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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1980)
It tros SDiritife> ’Hen anldf.. le - tried t? . i Craig [|J| n Ping bid, )ase. s hurt tie| ams Si,,-/ ! to hold a v. ith. low if yu[ "You dos WI had i^hting ■art. We >odyhad alive exl ial Le; eord ost gul ■n throui t addox The Battalion Vol. 74 No. 33 14 Pages Serving the Texas A&M University community Wednesday, October 15, 1980 College Station, Texas US PS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 The Weather Yesterday Today High 85 High 90 Low 60 Low 67 Humidity. . . 75% Humidity . . . . 94% Rain . . . 55 inches Chance of rain . . . . slight Storm causes power outage 4 runner ny in 19tljpi Lisa .Mdj isworth Little Detroit Staff photo by Pat O’Malley Ralph White, a senior Texas A&M University mechanical engineering major, works on a home-built car for his mechanical engineering 485 class. Watching White are John Conzen (left), and Derrick Johnson. The chassis for the car was scratch-built and covered with polyurethane foam, which was sanded down to a pre-designed shape, and will later be covered with fiberglass. After the fiberglass has hardened, it will be removed and the urethane shell destroyed. The fiberglass forms will then be put back on the car to make up the finished body. By SUZANNE HEMBY Battalion Reporter A sudden thunderstorm brought high winds and brief, but heavy rainfall to the Bryan-College Station area late Tuesday afternoon. Out at Easterwood Airport, wind gusts reached 51 mph, and the rain gauges indi cated that more than a half inch of rain fell in a 45-minute period, a spokesman for the FAA Flight Service Station said. The intensity of the storm caused many problems for area the residents, including the loss of electical power and cable. Richard Moore, a disc jockey for KTAM, said that the radio station received many calls from people whose cable and electric ity were out. He added that KTAM had no trouble since they had their emergency generator ready to go. KAMU radio and television stations were not so lucky. Doug Zimmerman, a disc jockey for KAMU radio, said that the station went off the air from 6:20 to 7:20 p.m. when its transmitter was hit by light ening. He said that they wouldn’t know the ex tent of the damage until engineering crews could examine the transmitter later today. Brian Rhodes of KAMU-TV said that the station had to operate on manual when the transmitter went out by patching into the computer that controls the radio station. The television station was also off the air for an hour. Troy Kimmel, weather director for KBTX-Channel 3, said that the power went out for about 4 minutes during the weather broadcast. Kimmel said his last words be fore the cut off were “we’ll be back ... if we come back.’’ Greg Hanccck, an assistant dispatcher for the College Station Electrical Depart ment, said he received 45 to 50 calls report ing electrical failures all over the city. A spokesman for General Telephone said that, because of its scattered repair sta tions, there was no way of knowing how many people lost phone service. The Northgate area was also hit with the problem of no electricity and cable. Bart Matto, assistant manager of Dudley’s Draw, said that the power went off about 8 p.m., but that it didn’t seem to hurt busi ness. He said that they used candles for light and that the crowd was having a “pret ty good time.” Search group to meet Friday A search committee, created to advise the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents concerning the selection of a new president for the main University, will meet for the second time Friday. Regents chairman Clyde H. Wells, who also chairs the 22 member search commit tee, said the group is prepared to begin the process of screening applicants for the job. “No timetable has been set for the selec tion process. We are willing to take the necessary time, however long that may be, to insure that we obtain the services of the best possible person to lead Texas A&M University in the years ahead,” Wells said. lay ton’s money ‘legitimate political contribution’ xas State,! iwest Mi Inct toil United Press Internationa] 9 ISaidfl HOUSTON — The first defendant to testify in the federal ’ ,V ; Brilab trial says he believed a conversation about giving cash to ^ ’ House Speaker Bill Clayton referred only to a legitimate political Contribution. Austin lawyer Donald Ray also testified Tuesday he and his partner and co-defendant, Randall Wood, became involved with a plan to re-open bidding on the $76 million state employees insur ance contract because of a promise of a retainer from an FBI formant posing as a Prudential Insurance Co. consultant. I Ray testified he was never asked to do anything illegal and said he turned away every overture that suggested impropriety during pveeks of conversations with the bogus insurance man, Joseph Hauser. Asked by his lawyer to define his role, Ray replied he believed he was “representing Prudential Insurance in their effort to bid on a state insurance contract.” Defense lawyer Ed Mallett called attention to a government tape recording that included a specific offer of money for Ray to “grease the way” if necessary to reopen bidding. “I never told anybody I needed any money to grease the way for anything on these tapes or off these tapes, ” Ray testified. “I didn’t need money to grease the way. All I needed was information to show how we could save the state $1 million.” Ray said he and Wood believed they were doing research and lobbying that could lead to them being placed on a $2,000 monthly retainer by Prudential. He said their work was complicated by delays and lack of detailed information from the purported Prudential agent. Ray said he was never told that Clayton had been given $5,000 in cash by the informant and Deer Park, Texas, labor leader L.G. Moore. He said, and the tapes showed, that Ray and Wood were told Clayton had been given a “nice political contribution.” Ray testified he never doubted Clayton would report it. But prosecutors directed their questions to a meeting of Ray, Wood, informant Joseph Hauser and Moore that occurred one day before Moore and Hauser were to meet Clayton. Moore remarked that Hauser and his associates — undercover FBI agents — were “prepared to help his (Clayton’s) ass, but they ain’t prepared, nor am I or you, to cast bread on the (expletive) waters unless there’s some return.” Moore also said the purported insurance agents had “no problem of doing something for him (Clayton).” Wood advised Moore not to “run out on a limb. If it feels right and looks good, you’re gonna feel it.” Prosecutors suggested the conversation made clear that Clayton was to receive money if he was receptive to their appeal to re-open bidding on the insurance contract. Ray insisted there was nothing wrong with giving Clayton a contribution. Clayton had admitted accepting the money and said he did not report it because he planned to return it. When the state report ing deadline passed, he was questioned by an FBI agent and denied receiving any money. Clayton, Ray, Wood and Moore were indicted June 12. Moore is to be tried later. Wood and Clayton were expected to testify later this week. Numerous character witnesses have testified Clayton would never have accepted a bribe and that Ray and Wood had long standing reputations for honesty. etworks broadcast Abscam videotapes MSC net budget goes up 5.3% United Press International WASHINGTON — With a tall glass of bourbon in his hand, former Rep. Michael Myers, D-Pa., listened to an undercover FBI agent offer to pay him $50,000 to intro duce legislation in Congress on behalf of an Arab sheik. “You’re going about it in the right way. Money talks in this business, and it works the same way in Washington,” the ousted congressman told the agent, unaware their meeting was being recorded on videotape by other FBI agents. y “Where I can be of assistance is where ^legislation can be introduced, ’’ Myers said. Myers, who had been sitting on a couch listening to the agent explain that there could be much more money for him in future deals, then stood up and accepted an envelope containing the money from the agent. With a green light from the Supreme Court, the television networks Tuesday broadcast portions of the Abscam videotapes showing Myers taking a $50,000 bribe from undercover FBI agents posing as representatives of a fictitious Arab sheik. As a result of his conviction on the charge of agreeing to take a bribe, Myers was ex pelled from Congress Oct. 2. The networks also prepared to seek re lease of similar tapes involving Rep. John Jenrette, D-S.C., the second congressman convicted in the sweeping scandal. The Supreme Court, in a ruling Tues day, rejected arguments by Myers and his three co-defendants airing the tapes would hurt their chances in appealing their Aug. 30 convictions. By JANE G. BRUST Battalion Staff' MSC Council members approved a net budget increase of 5.3 percent when they approved the 13 revised MSC Directorate committee budgets Monday night. Keith Shurtleff, MSC Council vice presi dent of finance, said the increase was small because while most proposals showed in creases, others showed decreases. Committee budgets are planned eight months prior to taking effect, which means the committees operate under budgets which the previous year’s officers pre pared. Shurtleff said annual budget revisions are not unusual because of expense fluctua tions and changes in project plans. For example, the MSC Aggie Cinema Committee decided to show six movies at the Grove instead of 10, which decreases that budget by $3,000. The MSC Camera Committee’s $500 budget decrease will have students provide their own photography supplies instead of receiving them from the committee. This savings will pay for a fee increase for photo contest judges and photography instruc tors. The MSC Hospitality Committee de cided to feature students, instead of outside models, in its modeling seminar which de creases that budget by $600. The MSC Travel Committee also pre sented a budget decrease, a difference of $10,000. “The club hasn’t cut out any trips — in fact, they’ve booked a cruise and a trip to Ireland — they just don’t need as much money as originally thought,” he said. The MSC Political Forum Committee, whose money is used primarily for speak ers’ fees, presented a $1,000 decrease. “Their (speakers’) professional fees drop ped because during an election year, speakers call you and ask to speak here,” Shurtleff said. . Five other MSC committees — Commit tee for the Awareness of Mexican American Culture, Great Issues, Outdoor Recrea tion, Arts and Amateur Radio — needed no budget revisions. Eight budgets, including that of the council, requested budget increases for their activities. The MSC Basement Committee, which hopes to have Shake Russell sing in Aggie- land once again, needs an additional $2,800 to present shows in Rudder Theater until renovation of the Basement Coffeehouse is completed. The MSC Recreation Committee re quested a $900 increase for equipment ren tal, and the MSC Video Committee re quested a $1,000 increase to cover repro duction costs and media equipment rental. The MSC Council received a $6,000 in crease to finance the MSC All-Night Fair, Lost and Found, and Christmas projects. The two MSC committees with the largest budgets. Town Hall and the Opera and Performing Arts Society, also re quested budget increases. OPAS re quested a 54 percent increase totaling $110,000 and Town Hall requested a 19 percent increase totaling $11,000. Shurtleff said the bulk of these increases will finance performers’ fees. “They book high-quality professional acts after their budgets have been set, ” he said, “so it’s easy to have budget deviations of $10,000.” Both the MSC Cepheid Variable Com mittee and MSC Free University Commit tee received $12,000 increases. Cepheid Variable wanted more money for the AggieCon science fiction covention, and Free University needed additional funds to cover teachers’ fees. Two other MSC committees. Black Awareness and Student Conference on Na tional Affairs, wall present their budget re visions by December, Shurtleff said. He said those were not presented with the others because their plans have not yet been finalized. Iraqi troops near Abadan United Press International BASRA, Iraq — Iraqi troops fought their ■ way to within 3 miles of the oil refinery city of Abadan today, and Iran threatened to line the Strait of Hormuz if Persian Gulf states aid Iraq in the war. I Fighting also flared near Ahvaz, the || capital of Iran’s oilrich Khuzistan province, and the two adversaries battled in a moun tainous frontier area in the northern war zone. In Washington, the Pentagon said it was skeptical of Iran’s ability to block the Strait of Hormuz by mining, but an official said mine-sweeping helicopters aboard two ; U.S. carriers in the Arabian Sea would l “sweep the mines as fast as they laid them. ” At the United Nations, the Security ■Council announced a special session today J on the war, now in its fourth week, and said delegates from Iran and Iraq were sche duled to attend for the first time. With the war in its 24th day, Iraq rained artillery fire on Abadan and poured more men and artillery into the battle for the pranian city, whose oil refinery is the largest in the Middle East. The refinery townn has been attacked by tilery and from the air since the first eek of the war and every one of the 152 oil torage tanks has been hit, observers said. Under the artillery barrage, the Iraqi ground force slogged to within 3 to 5 miles of Abadan. But Iran said its defenders repulsed the Iraqi attempt to penetrate Abadan, which sits on the Shatt al-Arab waterway, part of the disputed boundary between the two warring OPEC nations. Tehran also appeared to have repelled an Iraqi advance on Dizful, another oil town of 200,000 at the center of the 350-mile war front, and a key objective in the Iraqi push. Late Tuesday, Iran again threatened to mine the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic artery for 60 percent of the West’s oil at the other end of the Persian Gulf if Gulf states help Iraq in the war. “The commander of the Iranian navy said Iran will strongly rebuke the gulf states and sheikdoms if they offer help to the Iraqi regime,” Radio Tehran said in a brief Ara- bic-language broadcast. The broadcast, quoting the evening Ettelaat newspaper, stressed “freedom of international navigation in the gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz is guaranteed by Iran.” “However, if it becomes necessary, we will mine the Strait of Hormuz and the gulf,” the report quoted the commander as saying, and stressed its actions were directed against Iraq. The report said Iranian gunboats suc cessfully blocked ships heading for Iraq, but gave no indication of what supplies were on the ships and what flag they were flying. Iraq said it had begun moving foreign ships out of devastated Khurramshahr har bor, which is under Iraqi control, and four vessels have been moved to the Iraqi port of Basra. But a spokeman for Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr told the BBC the rest of Khurramshahr, about 10 miles north of Abadan, is still in Iranian hands. Observers at the front said a final all-out assault could be launched within hours. But an Iraqi spokesman implied a final push was not imminent — ironically because Ira qi air raids and artillery have wreaked so much damage to the city they cannot risk sending men into it. According to a British journalist who was evicted Monday, Iran war effort is fast approaching a halt because of a gasoline shortage. Bruce Loudon, who spent three weeks in Tehran trying to get permission to report for the London Daily Telegraph, wrote said “Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s Islamic re public is (being) worn down by shortages of petrol and military spares.” Students trying to design car that operates on -beer? United Press International NEW ORLEANS — In the history of science, discoveries have turned up in all sorts of places, from Einstein in his study to Newton under his apple tree. Now several dozen Louisiana college students are seeking energy from a source previously unnoticed — but certainly not untapped. They are designing cars that run on beer. Dr. Sedric Walker, assistant professor of biomedical en gineering at Tulane University, said Tuesday the idea came to him quite naturally. “One day I opened a can of beer and it sprayed all over me,” Walker said. “I thought ‘There’s a lot of energy in there.’” He passed the idea along to 32 of his seniors in the form of an assignment: design, build and test a car that uses a can of beer to get from Point A to Point B. It did not matter what part of the product they used or what scientific principle, as long as it moved the car. “It’s one way for students to try and harness a form of energy that is normally wasted every time they open a can of beer, ” Walker said. The only limitation placed on the project was that it cost no more than $60. So far. Walker has heard of plans to use the unopened can as a weight to wind a spring, much in the style of a grandfather clock. Another student has suggested shaking up a can and releasing the pressure in a controlled way. Still another, reducing things to their lowest terms, is distilling the alcohol and using it as fuel. “The serious purpose is to make students go out and build something under the guise of an alternate energy source just to make it a little more fun,” Walker said. “It’s a serious topic and this is just a lighthearted way of getting into it.” The cars, which will probably be no bigger than toys, are expected to complete a one-block course on campus Saturday. The car that travels the farthest on a single can will win, with a stopwatch used to break any tie. Walker said his students consider the assignment an enter taining way to address a serious topic — although no one pretends malts and hops will replace oil, gas or coal in the near future. “They thought it was a lot of fun,” Walker said, “and they wanted to know if there’d be extra beer for them to drink after the race.” With only about a dozen tiny cars racing and a local brewery donating 10 cases of beer, the students and their professor agreed the chances for leftovers looked promising.