local
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1980
SCONA considers
technology’s effect
Bryan firemen will check on elderly citizens
By SUSAN HOPKINS
Campus Rpeorter
j ; The issue of whether technology
aids or controls society will be the
I topic at the Student Conference on
National Affairs (SCONA) Wednes
day through Saturday at Texas A&M
‘ University.
Sharon Kuhn, SCONA vice chair
man for public relations, said tech-
jjology is so abstract that people can’t
ee it as a governing force in their
Ives. The fact that there is a fine line
jjetween technology aiding society
nd eventually controlling it, is what
Kuhn said made SCONA choose the
itopic “Technology: Tool or Tyrant?”
i for its 25th anniversary conference.
| She said SCONA tries to stay away
rom topics that are very con trover-
pi, like abortion, because everyone
[[ready has opinions formed, and no
fiscussion would change those opin-
I ions.
isoimL
tkvtll More than 200 delegates from
parly 80 colleges and universities
.Jimmrhont the United Staes, Cana-
ida and Mexico, including 25 dele-
ptes from Texas A&M, will attend
e conference.
Delegates were chosen by applica-
rkiiwRons and interviews at their indi
vidual schools. Texas A&M’s dele-
r gates were chosen by the Memorial
Student Center Directorate.
'1
P Kuhn said about 100 committee
mnembers have been planning almost
1 year for the three and one-half days
of speeches, round table discussions,
entertainment and accommodations.
“There are no household names in
technology that everyone would
jump to come see,” Kuhn said, “but
they are all experts in their fields.”
Joseph F. Coates, who will speak
on the past and future of technology
t2:45 p.m. Wednesday, is a think-
tank president. His corporation
deals with futures research and tech
nological decision-making.
The effects of technology on the
environment will be discussed
Thursday by Tom L. McCall, en
vironmental protection advocate and
former governor of Oregon.
At 2 p. m. Thursday, there will be a
presentation on the implications of
technology for the individual by
Langdon Winner. The Mas
sachusetts Institute of Technology
professor is the author of a book on
technology and political thought.
Samual C. Florman, principal and
vice president of Kreisler Borg Flor
man Construction Co., and advocate
of large technology, will debate
Hazel Henderson at 10 a. m. Friday.
Henderson is an independent futur
ist and small technology advocate.
SCONA vice chairman for speaker
arrangements Robert Navarro said
large technology involves a lot of
technology under the control of a
few. He said it is highly developed
and centralized, and usually favors
big business. Small technology, on
the other hand, is highly dispersed,
decentralized and in control of many
small technological businesses.
The last speaker will be Melvin
Kranzberg, at 11 a.m. Saturday. He
is a pioneer in the history of technol
ogy and has written several articles
on that subject. His topic will be
“Technology is the Answer, But
That’s not the Question.”
After each speech, the speaker,
delegates and anyone else interested
will break up into round table discus
sions to ask questions and discuss the
topic in depth. Kuhn said there will
be round table co-chairmen who will
monitor the discussions and keep
them in gear with technology, then
summarize the discussion after an
hour and 15 minutes.
Kuhn said all students, faculty and
staff are encouraged to come to the
conference. She said the talks are as
much for the Aggie students as they
are for the delegates.
Kuhn said SCONA has a $51,000
budget, most of which is comes
through the committee’s solicitation
from businesses in the United
States, Canada and Mexico. She said
SCONA recived a $5,000 grant from
the Moody Foundation, but that the
Almanac
United Press International
Today is Monday, Feb. 11, the
42nd day of 1980 with 324 to
follow.
The moon is moving toward its
new phase.
The morning stars are Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn.
The evening stars are Mercury
and Venus.
Those born on this date are
under the sign of Aquarius.
American inventor Thomas
Alva Edison was born Feb. 11,
1847.
On this date in history:
In 1937, General Motors
agreed to recognize the United
Auto Workers Union (CIO) as the
bargaining agent for CM
workers.
In 1945, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, British Prime Minis
ter Winston Churchill and Soviet
leader Josef Stalin ended a week-
long World War II conference at
Yalta.
In 1965, U.S. and South Viet
namese planes staged the first
bombing raids on North Vietnam
in retaliation for a Viet Cong
attack.
In 1976, President Ford
named former Pennsylvania Gov.
William Scranton to be ambasa-
dor to the United Nations.
A thought for the day: Amer
ican inventor Thomas Edison
said, “There is no substitute for
hard work.”
IP <£} S? Q} ^
FOR VALENTINE'S
n
vCV'
i wmJm mmm
V / - - V;./: .
v Choose from a complete
Line of Hallmark Cards
and gifts at
Petal Patch
DAY
inis 1 '!
&
« - - -/N'
• Hallmark Cards
• Roses |jp
• Corsages \. /
• Boutonnieres 0%^
Friday Flowers
C
'^Lr's
m
FOR THE SPECIAL ONE
0 YOULOVE x
€) ON FEBRUARY MthtflCY ^ ?
J
^ Visit our Hallmark Shop
—for all your special occasions
m 696-6713
y
Petal Patch ^
707 SHOPPING VILLAGE
rr^l , o 696-6713
JI
»P |P <© «8B 1©
V
m mm
r Nr
committe does not receive any MSC
funds.
The money will be used for trans
portation and accomodations of
speakers and delegates and for print
ing costs of study guides, handbooks,
posters, etc.
Social activities have been plan
ned for each night of the conference,
and are designed to give delegates
and speakers a chance to talk with
one another on a one-to-one basis,
and to learn how others think on
technological issues.
Similar conferences are held each
year at the U.S. Military Academy,
the U.S. Air Force Academy and the
U.S. Naval Academy.
She said all publications for the
delegates’ use, advertisements,
speaker arrangements and planning
of the agenda for the conference are
done by the committee of students
and advisers at Texas A&M.
By KATHLEEN HARTNEY
City Reporter
A 85-year-old man lays at the bot
tom of the stairs after having fallen
down them 14 hours earlier. He can
not move; no one comes for him; no
one called.
This situation could happen at any
time to any elderly person living
alone.
The Bryan Fire Department
started a new program Feb. 4 to keep
in touch with elderly citizens living
by themselves.
Chief Paul Philbin explained how
the program works: every morning
the dispatcher on duty calls each per
son on the list to make sure they are
all right.
If the person does not respond to
the call, Philbin said, someone is
sent to their home to check on them
and provide assistance, if needed.
There is now a list of 15 people the
fire department calls, Philbin said.
There have been no mishaps yet.
Philbin said he expects the list to
grow as soon as more people find out
about the program. The list will then
be broken down and each station in
Bryan will handle a certain number
of calls each day.
Philbin said he got the idea while
working with the El Paso Fire De
partment. They had initiated a simi
lar program, Philbin said, and the
response was tremendous.
“We’re concerned with the wel
fare of the citizens,” Philbin said,
“and we feel like a lot of times the
sons and daughters don’t get by as
often as they would like.”
Ethel Peel, one of the elderly
citizens the fire department calls,
said she thinks the program is an
excellent idea.
Peel, 82, said she lives near her
daughter, who can’t always get by to
see her every day, and the daily
phone call is a relief to her.
Most of the citizens live in Bryan,
Philbins said, but there are people
they call who live outside the city.
He said it would be hard to turn
down anyone in need of service.
Any elderly person living alone
who would like to be included on the
list can call the Bryan Fire Depart
ment, Philbin said.
FOR YOUR
VALENTINE
Music boxes, jewelry and other gifts to jSfta*
say "I Love You"
HAPPY COTTAGE
(Across from Luby's)
Battalion
Classifieds
** — VALENTINE'S DAY
TASTE-TEMPTERS
from the
Smndipity
Qkop
- Fudge made in our store -
- jelly bellies - gummy bears -
Culpepper Plaza 693-9405
TRAVEL & PERFORM
with the
SOCIAL DANCE CLUB.
SPRING
AUDITIONS
FEB. 20, 1980
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
693-2240
Fabulous
Fudge
Must bring couponl
r.-.-uv-iA
o
a
o
V
•v
If
9
While its stii free.
Jeni Malara,
Student
“I had C’s in high school. After
Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics,
I was able to maintain an A average!’
Chris Walsh,
Engineering
“It’s boring to read the way
most people are taught.
This way, you look at a
page of print—you see the
whole page. It’s great!”
John Futch,
Law Student
“With 60 briefs a week,
the average student takes
all week to prepare for
class. In an evening,
I’m finished’.’
Jim Creighton,
Student
“It’s easy. Once you
know how to do it, it’s
super easy!”
Richard St. Laurent,
Teacher
“I was skeptical, but now I’m
reading around 2300 words a
minute. Puts you that much
ahead of everyone else!’
mi
w
#®
•HiVC
It’ll make homework a lot easier this year. In fact, you can cut your study time almost
in half with the cop\righted techniques you learn in one free lesson. We’ll give you the
incredible secrets to easy speed reading, better concentration and greater comprehension.
Taught in more than 300 cities throughout the U.S. It’s easy. It’s fun. It works.
Increase your reading speed as much as 100%!
y Free Mini Lessons will be given February llthA
12th, 13th and 14th at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Location: Aggieland Inn
1502 S. Texas Avenue
□ EVELYN WOOD READING DYNAMICS
©Copyright 1 976 Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics
i