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Opinion
Page 2AFhe Battalion/Thursday, January 19, 1984
Videotape ruling irrelevant
Those of you who already have a full
library of television programs taped on
video cassettes can breathe a sigh of relief
and stop waiting for the FBI to knock at
your door. The Supreme Court ruled
Tuesday that videotaping programs for
personal viewing is not illegal.
Walt Disney Productions and Univer
sal Studios claimed they were being dep
rived of revenues by the manufacturers
of video recorders. The recorders, they
said, made it possible for the public to
reap the benefits of the studios’ work
without paying the price.
Therefore, the studios claimed, they
should be paid royalties in compensation
for the unauthorized use of their pro
duct. But the movie industry’s greed was
thwarted by the Court’s 5-4 decision.
However, the video cassette recorder
industry is not completely out of the
woods yet. Lobbyists for the studios will
most likely demand legislators to change
the copyright laws, thereby overriding
the ruling.
In reality, neither the Supreme Court’s
decision nor any resulting legislation will
have much of an effect on the average
owner of a video cassette recorder.
Over five million Americans already
have been taping programs at home with
out detection. And with the increasing
popularity of the video recorder, any law
against private taping would be nonen-
forceable.
The importance of the Court’s ruling
has been greatly overestimated. Amer
ican people will go right on videotaping,
with or without the sanction of Congress
or the Court.
— The Battalion Editorial Board
Varsity Level II means
‘second rate’ athletics
Texas A&M prides itself in trying to be
the best at everything. The word
“second-rate” has been weeded out of the
Aggie vocabulary.
But in creating Varsity Level II, Texas
A&M has essentially labeled certain
athletic teams second-rate — not good
enough for full recognition by the Athle
tic Department and not good enough to
receive any of its money.
Varsity Level II is a classification dis
tinct from the other three levels of athle
tic competition at Texas A&M (intramu
ral, club sports and varsity). The special
status was approved last month after two
years of study by the Athletic Council.
Their goal was to provide varsity status to
certain club sports, giving them the
opportunity to compete in NCAA com
petition.
A close look proves the new status gives
these teams exactly this. Period.
What they don’t get is the benefits
usually associated with varsity status at
Texas A&M.
The Level II policy statement lays
down the rules quite clearly:
— The teams with the new status will
receive no money from the $6 million
Athletic Department budget, yet the de
partment will be responsible for adminis
tering what budget the teams come up
with.
— The teams will get use of university
facilities only if they do not interfere with
“other university programs” r they are
given permission by “appropriate per
sonnel” within the Athletic Department.
— Coaches for the teams will not be
provided by, but will be responsible to,
the athletic director.
— Scholarships will not be offered to.
tracey
taylor
Varsity Level II participants, nor will
room or board be provided for the
players.
Above all, Varsity Level II status car
ries no guarantee of full varsity team sta
tus later. It must be renewed every two
years.
Essentially, the teams get all the dis
advantages of being part of the Athletic
Department and only one real advan
tage: the chance to compete on a national
level.
But giving the teams a way but not the
means is like dangling candy in front of a
baby.
If a team is good enough to compete
on a national level and win — which is one
of the requirements listed in the Level II
policy statement — then it deserves that
opportunity, no holds barred.
A&M is notorious for the money it
spends on its football team and coaches.
Meanwhile, its officials and former stu
dents attempt to explain it away by claim
ing an ultimate quest for a winning team.
If winning were really the issue, they
wouldn’t have to search far.
Both the riflery team and the women’s
soccer team are ranked nationally. The
Texas A&M skeet and trap team has won
the national championship two of the
past three years.
The water polo team has done well
consistently and the 1981 national col
legiate handball champion competed
here. A&M has sent two players to the
National Handicapped Games.
Winners obviously are not the
problem.
The problem is money. The teams that
bring money into the University receive
money from the University. Perhaps the
administration feels non-spectator sports
can offer nothing to the University and
therefore deserve nothing in return.
, It seems the administration can’t see
the forest for the goal posts.
The smaller non-spectator sports allow
more students to become involved. More
importantly, they offer diverse opportu
nities for a student to excel at what he
does best, even if 76,000 people won’t pay
to see him do it.
A university should be a center of edu
cation, not a business venture.
If the administration truly desires a
first-rate sports department, as it says it
does, and not just a thriving business, it
must put its money where its mouth is —
with the winners.
Tracey Taylor is news editor for The Bat
talion and a senior journalism major.
Criticism of military uniforms
casts doubt on press patriotism
by Art Buchwald
Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate
“I’m in a jam,” I told Fetzler, who
works in the Pentagon. “I want to do a
story on the lousy camouflage fatigue
uniforms the Army is issuing to its men.”
“Why are you in a jam?” he asked.
“Because if I write it I’ll just be con
firming what Secretary of State George
Shultz and President Reagan said about
American reporters not being on our side
any more.”
“What“s wrong with the fatigues?”
“You should know better than I do.
They’re too heavy for the tropics, they’re
made of 50 percent nylon and don’t
breathe, and when they get wet it takes
forever for them to dry. But if I write
about it, Shultz and the president will
think I’m on Castro’s side.”
“Why do you have to write it?” Fetzler
wanted to know.
“Despite the complaints, the Army is
going ahead and ordering 13.4 million
more sets at the cost of $432 million.
They’ve already issued 6.4 million at the
cost of $205 million and the GI’s hate
them.”
“The people in the Pentagon know
what’s best for the GI’s. After all, they’re
generals.”
“Then you think I better not say any
thing about it?”
“If you did you’d be giving aid and
comfort to the Kremlin, which is what the
press likes to do.”
“What about the comfort of the Amer
ican soldier?”
“That’s none of your business. Why
don’t you write about what’s good in the
Army and not always what’s bad?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m on ‘our’
side,” I said. “I just don’t want our boys
fighting in the tropics in heavy fatigues.”
“The Pentagon is aware of the bad re
views on the battle dress and has
appointed a commission to study it?”
“But why are they going ahead with
the $432-million order when there’s a
question whether they’re any good or
not?”
“Because it’s going to take 12 to 15
months to design and test a new fatigue
uniform.”
“Didn’t the Army test the one they
have now in the tropics before they
ordered it?”
“That’s just the kind of question that
makes the president wonder if you peo
ple are on our side,” Fetzler said.
“I’m not trying to make waves,” I pro
tested. “My problem is that where the
American GI is concerned he should at
least be dressed for the war he’s asked to
fight in. And if he isn’t, the Americna
public should know about it.”
“When the Pentagon makes a mistake
it is perfectly equipped to admit it. It
doesn’t need a bunch of Sandinista-
loving reporters to tell the country what
we’re doing wrong,” Fetzler said.
“But wouldn’t a story on the uniforms
stop the Army from wasting the tax
payers’ money?”
“The money’s a drop in the bucket
compared to the damage you could do to
our troops if they find out their battle
clothes will make them sweat,” Fetzler
told me.
“I guess you’re right. If you were me
and wanted to prove your loyalty to
America what would you write?”
“If you really want to prove you’re on
‘our’ side, why don’t you write a story on
how tacky the Cuban fatigue uniforms
are compared to ours?”
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Rebeca Zimmermann
Managing Editor J°bn Wagner
City Editor Patrice Koranek
Assistant City Editors Kathleen Hart,
Stephanie Ross
News Editor Tracey Taylor
Assistant News Editors. Susan Talbot,
Wanda Winkler
Editorial Page Editor Kathy
Wiesepape
Sports Editor Bonn Friedman
Assistant Sports Editor Bill Robinson
Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra
Assistant Entertainment Editor Angel
Stokes
Photo Editor John Makely
Staff Writers Robin Black, Brigid
Brockman, Bob Caster,
Ronnie Crocker, Bonnie
Langford, Christine Mallon,
Kay Mallett, Sarah Oates,
Michelle Powe, Lauri Reese,
Dave Scott, Kelley Smith,
Karen Wallace
Photographers Michael Davis,
Bill Hughes, Katherine Hurt,
Eric Lee, Dean Saito
Cartoonists Paul Dirmeyer,
Scott McCullar
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 of
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.
Quesdons or comments concerning any editorial mat
ter 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 for
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 Stadon, TX 77843, or phone (409) 845-
2611.
The Battalion is published Monday through Friday
during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holi
day and examinadon periods. Mail subscripdons are
$16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per
full year. Advertising rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald
Building, Texas A&M University, College Stadon, TX
77843.
United Press Internadonal is endded exclusively to
the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited
to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein
reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX
77843.
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Portfolio: Hunger
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Darkbulb seen for the future
by DICK WEST
Columnist for United Press International
Parody is parody, and “The Journal of
Irreproducible Results” is a lampoon of
scientific papers.
Nevertheless, there are times when
send-ups seem to make sense. And with
Congress returning next week, the Jour
nal’s article on the “darkbulb” becomes
all the more relevant.
Maybe a globe that screws into ordin
ary electric sockets and “floods the room
with darkness” is only a figment of imagi
nation at this point. But the “darkbulb”
would have commercial possibilities far
beyond instant darkrooms for photo de
velopment. Clearly, it is a travesty whose
time has come.
Perhaps the “black holes” discovered
by astronomers can help bring darkbulbs
to fruition.
“Black holes” are invisible objects cre
ated in the universe by stars that col
of their own weight. So dense is then
that not even light rays can escap(l|
force of gravity.
If a way could be found to harnessi
energy, the darkbulb would be possilf
The first step would be the products
material compact enough to fit insiil
glass bulb and dense enough to dra* j
all light in the immediate vicinity.
In order to reach mass markeisH
successfully compete with thejapai
the material would need to be bothp
tiful and inexpensive.
Toward that end, I was think
terms of developing some process!
cycling congressional speeches, maul
which already have a high level of Her
and are aligned with the forces of d
ness. The Congressional Record wl
be an abundance source of raw i
Slouch
by Jim Earle
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“Although we will encourage the full exercise of creativity^
this class, I must demand that there is a degree of conformity) v l \
can make that suggestion without calling names. ”