St. Edward's University Hilltopper (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, May 9, 1980 Page: 2 of 4
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FORUM
May 9, 1980 HILLTOPPER Page 2
EDITORIAL
— John Nira
Letters
Elizabeth W. Dean
Editor—Hilltopper
trator(s) of this vicious act exempli-
fies the sort of delinquent, pre-
adolescent actions that destroy
S.E.U., students, and other peo-
ple’s property, privileges and com-
forts. This cat was well liked, except
obviously to these few, because,
among other things, of its calming
qualities. This is an element, like so
many others, that is needed desper-
ately in this world today. The ac-
tions of these individuals are in step
with other individuals who cause
Room 325
Main Building
The Hilltopper is published by the students of St. Edward’s Univer-
sity. The opinions expressed are either those of the staff or of the in-
dividual writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the University.
lightbulbs, and no toiletpaper in
restrooms because someone wanted
a personal roll. This is but to name
a few. Several acts of inconsidera-
tion, of this minority, are violations
of the law in the “real” world. This
includes Public Intoxication, Dis-
turbing the Peace, Destruction of
Property, and Malicious Mischief.
They are not tolerated by society.
Why they are tolerated on this cam-
pus puzzles me.
Don’t get me wrong, there are
year.
Whenever a dorm party or other
minor activity is cancelled, refused,
or otherwise procrastinated by the
administration, look not always to
the Dean of Students —look to
yourselves, or rather to that minor-
ity. It seems whenever the adminis-
tration reluctantly attempts to treat
the on-campus residents the way
they should —like adults —this mi-
nority quickly proves them wrong.
These forfeited rights and privileges
go hand in hand with the sometimes
sub-human living condition in the
dorms. Here I can only write of the
men’s dorms.
This minority is responsible for
the little things that make all of our
lives miserable. I refer to the little
inconsiderations such as loud ste-
reos at 4 am, fake fire drill at 2:30
am, vomit in water fountains from
which you wanted to drink, step-
ping in garbage in a dark stairwell
because someone ripped-off the
This is the last Hilltopper of the year and thus, this is my last
editorial; to say that I am sad is to speak with profound understatement.
To relinquish my position is to leave, in a sense, what has been the
mainstay of my existence during this entire year. 1979-80 has been a long
year for me, full of euphoric highs and terrifying lows. Throughout
these many months the Hilltopper has been my master and my friend —
a seductive source of pride and a persistent source of frustration.
The position as editor of the Hilltopper is a very lonely one. In a way
you become a non-entity with broad influence. As voice of the student
body, you must always be aware of the often vague, constantly varying,
nuances of student opinion and still manage to present them in a strong,
definite manner. If you should happen to mis-interpret, the anger is
yours alone to receive. As a representative of the student body, you
must present views (which are often very unlike your own) in such a way
as to have the administration and faculty consider them with interest
and concern. As editor you are constantly in the public eye, open and
vulnerable, at times the victim of circumstances beyond your own
foresight or control. Being editor is lonely because you are a human be-
ing placed in a position that allows no mistakes. It is a role in which it
would be easy to quit trying, to quit caring, to say “to hell with it all,”
and to give up.
Yet, for the concerned individual, being the editor of the Hilltopper
also has many rewards. Although we had a rough beginning, I can look
back now and see improvement, week by week, in each edition of the
paper. There is still much that needs to be added or improved upon, but
the Hilltopper is back on the road to becoming a respectable, responsive
forum for student information and comment. Spoken with impatience,
the words “When is the Hilltopper coming out?” have become compen-
satory reward for what I have often considered a fruitless endeavor. Lit-
tle notes from faculty and staff members expressing approval (or disap-
proval, for that matter) on certain issues have given proof that someone
was reading and did care what we did each week.
Because this is the last issue of the Hilltopper, Vol. 8, it is only ap-
propriate that I thank those particular people from whom I have re-
ceived special aid and support.
To Brother Henry Altmiller I offer my respect and admiration. For
your patience and your journalistic ideals (specifically your belief in the
freedom of the press), for your support and acceptance of an editor who
has at times stepped beyond all reasonable bounds, I will forever be
beholden. Although I will continue to believe that the Hilltopper is a
learning experience deserving of scholastic credit, I submit to your
authority in hopes that you will not be able to fight off future editors so
easily as you did me.
To Sister Jean Burbo I also offer my respect and admiration. For
your time and concern, for your understanding and listening ear, I am
ever grateful. You have convinced me of your genuine love and concern
for the St. Edward’s student and I can only hope that others come to see
you as the same caring individual I have come to know.
To Glenda Riley I offer special thanks. You have been my surrogate
mother and my friend. Thank you for the sound advice, the pats on the
back, and the time spent discussing nothing in particular and everything
in general.
To Albert Ochoa I extend my most heartfelt gratitude. You have been
my confidant, my friend — for your patience and understanding I will
forever be in debt. Thank you for.bringing stability to my thoughts,
sanity to my being, and light to my depressions. You have given beyond
all expectations — that you continue to do so is a constant source of
wonder to me.
There are many more people to whom I would offer my thanks, but I
have watched too many Oscar presentations to ask you to bear with me.
Let it suffice to say that you all know who you are and that I will not
forget your help.
And so I must now say goodbye. Next year I will return to become the
“normal” student. But I have changed and I have grown; I care for this
school and I plan to continue to offer myself in its service. Thank you
St. Edward’s for a year I will ever cherish.
HILLTOPPER
Campus Mail Box 715
Editor: Elizabeth Dean
Managing Editor: John Nira
News Editor: Clare McFadden
Sports Editor: Chris Ryan
Contributors: Albert Ochoa, Teresa Salamone, Patricia Sanchez
Photography Staff: Albert Ochoa, Ruben Amaya, Doug Webb,
Marty Binder
Advisor: Robert Wilson
Letter to the Editor:
In order to see the SEU produc-
tion of “The Music Man” recently,
my granddaughter and I had to fly
1500 miles from North Dakota to
Texas. It was the first time in the
state for both of us. I write because
I did not have a chance to congratu-
late the entire cast of “Music Man”
after their wonderful performance.
I was very happy to be here. As my
granddaughter and I watched and
listened, we realized the long hours
and hard work that went into the
production to make it such a stun-
ning success.
I am sure that when the lights
dimmed for the last time on Sunday
night on “Music Man” each person
was very happy and proud to have
been a part of it. I was proud of all
of you. Again, my congratulations
to all on the stage and all back stage
who had any part in making the
show such a lovely success.
Agnes Muller, Hillsboro, N.D.
LaRon Muller, Fargo, N.D.
cerning this letter. That’s fine. I
don’t care. I will be graduating, and
will be leaving this university for
good. You all will need to make the
necessary changes. If you don’t
want to make those changes, I con-
demn you all to this privilegeless
society on campus.
I wrote this because I am con-
cerned about this school and its stu-
dent body. I also felt that I had
been quiet much too long. I wrote
this because of my feelings of frus-
tration concerning the quality of
life on this campus. I also wrote this
because of a totally needless death
of a cat. Don’t let a minority of res-
idents disrupt and deprive the ma-
jority of their rights.
If your rights die totally on this
campus, it will be a death by your
own hands.
Thank you for your attention,
Philip Waltz
Graduating Senior,
Criminal Justice
Dear Editor,
I am writing this as an indictment
of behavior of a minority of male
and female on-campus residents.
I am writing this as a warning to a
silent, non-acting majority of on-
campus residents.
I am writing as a concerned grad-
uating senior, as a pet owner and as
a frustrated individual. This letter
concerns the environment of this
campus and its effects on its resi-
dents. I am also writing concerning
what the reader may view as a triv-
ial, over emotional event, but what
I view as an indictment illustrating
the behavior of what I hope is a mi-
nority of on-campus residents. This
event, more importantly, has far
reaching ramifications. The event
that I write of is the brutal slaying
of a cat, whose body was “depos-
ited” on second floor Premont Hall
— the result of someone’s sick hu-
mor.
This thoughtless —no cruel, well
thought out act-to me typifies the
sort of behavior that costs all of us
in one way or another. The perpe-
This week John Nira was ap-
pointed by the Publications Board
as the new editor of the Hilltopper.
John has worked with publications
since he first entered St. Edward’s;
during his freshman year he served
as Amusements and Features Edi-
tor, this past year he has served as
both Managing Editor of the Hill-
topper and Editor of EveryMan
magazine.
As the outgoing editor, I would
like to congratulate John on his ap-
pointment and offer the best of
hopes and good luck to him in his
new position. John has done an ex-
cellent job this year and I expect
only more excellence from him in
his continuing service to St. Ed-
ward’s publications.
—Elizabeth W. Dean
Letters to the Editor welcome,
but must be signed. Anonymity
can be preserved when
necessary.
worked during the past two years
for the respectability it now enjoys.
Through the efforts of Joe Tally
and Beth Dean, the previous Hill-
topper editors, the weekly campus
newspaper sought to bring out
much of the intricate occurrences
that comprise daily life on this hill-
top. Their toils have been met with
success only because of their dili-
gence and stamina in dealing with
the administration, students, type-
setters and printers.
However, without the consistent
contributions by our illustrious
staff, the editors would have had
nothing to edit. Teresa Salamone,
Clare McFadden and Chris Ryan
have been the prime sources for
campus news and events and a
hearty expression of thanks is due
to all of the staff members.
But the most integral person in
St. Edward’s publications for this
and previous years has been Albert
Ochoa. Undoubtedly, his patience
and insistence on quality has up-
graded all aspects of the student’s
publications more than any single
person in recent years. The adminis-
tration, students, as well as the
previous two editors and their staff,
are indebted to him for the publica-
tion’s success.
So, with the spring semester com-
ing to a close, we look back in our
present fatigue and recount the ini-
tial days of optimism, the riotous
afternoons of panic and the serene
evenings of reflection on accom-
plished work. The tears and sweat,
we find, have been worth it and we
realize that we did do our best un-
der the circumstances. The experi-
ence of putting together a news-
paper has indeed been a learning
experience and the lessons we have
learned will be utilized in future
work environments.
Fall semester 1980 is just four
months away, and preparation has
already begun to make the ninth
volume of the Hilltopper an active
and representative aspect of student
life. The cornerstone of the Hill-
topper, as it is with nearly all news-
papers, is the editorial (forum)
page. It is this page that enhances
and projects students’ ideas and
criticisms. Therefore, this forum
page will be used to express student,
faculty and administrative opinions
in a coherent manner so that deci-
sions and objections may be
launched in a healthy manner.
News and sports will be reported to
help form these opinions expressed
in the forum page.
If new editors were to take new
names along with their positions
like newly elected popes, I would be
inclined to call myself “Joe Beth I”
in honor of my two predecessors.
But the Hilltopper has yet to
achieve the rich tradition of the
papacy, so just regard me as editor
John Nira—a gatherer and dissemi-
nator of news.
Journalism is interesting. The
word today has connotations of ex-
citement, importance and respect.
Like a “Lone Ranger,” journalism
has heralded the cause of the com-
mon man by admonishing big busi-
ness, exposing corrupt politicians
and revealing various injustices.
However, journalism has also been
accused of needlessly reporting in-
formation that does nothing but
disrupt and sensationalizing per-
sonal traits of public figures. Yet,
the criticisms all balance it out, it
seems, and we all realize the great
service the news media performs by
their untiring endeavors.
St. Edward’s Hilltopper has
darkness in a world that needs light, people who are truly concerned on
I must pose two simple questions: this campus. Unfortunately their
One) whose cat was it? Who will energy is tied up in such serious
miss its loss —an elderly lady or pos- matters as: the running of the elec-
sibly a small child? Two) who or tions for officers for what seems to
what gave you the right to commit be an unrecognized, • powerless,
such a pointless criminal act? These puppet student government, and in-
questions lead me to an area that vestigating whether or not beer will
has implications that go far beyond be sold or if indeed the ReUnion
a killing of a cat. will stay open. There have been
It seems that anything that is more letters to the editor concern-
placed here on campus for our use ing these two situations, than letters
to make our life more comfortable, concerning school cost increases, or
or at least more tolerable, is quickly the true quality of life in the dorms,
broken, totally destroyed, or stolen. There have been some letters con-
This was the case with the large cerning the cafeteria. But not many,
screen television system, vending if any at all, about those who cause
machines, various pin-ball ma- the loss of our privileges.
chines, and other minor articles of I’m sure that I’ll receive some
S.E.U. property throughout the heated replies or verbal attacks con-
< > St. Edward’s University
I HILLTOPPER
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St. Edward's University Hilltopper (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, May 9, 1980, newspaper, May 9, 1980; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1510087/m1/2/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting St. Edward’s University.