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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1982)
Page 4 Student leaders face issues Presidency offers chances to learn by Cheryl Maynard Battalion Reporter Being student body president gives you a chance to work with a wide range of people in ail lev els of life, says Student Body Presi dent Ken Johnson. “It gives you the chance to do constructive things here at Texas A&M, and I’ve found it to be a real learning opportunity and personal challenge,” he said. To become a student body president, a person must have a minimum grade point ratio of 2.5, and must have been a stu dent at the University for three consecutive semesters. But Johnson said some un written qualifications are in volved as well. He said it’s important for can didates to be knowledgeable of student government and what occurs at Texas A&M. The stu dent body president must be able to communicate and “tell it like it is,” he said. Further, he suggests that can didates be aware of the commit ment and willingness necessary for the job. He added that a per son has no business seeking office unless he can put service above self. “You’re alw'ays going and doing as student body presi dent,” Johnson said. He esti mates that he puts in about 50- 60 hours a week for the office, including the luncheons, meet ings and dinners he must attend. The job has had him rub elbows with University adminis trators at all levels, students, for mer students and chancellors of other universities w ith whom he would have never come in con tact. “Student government has to accurately represent the needs and wants of the entire student body,” said Johnson. To do this, he has helped to initiate a campus canvass system in which senators visit monthly with as many students as they can in their constituencies for in put on campus issues. Though the canvass gave stu dent government knowledge of some on-going campus prob lems, there was no way of know ing that it was truly a representa tive sample of students being in terviewed. Thus, Johnson said, student government is begin ning to solicit opinions from the student body face-to-face. Student senators each solicit 25 opinions in person from their constituency. The most com mon problems mentioned by these students will be put in priority order. Then, by phone or mail, members of student government will question 395 students randomly about these priority problems. Although the results are sta tistically invalid, they do give student leaders a better case to present to University adminis trators who can work on changes, Johnson said. Photo by Bob Sebree Head Yell Leader Mike Thatcher holds onto Aggie mascot Reveille IV before kickoff at a football game on Kyle Field. Reveille and the yell leaders boost the Twelfth Man spirit during all home games. Photo by Todd Woodard Student Body President Ken Johnson Johnson, a senior agricultural reviews his notes before the start of a economics major, was elected during meeting of the Student Senate. last year’s elections. He said that when he entered office in 1981, he wanted to address tough issues, yet he had no idea just how controversial the 1981-82 year would be. Issues such as limiting enroll ment, parking problems and Gay Students Service Organiza tion law suits against the Univer sity required the attention of student government. Johnson said these complex issues are on going and they will be ol con cern to the next student hodv president as well. Seniors recall year Yell leaders motivate by Lori Weldon Battalion Reporter Spirit and tradition are com mon fare among Aggies. But for Texas A&M University yell lead ers, those words have special meaning. Yell leaders are the personifi cation of Aggie traditions and it’s the veil leaders’ responsibility to preserve them or to instigate changes to reflect the Universi ty’s changes, said Head Yell Leader Mike Thatcher. Motivating crowds at football and basketball games and set ting an example of good sport smanship are both important to the role of yell leader. And since they are probably the most visi ble student leaders, their job en tails much more than just lead ing veils at games. Senior veil leaders coordinate veil practices — reserving Kvle Field, arranging for use of the Rudder Lower sound system and planning lor security. For out-of-tow n games thev must make arrangements with the Chamber of Commerce in that city to have veil practice there, said Norris Hodgin, senior yell leader. Away games also require financial planning, time schedules and transporta tion arrangements. Another job of the v eil lead ers is to speak to groups of for mer students concerning changes at the University. They also meet with new students to tell them about Aggie traditions. Keeping tradition alive at Texas A&M is more difficult now, Hodgin said. Because of the University’s fast grow th, a lot of people are uninformed about traditions, he said. Thatcher said that being in volved is what being a v eil leader is all about. Hodgin said that- when he was an underclassmen he looked up to the veil leaders because thev enjoyed what they were doing and were involved with the University. “You’re caught up in what Texas A&M really is — you’re in control," Thatcher said. ”1 like to be in a position where I can have an influence. You have a h/l wi input at uciivuit_:> uiliri than those concerning yell leaders.” The head veil leader meets about twice a month with other student leaders, and in the hill he speaks at about six meetings;! week. Last fall 1 hatchet wits scheduled to speak at lour or five meetings a clay, five days a week. Occasional meetings are with former students. I he y ell leaders traveled to football games in San Francisco and Boston last semester awl had the chance to talk to former students from the classes ol 1920 and 1930, to hear them de scribe what Texas A&M was like when thev were students. "Aggies are the greatest peo ple in the world and it’s realiv neat communicating with them,” Hodgin said. “There actually is a twellth man.” Thatcher said. “You're not out there lor yourself, vou’re representing the Twelfth Man,” Hoclgin said. "That's what Texas A&M is. Its tradition."