Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, October 4, 1983
t
MSC speaker approval
significance exaggerated
.ROGER, CONTINENTAL. NLNER ZERO,
YOU'RE CLEAR VXM BANKRUPTCY
EAS1ERN TW) N1NER, CLEAR FOR
BANKRUPTCY, VECTOR ONE, OVER
PARK IN BRANIFF HANGAR.
by Tad. C. Pruitt
Although I am not a member of the
Memorial Student Center Council, or the
MSC Endowed Lecture Series, I am a
member of another MCS Committee. I
am actively involved in MSC OPAS and
therefore, take the time to find out how
things work at the MSC. With this back
ground, I wish to make three statements
concerning the editorial, by Hope E.
Paasch, regarding the Endowed Lecture
Series speakers.
First, Ms. Paasch erroneously implies
readers forum
that in granting speaker approval (for
former Presidents Carter and Nixon,
and Yale law professor Eugene Rostow)
the MSC Council gave its final approval
to the entire project. In reality, a speaker
approval only gives permission to extend
an invitation and begin discussions with
the speakers. It does not grant permis
sion to pay whatever fees are requested,
regardless of the circumstances. I would
also add that because of this tentative
ness, speaker approval is a rather insigni
ficant, preliminary event, and thus, hard
ly deserves a front page story.
Secondly, Ms. Paasch implies, again
erroneously, that the Endowed Lecture
Series would bring former President
Carter even if he refused to discuss Salt II
(the tentative subject for the series being
“Arms Negotiations from SALT to
START). This is simply not true. The
Endowed Lecture Series would not bring
Carter, just because he’s a “big name,” if
he would not speak on the designated
subject.
Finally, Ms. Paasch agreed with facul
ty and Council member Bob Stalcup’s
opinion that because Nixon disgraced
the country, the MSC should not invite
him and pay him $20,000 for his appear
ance. Nixon is being invited not because
he disgraced the country, but rather be
cause he is an expert on arms negotia
tions. He remains this, regardless of his
other actions. And, it would be no diffe
rent than paying a top Soviet expert to
come speak on the topic. Although we
might not like him, or agree with his com-
mmunist views, he would still be an ex
pert in the field.
Students’ whining
won’t change things
(Editor’s note: Donn Friedman is a
fourth-year journalism student
from Alief)
by Donn Friedman
Bombs falling in Beirut, Russians
blowing commercial jet liners out of the
friendly skies, but the Texas A&M foot
ball team still loses to Texas Tech and
students still go to class — and the
Twelfth Man still stands ready.
Texas A&M life isn’t important — not
football, not studies, not even the bonfire
— when compared with recent events in
the world. People here don’t realize how
unimportant they really are. They are so
inactive, so blase, that they don’t even
notice.
But they seem to be happy enough
even though incompetence is every-
readers forum
where. Nobody notices or reacts except
by whining.
The sign at the front of the Texas
A&M campus should read, “Home of the
whining Aggies.”
Aggies whine about parking.
Aggies whine about the regents.
Aggies whine about the football team.
But they do nothing. Or get slapped
down when they do.
It’s time for the Twelfth Man to get
out of its ready stance. It’s time for the
Twelf th Man to get in the real ball game.
The regents know the real ball game
here — they play it alone. They listen to
the cheering of the Twelfth Man — but
don’t hear when the Twelfth cries out a
suggestion or a complaint.
Look what happened last Tuesday
when three students requested to talk to
the regents about a professor they
thought was being forced out of the Uni
versity. Chairman of the Board Bum
Bright denied the three permission. But
when former regent Ford Albritton came
in with a $500,000 gift — Bright did not
deny him the right to address the board.
The $500,000 for the bell tower which
Albritton is donating to the University
could be better used by providing an en
dowed teaching chair or an endowed
scholarship fund. Instead Albriton’s gift
will be used to chime away a “teensy
weency flower bed” which lightens up the
former main entrance to the campus.
The Regents had time to listen to him,
but not to the students ... they were told
to go through proper channels.
The Regents should be servants of the
University System, and the system exists
for the benefit of the students. The Re
gents should be serving the students, and
the only way to serve a group is to listen to
what the group’s members have to say.
But they don’t listen. So most students
sit back and don’t say.
And if an individual student keeps
talking, the Regents will keep not listen
ing. But if the students begin to talk, the
Regents will have to listen.
The administration wants this to be a
World University. The world needs a
world university, especially if people sit
back ready, but not willing to act. Man
kind is run by an oligarchy. And a world
university would be a perfect place to
base such an oligarchy.
Most people sit back and live day to
day, whining but not ever fighting for
their wants and needs.
So either look and see the world —
And think, then act. Or else someone else
will run the world for you.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Hope E. Paasch
Managing Editor Beverly Hamilton
City Editor. Kelley Smith
Assistant City Editor Karen Schrimsher
Sports Editor Melissa Adair
Entertainment Editor .... Rebeca Zimmermann
Assistant Entertainment Editor Shelley
Hoekstra
News Editors Brian Boyer, Kathy Breard,
Tracey Taylor,
Chris Thayer,
Kathy Wiesepape
Photo Editor Eric Evan Lee
Staff Writers Brigid Brockman,
Ronnie Crocker,
John Lopez,
Christine Mallon,
Michelle Powe,
Ann Ramsbottom,
Stephanie Ross,
Angel Stokes, John Wagner,
Wanda Winkler
Copy Editors Kathleen Hart, Kristal Mills,
Susan Talbot
Cartoonists Paul Dirmeyer,
Scott McCullar
Photographers Brenda Davidson,
Michael Davis, Guy Hood,
John Makely, Dean Saito
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper
lor 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 lor
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 telephone number of the writer.
Columns and guest editorials also are 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 (409) 845-
2611.
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 is published Monday through Friday
during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holi
day and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are
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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 new* dispatches credited
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reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX
77843.
Letters: 92K listener responsiv
note: The following letters are the last
ones The Battalion will run concerning
92 KTAW-FM. Anyone who still
wishes to address the issue may contact
the radio station management.)
Editor:
Peggy C. McCullen Schlain ’79
Copywriter/Production Manager
92 KTAW-FM
Hiney ads getting old
Editor:
The following is a response to a letter
printed in your editorial column on Sep
tember 28, 1983.
In response to D.K. Petty’s letter
printed September 28 in The Battalion
let me just say...I couldn’t agree with him
(her?) more about the poor quality of
radio station 92, KTAW. On top of the
fact that their commercials are played on
a seemingly endless basis, I ask: how
many more Hiney beer advertisements
can we stand? Those ads are supposed to
be cute and risque, whereas they end up
as nothing more than tacky.
Give me Moby in the morning on 97
Rock any day. At least he comes right out
and says what he means without making
plays on words such as “hiney“.
Jean Hendrick ’85
Enough Top 40 music
Editor:
In response to “B-CS in need of a
listener responsive rock radio station,” I
am responding to Mr. Petty, an unsatis
fied listener.
First of all 92K is supported by local,
regional and national advertisers, not by
you the listener. We play commercial
material because it is our livelihood. Af
ter all, we are a business. But Mr. Petty,
we are not in the business just to make
another dollar, we air quite a bit of mate
rial that is non-paid for advertising in the
form of public service announcements.
We are a public service entity in that we
keep our listeners informed concerning
items of interest, like local rock concerts,
local university and high school func
tions, sports scores, ticket exchange and
availability, social functions, weather,
and highly important civil defense in
structions in the event of an emergency.
Those are to name a few.
Granted, we play more commercial
material than the stations you compared
us to. But those are major market stations
Mr. Petty, who charge from eight to ten
times the amount we charge local spon
sors to air commericial material. We are
not a major market station, we are
medium market, and we push 3,000
watts, not 100,000. It takes more paid for
commercial material to keep our station
on the air than one with higher rates.
Concerning UPI WORLD NEWS, we
have not aired UPI WORLD NEWS since
June 13, 1983. We took it off the air and
replaced it with a 92 second news break
hourly because we are listener responsive
and our listeners indicated a need for less
news. Although you do not prefer to lis
ten to news on the radio, some of our
listeners do. And we do cater to more
than one type of listener. We have such a
versatile listening audience that we try to
please more than one category. Most ma
jor market stations can target one specific
listening audience. We cannot do that.
We do respond to our listeners, espe
cially if they show concern in the form of
writing to us personally with a telephone
number or an address that we can re
spond to. Our doors are always open if
.you come in person, and we welcome
your phone calls.
Glen Johnson ’78
What happened to
team?
Editor:
WARNING-Reading this letter with
out a sense of humor could be hazardous
to my health.
Here are a few disturbing observa
tions from the 13th man (a confirmed
Sunday morning quarterback):
1. Something is wrong.
2. We aren’t winning.
3. We want to win.
4. It’s not that funny, is it?
5. The players can’t be that bad.
6. The coaches can’t be that bad.
7. The 12th man can’t be that bad.
8. The former s .udents’ money can’t
be that bad.
9. Some one must be that bad.
10. If we can figure out who is that bad
we can get rid of the bum (no pun in
tended).
11. I wonder how Emory Bellard is
doing?
12. I wonder how Tom Wilson is
doing?
13.1 wonder how Pitt/USC are doing?
Lost my shirt in Aggieland,
John Sweeney ’82
P.S. Jackie, could you lend me some
money?
—I want to build a bell tower!
Athletic attitudes
shameful
I wish to express my opinion about the
letter directed toward 92 KTAW-FM last
week. I whole-heartedly agree with ev
erything that was said. In fact I can’t say
enough about how much I dislike our
local rock station. And I love rock and
roll music. Like the author of the letter
which ran Wednesday, I exist on Hous
ton’s KLOL and Austin’s KLBJ. If it we
ren’t for cable in this town, I’m sure there
would be more tape players and turnt
ables sold.
To avoid redundancy, I’ll only voice
my dislikes about 92K in areas that we
ren’t mentioned.
First, I hope I never hear another
remote broadcast on this station. It’s sick
ening to hear the cheap banter between
DJs and store owners. Not to mention the
fact that they keep repeating the same
dialogue everytime they go on the air.
Second, 92’s DJs just don’t have any
class'. Why must they yell into the mic
rophone all the time? Must they always be
so dim witted? Please, just play your
music. They definately need real profes
sional DJs and not these young ego man
iacs who insist on exercising their ton
gues.
Finally, feel like I have to re-hash a
previous point. 92K simply plays too
many commercials.
And the low quality of those commer
cials turns me off. As a local merchant, I
can assure you that I would never buy air
time on this station. From the opinions
I’ve heard, everyone else that I know
feels the same way.
P.S. What is the point of taking re
quests if you are going to be rude to the
caller and make sarcastic remarks about
their choice? I know of more than one
instance where this has happened. We’ve
heard enough top 40. Albums have more
than one song on them if you haven’t
noticed.
Editor:
Congratulations to the newlycroi
National Champions Women's Sol
Team. You are truly an outstandiii
flection of Texas A&M University
sure everyone would agree with me
appreciation for you efforts andac 1
ments.
ick
ris Staton, f:
! eye on i
game of
Pc
However, this letter concernsarel ,
topic. My first impression of the aw f ,° ^’"ginc
ceremony at the beginning of a re ; rtment thro ,
football game was of greatadmiratioiljjEFTS'
and of the team. But, after the appBtblue Mijata 10-
and standing ovation, I realized wfomtheZachryE
athletic department viewed the fi t(1
Why did our athletic director notretff 1 maroon Nishi
a representative of the NCAA to
ally present the national award! Tki
my estimation, represents whattheai
tic department really feels aboul
athletic event other than football,
ball or baseball.
e from the fro
Evans Library
navy blue wan
wallet from !
peering Center,
amed a Texa
e, Texas A&M
cash, Texas A&
f book and sev
I am appalled and ashamed oh#wallet from the
attitudes. T hese ladies and otheraW st %le. The i
(men or women) deserve better re™ ^ U1 cas h and
lion for their achievements. ■ Property. I he
fmg basketball at
RGLARY:
Tancredi ster<
Two final comments. CoachShenp
recommend that until the teami
gets on the winning track to remortl
large fans that placed on the sidel
The team is cold enough withoutn
to cool them down further. Secol
please allow the kick-off team (12ti|
an opportunity to make a playt
kick-off rather than kicking into™
zone each time. Believe it or not, tkij
Man team sparked our team indielj
fornia game to a respectful conclusw
the game.
Larry A.1
Slouch
Sa
by Jim Earl
“The laundry is impartial.?''
only do they take from t
and give to the small, butf
take from the small andgitf 1
the big.”