The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, December 12, 1972, Image 1
•3) at f Overho “st, and °seph (i( e Ph is tl 'h 13.5 has 12.5 -as°n has ave Kl game compaKij <2 and hasi foes by a a v contests. have hit on Hi m th e field f„ •k, compared to 1 Percent f ot e throws, AM| r 65 percent, tl has hit on )1 ent. 0 ^ ea( f in turnu ‘ ve 12 days off -fore the next Aggies will t on the campia University inTt) m the nation's!! i three starters '■ team that led i scoring and 3 rom ion IA neral Jiom , TEXAS ; 26th St, TA 2-1572 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.