TDC building on
unstable ground
Joint Endeavor, a Texas Department of Corrections inmate-
produced publication, has been canceled. TDC officials claim
they killed the quarterly magazine because of rising costs.
Mark Vines, one of the editors of Joint Endeavor, wrote sev
eral articles for Joint Endeavor and other publications outside of
the TDC which are critical of the prison system. He wrote a let
ter which indicated the magazine was killed because prison offi
cials did not like what he and other inmates were reporting.
Joint Endeavor circulated inside and outside the prison sys
tem and carried advertising from merchants across the state.
TDC officials claim the cancellation has nothing to do with
editorial content, citing publication costs and overcrowding of
the print shop as the primary reasons.
But the TDC’s reasoning is built on shaky ground. In recent
prison press cases, the courts have said inmates do not forfeit
the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. Although
there has been no Supreme Court ruling on the matter, close le
gal analogies have been established between the college press
and the prison press.
Of course, lack of finances is a valid reason for shutting
down private publications. However, court cases make a distinc
tion between private publications and those created by the state.
Courts have ruled in college cases that once the state creates
an avenue of expression, such as a campus newspaper, it cannot
cease publication because of disagreement with editorial content
or financial shortcomings.
In Joyer v. Whiting the court ruled: “Censorship of constitu
tionally protected expression cannot be imposed by suspending
the editors, suppressing circulation ... excising repugnant
materials, withdrawing financial support, or asserting any other
form of censorial oversight based on the institution’s power of
the purse.”
Because of the close analogy between the campus press and
the prison press, the TDC may have its legal hands full. Previous
cases of similar nature have been ruled in favor of the inmates.
If the TDC wanted to stop publication of Joint Endeavor, it
could have found better, more legally sound ways of doing so.
Relocating the inmates in charge or placing them in programs
which allow them little time to put out a magazine have been
found constitutional by the courts.
The next time the TDC wants to kill an inmate publication,
perhaps it should consult some law books before taking action.
At least then they could find some legally firm ground to sup
port their case.
The Battalion Editorial Board
Mail Call
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length. 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
be signed and must include the address and telephone number of the writer.
Heard the one about
the parking space?
EDITOR:
Recently, there have been a series of
letters — both pro and con — relating to
the University Police Department and
the parking problems at Texas A&M.
I have spent my four years here as a
north side dorm resident, and I feel this
qualifies me to express my opinions on
the present parking situation.
In short, the parking situation is a
joke. As freshmen and sophomores, we
were told to expect a huge, multi-level
parking garage. What have we gotten?
A 300 percent increase in parking
sticker fees.
sider A&M home, and do their best to
obey the rules.
If you will be a little more lenient and
less judgemental, you will find that the
students will do the same.
Robert D. Rausch
Simpson’s memory
may have failed him
Blaming the Police Department for
the lack of parking spaces is like blam
ing the weatherman for rain.
The real problem lies with a Board of
Regents who would rather promote a
building for former students than solve
the present parking problems.
However, the University Police must
accept some responsibility. Mr. Bob
Wiatt, Director of Security, has referred
to students with parking tickets as “dead
meat.”
Apparently, Mr. Wiatt has never
driven in circles for 45 minutes search
ing for a parking spot.
Mr. Wiatt feels that his department
has a “negative image,” and he contin
ually reminds us that the “Kampus
Kops” are certified police officers.
This is difficult for students to accept.
Let’s face it, Mr. Wiatt, watching one of
your seasoned professionals flag down
and ticket a speeding bicyclist is very
detrimental to your image.
If you are serious about improving
your image, please take my advice and
simply lighten up!
Slow down the number of parking
tickets, place wheel locks on automobiles
rather than towing them and, most im
portantly, pester those in charge to do
something about our parking problems.
You’ll find that most students con-
\NE VE UAP CABLE
TV SINCE IT
FIRST BECAME
AVAILABLE IN TU\S
NE1GWBORUOOP
United Feature Syndicate
“We’ve
with is
Channel 15 News victim oK
brutal budget-axe murder
An axe murder is
a horrible thing.
The victim is
KAMU Channel
15’s news depart
ment. The mur
der weapon is the
budget “axe.” The
fatal blow was
struck two weeks
ago when KAMU
was told they had
to cut their budget
student should get to work with chemi
cals. When a student takes a course in
zoology that student should get to work
with animals. When a student takes a
course in journalism that student should
get to work with the news.
almost every aspect of television piJ
duction by using the tools of the trade, f
Karl
Pallmeyer
by $140,000. KAMU had no choice, 15
News had to go. Friday night will be the
last broadcast of 15 News.
Students taking courses in broadcast
journalism used Channel 15’s news
room to get “real world” experience. In
the “real world” a television station’s
newsroom is a semi-organized form of
chaos, with phones ringing, televisions
blaring, clocks ticking, scanners beep
ing, typewriters typing, reporters run
ning around like decapitated chickens
and editors screaming about deadlines.
The death of Channel 15 News
affect many people. It will affect tho
who enjoyed the in-depth local cover;
that 15 News provided. It will affectifcl
way KAMU is run. It will affect
students who are majoring in broadc
journalism. But maybe those effectswi
not all be bad.
For 15 years KAMU has been broad
casting 15 News. For 15 years 15 News
has been serving the Brazos Valley with
news, weather, sports and special inter
est features. Being one of the few PBS
stations in the nation with a news pro
gram, KAMU’s 15 News would concen
trate mainly on coverage of local events,
leaving national news to PBS and the
other networks. 15 News received many
awards from local community organiza
tions and schools for its outstanding
coverage of local news events.
By using Channel 15’s newsroom as a
lab, broadcast journalism students
would get to write a news story for class
in an environment similar to what they
would be writing in when they grad
uated. The students would write real
news stories that, if they were good
enough, would be used on 15 News.
The Department of Communicatiot
will still be teaching classes in broadcasij
journalism. The department is in tkj
process of purchasing the necessai
equipment so that students will be
to learn what they need to know aboml
broadcast journalism. As of yet, no plan
is in place for broadcast journalism
dents to have their work put on theaiij
but the department is looking into tht
possibility of cable access. There wil
changes made in the way broada
journalism is taught at Texas A&M.!
change is often the way of the world.
AUSTIN
[Democratic
day, hopin
[nated by a c
“We’re li
Isaid Rep. 1
[Democratic
in changin
jnings.
“We are
[sals, its ide;
[today.”
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“One ol
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Besides the news program, KAMU’s
news department also served as the lab
for three journalism classes. When a stu
dent takes a course in chemistry, that
Broadcast journalism students would
also get to use KAMU’s equipment.
These students would learn how to
make a television program by making a
television program. Students would get
to use lights, microphones, carneras, vi
deotape machines, recording facilites
and editing benches to put together a
program. These students would learn
KAMU’s production of 15 News ha.'!
been expensive. Now KAMU will bfl
able to concentrate on more profitablt
productions. With more revenue.
KAMU will be able to offer an even|
higher quality of programing than
have been in the past.
Calling
[ Democrat;
spond to
Karl Pallmeyer is a senior journal'm
major and a columnist for The JBaflalj
EDITOR:
I was reading the article in The Bat-
talioq about General Simpson and con
sidered it a good article until the part
where Gen. Simpson gave his opinion
about women in the Corps. He seems to
think that a lawsuit filed by Melanie
Zentgraf “set the cause of women in the
corps back five years.”
I can’t think of a statement that is fur
ther from the truth.
Five years ago last May I finished my
senior year in the Corps at Texas A&M.
My freshman and sophomore years
were like a nightmare in terms of
relationships with male cadets. We were
insulted, avoided and even spat upon by
male upperclassmen, and our own male
classmates were punished by their own
upperclassmen for being friendly to us.
When I complained to my upperclass
men (all women were confined to one
company), I was told that I should just
take it and try to understand that it was
going to take a while for women to be
accepted in the Corps.
When I became a junior, a freshman
came to me in tears. A male cadet had
called her obscene names and had spat
on the ground beside her. I could still
see some of it on her shoe. I will never
forget the incident, because it changed
my way of thinking forever. I couldn’t
give her the pat answer given to me.
Woimen had been in the Corps, almost
five years! How much longer were we
supposed to wait to be accepted?
Verbal and physical abuse of a person
simply because that person is female
should not be tolerated for any reason.
Efforts to correct the situation through
the chain of command were fruitless.
Complaints to cadet officers, military
advisors, University officials (including
Gen. Simpson) and even the president
of the University brought little action.
Finally, Melanie filed the lawsuit and
things began to change. Male cadets
who openly harassed female cadets
were strongly reprimanded. Uniform
changes that had been requested for
years such as A-line skirts, pants with
belt loops, tucked-in shirts and senior
boots were approved by the uniform
committee. The University seemed to
bend over backwards to show it was not
discriminating against women.
There continued to be anonymous
harassments (phone calls, etc.) but the
Class of ’80’s efforts to improve treat
ment of women in the Corps, including
the lawsuit, set the position of women in
the Corps ahead five years, if anything.
Perhaps your memory has failed you,
Gen. Simpson. Do you think women
would be wearing boots now if it weren’t
for the Class of ’80? Would they be al
lowed to join the band? Women may still
suffer from some discrimination, but at
least they don’t have to suffer abuse.
To pretend that things were hunky-
dory and coming along just dandy be
fore the lawsuit was filed is ridiculous.
Why do you think it was filed?
Marjorie A. Nicholson ’80
Students ‘Goaded’
into using tutor
EDITOR:
It is sad to see The Battalion so used.
On June 28, 1985 you published yet an
other tirade against Chemistry 101-102
from Michael Goad released as a part of
his business. Business apparently has
been good for Mr. Goad. If he had 539
students (his figures) in the spring, he
lifted nearly $19,000 ($539 x $35) from
Aggie pockets. He conducts his classes
on campus, rent free, and gets free ad
vertising. What other private businesses
are so privileged?
Chemistry 101 and 102 are univer
sity-level courses involving analytical
thinking, problem analysis and are chal
lenging. The failure rate runs from 12.5
percent to 15 percent, a rate typical of
many university courses, certainly not a
“weed-out” rate. Our students have sat
isfied Texas A&M University entrance
requirements. To imply that they are in
capable of doing university-level work is
demeaning both to them and this uni
versity.
Also regretable is Mr. Goad’s implica
tion that students get A’s and B’s be
cause of attending his help classes. Stu
dents get their grade in Chemistry 101-
102 the old fashioned way — they
EARN it. That some A and some B stu
dents may also attend Mr. Goad’s classes
is because they are willing to use any
tool that might help them.
We found that most of Mr. Goad’s
students in the spring were C and D stu
dents. This is understandable in that
more of them are susceptible to solicita
tions of an alleged way to pass a course
without having to work and study. Mr.
Goad’s creative book-keeping and “ma
gic” with grades and averages have been
the object of previous comments in these
columns.
Mr. Goad’s comments about how tea
ching should be done is just grandstand
ing and posturing. Mr. Goad enjoys an
unusual relationship to Chemistry 101-
102; if the courses weren’t challenging,
requiring study and effort, there
wouldn’t be clients for his hype and hus
tle.
Richard M. Hedges
Professor and Co-Coordinator of First
Year Chemistry
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Kellie Dworaczyk, Editor
Kay Mallett, John Hallett, News Editors
Loren Steffy, Editorial Page Editor
Sarah Oates, City Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editor
Katherine Hurt
Assistant News Editor ...
Cathie Anderson
Entertainment Editors ••••(If
Cathy Riely, Walter Smith
Staff Writers Karen Bloch,
Ed Cassavoy, Jerry Oslin,
Brian Pearson
Copy Editor Trent Leopold
Make-up Editors Ed Cassavoy,
Columnists Cheryl Clark,
Karl Pallmeyer
Photographers Greg Bailey,
Anthony Casper
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-prolit, self-supporting newspaper
operated as a community service to Texas A&M anil
Bryan-College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those ol'lhe
Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily rep
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty
or the Board of Regents.
'The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for
students in reporting, editing and photography classes
within the Department of Communications.
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