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Che Battalioii
Vol. 67 No. 195
College Station, Texas Tuesday, December 12, 1972
Do Not Try To
Imitate Others,
You May Be Acting
Like A Fool.
TUESDAY — Conditians clear
ing up in afternoon with tem
peratures rising to 51. Partly
cloudy tonight with low of 31.
WEDNESDAY — Partly cloudy
with winds from north to north
east. High of 54.
845-2220
ipus
id
cle
itres
Station
tion’s Own
Service
Tsity
I Bank
GATE
of Flaw
r AM
airies
Texas
re Co.
A N
IE
WARE
STAL
1IFTS
lent
itioni
31
nge
e
s Agg ies ”
Nation’s Energy Crisis Hits A&M
KEEPING PACE with A&M’s sudden shortage of available energy sources has been
a rough task the past several days as 7,000-gallon tank trucks have been lined up some
times five-deep waiting to empty their diesel fuel into A&M’s seemingly small 150,000
underground storage tank located behind the Physical Plant. (Photos by Mike Rice)
Food Committee Reports
Lower Prices In Offing:
By VICKIE ASHWILL
The Food Services Study Com
mittee reported to the Memorial
Student Center Council Tuesday
that it will try to get A&M Food
Services to lower its catering
prices for items found cheaper
off campus.
“It has recently come to the
attention of the MSC Council that
several directorate committees, as
well as other non-MSC organiza
tions whose operations are based
from the MSC, are dissatisfied
with MSC Food Services,” stated
Rochelle Lindsey’s (V.P. of Issues
and chairman for the Food Serv
ices Study Committee) report.
“The most frequently recurring
problems were: the increase in
food prices, the attitude with
which the students are received
by the Food Services personnel
and the service which is received
by the organizations,” continued
the report.
Banking is a pleasure at First
Bank & Trust. Adv.
“The study committee asked
for a copy of the budget for Food
Services from Howard Vestal, but
he refused to show it to students,”
“said Lindsey. “He said he would
show it to Dr. Ted Coe, a member
of the council.”
“The committee also set three
standard meals and a reception
to get a basis for comparison with
local restaurants.”
The results of this survey show
outside sources being cheaper
than Food Services for banquets,
equivalent for luncheons and
cheaper for receptions For ex
ample, a dinner including Swiss
steak of beef, fresh fruit cup,
tossed salad, green beans, parsley
buttered potatoes, apple pie and
tea or coffee would cost $3.65 per
head from A&M Food Services,
$3 from Crown and Anchor, $3
from the Holiday Inn, $3.25 from
the Ramada and $2.95 from Clay
ton’s.
“There is no guarantee how
much it is going to cost for re
ceptions as Food Services printed
book of prices requires a minimum
of 100 people said Lindsey. “I
would hesitate to propose that
we would allow catering from
the outside, however, as Mr. Ves
tal showed a great willingness
to cooperate.”
In other action two council and
directorate officers’ proposals
were presented and accepted at
the meeting. The first proposal
pertained to the establishment of
an “Arts Committee.”
“Most of the emphasis of this
committee would be on exhibits
and speakers such as poets and
authors,” said Sam Walser, coun
cil president.
“It shall be the responsibility
of this committee to provide cul
tural activities and services which
will give the student of A&M a
more rounded education in the
(See Food, page 2)
University National Bank
“On the side of Texas A&M.”
—Adv.
By MIKE RICE
Editor
The nation’s much-talked about,
yet not-much thought about en-
e r g y shortage crisis walked
through A&M’s front door this
weekend while most students
were studying comfortably in
their rooms.
The critical shortage may be
relieved, however, if University
Purchasing Agent Herb Gershach
can swing a million-gallon diesel
fuel contract.
A&M’s physical plant, which
supplies the entire College Station
campus with electricity, air con
ditioning and heat, is now running
on about 90 per cent grade-2
diesel fuel, whereas its large tur
bines and generators were once
supplied with 100 per cent natu
ral gas.
Gershach said the university
had to resort to the liquid energy
supply Nov. 14, two weeks before
bids were opened to buy up to
136,000 gallons of the fuel. By
Nov. 28 the Physical Plant had
already burned 213,000 gallons.
This may not seem like much,
until one stops to consider that
A&M’s storage tank only holds
150,000 gallons and the university
had never burned more than 136,-
000 gallons in the history of the
modern physical plant.
Since that Nov. 14 date, A&M
has consumed over 700,000 gal
lons of the diesel liquid and is
presently burning 50,000 gallons
per day. In other words, if the
fuel is not constantly trucked to
the campus, the university will
have to shut down all operations.
Gershach said he has been re
ceiving 7,000 - gallon shipments
round-the-clock but predicts this
will slow down due to icy roads.
He noted Monday afternoon that
five tank trucks were involved in
accidents within the past several
days while trying to deliver the
same fuel to University of Texas
at Austin.
“We simply had no idea the
shortage would become this criti
cal in such a short time,” said
Gershach.
“But as a consolation to this,
we have been assured that A&M
and UT will receive top priority
over other schools in the state.
Only hospitals will receive a high
er priority.”
Gershach received 83,200 gal
lons of diesel fuel by truck by
5 p.m. Monday afternoon with
more still on the way.
He said he had been on the
phone most of the day and that
late in the afternoon he had re
ceived a tentative commitment for
1,000,000 gallons (14.8 cents/gal
lon) of the fuel. This supply is
presently being stored in Houston.
“By no means is this amount
ours—yet,” he added.
He said the university would
have to continue burning the fuel
at 2,000 gallons per hour until the
weather warmed up.
L. B. Council, director of Physi
cal Plant, issued a memorandum
to all university deans, directors
and department heads Monday
afternoon and listed various pre
cautionary measures university
officials were to take in order to
extend the energy reserve
amount:
—Air conditioning in all non-
critical areas will be shut off
while heating in all non-critical
areas will be reduced.
—The voltage of the power sys-
(See Energy Crisis, page 2)
How A&M Ran Out Of Gas...
By MIKE RICE
On the basis of the lead story in today’s Batt, most readers are
probably wondering “How could an energy shortage occur at A&M?”
The question is complex, to say the least.
The factor affecting the situation most is the weather.
A&M gets its natural gas supply from Lone Star Gas Co., which is
based in Dallas-Fort Worth with offices in Bryan-College Station. When
the temperature in the Dallas area hits 55 degrees or below, A&M’s
amount of gas is cut since more is required in the northern area.
At 55 degrees in Dallas, A&M’s gas supply is reduced by 25 per
cent, so that A&M must burn 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel daily to stay
warm.
As the temperature in Dallas-Fort Worth decreases, A&M’s gas
supply also decreases. Presently, A&M’s energy supply is only 10 per
cent gas-produced due to the sub-freezing weather for B-CS’s friends up
north.
The problem is compounded when it gets cold here because the
Physical Plant must operate at a higher rate to keep up with the
demand.
To put things in a more complicated light, 90 per cent of A&M’s
power and heat needs will vary with the temperature readings in
Dallas-Fort Worth and B-CS.
Another question in the back of inquisitive minds is probably,“
How can the Physical Plant burn gas at one time and liquid the next.”
This is where the cost factor comes in — added expense, that is.
The diesel fuel is atomized at the Physical Plant and changed into a
vapor before it is burned as in the same manner the natural gas is if
flamed. The two are not burned together, however.
It costs three times more to burn diesel fuel than natural gas. If
natural gas supplies are curtailed or run short, the university has no
choice but to operate at a higher expense level.
University Purchasing Agent Herb Gershach summed it up when he
said the energy crisis is “playing hell with our operating budget, but
what choice do we have?”
As an added non-consolation to the situation, Gersbach said that
University Meteorologist Charles Stafford has predicted that another
low in the New Mexico area will make the situation remain pretty much
the same for the next several days, although Tuesday would not be
quite as bad as coming days.
“There’s just no relief in sight,” commented Gersbach.