Viewpoint
i
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Thursday
February 5, 1981
Slouch
By Jim Earle
\0 A*
It s that time of the year when we need to get more sun.
Freshmen consider
children important
By PATRICIA McCORMACK
United Press International
Raising a family rates as an important life
goal for 63.1 percent of current college fresh
men, says a report on the 15th annual “Amer
ican Freshman” survey conducted by the
American Council on Education and the Uni
versity of Southern California at Los Angeles.
Another goal receiving a high lifetime prior
ity with the crowd entering college last Septem
ber is “becoming an authority in my field.”
Seventy-three percent said so by checking that
option on a list that was part of the survey taken
by questionnaire.
The freshmen also gave their views on sub
jects ranging from the biggest domestic prob
lem (80 percent said inflation) and sex (47.9
percent approve it if people like each other) to
legalization of marijuana (39.3 percent said
yes) and drafting women (53.7 percent yes). \
Nearly 300,000 completed the questionnaire
and were described as a sample of students at
540 two-year and four-year colleges and univer
sities.
Of these, 187,124 questionnaires from 355
insitutions were used to compute national
norms. Survey oflficals said these were adjusted
to represent the nation’s total of about 1.7 mil
lion full-time freshmen this academic year.
On a catch-all list of statements about those
and other matters students were asked to indi
cate that they “agree slightly or somewhat.”
That is how views were elicited.
Here is a sampling of what percentage agreed
slightly or somewhat with the following state
ments on the survey questionnaire:
— The government isn’t protecting consum
ers, 75.2 percent; government not controlling
pollution, 79.8 percent; too many rights for cri
minals, 65.9 pet; not obey laws against own
views, 32.3 pet; should abolish death penalty,
32.3 percent.
— Need national health care plan, 58.1 pet;
energy shortage caused depression, 87.3 per
cent; abortion should be legalized, 53.6 per
cent; grading in high school is too easy, 59.7
pet; women’s activities best in home, 26.6 pet;
live together before marriage, 43.4 percent;
discourage large families, 44.8 percent.
— Wealthy should pay more taxes, 70.3 per
cent; women should get job equality, 93.3 per
cent; prohibit homosexual relations, 48.9 per
cent; students help evaluate faculty, 71.1 per
cent; regulate student publications, 41.2 per
cent; college has right to ban speaker, 26.1
percent.
Among their personal objectives, after giving
Warped
Speculation, hopes rampant
as Regents meet this week
Observers of System politics — and other
interested parties — were asking three major
questions prior to this week’s Board of Regents
meeting:
— Would Clyde Wells seek another term as
chairman of the Board?
— Who, other than Wells, could conceiv
ably become the chairman?
— What might the implications of the first
two questions be for the System’s future?
That Clyde Wells would not be the chairman
of the Board of Regents for a seventh term was
assumed by many and hoped for by even more.
The surprise came Tuesday when Wells re
moved himself from consideration for the job.
Most observers had envisioned a struggle for
the chairmanship, with one or more regents
challenging Wells for the job.
Sidebars
By Dillard Stone
With Question #1 out of the way, the area of
focus narrows considerably, for a change in
Board leadership will be coming — and, as a
corollary to that, a change in System direction
could be in the works.
Item: Gov. Bill Clements reportedly was
very upset that Wells and his fellow regents
dismissed Dr. Jarvis Miller as University presi
dent.
Item: H.R. “Bum” Bright is not only a big
wheel in Texas business, he’s a prominent for
mer stucjpnt and close friend of Clements.
Item: It’s not inconceivable — and not yet
denied, either — that Clements spoke with
Wells about the latter’s pursuit of a seventh
term as chairman.
Item: It’s also reported that Clements has
contacted several regents, soliciting support for
Bright as Board chairman.
Item: The names of now-regents Bright, Joe
Richardson and William McKenzie were those
submitted by the Association of Former Stu
dents to the governor as recommendations for
the three regent slots.
Item: Several prominent former students
have indicated the Association of Former Stu
dents is counting heavily on Bright to run for
the chairmanship.
If these observers haven’t allowed their hope
for Bum Bright as chairman to obscure their
evaluation of the facts, there’s every possibility
that Bright will be Wells’ successor.
The only other current regent who could
wind up as chairman is John Blocker of Hous
ton; Clements’ other appointees are unknown
quantities.
That’s all that can be deduced about
tion #2.
Question #3 provides the opportunityfoi
most conjecture: Where will the System
under a new Board chairman?
It’s an exceedingly difficult question to
culate abo 4, for Bright has been hesita
discuss his ambitions as a regent and his
tions on System affairs.
It’s a safe bet that the former studentswi
like for Bright to be chairman because they!
he would be more receptive to their foi
ing report which evaluates the System
nization. That report, to be released
association sometime early this year, is
pected to review the System’s organ!
favorably. The report’s ultimate objective:
present a comprehensive set of argument!
the regents, designed to strongly encoi
them to change the System organization
something more closely resembling
form.
tM
Since Chancellor Frank W.R. Hubert!
thored the reorganization, some are sp
ing that the repudiation of the man’s]
be tantamount to the repudiation of then
himself.
Whatever the outcome, it will certainly^
sent a different picture than the one paintei
July.
high priorities to raising a family and becoming
an authority in their fields, students considered
the following also essential or very important:
— Being well off financially, 63.3 pet; help
ing others in difficulty, 64.7 percent; develop
ing a philosophy of life, 50.4 percent; keeping
up with political affairs, 40.0 percent; promot
ing racial understanding, 33.1 percent.
On career matters, the survey showed more
young college women than ever are aiming for
traditionally male careers. Among them, more
than one in four, 27.2 percent, is planning a
career in business, engineering, law or medi-
That figure is more than a 400 percent in
crease since 1966.
The trend was accompanied by changes in
students’ attitudes toward the role of women.
For example, the notion that “women should
receive the same salary and opportunities for
advancement as men in comparable positions”
is supported by more men and women than
ever before — 93.3 percent, up from 81.3 per
cent a decade ago.
“These trends,” said UCLA Prof. Alexander
W. Astin, director of the survey, “no doubt
reflect the continuing influence of the women’s
movement on the attitudes and aspirations of
the young people.
“As far as political labeling is concerned,”
Astin said, “students continue to move from left
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Some 60 percent — highest in the history of
the survey, now call themselves “middle-of-
the-road.” Liberals and far left students con
tinue to decline, from 24.5 pet. last year to
21.7 percent this year. The number of conser
vatives and far right students, meanwhile, in
creased slightly, from 17.5 percent to 18.3
percent.
“These trends show that political labels can
be misleading,” Astin said, “since the decline in
students who call themselves liberals has been
accompanied by both liberal and conservative
trends in student views about specific issues.
“At the same time, student support for such
liberal causes as equal rights for women and
busing is at an all-time high.”
This year’s freshmen class distinguished itself
by borrowing more than any previous entering
class.
The report said about one in five, 20.9 per
cent, now has a federally guaranteed student
loan.
This is up from 13.2 percent over 1979 and a
100 percent increase over 1978 when the com
parable figure was 10.4 percent.
Arm-twisting easier than bargaining
Editor:
Jon Davis’ Reader’s Forum (The Battalion,
Jan. 27) raised some interesting questions about
American foreign policy. I answered most of
them in my article “Base foreign policy on neut
rality, trade” (The Battalion, Nov. 5, 1980). In
that article, I explained that the American gov
ernment does not seek to promote freedom in
other countries, but has instead supported
“pro-Western” dictators all over the world. The
Shah is, of course, one example.
deliver any oil. On the other hand, if the coun
try is ruled by a dictator who is dependent on
you for money and military weapons, you can
tell him, “Deliver or else.” The principle is just
this: It’s easier to twist an arm than to bargain
with free men.
Tell Maurice’s story
What I did not explain in that article is why
the U.S. government pursues such a policy.
The reason is simple enough. Suppose you’re
the president of the United States and you (for
whatever reason) would like 100,000 barrels of
oil from a certain Middle Eastern country. If
that country is relatively free, you will have to
bargain with their oil companies, go through
their legal channels, etc. The upshot is that
there is no guarantee that you will get them to
Let me emphasize that this process is biparti
san. Conservatives like to bribe these dictators
with weapons while liberals do it with “foreign
aid. ” The result is a foreign policy which is great
for the U.S. government, costly for American
taxpayers, and ruinously oppressive to the
citizens of Third World countries.
Thomas L. George, Jr.
Editor:
In light of the recent removal of Maim
McDaniel from this Texas A&M baskel
team, I believe that in order to provide 1
objective view of the situation, his point of'' 1 '
should be investigated and reported object! 1
ly. In this way, both sides will be clearly uni
stood. This letter is not intended to discr?
Coach Shelby Metcalf or The Battalion sf
but to allow the student body a complete ui
standing of the situation.
William M, $
Ai
By Scott McCullar
AH, 1 SEE IT'S RAINED
today; looks like with
WITH A GOOD WIND
^EHINP IT TOO? y
WAIT A niNOTE, rOU CANT
KNOW THAT, WE'VE BEEN
IN THE LIBRARY ALL DAY
AND YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED
OUT OF ANY WINDOWS...
THERE AREN'T
PUDDLES AROUND
THERE ISN'T A
IN THE SKY . WHAT
WAKES you TffWK IT'S
(RAINED ?
ELEMENTARY
MY DEAR WATSON...
The Battalion
I SPS 045 360
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congres
Questions or comments concerning any editorial maW
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,
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Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff
Asst. Focus Editor Susan Hopkins
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Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and art»'''
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Feed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, P
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