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Wednesday
April 18, 1979
Nader would he proud
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON — A young man
trembling on the brink of buying his first
automobile came to me for guidance. I
suggested we stop by and see what “Honest
Sid” Lemonpusher had to offer.
I sometimes forget between purchases
just how accommodating used car salesmen
can be. “Honest Sid” himself showed us
about the lot. Turned out the only thing he
had in the prospect’s price range ($100)
was a 1961 Pontiac, the superstructure of
which somewhat resembled the Queen
Mary.
I told the kid, “Here is where experience
pays off. The proper move at this point is to
pin the salesman down and make him de
fine his terms. If you can find out what the
information he volunteers really means, it
will give you tremendous leverage.”
Turning to Lemonpusher, I said, “What
kind of warranty does she have?”
“The best in town,” he crowed. “Who
ever buys this little beauty gets a full 90-day
warranty.”
Your typical greenhorn usually drops the
interrogation at this stage. But a canny vet
eran schooled in the Ralph Nader brand of
consumerism knows to pursue it further.
“What does the warranty cover?” I asked
shrewdly.
“The dip stick,” Lemonpusher replied.
Now we were getting somewhere. In
addition to finding out exactly what the
warranty covers, a smart used car buyer
will make the dealer spell out all of the
conditions under which it is operative.
“Ok, Sid,” I said, “spell it out. What
precisely are the conditions under which
the warranty is effective?”
Lemonpusher tossed me an admiring
glance. He knew he was dealing with an old
hand.
“It’s all straight and aboveboard,” he
said. “If during the first 90 days after the
purchase of this vehicle anything goes
wrong with the dip stick in the normal
course of checking the oil, it will be re
paired or replaced without charge.”
I called the kid aside.
“Make sure you get that in writing,” I
advised.
The kid was deeply impressed.
“You really know your way around in the
jungle of commerce,” he said.
In the first two weeks he owned the car it
developed brake failure, transmission
problems, dead battery, a radiator leak,
fuel line stoppage, clutch slippage, car
buretor trouble, rear end vibrations and a
spark knock.
The dip stick, however, operated per
fectly.
The next time I saw Lemonpusher, I
commended him for his candor.
“They don’t call me ‘Honest Sid’ for no
thing,” he said.
Campus politicking no training for ethics
By RAY JAMES DANIELS
Well, elections have come and gone once
again. This being my last semester at Texas
A&M, I would like to relate a few observa
tions about elections — keep reading, I
promise you an insult, a few discouraging
words, and perhaps a few thoughts to mull
over.
In particular, I would like to point out
how Aggies as a society react to the de-
mocractic process of free and open elec
tions through a couple of real events occur
ring in the last several weeks.
EVENT 1: I was talking to a friend about
the elections and mentioned that I would
vote for a particular candidate. When I
asked him if he might vote for that candi
date, he replied: “No. Why should I. He
hasn’t come to ask me to vote for him.”
Letters to the Editor
Rally to move tracks
Sticking together
Editor:
The fact that Texas A&M has a railroad
carrying lethal chemicals through campus
should disturb every dorm resident on the
north side of campus. The proximity to the
railroad tracks of Keathley, Fowler and
Hughes halls, those havens of honeys,
should make all the men of A&M rally be
hind a movement to move the tracks.
Not to mention that thousands of Aggie
men also live within the areas prescribed to
be evacuated (thus proving their dangerous
location) in the eventuality of an accident
on the tracks through campus.
One accident would be all that if would
take to move the tracks, maybe. But why
wait until someone is killed?
—Jon Davis, ’80
Voice your views
Editor:
One of the most important proposals
ever considered by the College of Engi
neering, the decision to become the first
Professional School of Engineering in the
country, is now being closely examined.
The subject has been brought before the
Student Engineers Council many times but
I feel the vast majority of the nearly 8,000
students of the college have yet to hear
about it.
The final format of the Professional
School has yet to be decided but to my
knowledge the most prominent includes: a
two-year pre-professional curriculum, fol
lowed by three to four years of professional
school. The student completing the profes
sional program would be required to take a
professional competency exam and im
mediately become a registered engineer.
Having had time to evaluate the propo
sal, I am whole-heartedly in support of it. I
feel that the field of engineering has be
come too complex and encompassing to ac
quire an adequate grasp in only four years.
Furthermore, I am in favor of the im
mediate registration rather than the four-
year “internship” that now exists.
I would like to challenge, even beg,
those who agree or disagree to voice their
opinion on this very important decision by
coming to the Industrial Representatives’
meeting in Room 102 of the Zachry Engi
neering Center at 7:30 p.m., Thursday,
April 19. All students are welcomed by the
dean’s office. Industrial representatives
and Student Engineers Council.
—Rick Griffith, ’79
Editor:
This is a letter to express our apprecia
tion to four cars of people who were kind
enough to stop and help three Aggies in
trouble.
On Easter Sunday two friends and my
self were returning to school from San An
tonio when we had a blowout. Before long,
help started to arrive. With the aid of Vic
Pantuso and Mike McNamara the tire was
fixed. While Vic and Mike were changing
the tire, another Good Ag Mark Johnson
drove up and offered to follow us back in
case of more trouble. Unfortunately, we
did not get the names of two freshman CTs
who stopped to help.
We would just like thank each one of you
for your thoughfulness and concern. For all
you other Ags out there — get you Aggie
stickers and put them on your car. They
really come in handy.
—Barbara Miller, ’80
Diane Jones, ’81
Mary Parma, ’81
Correction
The Battalion incorrectly reported in a
photo caption Monday the hours that the
campus creamery is open. Weekdays the
creamery is open 8:15-5:00 p.m.. Saturday
it is open from 8:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.,
the fountain closes at 12 p.m.
The Battalion regrets the error.
EVENT 2: I have become aware of how
frighteningly easy it is for one individual to
muster a dozen or so friends to run for office
with the stated aim of controlling Student
Government for their benefit. Often they
are easily elected with only a few votes.
Now regardless of what you think of Stu
dent Government, the University adminis
tration does rely on them (sometimes ex
clusively) for student input on a variety of
issues.
Remember, it is the student body presi
dent who selects, and student senate who
approves, appointments of students to such
unimportant committees as the traffic ap
peals committee, the health center and li
brary advisory committees, menu boards,
student publications board, and many
others.
EVENT 3: Walking home late last
Saturday hight (two days before general
elections) I saw two cars filled with male
students stop suddenly in front of the
Commons. They jumped out and pro
ceeded to knock down, take apart, and
break up every election sign in the area. I
realize there may have been a number of
reasons for doing this (frustration, insecu
rity and jealousy amongst them), but the
striking realization was that they would
vent their feelings by violently interferring
with the electorial process.
EVENT 4: Monday morning a sign was
hung at the entrance to the dorm. It asked
the residents to vote for a dorm resident.
That’s great — endorsements and support
are part of the political process — espe
cially when reasons are given for support
ing the candiate.
But only one reason for support was
given by this sign: “He’s running against a
Corps member and he needs your support
to beat the Corps block.” As the morning
progressed another sign went up. It urged
the residents to examine the candidates
and vote for one who would help A&M and
not to vote merely on the basis of blind
prejudice. The second sign was tom down
within an hour; the first sign stayed up until
m id-afte moon.
Reviewing these events a number of
thoughts come to mind, but the most strik
ing one is this: How can we, as Aggies, a
group known for our fervent belief in
American democracy, respond to a basic
tenet of the democratic system (elections)
with apathy, divisive purpose, violent de
struction and close-minded prejudice.
I must admit that not too long ago, I
probably would have voted twice in an
Reader s Forum
change— and so it should if history is to
progress and man to grow intellectually
with his technology. We must encourage,
in fact pursue, the conflict with ideas. By
doing so, we become stronger in support of
our own beliefs and more able to deal with
them.
Also, we challenge our perceptions with
new ones and give ourselves the opportu
nity to adopt those perceptions which we
feel come closest to the truth. And this
process never ends, in short, victory does
not always mean winning, but it is impossi
ble if we do not learn.
The election process, when conducted in
a fair environment, free from tampering,
offers us the opportunity to put our ideol
ogy to a challenge, to support those whose
perceptions parallel our own, and to learn
by winning, by losing, and always from the
conflict of ideas.
It seems we have studied constitutional
rights and the recent downfall of demo
cratic integrity to no avail. We are content
to perpetuate those attitudes and actions
that have created the current one in Ameri
can government. A tone that we often de
spise and destruct, even though we believe
in its form and its purpose.
It is time for us to challenge our own
actions and pursue a path that will reinstate
a responsible, viable government. The best
place to learn is here, the best time is now.
Ray Janies Daniels is a senior biochemis
try major at Texas A&-M and president of
the MSC Council.
Readers’ Forum
Guest viewpoints, in addition to
Letters to the Editor, are welcome.
All pieces submitted to Readers’
forum should be:
• Typed triple space
• Limited to 60 characters per
line
• Limited to 100 lines
election if I thought I could get away with it
and benefit my candidates.
But let’s remember what happened in
national politics not two elections ago. A
group of men, who began their criminal
careers by tampering with college elec
tions, were led by an incumbent president
of the United States, to lie, cheat and steal
in order to throw a national election. If we
continue our political practices, where will
we be during Watergate 1995?
A few weeks ago, the Brazos Civil Liber
ties Union published an advertisement in
The Battalion dealing with the conflict of
ideas as an essential part of discovering the
truth. And I think this relates well to elec
tions in American society.
Perhaps our most significant discovery in
; college should be that “the truth” often
Top of the New
CAMPUS
Greaves named head yell leader
Senior Pete Greaves was named head yell leader Monday after
noon by the University yell leader and Bonfire committee. Greaves,a |
marketing major from Austin, will coordinate the activities of the five
yell leaders at next year’s athletic events. The other yell leaders are I
senior Brian Hill and Jeff Smiley, and juniors Mark Outlaw and EJ I
Franza.
Engineer magazine needs editor
The “Texas A&M Engineer,” a student publication of the Collegeof
Engineering is coming back. It will be published four times a year
and the publications committee of the Student Engineers Councilisj
now interviewing for next year’s editor. All interested students ini'
College of Engineering may contact Rick Griffith at 846-9706 before |
April 26.
NATION
Man arrested in murder-robbery
A man was arrested early Tuesday on charges murder in connec
tion with the $1.9 million robbery at a Purolator armored car garate
Monday in Waterbury, Conn. Three guards were cut down by hip-
powered rifle fire in that incident. Police said the suspect, Lawrence
Pelletier Jr., 36, of Waterbury, was charged with three counts of
felony murder, possession of a sawed-off shotgun and possession of
marijuana. Other suspects arrested in the case were Pelletier’s wife,..
Evelyn “Vega” Pelletier, 26, Donald Couture, 26, and his wife,
Donna, 23, of Wallingford, Conn. The Pelletiers were arrested at
1:15 a.m. at their home, police said. The Coutures were pickedupin
Wallingford, 10 miles southeast of Waterbury — along with most of
the loot, two .30-caliber carbines and two pistols.
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Steel strike may bring lay-offs
A wildcat strike by dissident steelhaulers has created a “serious"
problem for the nation’s major steel producers and at least one has
predicted layoffs if the problems between the steelhaulers and the
Teamsters Union are not resolved. Republic Steel Corp., U.S. Steel
and Armco Steel Corp. all said they were hurt by the strike. The
strike, which started in eastern Ohio, spread into Pennsylvania and
Indiana early Tuesday. One shooting was reported near Canton,
Ohio, when a sniper fired a shotgun blast at a truck hauling meat
One man was arrested. The dissidents, members of several militant
Teamster groups including Teamsters for a Democratic Union, want
to vote separately on a supplemental section of the master freight
agreement covering steelhaulers. The Teamsters strike ended last
week but steelhaulers have refused to go to work.
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FDA head quits to go to Stanfo
Donald Kennedy resigned unexpectedly Tuesday as head of the
Food and Drug Administration to return to Stanford University as
provost and vice-president for academic affairs. HEW Secretary
Joseph Califano accepted the resignation “with great regret.” Ken
nedy, who was appointed to the post a little over two years ago, was a
professor of biology at Stanford before he came to the FDA. The first
non-physician to head the agency in more than a decade, his per
formance had generally drawn praise from consumer activists. Ken
nedy will be leaving with several major issues unsettled, most notably
the question of a ban on saccharin — which was set in motion before
he came to the agency — and the question of an over-all revision in
food safety laws. Kennedy said he was making the move “after long
and difficult deliberation.”
WORLD
Tanzania seizes Ugandan dam
Tanzanian troops seized the most important industrial center in
Uganda, the giant Owens Falls dam over the river Nile, before hold
out Idi Amin loyalist troops could blow it up, Communications Minis
ter Akena Pojok said Tuesday. The minister said both the dam and
the power station, which provides Uganda and parts of Kenya with
electricity, were now in government hands but he gave no details of
the military operation to seize the site — the single most important
industrial complex in Uganda. Government officials said the Tanza
nian troops and Ugandan government forces had not yet secured the
adjoining industrial city of Jinja, the second largest city in Uganda.
But the seizure of the Owens Falls dam represented the most signifi
cant military victory of the new government since the capture of the
capital of Kampala itself a week ago.
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Bomb kills 4 on Irish border
An apparent Irish Republican Army land mine exploded under a ]
police vehicle near the Irish Republic border Tuesday, killing four ;
officers and injuring seven other people. The four members of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary were killed immediately by the mine con
cealed on a contry road near Bessbrook, about 5 miles from the
southern Irish border.The blast also injured two officers riding in a
car behind and five civilians in a car that had just passed the mine.
The outlawed IRA made no immediate claim of responsibility, but
police said the mining appeared to have been done by the group. The
IRA has used similar land mines against security forces in the past in
the same south Armgh stronghold, 55 miles southwest of Belfast.
WEATHER
Mostly cloudy with mild temperatures and humid, along witha
50% chance of rain today and 30% tonight. High in the middle
70’s and alow of 60. Winds will be southeasterly at8-14mph.
The Battalion
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Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843.
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Kinif) 1
Managing Editor LizN<
Assistant Managing Editor .Andy "i
Sports Editor David
City Editor Scott Few
Campus Editor Stev*
News Editors Debbie Pi
Beth Calhoun
Staff Writers Karen Rogers,
Patterson, Sean Petty,
Blake, Dillard Stone, Ro)
Lyle Lovett, Keith Taylor
Cartoonist DougGi
Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschpf'
Photographer Lynn
Focus section editor Gary” 1
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are
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article and are not necessarily those of the
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Editorial policy is determined by the t