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THE BATTALION Page 9
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1980
Library hoping for $9, OOO gift
Computer reads, sings for blind
By STARR MOORE
Battalion Reporter
What will computers do next?
They may read, or even sing.
A computer did just that Mon
day at Texas A&M University’s
® | Sterling C. Evans Library. The
iKurzweil Reading Machine for
| the Blind “sang,” or rhythmically
| : recited, Chattanooga Choo Choo
Unirej for two attentive audiences.
Shane Snowden, a Kurzweil
sales representative, demons
trated the machine to about 40
Achieve® j people, including Texas State
li I Rep. Bill Presnal, a representa-
* 1 tive for the state commission for
j the blind and a veteran represen-
5 tative, who works with handicap
ped students.
1 Snowden said the machine can
form i not only read lyrics to music, but
rship prop? can also compute multiple-digit
'■
She said that it follows 1,000
rules of the English language and
n | can read aloud anything from
Texas All! | newspapers to hard-cover books.
The machine can also speak at va
rious pitches and speeds accord
ing to listeners’ preferences, she
said.
“After a while, you get the feel
ing the computer is a human
being,” Snowden said.
The machine reads all types
and styles of print, she said, mak
ing the invention especially help
ful for the visually handicapped.
She said it allows a visually im
paired person to hold a job such as
an airline reservationist, since the
machine will repeat the reserva
tions audibly, just as a regular
computer records the informa
tion visually.
Snowden said 220 machines
have been sold throughout the
country over the past five years,
with a sales increase in the last
year due to the lowering of the
computer price from $29,000 to
$9,000. Most buyers come from
public and university libraries,
she said.
Snowden said that large cor
porations and the federal govern
ment are becoming more in
terested in the reading machines,
which allow more jobs to be filled
by the handicapped. This func
tion helps keep organizations
within their affirmative action re
quirements, she said.
Presnal said, however, that he
does not foresee the state of Texas
supplying all counties with the
machines, like the state of New
York has done, due to the size and
number of counties in Texas.
Kathy Jackson, head of the
Texas A&M library reference di
vision, said Dr. Irene Hoadley,
director of the library, wants to
make organizations aware that a
reading machine would be a valu
able gift for the University. Jack-
son said Hoadley is looking for
possible sources of funds if the
computer is not given to Texas
A&M.
Jackson said she would like to
see the University be able to offer
use of the reading machine to its
visually impaired students. She
said it would not only allow them ,
the independence that no other
reading aid offers, but would also
give them access to any book in
the library.
Kenneth Ballard, a psychology
major and one of the visually im
paired students at Texas A&M,
said the machine would be a
“good thing” for him.
He said it would be useful,
although he finds it hard to
understand the computer voice
— or “outerspace” voice -— as
Snowden calls it.
Ballard said other traditional
blind reading aids, such as talking
books and hired readers, are not
as convenient as the machine. He
said readers are often unreliable.
Snowden said the visually im
paired especially enjoy the read
ing machines’ efticiency and con-
‘Sexist’ stories challenged
aperton, McNiel outline
,. issues in local Jaycee debate
illj I By NANCY ANDERSEN
By WAYNE COOK
Battalion Reporter
The degree to which “boys will be
boys” and “girls will be girls” may be
influenced by the images of males
and females presented in children’s
books.
Distinctions in children’s litera
ture between passive, nurturant,
submissive girls and aggressive,
forceful, dominant boys are being
questioned.
“Non-sexist” story books are com
ing into use as society changes its
perception of sex roles. These “non
sexist” story books avoid sexual
stereotypes.
However, using “non-sexist” story
books with pre-school youngsters
seems to change the teachers’ atti
tudes toward stereotypes faster than
the childrens’, said Dr. Dolly
Thiem, head of home economics at
Tarleton State, part of the Texas
A&M University System.
Thiem tested 79 black and Mex
ican-American children in a North
Texas pre-kindergarten program to
determine if “non-sexist” books and
trained teachers changed the role
perceptions held by 4- and 5-year-
olds.
Twenty books were chosen for the
study, including “The Man Who
Didn’t Wash His Dishes,” "Wil
liam’s Doll” and “Mommies at
Work.”
“Teacher attitudes changed sig
nificantly with training, but chil
dren’s did not in the short, four-
week observation period,” Thiem
said.
Similar results were found in an
earlier study by Thiem using white
children.
The study underscored the theory
that pre-kindergarten children have
already developed ideas of roles
based on gender. These early ideas
are probably received from family
attitudes, other story books, televi
sion and perhaps even from images
in the news media, Thiem said.
Teachers’ expectations have an
important impact on classroom inter
reactions and children’s perceptions
may change with time, Thiem said.
Dr. Judy Huffty, director of curri
culum and staff development for Col
lege Station Independent School
District, agrees that teachers’ views
and their choice of curriculum can
play a part in a child’s perception of
sex roles.
“It is important to present a ba
lanced viewpoint,” she said.
Huffty said she tries to raise the
awareness level of teachers and libra
rians with respect to children’s sex
role perceptions.
Teachers graduating from college
in the past five years seem to be more
conscious of sexual stereotypes,
Huffty said.
Book publishers are also becoming
more aware of how the sexes are de
picted in childrens’ books. They are
concerned with accurately reflecting
modem society, she said.
arbutstoris
ailroadG*!
Democii 1
n againsttli
Battalion Staff
I The two candidates for State Senator District Five
kcussed the race issues in a Bryan College-Station
laycees debate Wednesday.
» Kent A. Caperton (Dem.) and Dr. N.A. McNiel
lep.) each summed up their campaigns and then
ered questions,
aperton said the race boils down to three basic
lues: qualifications, perception of the issues and the
jlity to articulate the issues and to do something about
ise issues.
"I have varied experience that does equip me,” he
is a real, IviHCaperton said the issues are education, law enforce-
Jnt, agriculture, maintaining a strong business cli-
of Houstoi Juste and getting control of state government,
aost polM Faculty and staff salaries should be increased, he said,
began eaili‘ aswe h 35 maintaining the Permanent University Fund.
In addition, law enforcement salaries are too low, he
hunt. Ifd.
overtosenl
tn his perm
Once these problems are recognized, Caperton said
he has the ability to quickly establish a leadership role in
the Legislature. He said he is aggresive, active and
knows the legislative process.
McNiel said he has campaigned on three points: mor
ality, integrity and leadership.
The country should get back to some basic moral
beliefs, McNiel said. “Government has interfered too
much in churches.”
Also, “Integrity is a necessary part of service in the
public section,” he said.
McNiel explained his motivation for seeking public
office.
“I was told that when a person retires, they should do
what they want to,” he said. “And for the past nine
months I’ve been doing just that. ”
Energy conserva tion seminar set Friday
0 have betil
her suits ®! Texas Energy and Natural Re-
. sources Advisory Council is sponsor-
, e hinue. jag a n Energy Conservation Seminar
on his cam p^y f rom 9 a. m. - 5 p. m. in the old
city hall at Church and Wellborn in
• from Ox college Station,
itment C(®| seminar is divided into three
"igments.
Malcolm Verdict, project manager
ir Texas Energy and Natural Re-
mrces Advisory Council, will dis-
iss the state’s role in conserving
lergy as the first presentation. ,
The second segment of the prog-
m will deal with general aspects of
ergy conservation on heat trans- i
r. The technicalities will be ex-
;ained by Bob Henry, energy con-
H
servation coordinator with the Texas
Engineering Extension Service.
Bahman Yazdani, an energy code
enigneer with the Public Works
Training Divison of Texas Engineer
ing Extension Service, will begin the
third segment dealing with energy
conservation for buildings.
Another feature of the program
will be a slide show of the inspection
and identification of energy saving
materials.
Yazdani said although the program
is geared toward builders, sub
contractors, engineers and
architects, everyone is welcome.
A WITCH WITHOUT A STITCH? 1
P - MAYBE —
' J Zacharias Greenhouse >.
5th ANNUAL \
i. HALLOWEEN BALL
II TONIGHT
,1
ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE GRADUATES
LOUPOT’S BUYING
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LOUPOT’S BOOKSTORE
Northgate — at the corner across from the Post Office
i in
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The Cow Hop
AT NORTHGATE
T/ie Biggest
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in B-CS!
GIANT 1/3 LB. HOMEMADE BURGER
served with a pile of real French Fries or salad. Dress it yourself
at our salad bar. Lots of extras too
Mushrooms
Bacon
25c extra
30c extra
Chili
Jalapenos
20c extra
5c extra
BBQ SANDWICH $4 50
1/3 lb. of delicious hickory-smoked BBQ on a bun, served with a I ^
pile of French Fries
NACHOS $-1 40
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CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK SANDWICH £,4 7 c
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8 OZ. SIRLOIN STEAK $000
Tender, delicious sirloin, served with Texas Toast and French ^
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Sodas — Teas (30-450) — Pecan Pie (50C) — Beer (50C)
Open 10:30-9:00 Everyday
846-1588 317 UNIVERSITY DR.
w w (Next to Duddley’s Draw)
Battalion Classified 845-2611
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