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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1980)
The Battalion off e* Vol. 73 No. 116 24 Pages in 2 Sections Thursday, March 6, 1980 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 Senate requests standard Q-drop ■4 IM, ORC battle over equipmen t By MERIL EDWARDS Campus Staff The Texas A&M University student sen ate will recommend to the University Rules and Regulations committee today that it standardize Q-drop policy among the academic colleges. The Q-drop standardization bill that the senate passed in its meeting Wednesday calls the present Q-drop system unfair. It said it is discriminatory for students in dif ferent colleges to be subject to different Q-drop policies. John Calhoun, vice president for acade mic affairs, said the present Q-drop policy allows a student to drop a class up to the 12th class day with no record. He said if the class is dropped between the 12th and 25th class day, the student must receive approv al from the dean of his college and the drop will go on record. ‘This bill would exclude the dean’s pow er,” Calhoun said, “and give it to the stu dent. It would allow the student to drop up to the 25th class day on his own, without approval from the dean.” In other action, the senate voted down a proposal to change senior boot line’s forma tion to before football games instead of at halftime. Brad Smith, vice president for student services, said it isn’t necessary to have boot line before games and that it would cause too much confusion. “The boot line confusion can be solved by more organization rather than a radical change in a tradition,” Smith said. A bill urging reinstitution of free coffee refills in the Memorial Student Center Cafeteria was held in committee until more work can be done on it. Bills before the senate for a first reading Wednesday were the adoption of student senate bylaws and the continuation of sur vival kit distribution. In another first reading, George Black, vice president for finance, presented a stu dent service allocation amendment to the senate. Black s amendment concerns the fund ing of Texas A&M’s women’s athletic prog ram. Women’s athletics is currently funded by the Athletic Department. Because of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare Title IX regulations, their cost has increased. I m proposing that a portion of student service fees be allocated to the athletic de partment,” Black said. “And that the stu dent service fee increase not be more than 50 cents for this purpose and that no ser vices be reduced as they are presently allo cated for.” Black said he had no concrete figures of the money needed to bring the women’s athletic program into compliance with Title IX regulations to present to the senate, but would be talking with Texas A&M Presi dent Jarvis Miller and would have more details at the next meeting. Also up for first reading was a bill oppos ing the Traffic Panel’s recommendation to raise the parking ticket fine from $5 to $10. The vice president for rules and regula tions, Paul Bettencourt, proposed that the senate support the current policy of the campus police department, under which two tickets are given to parking violators who don t have a valid permit. Another bill introduced was a request that permission be granted the Basement Coffeehouse to apply for a permit to sell beer on weekends. Mary Elizabeth Herring, a junior in agricultural economics, is running for a seat on the College Station city council. She has served as the Texas A&M student senate liaison with the council since October and will continue in that position until April 1. For the related story, please see page 5. Staff photo by Lynn Blanco Cancer not linked to saccharin, studies say United Press International NEW YORK — Two new studies pro vide good news for diabetics and other us ers of saccharin, showing there is little or no link between the artificial sweetener and bladder cancer. Similar conclusions were reported in a National Cancer Institute study released three months ago. The NCI and the American Cancer Soci ety funded the two latest studies, which support the American Diabetes Associa tion’s policy on saccharin. The ADA last year reversed its position on the artificial sweetener, recommending continued availability until Congress can study all food safety laws. People who use sugar substitutes “have little or no” increased risk of bladder can cer, said Dr. Alan S. Morrison and associ ates from Harvard University School of Public Health, reporting Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. The American Health Foundation report was even more definitive, saying there was “no association between saccharin and bladder cancer. ” The report by Drs. Ernst L. Wynder and Steven D. Stellman appears in Science, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They said the risk is no greater for those drinking diet beverages than for those tak ing the sweetener in tablet or pill form, even though diet beverages contain a very high amount of sweetener. Their study also showed no evidence sac charin plays a role in promoting cancer among cigarette smokers, as previously claimed. Wynder, AHF president, is the health detective who first linked heavy cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Wynder’s study found there were no more diabetics in the bladder cancer group than in controls, even though diabetics use a greater amount of saccharin than the gen eral population. It also found there were no more obese bladder-cancer patients than non-bladder cancer patients — even though obese peo ple use significantly more artificial sweeteners. The Harvard investigators surveyed 592 bladder cancer patients and compared their use of sugar substitutes in soft drinks and diet foods to 536 non-patients. They found bladder cancer risks generally were the same for users and nonusers. The AHF studied detailed histories of 302 men and 65 women who were bladder cancer patients in hospitals in six American cities. These cases were compared with a control group of an equal number of pa tients without bladder cancer. The NCI study was conducted among 3,000 patients. Carter—U.S. for detente despite Soviet actions United Press International WASHINGTON — President Carter says the United States is “still committed to detente” with the Soviet Union despite the current showdown over Afghanistan. Carter made his remarks Wednesday night while delivering a toast to West Ger man Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who quickly endorsed the president’s position. The German leader, who met with Car ter for 2V2 hours earlier in the day, came to Washington seeking assurances that de tente is not dead. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev has cal led for Washington to continue detente, but Carter has avoided responding. He said only he did not wish to resume the Cold War. “We recognize that there are serious threats to stability and that we have come in this last few years to value highly the be nefits of detente,” Carter told guests at the dinner for Schmidt. “These commitments have been shaken, but not changed by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. We are still committed to de tente. We are still committed to avoid a resumption of the Cold M ar. Carter said. Carter said the United States and its allies must "meet this threat in a carefully planned, moderate but effective way. Schmidt, whose government has been concerned about the fate of detente, quick ly backed the president’s statements by saying his host “has not said one single word to which I could not subscribe.” The German praised continuation of de tente and said his country' stands “side by side with the American nation.” He said the allies “will continue to main tain an equilibrium with the Soviet Union and described a “balance of military power as a prerequisite for detente. ” In a related development, a White House official said a decision was made to proceed with arranging for alternate games to the summer Olympics in Moscow as part of the U.S.-backed boycott. The games are expected to be held in late August at several different sites around the world. Round ’em up, move ’em out— town readies for rattlesnake hunt United Press International S\\ EETWATER — Sleepy diamond- rattlers, coaxed out of their dens each March by the sun, will be the primary fractions again this weekend at the "odd s largest annual rattlesnake roundup. Since 1958, rattlesnake hunters have an annual pilgrimage to this com- ^nnity 44 miles west of Abilene to sack up me fanged denizens that populate the ireas rocky, tree-dotted ranchland. Hunters, using a gasoline spray mixture j®roust the rattlers from their dens, curl a jj 00 ^ pole over the snakes’ necks and bustle them into burlap bags or 20-gallon S^bage cans. hunters will receive a $3-per-pound for the first 5,000 pounds of snakes •ne\ bring in and $1 for each subsequent Pound With each successive year, the crowds at olan County Coliseum have swelled. reaching an estimated 25,000 last year — more than twice the population of Sweet- water. Veteran professional snake handler Bill Ransberger, a virtual fixture at this event, said the roundup should be a success again this year, particularly in terms of numbers. "I look for a big crowd. ’’ he said. “We had the largest crowd ever last year, and this year, if we get any more, F don t know where we’re going to put ’em. That bunch that was here last year is going to come back and bring their friends. Most of the people do not join in the hunt. They come for the coliseum show, where piles of noisy rattlers are dumped for demonstrations and milking. Mans of the snakes brought in actually have been caught before the three-<lay roundup officially opens on Friday Rans berger predicted recent cold weather in the area may result in a drop in the total weight of captured snakes this year, from about 3 tons to 4,000 or 5,000 pounds. "The weather this year has been pretty much against us. I talked to the National Weather Service and they said Wednes day, Thursday and Friday were supposed to he cool, but Saturday and Sunday should be good days, he said. Arnsberger said hunters from Washing ton, Pennsylvania and Kansas are in Sweet water as well as television crews from Bri tain and the Netherlands. Renowned New York photographer Richard Avedon. who showed up last year, is expected back, Arnsberger said. With a flea market, the crowning of a Miss Snake Charmer Queen, a dance, and a gun and coin show% the annual roundup takes on the air of a carnival, but Ransber ger reminds that snake capturing is serious business. “We don t allow no horseplay. It’s strict ly for education and entertainment, he said. By CATHY SAATHOFF City Reporter Rental rights on $10,000 worth of recrea tional equipment are up in the air: the In tramurals office wants them, and the Out door Recreation Committee doesn’t want to let them go. Nothing can be done until somebody comes up with a place to put the whole operation. The equipment, which includes 10 complete sets of backpacking gear and eight canoes, is stored in the Grove now. Dr. John Koldus, vice president for stu dent services, will have the final say in the matter, but he’s waiting for the Intramurals department to come up with a proposal about how to operate the rental. ORC members are keeping their fingers crossed. “The intention is to provide a service to the university community,” said Dennis Corrington, director of Intramurals. “We feel that to provide a better service, we need to have a full-time service. ” The ORC rental, operated out of the Grove, is open 24 hours a week. Commit tee chairman Charlie Walter said that is more hours than Texas Tech’s rental ser vice, which is the largest in the state. Tech’s rental, a part of that school’s intra mural department, is open 14 hours a week. Walter said 24 hours a week is enough. He said most people renting equipment for weekend trips pick it up on Thursday after noon or Friday and return it on Monday or Tuesday, and that those are the days the ORC operation is open. James Welford, associate director of In tramurals, said, “We think we can offer better hours for checking out equipment. ” He said ORC would still have a say in how the equipment is handled. Walter said a full-time equipment check er would twiddle his thumbs most of the day. “I see no real need to keep it open 40 hours a week,” he said. Welford said his department could hand le the longer hours. “We have a program set up that can handle that,” he said. “We have the stu dent staff to handle it.” Hie Intramurals office is open until mid night during the week and from 10 a. m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Welford said those hours are flexible. Corrington said his department has wanted to get involved in adventure-type sports since 1976, but ORC had a head start of two years. The ORC program started in 1974, and Walter said the MSC Council was dubious about its success. “It’s been a long haul to get the thing off the ground,” Walter said. “As of December 1979, we doubled our inventory.” The canoes made up the bulk of the new equip ment. He said the committee members have always had to prove themselves, but that Spring break starts when? From his expression, it’s apparent that Gary Griebal, a freshman in Corps unit A-l, won’t mind having a vacation from this kind of thing next week. The two amused seniors are Stuart Sasser, left, and Norman Linkenhoger, right, both of A-l. Texas A&M’s spring break starts Saturday and ends March 16. Photo by D.vkI Etatri the council has been behind them. Don Rohel, adviser for ORC, said, “I an emotional issue, because Outdoor Rec a group of people who have put their heai and souls into the program. “There are a lot of people in Outdoor R that are students who are experts in th< fields. ” Walter said the whole idea behind MS committees is that students should work f students. Corrington said Intramurals works i the same goal. “We feel we re here to serve the si dents,” he said. Koldus said nothing will be done up the Health and PE department, which 1 tramurals is part of, comes up with a pi for managing the equipment. “Everybody must be agreeable,” I said. Space is at a premium in the H-PE c partment, with various groups clamori for a spot in the G. Rollie White additiq Intramurals will move from its prese site in Deware Fieldhouse to bigger qul ters when the new section of the Colisei is done. It would like to keep its prest space as an equipment rental storage roo Corrington said access by car will be important factor in choosing a locatic since much of the gear is too bulky to hauled across campus to a parking lot. OF has a road leading up to the door of t stage in the Grove, so equipment can loaded easily. Walter said the equipment is a vital p . of ORC’s three-phase outdoor educati program. The first phase of the program indue’ seminars which give people the opporti ity to look over the equipment and s i what’s available. The second phase is practice, in wh participants do things like canoeing in I lake by the fireman’s training school rapelling down the fire tower there. The third phase is the weekend tr During the spring, ORC sponsors a t nearly every weekend. These are suppl partly with rented equipment. ‘The majority of equipment is for peo going on ORC trips,” Walter said. “1 equipment is an integral part of our pr rams.” The rental is a self-supporting ent prise. It averages making $200 a mon which goes into maintaining old and p chasing new equipment. The origi money to start the program was includec j the ORC budget, which comes from student service fee. The group is looking into hiring a f time professional to handle its trip plann and the rental. Corrington said Intramu:? might hire another staff member to emp size outdoor recreation if the rental cor under his office’s control. Both groups dream of an outdoor recr tion complex devoted entirely to outd sports such as backpacking, canoeing ; rock climbing. But this is far in the futu “Because the university has grown quickly, there are many organizati< needing space,” Walter said. Fire kills four childre in Houston United Prei» International HOUSTON — Four children, two them infants, died and five other per# were hurt early today in a house fire ini tigators said was set by a teen-age girl an at a boyfriend who lived in the one-stj frame dwelling. Fire Department arson investig^ Sterling Jones said the victims, age months, 1 year, 5 and 14, and nine ot persons were asleep when the fire stai on the outside of the house about 3 a. ‘Two of them (the 5-and 14-year- were right at the front door. They aln got out of there,’’ Jones said. “It was arson. We got witnesses that there when it occurred. They had a yo girl that set it on fire. She was staying th with her boyfriend off and on. She justf an argument with him." Jones said police were seeking an year-old girl. “Right now I don’t know what she use start it. Until we investigate a little 1 farther we won t know just what she u but she did start the fire from the outsic the building. The victims were identified as Fra ; Dwayne Wells, 6 months, Bridgette G; 1, Telisa Williams, 5, and Gwendolyn Wells. 14, Frankie's sister. Jones said apparently died of smoke inhalation tnims. Fireman Steve Sparks said firefigf 1 were delayed getting to the scene bee they were fighting a 2-alarm fire ne ,! when the house fire alarm came in at a. m 'That dkin t have any impact on the lities. but it had some impact on how !o took to get it out. Sparks said. Jones said 13 persons were crowded the house when the fire broke out and managed to escape. al hro h€ rienc rtentii