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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1977)
The Battalion Vol. 70 No. 94 10 Pages Thursday, March 24, 1977 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 Microfilm purchase plan criticized Battalion photo by Pat McAuliff 3iris Wick, a freshman undeclared major, is using the micro reader n the Sterling Evans Library to read the April 11, 1958, issue of The Vew York Times. The date is his birthday and Wick was interested in seeing what happened in the world on the day he was born. By GLENNA WHITLEY Battalion Staff A plan to purchase microfilm copies in lieu of books and journals for the Sterling C. Evans Library has been formally pro tested by the faculty of the College of Lib eral Arts at Texas A&M Universtiy. The faculty unanimously approved a statement at a Feb. 23 meeting expressing concern about microfilm purchases. Copies of the statement were sent to W.C. Freeman, associate vice president; Dr. John Calhoun Jr., vice president for academic affairs; and President Jack K. Williams. The library has proposed to select cer tain periodicals and journals for conver sion to microtext. Some material will be replaced in full, and the hard bound copy will be removed from the shelves. Others will be kept from recent years and the backlog will be in microfilm only. Some material will be in both hard bound copy and microfilm. Noreen S. Gilb, associate director of the library, said there are three reasons for undertaking the changeover. First, the library has a current problem of space. Gilb said that even after the li brary addition is completed in 1979, the building will be filled in less than 10 years at the present rate of growth. Second, microtext purchases could help fill in the gaps in the present holdings which are too expensive or impossible to obtain. Third, the library wants to replace muti lated volumes. The statement from the Liberal Arts faculty stressed that they are in favor of microfilm copies to compensate for gaps and damaged books and journals, however they are opposed to complete substitu tion. Dr. J.A. Dabbs of the modern language department is a critic of the library’s plan. “What we say is this; Don’t let the li brary burn our books,” he said. “I call it burning, but it doesn’t really matter whether they stick a match to them, or sell them or give them away..They’ll be gone and we ll never get them back. bility to buy non-student spouse ctivity cards recommended bill recommending that spouse ac- ' cards be approved was passed by the s A&M University Student Senate right. e bill asks that non-student spouses lowed to purchase activity cards per- |ng them to attend school functions at I iced or no cost. lie Senate recommended a fee of |50 for the cards, $19.80 of which #1(1 apply as student service fees. The jl$3 would pay for identification cards, les concerning the number of tors and daily operations procedures moved from the constitution to the board investigates and recommends the budgets of student organizations. A bill providing for a student jury to interview and recommend candidates in the upcoming student government elec tions was defeated. John Oeffinger, the bill’s sponsor, said its purpose was dissemination of informa tion about the candidates. Protests against the bill ranged from charges of fascism to defense of the pres ent information system. ws by Senate vote. Bylaws are easier hange than the constitution. 9 “'i Tta, resolution will be voted on in the bming Student Government election. | resolution was approved to place a ent majority on the Student Organiza- m Board. The board presently has 11 Tlty and three student members. The A motion to reconsider the day-care center allocation was defeated 25 to 24. Approved Mar. 9, the bill allocated $41,000 for a day-care center from student services fees. Speaker Lynn Gibson broke the tie vote. In the last senate meeting he surrendered his position to plead for the acceptance of the resolution. “I think the Speaker ought to have more interest in an open forum,” said Jerri Ward, vice president for external affairs. “Half the Senate wanted to discuss it.” Emergency legislation reducing the G.P.R. requirement for yell leader candi dates from 2.5 to 2.0 was urged by Randy Myers, not a member of the Senate. He said that persons were unaware of the re quirement and thought they should be able to run in the election if they were students in good standing with the Univer sity, which requires a 2.0 G.P.R. The Senate refused to consider the bill on emergency basis. It was re-introduced as regular business and will be considered at the next meeting. It will not affect the upcoming elections. A plan to convert Peniston Cafeteria to a Day Student Lounge area was introduced by Mary Ellen Martin (Sr.-Lib. Arts). The measure will be voted on at the next meet ing. The Senate also voted that the Medical School senator will be elected in the fall in the freshmen elections. Only six members of the class have been appointed. Twepty more are expected by fall. ‘“‘I oard won’t reconsider decision ■he Student Publications Board yester- 1 refused to reconsider its decision to It all student organizations equally in Jl977 Aggieland. §he board voted Feb. 14 to allow all lent organizations, recognized or un ionized, to buy space in the yearbook lie same rates. |he Student Senate passed a resolution |ch 9 asking the board to reconsider, lowever, the board has not received pal word of the senate’s request, [rman Bob Rogers said. fVe have not been asked to reconsider as I’m concerned, Rogers said, lespite this, board member Tom Daw- Hdtioned that the board reconsider. motion was not seconded and was bped. [total of 10 unrecognized organizations ibought space, Aggieland Editor Gary Basari told the board. All of them are lek fraternities or sororities. talion were submitted. The applications will be considered Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Reed McDonald 004. The board will interview the applicants and vote on recommending the new editors that evening. Only the candidates will be allowed to the interviews. Voting will be public. The recommendations must then be approved by President Jack K. Williams. Student Senate and awaits approval by the Texas A&M Board of Regents. Raises in pay for summer Battalion staff members were also approved. The editor will receive $150 per month. Other staff members will be paid $16 per issue. The board decided to allow applicants to submit supporting letters. These must be turned ip to Reed McDonald 301 by Monday. The three candidates for the 1978 Ag gieland are Steve Goble, graduate, sociol ogy student and Aggieland photographer; Norine Harris, graduate history student and Aggieland assistant editor; Jim Hen drickson, senior journalism major and Ag gieland photographer. he deadline for buying space has ■ y l ed ' i,pother business eight applications for j(Morships i on the Aggieland and The Bat- PICIMI. (Cllll# {In* Weather Cloudy and mild with'a 20 per ent chance of rain this afternoon, igh today In the upper 60s. Low light in the low 50s. Continued illy cloudy and mild tomorrow ■ a high in the upper 70$. Pre- jpitaiton probability tomorrow 10 cent. Candidates for editor of the fall Battal ion are Jamie Aitken, junior journalism student and managing editor of The Battal ion; Steve Goble, also applying for the Ag gieland editor position; and Susan Turner, junior journalism major and editor of Moebius, the campus literary magazine. Candidates for summer editor of The Battalion are Lee Roy Leschper Jr., sophomore journalism major and Battalion staff writer and Scott Sherman, graduate management student and communications department graduate assistant. The board also learned that the Student Service Fee Allocation Committee had approved its request of $75,000 for stu dent publications. The request was also approved by the Battalion photo by Chris Svatek Dr. C. E. McCandless has re placed Roger Miller on the Stu dent Publications Board. Mil ler’s resignation became effec tive Dec. 31, 1976. Dabbs is circulating a petition to the liberal arts faculty asking for a special meeting of the faculty to discuss the future of the library s resources. He said that a special meeting would have more impact than inclusion of the subject at regular faculty meetings. “I don’t think anyone openly supports the proposal as it stands,” said Dr. Charles Maurice, economics professor. “I’m per sonally not in favor of the way it has been proposed.” He said the research done in social studies would be much more difficult if microfilm had to be used. Maurice added that important material for publication is often found by accident when browsing through material. “You do not browse through microfilm,” he said. Microfilm, microfiche, microprints and microcards are the four types of microtexts used by the library. One criticism is they must be viewed on machines, whereas books are easier to work with. Reproductions are more expensive when made from microfilm. A microfilm copy costs 25P, but a Xerox copy made from the original material costs a nickel. Copies of microfilmed material also must be requested 24 hours in advance. Another concern expressed by Dabbs was the monetary and historical value periodicals and journals might have. Gilb said,“If we know that they are val uable, we want to keep them. Other college deans expressed the same concern of members of their faculty, but no other protests have been officially filed. Dean Fred Benson of the engineering department said that the original reaction was very negative. “There was concern that it may go too far,” he said. “The original list was pretty acceptable, but the next list may not be so acceptable.” Benson said they were concerned most about material dealing with human factors in engineering. Dr. Nelson Duller Jr., a member of the College of Science library council said, “We feel cautiously pessimistic.” He said that the problem of library space was understood, but they hoped for new techniques in information retrieval and storage to be developed soon. The dean of the College of Medicine, Dr. James Knight, has a different attitude. “We support it and understand the necessity. Microfilm has to come, it’s necessary with the amounts of material and space,” he said. He added that in eases like illustrations and special materials where too much would be lost in the transformation, the library had assured him that hard copy woidd be retained. Dr. Richard Wainerdi, associate vice president for academic affairs, said that the Liberal Arts College has brought up some valid points. “No decision is to be made at this time. We are still in the fact-gathering phase,” he said. Battalion service under study Suggestions to improve services by and distribution of The Battalion were made at yesterday’s Student Publications Board meeting. No action was taken by the hoard. The Student Senate Fee Allocation Committee, notifying the Student Publi cations Board of its 1977-78 service fee al location of $75,000, had made the sugges tions last month in, a letter from it’s chair man, Scott Gregson, to Student Publica tions Board Chairman Bob G. Rogers. Suggestions were to lower advertising rates for recognized student organizations; lower subscription rates for former stu dents; give dormitories sufficient Battal ions but without excesses; improve circu lation for off-campus students; and re evaluate distribution to College Station residences. Rogers told Gregson that Battalion ad vertising rates reflect the newspaper’s costs. “The question of reduced rates for stu dent organization advertising has come up in the past and our judgment has been that the rates are not so high as to be damaging to the organizational users,” Rogers said. “Loss of revenue from reduced rates could be damaging to The Battalion, however, because it operates on such a close mar gin.” The circulation rate being charged for annual mail subscriptions ($35) very closely approximates actual costs, Rogers said. Rogers acknowledged problems with Battalion circulation, saying that an inten sive study is being made. Weatherproof distribution boxes have been ordered for all shuttle bus stops on campus, Rogers said, and “We also plan to increase the number of papers at the Li brary and at the MSG where there is espe cially heavy demand.” Rogers explained that apartment distri bution has been complicated in some in stances by apartment managers who con sider the papers a litter problem. Advertising and reader interest necessi tate College Station home delivery, Ro gers said. “The paper’s attractiveness to advertisers is significantly enhanced by (the paper’s) city delivery policy. “Without the advertising success that The Battalion enjoys, it would be impossi ble to publish it without much greater student fee or other University support,” he said. Ancient Art Revived Scott Sheeran demonstrates “Raku” method of pottery firing while Jan Linnstaedter and Bill McCaulky watch. “Raku” is an ancient Japanese method of firing that produces a metallic-type finish on the pottery piece. The piece is fired in the brick kiln, then dropped into the trash can full of sawdust for cooling. Battalion photo by Kevin Venner Regents allocate $6.25 million for new animal clinic building By SUSIE WILLIAMS Plans are in the making for a new clini cal facility at the Texas A&M University Veterinary College. A&M’s Board of Regents has allocated $6.25 million to build the facility, said Dr. Edwin W. Ellett, chairman of the clinical facility building committee and professor of veterinary medicine and surgery. Funding for the building has been in cluded in the 1977-78 budget. Ellett said the building will have 65,000 square feet. It will house clinical facilities, large and small animal diagnostic facilities, research areas, and classrooms. Office space for faculty and classified personnel, such as secretaries and clerks, will also be in cluded. Ellett said he hopes construction will begin in a little more than a year and be completed within two more years. Public service and the institutional pro gram necessitated the need for more space, said Dr. Charles E. McCandless, director of academic planning and servic- He said the veterinary college is receiv ing more money for research and more space is neccesary for these research ac tivities. Ellett said his committee is drawing up the specifications for the building. These include the special requirements of each room; size, lighting, gas line, and tele phone. “We simply define what is needed in the building,” Ellett said. “The site is left up to the Board of Regents.” Ellett said a survey has been made of several sites to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. This survey was presented to University President Jack K. Williams earlier this month and to the Board of Regents Tues day. Ellett yesterday said the Regents ap proved the committee’s preferred site for the new structure, located west of the large animal clinic. The choice was made because of the interrelationship of the new structure with the existing building. Ellett said his committee is still working on the Program of Requirements, the specifications of the building. “We are spending a great deal of time developing the most functional and most reasonable addition to the veterinary complex that we can,” he said. Ellett said he hopes the committee will have the specifications ready to submit to the Regents at its May meeting. All vacated space in the present small animal facility will be assigned to other departments within the veterinary college on .the basis of need, Ellett said.