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By ANN CERVENKA
Staff Writer
Abbie Hoffman and Jer ry Rubin,
two radical activists of the 1960s, will
debate on the idealism of the 60s
and the realism of the 80s on Thurs
day at 1 pan. in Rudder Theater.
1 he debate, sponsored by the Me
morial Student Center Political Fo
rum, will undoubtedly touch on the
Youth International Party, co
founded by Hoffman and Rubin in
1968. The Yippies organized in pro
test of the Vietnam War and Ameri
can policy.
Hoffman, once described by Time
magazine as “the frizzy-haired, war-
painted Yippie leader who preached
revolution against the American es
tablishment," personified the young
rebel with his political pranks and
colorful lifestyle.
In 1973, Hoffman was charged
with the possession of $36,000 worth
of cocaine. Because he did not think
he would receive a fair trial, he
jumped bail and went underground
for six and one-half years.
During these years, he remained
in the public eye, but without his
identity becoming known. He as
sumed the name Barry Freed and
became an environmental activist in
New York.
In August of 1980, he made a dra
matic re-entrance into society which
coincided with the publication of his
autobiography, “Soon to Be a Major
Motion Picture.”
During the emergence of the civil
rights movement, Rubin left the
University of Ualifornia-Bei keley to
become a full-time activist.
Between 1965 and 1967, he acti
vely opposed the Vietnam War , be
lieving it “was a moral issue and peo
ple had to be willing to go to jail to
stop it.”
In 1966, he ran for Mayor of Ber
keley on an anti-war campaign and
came in second of four candidates
with one-quarter of the votes.
As a member of the Youth Inter
national Party, he “sought to impose
guerrilla theater on the political con
sciousness of the country.”
Af ter the Yippies demonstrated in
Chicago in 1968 at the Democratic
Convention, several were found
guilty of inciting riots. Rubin served
a total of nine months in jail in five
different states for his anti-war activ
ity.
After the Vietnam War ended, re
sulting in peace on college cam
puses, Rubin withdrew from the
public eye.
In 1982, he joined the “establish
ment” that he fought against so
many years. He and his staff invite
people from the entertainment and
financial worlds to a weekly “net
working salon,” where business mat
ters are discussed.
Foreign film series
considered again
By MARY MCWHORTER
Reporter
The foreign film series cancelled
last November is being considered
again by Schulman 6 Theatre owner
Morris Schulman.
The overabundance of theaters in
the area and the shortage of movies
that usually occur in the spring and
fall might provide an opening in the
aters for foreign films, Schulman
says.
The foreign film series stopped
after showing only seven films.
“I believe there is an audience for
first run art films,” says Larry Hick
man, a philosophy teacher at Texas
A&M.
“One of the ways you gauge the
sophistication of a community is if
they are content to show Clint
Eastwood ... Arnold Schwarzeneg
ger movies or more thoughtful and
wellcrafted films.”
Hickman also teaches a film
course in the philosophy depart
ment and organizes Alternative Cin
ema, a non-profit program that
shows foreign film classics at Texas
A&M.
The Alternative Cinema series is
beginning its second semester and is
a success. Hickman says he is able to
meet all his costs in bringing the for
eign films to A&M.
On the other hand, Schulman says
his foreign film series failed because
of an uninformed public and high
shipping costs.
Attendance wasn’t large enough
to cover all the costs, Schulman says.
Even though he had larger than
usual ads in the Bryan-Coflege Sta
tion Eagle, the public didn’t find out
about the films by the time they were
shown.
Aggie Cinema is presently show
casing foreign films on Sunday
nights. Also, Alternative Cinema
shows its foreign film series every
Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Architec
ture Auditorium.
‘Hokum’
Man says racing bill full of it
Associated Press
AUSTIN — Claims that legalized
horse race betting could generate up
to $200 million in state revenue are
“a plate full of hokum,” the director
of the Texas Baptist Christian Life
Commission said Tuesday.
Phil Strickland, director of the
group that long has opposed pari
mutuel gambling, said some racing
bill backers are projecting a revenue
figure that is twice the average of
wfiat the biggest racing states re
ceive.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep.
Hugo Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi,
has said racing eventually could
bring Texas up to $200 million.
But Strickland said statistics from
the horse racing industry show Cali
fornia, the state with the largest pari
mutuel income, received over $ 138
million in 1983.
The average of the four racing
states with the largest incomes —Cal
ifornia, New York, Illinois and Ohio
— was just $79.6 million in 1983, he
said. And in states around Texas,
revenue ranged from $2.1 million
for New Mexico to $11.6 million for
Arkansas, he said.
“This most recent claim by the
horse racing folks hurt them,”
Strickland said. “They are assuming
that legislators are incredibly gullible
or incredibly stupid.
“Pari-mutuel gambling might
eventually raise $200 million, but I
will be riding to work in a space
buggy when it happens.”
Berlanga and Rep. George Pierce,
R-San Antonio, introduced the bill
in the House Monday, and Speaker
Gib Lewis said the legislation’s time
mav have ai t ived.
“Til be honest with you,” Lewis
said. “At one time, I was opposed to
pari-mutuel betting. It’s something
that’s overdue, especially with the fi
nancial problems we are facing in
the state."
Given the state government’s bud
get problems — a potential shortfall
of $1 billion over the 1986-87 bud
get years — Lewis said gambling rev
enue could help.
“It’s a multi-billion-dollar indus
try,” he said, with potential windfalls
not only from a cut of the bets but
also from “satellite businesses that it
spurs.”
Horse racing legislation was ap
proved by the Senate in 1983, but
failed in the House by two votes.
Berlanga said he thinks the House
will favor his bill this time because of
the need for new state revenue
sources and because in 1981 and
1983, the House broke a psychologi
cal barrier by voting on horse racing.
“Primarily, we feel like we’re op
erating from a position of strength,”
Berlanga said.
I he new bill would allow pari-mu
tuel racing only in counties where a
special election approved it.
Berlanga acknowledged his bill is
at odds with Gov. Mark White, who
has said he wants a statewide vote be
fore pari-mutuel gambling is per
mitted. Berlanga said he is going
meet with White in hopes of getti
his support.
The Texas Horse Racing Associa
tion has said pari-mutuel betting
eventually could bring the state $75
million to $100 million annually in
new revenues, while Critics contend
it would attract organized crime.
If passed, the bill will establish an
eight-member Texas Horse Racing
Commission to regulate the indus
try. However, the comptroller’s of
fice would monitor the financial af
fairs of the tracks.
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