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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1983)
opinion February 2, i Slouch By Jim Earle '‘His is a sad case. They unplugged him and the silence almost killed him. ” Campus ‘me’ decade far from finished by Maxwell Glen and Cody Shearer One disheartening effect of America’s economic difficulties was reaffirmed last week to nobody’s glee. In its 17th annual report on attitudes among first-year college students, the American Council on Education de clared that this year’s f reshmen are more materialistic and less reformist than any surveyed before. This fact alone isn’t very surprising, since freshmen have been on a well-documented ego trip since the mid-1970’s. Yet it raises old questions not only about the immediate implications of cam pus me-ism, but also new doubts about the political future of the United States. Even if prosperity reappears on Amer ica’s horizon, recovery may not free the post-Vietnam crowd from manacles forged in the uncertainty of today. Recession-era Americans can judge as they will the career interests inscribed in the results of the council’s researchers at UCLA. More than two-thirds of this year’s freshmen thought that “being very well-off financially” was “very impor tant,” up almost 4 percent from last year (in 1967, the figure was 43.5 percent); there was a similar increase in the share of freshmen who considered financial gain a “very important” reason for attending college. But exorbitant college costs and the scramble to repay loans have twisted the purpose of higher edu cation; increasingly, the reason for attending college is to pay for it. Conclusions about the class’s views on certain social issues are more elusive. While freshmen grow more supportive of national health care and abortion, their liberalism may only be self-serving; support for busing to achieve racial ba lance in schools has increased, but it still reflects the preferences of only 46.8 per cent (merely 35.5 percent of all freshmen endorsed affirmative action in college admisions). There’s nothing fuzzy-, however, about their regard for “social activism.” Little more than one in five freshmen see merit in the goals of environmental cleanup or community-action programs. Fewer yet would want to “influence the political structure.” This disinclination has been unnerv- ingly evident in campus activism. Once- provocative student organizations — of blacks, women, environmentalists, among others — have seemingly become parochial havens, much like their repli cas in Washington. Where new issues — Central America, nuclear weapons, for example — have emerged, participants have often been veterans of past cam paigns who never turned in their pla cards. One might have thought that frenzy over nuclear arms would make activists of many students today. But the freeze became de rigeur last year among stu dents and faculty alike only after town councils and church groups led the way. Whether it’s the legality of American intervention overseas or the drinking age, university communities have been a Petri dish for spawning debate and change. But with the half-life of critical national issues shortened on American campuses, we may be doomed to the sta tus quo. But as classes enroll and graduate with little more than a distant interest in social and political activism, they collectively strike an uncanny parallel with Orwell’s class of “1984.” They could become tech nocrats predisposed to the whims of any one who serves their special-interest placebos. Political analyst Kevin Phillips predicts that “populism” of this sort, coming from once-traditional electoral groups, could make our country practic ally ungovernable. For its sake, we hope the Class of ’86 has other plans. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member ot Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Diana Sultenf uss Managing Editor Gary Barker Associate Editor Denise Richter City Editor Hope E. Paasch Assistant City Editor Beverly Hamilton Sports Editor John Wagner Entertainment Editor Colette Hutchings Assistant Entertainment Editor. . . . Diane Yount News Editors Daran Bishop, Jennifer Carr, Elaine Engstrom, JohnaJo Maurer, Jan Werner, Rebeca Zimmermann Staff Writers Maureen Carmody, Frank Christlieb, Patrice Koranek, John Lopez, Robert McGlohon, Ann Ramsbottom, Kim Schmidt, Patti Schwierzke, Kelley Smith, Angel Stokes, Tracey Taylor, Joe Tindel Copyeditors Jan Swaner, Chris Thayer Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artist Pam Starasinic Photographers David Fisher, Jorge Casari, Ronald W. Emerson, Octavio Garcia, Rob Johnston, Irene Mees Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-proih, seii'-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions ex pressed in 7 he Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty mem bers, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography cL.s- ses 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 and 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 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni versity, College Station, TX 77843, or phone (713) 845- 2611. The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and exami nation periods. Mail subscriptions arc $ 16.75 per semes ter, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Adver tising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, 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. Hello, hello, and hidee ho Aca by Art Buchwald There is a communications revolution going on in the world right now. New technology has made it possible for peo ple to communicate with each other by everything from satellites to car tele phones. The only problem is that although scientists have made it possible to think up ways of keeping in touch with each other, no one seems to know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. 1 came to this conclusion when I was riding with a friend in his car the other day. He had one of those new telephones attached under the dashboard. “What do you need that for?” I asked him. “I couldn’t do without it. Look, all I have to do is hit this button and I can get my office.” I heard the buzzing and a voice picked up the phone. “Thunderbird and Thunderbird,” the lady said. “This is Mr. Thunderbird. Do you have any calls for me?” “No, Mr. Thunderbird.” “No calls at all?” “No, Mr. Thunderbird. The phone hasn’t rung since you left the office.” “Well, I’ll be driving in my car for another 25 minutes. If anyone calls put them through to my car telephone.” “Business must be slow,” I said. “We’re hurting like everybody else,” he said. “When did your recession start?” “Come to think of it, just about the time I put the phone in the car.” “That’s tough. Just when it’s possible for you to communicate by car phone with a client, there are no clients.” “You have to be ready for the turnar ound in the economy,” he told me. “When it comes I’ll be able to handle all my business from my car.” Just then the phone buzzed. “There you are,” said Thunderbird. “You see the importance of the phone? 11 I didn’t have it, someone else might have gotten the business.” He picked up the receiver. “Thunder bird speaking.” “Is that you, darling?” “Yes, dear.” “Where are you?” “Massachusetts Avenue and Western.” “Would you stop at Wagshal’s and bring home a pound of roast beef , dill pickles and a case of beer?” “I’ve already passed Wagshal’s. Why can’t you send Tommy?” “He’s out driving somewhere, but he doesn’t have a phone in his car.” Thunderbird muttered something and turned around. “I guess there are pluses and minuses to having a phone,” I said. “I should have never given my wife my number.” The phone buzzed again. It wasThun- derbird’s secretary. “Mr. Thunderbird, Father Brooke of Holy Cross just called and said he needed the pledged for the new sciencel “Did you tell him you coulcj me?” “Yes. But he said to call yoj car. I didn’t tell himyouhada| your car.” “I did,” Thunderbird said.' he’d he happy one of his aim made good.” H We picked up the roast beefiB rs ' l i- .‘. i ... .i i i f.BAnm- s The sh.ils .mil Nl.tllrd luck out I In- ,,l rang again. Mrs. I hunderbird again.“D* a dear and jhck up Johannaat| Arms. She seems to havemissedl pool. Thunderbird almost threwikl out the window. It buzzed once more. Thunderbird brightened up*: heard the voice. "Hey, Eddie, where are yoii| from?” “My car. Where are you?" “I’m in my car. I canhearyou clear. What’s ujj?” “Nothing, I just wanted tosat “Well, I lello, hello and hidet “Roger and out.” “Now you see the true value: telephone,” Thunderbird said didn’t have one in my from wouldn’t have been abletotalh until I got home.” Facult College ' voted Fr grading The proposa prolessh curricul; dents. | The pply t<: veterina but the curricul number tees, in curricul JThei the stan ter gear 70 perc failure. “It’si mity an E. Dean acadeni dan) across t similar state lie Cryonomics — freezing programs by Dick West United Press International Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. WASHINGTON — Most laymen are familiar with the branch of cryogenics that preserves living matter for future use by freezing it. What may be the ultimate spinoff theorizes that you can freeze your body until someone discovers a cure for what ails you. Then they thaw you out and — voila! — you live happily ever after. Or something like that. But what of cryonomics, the science of freezing government programs? That theory, apparently, is less widely understood. The basic idea is to freeze federal spending until someone discovers a cure for budget deficits. Then the programs are thawed out and thereafter expand in a more healthy manner. Just what experiments in cryonomics Congress might approve this year is yet to be determined. Among budget items President Reagan has mentioned for pos sible freezing are military pay and Social Security benefits. Although all of us Washington corres pondents have informed sources we can tap for information, I seldom quote my cryonomic sources, mainly because their leaks usually are iced over by the time I get them. Nevertheless, this seemed a good time to talk with a few experts to get a feel for what is going on. It now is technically possible to freeze an entire budget, one source confided. But when I tried to pin him down as to what would happen after the thaw, he began to waffle a bit. He could not guarantee, he admitted, that a frozen budget would retain intact all of the programs we have come to know and love. Once restored to room temperature, he said, some of the programs might fail to regain their original level of support, and would simply languish or expire. Despite such incertitude, however, all of the cryonomic experts I consulted were curious to see what would happen if selected parts of the budget were frozen. “From what we know now, domestic spending appears to be the most likely area for low temperature preservation,” an independent consultant told me. “I would be reluctant on the basis of tests thus far to try freezing military spending. The chill could cause an unre pairable crack in the window of vulnera bility.” By contrast, another consultant was confident the Pentagon budget could be frozen without serious loss of muscle or overall deterrent capability. “Cryonomics worked wonderfully in the case of the B-l bomber program,” he pointed out. “President Carter may have til he killed the program, but it reall)'l dead. We just put it on ice foratl He suggested the best way toprl the MX missile program would| freeze the “dense {jack” basingniif “Then, in a few years, wecanbij back to life under another namea MX will be as viable as ever,”hes My sources cautioned, howeveij cryonomics won’t work unless a* budget deficits is found. Without that breakthough, ceded, cryonomics would betantan. to draining off their vital fundsaw pumping them full of red ink. Berry s World (L) 1983 by NEA Inc "\t's a new game based on THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM '