Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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In the News Closet homosexuals, marijuana, blacks ' and women ' s rights what hasn ' t been discussed on the editorial page of the University Daily? The fight last year over scarves and sorority girls seemed to spark interest in writing letters to the editor. Sometimes humorous, some- times downright angry, letters poured over UD Editor Melissa Griggs ' desk almost from the day the UD went into print for the year. One of the first issues raised in the L D was the parking situation on campus. Several students griped about having to park in the com- muter lots, the loss of parking spaces caused by construction of the loop system and other problems. Now that I am a junior and am off campus, Greg Parks wrote, I have found a good way of burning $18 in the form of a commuter park- ing sticker. Completion of the loop system early in the spring semester raised a lot of comment. In the four short years that I have been attending Tech I have seen some really brilliant stunts on the part of both students and administrators, Ken Porter said. The effects of the new inner-cam- pus loop must rank with the best of them. I will be the first to admit that it may be .somewhat early to evaluate the benefits (?) of the new loop, but from what I have seen, and from what 1 have heard other students say, the loop is a bomb. Sara Park took a more humorous stand on the loop and the bus situ- ation. Shame on Babs (Jreyhosky for writing that seething editorial Jan. 19 criticizing Tech ' s innovative bus routes! Park wrote. Where is her sense of adventure? Buses are no longer used exclusively for mundane intra-campus transporation. Now they offer a game for students to play in between classes. It ' s called ' Musical Buses. ' Another issue that raised anger on campus concerned the I-RA and the treatment of women. Kirk Doo- Icy, UD sports editor, got involved in a word battle with some of Tech ' s flnglish professors. Kirk Dooley ' s explanatory note to professor Terrell (Nov M). 1976) which cited his use of ' feminine ' as a synonym for ' weak ' concerning Maryland ' s football schedule. is an insult to every woman on this campus, to whom he owes an apolo- gy, Ann Daghistany, assistant pro- fessor of English, wrote. Doolcy replied, I don ' t believe I have insulted ' every woman on this campus. ' although we have strong evidence here that I have in- sulted every woman teacher in the English Department, which is noth- ing new to a boy who can ' t remem- ber the last English teacher he got along with. I do, however, feel that I owe a sincere apology to every uoman football player on campus. As the Texas legislature prepared to vote on the l-qual Rights Amend- ment (1;RA), several students voiced their opinion on the amend- ment. 1 refuse to accept this piece of proposed legislation as a solution to anything for I see no problem, ex- cept with altitude. Marianne Andrews wrote. 1 el ' s come to the middle and allow the change to evolve naturally if it is to do so. The women who want a new place in so- ciety will receive it in time if they work for it. The blanket will suffo- cate us all if we allow it to pass. Per- sonally. I ' m free right now to be and to become all that I want to become. I don ' t need the ERA. An article by Va ne Roper on closet homosexuals prompted many letters to the LID. Several views on homosexuality were aired.

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INSIDE T CONTENTS In the News University Center Homecoming University Speakers Off-Campus Living 13 Years Ago University Theatre Parting Shots 24 34 38 40 42 44 46 50 La Vent ana Co- editors Cliff Butler Linda Thomas Director of Student Publications Dr. Bill Dean Director of Photography Darrel Thomas Business Manager Jean Fin ley Photographers Larry Jayroe Karen Thorn Paul Von Hubcn EDITOR ' S NOTE Well, once again a yearbook is finished and presented for the approval of the student body. Even after five years of experience in the production of yearbooks, I still have the same feelings of apprehension. Will they like it? Have I done my job well? Conflicts with Time-Life, Inc. this year resulted in a change of title of this year ' s student life section. Since we chose our own title fo r this magazine instead of using the name of a national or regional magazine in print, we hope to be able to use Inside Tech for many years. Traditions may be altered, but Life goes on . . . Students this year seemed to get much more involved in controversy on campus. Perhaps this was because there was no Wall Hall fire to contend with. Perhaps students wanted to show new Tech President Cecil Mackey that we are concerned with ideas and issues. Whatever the reason, it made for interesting reading on the editorial page of the University daily. Inside Tech looks at some of these issues in the introduction to In the News, a section of interesting events and issues on campus. The Fiji controversy raised a lot of questions about the powers and problems of the university code. A report and editorial by staffer Kevin Upp explained the events and feelings surrounding the controversy. The Tech skyline is changing rapidly as additions and new buildings go up. Holden Hall, the Mass Communi- cations Building and other new structures are featured in Parting Shots. The staff of Inside Tech, Upp, myself. Bob Fuchs and Becky McAlpinc (pictured below) have attempted most of all to provide an interesting and informative look at life on (and off) the campus. We sincerely hope you, the students, are pleased with this year ' s effort. ySoit ruyuj AMT -XiiO -} Editor, INSIDE TECH

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You know me, one student wrote. I sit beside you in class every day. I may even be standing in front of class lecturing. In fact. I may be any one of the thousands of people walking across the Tech campus at any given time. You don ' t know it, but I ' m gay. The reason you don ' t know is due to the fact that I don ' t fit into your stereotyped notion of what gay people are ' supposed ' to be like. Other people expressed disgust for homosexuals. Homosexuality is sickening, 25 Wells residents wrote. Homo- sexuals have no place in any society. The idea of gay student organiza- tions makes all of us want to throw up. If homosexuals feel that they can ' t express themselves in Lub- bock, they can leave and nobody will miss them. Three law students decided ho- mosexuals were not the only minor- ity discriminated against at Tech. In recent weeks we have seen several letters concerning homo- sexuals, biscxuals, triscxuals, tran- svestites, and other discrete in- sular minority groups, Gary Kis- siah, Chris Johansen and Wendel Withrow wrote. The time is now at hand to bring to the attention of this society the respect and appreci- ation that is due to another minority group. To wit, the hog liver lovers. While some students were up in arms about homosexuality, others had waged a newspaper war over the legalization of marijuana. A group that called itself AMER- ICA spoke out against marijuana. NORML: is smoking marijuana nor- mal? the group wrote. Would you want your children smoking mari- juana; and what if your parents were pot heads? Smoking pot is wrong legally and morally. Look at the people who smoke marijuana, some look like humans, but most have long hair which is usually filthy, beards, wear stupid looking beads, and need a bath. If marijuana is not bad for you, then why did the Mafia introduce it solely to the black community. Dave Land and Bob Starr replied to AMERICA ' S letter: This is a rebut- tal to the letter of April 15, 1977 against Marijuana. Upon first reading of the letter we assumed it to be a joke — but subsequent review of the letter led to the realization that the group signing as AMERICMA (against Marijuana everywhere re- stricting imbalanced criminal minds always) might actually believe it. The pot issue remained the focal point of the UD editorial page until an article and editorial by News Editor Jay Rosser, concerning SOBU ' s anger at the absence of blacks on the cheer- leader squad, took precedence. Primarily, I would like to say I do not think the cheerleaders should be judged on skin color or religion, one student wrote. The cheerleaders that we, the students, want are those who work hard to represent Texas Tech University in the best possible way. Judy Smith wrote, Any black should be insulted and embarrassed by SOBU ' s demand for special try- outs. This is not equality, but an im- plication that blacks are not up to standard. SOBU President Charles Gulley attempted to explain SOBU ' s stand. No one is asking whites to give us anything, Gulley wrote. All we want is equal representation in every- thing. Fred Wilmer represented a slightly different view on the matter. Being black, I naturally would like to see blacks on the cheerleading squad, Wilmer wrote, on the senate, and simply more involved in campus leadership. But I, along with other black students, do not feel that other blacks should ask for or be given special treatment. The issues may not have been solved by presenting students ' view in the UD, but the editorial page provided an emotional outlet for anyone who had something to say and wanted to say it badly enough. What would we do with- out letters to the editor? Insidc- ' ja