The Battalion
Serving the Texas A&M University community
Vol. 74 No. 147 Friday, May 1, 1981 USPS 045 360
10 Pages College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611
The Weather
Today
Tomorrow
High
80 High
78
Low
65 Low
66
Chance of rain
30% Chance of rain. . . .
. . . 20%
Safety awareness programs recommended
This is the second of a two-part Battalion series on the report
of the residence hall security task force to the Texas A&M
lUniversity director of student affairs.
By JANE G. BRUST
Battalion StafT
While students at Texas A&M University may consider
their rural community campus a safe place, this may be a false
sense of security.
Student awareness of campus security problems is a major
concern of the Texas A&M task force on residence hall
security.
The task force report on residence hall security, including
recommendations, has been passed on to Ron Blatchley,
director of student affairs. Ron Sasse, associate director of
student affairs, said he and Blatchley will review the commit
tee’s recommendations over the summer to decide which, if
any, new policies or programs will be implemented for the
fall.
Glenn Ferris, supervisor of housing operations, chaired the
committee comprising five student affairs professionals, three
head residents and one student representative of the Resi
dence Hall Association.
Surveys were given to 500 men and 500 women who live on
campus, as well as to personnel at other universities to learn
how they handle on- campus security. The report contains
survey results and committee recommendations based on the
reponses from 78 women and 270 men.
The 78 responses from women represent a very small sam
pling, roughly two percent, of the 3,453 women currently
living on campus.
Of responses from the 78 women, a large majority do not (
feel campus security problems are accurately reported to
students. A similar majority said they would attend a program
concerning security awareness.
The task force committee recommends that the responsi
bility of security awareness programs be placed under the
new position of supervisor of housing programs and that
residence hall security awareness programs be provided
through Residence Hall Association and dorm council activi
ties.
Ferris said the task force would like to see residence halls
present informative programs on topics such as rape preven
tion and handling and reporting obscene phone calls.
Task force recommendations to the department of student
affairs, regarding personal security on campus include:
— improved security awareness programs for on-campus
residents
— improved communications and increased publicity be
tween University police and students
— consideration of peephole installation in room doors of
women’s residence halls
— investigation of roving security guards on campus
— increased University police surveillance of parking lots
at night.
Much of the women’s concern is for parking lot security,
particularly when female students walk through parking lots
alone at night, Ferris said.
Of the 78 responses from women, a vast majority do not feel
safe in the parking lot areas. More than half walk alone on
campus at night, and a majority does not carry any type of
repellant to use against potential attackers.
A majority of the women say they would not call an escort
service if one were available.
University police have provided evening escort services for
women for several years, said Police Chief John R. McDo
nald. “They (women) take an unnecessary risk walking alone
at night,” he said.
McDonald said police do not usually escort groups of three
or more women but would definitely escort a woman walking
alone. He said the department has some “regular customers,”
women who work late at night, for example, and come back to
campus late at night.
Ferris said 29 schools responded to the survey for colleges
and universities comparable to Texas A&M. Sixteen of those
29 schools have volunteer escort services with male students,
he said. Two of those schools have paid escorts.
Personal security inside the women’s residence halls is
another task force concern, although almost all of the 78
women say they feel safe in their rooms at night.
“There are never really major problems — there’s enough
people around (in the residence halls),’’ Ferris said, “but
there’s no way to keep people out after visitation.”
Outside doors to corridor-style residence halls are usually
locked by residence hall staff at night, but residents often
prop doors open or they fail to secure the door after it has been
locked. Slightly more than half of the women and a majority of
the men responding said outside entrances should not be
locked.
McDonald said police receive 15-30 calls each month from
women reporting men in residence halls after visitation
hours. “We don’t care how many calls we get of suspicious
behavior in dorms, if they (women) will report it, ” he said.
Ferris said security problems are definitely not to the point
of requiring police patrols inside the halls.
However, the committee has recommended consideration
of peephole installation in the doors of corridor-style resi
dence halls. Three-fourths of the 78 women said peepholes
should be installed.
Nine out of 29 schools said they have peepholes in the room
doors in women’s residence halls.
Aggie spirit
to be taught
at West Point
By KATHY O’CONNELL
Battalion Staff
The spirit of Aggieland may not be
universal, but an officer at West Point
Military Academy hopes it might be
spread a little further.
Maj. Michael J. McKean, a 1971 gra
duate from Texas A&M University said,
he would like head yell leader Mike
Thatcher to talk to yell leaders at West
Point to exchange ideas on how to prom- ’
ote spirit at the military academy.
McKean, who is the adviser for the
yell leaders at West Point, said they
have had some trouble boosting spirit at
sports events.
West Point is similar to Texas A&M
in that they are strictly a military school;
however, it seems that’s where the simi
larity ends. McKean said West Point
has 12 male yell leaders and a 12-
member female dance team. He said
they also have three cadets who ride
army mules.
Unlike Texas A&M, the cadets try
out for the positions of “Rabble Rous-
ers” instead of being elected.
West Point even has something like
Texas A&M sTwelth Man tradition, but
he was quick to point out that Texas
A&M started the tradition first.
McKean is unsure when the tradition
at West Point began, but he is sure that
Texas A&M’s tradition is based on fact.
Thated them (West Point) for that,” he
said jokingly.
The idea behind the tradition at West
Point is basically the same as at Texas
A&M — giving unmitigated support to
their team, he said.
The Twelth Man tradition at Texas
A&M began in 1922 at the Dixie Classic
Football game when King Gill, a basket
ball player, came down from the stands
and stood ready to enter the game if
Coach Dana X. Bible needed him to
play for an injured comrade.
McKean said he would like Thatcher
logo to West Point sometime in August
and stay in the barracks with the cadets.
He said this might give Thatcher “a
feel” for what it’s like at West Point.
Thatcher said he would suggest the
yell leaders coordinate more yells with
the cadets. He said he’s not sure what is
causing the apathy, but he would sug
gest they look at freshman orientation
programs.
“The freshman class are the back
bone of spirit at A&M,” he said. “May
be they should have better orientation
programs.”
A way to beat the heat
Photo by Betty Ann Reid
Garbage cans and cutoffs were the uniform of the day for these took on the rest of the Corps in a good old-fashioned water fight that
Corps members after dinner Wednesday. Members of the band helped cool the recent high temperatures in the area.
President
thanks young
well-wisher
United Press International
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. —
President Reagan thanked an 8-year-old
well-wisher for giving him the best lines
of a recent speech and apologized for
any inconvenience caused by the mas
sive media attention that resulted.
Peter Sweeney took a call from the
president just after 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Reagan thanked him for his letter and
the laughs he received reading it to
Congress in a televised speech Tuesday
night.
When the call came, the boy was
home with his mother watching televi
sion after a busy day of talking to repor
ters about his letter, which urged
Reagan to “get well quick or you might
have to make a speech in your pajamas. ”
Peter Sr., a sergeant with the public
information division of the New York
City Police Department, said Thursday
Reagan told his son “he was sorry he had
turned Peter’s world upside down by
using the letter.”
drills held in residence halls
First fire
By CATHIE FEIGHL
Battalion Reporter
The first fire drills on the Texas A&M University
campus were held in two residence halls Wednes
day and Thursday.
Mosher Hall held a drill Thursday at 7 p. m. and
Davis-Gary held a drill Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
An increased concern this semester about fire
safety and evacuation in the dorms prompted the
Department of Student Affairs to request each
housing area plan and conduct a fire drill in one
dorm from their area. In an earlier Battalion inter
view, Dr. John J. Koldus, vice-president for stu
dent services, said the recent major hotel fires and
fires on the Texas Christian University campus
this spring, made the department more conscious
of fire dangers in campus buildings.
Ron Sasse, associate director of student affairs,
said earlier this semester that it is necessary to
re-evaluate the fire warning systems, and that a
test run in each area would be a good way.
He said by watching what happens in the three
dorms, a plan could be made for all the dorms next
fall.
Susie Vanacek, head resident of Mosher, said
the fire drill was unannounced, but that residents
were told two weeks ago that a drill would be held
some time this week. Mosher’s ten resident advi
sors knew when the drill would occur and helped
coordinate evacuation procedures.
Vanacek said that during the past two weeks,
the resident advisors have reviewed evacuation
procedures with residents and have posted signs
about what should be done during a drill.
“Once it becomes standard policy to have fire
drills, and everyone knows what they are sup
posed to do, no prior warnings would be neces
sary,” she said.
Harry Stitler, of the University Health and Safe
ty Office set off the fire alarm, which rings
throughout the building. About half of Mosher’s
674 residents were in the dorm at the time of the
drill and were evacuated within three to five mi
nutes, Vanacek said.
“The drills are primarily to see that students
know what the alarm sounds like and where to go,”
Stitler said.
After the alarm sounded, the two resident advi
sors on each floor went door-to-door telling resi
dents to evacuate immediately. During the eva
cuation, two residents on each floor were asked to
stand near the exits and direct people out of the
dorm, Vanacek said.
Resident advisor Caryl Goodnight said her job
was to check every room and make sure everyone
was out.
“There wasn’t much opposition to the drill on
my wing,” Goodnight said. “They were all kind of
prepared to leave,” she said.
Goodnight said that except for a few stragglers,
the evacuation went smoothly. Once outside, the
residents gathered in a grassy area between the
dorm and parking lot 40.
Some residents were caught off guard by the
drill and had to stand outside without make-up, in
hair curlers and wearing robes. A few residents
complained about the inconvenience, but most of
the girls did not appear upset about having to leave
their rooms.
Julie Slone, a first-floor resident, said she did
not mind the drill because she was given notice
that it was going to occur. Jennie Jensen, also from
the first floor, said she would have left even if the
drill had occurred in the middle of the night.
Resident Pam Baumgartner said that some peo
ple acted too casually about the evacuation and
should have taken it more seriously.
Vanacek said there were a few girls who refused
to leave their rooms. Failure to leave the dorm
during the drill is a J-board offense, she said.
Judicial boards or “J-boards” are made up of
residents who determine guilt or innocence in the
case of any alleged violation of residence hall rules.
In the case of a guilty verdict, the J-board also
determines an appropriate sanction.
After the drill, Vanacek and the resident advi
sors agreed that the only mechanical problem was
that the alarm bells were not loud enough.
Fourth-floor resident Paula Haye said she could
barely hear the alarm in her room.
“I might not have known what it was if this had
been a real fire situation,” she said.
Dave Schnettler, head resident of Davis-Gary,
said their drill was unannounced and also ran
smoothly. Stitler set off the alarm system about
7:30 p.m. and the 130 residents in the dorm at the
time of the drill evacuated within three minutes,
he said.
As in Mosher, the four Davis-Gary resident
advisors went door to door after the alarm sounded
and told residents to leave immediatley.
Resident advisor Tommy Smith said some resi
dents laughed at the drill and thought it was a joke
but the resident advisors treated the drill as if it
was a real emergency.
“After the residents realized I was serious, they
became serious about evacuating,” Smith said.
Schnettler said all system equipment worked
fine and there were no problems during the drill.
The fire department and the University police
were notified when both drills would take place
and were not present at either drill.
John White, assistant area coordinator in the
Corps area, said a fire drill would take place in one
of the Corps dorms early next week.
Student dies
in swimming
accident
Services are pending in Mercedes for
a 19-year-old Texas A&M University
student who apparently drowned
Wednesday during a swim at Lake
Somerville.
Jimmy L. Newmann, a sophomore
environmental design major from Los
Fresnos, disappeared after complaining
ofcramps while swimming back to shore
from an island in the lake, said investi
gators. Funeral arrangements for New
mann are pending at Stotler Mortuary
in Mercedes.
Newmann’s name will be added to
the list for Silver Taps — the traditional
memorial service for students who die
while enrolled at Texas A&M — this fall
when students who have died since
Aggie Muster on April 21 will be hon
ored.
Unit protests rule change in Hochmuth award
By BELINDA McCOY
Battalion StafT
Controversy arose within the Corps of Cadets at
Texas A&M University last week when portions of
the criteria for winning the Gen. Bruno Hoch
muth award were changed.
This year Company D-2 won the Hochmuth
award, which was awarded on Parents’ Day. Con
troversy arose when discrepancies were dis
covered in Company D-2’s extracurricular activi
ty reports — part of the criteria originally used in
judging the winner.
The Hochmuth award, a maroon cord with
white interwoven portions, is given to the outfit
which has the highest number of points when
march-ins, inspections, contract percentages,
freshman retention, upper classman retention,
and extracurricular activities points are calculated.
Company P-2 came in second place for the
award.
It was known that the two outfits — D-2 and P-2
— were in close competition to win the award,
Chris Nygard, commanding officer of P-2, said.
Nygard sent a formal letter of protest to Woodall
Thursday, asking him to reconsider the winning of
the award.
“Activity points could have made the differ
ence,” Nygard said.
However, Woodall said that no one knows who
would have won if the criteria had not been
changed.
“We don’t know and we don’t want to know, ” he
said. “We made the decision (to change the criter
ia) before the computations were made.”
Extracurricular activity points originally
counted 10 percent of the total. The activity points
are given for each organization that a cadet becom
es involved in.
Each cadet keeps up with his own activity point
sheet, and the results are passed in according to
the order of succession of authority in the Corps.
The Corps staff then gives these tallies to the office
of the commandant for consideration in the final
computation of award winners.
This year the Corps staff discovered some dis
crepancies in the activity sheet of Company D-2.
Col. James R. Woodall, Corps commandant,
said the staff told him that they had some doubts as
to the accuracy of some of tbe activity sheets.
“It was brought to my attention by the Corps
staff that there was some doubt about some of the
activity sheets in one particular unit,” Woodall
said.
Woodall then formed a board of officers — one
officer from each of the three services — to investi
gate the allegation. However, Woodall had the
board investigate the activity sheets of every outfit
in the Corps, not just those of Company D-2.
The board of officers found discrepancies in the
activity reports of five outfits, Woodall said. The
discrepancies occurred when cadets reported
they had joined an organization, and no proof
could be found that those cadets had become
actively involved in that organization.
However, these discrepancies could never be
verified, Woodall said.
“We found not one instance where a person said
he was a member of an organization and we could
prove that they were not a member. ... But there’s
nothing in the rules that prohibits a fellow from
joining an organization and getting a point from
it.”
Because no verifications could be made,
Woodall decided upon the recommendations of
the board of officers to eliminate the activity points
from the competition criteria this year.
This summer the criteria for the awards will be
rewritten to prohibit manipulation of the rules,
Woodall said.
“We re going to make it where it will be verifi
able, and in the future it will be verified,” Woodall
said. “And we re also going to eliminate people
joining a unit to get a point. They’re going to either
have to be an officer or they’re going to have to be
in an organization where we can verify the points
such as a member of the R.V. ’s (Ross Volunteers)
or a member of the Recon Company.”
The purpose of the activity points is for a cadet
to make a positive contribution toward the Univer
sity and the Corps, Woodall said.
Manipulation of the activity points has been
suspected in the past, but nothing has ever been
proven, he said.