Slouch
by Jim Earle
“What is it? It is the ashes from the bonfire that was burned
the night before we beat t.u. — that’s what it is!”
Opinion
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12-7
The Battalion
U S P S 045 360
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
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Editor Liz Newlin
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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.
It’s hard to get college students to come to a protest these
days.
Lately a few have protested Iran’s capture of Americans,
but no one has barricaded a college president in his office in
months.
Texas A&M has always been a conservative school, but
now the rest of the nation’s campuses are following its path.
Students, traditionally a liberal group, are becoming
more conservative, especially compared to students of the
last decade.
One explanation goes like this:
College students of’60s had been brought up in an Amer
ica that was ruler of the world. Opportunities were abun
dant, and money was there for the making.
The students kneY^Jj^^g^Jd get a job. America would
support them. j , -r- -
So they could afford to be concerned with sociaf issues.
Putting food on the table was not a problem.
During the ’70s, though, things have been different.
Inflation has continued at a double-digit rate, and unem
ployment is a nagging problem.
The students aren’t sure of their future anymore.
The ’70s student is concerned with getting a job, not with
social change.
Many freshmen’s first question is: “How much will I make
when I graduate?” It’s not, “What will I learn while I’m
here?”
And that is disturbing.
Jobs are important, but students should be in college to
question values as well as facts, and even to challenge
authority. That’s how we learn.
Students of the ’60s were secure, and they were liberal.
Students of the ’70s are uncertain, and they are conserva
tive.
But they shouldn’t be afraid to question.
the small society by Brickman
Viewpoint
ca
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Friday
December 7, 1979
Dick We st
Can we trade television camera k
to students for release of hostages
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Carter is
known to have under consideration a num
ber of alternate courses of action if diploma
tic measures fail in Iran.
Although he has refused thus far to dis
cuss his options, one possibility was sug
gested last week by Sen. S.I. Hayakawa,
R-Calif. But first a little background music.
Anthropologists used to tell us that basic
human drives involved such things as food,
shelter, clothing and sex. But that was be
fore someone invented television cameras.
As we now know, the desire to wave at
television cameras stirs mankind with ev
ery bit as much intensity as the older moti
vating forces.
From this latest compulsion comes a
variation of the old paradoxical hypothesis
that if a giant tree toppled over in a remote
forest beyond all earshot, it would make no
noise.
The updated version may be stated thus-
ly: can a demonstration be sustained with
out television coverage even though the
situation being protested remained un
changed?
Hayakawa mentally wrestled with that
question concerning the situation in Iran.
“I wonder what would happen if Amer
ican networks stopped paying attention to
the Ayatollah and his gangs, ” the erstwhile
semantics professor mused.
Then, knocking down his own straw
man, he averred: “I believe that without
the encouragement of television cameras.
the demonstrations in Iran would stop.
Even assuming there is validity in that
conclusion, it remains unlikely the net
works would ignore an event of such mag
nitude. Which necessitates a different
approach to the problem. Which brings us
back to the basic impulses mentioned ear
lier.
There was a time, you will recall, when
our own country seethed with demonstra
tions. Let us see if we can explain why mass
protests have become fairly rare.
Through expanded use of portable
cameras at athletic events, through taping
more and more game shows before studio
audiences and thanks to growing attention
to political rallies, American networks now
offer private citizens almost unlimited
opportunities to wave at cameras. ]
And with the slaking of that bas
desire has come a tailing off of tbcj
foment occasions where camera
opportunities might arise.
Bear in mind, however, thatinli
other lesser developed countriesa
people have virtually no chancetovij
passion.
The most humane solution to tit y
crisis is not to quell the demonstr
withdrawing the cameras, as
suggested. A far better plan woiilil
strike a deal under which thedem
tors would be guaranteed a certaina
of camera-waving time in exchange!
lease of the hostages. That is the!
way, and if it works here, it i
everywhere.
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Maybe America needs to look for newfriem
In the Iranian crisis the reaction of the
nation’s allies has added insult to injury.
Egypt’s Anwar el Sadat is one of the few
among the allies who has had the courage to
speak out. He offered to mediate and,
when that was refused, volunteered to
send military aid to the Persian Gulf coun
tries to head off any attempt by Iranian-
allied forces to seize power in that area.
Sadat continues to earn the Nobel Prize he
was given a share of a year ago.
The takeover of the U. S. Embassy faced
U.S. allies with a dilemma few have been
willing to confront. West Germany has
avoided public statements. France has
been its typically silent enigma. The Israeli
government has sidestepped a public
stance.
Some of our allies showed a complete
disregard. At one point during the mob
like demonstrations in Tehran, the demon
strators decided to deliver bouquets to
other embassies in the city. To see diplo
matic representatives from those embas
sies welcoming the demonstrators with
smiles and senseless small talk was a sour
ing experience.
The Turkish government explained, “we
are sitting next to Iran and need Iranian oil
and cooperation in the border areas.’ Not
all profits
o tax up
:ompanie:
egulation
He was
only did the Japanese governmenlti Ubany, T
stand, but that nation’s press ignors nan who
embassy takeover for more thana'Pcgulation
When mention finally was raadt,]
stance was to divide the blame forttf
equally between Iran and the ll
States.
With friends like that, who needij
mies?
Pawtucket (R.I.) Evening Tii« I
Letters
Challenge met: Student changes turn
after talking with athletic director
Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to
explain about the letter I wrote in the Nov.
28 Battalion on Athletic Director Marvin
Tate’s handling of the Texas A&M waterpo-
lo program.
First of all, Mr. Tate did accept my chal
lenge and invited me to his office to discuss
the matter. He thoroughly explained the
situation to me, and I fould that there were
many things I was unaware of when I wrote
the letter. It would take much more space
than allowed to totally explain the situation
because of its complexity, but I am certain
Mr. Tate would find the time to explain the
situation to anyone desperately desiring an
answer.
I would also like to correct myself on a
few matters stated in the previous letter.
First of all, it was not Emory Bellard that
sent our waterpolo team to the NCAA
championships last year, but rather I found
that it was Mr. Tate himself that made all
the arrangements to send our team to Cali
fornia. I was very wrong in making the
earlier assumption and for that I publicly
apologize to Mr. Tate.
I would also like to take back the label of
“stubborn” that I so wrongly gave to Mr.
Tate in my first letter. On the contrary,
during our discussion I found that Mr. Tate
was very open-minded in his policy mak
ing, and he handles every situation in the
best possible way he can. Maybe our ideas
may still differ a little, but after looking at
the situation and what it involved, I can
truthfully say that I would have acted in the
same manner as Mr. Tate did.
I once again would like to thank Mr. Tate
for his acceptance of my challenge and for
clearing up my misunderstanding on the
matter.
— Mike Janney, ’82
abusive treatment given our cheerleaders
after last year’s basketball game, and other
less publicized but no less vivid stories of
such mayhem gave me pause to consider.
But I hoped that if I got into and out of town
before darkness fell, then I would be
alright.
I had expected to be seated in the middle
of Aggies fans and I was. But I was sur
prised at how cordial they proved to be.
Although we were strangers and cheering
for opposite teams, we were able to discuss
the unfolding game objectively and dispas
sionately and still retain our partisan feel
ings. We even shared equal disgust at some
of the referees’ more “imaginative” judg
ments. But I was most surprised when the
Aggies applauded the half-time perform
ance of the Longhorn Band. It was an excel
lent performance, but I never expected
you all to even admit that, much less re
ward it with applause! Several times!
I was stunned by all of this. Were Aggies
learning to behave themselves? Was Col
lege Station at last becoming a safe place to
visit? Had civilization finally arrived at
Tehran-on-the-Brazos?
Also, no. I would have liked to have won
the ball game, but having lost, I could
accept defeat and even joke about it. That
is, I could until some Aggie stole my cap
while I was filing out of the stadium. Then
it became very unamusing.
I turned to see who the thief was, but of
course none of the Aggies behind me knew
anything about it, even though they ob
viously took great delight in my predica
ment. If some prankster had grabbed my
cap, waved it around, passed it among his
friends, but returned it in the end, it would
have been very poor taste, but I could have
lived with it. The cap was never returned.
I shall not be surprised to learn that this
is just another of the many “Aggie tradi
tions.” It seems you have a tradition to
justify any manner of reprehensible be
havior, but stealing is still stealing, you had
earned the right to cheer, celebrate, sing
the War Hymn, and even sing “Texas
Bite.” You did not have the right to steal
my cap. It may seem a small thing, but my
fantasies of a civilized Aggieland were shat
tered.
It is a comfort to know that some things
remain constant in this ever cki
world. The sun shall always rise inti
and set in the west. The rivers .shalli
flow from the hills to the seas. Anil!
in defeat or in victory, shall always!
those depths of poor sportsmanslj
which only Aggies can descend a-
which Texas A&M is so justiliaH
famous.
— Chris Aon
Correction
Due to a typesetting error in ale#*
to the editor, The Battalion left!
impression that a person must to*
stopped drinking in order to join Al(t
holies Anonymous. Actually, a me®
her of AA need only have thedesid
stop drinking. The Battalion regrd
any misconceptions caused by!
mistake.
THOTZ
By Doug Grak
Ags bad sports
Editor:
As an Orangeblood who values his hide,
I was not sure if I really wanted to attend
last Saturday’s game at Kyle Field. Memor
ies of The Flag and drawn sabres, reports of
iiinflffiiiiiiiilt;!
i r r i “i