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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1979)
cheer up, th 4 more she - th' LESS WE HAVE Xj~Q I^ 0 - iOES, . n— Opinion A giver receives Some of them are just looking for a clean place to die. Others want food, medical care or schooling. Whatever they need. Mother Teresa gives. But now she is the recepient — of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. The committee explained its decision this way: “Poverty and hunger and distress also constitute a threat to peace.” Normally the award goes to people who have somehow prevented conventional wars. Mother Teresa, 69, fights another war, the war against poverty. The hallmark of her work, the Nobel Committee added, “has been respect for the individual human being, for his or her dignity and innate value. The loneliest, the most wretched and the dying have at her hands received com passion without condescension based on reverence for man. Not surprising, Calcutta’s “saint of the gutters” will spend the $190,000 prize on building more homes for the destitute, especially lepers. This year’s award was a special one — and one well deserved. Another tradition falls Women worked in the Bonfire cutting area this weekend — worked, and not just passing out cookies. The decision, made just last week, changed a tradition. In the past, women have not been allowed to cut down and carry out the trees needed to build the Bonfire. Men have been more equal than women here for some time. Maybe they won’t be much longer. the small society by Brickman Woo-Zo^! ~TU& POLLAIZ PLoPFfrp A&A l N — I ^iJf2E= 'S&DUP op <500^0 Awer - Washington Star Syndicate /O-T-'Z ' fa2 [C 4^J^ The Battalion US PS 045 360 LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and doe. 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 Editin', 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 hrough 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 use 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. VIEWPOINT The Battalion Texas A&M University Monday October 22, 1979 Analysis West Germany: Put your foot down (on the gas pedal) and don’t look bod By WOLFGANG WAGNER HANNOVER, WEST GERMANY — If you’re eager to push the accelerator to the floor and try to break the sound barrier without worrying about cops, then come to West Germany. This is the only country in Europe, perhaps in the world, without speed limits on its freeways. Indeed, the government here recently decided after contemplating the subject once again that is has no intention of impo sing restrictions on motorists — as long as they stick to the autobahns, as major West German turnpikes are called. On other roads, the legal maximum is 60 miles per hour, and it is half that speed in towns and villages. But on the big turnpikes, drivers can go as fast as they please. Over and over again within recent years, politicians, police officials and others have raised the question of whether to slow down West German motorists, partly for safety reasons and also because of the gasoline shortage. Predictably, the partisans of unbridled speed carried the day. For one thing, they argued convinc ingly, very few drivers go above 80 miles per hour, the speed proposed by those who favored limits. This is because day time traffic on the highways is so dense that going faster is impossible. Trucks and buses, which consume the largest quantities of gasoline, usually cruise at between 60 and 70 miles per hour, which is considered reasonable here. Besides, it has been difficult for advo cates of curtailed speed to use the gasoline shortage as an issue, since there is no visible scarcity of fuel in West Germany. Not even during the summer months, when the routes were clogged with va cationers, did I observe lines at service stations. To be sure, the West German govern ment has been appealing to citizens to conserve energy. But instead of raising threats of rationing, it has used two de vices in its approach to the problem. In the first place, it has issued what might be called “moral pleas, counting on the disciplined West Germans to disci pline themselves. And secondly, it has boosted gasoline prices by some 10 to 15 percent in the hope that this would deter motorists. Depending on quality, gasoline here now costs in the neighborhood of $2 per gallon. That is relatively low compared to the prices in Italy, Spain, Greece and France, where many West Germans go on vacation. But even though they regard them selves as relatively well off, West Germans have in fact been behaving more moderately on the autobahns because of fuel costs. Underlying the government’s reluc tance to restrict speeding, moreover, was another factor. West German’s automobile manufacturers were cool to the idea. The automobile industry here has for years been producing too many cars for the local market, which is packed as well with other European and even Japanese models. Many young people in particular are partial to French and Italian cars, which are cheap to buy and to operate. West Germany turns out small vehicles such as the Volkswagen, which are popular abroad. But in order to be able to continue exporting big cars, like the Mercedes, it must also build them the way West Ger mans want them — strong, solid and fast. In other words, a car like the Mercedes would not be constructed for export unless West Gennans found it to their taste. And it would not satisfy buyers here unless they could drive it at limitlesssm , least in theory. Since the government here i! mined to push exports, onwhiclitlr German economy is heavilydepeai has l>een sensitive to the viewsot 1 tomobile makers. This is not to suggest that Wei many’s big corporations are c the gasoline shortage becamechtia public might well exert pressure ion restrictions as an economy measiin But this has not been thecaseunti and all government has done to been to put out mild “recommei to motorists to take it easy. Asb know, nobody has been punish speeding or even warned. So if you want to feel the po«t engine hurtling you downaliigl West Germany is the place. Excel you will probably find that here, home, you’ll be stuck most of the traffic jams. Wagner is editor of the Hanm Allgemeine Zeitung, the Wes(& daily. mmr* By 1 I People h up and bo Hfmething plained the [Concerts, f In a sho\ than I’ve e Aggie (rea crowd, Pah blend of ( combined Exercise for the under-one- year-oU lelt the 3, White Coli: ■And as enjoyed th fipt the ar Pablo Crui; ;and that’s a a good con I And thoi the concer Plsired. » Killer stru 'vith the hi By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — Edwin Paget, 78, a retired speech professor whose idea of a glorious summer vacation has been run ning up and down Pike’s Peak 41 times, believes it is never too soon to improve body and mind. His theories about oxygen stimulating human brain cells have never been scienti fically verified. Nevertheless, a man has got to think about something during the long dashes to the summit, and this summer, in the course of making his 866th career ascent of the Colorado mountain, Paget got to think ing about the International Year of the Child. In particular, he got to thinking about all those millions of infants lying there in their cribs, doing nothing much of any thing except drooling on their bibs. In his mind’s eye, Paget could see their little brains deteriorating from inactivity. And that is when he hit upon the idea of promoting an exercise program for babies less than a year old. “Soon after birth, the brain of the typi cal baby begins to decline in effective ness,’ the peripatetic pedagogue says. “Vigorous exercise will correct this defi ciency, and will usually increase the men tal efficiency.’’ Paget seemed a little vague as to how anyone who hadn’t even learned to walk and talk, much less do push-ups, could be motivated for strenuous regimens. But he insisted there were “various things’’ par ents could do to raise infant exertion levels. “Cribs are much too small, too station ary,” he said. “Babies are forced to spend most of their time in almost a comatose state.” Paget was asked if it might be feasible to attach elastic bands to a baby’s armsij 111 ? the vol when it sucked its thumb it alsow>fl 00 j o ud fo developing its biceps. B the groi “That’s certainly a possibility, au <hble a plied with notable lack of enthffi a ' n ly to “Once the public becomes aware; PJ a y e d up need, all kinds of suggestions wlBP ens e ol pouring in. B^ft Pab Well, then, might bis proposalcpB ou P> on door to commercial exploitation,ft)* et her. T the market with Adidas diapers,wpted in warm-up suits, special kicking booteeB 11 - 8 et the like? Wether. Paget responded with what so'Jr ” a tig like a snort of indignation. B 8 3 0 ^ ru sar, the BeRios w; Letters ’64 alum didn’t want football tickets: ‘Bellard’s a winner, A&M’s a joke’ crowd thr an impre; (Wizardry t tive and both. Ocean Editor: This new “wide open, exciting brand of football that you and a couple of rich alumni were so anxious to have at A&M prompts me to write this note. For the first time in 20 years, I didn’t order any A&M football tickets. My instincts cer tainly proved correct. Personally, I enjoyed being in the Top 10, going to bowl games and winning 8 to 10 games a year. I guess what people find “dull” is a matter of definition. I notice Oklahoma and Alabama don’t find the wishbone dull — but what do they know. When you treat a man of Coach Bel lard’s caliber as you did, it usually comes back to haunt you. As expected, he has remained a winner and a highly respected gentleman while A&M — on the other hand — is a joke. — J. Barnes, ’64 Editor’s note: This letter was sent origi nally to Jarvis Miller. Copies were sent to Emory Bellard and the Battalion In each of those games, decisions by the coaching staff have cost us what otherwise were imminent victories. Case in point, the decisions to go for a first down on fourth-and-one situations late in both games, with victory on the horizon. If Emory Bellard were coach, his decision in those two instances would have been “punt“. His decision to punt would have come, as the old adage goes, “quicker than 90 gars could skin a minnow.” But, we do not advocate his return as coach, nor de bate who is or should be head coach. It is not only the things happening on the field but those off the field as well. Why was a 218-pound tight end who has no experience as a quick tackle, playing against the likes of Hosea Taylor and Leonard Mitchell, both 6’5’ and 270 pounds or better, and potential All-SWC as well as All-American? Why is it that such talented, experienced, and bigger players as Tim Ward, Thomas Gregory, Curtis Jennings, Kyle Golson, Mike Rob bins, and last but not least Doug Holmes (an All-SWC pick last year) sitting on the bench? Confront the offensive line coaches with this inquiry. Decisions to play younger and/or inexperienced pbjtl the offensive line instead of expo and and All-SWC players does not good football sense. Somewhere along the line, polifcj favoritism have reared their uM and affected the decisions and oiM related to Texas A&M football. Armchair quarterbacks we are;'] tented A&M football fans we are not ( — Doug Joseph Editor’s note: This letter was i panied by two other signatures. Thotz " AWRIGHT/ BRING-ON THE BABES, X GOT ME by Doug Grala; gamut, fi a,| d loud More unhappy fans Editor: Fellow Aggies, we are witnessing the downfall of A&M football. In our*six years here, never has A&M’s reputation as a football power been so tarnished. Why is this so? Witness the first and sixth games of the -season.