Campus kept alive at night
by physical plant workers
See page 3
TLjrsC
The DCiTTciMon
Serving the University community
75 No. 122 USPS 045360 12 Pages
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, March 30, 1982
huttle lands safely
fter toughest flight
United Press International
WHITE SANDS, N.M. — The
(space shuttle Columbia streaked in
[over the Southwest from eight days in
[orbit today and glided to a day-late
[landing at 11:04 a.m. EST on a
[makeshift desert base, ending its
[third and toughest test flight.
With astronauts Jack Lousma and
ksrdon Fullerton at the controls, the
cket plane crossed over Mexico’s
tja California and dashed over
outhern Arizona and New Mexico
before arcing around for the landing.
The spacecraft had covered 3.9
million miles and circled the Earth
129 times since blasting off from
Cape Canaveral, Fla. Scientists called
the mission outstanding and en
gineers called it a successful test.
It was a fitting climax to a flight
that began on its scheduled launch
date for the first time for the reusable,
105-ton rocket plane.
Monday’s landing attempt was cal
led off because of 55 mph winds and
near zero visibility in blowing white
sand. It was the first time an Amer
ican manned spaceflight had been ex
tended because of bad weather.
The astronauts returned to Earth
with enough fuel and supplies to have
stayed up at least two more days.
Monday’s problems prompted
officials to seriously consider sending
the Columbia to Cape Canaveral’s 3-
mile long concrete runway if bad
weather had closed White Sands
today.
brmer student says
&M on two roads
Texas A&M University is making a
esperate attempt to pursue a liberal
Jducation and the education of tech-
(icians and mechanics at the same
e,the former president of the Uni-
ersity of Nebraska System said Mon-
jay night.
Dr. D.B. Varner, speaking at the
bmada Inn to the members of the
Texas A&M Target 2000 group, said
lie University needs to reach several
[roups of goals in order to achieve
oth these objectives.
“The undeniable fact is that Texas
L&M University today is a very good
(istitution of higher learning,” Var-
x said.
Varner, a 1940 graduate of Texas
A&M, listed three groups of observa
tions for the committee to consider.
In the first group, Varner placed
priority on quality holdings in the
University library, a wide range of
curriculum, a first-class student en
rollment and quality graduate prog
rams.
Varner’s second group included
University “environmental” interests
— a stable relationship between all
divisions of the University.
“For w'hatever reason, it seems to
have become a favorite indoor sport
of the governing board of this Uni
versity to fire presidents and chancel
lors with amazing regularity, often
with minimum grace, and with pre
dictable public turbulence,” Varner
said. He said that either the initial
choices have been poor, or the judg
ment of the governing board has been
faulty.
Saying that he probably didn’t
know all that was involved, Varner
said: “I am certain that this institution
can never achieve the level of distinc
tion, which all of us would like, unless
we find some basis for a more stable
administrative environment than has
been characteristic.”
In his third group, Varner said the
University needs to identify several
areas in which it has a strong base and
lift these components to national sta
ture.
New Drive-In
staff photo by David Fisher
A car went through the front window
of the U-Tote’M on the corner of
Wellborn and Jersey Monday afternoon.
They now have the convenience of a
new door but a mess to go with it. No
one was reported injured at the accident
City taxes touchy issue
with proposed Hilton
ebate to give varying
iews on Mid East status
by Laura Williams
Battalion Staff
MSC Political Forum Committee
ill sponsor a debate entitled “The
iddie East: Where to Draw the
ne in Rudder Theater tonight at
1:00.
David Schoenbrun, a free-lance
dcaster, and Dr. Hatem I. Hus-
in, director of the Palestine Libera-
n Organization’s Palestine Infor-
tion Office in Washington, D.C.
i address the controversial struggle
the Middle East.
Schoenbrun has covered the strug-
and events in the Middle East,
is an advocate of recognizing
Israel s frontiers and right to peace,
e has written several books includ
ing a best-seller about young people
born after the creation of Israel in
1948 entitled The New Israelis.
Hussain was born in Jerusalem,
Palestine and his family was forced
out in 1948 after Israeli forces occu-
E ied it. He has written several book-
:ts and articles on the controversy in
the Middle East, such as Toward
Peace in Palestine. He has also served
as delegate to the United Nations
Habitat Conference and the PLO de
legation to the UN.
The debate is a follow-up to a poll
conducted by the MSC Political
Forum concerning the division of the
Middle East. Those students polled
were asked if they thought the parti
tion should agree with the UN plan of
1947, the territories obtained by
Israel in 1948-49, the territories
obtained by Israel in June 1967, or if
the Sinai should be turned over to
Egypt in April.
Of the 910 American students pol
led, 15 percent favored the 1947
plan; 17 percent, the 1948-49 plan;
28 percent, the 1967 plan; and 29
percent the Camp David Plan.
Forty-four percent of these stu
dents said they felt they had a good
understanding of the problem.
Fifty-nine percent of Arab students
polled favored the UN plan. Five per
cent agreed with the 1948-49 plan; 16
percent with the Camp David Plan
and none with the 196/ plan.
Editor’s note: This is the second of a
two-part series on the proposed Uni
versity Hilton.
by Daniel Puckett
Battalibn Staff
Bryan-College Station has a chro
nic shortage of hotel rooms, most loc
al hotel operators agree. But does the
area need a privately-owned hotel on
campus?
Some operators worry that a hotel
on Texas A&M University land might
enjoy tax breaks that would give it an
unfair advantage over operators who
pay city taxes.
“If they’re going to operate here,
they should operate like the rest of
us,” said Mike Pharr, Texas district
manager of Rossco Inns and manager
of the Aggieland Inn. “College Sta
tion should get its share of taxes from
the Hilton, just as it does from other
hotels.”
Earline Ashby, manager of the Col
lege Station Holiday Inn. agreed.
“They should have to pay the same
taxes as the rest of us,” she said.
The questions about taxes arise
from an uncertainty about the hotel’s
legal status.
Only one other hotel operates on
public university land in Texas; that is
the hotel school at the University of
Houston and, as a school, has a diffe
rent legal status from a private ven
ture. Hotel schools provide hands-on
experience for students who actually
run the school hotel and its re
staurant.
The tax liabilities for such an oper
ation are still uncertain. State land is
exempt from paying city taxes, and it
has not been clear whether the ex
emption would apply to the hotel.
“Without researching it, I’d sav
that anyone enjoying a leasehold in
terest has a taxable interest,” said
James Bond, System vice chancellor
for legal affairs.
City Manager North Bardell said
the hotel at the Memorial Student
Center now pays the city’s hotel-motel
room tax, and he expects that the Hil
ton would have the Same obligation. •
“That’s something we’d have to get
a ruling on," Bardell said.
He also raised the issue of planning
and utility service.
“We’ve asked to be included in the
University’s planning process,” Bar
dell said. “And occasionally they’ve
consulted us about a new structure.
But to say that we’ve generally been
excluded from the planning process
would be the understatement of the
year.
“I don’t know how they’re going to
provide utilities for the structure: we
can’t provide sewer service to that site
without some off-site construction.
“So much more can be accom
plished by cooperative rather than
unilateral actions.”
Bardell was referring to regents
Chairman H.R. “Bum” Bright’s
charge to the study committee that it
determine onl\ the University’s in
terests in the matter, not those ol the
local community.
But Bond, a member of the re
gents’ committee, said Bright's direc
tive to the committee has been mis
read.
“Our committee is charged to fi
gure out strictly if there are any over
riding benefits to the University from
this proposal,” Bond said. “Once
that’s settled, that certainly doesn't
mean community input won’t be ack :
nowledged.
“The regents will have to balance a
number of factors, including com
munity views on the project.’’
Others object to the hotel for other
reasons.
Mark Holubec, freshman student
senator at-large, introduced a resolu
tion against the hotel at the Student
Senate meeting Wednesday. The re
solution passed over the objections of
See HOTEL, page 12
Long-dormant Mexican volcano
erupts, coats region with ash
United Press International
! TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico
i — A long-dormant volcano erupted
today near Mexico's southern oil
fields, showering the region with cin
ders and forcing terrified peasants to
flee from their homes, authorities
said.
Officials in the state of Chiapas,
which borders Guatemala, said the
7,300-foot El Chichon volcano
erupted shortly after midnight, blast
ing volcanic ash over the highlands of
the Mayan Indian region.
They said the Red Cross evacuated
about 5.000 peasants from the vil
lages of of Chapuletenango, Nicalta
and other nearby hamlets, all covered
with foot-deep volcanic ash.
One Mexico City television station
reported four peasants were injured
by flying rocks throw n out during the
eruption, but the report could not be
independently confirmed.
Geologists said that shortly before
the volcano exploded, the towns near
El Chichon were shaken by an earth
quake registering 3.5 on the Richter
scale.
Arabs go on general strike
in Israel, spurn troops
United Press International
TEL AVIV — Israeli Arabs hurled
stones and burned tires today in de
fiance of 10.000 government troops
sent to contain violence in a general
strike and protests in sympathy with
Palestinians in occupied territories.
The general strike reported by
Radio Israel was the first inside Israel
in six years.
One Arab was injured. Israel
Radio said, and eight others were
arrested and later released in
Nazareth. The detainees included the
director of mavor Tewfik Ziyvad's
office and the mavor’s wife.
Israel massed an unprecedented
10,000-man force across Galilee to
control the general strike called bv
Israel’s Arab citizens to show support
for Palestinians in the occupied West
Bank and Gaza Strip, officials said.
The violence came on the sixth
anniversary' of the deaths of six Arabs
during 1976 demonstrations in
Israel's northern Galilee region over
the seizure of Arab land.
Student elections begin
today for ‘82-83 officers
Voting began this morning for more
than 175 candidates seeking student
leader positions for the 1982-83
school year.
Polls are open at the Academic and
Agency Building, Zachry Engineer-
mg Center, the Memorial Student
Center. Heldenfels Hall, Harrington
Classroom Center, Sterling C. Evans
Library and Sbisa Dining Hail. In
addition, polling will be done at the
Veterinary Medicine Complex today
nnly. and at the Kleberg Animal (^en-
•ct Wednesday only.
AH poll* will open from 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. today and Wednesday, except
the library site, which closes today at 1
p.m. That poll will be open again be
tween 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Results will be posted outside the
Student Programs Office, 216 MSC
Wednesday night. Election Commis
sioner George Crowson said. Results
also will be published Thursday in
The Battalion.
Run-off elections are scheduled for
April 6 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Results
of the run-off elections will be posted
the night of the election. Crowson
said.
New publications editors picked
Diana Sultenfuss was elected 1982
summer and fall editor of The Batta
lion and Donn Friedman was elected
1982 Aggieland editor by the Student
Publications Board Monday after
noon.
The editorships are subject to the
approval of Dr. Charles McCandless,
interim vice president for academic
affairs.
Sultenfuss, who was unanimiously
elected, is a junior journalism major
from San Antonio. She is assistant city-
editor of The Battalion and was page
one editor of The Battalion last
semester.
Sultenfuss said she encourages stu
dent input to The Battalion and
hopes the newspaper can continue to
fill student and community needs.
Friedman, also unanimously
elected, was sports editor of this year's
Aggieland. Friedman is a sophomore
journalism major from Alief.
“I feel privileged to be given this
chance to help create a memorial to
the traditions that are Texas A&M
University," Friedman said.
Members of the board that voted
were Jeff Bissey. student government
executive vice president; Gars Halter,
associate professor of political scien
ce; J. W. Hanna, assistant professor of
recreation and parks; alternate Dr. R.
William Barzak, associate professor
of English. Cindy Heep. MSC Council
vice president for public relations and
Tt)dd Hedgepeth, public relations di
rector for the Corps of Cadets.
Carolyn Adair, director of student
activities and a member of the board,
was not present. Bob G. Rogers, head
of the Department of Communica
tions. is a non-voting member of the
board.
inside
Classified 8
Local 3
National 6
Opinions 2
Sports 9
State 5
What’s Up 7
forecast
Todav’s forecast: Cloudy, mild,
and winds with light ram and di iz-
zle: high today near 80 yvith a loy\
tonight in the mid-fiOs. 1 "here i* a
20 percent chance ol rain tonight
and Wednesday .