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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1980)
\ Opinion AgSpeak defined— finally Here is a foreigner’s guide to AggieSpeak, a sub-dialect of Texan spoken only on the Texas A&M University campus. Each word or phrase is accompanied by the definition fixed on it by constant obnoxious usage through the years: Aggie — any student or former student of Texas A&M University, a large trade school in Brazos County, Texas. “Aggies neither lie, cheat, nor steal, nor do they tolerate those who do.” — the world’s oldest Aggie joke. GoodAg — anyone who agrees with a set of campus social laws established by no one in particular and practiced by a vocal minority. Apparently GoodAgs are blessed with amaz ing stamina, particularly at football games and in bed. Also, they are never, ever, ever, never wrong. Good Bull — The tribal religion of Aggies. It sanctifies anything a GoodAg does or wants to do and includes threatening anyone who objects to Good Bull. “Highway 6 runs both ways. ” — An astute observation by a brilliant A&M engineering student. What he failed to realize was that all highways run in two directions. This brilliant young man was struck down while sitting in the middle of Highway 6 trying to figure out how Aggies got to College Station since the road apparently only runs to Dallas and Houston. Amazingly, all GoodAgs seem unable to com prehend this as well. “Listen up, Army” — An immediate cue that whatever follows will be worthless drivel. Not Good Bull — Heresy. No precise definition is avail able. But it seems to include questioning anything the Uni versity has done, is doing, or will ever do. Quadding — an Aggie tradition that combines felony assault with kidnapping and medieval forms of sadism. Tradition — Anything a GoodAg doesn’t want changed. In the past, this has included racism, sexual discrimination, and freshman hospitalization. Two-percenter — Anyone who is not a GoodAg. This includes, by definition, two percent of the students on cam pus, as documentated by the census of 1910. It also includes the rest of the human race. Yell Practice — the solemn high mass of Good Bull. Rites include brain-numbing intoxication, explosive vomitting on oth er worshippers, and the most artless pseudo- pornographic ravings imaginable. . ■ w- . .A • .... .'■••tv I ’r. . •; j . ", *'■ . '• i Marriage: still a taxing affair For a society which honors marriage, it seems strange that current federal tax law has changed the old adage to “two can live together cheaper than one, that is if they are unmarried rather than married.” The tax laws often require married people with two in comes to pay more taxes than they would if they were single. By simply living together, many couples can reap consider able tax savings. (In) 1948 Congress tried to erase state-by-state inequities that gave some couples advantages over others. Singles wound up on the short end, however, with some paying almost twice as much as a married couple earning the same income. In 1969 lawmakers reversed the pendulum, but in so doing threw the onus back onto married couples. Because only 40 percent of married women were in the work force then, the problem got little attention. But in recent years, with many more women taking jobs outside the home, spouses have learned how severe the penalty is. In some cases young couples duck the issue by remaining unmarried although living together. Rep. Millicent Fenwick, R. N. Jand others have intro duced legislation to do away with the “marriage tax.” The measure has 215 cosponsors in the House and 23 in the Senate. The catch? The Carter administration’s budget-balancing drive. The Fenwick proposal would cost the government $5 billion to $10 billion a year and the administration is stand ing firm. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Battalion U S P S 045 360 LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to being, cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does 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 Editor, 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 through 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 Roy Bragg Associate Editor Keith Taylor News Editor Rusty Cawley Asst. News Editor Karen Comelison Copy Editor Dillard Stone Sports Editor Mike Burrichter Focus Editor Rhonda Watters Viewpoint Page Editor Tim Sager 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, Steve Sisney, Becky Swanson, Andy Williams Chief Photographer Lynn Blanco Photographers Lee Roy Leschper, Ed Cunnius, Steve Clark 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 Thursday April 17, 1980 Russian people paying a price for careless germ warfare project By JIM ANDERSON United Press International WASHINGTON — It has the makings of a melodramatic spy novel, except that it lacks two things: a hero and an ending. The Great Germ War, in which the Un ited States and Russia traded bitter accusa tions on an emotional subject both have preferred to keep quiet, is a puzzling exer cise in public diplomacy. What is unexplained is whether it is just a blast in the New Cold War, another exam ple of Washington taking every post- Afghanistan opportunity to be tough on the Russians, or whether there is something more chilling or puzzling behind it. Perhaps a chronology will clarify things: — April 1979: In Sverdlosk, 1,000 miles east of Moscow, hundreds of Soviet citizens, perhaps as many as 1,000, come down with a deadly form of fast-acting pneumonia. Soviet doctors recognize it as anthrax, a disease carried by ruminating cattle. It also happens to be a favored biolo gical warfare agent because it is deadly and fast-acting — but friendly forces can easily be vaccinated against it. — October 1979: Rumors have been leaking out of the sealed-off Sverdlosk area saying that hundreds of people died follow ing an explosion or accident at “Military Installation No. 19” in the Ural Mountains. In a closed society, where many people mistrust the official press, such rumors travel quickly and they are soon picked up by Western intelligence. The report is leaked to the West German tabloid, Bild, but the story is ignored, part ly because of the newspaper’s sensational tendencies. — February 1980: The report is picked up by two British news magazines, The Economist and Now. However, the reports are taken seriously by Washington for the first time when Tass, the Soviet news agen cy, publicly denies them as fabrications. On the theory that if Tass denies it, there must be something to it, some reporters begin asking the State Department about the germ war reports. — March 1980: The State Department’s Politico-Military Bureau, which deals with disarmament questions, among other things, puts together a statement about what it calls “disturbing evidence” of the accidental exposure of some Soviet citizens to a “biological warfare agent.” As in every project involving dozens of people, rumors begin to travel through the State Department. I hear the rumors and ask about the reports, on the unlikely chance there might be an answer. To everybody’s surprise, including mine, the spokesman, David Passage, reads a public statement confirming that the United States believes something sinis ter involving biological warfare happened near Sverdlosk in 1979. (Some suspicious reporters ask me if my question was planted by some State De partment official who wanted the news to get out. It was not. In fact, I was kicking myself for asking the question publicly. Had I known the State Department would produce some real information, I would have gotten the information pm rather than share the story with tlif: State Department reporters), 1 — March 1980: The Sovietsadmilj was an incident but they say it wad “bad food handling.” The Stated ment politely declines to accept tit claimer for reasons available iai medical manual: The anthrax outlnj Sverdlosk was pulmonary, spreadtll; the air, and not by eating or handlij fected meat, which would have beeaj fected by cooking. That is the outline of the evidence ! Soviets did, in fact, secretly viol™ 1975 agreement to ban germ w? agents, it would cast doubt on theirrei ity in adhering to other arms agreei including SALT II. And if that is so, the obvious unaasv question remains: Why did the Statfl partment, which is about to revm| SALT II treaty in the Senate, bringocf germ warfare information and a guarantee the death of the SALT to X v . Wrim Wot post on t add: thro O to A16-; for an in sity proi replace: summer Dr. C languag concuss vator o Academ The car floor, ar her heac in front conseioi Joe C tor is wc sider it; its age, i it takes He sa has beec he had elevator Over! Conw to hold 1 eight pe “we can’ Letters Carter: worthless and incompetent? not to ge the leve' Editor: As the May 3 primary approaches, I urge all Aggies to vote because this is the right given to American citizens. If we vote, we are engaging in an act which is vital to our nation’s interests. Never has there been a time when we needed strong, competent leaders like in 1980. At the present time the liberal Democrats control Congress; they overtax us, overregulate Americans, and are turn ing this country into a welfare state. The inflation and energy woes of the past year are caused by the liberals’ desire to their giveaway programs. In addition, their budget deficits are one cause of inflation, because of their desire to print up money which is worthless. In addition, the bureaucracy has become overbloated because Congress does not keep a lid on these useless agencies. Final ly, Congress needs to keep their nose out of the oil companies and let the companies discover oil. So fellow Aggies, vote for a change; vote Republican (especially Reagan). Remem ber, a vote for Carter is a vote for an incom- pentent, worthless president. Richard Leonardon The Frats are Okay Editor: The MSG Basement Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank the Inter-Fraternity Council for helping make the “Greeks or Geeks?” Talent Night our most successful amateur show to date. We were certainly impressed with your will ingness and cooperation with us in the planning and production of of the show. We have not received this from any other group we have worked with this year. Corps Night, predicted to be our most successful show, was a major disappointment due to the numerous hassles and frustrations en countered in working with the Corps of Cadets. We were pleasantly surprised, to say the least, at your attitude and support in making the show a success. Your help be fore, during, and after the show was greatly appreciated, as it considerably reduced the Basement members’ workload. Once again, we thank you, and we look forward to working with you again in the future. Steve Schulte Chairman-elect, MSC Basement sate for ( out of t with the thuscau: the floor Amur he happ Rain, rain, go away Editor: This past weekend MSC Aggie Cinema was proud to present the Academy Award winning film, “The Deer Hunter.” On Saturday night, however, several hundred people were turned away from seeing the film because 701 Rudder was frill. Let me explain the problems we are faced with when programming at the Grove. At the beginning of this semester, for example, Aggie Cinema knew that both the Auditor ium and the Theater were not avail®; show our film on Saturday, April 12 committee decided to show the nic ;: q , the Grove, which seats approximately Because of inclement weather wc' tj Ve m forced to move the film to 701, whicl’ K approximately 300. The movie quick! 1 ' out and we unfortunately had to turri-’ several hundred people. To prevent problem from affecting you in the may I suggest you buy your tickets in ance. We will not, however, than the seating capacity of our rai'L room (the backup room for Grove n4 in advance. This will guarantee you^ 1 regardless of where the film is slf Another good suggestion is to real semester movie calendar for the loci : where the film will be shown. I hope aforementioned problem does not again. Let’s also hope for better weall* the next several weeks, especially on' ' Henry fr Chairman, MSC Aggie &■ THOTZ By Doug Graham I