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p 1 , p li ! p 1 Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Thursday . January 29,1980 Lo Re As is the I I 'd *3> Slee $3.& dition alw Slouch By Jim Earle “Would you believe that I have been asked twice this semester if I would be interested in being a donor for a hair transplant?” NCAA action fights jocks’ non-educa tion By PATRICIA McCORMACK United Press International Jokes about dumb college jocks may be the latest endangered species — the result of new action by the National Collegiate Athletic Asso ciation. Jocks on campuses from coast to coast no longer will be as dumb as some in the past who allegedly attended college to play sports but seldom went to class. Their “college status” was verified, it has been charged, by “doctored” academic records. Such stuff has been the meat and potatoes of charges about athletic scandals along the acade mic trail. But delegates to the NCAA conven tion in Miami for the first time recently voted to require college athletes to complete 12 bona fide college credits each term to stay eligible for varsity sports. As a result, only genuine students will be cast as varsity sports players. The action has been described as the center- piece of new NCAA rules. Other parts of the get-tough, stay-clean NCAA rules for member institutions: — Steer schools from using grade inflation to ease impact of the requirement. The colleges and universities are required to publish stan dards for measuring progress in class. — Put college officials on the line. College presidents and chancellors are to be responsi ble for certifying that athletes on their varsity teams are academically eligible. — Forbid use by college athletes of extension and credit-by-examination courses from other schools. — Rule out athletes escaping tough policies by taking frill courses during summer at some easy school. The new rule requires athletes to get approval of academic officials from their school before taking summer courses at other colleges. — Require junior-college students with a grade point average of less than 2.0 in high school to graduate from the junior college be fore becoming eligible for varsity sports in a four-year institution. Walter Byers, executive director of the NCAA, said the rules were in response to the In a related development, this week’s “Chro nicle of Higher Education” reports on eight instructors at Los Angeles Valley College who were suspended for up to 20 days without pay for permitting student athletes to enroll in more than one class at the same time. The “Chronicle” said: “An investigation by the Los Angeles district attorney’s office showed that the grading and attendance irregularities occurred during the summer of 1979, mostly within the physical education department. “The eight instructors, whose identities were not disclosed, also will not be allowed to teach summer school this year, and the students in volved will lose credits for some of the classes. ” Among motions defeated at the NCAA con vention were these: — A motion that called for payment of $50 a month to all athletes. For “incidental ex penses. — A motion to put a lid on athletic scholar ships, paying only for student’s tuition costs. Other money to athletes would be in the form of grants and awarded strictly on the basis of need, according to the motion. Those arguing against such a policy said it is unmanageable and unfair. On another of the college sports fronts, the traditionally all-male NCAA voted to set up — for the first time — women’s championships for institutions with the largest sports programs, the “division 1” institutions. The NCAA also voted in a four-year plan to establish policies to govern both men’s and women’s sports programs. This vote brought a “power play” charge from the Association for Intercollegiate Athle tics for Women. For a long time there has been antagonism between the NCAA and the AIAW. Warped Ask hostages how they would have handled the situation By ARNOLD SAWISLAK United Press International WASHINGTON — President Reagan and his advisers sense a growing national mood for a tougher approach to terrorism. The stories of the freed Americans after MVz months of Iranian captivity have created an atmosphere of national anger and hostility to ward any reconciliation. Asked if relations with Iran would warm up. Secretary of State Alexander Haig said, “No. ” “Let terrorists be aware that when the rules of international behavior are violated, our poli cy will be one of swift and effective retribution, ” Reagan told the liberated Americans and their families. capture the imagination of Americans used to action. For Carter, the safety of the Americans came first, although had the ill-fated rescue mission been carried out, he conceded it could have cost the lives of many of the hostages. There is no inclination in the administration to be specific about what form the retaliation would take. “Studied ambiguity,” Haig de scribed it. “It’s a new firm direction,” said counsellor Edwin Meese. At what point glory may also be the question. Would the hostages have preferred bolder mea sures to speed their return. In recent weeks, some said they used the election of a much tougher Ronald Reagan to warn Iranians. Reagan also warned of a “limit” to U.S. pati ence. Certainly, Carter found that out as the weeks wore on to months. Americans who sup ported his peaceful approach became more and more restive that the United States was help less in the face of such provocation. But few international episodes are the same. If Americans were seized in the future, Reagan would be faced with the same dilemma that consumed President Jimmy Carter: Is na tional pride more important than the lives of Americans? Perhaps the freed hostage who said if he ever went back to Iran “it would be in a B-52” did In the case of the seizure of the men aboard the American intelligence ship Pueblo, it took President Lyndon Johnson nine months to se cure their release, and all of it was done with quiet diplomacy and little publicity. The hostage crisis was another story; no day passed when Americans were not reminded that some of their own were being held by fanatics. But Carter’s patience was infinite and his search for peaceful solutions continued throughout the entire process. Carter made many mistakes, and paid a heavy price for it. But he was saddled with a tradition of friendship toward the shah of that went back to 1953 when the United'!: put him on his throne. He was also burned] a U.S. policy, particularly in the Nixonyein giving the unpopular monarch a blankched order anything for his arsenal. Carter justifies his actions in the early on grounds that if he had acted precipitin he would have put in jeopardy the livesofi 40,000 other Americans in Iran who go safely. For a time, the Reagan administrationl dangling the idea that it might not honoi commitments made to Iran to win freedoi the hostages. Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C,a them a “bunch of bums” who should “w short pier.” But that lasted only a couple of days. Iti dawned on the policy makers that the nati word was involved and that there wouldno: many more such deals in the future if the ited States reneged on its pledge. And Reagan administration officials began tosa; United States would abide by the terms, In the aftermath of the “celebration oft dom,” there will be much soul Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to ash former hostages themselves to Monday ing quarterback their long ordeal and each how he would have handled it as pn dent. Seniors wo in develop policy. The ne oppostion want to be year, outfi worked fit like to see who just d But the praise and searclii thi scandals that included evidence of fraud on transcripts — such as grades for courses never attended. The NCAA, worried about image problems in an era of increasing reports of scandals, last year considered commissioning a $70,000 inde pendent probe of the problem nationwide. That never came about. ipposition Corps c The progri calls for a among the senior clas Under sophomore responsible and discip would hav watch the Di ho By MI< » Corps No one time,” fori to know tl relax. The would be dorm Anticip dor said it was] housed ii Mears, hoi the Corps If Corp spring are spring, the of about $1 Since a f which Me Housing C best match "how to in of people ii completed 's of scl porarily he throughou Yet with a Stl Resorts could be used for senior citizens Skiing business to warm up and out By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — You think you’ve got troubles, just be thankful you are not a ski resort operator. First comes the Aspen Institute for Huma nistic Studies with a report that the world is heading into a warming trend certain to caused “altered distribution of snow and ice. ” Then comes the magazine American De mographics with bad news of the type that even snow-making machines can’t alleviate. Quoth the January issue: “Skiing will soon become a declining indus try . The median age of active skiers is only 26, while the median age of the general population has already turned 30 and will reach 35.5 by the year 2000.” And by the turn of the century there will be 2.5 million fewer people in the 25-to-29 age group, it says. It remains to be seen how the ski industry will cope with these adverse conditions. But if my livelihood depended on hillside utilization, I would get in touch with Edwin Paget. Having devoted 1980 to luring infants out of the crib and into athletic competition, Paget is now bullyragging the rocking chair set. Fresh from his triumph, if that is what it was, as producer-director of the world’s first “Baby Olympics,” the retired North Carolina speech professor, who never lets anyone rest, has de vised a new physical fitness promotion called “Two Years of the Great-grandparents. ” “My plan is to inspire great-grandparents to increase their activity to the point of running up to 15 miles a day, plus swimming and stair climbing,” Paget threatens. As a reward for all this exertion, he holds out the prospect of living to be 150 years old — if climbing all those stairs doesn’t kill you first. I can’t say whether the superannuated will respond to Paget’s intimidation any more will ingly than toddlers did to last year’s “Baby Olympics.” But at least Paget, who is pushing 80, will be picking on someone closer to hiss age. In sum, he seems the ideal man to rescue! ski industry from a fate worse than Chryslt To survive the predicted demograpt changes, ski resorts obviously will need toll older people out on the slopes. Paget’s progfl for great-grandparents seems a good place start. The s around I and dee closed a This night lot sign on 2345.” The l Strar Cap! departn from thi closed. “We ; office. A that con erty.” Chim minutes Perry, 1 But si time. Wht "Hav me up i As the snow melts from the r _- climatic changes, resort owners can i steps where chair lifts once operated, should attract thousands of 150-year-old shi climbers on weekends. Maybe that sport won’t be as exciting as" giant slalom. But those “apres stair” parties* something to look forward to. The Battalion I SPS 045 360 By Scott McCullar MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congrcs! Questions or comments concerning any editorial inattetj should be directed to the editor. Editor Dillard Stone Managing Editor Angelique Copeland Asst. Managing Editor Todd Woodard City Editor Debbie Nelson Asst. City Editor Marcy Boyce News Editors Venita McCellon, Scot K. Meyer Sports Editor Richard Oliver Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Asst. Focus Editor Susan Hopkins Staff Writers Carolyn Barnes, Jane G. Brust, Terry Duran, Bernie Fette, Cindy Gee, Jon Heidtke, Belinda McCoy, Kathleen McElroy, Marjorie McLaughlin, Kathy O’Connell, Ritchie Priddy, Rick Stolle Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photo Editor Greg Gammon LETTERS POLICY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in lenftk and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial std reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but ^ make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each lettf must also be signed, show the address and phtme number of writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are n* subject to the same length constraints as letters. 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