Page 4 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1977
Ex-editor criticizes media
Former Congressman Charles A.
Mosher spoke of a “new openness in
Congress” at a Monday night speech
at Zachry Engineering Center. He
said Congress needs assistance from
scientists and engineers so its mem
bers can gain an understanding
about the effects of their legislation.
Mosher, once a newspaper editor
and publisher before his election to
Congress in 1960, also criticized the
media, saying the press tends to
“zero in” on certain events while
other go uncovered.
“Their coverage tends to be only
the sensational, while the other
events are ignored,” the Ohio repub
lican said.
Mosher said congressional report
ing is difficult, but the press could do
a better job.
He said he understands the
media’s problem is much like Con
gress’ problem — they can only focus
on one thing at a time.
Partly because of pressure by in
vestigative reporters and the
people’s emphasis on ethics, Con
gress has made changes in its prac
tices, Mosher said.
Committee sessions are now made
public, and the seniority system in
Congress has been broken, Mosher
said. Also, subcommittees and their
committee chairmen are now chosen
by the caucus, he said.
By adding engineers and scientists
to their staffs, legislators can get a
better understanding of the conse
quences of their decisions because
“science and technology are in
volved in almost all congressional
decisions,” Mosher said.
Congressman Olin E. Teague has
asked Mosher to return to Washing
ton to direct the staff of the House of
Representatives Science and
Technology Committee.
During his 16 years in Congress,
Mosher helped create the Sea Grant
College Program, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis
tration, the Office of Science and
Technology Policy, and the Office of
Technology Assessment.
Biology will lose
a ‘valuable’ prof
Dr. Johannes van Overbeek will retire next year after a 50-
year career in biology.
Charles C. Schroeppel, O.D
ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF HIS OFFICE FOR THE
PRACTICE OF GENERAL OPTOMETRY
707 SOUTH TEXAS AVENUE - SUITE 101D
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 77840
OFFICE HOURS
BY APPOINTMENT
TELEPHONE
846-3754
T1P T0P
Biology professor Dr. Johannes
van Overbeek will retire next year.
And when he does, says his depart
ment head, Texas A&M University
will be losing a valuable instructor.
Dr. van Overbeek came to Texas
A&M in 1967 as biology department
head. During the last six years, he
has taught advanced courses in biol
ogy-
“The course he currently teaches
has continued to increase in enroll
ment over the last few years,” said
Dr. John Seed, biology department
head.
“In addition, there have been
some departments on campus in
some other colleges that have made
his particular course a required
course,” Seed said.
Dr. van Overbeek said he tries to
give students more freedom by not
giving exams.
“We give grades based on take-
home work,” van Overbeek ex
plained. “The students find their
own level. They determine their
own grade.”
He added that he tries to make his
classes more personal by answering
each student’s questions in writing.
The gray-haired and bespectacled
van Overbeek is credited with creat
ing a course, Biology 330, and writ
ing the textbook for that course.
Seed said the biology department
plans to continue the course after van
Overbeek s retirement.
“It’s a course for non-majors,
which is really a minor part of our
total curriculum. Dr. van Overbeek
has taken a highly technical subject
and written a textbook and de
veloped a course which I think any
one can basically understand,” Seed
said.
&*rbeok)J.s editor of “Plant
Physiology, a scientific journal, and
spends much of his office time
swamped in paperwork. He filled his
office windows with two huge san-
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sevieria plants which he said are his
trademarks. They have been in his
office since he came to A&M.
“As editor of “Plant Physiology, he
obviously brings in a very high scien
tific reputation to this department,”
Seed said. “The department gains
from his reputation as we do from
any scientist’s reputation, but his
turns out to be a very excellent one. ’
In addition, of course, we gain a
wealth of background in biological
areas from his past experience both
as a scientist, administrator, and
more currently as a teacher. And I
think he has expertise in all of those
areas,” the department head said.
After a 50-year career in biology,
van Overbeek said that he is looking
forward to doing nature studies
when he retires. He said he wants to
be a naturalist again and study the
bird life in Texas. Van Overbeek said
he will miss students when he retires
so he wants to write textbooks to help
them understand biology.
He received an honorary doctor
ate degree from the king of Belgium
and an honorary life membership in
the American Society of Plant
Physiologists. Seed described van
Overbeek as one of the most honored
professors at Texas A&M.
The 20 miles of books in the library hold
needed information for term papers that will
Term paper help ahe
The
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By TOMONAVA MULLINS
A term paper clinic, geared to help
students find the information they
need in the Sterling C. Evans Li
brary, will begin in November.
“We ll have a booth staffed by pro
fessional librarians to help students
doing term papers find materials in
the library,” said Vicki Anders, in
structional services librarian.
“As a library grows up to the
million-volume level, it’s so complex
to use. It’s no longer a self-service
library. You need to know how to get
access materials,” Anders said.
“We try through tours to teach
these skills but it can’t be done in one
hour,” she said. Anders, an assistant
professor, is one of the- two profes
sional instructors on the library stall.
She teaches Humanities 101, Li
brary Sciences: The Library and
Learning, in the department of phi
losophy and humanities. In addition,
Sharon Smith, documents librarian
and an instructor, teaches
Humanities 311, Library Sciences:
Use of Library Resources.
Anders said she also guest lectures
in English 104, Composition and
Rhetoric, and in English 301, Tech
nical Writing. “This usually involves
a lecture in class, followed by a tour.
"We’re trying to expand the level
to graduate students through a 694
problems course, she said.
Anders said she is in cm
coordinating all instruction!
ices offered by the library
chides services such as
sions on how to use the i
teaching a Free Universitt
techniques workshop. Shei
c harge of sign-up tours.
“We ran 60 tours in Sept*
Anders said. “We try to pic
the freshman level. Somi
schools don’t have a library
first time those students
this library they walk bad;
door. ”
Instructional services haw
formally available for the
and a half. Anders said.
Termites return life to
United Press International
LAS CRUCES, N.M.—Termites,
which can bring down a house, also
may be able to help restore a vast
desert in Mexico and the southwest
ern United States to fertile
grassland, according to research
biologist Dr. Walter Whitford.
Under a grant from the National
Science Foundation, Whitford, of
New Mexico State University, is
conducting laboratory and field re
search with termites and soil mites.
tilize the Chihuahuan desert, which
extends from Mexico City north to
Socorro, N.M., west to Wilcox,
Ariz., and east to the Big Bend area
of Texas.
Due to overgrazing and erosion,
Whitford said the* lush green
grassland of 70 or 80 years
composed of sparce desert'
tion.
Whitford said he believes
have shown lack of rainfall w|
much a limiting factor in desert'
tation as the lack of vegetato
Ex-spy chief creamed by
Whitford said these insects can
feed on dead plant material, process
it with nitrogen through their own
systems and return it to the lifeless
soil as fertilizer.
He believes they can help refer-
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The only movie in town
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United Press International
NEW YORK—Former CIA chief
William Colby got chocolate Bava
rian pie and blueberry cream pie-
hut not for dessert. He was the latest
target Monday of pie thrower Aaron
Kay.
The former American spy director
was a panel member at the New
School for Social Research in Man
hattan with former CBS reporter
Daniel Schorr, columnist
Weshler and former Attorn
oral Ramsey Clark. Colbywas
ing when Kay made his mow
“I hit him in theheadw
rian, and Yippie Alice Tor|
his coat,” said Kay, leader
Youth International Party
Police said Kay and His
were issued summonses fork
ment, then released.
Open 10 am - 2 am Mon-Sat
12 Noon - 12 Midnight Sun
No one under 18
Escorted Ladies Free
BOOK STORE & 25c PEEP SHOWS
MSC BOWLING & BILLIARDS
(Lower level Memorial Student Center)
DINNER THEATRE
presents
Barefoot in the Park
Saturdays, October 15 and 22
at the
105 year old Calvert Hotel
Calvert, Texas
Reservations or for more information, 364-2641
Tickets: A&M Student $5.95, Others $7.95
ANNUAL CUE
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Custom cues priced from 10-50% off
GET ’EM WHILE THEY LAST
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SHSU PROGRAM COUNCIL
Presents
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Thursday, October 20 8:00 p.m.
All Seats Reserved
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University Coliseum
Tickets: $3.00
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