'The Battalion
Vol. 73 No. 42 Tuesday, October 30, 1979 USPS 045 360
112 Pages College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611
Saturday's kickoff changed
Kickoff time for Saturday’s Texas A&M-SMU football
game has been changed from 1:30 p.m. to 11:50 a.m. The
change was made to accommodate ABC-TV’s regional
television coverage, which starts at 11:30 a.m.
as
I
Ben Policy, an avid user of a divining rod, says that all matter exudes
energy waves that make it possible for him to practice his art. Expert
opinion varies as to whether dowsing, or water witching, is based in fact
or fiction. See related story, page 6.
Freshmen to hold
un-offs Wednesday
By ELLEN EIDELBACH
Battalion Reporter
Run-off elections will be held Wednes
day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for eight
freshman candidates running for four class
[Officer positions.
Candidates for the runoff positions in-
t j dude: Dan Stedham and Rocky Path for
4 Class of ’83 president, Mike Lawshe and
^fam Baldwin for vice president, Diana
Blordam and Jeff Cantrell for secretary-
[treasurer, and Kathy Bartholomew and
fCindy Smith for social secretary.
Candidates for freshman class presi
dent, Dan Stedham of Fairfax, Virginia,
and Rocky Path of College Station,
explained Tuesday they hope to do if
lected.
“I plan to bring unity to the Class of’83
d make it the best that’s ever come
through,” Stedham said.
I Path said, “I plan to do whatever work is
put before me and do it to the best of my
ibility. He added he’d like to see the
eshman class “unified and rise to the top
is soon as possible.”
On the list of how to accomplish his go-
s, Stedham said he’d “listen to all the
people’s ideas, then choose and imple
ment the best,” and “provide an opportun
ity for each freshman to feel a part” of the
freshman class and infonn freshmen by
“getting out and talking to them.”
Path says he doesn’t “know what all the
office is going to involve yet.”
In order to obtain his goals, he said he
“wants to hold class meetings so people
will know what’s going on. ”
gave differing
the class presi-
The two candidates
reasons for running for
dent’s position.
Stedham says he believes it is important
to contribute to the class and class ac
tivities. “I feel I can contribute my best as
a class officer,” he said.
Path said he ran because of past posi
tions he has held and “just a will to work. ”
To vote, freshmen should bring I.D.
cards to one of the following polling places:
— main floor of the Memorial Student
Center
— in front of Sbisa Dining Hall
— Commons main desk area
— the Corps of Cadets Guard Room.
Election Commissioner Bruce Russell
said the ballots from the run-off elections
should be counted by 10 p.m. Wednes
day.
Russell said about 1,824 freshman voted
in last week’s election, about 23 percent of
the class.
Sex bias arguments figure
in Bonfire policy change
By GRETCHEN GARRETT
Battalion Reporter
The change in policy allowing women to
participate in Bonfire construction came
about mainly because of the legal argu
ments of sex discrimination.
According to a memorandum issued by
Col. Thomas R. Parsons, chairman of the
bonfire and yell leader committee. Par
sons said at an Oct. 18 committee meeting
that Bonfire is a Texas A&M-sponsored ac
tivity, and that the University believes
that any activites relating to it must be
opened to all all students under equal
rules, without regard to race, sex or creed.
Parsons also said that to his knowledge,
there had never been a policy statement
issued by the University or a University
official which specifically excluded women
from participation in any aspects of Bonfire
construction.
The purpose of the committee meeting
was to discuss the role of women at Bonfire
activities and to make a recommendation
to Dr. John J. Koldus, vice president for
student services, for a University position
in the matter. Twelve committee mem
bers and approximately 35 visitors were
present, most of whom were red and yel
low pots (Bonfire safety advisors).
At the meeting, Parsons said Ron Hil
ton, Bonfire adviser, had reported to him
that around Oct. 8, five women in the
Corps of Cadets came to the Bonfire cut
ting safety class and were told by those
conducting the class that they would not
be permitted to enter the cutting area be
cause it was prohibited by University pol
icy.
The women. Parsons said, attended
the class but they were not issued cutting
cards, which are a requirement for enter
ing the cutting area.
In the memorandum. Parsons said that
he asked for discussion on the role of
women at Bonfire, and with no objection
from the committee, invited visitors to
participate in the discussion.
The principal arguments against partici
pation by women in the cutting area. Par
sons said, were made by red pots. Objec
tions were that safety would be jeopar
dized since most women have not had
much experience in that type of work. The
red pots gave other arguments: the women
had no trained supervisors within their
ranks, they would not be physically able to
perform the work, women in the cutting
area would lead to more “horseplay,” and
not enough red pots were available to
supervise large groups of women workers.
Various members of the committee re
sponded positively to the arguments. Par
son said, and some suggested that a prog
ram could be developed to train and
supervise women.
Members voted to make a recommenda
tion to Koldus that women be given the
same opportunities to participate in Bon
fire activities as men, provided they abide
by the same training, safety, and proce
dure rules. All but two members voted in
favor of the motion.
Koldus approved the recommendation.
“I think it’s fine (for women to work on
Bonfire),” he said. “My daughters have
been helping me for a long time with
things like that, and I don’t see anything
wrong with it.”
“It was a legal question and there were
no grounds for this proposal not to be pas
sed,” Hilton said.
He said he thinks some of the commit
tee members voted affirmatively not be
cause they agreed, but because they knew
that legally, there was nothing that could
be done.
This year at the cutting area, the women
are put in a separate area from the men
and have a male supervisor with them.
“We put them in a separate area,” Hil
ton said, “to show them what to do so they
can learn safety procedures. It’s easier to
teach them when they’re in a group.
“Next year, they 11 have their own
supervisors, so this practice won’t have to
be carried on,” he said.
Tom Murray, who is co-adviser with
Ron Hilton, said he doesn’t do much advis
ing because this is his first year to serve on
the Bonfire committee and he is still learn
ing the basics of the operation.
“My experience before this year was
one visit to the stack a year, and that was
to see it burn.” he said.
“I can say, however, that I can see the
red pots’ views about this,” he said. If
there was some sort of serious accident, he
said, the Texas Municipal Power Author
ity, which owns land used for the cutting
site, might not ask Texas A&M back next
year.
“Changes always come. We need to ac
cept that feet and set out to provide the
best training and supervision we can,”
Murray said.
Dr. Kerry Hope, committee member,
said she was for the proposal because of
the legal and emotional sides of the mat
ter.
“The point I was trying to make at the
meeting was that women cannot be kept
out of such activity,” Hope said. “I feel
like if women are part of the Corps they
should participate in whatever the Corps
men participate in. Those women who
were asking to cut were in the Corps and
were in excellent physical condition;
therefore I think they can keep up with
the men.”
Hope said she recognizes that it’s pain
ful for changes to take place, but these
type of changes must occur.
About eight women came out to the
cutting site the first Saturday they were
allowed to cut, Parsons said, and about 18
on Sunday.
Scott Hutchins, a senior red pot, said
that overall the weekend ran smoother
than they had expected.
Mark Rhea, senior coordinator, expres
sed some disagreement.
“For the amount of work they did, it
wasn’t worth the trouble to set them up a
separate area and keep a supervisor with
them the whole time,” he said. “They
didn’t cut more than 10 logs. ”
New York nuke protest called ‘success’
Attempt
United Press International
NEW YORK — Anti-nuclear de
monstrators claim their siege of the New
York Stock Exchange was a success even
though they failed to achieve their aim of
shutting it down on the 50th anniversary of
the Crash of 1929.
Police said 1,045 protesters who tried to
block entrances to the exchange were ar
rested or given summonses during the
to close stock exchange fails
nine-hour rally Monday, the most ever
taken into custody in an anti-nuclear de
monstration in New York City.
Those arrested included Vietnam War-
era activists David Dellinger and Daniel
Ellsberg. Ellsberg’s son, Robert, was ar
rested twice.
Most were released immediately, but
about 290 who refused to give their names
were held for arraignment.
Mounted police at times pressed into
the crowd and there were a few reports of
police use of excessive force, but overall
the mood lacked the animosity that
marked the antiwar protests of the 1960s.
And the Big Board would not be stop
ped. Trading, although lighter than usual,
began at 10 a.m. and ended at the normal
4 p.m. closing.
It was difficult to determine whether
the protesters were responsible for the low
turnover.
The demonstration was organized by an
anti-nuclear group known as Wall Street
Action, which had promised to shut down
the exchange by surrounding it with teams
of 10 to 15 people trained in nonviolent
action.
Rumors of murders, threats surface,
but area police have verified none
By RICHARD OLIVER
Battalion Staff
Two weeks have passed since the
murder of LaShan Muhlinghaus, but
many people are still feeling the re
percussions.
With the shock of the murder still
lingering in the air, many rumors
have begun to surfece, and the nerv
ousness of the Bryan-College Station
community is beginning to show.
The rumors are numerous:
— a report of a weekend murder in
the Sevilla apartments.
— a report of rapes in the Travis
and Viking apartments.
— reports of suspicious characters
haunting apartment complexes and
leaving warnings for victims on cars.
The rumors were heightened over
the weekend when a Dallas television
station reported a murder at the
Sevilla Apartments in College Sta
tion.
Although the nervousness may be
justifiable. College Station Assistant
Police Chief Edgar Feldman says the
rumors are false.
“They’re not true, ” he said Monday
afternoon. “There have been no mur
ders or threats. ”
Feldman, however, said the
number of police calls reporting sus
picious men and prowlers has in
creased. He said most of the calls
concern a suspect sketch released by
the police department last week.
“We’ve received five to ten calls a
day on the sketch,” he said. “We have
to check these out. An increased
number of obscene phone calls have
been reported, along with prowler
calls. Someone sees a suspicious man
and calls us up. We have to check all
of these out. We’re just following dif
ferent leads trying to get a connec
tion.
“In fact, I just received a phone call
from a girl who had heard the exact
same rumors you just told me.
They’re just not true.”
Feldman said the investigation has
turned up many leads daily, but the
process is slow.
“We have 15 to 20 leads a day com
ing in, ” he said, “plus other crimes to
investigate. We re making progress in
the respect that we’re getting diffe
rent phone calls in response to our
investigation. I won’t be satisfied
until we have a solid suspect.”
Feldman said he thinks the rumors
have surfaced because people are
hopeful for a solution.
“They’re wishing we would have a
suspect,” he said, “and it was all
over. ”
He advised area residents to be
careful in whatever they do.
“If you’re going to write this up in
an article, advise everyone, especially
females, to go in pairs,” he said. “Al
ways make sure your house is locked
before you leave, and leave a light on
in the house. Keep your cars locked.”
Police developed this composite
drawing of the suspect in the LaShan
Muhlinghaus murder.
AB
ENDENT
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State requires student groups to pay sales tax
By LOUIE ARTHUR
Battalion Staff
Student organizations at Texas A&M
University must pay state sales tax on all
axable purchases, contrary to the previ-
>us belief that they were tax-exempt.
The state comptroller of public accounts
las decided that recognized student or
ganizations are not exempt from paying
he sales tax and must begin to do so im-
tiediately.
Dr. Carolyn Adair, director of student
tetivities, said the comptroller declared
he organizations were not part of the in-
titution of Texas A&M and therefore did
lot qualify for exemption.
“We have been arguing back and forth
vith them for a few months,” Adair said.
The local sales tax people have been say
ing for a long time that we should pay.”
Officials in the local state comptroller’s
office said the current situatipn has re
sulted from a series of misunderstandings.
“They (the student organizations) just
misinterpreted the law,” enforcement of
ficer Hugh H. Krenek said. “It’s always
been this way.”
Fred E. Kolkhorst, another enforce
ment officer, said the new policy will save
his office a lot of the trouble they had en
countered earlier.
Kolkhorst said any sales tax money paid
by the organizations in the past was sent to
Austin through the university’s voucher
system, bypassing the local comptroller’s
office. By the time the office was notified
of an non-payment, he said, the semesters
had changed and organization officers
were hard to locate.
“This (the policy change) is something
we got into as a result,” Kolkhorst said.
“The organizations were working under
the assumption that since they existed on
campus and may have received funds from
the school, they were exempt.”
Kolkhorst said organizations must apply
for exemption, but he was not sure of the
specifications they must meet in order to
qualify. A few examples of those who
might qualify, he said, are those that are
part of a national organization, those solely
state or federally funded and those who
have federal exemptions.
“If you qualify under federal exemp
tions, we will recognize that and honor it,”
he said, “but we must be notified if this is
the case.”
Denton said exemption is determined
by the Internal Revenue Code and the
Texas Tax Code. Under the latter, some
educational and charitable organizations
are exempt, as are those who do not have
to pay federal income taxes.
However, to qualify for the IRS exemp
tion a 13-page form must be filed, along
with periodic additional returns. This is
not very practical for student organiza
tions, he said.
Organizations interested in applying for
exemption must do so on an individual
basis with the student legal office, he said.
Student Legal Adviser Lowell Denton
said a meeting was held to explain the new
policy to student organizations, but few
representatives attended. At the meeting,
questionnaires were handed out to those
interested in applying for exemption. Of
the dozen or so distributed, he said, only
three have been completed and returned.
“We are trying to determine which or
ganizations have substantial economic in
terest,” Denton said. He explained that if
an organization would gain only $5 per
year from the exemption, they would
probably not want to go to the trouble of
applying for it.
“At least two or three organizations may
find it to their benefit to apply,” Denton
said. A few (Campus Crusade for Christ,
the Student ‘Y’ and the Floriculture Club)
may already be exempt.
Taxable items are those meant for im
mediate consumption, Denton said.
The agricultural clubs that sell turkeys
and hams during the holidays would not
have to pay taxes on the meat because they
are not for immediate consumption, he
explained.
Kolkhorst said the new policy is not re
troactive, but added that it is effective
immediately.
Organizations applying for exemption
should pay sales taxes now until a decision
is reached regarding their eligibility. If
they are granted exempt status, the tax
money spent during the waiting period
can sometimes be recovered, although the
expense may not be worth it.
“They can petition to recover the back
taxes,” Kolkhorst said, “but applying and
recovering are two different things. You
might spend $100 trying to recover $50. ”
Student organizations that did not have
representatives at the meeting should con
tact either the student attorney’s office
(845-5821) or Dr. Adair (845-1133).