Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, June 23, 1983
So what if there’s a woman in space?
Ri
aui
by Robe
Batti
ector R
FLASH: Sally Ride and her fellow
astronauts today . . .
FLASH: Father’s Day: The male shut
tle astronauts today received Father’s
Day greetings from their families. Sally
Ride, who has no children, did not com
ment during the transmission.
FLASH: Pre-shuttle cartoon: Sally
Ride at the shuttle controls, wondering
about her carpool duties before lift-off.
FLASH: Pre-shuttle news conference:
Ride was asked if she would cry if any
thing went wrong during the flight, if she
were taking lipstick and perfume with
her, and what kind of underwear she
would wear.
FLASH: Overheard conversation: “I
wonder if Sally Ride’s up there fooling
around with the other astronauts?”
FLASH: Wednesday’s Battalion, Page
1, six column headline, screaming “Ride
operates space medicine machine in
shuttle.”
FLASH: The London Sunday Times
refers to Sally Ride as “America’s first,
but the world’s third spaceperson.”
IF SALLY RIDE WERE NOT A
COMPETENT ASTRONAUT, SHE
WOULD NOT BE UP IN SPACE!!!
As you read this, there are five people
orbiting the earth in the space shuttle
Challenger, all of whom have different
capabilities. The fact that one of those
people is female is important only to her
husband.
I admit, we journalists are to blame for
the hoopla over Ride, but we’re taught in
our first journalism classes that anything
that’s a first is news.
Well, Sally Ride’s the first American
female astronaut. OK. Everybody knows
that. Let’s not go overboard with this,
folks. The fact that a woman is doing a
job she is perfectly able to do is NOT
news.
So the childless Ride didn’t say any
thing during the Father’s Day greetings
to the other astronauts (all of whom are
fathers). So what? She is not and never
could be a father.
Why does a syndicated cartoonist feel
Ride must be depicted as worrying about
carpools?
Asking Ride about lipstick, perfume,
underwear and tears on the shuttle flight
is not only stupid, it’s downright RUDE!
The male astronauts weren’t asked about
their underwear. Fortunately, her re
sponse to the questions was, to say the
least, admirable: “It’s too bad our society
isn’t further along.”
Also, I hear no speculation as to
whether any male astronauts are “fooling
around.” It’s just as likely between the
male members of the crew as between the
female and male.
Even the Battalion isn’t blameless.
WHO CARES IF RIDE OPERATED
THE MACHINE? Did it work? That’s
what’s important.
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ACID
RAIN...
Letters: Improving liberal arts
would benefit university status
Editor:
I am much pleased to know that Dr.
Eaton stated five approaches to making
A&M one of the world universities and
also that the Committee for 2000 addres
sed the perspectives for improving our
University.
(humanity and social and behavorial sci
ences) programs should be streng
thened. Three decades ago dichotomy
between science and humanity began to
spread among the campuses of the world
as C. P. Snow warned in late ’50s.
The former advocated the consolida
tion of fine arts programs and the latter
recommended creating a center for per
forming arts on the campus. I agree on
both accounts.
I also complement the two recommen
dations by stressing that our liberal arts
Yet, while I was associated with Col
umbia University for five years in mid-
’60s, there were many chances of com
munication between two cultures. When
I came to A&M in 1968, I was quite sur
prised at the almost non-existence of
such communication. In recent years I
feel some improvement has occurred in
this direction particularly after we got
our current humanist president.
There may be many approaches to
this direction. One is to convene many
seminars and lectures on humanity by
outside speakers under either the Uni
versity or Liberal Arts College sponsor
ship. Another is to adopt the resident
humanist system such as resident philo
sophers, poets, journalists or novelists.
The resident humanists may not be
currently popular persons. I would
rather prefer non-conformists to oppor
tunists who may be popular among the
public or to Washington.
The Battalion^
USPS 045 360
Member ot
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor HopeE. Paasch
City Editor Kelley Smith
Sports Editor J°h n Wagner
News Editors Daran Bishop, Brian Boyer,
Beverly Hamilton, Tammy Jones
Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Scott Griffin,
Robert McGlohon, Angel
Stokes, Joe Tindel
Copyeditors .... Kathleen Hart, Tracey Taylor
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Photographer
Brenda Davidson, Eric Evan Lee,
Barry Papke
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 ot
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 mat
ter should be directed to the editor.
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Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in
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The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for
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Columns and guest editorials also are welcome, and
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Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor,
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77843.
In relation to the humanity program
we cannot neglect the international
aspect. Currently there are some interna
tional cooperative programs on campus
in agriculture, geosciences and en
gineering.
However, in order to promote inter
national cooperation in these technical
fields, we need more understanding of
the political, cultural and historical back
grounds of foreign countries.
In this aspect our university has se
rious defects. There is no exchange prog
ram in cultural fields even with Central
and South American countries. Lack of
effort to promote our understanding of
the Eastern cultures and history becomes
apparent just by glancing at courses and
curricula of departments of Liberal Arts
College and library holdings.
Of course, it may not be feasible to
match Harvard, Yale or Stanford in the
fields of international studies, but the
current situation should be remedied if
A&M wants to get out the present paroc
hial nature.
Takashi Ichiye
Oceanography Department
Finally, a newspaper as respected as
:fei
the London Sunday Times referring to
Ride as a spaceperson? Men aren’t peo
ple? Only women?
Yes, Sally Ride is female, but let’s not
discriminate against her, or her fellow
space voyagers.
Ride, at 32, has a B.S. degree in phy
sics from Stanford, and studied X-ray
astronomy and free-electron lasers in
graduate school. That graduate work was
one of the deciding factors for her being
chosen as an astronaut. Apparently, free-
electron lasers may prove to be an effi
cient way of transmitting energy in space.
She was chosen from among 8,370
other applicants, and easily passed the
entrance examinations and psychological
testing. While in astronaut training, she
earned her pilot’s license, and was refer
red to by her colleagues as being “very
cool — a cool operator.”
Such is not the description of a flighty,
empty-headed female, but similar
stereotypes probably will continue to ex
ist until women have surpassed men in
many traditional male-dominated areas.
Granted, some women are empty-
headed, but I’ve seen some pretty flighty
in the N:
ceptioi
hirley”
ness, tl
It W£
nd frei
men, too. Genes have nothing
ll - . an apt de
Society’s continual suppon|n|he Wee
myth of total male superiorit)iii|r of “Rich
will do nothing but perpetuateilcast of fc
truth. People grow and are ipk essenc
society’s expectations, andifw
expected to be equal to ment|
areas, they probably would be
I’m not saying we’re tc
There are some wonderful
between the sexes, and some
which males typically excell,suti;
sical strength (before I'm
quartered, there are weak®
strong women, also).
1 lowever, intellectually,then
evidence to support a belief that
bility for equality probably*]
further developed through i
societal expectations.
However, if we persist in
that happenings such as a *
space are phenomenal occur
true equality — such as thai
through thoughts and actions
through mere words in acoi
will never become a reality.
Maybe someday we’ll evengtn
ch Is E
eMemo:
nmer Dir
be playir
■ay.
he plot i
ling; the
e play
h Gins
told t
hat he
worker I
ctually
s into i
Indian tribes neeotlh
to help themselve
byj. B. Blosser
United Press International
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Gherokee
Chief Ross Swimmer says the federal
government has grown weary of funnel-
ing bail-out funds to American Indians
who cannot manage their money and
care for themselves.
Until now Indians mismanaged and
misplaced their funds but always feigned
a “dumb Indian” attitude and got a sym-
pathic ear from Washington, the chief
said.
“I think the federal government is
about fed up with it,” Swimmer said in an
interview.
For the satisfaction of self-sufficiency
and to prepare for what could soon be an
end to free-flowing government funds,
Indian tribes must take over responsibil
ity for their people, the principal chief of
the Cherokees said.
But Swimmer argues with Interior
Secretary James Watt’s suggestion the
government has created “a false eco
nomy” and dependency among Indians.
Instead, the chief contends, government
aid has provided educational opportuni
ties and decent housing.
“I don’t see anything wrong with
that,” Swimmer said. “The dependency
comes in when, once the person gets a
new house, he doesn’t know what to do
with it.
“We’ve got to go the next step and
help them help themselves.”
Swimmer also contends tribes must
become more involved in business in
terests to survive: “Indian tribes have be
come big business. Tribes are developing
their own resources that will someday
supplement, if not take the place of fed
eral resources.
“It’s not just a way of getting money to
buy our way out of our problems,” Swim
mer said. “We develop more jobs, we
solve a whole bunch of problems.
“When you put people to work they
feel better about themselves, they don’t
get sick as much, their kids are better
educated. It seems it just creates a feeling
of self-worth. Kids have a better role
model in working parents.”
The Cherokee Nation is a major em
ployer with an industry in Stillwell, it
owns a restaurant and motel in Tahle-
quah, and holds 40,000 acres of land
slowly being recycled from wasteland to
production acreage. About 500 people
work at tribal headquarters in Tahle-
quah, overseeing programs and develop
ing new tribal projects.
“That kind of long-range planning
has got to be done by tribes all over the
country,” the Cherokee chief said.
Just as important. Swimmer said, his
tribe is learning to efficiently use federal
funds.
About 3,000 Indians are involved in
the Cherokees’ nutritional support, or
foodstamp, program for women and
children. Summer programs employ 200
to 300 youths.
The tribe also financed and utilized
volunteer labor to lay a water line serving
more than two dozen families.
“It’s a whole cycle,” Swimmer said.
“You cut back (the number of people un
employed) and you need less federal
aid.”
People and problems begin to take
care of themselves, he said.
“That entails building a real economy
in Indian Country. That doesn’t happen
overnight.
“I see tribal leadership around the
country as being in the dark ages. They
are not moving fast enough to get qual
ified people into (leadership) positions
by S<
Bat
I Coll
lil hea
_jesday
(before the federal governmaM^.S 61 a
draws help),” Swimmer said. i
Currently there are abouto!
gistered Cherokees, twice asm
1979. Swimmer expects them
climb to 80,000 as Indians been
aware of their heritage andi
tribal affairs.
The people have always
je largt
t is
1)00, w
unity c
ses, pa
ment.
IXf
r ay:
but they were not aware of tril
ties,” he said.
Part of the chief’s job ism;
people aware of what theirtribi;
ment can do for them.
“Being an Indian chieftodaytl
business leader,” Swimmer
Getting there is a combination^
tics and business savvy.
At 39, Swimmer is seeking
term as chief. A recent bout wi
put Swimmer’s campaign for«
nited P
LURI
pped
“When you put people
they feel better about thei
they don’t get sick as mu
kids are better educated.'
Ross Swimmer
Ul
_ nited P
USTIN
Wedr
mun
sentei
a formt
bbery
lienee
leTex;
ils said
ie erre
| about
Williams
in question for a time. A cleaiHthe sla
health last February put himBconfes
ballot. ■ents
First elected in 1975, Swiimw^ er >'
tribe’s second chief since
agreed to allow tribes to electtkMJ^
In 1906 Congress forced Indiaf
solve their tribal councils andi
chief appointed by the presided
In 1971, William Keeler,wW
25 years as appointed and ele#
cipal chief, became the first mi«j
election in a general vote. Since
tribal council has been renewp
deputy chiefs position was ere#
Swimmer wears business suits
law degree and is the presidi
Tahlequah bank.
And he is only one-quarterflf
He said there is no limit “on
blood” for the chief but “therefe
some.
“In the last 100 years thereto
very few, if any, full blood Cl«
that have been chief.”
■
Berry’s
Th»«xf
Connor.
Qlufunt*
"I hope those people in the moon s-’;
there are from another planet and not
for DIOXIN!”