Battalion
Serving the Texas A&M University community
Vol. 74 No. 138
10 Pages
Monday, April 20, 1981
College Station, Texas
USPS 045 360
Phone 845-2611
The Weather
Today
Tomorrow
High
85 High
86
Low
66
Chan ce ofrain.
20% Chance of rain. . . .
. . . 20%
"Bill would put student
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By DENISE RICHTER
Battalion Staff
Student representation on the University of Texas Board of
,egents may be as close as House Bill 459, a bill currently up
fore the Texas Legislature that would establish a student
position on the board.
But, student representation on the Texas A&M University
System Board of Regents is still only a topic of debate. The
Texas A&M Student Government brings up the issue each
year but, in spite of its bills and resolutions, seems to make no
Irogress.
Part of this stalemate is a result of the legislative process
that would have to occur. Before a student could become a
ting member of the board, he or she would have to be
appointed by the governor and have this appointment
approved by the state Legislature.
|| Currently, no students serve as voting members on the
board of regents of any public institution in Texas.
It is possible for a student to become a regent but, it
pears, not very likely. The main obstacle to having a stu-
ent on the board seems to be the way the current regents feel
about the issue.
“I don’t think it would be wise,” Chairman H.R. “Bum
Bright of Dallas said in a telephone interview. “A student
would not have enough experience or judgment to make a
contribution to the business of running the University. ”
I Other regents agree.
p I don’t think it would serve a real purpose,” Vice Chair-
|man]ohnR. BlockerSr. ofHouston said. “I don’t believe they
(students) have a place there (on the board). ’’
Regent Joe Richardson of Amarillo said: “Regents have to
be appointed by the governor and ... most who have been
appointed have been over 50 years old. They don’t have to be
this old but most have been. Of course, we do have the
student body president sit in on all meetings but I feel it is
oubtful that a student will ever serve on the board.’
The student body president — and any other student who
ants to — may observe any public sessions of the regents,
tudents who attend Board meetings may not speak unless
ignized by the chairman, they have no vote and they
annot sit in on closed sessions.
Regents H.C. Bell Jr. of Austin and Royce E. Wisenbaker
bf Tyler declined to comment on the issue.
)
0
Regents Clyde Wells of Granbury, William McKenzie of
Dallas, Norman N. Moser of DeKalb and Dr. John B. Cole
man of Houston were unavailable for comment.
Although most regents feel that a student has no place on
the board, 1980-81 Student Body President Brad Smith dis
agrees.
“There is a lack of communication at all levels,” Smith said.
“They (the regents) don’t spend enough time here to see
everything they need to see in order to make the best deci
sion. All communication from students has to be channeled
up to them. Doing away with these channels could only be
helpful.
“As students, we re at the bottom of the ladder. To
approach the board, you have to go through the faculty, the
vice presidents, the president and the chancellor. As consum
ers of University services, students should have a direct
voice.
“Any decision made (by the board) could be made better if
all views were included in the decision. That includes the
student viewpoint. It shouldn’t take precedence over all
others but it should be heard.”
Whether a student representative to the Board would be a
voting or non-voting member is not important. Smith said.
“We’re only looking for a way to improve communication, ”
he said.
“The regents don’t have a totally accurate view of what
students are like, ” Smith said. “They have been influenced by
actions in the past, the way students approached them
through irrational means. But, students’ dealings with the
administration on all levels is different than what it used to be.
We re not pushing for something irrational but for comprom
ise. Much research goes into our approach — we listen as well
as talk.”
The current Board has continued a trend that emphasizes
services and extension at the expense of academics, Smith
said.
“The Board can see more readily the benefits that would
come from services or extension,” he said. “This is inherent in
the make-up of any board. But, in three meetings that I
attended, the word student was never mentioned. Every new
program was justified as to how it would affect taxpayers. A
student on the Board would at least be able to counteract
that.”
Names being accepted
for new campus buildings
Hang ten!
Staff photo by Chuck Chapman
ig
ig
981
By DENISE RICHTER
Battalion Staff
Nominations for names for Texas
A&M’s four newest buildings are being
Accepted by Dr. John Koldus, vice pres
ident for student services.
I Koldus is accepting nominations for
the two modular dormitories, the clinic
al science building for the College of
Veterinary Medicine and the Academic
id Agency Building through Wednes-
lay. His office is in the YMCA Building.
Department vice presidents have
en asked for recommendations for
lames for the new buildings. Their
ihoices will then be forwarded to Dr.
lharles Samson, acting president of
Texas A&M.
The names are then given to the
:hancellor and to a subcommittee of the
ioard of Regents.
This subcommittee is responsible for
loosing the names that are submitted
to the entire Board for approval. Mem
bers are Chairman William McKenzie,
Dr. John Coleman and Joe Richardson.
Buildings are named for people who
have made significant contributions in
some form or other to Texas A&M, Kol
dus said.
“Significance can be defined in a
number of different ways,” he said. “It’s
not necessarily a financial contribution,
a building could be named for a depart
ment head or an administrator who has
done a great deal for a particular
program.”
However, most of the people who
have had buildings named after them
had made a “tremendous contribution”
to the University, Koldus said.
“Most were Aggies who made a
tremendous amount of money after they
got out of college, then gave to the Uni
versity through scholarships and other
financial contributions,” he said. “A lot
of these people majored in energy-
related fields and made their money
from oil and natural gas. They’ve repaid
many times over the education that the
University provided them with.”
For example, Dunn Hall was named
for J. Harold Dunn, an Amarillo busi
nessman who made significant financial
contributions to the University, Koldus
said.
Zachry Engineering Center was
named for H.B. Zachry. His construc
tion firm has done much for Texas
A&M, both financially and otherwise,
he said.
The A.P. Beutel Health Center was
named for Dr. A. P. Beutel who served
on the Texas A&M System Board of
Regents. Because of a position he held
with a chemical company, the Universi
ty still receives $5,000 worth of medi
cinal drugs a year, Koldus said.
“A building is not named for some
one as a way of getting something from
that person,” Koldus said. “They’ve
already given a tremendous amount to
the University. A building is named for
them as a way of honoring them.”
Progressive body tanning is the “in” thing at frig out of Dorm 10 Sunday afternoon catching
Texas A&M this spring, as people strive for the some rays; the rest of his (or her?) body was
ultimate tan. This pair of feet were spotted hang- excluded from the welcome afternoon sunshine.
New Yorkers go on annual
Fifth Avenue Easter stroll
United Press International
Easter festivities brought out tradi
tional worshippers and those marching
to a different drummer as New Yorkers
gathered for their annual stroll down
Fifth Avenue.
In Washington, officials made prepa
rations for the century-old annual Eas
ter Egg Roll today on the South Lawn of
the White House.
A spokesman said “there’s a chance”
that President Reagan, still recuperat
ing from a bullet wound, will make his
first public appearance at a function
since the March 30 assassination
attempt, joining Big Bird, Bugs Bunny
and other superstars in delighting fix
ture voters.
At an outdoor service Sunday in Illi
nois, church-goers welcomed rain, and
the hardy faithful toted skis to a sunrise
service on a Colorado mountain.
The holiday that usually sparks the
true onset of springtime brought New
Yorkers out for the annual Easter Para
de down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.
Children along the street nibbled at
their chocolate bunnies and watched
paraders clad in outfits ranging from the
sublime to the ridiculous strut down the
wide boulevard.
A police officer, who declined to re- .
veal his name, said he was a veteran of
many parades and added it was just
another chance “for all the screwballs to
come out.”
American Athiest leader Madalyn
Murray O’Hair, in Salt Lake City to
preside over the 11th annual conven
tion of the national American Athiests
organization, presented a counterpoint
to Easter festivities.
She described Jesus Christ as a “su
perfraud” and scorned the famed
Shroud of Turin, which many believe
was Christ’s burial wrapping.
In Chicago, about 1,000 elderly peo
ple enjoyed their Easter Day menu of
ham, sweet potatoes, vegetables and
champagne as guests of the Little
Brothers of the Poor, a charity organiza
tion. Meals were also delivered to about
150 elderly shut-ins.
In Southern Illinois, about 3,500
faithful weathered steady rain to attend
the 45th annual Easter sunrise service
atop Bald Knob Mountain beneath the
111-foot “Cross of Peace.”
Muster ceremony "symbol of Aggie loyalty and spirit
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By SHARON D. RENFROW
Battalion Reporter
Aggies old and new will gather Tues
day night to pay their respect to stu
dents and former students who have
passed away.
The gathering will take place in G.
Rollie White Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. and
marks the 78th annual Texas A&M Uni
versity Muster. Besides the traditional
roll call, the ceremony will include a
speaker to present the history of Texas
A&M and Muster, a special candlelight
service for the deceased and the Ross
Volunteers’ 21-gun salute.
“The Muster is a ceremony held on
April 21 to commemorate fellow Aggies
who have died during the year,” Tad
Jarrett, chairman of Muster, said. “It
has come to be a symbol of the Aggies
loyalty and spirit.”
The evening will begin at 5 p. m. with
a fellowship barbeque at the park adja
cent to the coliseum. This is the first
time we have planned a barbeque be
fore Muster, Jarrett said.
During the ceremony, Frederick
McClure will give a speech on the his
tory and significance of Muster.
McClure, Class of’76, is now a senior at
Baylor University School of Law and the
president of the Baylor Student Bar
Association. While at Texas A&M,
McClure was the student body presi
dent.
The roll call will be accompanied by a
candlelight service. As the names of the
deceased are called out one-by-one and
are accounted for by a “Here” from a
fellow Aggie, a candle will be lit. A total
of50 candles will be lit representing 27
students and 23 former students from
Brazos County. This is only the second
year candles have been added to the
service.
A 21-gun salute by the Ross Volun
teers and the playing of the Silver Taps
will end the evening.
Muster is a tradition held by Aggies
all over the world for over 78 years.
Author John Adams, Class of ’73,
found that Muster was first held in 1883,
not the recognized 1903, while resear
ching for his book “Centennial History
of The Association of Former Students
of Texas A&M University.”
Aggies met on June 26, 1883 to live
over again their college days, the victor
ies and defeats won and lost upon drill
grounds and classroom, Adams said in
his book. “These early meetings were
usually parties and banquets held dur
ing the annual commencement activi
ties,” he wrote.
In the early 1900s, a Track and Field
Day, similar to intramurals, was held
every April 21 on the campus, Adams
said in his book. When the events were
called off in 1903, a determined student
body of 300 marched to the home of
President David F. Houston to insist
upon some observance of the anniver
sary of the battle that won Texas’ inde
pendence, he wrote.
April 21 is the day Sam Houston and
his small army of volunteers defeated
Santa Ana’s troop at San Jacinto giving
Texas its independence in 1836.
Since then, Muster has been held
faithfully wherever Aggies gather. Dur
ing World War I, Aggies met in foxholes
all over Europe and at army posts in the
United States.
Robert Ingram, now a graduate business student, prepares to lead the Aggies who have died the preceding year, then stands at attention as
21-man Ross Volunteer firing squad out of the 1980 Muster ceremony in Aggie Band buglers play Silver Taps. This year’s ceremony will start at
G. Rollie White Coliseum. The firing squad fires a three-volley salute to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Coliseum.