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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1983)
\ iaidt VERY The Batta on Serving the University community pol 78 No. 67 USPS 0453110 10 pages College Station, Texas Tuesday, December 6,1983 yrians warned )f self-defense United Press International JASHINGTON — Secretary of f George Shultz, repeatedly warn- Syria that “we will defend elves,” declared Monday that ricaand its allies will persevere in i Lebanon peace-keeping mis- [he Middle East is now tormented [“great points of tension,” but the led States will keep its Marines in linon, he said. jiultz, who leaves before dawn lo an an eight-day trip to Western J >e and North Africa, told a ed State Department news con- Ince following attacks on U.S. |nes in the multinational force .S. Navy aircraft, “We will de- J ourselves.” ■Ije repeated this phrase emphatic- everal times in his answer to qus- here’s no change anticipated” in [ole of the Marines, White House sman Larry Speakes also said, ng, “No action under the war rs act is necessary”, here’s no plan for them (the nes) to go to a combat role,” kes said. cakes said a warning to Syria to ain from further attacks” on rican spy planes was included in :er sent to the United Nations, !lp. which emphasized that Sunday’s U.S. raid on Syrian positions in Lebanon was a single “measure taken in self- defense in response to Syrian attacks on unarmed U.S. reconnaissance flights.” He said the U.S. surveillance flights pinpointing Syrian positions will con tinue, and the letter told Syria to “re frain from further attacks” on the American aircraft. “They flew yesterday” to assess damage by U.S. strikes, he said, but none were ordered Monday. “We will respond if attacked and we will continue (reconnaissance flights),” Speakes said. Two U.S. light bombers were shot down during the weekend raid laun ched by 28 American attack jets, which knocked out Syrian anti aircraft and missile placements. “The Syrians tell us one airman has died and one is being held,” Speakes said. He said the letter asks the Sy rians to return the airmen lost in the raid. The air strikes were the biggest conducted by the United States since the Vietnam war and the downing of an A-6E and an A-7E marked the first American combat losses of fixed-wing aircraft since that conflict. Early Monday Syrian Ambassador Rafic Jouejati defended his country’s attempts to bring down the surveill ance flights, saying the flights jeopar dized Syrian troops. Jouejati said the body of the airman killed in Sunday’s raid would be re turned through the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, but that the airman taken prisoner, identifed as Lt. Robert Goodman, will not be returned “until the end of the war.” Speakes said the government was in contact with Damascus regarding the lost airmen but would not go into details. Eight Marines were killed and two wounded in shelling on the Beirut air port Sunday 11 hours after U.S. fight er planes bombed Syrian mountain positions. The White House spokesman de fended the propriety of the U.S. re connaissance flights, saying they were undertaken “after an all-out assault on the Marines some months ago. Our objective was to protect the Marines.” The Pentagon reported Monday that analysis showed three major Sy rian positions were hit and almost all the specific targets were either des troyed or damaged in the attack. Speakes said the United States is in Lebanon “for the purpose of restor ing the sovereignty of Lebanon. Our purpose is to see that that happens . and to protect our Marines.” ix of 8 Marines killed fere reported off-duty fA United Press International EIRUT —- On the dusty peri- er of Beirut airport, six off-duty Marines settled in to sleep in the |ty of their reinforced bunker, n they heard the sound of battle, went to help four friends, t was a fatal mistake, heir tiny outpost took a direct hit m a mortar shell Sunday night, ing eight of them. Two others, llycut by shrapnel but not critically ured, were being flown back Mon- to the United States, iood men moved out of protec- unkers and into a fighting posi- L They felt it was the thing to do, I don’t fault ‘em. I wish now they n't,” said their battalion comman- 1 Lt. Col. Ray Smith, his hands ing slightly. jn the Marine base Monday, the earth diggers from the new Sine unit, which arrived two weeks in Lebanon from Grenada, con- led to deepen bunkers. Teams of Marines worked under the sun filling sandbags. “We were very fortunate to take as many rounds as we did and not have more casualties than we had,” Smith said. “If it hadn’t been for a lucky hit we would probably have had no casualties.” All day Sunday, the Marines had been on their highest alert rating — Condition 1 — virtually “leaning for ward in their foxholes” in expectation of an attack after the first U.S. bomb ing run against the Syrian army, according to Marine Commander Brig. Gen. Jim Jov. Night had fallen on the flat U.S. base when a shootout between the Lebanese army and rebel Moslem militiamen spread to include Marine positions on the airport perimeter. “We took small arms fire as close as 100 meters — 23mm (antiaircraft) fire — probably thousands of rounds,” Smith said. “We took rocket- propelled grenades and smaller machine-gun fire from positions 200 to 700 meters away.” At a position near a Lebanese army outpost, a four-man Marine evening watch entered the battle, responding to fire coming from the east and southeast. “We used everything we had, artillery, naval gunfire, tanks,” Smith said. The six off-duty guards of the post — a sniper team, reconnaisance men and a machine-gun crew — soon left their protective bunkers to join the battle. “They heard their buddies in trou ble and went to help them,” one Marine said. “This position should probably not have had more than four men on top,” Joy said. “However, we were on Condition 1, we were heavily en gaged, the men up there were heavily engaged. “A 120mm mortar round hit on top, and we lost eight very fine, young Americans and two wounded in ac-_ tion.” )uadriplegic wishes to die, stifles in Superior Court United Press International IVERSIDE, Calif. — A quadriple- who wants to starve herself to ith with the cooperation of doctors the courts said Monday she re- its the publicity her case has gener- ‘ and wishes only to die in peace. Si inside integer cleared jury it by 01 Around town 6 . AISOj Q ass 'fied ^ intoifEnai;;;;;;;;;:;;;;;;;;;;;;^ Binions 2 )ioc**ir -"“"s ; Sport; lursdaf pm uni Stale at’s up ) Elizabeth Bouvia, 26, handicapped with cerebral palsy since birth, sought a preliminary injunction in Superior Court that would prevent doctors at Riverside General Hospital from force feeding her. Conditions of the requested in- Explosions necessitate evacuation United Press International HIGHLANDS — A wall of flames leaping as high as 100 feet in the air roared through a chemical plant, set ting off explosions every few minutes and prompting fire fighters to evacu ate some 600 people, authorities said. One fire fighter was injured fight ing the huge blaze, which broke out about 7:20 p.m. at Hi-Port Industries, about 30 miles east of Houston, the Department of Public Safety said. Several firefighters were treated for minor smoke inhalation at the scene, but there were no reports of any other serious injuries. Richard Bosley, a fire fighter with the Highlands Volunteer Fire De partment, was listed in satisfactory condition at Gulf Coast Hospital with first-degree hot water burns on his legs, a hospital spokeswoman said. Fire fighters went door-to-door and used a loud speaker to warn resi dents in a 2-mile radius of the 8-acre chemical facility to leave their homes. See BLAZE page 8 junction stipulate that Bouvia be given pain killers while she dies, that hospital employees not be held liable and that her death not be ruled suicide, her attorney said. Bouvia said she checked into the hospital in September because she had no where else to go and wanted to be left alone to starve to death. “Physically, I had no choice. I can not do anything for myself,” Bouvia testified under questioning by her American Civil Liberties Union attor ney, Andrew Roth. “I believe I have fully weighed my alternatives,” Bouvia said. “I’m fully aware of the resources available to me. I chose not use them.” Roth asked if she realizes the con sequences of the court order she seeks. “Ultimately it would be death,” she replied. She later added, “The only thing that irritates me is the media coverage and people trying to tell me my alter- natives and ‘give me a second chance.’” Before Bouvia took the stand, a county attorney insisted she should be denied the right to refuse medical care, saying that would amount to court-sanctioned suicide. “There can be no other definition,” Riverside County Counsel Barbara Milliken said. “Never can there be a right in a civilized society to tell others, over their moral objections, to assist in a suicide. “Certainly people die in a hospital, but they die contrary to the efforts of hospital staff.” Dr. Richard Scott, also represent ing Bouvia, said her wish to die does not impose an immoral demand on anyone else. Silver Taps Tonight Silver Taps will be tonight in honor of Jolie Camille Mailhos. Mailhos, 22, a senior marketing major from Bay City, died Thanksgiving weekend in a plane wreck. The Department of Student Affairs requests that lights turned off at 10:20 p.m. Professor is concerned with senior grade policy by Connie Hutterer Battalion Reporter “I have a little editorial this morning before we begin,” Dr. Murray Milford says to an auditorium full of students in his soil science class. He peers through his black horn- rims, runs his hand across the flat top of his crew cut, and launches into a five-minute speech on “kill week.” “The tradition of turning in senior grades early ain’t what it used to be,” Milford says. The faculty is “chapped” about turning in grades the week be fore classes end, he says, and even though that procedure is not related to the traditional finals exemption, teachers relate the two. The tradition is in danger, he says. Milford suggests delaying gradua tion for a week to relieve that last- minute pressure. He asks his students to see him after class if they have other solutions he can give to the Faculty Senate. “Okay, so much for that...” Milford closes his editorial, and class begins. Milford is concerned about his gra duating seniors — the ones who “come unstuck” during that last week of clas ses, who come to his office “shaking, at the point of exhaustion,” and break down. He wants his students to think about the problem, so he gives them a faculty member’s point of view. Milford is concerned about all of his students: graduating and graduated, present and past. Editorials are his trademark among the agriculture majors, geology stu dents, education majors and others who take Agronomy 301, soil science. Milford’s editorial may be a plug for Silver Taps (he’s Class of ’55), a voter registration drive, a Crime-Stoppers report or his traditional 30-minute fin al message on the world food supply. “I try not to preach,” Milford says. “I don’t tell them they should have the same values I do, but I hope they do have values and opinions, that they be involved.” Students say the editorials are the best part of his class. “1 don’t know if that’s a good sign on my soil science or not,” he says wryly. But Milford uses those occasional lapses from scheduled lecture topics to teach more than the potassium content of soils, deficiency diseases in crops and micro-nutrition. “I want to leave students with a feel ing of responsibility — that they can make a difference in the world, that the survival of mankind depends on what they do,” he says. “If anything will be done in the world, individual people will do it,” he says. Milford makes an effort to learn ab out the individuals in his class. Each student fills out a card on the first day of class, telling his name, major, tele phone number, hometown, faculty adviser, classification and number of years at Texas A&M. During the first week of labs, Mil ford attends each lab session to photo graph each student. “You remember them better if you take the pictures yourself,” he says. The students’ cards and mug shots go into a seating chart Milford uses for the first part of the semester. When he has learned the identity of each of his 150 students, the photos go to his office. At the end of the semester, Mil ford files the pictures according to class, and files the cards alphabetically. Thus, within an arm’s reach of the telephone, Milford has a cross- referenced file of every student he has taught since 1973. Should any of those students call for a reference or for advice on a soil science problem, Mil ford can look the student up by name, then use the semester photo file to re member the caller’s student days. And, yes, he keeps the gradebooks handy, too. As they chat, Milford re freshes his memory. “I do make an effort to know their names while they’re in my class,” Mil ford says, “but after 8,000 students, you forget some.” Milford’s value for the individual also shows in his teaching methods. Because attendance is not required, he says, “...it gives me motivation to do something worthwhile in class.” But with about 150 students each semester, Milford has learned that some simply will not show up to class. “Before the first day of class ends, one or two or three students have de cided ‘I don’t like this guy.’” he says. “If I force them to come to class, it will just increase their animosity to the subject I’m trying to teach. “You can do A work without going to a single class. There are all kinds of ways to learn the material. “There are two, three, four ways to learn each objective.” A condensed version of each lecture is available on tape in the audio tutorial lab Milford has spent many years setting up. Students can listen to the tapes in 24 booths equipped with tape players and slide projectors, or they can bring in blank tapes and make one-minute copies to study at home — or to experiment with sleep learning. Lab sessions and field trips also are taped for students who must juggle schedules or who simply feel the need to take a nap and miss a lab. Students must learn the material, but they can do it in their own style. “All that, and people still fail,” Mil ford sighs. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Milford may not require his stu dents to attend classes, but he does notice if a “regular” suddenly stops coming, and he worries about those who never show up. Once again, his card file comes in handy: he calls the student he is concerned about or talks to the adviser. One of Milford’s standard editorials is about a student who stopped coming to class a few years ago. He didn’t call See MILFORD page 8