University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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LONGHORNS Local streets became parking loU as a snowstorm the weekend of Jan. 12 dumped almost four inches on Austin. It was the second snow of the young winter season. Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins squared off in a game that pitted two of the best quarterbacks in the league against each other Joe Montana and Dan Marino. As the bets rolled in, the 49er fans celebrated their team ' s 38-16 victory. Though not shouting victory with the 49ers and their fans, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity members did breathe a sigh of relief when their charter was conditionally reinstated. After having the charter revoked for a hazing incident, it was decided that SAE alumni would more closely super- vise the actions taken by the fraternity. Another decision in the headlines during the winter was the English department ' s decision to make English 346 an elective writing course, which caused a great deal of anguish among students who were taking it as a require- ment for graduation. Finally, as with the price of everything else, the U.S. Postal Service again raised its rates to 22 cents per letter. Just when everyone thought it was cheaper to write home to mom and pop, the government struck again . . . Well, as they say, Spring is just around the corner. A paltry three-inch base fails to deter Mary Whiting from her effort to ski Texas. Photo by Hen Itiddick Winter Calendar 25

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Winter storms create fun, havoc by JULIE DEL BARTO With exam week about over and Christmas just around the corner, the atmosphere on campus was one of con- stant change. Students who were ap- prehensive about exams were also waiting in anticipation of a three-week break from classes. The break was extended when winter hit Austin. With four inches of snow and ice blanketing the highways, students were finding it difficult to return to their home away from home. With this in mind, the UT administration decided to delay the beginning of the spring semester. The weather did not have this paralyzing effect on everything, though. As the streets cleared and the city opened up, so did the 69th session of the Texas Legislature. Representatives from all over Texas had a lot in store for them as they faced controversial issues including the Education Reform Bill, the use of safety belts in automobiles and the raising of the legal drinking age. Because of the federal government ' s decision to cut highway funds to states that did not raise their drinking ages to 21, the Texas Senate passed a bill stating that as of Sept. 1, 1986 the legal drinking age would be 21 years of age. University students were dealt another blow when President Reagan announced that this was the second American Revolution and that the surge in economic growth and tax reform would bring freedom to all. He was not dealing with the reality of what was happening to college students who received the brunt of his budget cut- backs. With the government cutting both the work study program and one- third of a million more dollars in federal financial funding, students were finding it harder and harder to finance the cost of higher education. Financial worries were not the only things on the minds of the UT popula- tion, however, as thousands gathered around TV sets everywhere for the sports match-up of the season - - the A snowy run evokes different reactions from Lydia Foerster (back), Leslie Herzik and Tom Gray as they try a hill beside the LBJ Library. Photo by Morris Goen 24 Winter Calendar

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Vietnam, WWII stir spring rites by JULIE DEL BARTO Spring . . . few could believe it had finally arrived. For some it was a time to lay back and relax, while for others it was a signal that finals were at hand. Again, politics and controversy were widespread on campus as students argued on a variety of issues ranging from the city elections to a proposed tuition hike. Spring brought with it a tide of legislative moves including a possible hike in tuition for those attending Texas universities. The bill sought to in- crease tuition from $4 per semester hour to $12 an hour in 1985. Students held rallies protesting the hike and were con- cerned about the effect it would have on students dependent on the decreasing amount of federal aid available. In national headlines, groups rallied against President Reagan ' s trip to Ger- many for a scheduled session of economic talks and a visit to a German military cemetery. With the anniversary of the Holocaust, the nation was in an uproar. Other groups held peaceful rallies in remembrance of another war - Vietnam. While the country pondered these events, Austinites were in the middle of another full-blown city council election. The most hotly debated race was the mayoral contest between incumbent Mayor Ron Mullen and environmen- talist Frank Cooksey. It was a close race, but Cooksey pulled ahead in the May runoff, winning by a margin of 8 percent. In other Texas news, convicted killer Henry Lee Lucas, who had confessed to more than 300 murders, testified that he had actually only killed three people and had been lying about the rest in order to discredit law officers. Violence was also a major concern on campus as the annual Round-Up parade became a fiasco when people at the Goodall-Wooten Dormitory threw ob- jects and yelled obscenities at the Gay and Lesbian Students ' Association float. A balloon liftoff starts Communication Week April 8-13. Activities included a Vic Jacobs look- alike contest. Photo by Doug Layton r . 26 Spring Calendar