Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, February 11, 1987
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Loren Steffy, Editor
Marybeth Rohsner, Managing Editor
Mike Sullivan, Opinion Page Editor
Jens Koepke, City Editor
Jeanne Isenberg, Sue Krenek, News Editors
Homer Jacobs, Sports Editor
Tom Ownbey, Photo Editor
Editorial Policy
t 'he Bultulion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper oper
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tion.
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of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Regents.
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ment of Journalism.
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Money for nothing
Belt Texans with a law, and they’re likely to Fight it — or so it
seems with the seat belt law. The Fexas Transportation Institute at
Texas A&M recently conducted a survey showing that, although
Texas cities have the highest rate of seat oelt use in the nation, the
overall useage rate has dropped from the past year by about 7 per
cent.
Though the survey shows that Texas’ seat belt law and seat belt
useage are inversely related, don’t expect any change in legislation in
the future.
While the motivation for implementing the law stemmed largely
from a now-abandoned consideration by General Motors to build a
new plant in Texas, the state wasn’t left empty-handed by any means
when GM took its business to Tennessee.
Texas motorists are slapped with about 7,()()() seat belt citations
each month at about $35 per violation, or about $3 million for the
state each year.
Considering the success Texas has had generating revenue in the
name of saving lives with the seat belt law, a state helmet law for mo
torcyclists seems imminent, and, indeed, is being considered by the
Texas State Affairs Committee.
Legislatating safety isn’t such a bad idea, but considering the seat
belt survey results and the state’s budget situation, it’s questionable
just who legislators are trying to save.
The role of the Corps of A&M
Is the Corps
of Cadets at
Texas A&M an
archaic animal
whose time has
Garland W.
Wilkinson
passed? To respond positively is to
imply that integrity, leadership, pa
triotism and discipline no longer are
cherished by our society. I contend
that the Corps is as important to
A&M today as it ever has been in the
past.
We enjoy large contributions from
our alumni, many of whom have
roots in the Corps. I would not want
to be the person to alienate them, es
pecially since their contributions are
enabling us to pursue a “world” sta
tus.
America needs leaders. The Corps
produces leaders. In many ways,
what is taught and
learned through a
four-year Corps ex
perience (about hu
man relations and
dealing with peo
ple), proves to be
more valuable than
what is taught in the
classroom.
I f T e x a s A&M
aspires to be re
garded as a “world”
university, it will
hire the right fac
ulty and provide
funds for the
proper research. It
will give its adminis
tration the assets to
pursue lofty goals.
A prime example
is the Athletic De
partment. Before
the arrival of Jackie Sherrill, the pro
gram was in despair. Since his arrival,
we have enjoyed nationally ranked
teams ranging from football to golf to
softball. This did not happen acci
dentally.
Having a Corps did not hinder the
Athletic Department’s turnaround,
just as it does not affect the geophy
sics department’s success or reputa
tion.
True, the Corps represents A&M
in many ways. It performs funeral
ceremonies for Medal of Honor win
ners. It performs at presidential and
gubernatorial inaugurations. It con
ducts reviews for University guests. It
raises $25,()()() annually for the
March of Dimes. It provides A&M
with the best band in the country. It
provides Firing squads for Muster
and Silver Taps. The list continues. If
the image derived from these activ
ities is not the image A&M wants por
trayed, then I am at the wrong
school.
A common bond between former
students is often talked about here, as
is the fact that A&M enjoys the larg
est former student association in the
world. Something causes people to
have this commitment to A&M. In
many cases, that something is the
Corps.
America enjoys a luxury known as
freedom. As with all luxuries, free
dom is not free. Part of this freedom
is found in the press, which allows us
to express our opinions freely. This is
a big part of what distinguishes this
nation from others and ensures its
greatness. Sacrifices
by our predecessors
have ensured this
freedom will con
tinue, at least until
now. Aggies have
been a big part of
that group. No
doubt Aggies will be
called upon again in
the future to defend
this country. I take a
lot of pride knowing
that we will respond
when called upon
and will serve above
and beyond the call
of duty. What en
ables us to do this in
many instances is
what has been
learned in the
Corps.
Pressure — in
tense pressure — is found through
out the Corps. Not everyone can last
four years. Most do not even attempt
to. But for those who do, the values,
time management skills and attrib
utes mentioned earlier are priceless,
as are the memories.
I believe in what the Corps stands
for. During my four years here, I
have seen a kid from a small West
Fexas town transformed into a man
who has learned what commitment
and integrity really mean. I am sure
the same goes for anyone who has
ever earned the right to wear the
boots.
A&M is not the Corps and the
Corps is not A&M, nor does it try to
be. However, it is an important part
of this grand University — one part
that would be wise to keep around
for years to come.
Future of A&M questionabl
I like Texas
A&M, and I^jvant
this University to
grow . Do you ?
Well, it you like
A&M — or Texas
higher education
in general — pay
attention to what
the new governor
of the Lone Star
State wants to do
because he’ll show
ment set up specifically for A&M and
die University of "Fexas — most of us
would be mistaking maroon for bur
gundy at some other state school.
The PUF is an endowment of about 2
million acres of oil-rich West Fexas
land, half of which is under lease to ma
jor oil and gas companies throughout
the Southwest.
Mike
Sullivan
you exact ly what shouldn’t be done.
If you had the chance to read Sun
day’s Houston Chronicle, you might
have read about Bill Clements’ proposal
to raise $500 million to balance the
state’s budget.
Yearly income generated from the
land and capital gains on investment of
that income, totaling more than $5 bil
lion to date, are stashed away in the PUF
and can’t he spent. The money is “un
touchable” — like the Memorial Student
Center lawn.
In essence, tax,payers are paying this
guy to do exactly what they didn’t want
Mark White to do — which is exactly
what Wild Bill promised he wouldn’t do.
Clements, who is only three weeks
into his new term, already has given in
to the intense attraction higher educa
tion funds have for patching up legis
lative loose ends. If he gets his way,
Clements will have Texas’ education sys
tem looking like the prison system in no
time at all — except the people being
freed will be faculty and staff members.
Being affiliated with A&M, we’re un
derstandably concerned most with what
Clement’s proposal will do to our Uni
versity — so let’s take a look at A&M’s
future through Bill Clements’ glasses.
Garland W. Wilkinson is a senior ac
counting major and the Cadet Corps
Commander.
Columns submitted for Fanners Write should be be
tween 700 and 850 words. The editorial staff re
serves the right to edit for grammar, style and length,
but will make every effort to maintain the author’s in
tent. Each column must be signed and must include
the major, classification, address arul telephone num
ber of the writer. Only the author's name, major and
classification will be printed
Before we can comprehend exactly
what Clements wants to do to us, how
ever, we have to understand the basics.
Recently, I’ve discovered that many Ag
gies believe A&M is a leg up academi
cally on the rest of the state schools be
cause of the Corps, tradition, the spirit
of Aggieland (a song comes to mind) the
Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, Reveille,
midnight yell practice — you name it,
but it has to be maroon.
The dividends and interest earned on
the investment of the PUF, however,
can be spent. That money is called the
Available University Fund, and it’s di
vided between A&M and UT each year.
The AUF was about $200 million f or fis
cal 1986. A&M’s share of the AUF was
about $68 million.
A&M uses its portion of the yearly
AUF to finance campus construction —
it’s not all paid for by rich, old Ags —
and, more importantly, enrichment
p r o g r a m s such as e n d o w e d
professorships and scholarships. It’s
used to great extent to attract quality
faculty to Aggieland and helps keep
them here when other universities try to
lure them away from this land of the
“spirit.”
Simply put, A&M can buy brains that
other state schools can’t afford. The ef
fect on our university is obvious.
In recent years, however, the PUF’s
incredible growth (it has grown by more
than $1 billion since 1980) has made it
extremely attractive to the state govern
ment in its time of desperation.
Here’s where Bill comes in.
The truth is (you can take this for
truth in this educational world of the
ory) that without the Permanent Uni
versity Fund — a historical land endow-
Part of Clements’ grand plan is to
take about $146 million from the thus-
far “untouchable” PUF to help finance
university research rather than allocat
ing regular state funds. If PUF money is
withdrawn, the AUF will suffer in years
to come — and so will A&M and UT.
Regardless of how insignfa
withdrawl of $146 million seemsin
parison to the PUF’s current
more than $8 billion, if sua(<|
Clements will be setting a damp I
precedent for future lawmakers It 1
low — when the state is in troul
PUF is your pal.
Though so far unsuccessful,
the PUF' isn’t a new idea by any
In a special session of the Legiil
last August, House Speaker Gil
proposed a similar plan to help]
state’s bills, but the last-shot eff
thwarted by public criticism.
But Clement’s proposal is not
a last-shot effort to make good
budget crisis in the publiceyeatcl
time. Rather, it’s a first, serious^tti
to hail Fexas out of its budget
If you were paying attentiondiiij
his campaign last fall, you probable
realized by now that this is partol
“secret plan” Clements was boas
about. No wonder he kept it secret.
I hat this is the first officialFb
plan of Clements’ four-year term si#
have Texas educators and those
ested in the future of "fexas morel
slightly concerned.
II educators and Texans areslet
well at night, however, they should
skier the words of the governor's
uty press secretary. Jay Rosser.
“It will be a plan that will beet#
ered by the Legislature and notdis
ed,” Rosser said. “This governor
not really care about criticism.”
You understand, of course,i|
Clements’ plan to dig into the PDF
only part of a much broader
would tap A&M’s already lean if
budget for about $23 million-
mention the budgets of numerous
state institutions.
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Did 1 hear somebody say state®
tax? I didn’t think so.
J(
Mike Sullivan is a senior jourtt:
major and the Opinion Pageedilf
The Battalion.
Mail Call
j
Mr. Mom
EDITOR:
Are there any other single parents in the student body?
Is the reason for our not having an organization that we’re
too busy with families and studies to take the time to
organize? It would be nice to have a weekly or even
monthly meeting to just talk to someone who can relate to
the pressures of school and being a single parent. Got any
ideas?
and other weaponry when the United States isn’t even all
war (yet). The United States is in such a poor economic 1
position because we’re wasting unimaginableamountso[|j
our resources on non-productive means. It’s a hugecrod ;
of Shiites. America needs to re-evaluate its priorities, i
That’s the first step toward solving our economic prob
lems.
Steve Erbert ’87
Charles Bruce Jones ’90
Plan for education?
EDITOR:
A bit nostalgic
EDITOR:
What is going on in this country? On the front page of
the Feb. 5 Battalion, two headlines stand out: “Clements
seeks funds from PUF” and “Reagan budget may cut
student aid options.”These two articles epitomize the
trend in government thinking these days, which is
basically, “try to solve today’s problems with the Quickest,
easiest solution with no regard for the future.” We’re
spending more and more money on defense every year
and less and less on important issues like education,
social security and a range of others.
Whatever happened to chivalry or the traditionof
helping a fellow Aggie in trouble? On Feb. 2, mycarbrot
down,and it had to be pushed. Five of my sorority sisters
helped me push the car — three of whom were wearing
dresses. One man helped us get the car rolling, but hetb'
returned to his motorcycle and drove off. I’d like to thani
that man for helping us, since the other boys in the area
wouldn’t lift a finger.
Renee Morris ’90
It’s disgusting to watch our elected officials squander
billions of tax dollarson new, improved missiles, bombers
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The i
serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will rimke every effort I" f
tain the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and must include theM
turn, address and telephone number of the writer.