Arkansas Tech University - Agricola Yearbook (Russellville, AR)

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WHY WE ARE HERE I don’t know-- except maybe to be alive because I’ve always been afraid of throwing meat on a grill at a fast food place for any extended amount of time-- or working the line with mechanical monsters with white plastic booties over my shoes-- or anywhere where the people aren’t human or even individual just a robot mass going through the motions of a life they don’t know exists 4 |

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| Palmer Hostages on TWA Son Hindered by Press John Palmer, a senior agri business major at Tech, had a summer that will never be forgot- ten by him or his parents. John’s father Jim, mother Sammie, and younger brother Joe Don were among 153 per- sons taken hostage June 14 by Arab terrorists on a TWA flight fr om Athens to Rome. John’s family was returning from Saudi Arabia where Jim Palmer worked as a refrigeration and air conditioning engineer. Sammie and Joe Don were released June 15 along with other women and children by the hi- jackers of the TWA flight. Jim Palmer, however, was held captive for 12 days. He was released due to heart problems and high blood pressure. During the ordeal, John felt that the news media was a bit of a hinderence. ‘ The press did not really need to be at my doorstep everyday,’’ said John. ‘‘They could find out about as much as I could find out and many times they knew it before I did.’’ 14 He felt that his personal emotions were not im- portant enough for the news coverage that he was given. ‘‘What was important was that my dad wasa | hostage.’’ said John. He said that his father backed President Reagan on his decisions during the crisis. John feels that some retaliatory measures should be taken, but only when all the American kidnapped victims are home. ‘ We still have people over there,’’ said John. ‘‘No matter who they are, every American is important.’’ John said he has a deeper appreciation for his parents since the incident. ‘‘You don’t know how important your parents are until you have them taken away from you, ’ he said. His family is now home in Little Rock “‘get- ting back into the swing of America.’’ He said that his father would never go overseas to work again. important} was that my} dad was a| hostage. ”’ ADS NS s : a = SS a EUTHLETUN CAT