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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1983)
-opinion Slouch By Jim Earle V (982-/983 ‘You might say I have a clean slate Sweet smell of ERA: get it cleaned up by Art Buchwald I walked past the Environmental Pro tection Agency in Washington the other day with another newspaperman, and we were both nearly overcome by the stench coming from the building. “What do you make of that smell?” I asked my friend. “1 don’t know. It could be PCB or dioxin or some other industrial waste. It does have a familiar odor.” “I can’t believe they’d be using the EPA building to store toxic' waste,” I said. “They may be incompetent, but they’re not stupid.” “Let’s go in,” my friend said. “There could be a story here.” We w'ent into the building and told the guard that we’d like to talk to someone about the EPA hazardous waste prog ram. He handed me a pass and two gas masks. When we went to the office he directed us to, we found a woman stuffing mate rial into a paper shredder. “What are you doing?” I asked her. “I’m shredding material that the con gressional committee has subpoenaed in regard to our superfund cleanup program.” “Isn’t that dangerous?” my friend asked her. “T his stuff is poison and we have to get rid of it,” she said. “What’s poisonous about it?” I wanted to know. “It could compromise all the deals we’ve made with companies w ho are guil ty of dumping toxic material. If these papers got into the wrong hands, many top people in the EPA could get sick.” “But isn’t it against the law to shred paper that has to do with toxic waste?” I asked. “Absolutely not. These papers are being shredded under executive pri vilege.” “Aren’t you afraid of being held in contempt of Congress?” “I’m only doing my job. If you want to talk to anyone about the legal aspects, speak to Mr. Sniff, in the next office.” Mr. Sniff was very nervous when we walked in. “I’m not allowed to talk to the press unless I have two witnesses with me.” He called in two other lawyers, and turned on his tape recorder. “Now, what do you want to know?” “Why are you shredding papers about your toxic waste program?” “We don’t want them to get into the wrong hands. We have several cases pending against companies that have been dumping chemicals, and we prefer their lawyers didn’t see the evidence.” “But if you shred the papers, how can you use them in court?” “We don’t intend to go to court. We refer to settle with them so they won’t ave to stand trial.” “If they violated the law, shouldn’t they be brought to justice?” “What would that accomplish? Our job is to get companies to clean up their acid pits. If we took a hard line, they’d only get mad at us and dump more waste.” My friend said, “What about the peo ple who have been driven out of their homes by dioxin and PCB and those who are being poisoned by the water around the dumps?” “We’ve done a study on that problem.” “Can we see it?” “No, it’s confidential. If we publish the results we might be revealing trade sec rets of the companies who did the dumping.” A secretary came in and said, “Mr. Drum of Titanic Chemical is on the phone.” The lawyer picked up his phone. “Drum, we just got a report from the whistle blower in our Pittsburgh office that your company is dumping uranium waste under the high school football sta dium. Are you aware that’s a no-no? ... Oh, you were? Well, be a good fellow and stop it. Thanks a lot. What Congress doesn’t know won’t hurt them.” He hung up and turned to us. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, we’ve got a lot of work to do here.” I left with my newspaper pal. We handed in our passes and gas masks to the guard. Suddenly, my friend said, “I know what this stench smells like.” “What?” I asked him. “Watergate. It stinks like a Watergate.” I inhaled and said, “I think you’re right.” The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member ol Texas Press Association , Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Diana Sultenfuss 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, Brian Boyer, Jennifer Carr, Elaine Engstrom, Johna Jo Maurer, Jan Werner, Rebeca Zimmermann Staff Writers Melissa Adair, Maureen Carmody, Frank Christlieb, Connie Edelmon, Patrice Koranek, John Lopez, Robert McClohon, Ann Ramsbottom, Kim Schmidt, Patti Schwierzke, Kelley Smith, Angel Stokes, Tracey Taylor, Joe Tindel, Kathy Wiesepape Copyeditors .... Shelley Hoekstra, Jan Swaner, Chris Thayer Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artists Pam Starasinic Sergio Galvez Thompson Photographers David Fisher, Dena Brown, Jorge Casari, Ronald W. Emerson, Eric Lee, Irene Mees, John Makely, William Schulz Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions ex pressed in The 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 clas 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 are $ 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. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. Battalion/Page 21 February 23, Trend to visual rock ‘n’ roll by Maxwell Glen and Cody Shearer WASHINGTON — Mick Jagger and his Rolling Stones have probably been doing the usual at a theater near you recently in their latest concert film, “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” The film’s title is no accidental come- on. As the Stones surely know, their pro fession’s future rests on video. Cable hook-ups and Betamaxes have become the new wave in pop music and are slowly merging the two biggest chunks of Amer ican culture. We bring up this subject because of a visual barrage of rock and celluloid that’s intensified over the last 18 months. Videotapes of rock performers seem to be rolling everywhere — particularly on television. Rock groups and singers, who once avoided publicity to the point of re clusion, are now as visible as Gary Cole man and, unfortunately, as childishly theatrical. A video-rock sampler: Billy Joel dres ses in work clothes and hard hat and strums his guitar to the background of his latest hit, “Allentown.” To the dub of “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me,” directors run country-rock singer Juice Newton through a sadistic routine that eventually puts her in a body cast. The Go-Go’s, those pixie-faced idols of mil lions, are transformed into clay figures and transported into space. Wheee! Why are they doing it? That’s easy: to sell records. Anyone who’s taken the tem perature of the recording industry re cently knows that rock stars and their backers are hard-up for business. More than older standbys of nationwide tours and fan clubs, videotapes are the newest way to lure a mass market. Produced at a cost of anywhere from $15,000 to $150,000, tapes are distri buted to record stores, night clubs and television systems — f ree of charge. Of course, of these outlets, cable TV pro vides the biggest splash. A number of cable firms (Home Box Office, for exam ple) offer regularly-scheduled programs built around industry-produced video tapes. One in particular, however, Warner Amex’s “MTV” (that means Music TV), seems to be setting the standard. Around the clock, seven days per week, the New York-based service broadcasts at least 250 different tapes, of groups ranging from Eleetwood Mac to Squeeze. For M TV’s 9.5 million viewers, who on the average are about 23 years old, nonstop rock is a dream come true. For depressed record companies, it's a life saver — at least temporarily. Since Au gust 1981, according to a Billboard magazine survey last Fall, there’s been a 15-20 percent boost in sales of albums by acts featured on MTV. Whether video can spawn a lasting turnaround is unclear. For its part, MTV has its eye on another 5 million subscri bers by year’s end, but such projections are hard to verify. At 29.3 million sub scribers, the nation’s cable systems have already linked 35 percent of America’s television-owning households kl undergone a slump. Meanwl Michael Greene, who runs ik Music Ghannel in Atlanta, the production and broadcastingh interested parties on thesidelii But for now, the most in ment of the rock videoexph its effect on the direction of mi Traditionally, company policies and big-city tastes have what’s available to the restofthei Distance and local radio were other factors: Cody, Vivo, seemed five years behind the Net or Los Angeles markets in particularly its music. While New York’s downti and EM programmers willob tinue to be leading tastearbitei suburban base could meant fluence for a traditonally ence. If they can put the cash and producers go along —ne» and singers will be able to le interests of big-city types and come national success stories Cats, a punk band that oncecouhl get a nod from American dk credit MTV for their newfoi larity.) Obviously, the videoizationoi' roll will only make for moresf! Groups will have tocomeupwt! compliment melody. Thatalra most dramatic development in cl ness since the greatest act of and Co., came along more than: ago. iiiSf : IP* Sm m i Vice the I Is Ic HEiS FROM THE EPAHE SAYS HE QIVE5 A HOOT AMP HE WANTS TO SQUEAL QM ANHEGORSUQL Letters: Theater program praised cam pn Y>m t] Cross i blood i A&M need Cross PE tor of Editor: The Battalion of Feb. 15 carried an article concerning the OPAS co sponsorship of the “Run for the Arts.” While we agree with promoting an awareness of the arts at A&M and realize The Battalion has consistently supported us, the article contained a quotation to which I and several other Theatre Arts majors took offense. The quotation read as follows:“Since Texas A&M does not have a school of fine arts, OPAS is one of the few ways people can get a taste of the arts, which we think is important.” While it is true that A&M does not have a school of fine arts, our theater arts section does an outstanding job of filling in that gap. This year the theater arts section is producing six major shows; this is an enormous undertaking considering there are only 40 theater arts majors at this University. The quality of the program is excel lent and is a tribute to the faculty mem bers. In addition to this, two of the stu dent designers for our show (“Getting Out") placed first at the regional festival in the categories of scene design and lighting design, winning over numerous graduate student designers that had en tered. Also, at the University Resident Theater Association preliminary audi tions in Austin, three A&M theater arts majors were advanced to the finals in acting, scene design and stage manage ment. It is considered rare for even one student from a University to advance to the finals. We strive in our productions to bring variety and excellence in theater to A&M. We, the students, feel that we deserve some just recognition of our eff orts. Doug Golenski ’85 Editor’s Note: This letter w:is accompa nied by 36 other signatures. Big Event thanks Editor: A letter to Joe Nussbaum and the Student Services Committee: The members of Ghi Omega Fraternity sincerely congratulate you for your ex ceptional organization and execution of the Big Event. We were proud to play a part in an activity that served as a uni fying agent between the students of Texas A&M and the communities of Bryan/College Station. It was refreshing to see so many Aggies band together to work toward a common goal. We look forward to participating in our new Aggie tradition in the years to come. Amanda Pike ’86 Angela Dodd ’85 Lost necklace Editor: Hey Ags! I lost a blue and gold add-a- bead necklace between the Evans Library and the parking lot behind the Olin E. Teague Building on Sunday, Feb. 6 at i about 7:30 p.m. If you or someone else)® found that necklace, pleased : at 764-9111 of 764-9109. It is"® timental value and a cash reu'^ given. P.S. Laurie, I hope you find' 0 ' Andrea Ring lost Editor: Help! I lost a man’s silver and turf last Wednesday, Feb. 16, possif Halbouty Geosciences Buildif one found it, please contactMa r f 0224. It has sentimental vale f you. Ser Mark ScY Lost wallet Editor: A3 Oi