Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1985)
Page 12/The Battalion/Thursday, September 26, 1985 Mike Shryne, a junior political science major; Pat Eidemiller, a soph omore aerospace engineering major; Alan McDonald, a freshman ani mal science major; and John Rowan, a junior political science major, spent about two hours floating in the Fish Pond during the “Puryear Some graduates still lack basic skills Yacht Club 2nd Annual Regatta” before Saturday’s football game. The group’s first regatta was held at Rudder Fountain in protest of the bombing of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior, but this regatta was strictly for fun. Universities raising requirements At least seven state universities, following the lead of Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin, have raised admission standards. Others are imple menting tougher course requirements, retention pro grams to reduce flunk-outs and mandatory testing. Associated Press AUSTIN — There’s no money- back guarantee on a college educa tion. A bachelor’s degree doesn’t come with a warranty. But increasingly Texans are con cerned that some of the many stu dents who come to college unpre pared are graduating without mastering even elementary skills. “We, with our taxes, are support ing another generation of college il literates,” said Tony Bonilla, a Cor pus Christi attorney who served both on the college coordinating board and the Select Committee on Public Education. A Southern Regional Education Board study of five southern states showed that 40 percent of college freshmen need remedial work. “I think it’s every bit that bad if not worse in Texas,” said State Com missioner of Higher Education Ken neth Ashworth, who served on the board’s Commission for Educational Quality. “Too many students are playing their way through high school. That’s why we have to pay $37 mil lion for remedial education every biennium. “Then, too many manage to get through their specialized areas in college without adequate testing or an adequate demonstration of basic skills. That’s a condemnation of what’s going on in college.” Despite rocketing costs and the best intentions, Texas’ public univer sity system in many cases has failed to remedy the shortcomings of a public school system branded medi ocre by all national standards. Some statistical evidence: Despite $18 million a year in tax payer dollars spent on remedial edu cation in universities, one-third of sophomore university students flunked a test of lOth-grade-level reading, writing and arithmetic skills, a test necessary to enter tea cher education. Last year, it was nearly one-half. Students from four-year universi ties didn’t score as well on the state nursing examination as those from junior colleges and hospital diploma programs. Freshmen flunk-out rates run as high as 50 percent. At Lamar Uni versity, for example, only 30 percent of freshmen who enter get a degree. Some 40 percent of academic stu dents must take at least one remedial course. “Students come from high schools sadly lacking in basic skills,” said Bob Hardesty, president of Southwest Texas State University. “We had students who couldn’t write a simple declarative sentence, who couldn’t do basic math prob lems and we were graduating them. It wasn’t intentional. Our system just wasn’t sophisticated enough to catch them in time. “We all seemed to be taking the at titude that if the public schools couldn’t teach the basic skills to their students, there was nothing that we could do about it once those students reached college,” he added. “It was a vicious cycle.” Texas is trying to break out of the cycle, first with sweeping changes in public schools; next, with a hard look at higher education. The Southern Regional Educa tion Board, after determining that the average community college freshman reads at the eighth grade level, chided institutions for giving college credit for work that is not college level. Texas officials were doubtful enough about the quality of the state university product to ask a special committee to decide if universities should require a sophomore year ba sic skills test. Gov. Mark White has endorsed that idea. At least seven state universities, following the lead of Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Aus tin, have raised admission standards. Others are implementing tougher course requirements, retention pro grams to reduce flunk-outs and mandatory testing. And universities are admitting unpleasant truths about the quality of their product. A University of Houston study conducted by consultants Richard F. Dini & Associates determined that the university was held in such low esteem in Houston that a multimil- lion-dollar money drive should be delayed because the university lacks the respect to make that effort a suc cess. At East Texas State University, students who can’t write a literate ju nior-level essay can’t graduate. Only 48 percent of East Texas State Uni versity students passed the test the first time they took it in 1984. This year the scores improved, up to 69.4 percent. The average Scholastic Aptitude Test score of freshmen entering state universities in 1983, the last year for which figures are available, was 848 out of a possible 1600. “I doubt that any faculty member deliberately pushed students along,” said Jack Humphries, president of Sul Ross State. “But the feeling was, ‘We’ve got them, we’ve got to grad uate them.’ The colleges were caught up in the same democratic, egalitarian attitude. “We were not demanding in our standards. We tended to adjust cur riculum so that students could suc ceed.” The reputation of Texas universi ties varies widely. “I think we have two institutions with the potential for greatness as major international universities, and that’s A&M and UT,” said coordi nating board chairman Larry Temple. “I don’t think that has been achieved but it can be achieved with the right leadership, funding and di rection.” Subpoena sent to director of FBI in espionage trial Associated Press LOS ANGELES — FBI Director William Webster has been subpoe naed by the defense to testify in the trial of Richard W. Miller, tne only agent ever charged with espionage, it was revealed in court Wednesday. The subpoena and an accompany ing affidavit were filed “a couple of days ago,” Miller’s attorney said, and were aimed at refuting testimony by an author who said the FBI would never use its own agents to penetrate a hostile intelligence operation such as the Soviet spy agency, the KGB. Miller has said he was trying a maverick infiltration of the KGB in a bid to save his wavering career, not selling out to the Soviets. The subpoena for Webster appar ently is based on an interview the FBI chief gave earlier this month in which he said FBI double agents are being used to keep Soviet spies off balance. “We’re also causing them to be suspicious of people who are offer ing information because they don’t know whether that’s a bona fide trai tor or an FBI agent,” Webster said. Webster’s statement apparently is at odds with author Jonn Barron, who testified earlier in Miller's trial that the FBI would never use one of its own agents to infiltrate the KGB. Barron, who wrote “KGB Today — The Hidden Hand,” testified that the FBI avoided using infiltrators because, if discovered^ the agent could release vital information dur ing interrogation. The subpoena had apparently not yet been served on Wenster, as no government motion had been filed to quash it. In earlier testimony, an FBIsu j pervisor testified that Miller's bos asked him to “consider the monl and spiritual consequences" of con milting espionage against theUnitti!; States. During five days in which agean: questioned Miller, fired him ami E searched his home one year ago y Miller had several office meeting!' with Richard Bretzing, specialattn; in charge of the Los Angeles FBlof | fice, said P. Bryce Christens*! Bretzing’s assistant. Christensen was called to tin I; stand by defense attorneys to n ; plore Miller’s state of mind duriii the time he was under questioning for allegedly handing FBI docs l ments over to Soviet KGB agents. Miller, 48, is accused of passing: the classified documents toSvedaci I Ogorodnikov, a Soviet emigre wkc became his lover, in a deal fa $65,000 in cash and gold. If cot victed he could face life imprison \nent. Mrs. Ogorodnikov and husbanc Nikolay, pleaded guilty during the trial and are serving prison terms. Under uuestioning by defense it- torney Joel Levine, Christensen dt scribed a meeting that Miller tuc with Bretzing three days beforelu Oct. 2 arrest on espionage charge The FBI had already question*: Miller for two days on whether It had indeed handed any document! to Ogorodnikov. “Mr. Bretzing requested that Mi f Miller consider the moral and spirr tual consequences of his action!,' | said Christensen, who like Mile and Bretzing is a member of tit Mormon church. Youth's last request honored by Marines for active duty and retired Ma rines, but when marines at the Houston recruiting office heard of his dying wish, they lookup the fight with Corps neadquar- ters. “It was tedious,” said StaffSgt. Mike Eck. “I made a lot of phone calls to Washington and a fen other places. "He was given the authority to I wear the blues, the same blues we wear,” he said. Benito died Sunday at the hos- pital after being in a coma two [ months, said his aunt, Nora Torres of Harlingen. : Thailand questioning 400 coup suspects identified, said about 400 peopk I have already been questioned bytht | team, which is expected tocondudt | its investigation within 30 days. The team, headed by police chief Gen. Narong Mahanona, last weel | arrested five former and currenttof | military officers as well as foui | prominent labor leaders and | charged them with sedition, whichi i punishable by death. Meanwhile, the surgeon who tried to save the life of an American tel*' | vision soundman, said he was stnid I by a small metal object. Associated Press BANGKOK, Thailand — Thirty- one people have been arrested for alleged involvement in an abortive coup attempt early this month, and police are investigating nine other suspects, a senior police source said Wednesday. The failed power bid Sept. 9 left five people dead and about 60 oth ers wounded. Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda appointed a commis sion team two days later to investi gate the incident. The source, who asked not to be Associated Press HARLINGEN — A 12-year- old who showed courage during three years of suffering with a brain tumor was buried Wednes day in a Marine Corps uniform — the boy’s last request. Benito Gonzales Jr. was buried in his hometown of Harlingen, but he had been in and out of the University of Texas M.D. Ander son Hospital and Tumor Institute in Houston since 1982 for nine operations and treatment for the malignant tumor. The honor of wearing Marine dress blues normally is reserved British Airways selected as airline of the year by air travelers Associated Press LONDON — Regular air travelers voted British Airways the airline of the year, Ex ecutive Travel magazine said Wednesday, and described their woeful experiences on other carriers — such as being forced to run a race to qualify for seats on an over booked flight. In the article published Wednesday, one businessman described how Nigerian offi cials, after discovering a domestic Nigeria Airways flight was overbooked three times, asked the passengers to run twice around the plane. The fastest ones got the seats. A passenger on an aircraft preparing to leave Bangladesh on a flight to London wondered why the crew ignored the ham mering from outside. Eventually, the door was opened and the pilot climbed aboard, it said. About 5,500 air travelers, mostly busi nessmen, who on average make 25 or more flights a year, voted in the magazine’s an nual poll. British Airways, the state-owned airline, which is expected to have its shares go on sale to the public next year, also won first lace for the most helpful cabin staff, the est food and wine, and the best business class, the monthly said. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific was voted the second best airline, followed by Singapore Airlines and Swissair, the mag azine said. Singapore Airlines’ stewardesses were considered the most beautiful and British Caledonian’s the smartest, the poll showed. The magazine said six voters claimed they had been victims of plane hijackings in the last year, 53 had endured engine fail ures or landing gear problems, and three said their planes had made crash landings. One passenger said he had to dive for cover in Tehran when Iraqi warplanes bombed the airport, the magazine said. Cabin crews did not escape complaints, the magazine said. One British passenger claimed he wast* fused a glass of water while flying to Paiii because he was seated in an economy-das section. Another Briton expressed dismay whs cabin staff instructed passengers inlifeboa: drill on an overland flight from thenortli western city of Manchester to London. “I hate to say it but I think mostofthfi* episodes are true,” the magazine’s editoi Mike Toynbee, told The Associated Press # * *# *»•*#«#*«*##*»###* * * m • HAppf mym . • • happy hour-- j SAT. 11-8 sm. 12-8 ill 111 ill :ii Hi MON.-FRl; 4-8 i» 1 H # H 702 University #110B College Station 846-0085 The Mens Texas A&M Soccer Team hosted Rice University this past weekend. The match ended in a 0-0 tie. The Aggies will travel to Lubbock and Abilene this weekend to play Texas Tech and Abilene Christian University, respectfully. The fall schedule for remaining games is: Date Opponent Time Place Sept 28 Texas Tech 11:00 Away Sept 29 Abilene Christian 11:00 Away Oct 5 Lamar 2:00 TAMU Oct 13 Sam HoustonSt. 4:00 TAMU Oct 19 Texas 2:00 TAMU Oct 20 Stephen F. Austin 2:00 TAMU Oct 26 Lamar 2:00 Away Nov 1 Baylor 4:00 Away Nov 3 Texas Christian 2:00 Away Nov 9 Houston 2:00 Away Nov 23 Houston 2:00 TAMU Note: Location of home games will be announced in The Battalion the week prior to the scheduled game.