The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 14, Ed. 1, Friday, February 4, 1972 Page: 2 of 8
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PA0B3
MV
a quesfon
of righh
As an increasing number of studonts bocome Involved in
a mushrooming array of extraaurricular activities it i of
paramount importance that our pr1orltie and value be
kept in the proper perspective. We are not editors actors
senators musicians debaters and athletes. We are students
who have chosen to become involved in and devote a
certain amount of time in these diversified interest but
studonts we remain. It is this singleness of purpose that
unites us and causes us to be subject to the seme rulet and
recipients of the same rights and privileges.
The ACC athletic code stands as a challenge to this
philosophy of unity of purpose. The code infers that
athletes are a distinct and set apart group by denying them
rights given to all other ACC students. Specifically the
code as drawn up by the coaches states that all ACC
participants in intercollegiate athletics must follow a far
stricter grooming code than the rest of the student body.
This is a violation of student rights.
By Wally Bullington's own admission this stricter
grooming code has no relationship to performance on the
field. In no other school activity can a teacher or director
dictate to studonts on matters unrelated to performance.
The head of the history department may be able to
determine what courses and how many papers his majors
turn 'in but he has no right to determine his student's
appearance. This is the responsibility of the student senate
student rights committee student life committee and ACC
administration not a group of teachers or coaches.
Bullington has stated that one reason for the code was
to present the right kind of appearance and ACC image.
This is a noble goal but if the grooming code applying to
the entire student body is not a realistic acceptable
standard for ACC student appearance it would not have
been or should not have been passed by the ACC
administration. There is no reason for forcing the athletes
to present a hypocritical face of the ACC student body.
Certainly the athletes are representatives of ACC but so
are the SA officers and senators the Optimist editor
.actors and members of the band and these are all allowed
to follow the general student code.
In short the Optimist demands that the Students Rights
Committee and Student Senate fulfill their purpose by
investigating this inequity and taking immediate action.
The opinions stated en the editorial page by the editor and hit
writer ere Individual opinion! end are not necessarily a reflection
of the official policy of the ACC administration. The Optimist
welcomes letter of opinion from reader. Letter should he held to
a maximum of 360 word and be neatly typewritten
doublo-spaoed on a 86 space line. Addreea: Letter to the Editor
ACC Bex 8308 Abilene Texa 79801. The Optimist reserves the
right to edit any letter received to fit apaee HmKatkms.
OBI
ACC Station. Box 8303
Abilene Texes 79601
Published wsskly except during
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thi optimist
I tend to forget.
As I sit through otaaae in
sociology as I talk humentam in
my student-oriented world a I
ponder What I Want To Be When
I Grow Up after college as I
write for this college newspaper
I tend to forget that not
everybody between the age of
18 and 25 goes to college. Some
young people are't in aeademia
because they've chosen other
alternatives. Of because other
alternatives have chosen them.
MILWAUKEE WIBC. - Atop
a factory laden city atop a high
hill atop a huge new building
lie hundreds of prodrate young
bodies. There is no noise on the
top floor except the sound of an
old movie on the community
TV the sound of slowly turning
wheals the sound of an
oeeastonal doctor's diagnosis.
There is no laughter. Very Httle
talking. It's not a scene out of
Marcus Wetby. It's the real thing.
Down the hall in a starched
white room lies a young Harvard
graduate who will never see
speak hear taste or move again.
Vegetable. He just lies in bed
and thinks. He can do nothing
else. Nearby a kid In a bed chats
with a guest. His mother? HU
head is propped on three pillows
and he talks animatedly. A nurse
wheels a sleeping patient to a
therapy room. He can't move
anything below his neck.
They're all young. They're all
our age. And they're all
quadraplegies. Paralysed from
their neck down they walk with
their talk they run with then-
ears they move with their eyes.
From the neck down it's juet the
neck down. Their legs are
shrunken their hand Just
slightly quiver. They may never
move again.
They did it for their country.
They had not chosen to go to
college. Now they have few
choices left.
I visited the Milwaukee VA
hospital recently. I wandered up
and down hallways of the spinal
injury ward and asked the
Vietnam veterans there what was
Important to them. They often
talked Hke elderly men in rest
homes reminiscing about thehr
war years or months. Because
they have little else to do.
Except wait till they get better.
If...
"What's important to met
said a M-yoar old veteran who'd
been in this hospital for a year
and a-half. "The war is impor-
tant to me. I totally agree with
it. If I eoukl get out of this
chair I'd go back tomorrow and
take care of them. I'm waiting.
for the dey I can start fighting
again. America's given me
everything I've got."
"What's Important to m now
1 that I'd Hke to go back to
school" said a derk-beired
good-looking young veteran
hunched over in a wheel chair.
They all want to "get back
into society." But until then
they live m a strange society
which is a curious combination
of day-to-day rehabilitation acti-
vities the disabled people who
by Rick Mitz
surround them their memories
and their hopea for the future.
But what they don't know
mrght hurt them. "Many of
them don't know how serious
they are injured" a doctor at
the hospital said. "Many will be
here for years. They have many
conventional dreams maybe
go to school get a job get
married have children. They
dont know however" he said
sighing "that they most likely
wont be able to fulfill that
dream. We dont tell them. It
would be too shattering."
It's quiet. They dont talk
much. Their worlds are basically
lonely. When they do talk about
Several months ago the State
Department announced that our
international Imbalance of debt
had risen from a six million
dollar deficit In June to a twelve
million dollar deficit in August.
Since that time there ha been
very little if any improvement
in our plight. Naturally when
the news of our dilemma broke
it struck a staggering blow to our
national pride and brought
home the reality of the struggle
to balance the economy of the
United States.
It came as no surprise to the
American pubtlc however that
the ever ready ever resourceful
Mr. Nixon was right on top of
thing. In fact In record time
Piacid sot Nixon had conceived
and munched the most Imagin-
ative and sweeping economic
program since F.D.R.'s reign.
The reason that I mention this
is that only a short time ago I
was involved in a similar
situation and was called on to
meke a similar decision.
It all began back about the
time of Homecoming and all It
related festivities. You see as a
member of the Board of
Trustees at my alma mater (Mt.
Sine! Christian College) it was
my duty and privilege to attend
the Bi-Annual Board meeting
which is always held in
conjunction with Homecoming.
As it was the football team
was suffering through a so-so
year but the Athletic Depart-
ment was more ambitious than
ever concerning the Inter-
collegiate sports program parti-
cularly a it affected Slmi's
football program (it we football
that bad put Sinai Christian on
the map to begin with). At least
that's what the Athletic Director
told all of us Beard members.
Perhaps the fact that the
Athletic Director was also the
Head Football Coach had
something to do with all that.
Anyway as fate would have
k the entire morning session of
the Board meeting centered
around the fteoal situation or the
athletic program. As everyone
knows football has become a
rather unprofitable business for
colleges and universities but It's
it mm of sestet f
FEBRUARY 4 172
the war It's in glowing patriotic
terms possibly trying to justify
their own disabilities so that It
shouldn't have been for nothing.
Many talk eagerly about going
bask to fight in Vietnam aa If
once there they'll be whole
again.
We talk about the war toe. As
student with Newsweek and
newereel knowledge we often
talk all about it as if we know all
about It. But these non-stodenla
residing with a life-long lease on
the top floor of a Milwaukee VA
hospital do know all about the
war. They are the war.
It oould've been me. I tend-to
forget.
also a "fact" that a eoHesjejpr
university without a football
team would cease to exist
(which was pointed out to the
Board very convincingly).
The Athletic Director who
also served as an advisor te the
Board presented the flnwieJel
picture for the year with much
aplomb. He explained to ua that
the figures we saw on the ledger
sheets were very misleading
indeed. Sinai's ledger read tike a
miniature of the UJI.A.'s. The
football program had a deficit of
180000 dollars In 1886 an a
deficit of only 300000 dollars
lnlS71.
We had to arrive at an
immediate solution which we
did and an Ingeniu one at that.
Phase I was to very eubtley
tnerssse the tuition costs lump
fee together and slightly raise
the board fee. Phase II was to
raise the profit margin of the
"student's " bookstore from
40 to 90 thus raising the
profit from 100000 dollars a
year to 300000 dollars a year.
At the same time the "stu-
dent's" cafeteria raised their
prices eWghtly and cut their food
quality drastically. This added
measure boosted their total
profit up over 100000 dollar a
year also.
By shifting the profits from
these areas to the football
program side of the ledger we
were able to balance Sinai's
books and at the seme time
maintain ita status as a non-
profit organisation. This was
indeed a masterpiece in cooper-
ation and Joint effort.
Juet think of all the problems
a college would have if It had a
surplus of 600000 dollars m Its
budget. Why we Board member
would never get a day rest for
aH those professors clamoring
for fund for some infernal
scholastic endeavor or scholar-
ships for some deserving waif or
some "talented" or "gifted"
young whip a sr snapper.
It's Just Hke the Athletic
Director said "Money tpent for
athletic here at Sinai Christian
is a sound investment for the
future of this college and a boon
to the entire "brotherhood."
hh
wmmwmimmi
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 14, Ed. 1, Friday, February 4, 1972, newspaper, February 4, 1972; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99558/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.