Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University /
Friday
April 20, 1979
Don’t get gigged, Ags
With this issue, I end my term as Battalion editor.
Liz Newlin will take over the reins starting with Monday’s edition. Now
is the time for the standard end-of-the-term editorial. I want to share a
little of what I’ve observed during my tenure here.
Texas A&M is in a state of unease — something that all Good Ags and
the rest of the student body should see. And be concerned about.
During this past school year various incidents added up to a picture that
distresses me.
As a freshman, I came during the big growth of the school — students
and money were pouring in. With the influence of President Earl Rudder
this university had taken off. Another strong leader. Dr. Jack K. Williams,
brought the school further academic recognition.
Now it seems Texas A&M is on a plateau — not going up or down.
THE QUESTION IS: Where to now? What plans are there, what
goals?
The regents show no signs of knowing. They have failed to provide
leadership a number of times when the University needed it most.
Instead of setting policy and goals the regents seem to be trying to
direct how this university is run in detail. For example, when President
Jarvis Miller advised them at their last meeting that the burned Board of
Directors house should be destroyed, one regent ordered more financial
figures, and announced they would form an advisory committee to look
into the problem. They discussed the problem so specifically that they
began to meddle.
And where are the priorities?
There’s been a long delay in finding a new chancellor for the Texas
A&M system. Two months passed before a search committee was formed
after Chancellor Williams resigned. And there’s still no evidence of action
there.
NOT ONLY THE Board of Regents, but the administration is following
news releases instead of working ahead of them. Currently, HEW is
investigating the system for possible racial discrimination. State Rep.
Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, introduced several bills into the Legis
lature to mandate more System funding for Prairie View University.
There’s been no definite public stand taken about the System’s relation
ship with Prairie View or how the System is coordinated.
And the University, by switching from an academician president to one
whose background is primarily agricultural research, has left some faculty
members uneasy. L>r. Miller’s spoken consistently about his concern for
the world’s misconception about higher education, but especially re
search — from his inauguration to Washington D.C., to The Houston
Chronicle. As a result some faculty members think he’s more responsive
to the problems of agriculture and research than of the classroom.
THIS RESTLESSNESS has stretched further than the school wall.
During a crucial subcommittee hearing on the System’s appropriations,
legislators questioned the presentation of the budget — asking why the
System couldn’t show one concerted effort with one spokesman. This
leadership problem grew worse when Regent H.C. Bell was thrown into
presenting the System’s budget request unprepared. How can regents
expect to present the System best like that? Even he conceded his own
confusion. We needed a chancellor then — not an amateur.
And the degree of politicking that seems to be taking hold here worries
me.
Incidents — they string together and form something to think about.
Chancellor Williams resigned after the regents slowly removed all his
responsibilities. There were also reports of conflict between him and
President Miller.
Head Coach Emory Bellard left, powerful alums were blamed for try
ing to make the school’s decisions and moving him out.
Don Brister, director of the Aggie Club — the alumni organization that
raises money for student athletic scholarships — left suddenly. He hasn’t
said why.
Then there is the current investigation of the Corps of Cadets by the
Brazos Civil Liberties Union to see if there is discrimination against
women in joining organizations. And there are other problems.
BUT AS ONE FORMER student told me recently, Texas A&M will
survive. And I’m sure it will.
Four years as a student has shown me that Texas A&M is a good school
despite its problems. It is mainly this feeling that leads me to voice my
concern.
The school’s “leadership” needs to start moving, leave politicking in
Austin and see that this university moves up and on.
Plucked chicken
syndrome abounds
By CURTIS DILLON
Most people have never had the chance
to see a live chicken without its plumed
wardrobe. The sight is somewhat amusing;
however, one does not have to pluck a live
chicken to see it. One has only to look
about at the fashionable female aspect of
the human population.
It has come of fashion for the human
primate female to adorn her foot with an
extremely high-heeled shoe. The sole is
steeper than the pro ski slope and King
Kong would get epistaxis if he could scale
the heel. If the straps should break, the
girl will surely slide down the incline and
embed her toes in the ground.
—Graphic detail of the cracks in the
sidewalks.
—Insisting that falling down stairs is an
excellent hobby.
—A heavy coin purse from finding lost
coins.
—The desire to look up at the sky to see
if it is still blue.
—Walking barefoot carrying your shoes
at the end of the day.
The treatment for the afflicted female is
a pair of comfortable practical shoes. The
disease disappears immediately. The re-
The result is a fashionable shoe that
makes a girl look elegant while standing
but gives her the appearance of a plucked
chicken while trying to walk. Strides are
short, halting, and attempted with effort,
and the head is held low as though looking
for worms.
Reader s Forum
A girl can diagnose the syndrome by
three or more of the following symptoms:
—Black and blue marks on the shins
from falling down.
—A chronic concentrated pained ex
pression on the face while walking as
though from gas.
—A sidewalk repair man following you
around fixing the chisel marks from
spiked heels.
—The need to come to a stand still be
fore looking someone in the face.
suit is a graceful girl that can walk, smile,
say hello, and meet the male’s adoring
gaze all at the same time.
The question seems to be whether a girl
likes the fashion that is in style or wears
the fashion to be in style. Perhaps it is not
for herself that the girl suffers the crippl
ing handicap.
It has been imprinted in the male mind
(not necessarily the higher primate) that
high-heeled shoes make a girl look sexy.
For the most part, the male does not want
to look at the top of the head of a fashiona
ble plucked chicken trying to navigate a
street curb on stilts.
Curtis Dillon is a junior bio-medical
sciences major at Texas Ai?M.
PONT GET ME WRONG ...
I'M FOR PROGRESS. .. BUT
ARE TOUR BW UP SAFETY
asTEMspaifeLEr.-iwiE
W ALLOWED R)R HUMAN
ERROR?..-IHENTHERB
THE FOTLE1A OF HASTE
PRODUCT D1GFDSAL-
Carter still pro-nuke
Wrong rooting reaction
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON — Life’s turning points
sometimes come upon us at odd times in
unexpected places. I personally entered a
new phase the other evening while watch
ing the movie version of “Hair.”
For the first time in a career of movie
going that dates all the way back to silent
films, I found myself rooting for the wrong
side.
I’m not talking about anything so com
monplace as watching a western and sud
denly realizing you hope the Indians win.
That is one of the universal experiences and
is generally transitory. In most cases, it is
simply a manifestation of the old pulling-
for-the-underdog syndrome.
I am talking here about a complete,
against-the-grain sentiment reversal.
At “Hair, ” as my companion of the eve
ning rather testily pointed out, I was the
only person in the theater who was cheer
ing for the straights. Audibly at least.
That reaction was entirely out of charac
ter.
What I regarded as the two finest scenes
weren’t even mentioned in the reviews I
have read.
In one, an Army M P is being hassled by a
carload of Flower Children who want to
visit the base during an alert. I wish I had
gotten the name of the actor who played the
part of the MP. It was an Academy Award
performance if ever I saw one.
Talk about restraint, coupled with stead
fastness, under extreme provocation. That
MP had it. Yet it was I alone who let out a
yip of delight when he prevailed.
In the other great scene, the film’s lead
ing lout returns to his lower middle class
home to try to wheedle enough dough out
of his aging parents to pay the fines of the
lesser louts who are — deservedly — in jail.
The old man turned him down.
Quite reflexively, I gave a little cry of
admiration over this noble resistance.
Once again, mine was the lone voice heard
in the theater, although the audience was
exceedingly demonstrative at other times.
For me, then, “Hair” was more than a
movie. It was a genuine juncture, some
what comparable to entering puberty or
the initial onset of tennis elbow. You know
life will never be quite the same again.
In a few more years, I may find myself
booing John Wayne.
By HELEN THOMAS
UPI White House Reporter
WASHINGTON — Despite the hazards
demonstrated by Pennsylvania’s Three
Mile Island nuclear plant accident. Presi
dent Carter remains a strong advocate of
nuclear power.
“There is no way for us to abandon the
nuclear supply of energy in our country in
the forseeable future,” he told a news con
ference recently.
He believes a presidential commission
will be able to establish the causes of the
accident, design better techniques for nu
clear power plants and to create safer
operating procedures.
Carter apparently feels there is no longer
any question of whether the country should
forge ahead with nuclear energy. He is
proposing legislation to speed up the
licensing of such plants.
It is understood that privately Carter is
more vociferous in his defense of nuclear
power than he is publicly. He also is re
ported to believe the news reporting of the
Three Mile Island accident was overblown.
Carter has come up through the hardline
school of Energy Secretary James
Schlesinger, who formerly headed the
Atomic Energy Commission, and Adm.
Hyman Kickover, chief developer of the
nuclear submarine.
His own exposure to radiation — and
survival — while serving in the nuclear
submarine forces reinforced his opinion
that nuclear power is here to stay.
He has faced up to more of the dangers of
the nuclear age than most of his predeces
sors — seeking solutions to the sofar insol
uble problem of disposing of radioactive
wastes, and directing that safety inspectors
be stationed at nuclear plants.
The fact is that the United States has an
impressive safety record in the nuclear age,
C ommentary
-eez.e.
pop
v\a-t-\OEr\
exp 1
os ion! Don't" tViose Aggies
have sel'f- can't rol *?
enough to have lulled the people into com
placency until the Three Mile Island inci
dent. Except for a relatively few vocal
anti-nuclear protesters, the public has gen
erally accepted statements that nuclear
plants are safe.
On the other hand, pronuclear forces be
lieve no industrial endeavor is without
risks, and cite as an example the thousands
of coal miners killed in the past. They also
point to the lessening of mine dangers as
safety measures have been developed.
Still, the magnitude of dangers of a nu
clear accident far outweigh others inherent
in American society. The evacuation of a
million people, which became possible at
the height of the Three Mile Island acci
dent, gave some insights into the dimen
sions of a wartime nuclear attack.
In this connection, the president be
lieves the accident will enhance the
chances of ratification of the strategic arms
limitation agreement about to be con
cluded with the Soviets.
Recently, he told a Jefferson-Jackson
Day Democratic dinner in Richmond, Va.:
“Our next goal is a SALT treaty to curb
the horrible threat of nuclear destruction.
Our nation was shaken within the last few
days by a potential serious accident in
Pennsylvania. I hope that the one result of
that fright will be to remind every Ameri
can how vastly more destructive (a nuclear
attack could be) to a hundred million
American people, almost half of our popu
lation.”
Much will depend on the recom
mendations of the presidential inquiry
panel. But one thing is clear: The question
of the nation’s nuclear future is out of the
laboratory and now, finally, in the public
Reader s 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
Top of the New
'$
CAMPUS
Campus magazine wins award
11
Tierra Grande, the quarterly magazine produced by the Texas Real
Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, won an award of
excellence in the 1979 Gold Quill Awards program sponsored by the
International Association of Business Communicators. The award
presentation is set for June 5 at the IABC conference in San Fran
cisco. Tierra Grande recently completed its first year of publication
and is mailed to all licensed real estate brokers in Texas.
Rusiness grad contest to be here
7::
8
The Texas A&M University Business Graduate Student Association
(BGSA) will sponsor the Southwest’s first Invitational Case Competi
tion beginning today. The competition is an effort to expand the
programs now available to graduate business students to prepare
them for handling problems in the business world. “The cas^s are
factual accounts of actual business decision problems,” said Richard |
Scruggs, president of BGSA. “As such, they are about as close as the
business educator can get to the real thing.” Five other universities i|
are invited to participate. The teams will be judged on how they
handle an identical problem situation. |
8:;
STATE
Mil!
Davis case decision set for today
A decision in the five-year divorce case of Cullen and Priscilla
Davis is expected in Fort Worth today, but attorneys for both sides
have indicated they will appfeal if the decision goes against their client (
— an inevitability that likely will further delay a settlement decree.
Judge Clyde Ashmore, the third jurist to preside in the much pub
licized case, said earlier this week he’d announce his decision on
community property today. At stake is millions of dollars in cash,
property and business stock. Davis’ attorneys have claimed there is
no more than about $600,000 to $700,000 in community property,
while Mrs. Davis’ attorneys have claimed the figure is closer to $50
million. Davis’ attorneys also have asked Ashmore to “enforce” a
prenuptial agreement signed by Mrs. Davis two days before her
August 1968 marriage that prohibits her from claiming any of her ’
husband’s property obtained before they were married. Mrs. Davis
attorneys have claimed the agreement was obtained through deceit.
NATION
Dorm fire forces evacuation
A fire early Thursday morning in a room at a residence hall on the
George Washington University campus in Washington, D.C., in
jured at least 23 people and forced hundreds of sleeping students out
of the building. The fire was reported shortly before 4 a.m. and was
confined to the fifth floor. A police spokesman said one of the injured
persons may have jumped from the fifth floor to escape the blaze,
which heavily damaged at least one room and the hallway outside. A
fire department spokesman said the fire was brought under control
within one hour, and all of the several hundred students living in the
building were safely evacuated. No deaths were reported. Most of
the 23 injured were taken to the George Washington University
Hospital, where they were treated for smoke inhalation and minor
burns. Fire marshals are trying to determine the cause of the blaze, t)
V- AfO,? AEjJi
Cause of plane crash discussed
2-
Federal safety officials met Thursday to discuss “the probable '
technical cause” of the wdrst U. S. air disaster — a collision between a
Pacific Southwest jetliner and a private plane over San Diego that
killed 144 persons. The announcement of the technical findings by !
the four-member National Transportation Safety Board was due
sometime later. “The board will not fix blame for the accident, but
will rule on the probable technical cause and make recommendations 5
to the Federal Aviation Administration for safety improvements,”
board spokesman Ed Slattery said. “In this case, there appears to bea
number of factors. ” The final staff report, concluding that both pilots i
apparently failed to see one another, said the Federal Aviation Ad
ministration’s air traffic control procedures and systems contributed
to the accident.
Corpse found near White House
bile
I
The body of a 19-year-old Secret Service receptionist was found in
a building next to the White House early Thursday and agents said
she apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was
identified as Kimberley R. Acquard of suburban Alexandria, Va. The
revolver was recovered, ” said Secret Service spokesman Ken Lynch.
“She was discovered about 1 a.m. in one of the offices used by the
Secret Service in the old Executive Office Building. He declined
further comment except to say the young woman was a receptionist
for the Secret Service Uniform Division, which is charged with
guarding the White House. , ;
WORLD "
1 dies in Egypt bomb explosion
A booby-trapped cigar box exploded at Cairo’s main post office
Thursday as millions of Egyptians voted in a nationwide referendum
on the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Police officers said the explosion
killed a woman postal worker and injured three male colleagues. It
was the first known act of sabotage in Egypt since the March 26
signing of the treaty, which most Arab countries oppose. ^
WEATHER
'.to
Warm and humid with heavy thundershowers this afternoon.
High in the mid 80’s and a low in the mid 60’s. Winds will be
southeasterly at 10-15 mph. 20% chance of rain.
The Battalion
letters policy
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Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor kimTysi
Managing Editor Liz Newi
Assistant Managing Editor
Sports Editor David
City Editor Scott PendleW
Campus Editor .Steve b 1
News Editors Debbie Parsott
Beth Calhoun
Staff Writers Karen Rogers, Mail
Patterson, Sean Petty, Dia«
Blake, Dillard Stone, Roy Brag,
Lyle Lovett, Keith Taylor
Cartoonist Doug Graha®
Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschper Jr
Photographer . Lynn
Focus section editor Gary Wen
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit. 4
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firtinlo — .1 r .i . .. j n/HJivnnnff.
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University administration or the Board of Editorial policy is determined by the edibr