Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Monday
March 30, 1981
Slouch
B y Jim Earle Limitations from outside.
msi
‘Could this be right? Harold Stassen for Class Secretary?’
The personality profile of a good univer
sity president might read something like
this:
“Intelligent; a good administrator; able
to get along with people from all classes
well; dedicated to excellence in education,
research and extension; able to understand
the demands of the institution and adapt
plans to meet those needs; charismatic;
cares for students. ”
One often-overlooked characteristic
which deserves mention is the person’s
roots — that is, where he’s been to school
and where he has prior administrative ex
perience.
At a school as conservative and tradition-
oriented as Texas A&M, the president’s
roots are doubly important. Conservatism
and tradition have made this school what it
is; unfortunately, they might also keep it
from becoming what it could be.
The opposition to change which so char
acterizes conservatism is also in many cases
a blind resistance to progress. Progress is a
word which foreshadows Texas A&M’s out
look into the 1980s, just as tradition has
characterized the school for 104 years. The
two characteristics are on a collision course
with destiny.
It’s going to take a great man to guide the
University through the labor pains which
are striking with increased frequency as the
birth of a truly great University approaches.
Sidebars
By Dillard Stone
That man will come either from within the
University and its System, or from without.
A president from the inside is an idea
supported by some former students and
powers-that-be. The advantages are ob
vious: Someone with the already-present
political and educational contacts will have
an enormous advantage in getting the dor
mant University rolling again.
Also, a “Mr. Inside’’ will be well ac
quainted with the University, the type of
students it attracts, and feasible ideas and
how to turn those ideas into reality.
Ironically, it’s those same advantages
which point up Mr. Outside’s attributes.
The Mr. Inside argument is vulnerable to
the same arguments as a ban on incest: Too
much breeding from the same gene pool is
bad for the species.
A Mr. Outside would bring in a different
perspective from another university. He’s
not going to suffer from the same precon
ceptions and altitudinal limitations that a
Mr Inside would have. And Mr
could have problems adjusting t
working relationships with
whereas Mr. Outside would be able
off on a new footing with all concemi
That the Mr. Inside-Mr. Outside^
shouldn ’t be the major criterionind
a new Texas A&M president should
dent by looking at two of Texas ABhj
three — and best — presidents.
Earl Rudder, Class of 1932, wasij
Inside who broke with tradition. Ui
administration, women were
Corps became optional, the Collegi
came a University and the ground*
the expansion of the 1970s was laid
is generally acknowledged as the
of the modern University.
The Mr. Outside examplecameii
ately after Rudder. Under Dr. Jackli
liams, the University continued ti:
ernize and grow. The tradition-shi
decisions of the Rudder years were
over as Aggies determined to keep
er conservatism was left amid the s«
that progressivism had brought.
The new president’s roots wont
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By BRUCE NICHOLS
United Press International
HOUSTON — Upstart Texas Interna
tional Airlines, having bought enough stock
to control Continental Airlines and attain
long-sought trunk carrier status, now waits
for clearance from federal regulators and
the courts to exercise that control.
TIA, since its takeover bid began several
months ago, has advanced from victory to
victory in the stock marketplace, before the
Civil Aeronautics Board and in’the courts.
However, hurdles remain, and Con
tinental, which had hoped for merger with
Western Airlines, is still opposing TIA at
every turn.
Civil Aeronautics Board Administrative
Judge William A. Kane Jr. has scheduled
what is expected to be a week-long hearing
on the TIA takeover bid in Washington May
18. Kane has said he expects to make his
recommendation by July 15 on whether the
full CAB should approve.
The CAB then would make its own re
commendation to President Reagan — who
must approve because international routes
are involved — by Aug. 31. He then would
make his decision by Oct. 30. Assuming
approval, TIA then would begin facing the
problems of combining small TIA with the
nation’s 10th largest airline.
The odds for CAB approval appear to
favor TIA, given the current deregulatory
climate. Interim CAB decisions — author
izing TIA to buy 48.5 percent of Continen
tal, place those shares in a voting trust and if
necessary vote those shares against the
ContinentalWestern merger — have fa
vored TIA.
Additional hurdles are in the courts,
where Continental contends TIA has
violated various regulatory laws in its
takeover bid. Continental lost bids for tem
porary court orders blocking TIA but still
the small
has suits pending in Nevada and California.
The California suit is scheduled for trial in
Los Angeles June 16. The Nevada case is
not yet scheduled.
TIA would prefer to negotiate a settle
ment with Continental. TIA President
Frank Lorenzo on .March 13 wrote Con
tinental-President Al Feldman “to express
the hope that we niay have fruitful discus
sions toward the objective of amalgamating
Continental and Texas International Air
lines.”
Unions of both airlines, concerned that
TIA hopes not to include ironclad employee
protection provisions in its TIA-
Continental merger plan, joined the CAB
case against TIA; In the Feldman letter,
Lorenzo tried to allay fears, promising to
“protect the most valuable resources of our
two companies — our employees.”
Feldman so far has not responded, and
Continental spokesman Julian Levine said
“there essentially is no change in the posi
tion” favoring the Western merger, oppos
ing TIA takeover and resisting voluntary
negotiations for TIA merger. The struggle
has settled into a lull.
In TIA’s 1979 National Airlines takeover
bid, which TIA lost to Pan American Air
lines, TIA lost the war but turned a stun
ning $35 million profit in selling its National
stock to Pan Am at a premium. TIA, which
expects to win its merger bid, appears to be
in a loss position on the stock this time
around.
Before mid-February, TIA bought 9.5
percent of Continental’s 15.3 million shares
for $8 or $9 a share. However, under its
Feb. 13 tender offer, TIA paid a premium
$13 a share for the other 39 percent it owns.
Continental closed Friday at 10y4 —
$2.25 a share less than TIA paid. If TIA had
sold its 7.5 million shares of Continental
stock at the market price Friday, it would
have lost about $10 million.
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>1981 King Features Syndicate. Inc World rights reserved
O
Editor:
I think the article on Hotard renovations
covered our feelings about the rent in
creases very well. We are happy here with
things just the way they are now. But I have
something to say about a statement made
by Area Coordinator Tom Murray. He said
that he felt the renovations are best for
everybody concerned and, “We’re trying to
think about the future and new people com
ing in to the dorms who want air condition
ing.” If the area coordinator and others
were really interested in what is “best for
everybody concerned,” then they might
consider asking those who are affected.
We are told that we will be graduating
before long and others will be living here,
but we have to live with the improvements
and sky-high rent until then. As for the
future and those new people coming into
the dorm who want air conditioning, there
are more dorms than you could ask for with
air conditioning now. What about those
who wish to have lower rent for less lux
uries? Ninety percent of us here do.
We are told we can move to a ramp-style
think the University will always be able to
find 120 people out of 33,000-plus who
would prefer no air conditioning and a
Corps-style dorm.
Those few of us who can afford to go to
school next semester will look back and say:
“How I loved Hotard, with all her rooms
open to catch a breeze. The musical hum of
the fans in the windows sucking in cool air.
The great open atmosphere it offered. We
learned to share here. With our phone in
the hall, we knew there was always some
one around to take a message for you if you
were gone. Everyone got to know each
other’s friends and families. And we were
thankful, and often told each other, that we
had this opportunity to live this way here.
There was a time when we depended on
each other like a big family. People cared
for and took interest in the others.”
It looks like the final death blow will
come to Hotard soon. Yes, when a . > r f e '
breed of students of the future who trafficaccich
money and need air conditioning 4 holidays tha
living in our home. Where will wego’I
don’t know. j . Glenn V
But one thing I do know —witht fr es h ma n e
conditioning and 120 percent rent- w aj0I i Y 01 }
things will change. The open door; a ^ nageni
close to keep the cool in. The phoi* Crosby, die
once shared will no longer be neei man e le C tri<
There will be isolation as the need tf! Don Lee M
pend on an open door to keep the air> was killed >
going and to take messages for each 4
will begone. There will be a strange a 5 , Y er
such as is found in the Commons haM e I 5ri
or on the ramp — a strange kind of«
ness. No one will even know his neiM
And she will be but a gutted sW :
memorial to the way things used to 1
Alas, another A&M tradition, The Hd|
Tradition, will be no more.
Mark A.
dorm? Well, we like it here just fine.
Hotard is our home. Ours is the only unair-
conditioned Corps-style dorm on campus. I
Warped
By Scott McCullar
The Battalion
MEMBER
ISPS 045 460
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Dillard Stone
Managing Editor Angelique Copeland
Asst. Managing Editor Todd Woodard
City Editor Debbie Nelson
Asst. City Editor Marcy Boyce
Photo Editor Greg Gammon
Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy
Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff
Asst. Focus Editor Susan Hopkins
News Editors . Venita McCellon,
Scot K. Meyer
Staff Writers Carolyn Barnes,
Jane G. Brust, Terry Duran, Bernie Fette,
Cindy Gee, Phyllis Henderson,
Kathleen McElroy, Belinda McCoy,
Kathy O’Connell, Richard Oliver,
Denise Richter, Rick Stolle
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Photographers Chuck Chapman
Brian Tate
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