopefully I will trigger some stifled
trace of humanity that will instigate a
change in future semesters.
—Bill Hicks, ’80
Round the reviewer
Editor:
Once again, the obvious lack of reading
comprehension skills and-or unadulter
ated ignorance of these people who seem
to persist in commenting on behalf of
Victor Sylvia in regard to Duke Watson’s
past'letter has left me totally bewildered.
Let me update the situation for you for
tunate few who were not subjected to the
punishment of reading these “letters.”
Mr. Watson wrote in suggesting that Mr.
Sylvia pay more attention to reviewing the
actual album content of a given album, the
new UFO album in this case, rather than
attacking the music based on his impres
sion of the band members, without even
listening to the whole record!
Mr. Clossman, obviously with the
wrong impression of Mr. Watson’s letter,
wrote in that Mr. Sylvia wrote a “great”
review, even though he admitted Mr. Syl
via hadn’t listened to the whole record.
Come now, Mr. Clossman. Mr.
Clossman did, however, (bless his little
soul) listen to the album and verified Mr.
Sylvia’s “knowlegeable” critique of the al
bum. Who cares? The point is not how
good or bad UFO can perform on record,
but how bad Mr. Sylvia “objectively” re
views albums.
I thought Mr. Chasen’s ensuing letter to
this effect had finally cleared things up
once and for all, but to my astonishment, I
read yet another letter in Tuesday’s Batt
by a Mr. Mike Wardlow. Mr. Wardlow
called Mr. Watson’s letter “biased” and
felt it was his right to pass judgement on
Mr. Watson to the effect that Mr. Watson
should resent Mr. Sylvia’s name-calling at
tack on the UFO band as a personal attack
on his own character solely because he lis
tens to their music.
Really!
When will you people finally realize that
Mr. Watson had no intention of defending
UFO, but rather of questioning Mr. Syl
via’s “intelligent and humorous” (as Mr.
Wardlow puts it) method of review. Any
other attack on Mr. Watson’s letter could,
in my opinion, come only from (as Mr.
Sylvia “intelligently and humorously”
coined) quasi-humanoid characters” and
“slugs.”
I would also like to take this opportunity
to compliment Mr. Steve Lee’s excellent
review of the Shake Russell Band, who
performed in the Basement Coffeehouse
April 7-8.
Although not an album review, it has all
the ingredients of what it takes to make a
good review. If you have not read it yet.
Mr. Sylvia, I suggest you do — you might
learn something.
—Rusty Conley, ’79
Where's priority?
Editor:
When the school administratioh can de
clare a Friday holiday for the Texas-A&M
football game, but not for Good Friday,
something is wrong, I think with all of us.
—Joseph P. Newton, ’81
Underground talent
Editor:
The Basement Committee should be
applauded for bringing such fine talent as
the Shake Russell Band to A&M this past
weekend. Shake and company put on an
excellent show, easily the best concert on
campus this year.
My question is: Why can’t Town Hall
bring talented groups to A&M like the
Basement does? The reasons can’t be
money, because A&M students proved
they were willing to pay $8 to see Boston.
Of course. Town Hall does not have very
good facilities (G. Rollie) to offer, but then
again neither does the Basement.
But Town Hall has exclusive rights to
use Rudder Theatre and Auditorium. It is
too bad the Basement Committee cannot
use Rudder Theatre because of this idiotic
rule. Groups like Shake Russell and St.
Elmo’s Fire could easily fill the Theatre, as
evidenced by the many people who could
not get tickets to those concerts. Ol
course. Town Hall would not consider
booking acts as talented as Shake Russell.
Instead, they feed us England Dan etc.
Well, congratulations Basement Com
mittee, and I’ll be there in May when you
bring Shake back for an encore.
—Frank Bruce, ’79
Top of the News
CAMPUS
Dr. Miller's mother dies
President Jarvis E. Miller’s mother, Mrs. Ethel DuBose Miller,
died Wednesday at her home in Orange Grove. Mrs. Miller, 78, had
been in ill health. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 am.
Friday at the First Methodist Church of Mathis. In lieu of flowers,
the family has requested that donations be made to the Texas A&M
Wesley Foundation of the Methodist Church or to the Friends ofthe
Texas A&M University Library.
Women leaders' workshop set
A workshop for women student leaders is scheduled for Friday
morning and next Wednesday afternoon. The program Friday begins
at 8:30 and includes a panel discussion with current and former
women leaders at Texas A&M University. Students may still register
for the sessions with the director of student activities in Room 221 of
the Memorial Student Center.
STATE
Legislator says trains a must
A Texas legislator presented congressmen copies of a resolution
Wednesday in Washington urging Congress to reject recom
mendations to cut Texas passenger train service down to one train a
day. The Department of Transportation has recommended eliminat
ing two of the three daily Amtrak passenger trains serving Texas.
Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston, said trains are the most comfortable
way to travel, serve many who are afraid to fly, can be competitive in
price with other forms, and support many jobs in Texas. “The South
and West are not interested in a rail system which only serves the
Northeast,” Edwards said. He held a news conference on the U S.
House steps Wednesday to dramatize his effort.
Nuclear plant may not get license
A meeting to consider licensing construction of Allens Creek nu
clear power plant has been postponed indefinitely because of a Nu
clear Regulatory Commission procedural error, a spokesman said
Wednesday. The pre-hearing conference scheduled for next Wed
nesday was delayed because of questions about an NRC licensing
board’s exclusion of five petitioners from previous prceedings. Hous
ton Lighting & Power Co. spokesman Jim Parsons decried the delay.
Allens Creek, planned 45 miles west of Houston near Wallis, had
completed much of the licensing process when in 1975 HL&P
shelved the project temporarily.
NATION
Blank tape may explain near-crash
Federal officials investigating the near-crash of a Boeing 727 jet
that took a more than five-mile supersonic nose dive now have a
second mystery — the erasure of a cockpit tape recording that might
have helped explain what happened. Trans World Airlines said Tues
day it was not clear whether the 30-minute recording was erased by
accident or on purpose. “I’m acknowledging the tape is blank,” said
TWA spokesman David Venz in New York. “How and why it’s blank I
don’t know. I think it’s part of the investigation.” The New York-to-
Minneapolis flight, with 86 people aboard, suddenly yawed to the
right while flying over Flint, Mich., rolled completely over twice and
plunged towards the ground at a speed of 525 mph from an altitute of
39,000 feet. Pilot Harvey “Hoot” Gibson of Las Vegas, Nev., brought
the craft under control and made an emergency landing at Detroit
Metropolitan Airport in what Federal Aviation Administration have
called a “miracle.” Three passengers suffered minor injuries.
Steel workers suspend strike
An 11-week-old strike against the Newport News Shipbuilding Co.
will be suspended, a United Steel Workers official said Wednesday.
Union Local 8888 organizer Jack Howar said the members will be
asked to return to work Monday, pending a decision by the National
Labor Relations Board on the shipyard’s challenge of last year’s union
representation election won by the union. But there was no word on
whether another USW local would end its long strike against the
company. Union Local 8417, which represents several hundred de
signers, did not indicate whether it would end or suspend its 2-year-
old strike against Virginia’s largest private employer. Howar said
Local 8888, which represents 15,500 blue collar workers, “is not
ending the strike; we’re just suspending it until the (NLRB) adminis
trative law judge makes a decision on the chain-voting issue.”
Tentative truckers pact praised
The Carter administration Wednesday praised a tentative contract
settlement between 300,000 striking Teamsters union drivers and the
trucking industry. It was reached late Tuesday night. The three-year
contract — which ends a 10-day walkout and lockout by the industry
— does not violate President Carter’s voluntary 7 percent annual
wage increase guidelines, an administration spokesman said. Rank-
and-file drivers are expected to approve the proposal. Sources said it
sets hourly wage hikes of 80 cents and 35 cents over the next three
years. Drivers currently average $9.45 to $9.60 per hour. The agree
ment also provides additional health and pension benefits for the
drivers who prepared to return to work in many areas Wednesdsay
The strike was especially hard on the auto industry, causing
thousands of layoffs. The tentative agreement is subject to ratification
by the union.
WEATHER
Sunny and warm with a high of 70 and a low of 50. Winds'
be westerly at 10-15 mph.
The Battalion
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