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rrimi, \wiiuTnTO ;n\ miwvi i. H m ta I IhmHHhhhIH ■SBMHHHHjHHI I 1 Page 2/The Baltalion/Thursday, December 1,1983 t 'i s . : , l Letters: Racism all in the point of view Editor: This letter concerns the recent letters written about the confederacy (with a lit tle “c“). I have on occasion tried to make others understand my feelings and per ceptions of the “old south”, slave auc tions, etc. However, it seems futile to try to make some people understand that those feelings and perceptions are as (if not more) sincere and legitimate than their own. So I will try not dwell too long on my perceptions (per se), nevertheless, I will venture to say yes, there were racists and slaveowners on both sides of the civil war. There were probably some aboli tionists in the south who fought for the confederacy thinking that this would bring about freedom for all men includ ing blacks. However, the existence of slavery in this country was primarily in the south. Thus, that region of the nation is often blamed for the institution which it supported. The confederate flag is ob viously a symbol of the “old south” and the lifestyle associated with it; therefore when people look at the flag they may see the symbol of a “noble way of life and freedom” whereas others see the prop agation of slavery and the oppression of a race. It appears to be a matter of what side of the fence you are on. I know which side I would like to be on. Additionally, it was stated that the in stitution was going to be done away with eventually by “the south” if “the south” had its way. 300 years give or take a cen tury is quite a wait. search. We want to discover things other people do not want to get into. But has anyone heard anything on leading the way in undergraduate programs? Has there been any news on hiring well known professors who set up great undergraduate programs? To make Texas A&M a World University do we need a certain percentage of professors who have come from foreign nations and can barely speak English? Dr. Arthur E. Martell came out and said, “We put too much emphasis on undergraduate prog rams and not enough on graduate prog rams,” in The Batt. on Oct. 26. Please do not misunderstand, research and graduate programs are an important part of a World University. Without well established people in these areas, the University would not do as well. But with out a good, strong undergraduate prog ram (which is the building block for gra duate school) the people that continue their studies will have a harder time. Peo ple sometimes forget institutes of higher education only used to have undergradu ate programs. Joe Calao ’86 Team great despite re cord Kevin Johnson Undergrads needed too Editor: In recent times this University has been calling for “World University: The Cambridge of the South.” We want to become leaders in technology and re- Editor: Just a little note to say thanks for a hell of an exciting year! It’s been a long time since we have been as excited about a football team as we were about you, the 1983 Aggies. No matter how well you do in the future — and we are sure you will do well (Cotton Pickin’ Aggies) — we would like to congratulate you on this season. Whatever the record shows, you have proven to us that you are real win ners and that you possess the abilities to stay that way. Looking forward to seeing you next year — Good Luck! Seniors ’84 Ronnie, Vanessa, Jeff, Roger, Diane Here and now briefs: Protests and politics By Maxwell Glen and Cody Shearer WASHING LON-When 27 Universi ty of Michigan students occupied a cam pus radiation laboratory two weeks ago, they vowed to remain until the adminis tration ceased its participation in milit ary- and defense-related research. Just 48 hours later, the students ended their vigil voluntarily — and unsuccessfully. Though the protest may have seemed a throwback to more turbulent times, it had a relevant purpose. Military-related research dollars comprise a growing share of campus research funds. In addi tion to discomfort about the ends of milit ary research, students and faculty worry that institutions of higher education have adopted the Pentagon as their chief life line. Reagan administration and environmen tal groups is only a temporary cease-fire. Activists say they’ll take aim in January at Richard Francis, the president’s choice to lead the Solar Energy and Conservation Board, created in 1980 to help subsidize solar and energy conservation projects. “It’s the same old story,” said Scott Sklar, political director of Solar Lobby, an interest group here. “The president nominates a man who wants to destroy the agency he’s been hired to save.” Of course, the Ann Arbor school’s re fusal to surrender to the “Progressive Student Network” was no surprise. In 1982 alone, the University of Michigan enjoyed more than $4.09 million in con trasts with the Department of Defense. Judy Goldsmith’s National Organiza tion for Women has declared an all-out war on the allstate Insurance Co. Charg ing that Allstate pays its female em ployees and agents less than their male counterparts, NOW announced a nation wide boycott of the Sears, Roebuck sub- isdiary. Picketing has already begun in Indiana. Last year, NOW blamed defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment on insurance industry opposition and subsequently pledged to pass federal legislation ban ning sex-based insurance rates. But according to an annual Pentagon report, more than 250 colleges and uni versities received a total of $1.5 billion in project money last year. Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Boston’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology topped the list by a wide margin, with contracts totaling $235 million and $216 million, respectively. Even small schools such as Ohio’s Denison University were on the take($40,000). RIGHT OF WAY: Everyone has a favorite story about Washington’s absur dities. Here’s ours: It was 21 years ago that local and federal governments opened Dulles Airport in Virginia, about 25 miles from downtown Washington. It is just this week that a direct road from downtown to the airport is being opened. Meanwhile, according to Stanford University President Donald Kennedy, non-defense research dollars, the vast majority of which come from Uncle Sam, have decreased 40 percent since 1968. Kennedy believes that the trend must be reversed for the sake of “hardheaded na tional interest.” One man’s national security is another man’s idea of economic shortsightedness. Have we rejiggered our research priori ties at the expense of beneficial civilian programs? While airport customers can use the road at any time of the day, rush-hour commuters must travel in vehicles car ring three or more occupants; single passenger autos must carry a special $2 orange sticker; a computer at Dulles will monitor vehicles to distinguish commu ters from travelers. The saving grace? Both the Federal Aviation Administration, which owns the airport and the road, and the Virginia Highway Patrol say they lack the man power to stop errant vehicles. A private group, the Scientific Man power Gommission, flashed a warning recently to those who believe the nation’s the lowest salaries among their peers. The current peace between the Musical messages inspire mad, subliminal shopping nited Pres IPACE CE1 [Tic shuttle ty \acuuin ■ass and n chers on By Art Buchwald According to newspaper reports, sub liminal messages are now being inserted into music played in retail stores to get people to buy things. Several companies are producing tapes for clients which have secret messages in them to attack the shopper’s brain and unconsciously moti vate him to buy a product he hadn’t plan ned to purchase. I was very skeptical about this infor mation until I went to a shopping mall last Saturday. The music being piped into the mall was Christmas carols, intended to get the people in a holiday mood. I stopped to buy a chocolate chip cookie, when suddenly something pos sessed me. While the loudspeaker blared out “We Wish you a Merry Christmas,” I blurted out the word “Underwear.” Everyone in the line looked at me. I grrabbed the man behind me by the lapels and said, “I’ve got to have under wear.” He pushed my hands away, “So what are you standing in the chocolate chip cookie line for? Go to a men’s shop.” I dashed down the mall and stopped a uniformed security guard. “Under wear!” I screamed at him. “Give me underwear.” He wasn’t sure whether to arrest me or give me directions. Finally he pointed me to a large menswear store at the end of the mall. Two salesmen were standing at the door smiling. One said to the other, “Here comes another one.” Then he said, before I could speak, ‘T hird counter to the left, but you have to take a number and wait your turn.” I he underwear counter was jammed with people, all screaming and shouting. I said to a man next to me, “Maybe there won’t be any left by the time my number is called. What am I going to do if I can’t buy any underwear?” “Do you need some that badly?” he asked. “I didn’t think so, but suddenly I got this craving for underwear while 1 was waiting to buy a chocolate chip cookie.” “I came into the mall to buy pizza and the same thing happened to me.” My number was called and I bought 50 jockey shorts and 50 undershirts. That’s all they would sell me. I walked out of the store and stopped to look at an artist doing charcoal sketch es of children. While I was watching, someone was singing “Jingle Bells” over the loud speaker. The word “Wok” lit up in my brain. My eyes became desperate and I started sear- atmosf n earliei thing for a wok store. I rushed lady at the information booth,but I could blurt it out she said,“Wok found in the basement of the dq store at the end of the building. “How did vou know 1 wanteda “Everyone wants a wok whentl ‘Jingle Bells.’” “You mean you have a secret in ‘Jingle Bells’?” “Of course. Today il’s woks,tot M they it’s wax for your floor.” ■ mapp fted portio “I don’t need a wok,” 1 said. “Then put your hands overyom * te 111 and you won’t get a message.” at her schedule. “‘White Christina! home computers.” “I don’t need a home coni| either.” “You don’t think Crosby sings it.” you do “Do I have time to buy achocolat cookie?” “It depends. After ‘White they’re playing ‘Silent Night’and going to be an awful crush for knotted Chinese rugs at the end mall.” (ins Kids learn from risk taking By Children’s Express United Press International SALEM, Mass. — Project Adventure started to help people get more confi dence in themselves. When you’re doing it, you’re building up something inside of you. You’re building self-confidence and trying different things instead of doing the same things you’ve been doing. “For example,” said Karl Rohnke, the director of Project Adventure, “imagine standing by yourself on top of a 30-foot pole with not much to stand on and you have to dive for a trapeze that hangs out in front of you. There’s a lot of decision making that goes on inside. You look at it and you think, ‘There’s no way that I could make that.’But then you try and you find out it’s not quite as hard as it looks.” comes down we get the group together and talk about some of the things we’re striving for, and point out that although the person who said the comment was probably trying to get the other person to do it, that if they were up there they wouldn’t want to hear it. It’s not suppor tive at all.” The students are not made to do any thing. It’s all their own will. If they want to do it, they can. “And some of the pro jects are just plain stunts,” Rohnke added. “It’s important that fun as they’re doing this prog!) I ( t h e C ) !'> you re up on a pole and every day, you’re not going to come to class. ' ‘ Project Adventure is a breai gym courses like basketball and vol and baseball. You don’t have tocoi M It tries to get people to challenge Y ( selves. “It allows you to overcome: S that you might think would beimp I \/^ to do,” Rohnke said. ibservati le emph f the nir on switc IT isc inked Pre: STIN — extren algas”re if the L( imeed W of Tex ie explo ' analyse e Instit lirect e n reserv n as the his is th( bund, v rized an Despite all the fanfare associated with his latest appointment, Interior Secretary William Clark may have some politicking to do at his new agency. When a visitor to Interior recently asked an employee for the whereabouts of Clark’s office, the em ployee responded, “Secretary Clark? Why don’t you try the seventh floor?” Clark’s office is on the sixth floor. Project Adventure does activites based on a “survival school” called “Outward Bound.” They do things like jumping off ropes and out of trees. It lasts for 26 days. Project Adventure is like that except they don’t do it for 26 days constantly, living at the area. They do it at school. “We’re trying to get to a point in a physical education program where stu dents come in and have no idea what we’re going to present to them,” Rohnke told us. Some of the things Project Adventure has are “ropes, beams, and cross country skis — we’ve even used parachutes,” Rohnke said. His favorite thing is the “tension traverse, which is walking across a cable, holding onto a rope and the cable’s over mud. If you miss, there’s a real consequence.” There are about 15 people in the groups. People have to spot each other and they have to encourage them. It also helps you build up confidence in other people. We asked Rohnke what happens if a person makes fun of another person. “Say you get somebody up on a high element,” he replied. “He’s having trou ble making the decision to do something and one of the kids down below says, ‘Come on, you chicken.’ After the student The Battalion USPS 045 360 Memtvr ol Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Hope E. Paasch City Editor Kelley Smith Assistant City Editor Karen Schrimsher Entertainment Editor.... Rebeca Zimmermann Assistant Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra News Editors Brian Boyer, Kathy Breard, Kevin Inda, Tracey Taylor, Chris Thayer, Kathy Wiesepape Photo Editor Eric Evan Lee Staff Writers Robin Black, Brigid Brockman, Bob Caster, Ronnie Crocker, Elaine Engstrom, Kari Fluegel, Tracie Holub, Bonnie Langford, John Lopez, Kay Denise Mallett, Christine Mallon, Michelle Powe, Stephanie Ross, Angel Stokes, Steve Thomas, John Wagner, Karen Wallace, Wanda Winkler Copy Editors Kathleen Hart, Susan Talbot Cartoonists Paul Dirmeyer, Scott McCullar Photographers Michael Davis, John Makely, Dave Scott, Dean Saito, Cindi Tackitt The Battalion also serves as a labontOn tor students in reporting, editing and photoftf ses w ithin the Department of Comiminicati# Questions or comments concerning matter should be directed to the editor. 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