Slouch
by Jim Earle
TA/tAS
trees
sfeciai.
Want a money-saving hint? Wait ll after Christmas; they're
much cheaper then.
Opinion
A matter of degrees
The magic sheets go up Thursday — the lists on the
windows of Heaton Hall that tell seniors they are indeed
graduating.
The wait is always tough and seems long.
But for some, the wait this semester was longer than
usual. Several seniors who put in their request for a degree
check this Fall had not received the preliminary clearance to
graduate by late November.
Col. Robert H. Bain, assistant registrar, said his office had
made December graduates its first priority, which is good.
His earlier suggestion was that students see their advisers
and possibly take more classes than might be needed.
Bain said one reason for the delay was the backlog. Admit
tedly, students should request degree checks during the
semester before they plan to graduate, but it’s sad the
system couldn’t handle the load.
As Bain said: We ve gone from 10,000 to 31,000 students
and we still do it the same way. We do it all by hand. We use
calculators to figure out the GPRs.”
Computerization, even though Bain says it has posed
some problems at other schools, seems the logical solution
to the overload problem.
But Bain doesn’t see that advance for some time.
111 be long retired before we get computers, he told The
Battalion. I need to be assured it will work. If the system
went out in the middle of the semester and we had to start
over by hand, we’d be lost.
The caution about switching systems is warranted, but
something must be begun soon to avoid the long waits.
A short wait for senior clearance to ‘graduate is exciting,
but prolonging it for months is cruel.
the small society
by Brickman
WHAT /A Ll^T
Washington Star Syndicate, Inc.
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The Battalion
U S P S 045 360
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Liz Newlin
Managing Editor Andy Williams
Asst. Managing Editor Dillard.Stone
News Editors Karen Corrielison
and Michelle Burrowes
Sports Editor Sean Petty
City Editor Roy Bragg
Campus Editor Keith Taylor
Focus Editor Beth Calhoun
Staff’Writers Meril Edwards, Nancy.
Andersen, Louie Arthur, Richard Oliver,
Mark Patterson, Carolyn Blosser, Kurt
Allen, Debbie Nelson, Rhonda Watters
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
Thk Battalion
Texas A&M University
Tuesday
December 11, 1979
cam
WASHINGTON
"B
ry
Kennedy campaign lacking dash
King Arthur image he used to lira:
By ARNOLD SAWISLAK
United Press International
WASHINGTON — In I960, John Ken
nedy sent his youngest brother to Wiscon
sin to campaign. One clay, Teddy found
himself scheduled to participate in a sports
event in one of the state’s snowy northern
counties.
It wasn’t until it was all over that the local
sponsors learned that young Kennedy had
never been up, let alone down, a ski jump
before. If memory serves, Teddy said he
made the jump because it looked like fun.
That episode was recalled recently by an
interview with Sen. Edward Kennedy,
now seeking the Democratic presidential
nomination for himself.
Many Kennedy campaign watchers have
been struck by the appearance that Teddy
really wasn’t enjoying his own long-awaited
quest for the White House.
Presidential campaigns always are hard
work, and win or lose, most who take part
in them are exhausted by the time they
end. But most candidates, and especially
Kennedy candidates, enter campaigns with
the expectations of a child approaching the
gates of Disneyland for the first time.
Kennedy just didn’t seem to be going
joyfully into battle. His now celebrated in
terview with Roger Mudd on CBS pro
jected a sluggish, almost apathetic person
ality. Reports from Kennedy’s early cam
paign trips indicate he did spark excite
ment in some appearances, but in others all
but put the audiences to sleep.
Recently, Richard Cohen of the
Washington Post asked Kennedy if he was
having fun campaigning. The senator’s rep
ly was that campaigning had been fun when
he was younger, but “the basic fun went out
of it with my brothers.
It is not hard to understand how the
senator might feel that way, and maybe it
should not be important whether a candi
date is having fun as he seeks the highest
office in the nation. A campaign, after all, is
supposed to be only a means, a tool to be
used and then put aside for the serious
instruments of government.
But in Kennedy’s case, the tone of the
campaign may be important because of the
image many Americans have of his family
and the period of American politics they
dominated.
It was a time of activism, of vigor, of
strong belief in the capacity of individuals
and of the country itself to accomplish the
most difficult tasks.
This was the King Arthur image — the
easy grace of the gentle warri,,!
hnlhant lady leading a brave 1Ioust
just nation to a better life for all ,ylg influence
fun — aughingat the howli nEB i Irvan City (
mg gaily as you ride to meet thef»M In a regu £
very much a part of the image. ■ rence Ro01
for some Americans, Ted j; * ts a ® en ^ a '
candidacy may seem to beaclia n !B Thecounc
capture a sinning period of theirLB c ^ artl Sini
they felt better about themselves if 0 ' 11 t * ie Te3
country. Kennedy says he is l D, P rovemen
leadership to the country that\s«^ ieTAC '
suits where Jimmy Carter’s piouS mvay at Cc
to decency and fairness have &il(J™ nway is , c . u
what Kennedy is offering is^ 8 uiclel
toughness devoid of the ^31
lightened his brothers’ approach,,!
those folks may be deeply disappoj!
might Teddy if they realize before!, . i
manes that Camelotisnottobebi jelUClC
BK
[ By NANG
Balt
■re Bryan 1
jtrict Board c
le; IIchase ol
1980-81 s«
live 71-pass
J500 each ar
| for special e<
Jng $13,50(
be total cost
B2LOOO.
l.C. McLar
firs and ma
Ided ordei
mflatio
' M(
IMexico will i
B States unc
len the two
lease in the
lend on the
Ifflar, says an <
jCompany,
■esus Chav;
Bloration for
!nce for cm
■ at Texas /
Rut 300 mill
IfU.N. is weak, it threatens its own existen
be exporte
ns and shoi
The Carter administration continues to
make the proper moves in its struggle to
convince Iran to release the 50 American
hostages.
Inasmuch as military force would be
counterproductive at this stage, the White
House is trying to show the Ayatollah
Khomeini that most nations on earth con
demn his holding diplomatic personnel,for
ransom. The United States has asked the
World Court at The Hague to order Iran to
release immediately the Americans being
held prisoner. It is a ease this country can
hardly lose.
If the U.N. Council fails to issue a clear
demand that Khomeini free his victims, it
will convince the American people that the
U.N. is indeed a worthless organization —
and thus threaten its own existence.
A World Court ruling and a Security
Council resolution would isolate Iran in the
international community.
No doubt the “students’’ at the embassy
and the mullahs manipulating them would
scream defiance. But they would be
affected nevertheless — for no nation or
group can enjoy outlaw status.
two-day S
Feedstock
Jticipants.
■While we
lising real
Guilty verdicts (at spy trials of#^oiit th
would give the ayatollah thechan«f tha t the in :
play the magnanimous side o if ^ abater
sending the “convicted criminals !, 1S re lK ( 1
If, however, the ayatollah imprisoi
ecutes any Americans now i
will owe a blood debt to this cofflj
the United States will be ob
leet.
The Pittsburgh Press
Letters
Reveille's flunking basic obedien
she should fight 'em, not bite em
a
Editor:
I’m certainly no expert in animal be
havior, but it’s fairly obvious that our mas
cot, Reveille IV, is flunking out in Basic
Dbedience 101.
Reveille certainly possesses a personality
it sets her apart from any other in the
line world, and rightly so since she is an
gie. However, even though she is most
en very affectionate towards people, she
es get carried away and confuses the
hting Texas Aggie spirit with the “biting
xas Aggie spirit.”
[Tie most recent example of this was at
■ Vermont basketball game when she
-d to claim a piece of Rynn Wrights
le. Granted, she has caused no serious
'm to anyone thus far; but, it is simply a
tter of time before she does if her spi-
;d ways continue.
games and shout till his voice grew hoarse
and clap till his hands became sore and
even if we lost, he never said bad things
about the team. He had worked very hard
to become a senior and was so proud and
excited about graduating this Friday that
he had started counting down weeks ahead.
Last Friday, Dec. 7, seven days before
he was to graduate, his last day of school,
Amer was killed driving back to A&M in his
new car, a graduation present. The people
who knew him loved him and knew he was
something very special. A&M has lost the
very best Aggie around!
Goodbye Amer. We’ll miss you terribly,
but we know you’ll always be with us,
maybe not in body, but in spirit.
— Jayanthi Kasiraj, ’81
Maria-Elena Andino, ’80
phenomenon has been very interesting to
me. Apparently, from my discrete sound
ing out of local residents, I am in the great
minority, but I am greatly surprised that a
university community would so feverishly
rally round a cause so ecologically unsound.
Keep band as
COURTS
SH0
“Exp<
she
104 C
N<
84
This year’s supply of logs came from a
to-be-submerged area, but could not the
great amount of energy expended in cut
ting, hauling and stacking all those logs
have been put to better use in, for example,
providing free firewood for burning by
senior citizens?
A small symbolic bonfire could still have
been built from small branches, scrap-
wood, etc.
Joes bite someone seriously, major
cnees could face the University
qlle. I know she is the school mas-
she surely is not beyond being
ed. I hope the guys in E-2 will
icr of that. So, to Rev — Fight ’em,
t bite ’em.
— Pat O’Neil, 80
Shrink Bonfire
Editor:
As a newcomer to Bryan, the Bonfire
I think serious thought should be given
next year channeling the efforts into a more
energy efficent program. I’m sure the
Aggies could win with even a much re
duced-size bonfire burning!
Editor:
At the outset, let me assure J
women — always have. Ma e
married one and have never re
And I recognize that wjthou
there could be no more little M .
But for a woman to be in the-v
makes about as much
the Radio City Rockettes --- e.
closer to home, to join the p ^
Rangerettes. I’m sure she c ,.
the boys do, just as a hoy nll Y ryp
Belles do. However, a pair
don’t belong in a chorus line.
I vote for the band as it is n ^
to the school and a favorite wi
where. Incidentally, rny w
these views 100 percent
. Robt. i
Colin F. Sewards
Thotz
By Doug GraU
A&M lost a good Ag
Editor:
This is the hardest letter I’ve ever had to
write in my life, but I want everyone to
know about the great loss Texas A&M has
had — we’ve lost our No. 1 Aggie, Amer
Sheikh. And this letter is dedicated to him.
He was truly an Aggie to the core. He
was always behind his school and team no
matter what. He would go early in the
morning and stand in line to get tickets for
the football games and he never com
plained about doing it. He would go to the