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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1973)
BUSIEK - JONES AGENCY HOME MORTGAGES INSURANCE FARM & HOME SAVINGS ASSOCIATION Home Office: Nevada., Mo. 3523 Texas Ave. (in Ridgecrest) 846-3708 Astronomy Authority Joins Faculty Astronomy courses offered at A&M will be taught by a new faculty member, a professional astronomer who obtained the first “absolutely conclusive proof” of water vapor on Mars. Dr. Ronald A. Schom trained and works as an observational You Own Personal Travel Agency On Campus UNIVERSITY TRAVEL astronomer. The new A&M assistant pro fessor plans more high dispersion spectroscopy of Mars and Venus, at McDonald Observatory in West Texas. Schom and a University of Texas astronomer put together the right conditions and timing in specti‘ographic analysis of Mars to locate an elusive dark absorp tion line that indicated the pres ence of Martian water vapor. The research was described in a 1969 issue of Time magazine. The 38-year-old scientist teaches Physics 306 and 314, two three-hour survey courses in as tronomy. He also is planning with area amateur astronomers a public-invited “star party” near periphelion of Comet Kohoutek. It promises to be one of the brightest of the century. “We’ll work it so everyone can have a good look,” Schom said. * *»' rf •* * irjp Our l^ide-^ylwake c Wide-Open ‘Door Dolicy More than a word. More than our smiles. Our time. The wide awake bank has time for you and the eagerness to serve you best. All banks are big on money—so are we. But we’re just as big on service, in quantity and in quality. If our tellers can’t answer a question, feel free to consult any of our officers—even if, to settle a friendly argument, you need to know whose picture is on the thousand-dollar bill. Of course, our easy-going officers are ready with more important answers and financial counsel, to help you make big decisions or plan for your future. And we won’t rush you, either. We have the time to let you take your time. We know how much it matters. So whether you bank with us or not, we welcome your ques tions. Our doors are always open. The wide-open, wide-awake bank always makes you feel you’ve come to the right place. And you have! FIRST BANK TRUST , A FULLN 5ERVICE .bank. 101 NORTH TEXAS AVENUE, BRYAN, TEXAS - TELEPHONE 823-8031 MEMBER F.D.I.C. BRAZOS COUNTY’S LARGEST BANK DOING MORE FOR MORE PEOPLE EVERYDAY SM © 19/? I eon Shaffer Golnick Adv. Inc Comet Kohoutek is presently on the far side of the sun from the earth. It will edge into the morn ing sky in October and is expected to become visible to the naked eye by mid to late November. In December the object will rise from an hour and a half or less before the sun. After its closest approach to the sun Dec. 28, the comet will quickly become favorably placed in the evening sky for mid-north ern observers. Schorn believes natural inter est in astronomical phenomena should be developed and structures the physics courses to satisfy curiosity. Physics 306 has no pre requisites, while 314 requires Math 102 and 103. The former is recommended for non-science ma jor students. “Astronomy is the oldest sci ence and has the longest history,” he observed. “Since the time of Athens,” he said, “it has been considered the most liberalising of the sciences, the one best suited to give a stu dent an overall view of the uni verse and man’s place in it. While man’s conception of the universe has changed greatly in almost three millenia, the question still retains its importance.” He said that since the entire universe can’t be discussed in one semester, selection must be made THE c lete i raditi A&l airy » rovec iepar ary. S ,lry e e g that is done, in part, by 1^1 dents. J? F 8 *™ “Most of them express inte, in life on other planets, the otii and evolution of the solar sysl. the expanding universe, and phenomena such as ‘black yJ diti neutron stars or exploding SL ir j axies.” W* ^ Recent discoveries and theorM^ hoi in astronomy are woven i Schorn’s lectures so the stui will be informed on what is pening now. Some nightly ok ing sessions are scheduled toj troduce the student to they of astronomers. A senior scientist in the $i Sciences Division of the Jet pulsion Lab from 1962 until came to A&M last sum Schorn was chief of planeta astronomy at NASA in 19634ll He was a 1956 honors grai of Chicago’s Loyola Universii Schorn’s M.S. in physics andPti| in astronomy were awarded atii University of Illinois in 1958 1963. He also studied atthePi versity of Chicago. His dissertation was written celestial mechanics, but his ini ests include radio as well as cal astronomy. Schorn is partk| larly interested in determiii presence and abundances of bon dioxide and water, atd phere temperatures and pressci of Mars and Venus. Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes By TED BORISKIE With the thousands of record albums that are released each year, it should be evident that not all are destined to be big sellers. Some that sell big are certainly not deserving (everyone knows that), while others which are more than deserving of success sell a few copies and then float off into obscurity. These records are gen erally called something like “a neglected masterpiece.” Perhaps one of the most ne glected was a record produced by Peter Townsend (of the Who) which featured an incredibly un likely group called Thunderclap Newman. The album was so different that it became both legendary and un available within a couple of months. It was called “Hollywood Dream.” The group consisted of an ado lescent guitarist named Jimmy McCullogh and Andy Newman, a utility instrumentalist who, beard ed and thirtyish, looked like he would have been better suited as a postman. The real star of the group was the writer-drummer- singer, Speedy Keen. Keen was born to be a rock star; he even had the rock star’s nose (Ringo, Townsend, etc.). The music was strange; some called it “bizzaro-rock.” There was nothing strange about Mc Cullough’s guitar but Keen’s high, lilting voice predated Neil Young’s massive success and New man tinkered away on practically everything under the sun. In the course of the album he plays pi ano, soprano sax, oboe, tin whis tle, glockenspiel, bass sax, kazoo, coi anglais, Bengali flutes, organ, tenor sax, Japanese battle cym bals , hand bells, Indian finger cymbals, Chinese temple block and sleigh bells. Wowl With all that, it would seem that the music would be so con fusing it could never work. Keen’s drums kept pushing ever; along and with McCulloch's | tar and an unnamed bass (prt ably Townsend), the groups prisingly managed enough sfc ity to enable Newman togoi on his various jaunts. Side two can compare with* one side around (even the Bcatlsj “Abbey Road”). Starting offs a fine song about leaving thed and going to the “Wild CountijJ “When I Think” is a lovely hallj while “The Old Corn Mill” m along with some neo-Dylan lyrifl “I Don't Know* is about an int* racial love affair and the titj tells it all. There is no preai “Why won’t society leave alone” treatment like you finM most songs on the subject butlj stead focuses on the uneaste that exists between the twopajj cipals. Closing the side is single (It wasn’t a hit, citMJ “Something in the Air. q song is about revolution ani ^ 81 j one who’s ever been in a situatoj where a crowd is about to bj into a mob will undoubtedly k" 1 of the tension that fills the aifl With so much going fo r '*’, was only natural that the al "I bombed. Heaps and heaps of crl i ical praise could not make it s ( l It was doomed to be all but ®| gotten. A year and a half ago I ^, bled across the album in the J ment of Woolworth’s and u* ! aged to pick it up for became the envy of many > n ”| peer group. One friend ha looking for it for three y ear3, j Last month, the album was* packaged and re-released. e | cision to issue it again was P' ably based on Keen’s se co n ^ bum, “Previous Convictions, leased this summer. “Convict'® isn’t selling big so “Holly" 1 Dream” probably won’t eit er ' J for a limited time you can pick up a real classic. refrigerators available FOR RENT Cost: $20/Semester Plus $10 Deposit Pick-up Schedule: *Tuesday—Dorms 1-12 and Krueger-Dunn Complex Wednesday—Moses, Schumacher, Moore, Crocker, McKinnis, Davis-Gary Thursday and Friday—Rest of Campus Time: 3-5, 7-8:30 P.M. ■"Tuesday only, refrigerators will be delivered in front of Krueger-Dunn. For Further Information, Contact Larry Dooley, 845-6342. T It V N Ur M H CHECK OUR FINE LINE OF NAME BRAND CLOTHING MANN - H.I.S - CONTACT - CAMPUS LOUPOT’S —Across From The Post Office /©