Page 2/The Battalion/Monday, November 21, 1983
Reagan’s Asian trip
yields gifts galore
by Helen Thomas
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Backstairs at the
White House:
It isn’t every day that the president of
the United States telephones a reporter
to answer questions.
But Alfreda Madison of Black Media,
representing 31 newspapers, who got jd
call from President Reagan, says she
wanted a face-to-face interview and felt
short-changed.
Some time ago, Madison asked for an
interview and when told it could be done
by telephone, she turned it down.
But the president called the reporter a
few days before he took off on his Asian
swing and Madison was chagrined. The
call came as she was heading out the door
of her home, and she said that she was
unprepared.
But she did discuss with Reagan his
views on affirmative action. She later said
Reagan was “highly unprepared.”
Madison later brought up the question
of her interview at a morning news brief
ing with deputy press secretary Larry
Speakes.
“Why wasn’t I notified you set up an
interview?” she asked Speakes. “You
seem to be operating on a ‘plantation
mentality.’”
She said, “I think it was insulting and
discriminating.”
She said she felt she could have co
vered more ground in a face-to-face in
terview.
“Thank you for your views,” said
Speakes.
He later said Reagan was busy prepar
ing for his trip and took time out to make
the telephone call. Speakes said that
Reagan has called very few reporters on
the phone to give interviews.
Itai-wan street where the bargains were
plentiful.
Secret Service agents were captivated
by the brass beds, buying 15 of them. The
beds, plus shipping costs, ran about $300.
In. the states, they would cost about
$1,000.
One member of the presidential party
bought three brass beds.
Designer polo shirts, selling for $2,
were a big hit. Copies of famous French
designer tote bags, suitcases and purses,
and porsche sunglasses were other hot
sellers.
In Tokyo, the Sony Watchman minia
ture televisions sold like hotcakes, adding
to the trade imbalance.
The pilot of the chartered press plane
had to go the full length of the runaway
to take off, and jokingly told the passen
gers, “One more polo shirt and we
couldn’t have made it.”
Nancy Reagan is going to stay in touch
with the two Korean youngsters, Ahn Ji
Sook and Lee Kil Woo, she brought back
home from Seoul with her so that they
could have heart surgery.
The children, who are now in St. Fran
cis Hospital in Rosyln, N.Y., were given
stuffed animals as a farewell gift. She has
had contact with the hospital and wants to
see them again after their surgery before
they return home.
Guild gives Fritz bad press
as officers oppose members
by Art Buchwald
The Asian journey is over but the
memory lingers on and the jet lag even
longer.
Most of the White House aides and
members of the press corps were drag
ging days after the^rreturned from the
16,000-mile trip with more than 30 hours
in the air.
They also have a bounty of personal
purchases and Christmas gifts accumu
lated on a quick shopping tour of Seoul’s
Dale Portner is a Fredericksburg, Va.,
junior high school varsity basketball
coach who saw “The Chemical People,” a
public broadcasting film on teen-age
drug abuse featuring Nancy Reagan. He
also has the first lady’s powerful support
in a dispute with school and community
officials.
It seems that Portner reportedly said at
a group meeting that 70 percent of the
varsity team members are regular drink
ers. After some of the team members and
parents complained, he voluntarily res
igned as coach.
Mrs. Reagan wrote a letter to Portner
commending him “for his honesty and
forthrightness and saying she has been
stunned by the magnitude of this epide
mic,” press secretary Sheila Tate said.
Letters:
Give seniors exams
Editor:
The letter by Scott Murray and his 35
co-signers shows a modest amount of im
agination, some misinformation and very
little logic.
First, with grades of graduating
seniors due before exam week (indeed,
with graduation scheduled before exam
week), I find it difficult to say that exemp
tion is optional. Yes, apparently one can
give a “final” exam to a graduating senior
prior to final grades, but that disrupts the
entire teaching process, especially when
over half the class may be graduating
seniors.
Second, an entire course must be de
signed to meet deadlines for senior
grades. Basically, I lost two weeks of
laboratory because of this. What is two or
three weeks you ask, reminding us of the
four or five years in a college career? I
respond — a lot, when you only are in any
one class for 15 weeks!
Third, excusing graduating seniors
from final exam means dual standards
are used for that course. Is that fair to the
other students in the class?
Fourth, traditions have often been set
aside or rescinded to the benefit of insti
tutions. I find it difficult to believe that
excusing graduating seniors from final
exams has contributed much to the great
ness of this University.
Fifth, excusing graduating seniors
from finals had its beginning in a situa
tion that no longer exists. Take your pick:
either the tradition began so that stu
dents could volunteer for duty during
World War II; or it related to the senior
ity system of the armed forces where a
few days could make a difference.
Sixth, since the Corps constitutes less
than 7 percent of the student body, I do
not believe their extra activities should
dictate the policies for the remainder of
the student body.
Finally, consider the graduating
seniors, though perhaps few in number,
who must earn a certain grade to be eligi
ble for graduation but are a bit below the
needed grade(s) when senior grades are
due. These students will not graduate
with their class because they lack this final
opportunity to meet the needed stan
dards.
I am proud of Texas A&M and the 17
years I have taught here. That doesn’t
mean we can’t improve, including drop
ping some out-dated traditions.
Keith A. Arnold
College of Agriculture senator
The Newspaper Guild has endorsed
Fritz Mondale as its presidential candi
date. Actually, the leaders of the News
paper Guild endorsed him — the mem
bership was not consulted. Many mem
bers of the guild are very angry that their
leaders took a position in the presidential
campaign.
I thought there would be jubilation in
the Mondale camp when the Newspaper
Guild gave the nod to their man. But it
was just the opposite.
“This is an absolute disaster,” said one
of Mondale’s people. “We’ve been blind
sided.”
“How can you say that? The Newspap
er Guild is a powerful union and its mem
bers control much of the news fit to print.
You should be thrilled they came out for
your boy so early.”
“The members didn’t come out for our
boy — the guild officers came out for
him, and the rank and file are mad as
hell. Do you know what is going to hap
pen? The members will clobber Mondale
just to prove they haven’t gone in the
tank.”
“I didn’t think of that. You don’t be
lieve they would purposely slant their
stories against him just to assert their in
dependence?”
“They could do something worse —
ignore him. And if they do write about
him they’ll be harder on Mondale than
anybody else. If they are not, their editors
will think they’re following the Newspap
er Guild party line.”
“I think you’re right,” I said. “I frankly
don’t believe a Newspaper Guild should
support any presidential candidate. Af
ter all, what can a president do for the
press, anyway? The worst candidates
have given us our best stories, and the
best ones haven’t given us any stories at
all. Why do you think the guild officers
stuck thier necks out?”
The Mondale man said, “We suspect
someone from the other side was behind
alter they endorsed him, McGovemtBj 15a
plained he never got a decent story is y‘
papers again.” ' J Irk E
it.
“When you say the other side are you
talking about Mondale’s Democratic riv
als or the Republicans?”
“In a presidential primary everybody
is on the other side.”
“Perhaps you’re overreacting.”
The Mondale aide said, “The last time
the Newspaper Guild supported a pres
idential candidate was in 1972 when they
came out for McGovern. Look what hap
pened to him.”
“I forgot McGovern. Funny enough
“It isn't funny. The same thingt(^y aiJ
happen to Mondale.”
1 guess your best bet would bed
pudiate the guild endorsement.Afu
you don’t have to take every political
sing that comes along.”
“It may be too late. We shouldtj
turned it down when it was first
to us. Now it’s going to be hardtogeiB.
rank-and-file guild members toM Uee
leaning over backwards to showifte w
don’t support Fritz.” Bus.
“I notice where many guild met tfcirou
have already notified their leaders
they don’t support Mondale. Isn’t
good sign?” I asked.
“Yeah, but those reporters will got
farther out of their way to show
mean it.
“There must be some wayyoucaH{
fair shake from the newspaperpeopl;
spite of the fact they endorsed
“Any ideas?”
“H ow about this one? Why dot!
Mondale announce ‘If I amelectedpi
dent, I will let the press go to Grenai
. /
Barbeque in bad taste
Editor:
We of the Humane Society are con
cerned about some of the traditions that
come and go involving animals in Texas
A&M campus life. Usually, the treatment
of animals is very kind and thoughtful,
but, sometimes, not very thoughtful and
definitely not very kind.
The latest tradition that worried us
was keeping a bonfire “mascot” and then
consuming him as the main course at a
bonfire barbeque, after keeping him as a
pet and naming him.
After looking into this issue a bit, it was
discovered that this was not thought of
too highly by school officials, especially in
President Vandiver’s office, and to our
understanding a stop has been put to bar-
bequing “Zippo.” We applaud President
Vandiver’s action and that of the people
in his office regarding the humane treat
ment of all animals concerned in this bon
fire and all student activities.
Hopefully, if people learn to treat
dumb animals with respect, people will
treat animals of a higher intellect, human
beings, with respect.
Slouch by Jim Earle
5NAV)
veu
(-(OOSTOM ' ^
“...and therefore, I think you
can see that if these things hap
pen we could be in the running
for the Bluebonnet Bowl.”
British government relaxes
restraint for NATO exercises
Follow the leader? While many Amer
ican reporters cursed the Reagan admi
nistration’s Grenada gag rule last week,
the British government of Margaret
Thatcher tried to make amends to Fleet
Street for a similar restriction during the
Falkland Islands crisis of 1982.
Under new guidelines issued in time
for NATO exercises in West Germany
last week, 50 journalists were formally
“accredited” to an armored division and
fitted in full combat dress. Britian’s
Ministry of Defense saH it intendK
find some middle ground between^
tricted press freedom and total r "
control.
Nonetheless, reporters were a
neither to approach senior officers#
roam freely abount the battle!
Though free from complete censorsl
they received a “stop list” of sensitives
ject areas. Afterward, the govern®
said it was willing to ease its rules
again.
Pam King
Brazos County Humane Society
End racist traditions
Editor:
Once again the date of bonfire is
approaching. This year seems like it will
be a good year for Aggieland. Aggie spir
its will be raided at bonfire as they always
are. However, this year there are some
students who would like to see some
changes.
The first change we would like to see is
an end to “slave sales” as a form of money
raising. Many feel these sales are discri
minatory and racist-oriented. It is a dis
couragement to black and white students'
alike to be taunted with the past and the
slavery issue as if it were something to be
proud of.
The next change we would like to see is
the removal of the confederate flag from
Corps marching units. The confederacy
only stood for one thing — slavery. This,
too, is nothing to be proud of.
In the wake of a changing environ
ment at Aggieland, it would be most
appropriate for these changes to be
made. Many students see slave sales and
the confederate flag as minute details
that need not be changed. They are seen
as part of tradition. However, there are
those of us who feel that this type of tradi
tion should be forgotten. To us, these are
reminders of a very tainted past which
has become an embarrassment to Amer
ican History.
We would very much appreciate your
help in making these changes and hope
you see them as changes for the better.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member ot
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Stephen Weiss ’84
(Editor’s note: This letter was accompa
nied by 66 signatures.)
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