Slouch
by Jim Earle
SICK
-pruT*^#-
Ripe
bakly
“When you get down to it, there are no original excuses for
leaving early for the holidays. "
Opinion
Shuttle needed for death ray
Trade journals and available government documents re
veal that many serious scientists and military weapons ex
perts believe the era of “death ray’ warfare may arrive this
decade. This latest “ultimate weapon” would then arrive 10
years ahead of schedule.
The most likely first use of laser beam weapons will be in a
defense from space against intercontinental ballistic missiles
(IBMs) and satellite killer weapons. On the drawing boards
of American military planners is an 18-station anti-IBM
defense system, on which construction could begin in three
years, according to Senate sources.
To build, maintain and support such a system, which
would be “manned,’ we need the space shuttle. The shuttle
is just one of the problems which must be solved before we
can see the change in the world military picture which
would follow the development of an effective defense
againgt longrange strategic nuclear weapons delivery.
Sherman Democrat
the small society
by Brickman
WMAT/A
<ZAfZl?
FIZ0/MW&
VlNlKZ-
WMftJngton Star Syndicate, Inc.
The Battalion
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Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor. Roy Bragg
Associate Editor Keith Taylor
News Editor Rusty Cawley
Asst. News Editor Karen Cornelison
Copy Editor Dillard Stone
Sports Editor Mike Burrichter
Focus Editor Rhonda Watters
City Editor Louie Arthur
Campus Editor Diane Blake
Staff Writers Nancy Andersen,
Tricia Brunhart.Angelique Copeland,
Laura Cortez, Meril Edwards,
Carol Hancock, Kathleen McElroy,
Debbie Nelson, Richard Oliver,
Tim Sager, Steve Sisney,
Becky Swanson, Andy Williams
Chief Photographer Lynn Blanco
Photographers Lee Roy Leschper,
Steve Clark, Ed Cunnius,
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. 1 he 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
loca
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Wednesday
March 5, 1980
Baylor a dminis tra tion vo tes
against free press, students
.
By ROY BRAGG
Battalion Editor
The firing of The Baylor Lariat’s editors
is a perfect example of totalitarianism
pushing freedom of the press aside.
On Monday, Editor-in-chief Jeff Barton,
City Editor Barry Kolar and News Editor
Cyndy Slovak were fired by the university’s
11-member Student Publications Board.
As a result, several staff members resigned
in sympathy.
The whole episode began with the
announcement that Playboy photographer
David Chan would be in the Waco area to
photograph students for a Playboy photo
feature on “Girls of the Southwest Confer-
At issue is control of the school paper and
what it prints.
The Lariat’s editors, as do those at The
Battalion, felt that the content of the school
paper is the business of the editor and not
the university administration. Apparently,
Baylor officials disagree.
The university has the law on its side. All
the staff members have is a belief that they
were elected to do the job and a strong
conviction in the Constitutional guarantees
of free speech and press.
The publication board’s action poses sev
eral questions:
— Do the appointed student editors
actually have control of the contents of the
SEE a Rape
OF FREEDOM OP THE
ence.
At that time, President Abner McCall
said Baylor students who posed nude for
the magazine would be subject to disciplin
ary action.
In response, the Lariat published an edi
torial saying students should decide for
themselves whether to pose for the photo
graphs.
McCall then decided to show the Lariat
who was boss. He issued a warning to Bar
ton saying he would be asked to resign if
any further editorials and stories appeared
about the Playboy situation.
McCall based his decision on the fact that
the university owns the paper. Since he is
the university president, he said, he is the
publisher of the paper.
First Amendment rights, he added, app
ly to the publisher of the paper, not the
editors and reporters.
Then, on Friday, Barton, Slovak and
Kolvar signed their names to an editorial
criticizing the university administration.
Ralph Strother, director of student publica
tions, edited two sentences out of an edito
rial that referred to administrative “arro
gance.” Strother then told the three they
could either resign or be fired by the board.
They didn’t resign. They felt that the
student editors should be able to cover the
news and comment on it as they saw fit.
paperr
Are the school’s administrators ex
empt from criticism? Do they want to con
trol the news? Do they want a newspaper or
a university-controlled public relations
sheet?
— Why go through the ridiculous for
mality of selecting a student editor to run
the paper if in fact the administration is
going to dictate editorial policy and news
coverage, and advertising content?
The answers to these questions are appa
rent after the editors’ Monday firing. The
student editors don’t control the paper.
The Baylor administration cannot be
criticized. Baylor University does want to
control the news. The university adminis
tration does want a daily propaganda sheet.
The pretense of selecting editors will con
tinue (the publications board has said new
editors will be selected soon).
If Abner McCall wants to run the paper,
then let him do it. It’s his newspaper, after
all. If Baylor University administrators
don’t care about real freedom of speech and
press, then let them run the show.
The Baylor University administration
might have the nerve to call the Lariat a
8/IYUlA
BARES
ALE
newspaper.
But we can’t consider it one.
See related story on page 1
Letters
On Tuesi
noon, veg<
thinkers,”
junk food lo
across the 3
Ash St.
Their des
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chalkbord,
money and
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jt in dts benefi
was started
vegetarian
University :
and a handi
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said the g:
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would then
ably by co-<
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gled to kee
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Strawn, w!
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■sweet p
Reader
, ^ centsapou
s Forum needs clarification | Yellow c
Editor:
After reading Reader’s Forum in Mon
day’s Batt, I felt compelled to clear up some
issues presented in “Whatever Happened
to the Human Race.” The emphasis on
world view is important to understand the
parallels that were drawn in the series. Dr.
Schaeffer quoted the Biblical statement “as
a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” It is
thinking that shapes the way a man be
haves. The point is this: remove the abso
lute of the Bible, remove God from life, and
there is no basis for morality or the unique
ness of man. Henceforth we have the Sup
reme Court’s arbitrary decision ruling the
Black man a non-person in the Dred Scott
decision and ruling the developing fetus a
non-person in the 1973 abortion ruling.
This is the parallel that Schaeffer drew, and
it is an accurate one.
The parallel between the Nazi extermi
nation camps and euthanasia is equally
clear from the film. The extermination
camps slaughtered thousands of “undesir
able” members of German society who
were crippled, retarded, mentally ill, or
too sick to work. Euthanasia, under the
guise of compassion, has the potential for
these same abuses. It all goes back to Dr.
Schaeffer’s main point: without a basis for
morals, man lives under the tyranny of the
majority, or worse yet, the rule of a power
ful elite.
Dr. Koop did not say the church was
responsible for the holocaust. The point he
made is that the church was painfully silent
on this issue, as it was on slavery. He is
calling on the Christian, to take action
against the abuses that we see in modem
society that cheapen the value of human
life.
The statement by Mr. Spring and Ms.
King noting that there was no documenta
tion was false. Both Dr. Schaeffer and Dr.
Koop quoted articles written in major
medical journals. Dr. Schaeffer also quoted
sections of the 1973 abortion ruling ver
batim.
I felt that the scene with the memorial at
the end of the series notes an important
point. We have the power to make changes
to speak against what is wrong in the world.
If we fail to do so, then the memorial would
be more than accurate. I pray to God we
will change.
Bill Hobson
Soccer ignored
Editor:
Last semester, the Texas A&M water
polo team, ranked 4th in the nation,
threatened to leave A&M if they didn’t
receive Marvin Tate’s recognition as a var
sity team. Well, this problem is not exclu
sive to the water polo team.
From 1959-’63, the Texas A&M men’s
soccer team were state champions, and
some think that had soccer been an NCAA-
sanctioned sport, the Aggies would have
been national champs. Last season the Ags
had a .500 record, and this season, with a
2-1-1 record, are in first place in the confer
ence and are picked to win the Southwest
Conference Soccer Tournament to be play
ed here March 28-30. All this was accom
plished without varsity status, with the
second-lowest budget of any SWC team, no
professional coaching, no recruiting or
scholarships and virtually no press cover
age. That’s quite an accomplishment, isn’t
it?
Apparently the Intramural Department
doesn’t think so. They now want us to do it
without a field to practice on! Those are
odds one cannot beat. Imagine, the repre
sentatives of Texas A&M are not allowed to
use the soccer fields! And for what?
Well, you say, surely there’s a good
reason, right? Wrong. Intramural soccer is
what stands between the men’s and
women’s soccer teams and the SWC Tour
nament. Although we don’t have anything
against intramurals or other varsity sports
one gets the impression that one of the
world’s richest schools is trying to eliminate
the world’s most popular sport. It is also
important to note that a contract was signed
with the Intramural Department giving the
soccer team the unconditional right to use
the field; not only was this document
breeched, but no one was even notified.
We think we are good Ags and we want to
represent A&M in the competitive sport
we play best; soccer. We would appreciate
the support of the Intramural Department
and Texas A&M.
Mark Stromberg ’83
Curtis Eng ’83
Paul Winston ’82
a pound at
pound in t
as was used throughout thispbjtr ^ C0_0 I
such a thing, as degrading astk^ rr V P ow<
campus does nothing for the two "
and national reputation for * n 8
of quality of Texas A&M Univa*. 11
1 would be interested to b(WlMP ca | ' lea
ing: what is the criteria by whidnlUir 8 . ttie Si *
mine which plays shall be broui|r^ uc t s
campus? Who is responsible P r * c ‘
this decision? What benefit coulil|y^ ea P er
ibly expect from exposing youK:^ 1
such vulgar language?
1 am particularly disturbed iofe
this is program is part of the En:
partment. It would be appallingI:
this is indicative of the typeofirs
given to students of
campus.
YKA
‘Good Ags’exist
‘Ryder’ offends
Editor:
Recently I made the mistake of attending
the play, “When Are You Coming Back
Red Ryder.”
I never knew that anything could be
characterized by such continous vulgarity
Editor:
I wanted to write and letyoub 1
are good deeds being done by I
In today’s world, you see fewer]
ing a chance or going out ofthti
help others.
I really appreciate “Rock”
and “RockeUe” the good mag
’80 for seeing my car li
turning them off. I work all
battery would surely havebeendfl
what a way to end the day.
Thanks for letting me say
two nice people.
Leslie'
Thotz
By Doug Grab
ARE you CKKzy? tukb notes /
LAPP RIOT?
BUT \aOE G>C>TTA
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HERE TO LEfiRM, -
.‘re here td grado ATtV*
OH, H0\d UN ACADEMICALLY