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COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1969
Telephone 845-2226
Black Affairs Committee |
Sets Recruiting Goals
By TONY HUDDLESTON
Finding better solutions to
iegro problems and demands at
i&M is the goal of the recently-
ppointed Committee on Black
tudent Affairs, Ken Lewallen,
committee chairman, said Wed-
lesday.
The committee, composed of
seven Negroes, is working to
ward recruiting more students
and athletes, adding courses in
Negro culture, obtaining more
Negro history books for the li
brary and securing Negro pro
fessors and instructors, Lewallen
said.
The committee hopes to have
informal discussions of matters
of interest to black students en
rolled at A&M, Lewallen said.
The adviser of the group is Ed
win Cooper, director of civilian
student activities.
Lower requirements for en
trance into A&M was a key goal
that Lewallen has stressed.
“A&M needs to lower its en
trance requirements for Negro
students because they haven’t
had the advantages of other stu
dents in high schools,” Lewallen
explained. He noted that this is
essential as long as the stand
ards of Negro high schools are
inferior to those of whites.
HE ADDED that there should
be as many Negroes at A&M as
there are foreign students. He
pointed out that there are only
approximately 40 Negro students
at A&M, in comparison with 400
foreign students.
“Negro culture courses are es
sential if colleges and universi
ties are to teach the true history
of the United States,” he said.
“I believe that more colleges will
begin teaching these courses in
the future.”
He added that a black studies
and cultural department will
\ew Coastal Engineering Lab
To Duplicate 8 Gulf Locations
A&M officials; have selected
eight major Gulf Coast areas for
duplication at the university’s
coastal engineering laboratory,
with the models used for various
studies.
Dr. John B. Herbich, head of
A&M’s Coastal and Ocean Engi
neering Division, said models will
be constructed at Galveston, Cor
pus Christi, Matagorda, San An
tonio, Aransas and Baffin Bays,
Sabine Lake and Laguna Madre.
The models, with dimensions
ranging from 150 to 300 feet, will
cover 80 per cent of the Texas
coast and the major estuarine
areas. Herbich said the models
will be reproduced with tidal ac
tion and currents, using sand
taken from the areas being dupli
cated.
HE SAID the lab, first of its
type for a state, will cost about
million. The main facility and
first model, which university offi
cials hope to have in service by
summer 1970, will cost approxi
mately $400,000.
A&M will seek financial assist
ance for the project from the
federal government, state and
local authorities and private
industry.
‘When completed, we will have
the finest facilities in the coun
try for coastal study,” Dr. Her
bich remarked.
The lab will be used to study a
variety of coastal problems, in
cluding flooding due to hurricane
surges, dispersion of waste dis
charged in bays and estuaries,
erosion and improvement of de
signs of navigational channels
and other inlets.
HERBICH noted the Commis
sion on Marine Science, Engineer
ing and Resources has recom
mended establishment of coastal
zone laboratories in cooperation
with appropriate academic insti
tutions. A&M officials hope their
facility will be one of the desig
nated laboratories.
THE UNIVERSITY’S new lab
oratory will include installations
on the main campus and at the
Texas A&M Research Annex, for
merly Bryan Air Force Base.
Herbich said the models, along
with a large wave basin, will be
constructed at the annex, utiliz
ing a former aircraft hangar and
several hundred feet of runway
apron. The wave basin will be
eight feet deep.
A smaller wave basin and a
150-foot three-dimensional wave
channel will be added to the Hy
dromechanics Laboratory on the
main campus. University facili
ties currently include a 120-foot
two-dimensional wave channel.
make blacks “politically, socially,
economically and culturally
aware,” and that it would bridge
the gap of misunderstanding be
tween whites and blacks.
“WITH AS many top black
athletes in Texas, A&M should
be trying to recruit more for as
well-rounded an athletic program
as other U. S. colleges and uni
versities have,” Lewallen said.
He pointed out that every
other college and university in
the Southwest Conference has
signed at least two athletes to
football scholarships and noted
that A&M has only signed black
athletes to track scholarships.
The committee met last week
with Dr. O. D. Butler, chairman
of the athletic council at A&M,
who said A&M “is looking for
black athletes who can fulfill
both athletic and scholastic re
quirements. “The committee also
plans to meet with Athletic Di
rector and Head Football Coach
Gene Stallings next week.
“I THINK that the A&M Li
brary should put more Negro
Literature on the shelves,” Lewal
len remarked. “At the present
time, only the Negro magazine
Ebony, is kept in the library.
Books and magazines such as the
Journal of American Negro His
tory, should be kept in the li
brary because they are essential
for students who are interested
in studying black history,” he
pointed out.
“The hiring of Negro profes
sors and instructors is also essen
tial if A&M is to become a well-
rounded university,” Lewallen
said. He added that nearly every
college in Texas has Negroes on
their staffs and A&M has none.
“The problem of the recent
racial riots at other colleges was
caused by a lack of communica
tion between the administration
and the students,” Lewallen said.
“As long as A&M tries to solve
the black problem I can foresee
no violent action; but, if it
chooses to ignore the problem as
other colleges have, I don’t know
what will happen.”
HE SAID his group is in no
way connected with any groups
such as the Students for Demo
cratic Society. We feel that only
a black organization can success
fully represent Negroes, because
only blacks know the feeling of
being black.”
Lewallen said the committee
differs from the Afro-American
(See Black Affairs, Page 3)
Perfect Splashdown Climaxes
Apollo 9 Astronauts’ Mission
SPACE CENTER, Houston (TP)
— The Apollo 9 space pilots
splashed down “right on target”
into calm Bahaman waters near
Grand Turk Island today, their
10-day test flight in space a com
plete success.
Splashdown came at 12:01 p.m.
EST.
Astronauts James A. McDivitt,
David R. Scott and Russell L.
Schweickart heard Mission Con
trol confirm the rapid-fire se
quence of events during re-entry,
and said, “it looks like we’re
about a mile off.”
The aircraft carrier Guadal
canal, price removery ship, head
ing north under partly cloudy
skies, was in voice contact with
the Apollo 9 astronauts some
three minutes before splashdown.
Splashdown came just 10 sec
onds after it was scheduled, some
three miles from the carrier,
cruising just off the target zone.
Splashdown came half an hour
after the astronauts fired their
rocket engine into their own path
for a shade less than 12 seconds
to brake their speed and their
orbit, and bring them home to
earth. That occurred at 11:30 a.m.
“Burn looks good up here,” re
ported astronaut Scott.
“Felt good,” Scott said calmly.
“A good burn — mighty fine,”
confirmed Mission Control.
Poll Monday
On Vote Age
A student referendum on the
proposed lowering of the voting
age in Texas will be held Mon
day from 8 aim, to 5 f. n., an
nounced Tommy Henderson, Elec
tion Commission vice president.
The poll, approved by the Sen
ate last week, is to determine the
opinion of the A&M student body
before Senate President Bill Car
ter goes before the State Legis
lature next Tuesday.
Henderson noted that polling
places will be the Academic Build
ing, the Library, and the Me
morial Student Center.
“I think this would be a good
chance to show the Legislature
that we aren’t apathetic,” Hen
derson commented. “A good
turnout might even help lower
the voting age.”
At Saturday’s Ball
Juniors To Choose Sweetheart
By JANIE WALLACE
The selection of the Junior
Class Sweetheart from five final
ists highlights the Junior Ball at
Sbisa Dining Hall Saturday, Jim
my Dunham, class president, said
Wednesday.
The sweetheart will be chosen
from these finalists:
Brown-eyed brunette Suzanne
Covington is a University of
Texas at Austin sophomore maj
oring in fashion design. She is
from Houston and her escort is
Glenn Draper.
Sherry Doolittle, a receptionist
for a Houston oil company, is a
blue-eyed blonde. She is from
Houston and her escort is Frank
D. McDuff.
A Southwest Texas State Col
lege senior majoring in elemen
tary education, April Gayle
Douglass is from Houston. She
has brown hair and brown eyes.
Her escort is Thomas Jones.
An elementary education maj
or, Cindy Purcell is a junior at
TU. She has blue eyes and brown
hair. She is from Fort Worth
and her escort is John Drewien.
Martha Walters, a brown-eyed
brunette, is a senior at Orange-
field High School. She is from
Orange and her escort is Dickie
Hicks.
The sweetheart selection com
mittee members, who will choose
the sweetheart the night of the
dance, are Dan Swords, chairman
and class secretary-treasurer;
Ronald Smith, social secretary;
Bob Nesmith, vice president; Jun
ior Council representatives, How
ard Griffin, Neal Jackson, David
Hoelscher, John Ward, and David
Kellam; Annella Wright, Aggie
Sweetheart and Dunham.
Featuring the “Countdown
Five” from Galveston, the Junior
Ball begins at 8 p.m. and lasts
until midnight. Dress for dates
is semi-formal or party dresses.
Dress for civilians is coat and
tie; Corps, midnight shirt with
ascot.
The theme of the ball is “Mardi
Gras.” With street lamps and a
plaza fountain as part of the
decorations, Sbisa will come alive
as Bourbon Street in New Or
leans, Dan Swords, Ball chairman,
said.
“In one room, a Dixieland jazz
band will play ‘mood’ music,” he
added.
“Tickets may be purchased
from any Junior Council repre
sentatives; at the Student Fi
nance office or, at the door,”
Dunham said.
Admission is $3.50 per couple.
Minutes later, the astronauts
rolled their spacecraft around to a
heads-down position to give them
a better view of the horizon, their
orientation line during the half
hour to splashdown.
A large recovery force of
planes and helicopters, headed by
the helicopter carrier Guadal
canal, was stationed in the plan
ned touchdown area to await the
return of the bearded astronauts.
McDivitt, Scott and Schweikart
were in good humor and eager to
return as they neared the end of
their mission.
When Scott was told Wednes
day that his wife, Ann, and two
children were in the Mission Con
trol center, he sent a “Hello” and
said “I’ll be home for chow in a
couple days.”
Most of Apollo 9’s action was
packed into the first five days
after their March 3 launching
from Cape Kennedy.
Their main assignment was to
prove the flight readiness of the
lunar module, or LEM, the un
gainly-looking vehicle designed
to land two men on the moon.
Apollo 9 linked up with the
LEM soon after launching and
in three rigorous days of test
ing, the astronauts proved that
it was spaceworthy, ready for a
trip to the moon.
THE KEY test came when Mc
Divitt and Schweickart separat
ed the LEM from the command
ship, flew 113 miles away and
then returned, maneuvers astro
nauts must make in launching
themselves from the moon.
Schweickart became nauseat
ed and vomited twice on the third
day, forcing Mission Control to
cancel a two-hour space walk
planned the next day. By morn
ing, McDivitt decided Schweikart
was well enough to step outside
for 45 minutes on the abbreviated
stroll.
Standing on a platform outside
the LEM, Schweikart wore the
suit that will protect astronauts
on the moon. For the first time,
an American astronaut received
life-giving oxygen from a pack
on his back.
After kicking the LEM free in
space, the spacemen spent the
final five days demonstrating the
durability of the command ship
for 10 days, the maximum time
presently planned for man-to-
the-moon trips.
Plans already are under way
for launching Apollo 10 into lu
nar orbit with another LEM.
The Saturn 5 rocket was rolled
to a Cape Kennedy launch pad
Tuesday, aiming for a May 17
launching.
ASTRONAUTS Thomas P.
Stafford and Eugene A. Cernan
are to ride the LEM to within 10
miles of the moon’s surface while
John W. Young circles 60 miles
above them. Their lunar module
could land on the moon but it is
too heavy to lift off.
Success would clear the way
for the Apollo 11 crew to blast
off July 15 on the historic lunar
landing journey. Neil A. Arm
strong and Edwin A. Aldrin are
to descend to the surface while
Michael Collins orbits, awaiting
their return.
Some confident National Aero
nautics and Space Administra
tion officials have considered
skipping Apollo 10 and moving
directly to the Apollo 11 landing
mission, with a June launching
possible.
A decision is expected in late
March after a thorough review
of the Apollo 9 flight.
Astronauts James A. McDivitt,
David R. Scott and Russell L.
Schweickart trigger their re
entry rocket at 11:31 a.m. EST
280 miles above the Pacific to
start a 30-minute plunge to a
parachute landing northeast of
Grand Turk Island in the Baha-
SUZANNE COVINGTON APRIL GAYLE DOUGLASS
CINDY PURCELL
MARTHA WALTERS
WEATHER
Friday — Partly cloudy. Wind
Southerly 10 to 15 mph. High
73, low 48.
Saturday — Partly cloudy to
cloudy. Wind Southerly 10 to
20 mph. High 75, low 58.
University National Bank
“On the side of Texas A&M.
—Adv.
IN ‘THE BASEMENT’
Basement Committee chairman Linda Nobles entertains
in the “Basement,” a coffeehouse on the lower level of the
Memorial Student Center. Students will have a chance to
try their own talents in the Basement’s hootenanny from
8 to 12 tonig-ht. (Photo by Mike Welsh)
A&M Computer Has
‘Largest Memory’
Texas A&M has modified its
IBM 360/65 computer to provide
storage for almost 400,000 words,
giving the university the largest
memory unit of any educational
institution in the Southwest.
Robert Bower Jr., acting direc
tor of the Data Processing Cen
ter, said installation of the new
million-character “bulk memory”
unit significantly increases the
computer’s efficiency.
“The new core storage allows
us to run more jobs concurrently
and support additional remote
terminals,” Bower noted. He said
13 remote terminals are currently
connected to the computer from
various campus locations.
BEFORE installation of the
new equipment, Bower said A&M
computer was processing about
1,000 jobs per day. The powerful
third-generation machine is now
running 1,200 to 1,400 jobs daily,
with the total expected to in
crease to more than 2,000 by
summer.
He said the bulk of the jobs
are student projects, most of
which can each be processed in
a half second or less. The DPC
Finance Fraternity
Elects B-CS Pros
Bryan-College Station business
men Brookman Peters and Bob
Allen have recently been elected
the first professional members of
A&M’s newly-formed finance fra
ternity, Zeta Iota Nu.
According to Russ Ricou, public
relations, director, the criterion
for selection is outstanding serv
ice to the community, working
within a financial field for at
least five years.
Peters, president of the City
National Bank, Bryan, was re
cently named by the B-CS Junior
Chamber of Commerce as the 1968
Outstanding Young Man in Brazos
County.
Allen, an account executive at
AG Edwards & Sons, Inc., is
conducting a stock market course
at A&M. He is also on the B-CS
Jaycees board of directors.
head noted, however, many of the
university’s research and admin
istrative. jobs require consider
ably more time.
Another advantage of the ex
panded capacity is that A&M re
searchers can now use the com
puter to solve more complex
problems than previously possi
ble.
BOWER pointed out the infor
mation stored in the bulk mem
ory requires slightly longer to
retrieve than data retained in the
computer’s main memory.
“Infrequently used components
of the operating system have
been moved into the bulk mem
ory,” he explained, “freeing ad
ditional main memory for user
jobs.”
A&M installed its IBM 360/65
slightly more than a year ago.
The unit replaced a second-gen
eration IBM 7094, which was
transferred to the university’s
Cyclotron Institute.
Commandant Soon
To Be Released
From Hospital
Col. Jim H. McCoy, Corps
Commandant, continues “in satis
factory condition” at St. Joseph’s
Hospital in Bryan and will be re
leased soon, a hospital spokesman
said Wednesday.
McCoy suffered a cracked ver
tebra March 2 w h e n he fell
through the ceiling of his den
while working in the attic. Since
then, he has been resting and
giving the bone time to mend.
“He’s doing just fine,” his wife
said Wednesday. “He’ll get his
brace tomorrow, and he may be
out Monday. It was fortunate
that he missed the hearth of the
fireplace when he fell. We’re all
happy that he is recovering so
rapidly.”
Bryan Building & Loan
Association, Your Sav
ings Center, since 1919.
B B & L —Adv.