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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 1981)
The Battalion Viewpoint September 8,1981 Slouch By Jim Earle ‘7 think our collections for this year’s United Way Drive are going to pick up. Brutus has offered his help as a collector. ” ’84 presidential hopeful earns early recognition By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — Resolutions are made to be broken, and I am about to break my resolution not to write a line about the 1984 presidential race until that calamity is upon me. The reason is Reubin O’D. Askew, the former two-term governor of Florida and Special Trade Representative in the last 15 months of the Carter administration. Askew is interested in the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination. In the last few weeks, he has done some things that sug gest he is going to approach this challenge in a way that may be characteristic for him but is unusual enough among most politi cians to warrant comment. The man is apparently going to say what he thinks and not be coy about what he is doing. The first indication of this came in a letter Askew’s attorney wrote to the Federal Election Commission in July, asking for an advisory opinion on how Askew could best handle the finances of his exploratory effort. In recent years, the custom has grown up that when the presidential bug bites, a per sonal political-action committee is created, which lets the hopeful finance his travels and operations on the guise that he is going around the country helping candidates of his party. Askew apparently disdains such legal subterfuge. In the letter, his lawyer spells out with unusual candor what the ex governor thinks he needs to do for his own benefit: to travel and speak and meet “opin ion makers ’ to hire polling and public rela tions consultants; to get briefings on the issues; to expand his correspondence; and to raise funds for these purposes and to reimburse his law firm for the secretarial and support services that have nothing to do with the practice of law. Although there is no legal requirement that he do so, the letter says Askew “intends to file reports of all contributions and ex penditures voluntarily with the commission ... and therefore wishes to insure that the specific activities which he intends to ters. But that is not out of character. In 1972, while George Wallace was running his win ning campaign in the Florida promary. Askew decided to campaign vigorously against an initiative that had been placed on the Florida ballot calling for a federal anti busing amendment. It was a cause he knew was foredoomed to failure and the stand he took in the middle of this first term in office was offensive to many of his own consti tuents. Neither then nor now has Reubin Askew been much given to fuzzing his stands to suit the “climate of the times. ” That is why I decided to break my resolution to say no thing this early about the 1984 hopefuls. I will try to keep my mouth shut from now on, unless, of course, somebody else de cides to do something as astonishingly straightforward. The Battalion USPS 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Angelique Copeland Managing Editor Marcy Boyce City Editor Jane G. Brust Asst. City Editor Kathy O’Connell Photo Editor Greg Gammon Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Asst. Focus Editor Debbie Nelson News Editors Jennifer Afflerbach, BernieFette, Belinda McCoy StaffWriters i Frank L. Christlieb, Gaye Denley, Terry Duran, Nancy Floeck, Phyllis Henderson, Colette Hutch ings, Denise Richter, i Rick Stolle , Cartoonist ScotMcCullar ! Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr. Photographers Brian Tate Becky Swanson, Dave Einsel EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A6cM University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the address and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are not subject to the same length constraints as letters. Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Battalion, 216 Heed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Build ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. Luck relied upon too heavily In the past week, there have been two dormitory fires on the Texas A&M campus. The University was lucky — there were no injuries and damage was limited. This, un fortunately, is the heart of our fire safety problem — luck, rather than careful plan ning, is relied on too heavily. The first fire occurred in a community bathroom in Aston Hall. The room was fil led with smoke but the alarms didn’t sound because the bathrooms are not connected to the return-air system housing the smoke detectors. A fire in Keathley Hall occurred Sunday. Hibachi coals were dropped down a trash chute and ignited the trash. Once again, the alarm didn’t sound because the trash chute rooms are not connected to the duct alarm Denise Richter system. As a resident of Keathley, I have a parti cular interest in Sunday’s fire and feel a few questions need to be raised. For example, if the smoke from the trash chute rooms is carried out of the dorm through the roof vent, why was there a strong smell of smoke in my third-floor room? If the smoke did come through the ducts, why wasn’t a fire alarm triggered? How much smoke is needed before the alarm will sound? Do the alarms really work — after living in Keathley for two years and never having a dorm fire drill or fire that would cause the alarm to sound. I’m starting to have my doubts. Obviously, I’m not the only person who is having doubts. Talking to University staff and administrators about fire safety is con fusing at best — it’s hard to find a general consensus of opinion. The Aston Hall head resident said he doesn’t think the alarm systems in his dorm have been checked. Tom Murray, the cen tral area coordinator, said the alarm- sounding system in Keathley works, but he isn’t too sure about the smoke-sensor heads. The word from the University Office of Safety and Health is that alarm systems in all campus dormitories were checked dur ing the summer and all are in working order. Who are we to believe? Last spring, the first long-needed fire drills were held at Texas A&M in Davis- Gary, Mosher and Spence halls. 1 ry. Commons area coordinator, tend Mosher drill a "success.’’ But there were some problems. Fo| ample, it was discovered during tlitl drill that the alarm bells do not ringlc.| enough to be heard throughout thed University Safety and Health Officer! Stiteler said several solutions have proposed and his office is working o problem. The drill was in April — thesafetyo is still working on the problem in S tember. Are on-campus students living ins fire-proofed dorms or are we tragedy waiting to happen? This question may not be answered^ it’s too late. One question that needs to be ans\tt| right away is: “Who is heading thee campus fire safety program?” The lack of one specific person t responsibility and answer all thee that have arisen has caused a massoftJ led communications and preventedj effective action from being taken. So far, there have been no seriousp lems. The residents of the campus c tories have been lucky. But, there 1 been two fires already this semes® don’t think we should continue to re| heavily on luck in the future. : -m.n.uew& cwoue undertake are permissible in an exploratory effort. ” Evidence that he intends to be as candid about his policy views as he is about his activities is found in a speech he gave last month in Atlanta on the renewal of the Vot ing Rights Act. Time after time in the speech, Askew went out of his way to cite conditions in Florida as proof that the act is still needed. “In my home state of Florida alone, ” he said, “blacks, Hispanics and other minor ities represent less than 2 percent of all elected officials ... despite the fact that minorities constitute a quarter of the state population. There are no members of minority groups amoung the statewide elected officials in Florida. And, among the 160 members of the state legislature, there are just five blacks and only one Hispanic. ” What is remarkable is that all this is com ing from a Florida politician whose hopes for nomination clearly will rest, in the first instance, on his ability to win his own state’s presidential primary early in 1984. I have to believe that Askew knew the words of the speech that he gave in Atlanta will un doubtedly be thrown back at him in 1984 in an effort to embarrass him with Florida vo- effec fei Clark s; secom r reai The re of heti ies ra 'ially fathe fro d in e-mol female ed nc rol< Get more from A&M than a ftmoti The ir in the me tes npalize Editor: Tonight I received word that a friend and squadron mate of mine was killed when his jet exploded over the North Sea. It is a terrible tragedy that one so young should die with his life still so much in front of him. But what a tragedy it would have been for myself and others if we had not had the chance to have known him. Dennis Mason was liked by all who knew him. He was never down, always ready with a joke and a helping hand. He took friendship seriously but not himself. He studied Civil Engineer ing to be prepared for later life, but knew school was also for learning about people. Dennis was not alone in having some of these traits, nor unique perhaps in the sum of them, but he was as good an Aggie as I know. Dennis being the first to die of my fish buddies in our squadron, has made me look back on our years in Aggieland. I remember the good and bad times, mostly the good. I would like to remind each of you, especially freshman, to make friends. Learn from others about themselves and in doing so learn about yourself. Don’t spend four or more years for just a bachelors degree, but take with you a masters in life and a docto rate in being an Aggie. Dennis would have told you these same things and more while grinning if he had met you, but don’t do it for him, do it for yourself. We’ll miss you Mase. spirit banner wishing our team victor) Cal-Berkeley last Saturday night. spiration is needed, in general, intheiW that Uestions: to be ’lark s light! Bill Sanders Animal Eight ’75 Spirit misguided Editor: Campus area where spirit banners either not present or burned wherei hang by jealous and sometimes intone' v neighbors. But, hear, hear ... “Douch theBearj am certain that I am not the only pd offended by the sign’s inappropriatert| ence to feminine hygiene. Besides, really want to see a “grode war ’beblr halls to see who can create the mostol sive spirit banners? Since the freshmen are responsible making these signs and the early sent excitement is no doubt responsible for® directing their energies from time to®! the upperclassmen in every dorms responsible for seeing that propriety ercised by their freshmen when spirit banners. I appreciated the enthusiasm expressed by Mclnnis Hall through the display of a Richard Hudson' Warped By Scott McCullaf HE.LL0, GOOD MORNING, TINE TO BUY A NEWS PAPER subscription! C'MON, LET'S- GO.. So