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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1979)
“Tonight wasn’t Halloween? Too bad you weren’t with us, we had pretty good luck "tricks or treating’ anyway.” Opinion Life in the big city Occasionally an editor hears a story he can t use. It’s not news, and it’s the kernel of an editorial because it presents a problem he can’t solve. Then something else happens, and the first story amplifies the new story. The moral of both these “stories” is that Texas A&M is in a city now — a city of about 100,000 people. And among those 100,000 are, apparently, men who murder women. Another story — the non-news story — also demonstrates that point. Just because we like to say “Aggiehood” creates automatic bonds among us, people should not assume they’re safe. A female sophomore was in the A&M library studying the other night and, like most Aggies, smiled at a guy in the study carre 11 down the row. The next time she saw him, out of the corner of her eye, he was exposing<himseIf.. Then the lights in the library went out, as they always do at 11:45 p.m. When the lights came on, the scared sophomore looked around, and the exhibitionist was gone. She did not report the incident to police, since she figured they couldn’t do anything. But she was scared enough to ask a stranger, another woman, to walk home with her. The escort was also an editor of The Battalion. She learned that night that we do live in a city. World Series a winner They call it the Fall Classic, and that’s exactly what the 1979 World Series has been. This year’s Series has been filled with more class, character, emotion, excitement, bad weather and sadness than any Series in recent memory. The Baltimore Orioles with Earl Weaver, their spirited manager, have made unbelievable comebacks to win games. The Pittsburgh Pirates under the direc tion of Chuck Tanner have shown great courage, determination and together ness after being down three games to one to even the Series and send it to tonight’s seventh game. Both teams are winners no matter what happens tonight. — S.P. the small society by Brickman The Battalion U S P S 045 360 LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 3(X) words and are bject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from September through May except during exam and holiday Periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday gh Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the e for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Liz Newlin Managing Editor Andy Williams Asst. Managing Editor ..... .Dillard Stone News Editors Karen Cornelison and Michelle Burrowes Sports Editor Sean Petty City Editor Roy Bragg Campus Editor .Keith Taylor Focus Editors Beth Calhoun and Doug Graham Staff Writers Meril Edwards, Nancy Andersen, Louie Arthur, Richard Oliver, Mark Patterson, Carolyn Blosser, Kurt Allen, Debbie Nelson Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschper Jr. Photographers Lynn Blanco, Sam Stroder, Ken Herrera Cartoonist Doug Graham Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self- supporting enterprise operated by students as a university and community newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. Analysis Brezhnev has transformed Russia from blustery giant to military pm By D Ba Sometime o rememb< By JOHN MOODY United Press International MOSCOW — Leonid Brezhnev Sunday begins his 16th year of power in absolute command of the Soviet Union, with no clearcut successor and striving to leave a legacy of peace and prosperity. His health is in question, but his mental acuity is not. Nor is the fact that he alone has final say on all matters that affect Russia and its allies, a bloc comprising a quarter of the world’s population. In was on Oct. 14, 1964, that the barrel chested, beetle-browed man from the Uk raine engineered the surprising coup that ousted Nikita Khrushchev from the key job of first secretary of the Communist Party. In the 15 years since, the Soviet Union has developed in the eyes of the world from a blustering giant with an atomic argument for recognition into a military power equal or close to the United States, and a steady, if sluggish provider of economic services to its people. Presiding over it all has been Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the son of a steelworker from the town of Dneprodzerzhinsk, two months short of his 73rd birthday. “He is, without question, in absolute control today,’ said a Moscow-based West ern Kremlinologist. “There is no one to challenge him and if there was, there would be no chance of success.” “He will take his power with him to the grave. It’s not in the tradition here to hand over the reins, ” said the Kremlin watcher. “Brezhnev wants very much to be re membered as a man of peace. He is build ing a strong image of a man determined to do his best to leave behind a peaceful world. He wants to be known as the man who prevented World War III, the analyst said. He still chain-smokes, though he admits it is a bad habit, and is widely believed to suffer from a nonfatal form of leukemia. He wears a hearing aid and favors his left leg when he walks. But, as one observer asked, “How good is a 72-year-old man supposed to look?’ While there is no certain, or even likely heir of Brezhnev’s mantle, Kremlin watch ers are keeping an eye on Konstantin Chernenko, 68, an old and trusted as sociate who accompanied Brezhnev to Vienna for the SALT signing. Brezhnev’s own rise to power caught everyone — especially Nikita Khrushchev — by surprise. On Oct. 12, 1964, according to one ac count, Khrushchev was at his residence in Georgia and had just spoken by telephone with three Soviet cosmonauts orbiting Earth. In Moscow, the presidium of the Com munist Party Central Committee debated when and how to relieve Khrushchev. The committee wanted a stable, experienced leader who would not embarrass Russia with flamboyant gestures such as Khrushchev’s shoe-pounding at the United Nations. On the morning of Oct. 14, even ing press in the Soviet Union Newspapers, magazines, books thing — was scruntinized by cei banished the name of Nikita Kli from their pages. When the three cosmonauts they received a congratulatory — but not from Khrushchev. The voice belonged to Leonid]e: Brezhnev. Alexei Kosygin became premier, head of government, and Bn emerged as Communist Party seci holder of the real power. A N ikolai Podgorny, became pre: in 1977 Brezhnev sacked him and title for himself, too. “ It’s a good time for the Soviet!! Western economist said. “Brezhnev the people to l>e happy and has bee to give them what they want. Thei law that says a communist can’t Ir) tent. ” ice are ( 'orcing th |‘The KKs king tick guided A le Field c ay be str ut-down 1 the Ur men are il officers de about the truth False: “T eet, put he’s a p Capt. Eh cants mu: ve they s. If not appointn luated b cers. Sn teria he j expression, as[ being a aid. Chief Ri [partmen people Hlf hired, state la\ isic Certi Seers wi pjoyment armed wit completed ■earms te IPresent Bing train ■ered by Bering E: i-.Every c and psycl filgerprint criminal re False: only securi anything t< All Un avi] >ubl Unit* AUSTIN pxas Civi iiesday th dmination cords wo Omputers Quid depr bxans of j ■ John Di West S < There are enough conservation i tQ to last until the twenty-first cent By By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — Originally pub lished privately, but now available in a commercial edition, a book called “The Best of Helpful Hints’ has sold more than a half-million copies. Its success demonstrates how desperate folks are for advice on how to cope with whatever it is they are up against. Included in the collection are upwards of 1,000 hints, and that, mind you, represents only the “best.” The number of culls (second-rate, or semi-helpful hints) proba bly runs into the millions. The energy field alone generates tips by the hundreds. Hardly a day passes that I don’t come across a new list of conservation hints, most recently one compiled by a firm of travel consultants. It contained 16 energy-saving sugges tions of which the most ingenious probably was no. 10. When patronizing self-service stations, that one advised, “avoid gasoline spillage at the pump.” “Now why didn’t I think of that?” I asked myself when I read it. The idea that gasoline could be saved by not filling the tank to overflowing simply had not occurred to me. Yet, when you turn it over in your mind a few times, it makes haven’t already been published. But such is by no means the case. America still has vast reserves of fuel- easy to save energy. Here are a trio of time-savingti can be used to good advantage: A tip like that might give some people the impression that we have reached the outer fringes of energy conservation — that there aren’t many ways to save fuel that saving tips, enough by some estimates to last well into the 21st Century. It’s just a matter of digging them up and bringing them to public attention. Here are a couple I recently discovered without even trying hard: —If you drive to work, or school, or wherever you are going, park the car 400 feet from your destination and walk the rest of the way. —If your office is on the 9th floor, take the elevator only as far as the 7th floor. Efficiency is the key. Consumers who tailor their daily lives to make the most of their time also will find it that much more —When writing letters, signonl| first name. Ilhe Coll hursday a Mating jig anothe Igulated g Ilhe nev primarily nulti-famil Ijbrecht, ad lity Manaj The new lies as “a Once you get into the swimofit,) , dlaneous find that it is j ust as easy to do thing:: and with minimal energy expend#® 1 Jherwise is to cleave to your old sloppy terns, such as spilling gasoline' stop at a self-service pump. —Save time on telephone calls say “Goodbye. Just hang up. —Save time on your lunch honi' jjt pay the check. Letters If students ‘slide’ through science, the slide is uphill — associate dean Editor: I was pleased to see your editorial about the Academic Council’s consideration of a proposal to allow nine hours of free elec tives in all curricula. I fear, however, that the inaccuracy of one statement will send liberal arts majors clamoring into my office to discover those easy science courses that they purportedly can take. The College of Liberal Arts requires all majors to take a minumum of nine hours of science courses. Since one course must be a lab, more typically our students have to take ten hours of science at the very least. These courses must also be the same as those that science majors are allowed to take; we count science courses taught sol ely for liberal arts or non-science majors or from a cultural or historical perpective only as electives. Majors in curricula leading to a B. S. de gree take up to fourteen additional hours in math and science — and the science courses must meet the same criteria as those taken for the basic college require ment. any lack of rigor in our requirements. From the lamentations I hear from students struggling their way through Biology 113, Chemistry 101, RNR 205 and other science courses, the science courses they take do not lack rigor either. If they are on a slide, they re going from the bottom to the top. By requiring students to fulfill goals in various academic areas, we hope to achieve the breadth of education and the “balanced knowledge’’ which your editorial advo cates. Science is certainly a critical part of that knowledge. — Diane W. Strommer Associate Dean Ranked, unranked Editor: In reply to D. Kerr concerning the ranked and unranked: the saying goes, “Highway 6 goes both directions” and you’re more than welcome to go to Mississippi State and support Eif*' lard. As for me and a lot more people"' port Tom Wilson and the Aggiesf' ; they win or lose! I feel it is ir support your team ALL THE W just when they are ranked or winnil proud of the fighting Aggie team. — Sussi Editor’s note: The saying goes," 6 runs both ways.” Thotz by Doug Gray: If any “liberal arts students can slide through academic life without taking a de cent, difficult science course,” as your editorial claims, the fault does not lie with r CAN'T BELIEVE That somebody L|VES \N THAT rmsHCAN. 1 AT I K> atSGOST AftE YOU? j w&RE-MAGn&ar/ I TURN INTO "A MACrG-OT ONLY /DURING A FULL SUN. * THE ONLY ^ TO KILL ME TO NAIL OF RIGHTS Vto^mY AlWC