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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 1981)
Virdon lore than hi. „„„ 1 s hot a shutout lot whenMontrei ni ght, but it ms ory. immand wereof; ague lead, had earned the 3-for-4 and drove ?led home two Expos trailing tching his brei it few times he Battalion Vol. 74 No. 190 32 Pages in 2 Sections Serving the Texas A&M University community Wednesday, August 26, 1981 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 Today The Weather Tomorrow I High 95 High .... 98 Low 75 Low .... 75 Chance of rain .... 20% Chance of rain. . . . . 40% m .SALE 164. 1 195.1 158.1 199 s0 | 241 50 141.| 231. 185. 133. 79. ck Photo by Janet Joyce Thomas Spruill gets his ‘fish’ haircut during Freshman Orientation Week. The week is designed to teach entering freshman about Corps life. Freshman settle into Corps life learn to eat, talk, dress By KATHY O’CONNELL p Battalion Staff Learning how to eat Corps-style, learning how to address upperclassmen and learning good study habits is just a small part of the orientation program that freshmen in the Corps of Cadets are experiencing this week. Gary Branch, freshmen orientation jweelc commander, said, “We try to get I the freshmen settled into the routine of I the Corps before the pressures of scho- jjlasticsgct to be too much.’ Branch said the new cadets, which I number approximately 900, will be Itaught all the ins and outs of the Corps. One of the first things they’ll learn is v to whip out, a long-standing tradi- ition in the Corps and at Texas A&M 1 University. Whipping out means they approach 1 upperclassmen in the Corps and say, ‘ Howdy, fish so-and-so is my name.” I After the other cadet replies, the fresh man continues to state his hometown and major. The fish, as freshmen are called in the Corps, also are taught how to eat properly in Duncan Dining Hall. i Branch said they will be taught to sit upright, to pick up their fork, to eat one piece at a time (chewing each piece three times) and to place the fork down after each bite. The fish, who are required to eat this way for the entire year, aren’t allowed to look at their freshman buddies while they are eating, he said. As the freshmen cadets arrived this week they found out what outfit they were assigned to. Branch said the fresh men could specify a preference, but whether or not they got in a particular outfit depended on how many cadets were already in the outfit. They then met with cadre from the outfits, who are in charge of all new cadets and who inform the fish about the outfit. For instance, each outfit has their own “hump-it” yell. Humping it is when the cadets place their hands on bent knees and shout the outfit yell. Aside from the information about the Corps, Branch said the freshmen orien tation week staff take the fish to get their mail boxes, take them through add/drop as needed and take them to their acade mic advisers. The freshmen also spend IV2 hours in a seminar with Dr. Rod O’Connor to learn good study habits. O’Connor is in charge of Texas A&M’s freshmen che mistry program. The new cadets also attend a seminar to familiarize themselves with Aggie traditions. Branch said the fish won’t be in uniform until Friday but they did get their military haircuts Monday. He said each outfit is assigned a particular bar ber in the area. This way one barber isn’t burdened with the task of cutting the hair of 900 cadets. In the past, fish were required to wear a white T-shirt turned backwards during FOW, but Branch said the FOW staff decided to allow them to wear their street clothes this year. “We changed this because I think it has a psychological effect on them,’’ Branch said. “We want them to feel good about themselves, so they’ll feel good about A&M.” The new cadets also will get a chance tomorrow evening to socialize with freshman women at Texas A&M. More than 450 freshman women have been invited to attend a party on the plaza in front of the Corps quadrangle area. Branch said a beer bash at the Q-huts was planned originally. But since the legal drinking age will be raised to 19 Sept. 1, the FOW staff decided against the bash becau se many of the cadets will not be able to legally buy alcohol in a few weeks. Instead, soft drinks will be served at the party Thursday, he said. By DENISE RICHTER Battalion Staff Because of an increase in the enroll- Iment in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, cadets will be housed in a civi lian dormitory for the first time in sever- [ al years. The anticipated Corps enrollment for 1981-82 is 2,400 cadets, an increase of 6 percent over last year’s enrollment of I 2,258 cadets. Because of this unantici pated growth, the 75 men in Squadron 12 will be housed in two ramps of Hart Hall, a ramp-style dorm located near the Physics Building. “The Corps ended up being bigger than anticipated, and we just ran out of room,” said Corps Area Coordinator Nolen Mears. “By working out of the Housing Office and with the other areas, we were able to free space in Hart, the next nearest available hall.” A&M leads southwest in chemistry research National Science Foundation tabula tions show Texas A&M University to be the top institution in the South and Southwest in funding for research and development in chemistry and che mical engineering. Texas A&M, which has the nation’s largest engineering college and one of the largest chemistry departments, ranks ninth among 50 leading institu tions conducting chemical research. The University of Wisconsin heads the list. Other top 10 schools, in order, are; Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology, California Institute of Tech nology, Harvard, University of Cali fornia at San Diego, Stanford, Univer sity of Illinois and the University of California at Berkeley. NSF figures show Texas A&M spent $3.7 million on chemical re search in 1979, the most recent period for which comparable figures are avail able from all reporting institutions. Texas A&M’s total research ex penditures last year totaled more than $72 million and are expected to exceed $80 million for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31. The University’s sponsored research is funded by a variety of sources, including state and federal agencies, private industry and founda tions. Arrangements for the civilian stu dents who will be displaced by the out fit’s relocation have already been made, Mears said. Most of the residents selected to be moved to other rooms within the hall and others who chose to move were given spaces in other halls. Corps Commandant James R. Woodall said housing cadets in Hart this years is a reinstatement of a former practice. “For many years, Hart was a Corps dorm,” Woodall said, “Housing cadets in Hart is not unusual — it just hasn’t happened in a few years. The commandant and Mears con tended the isolation of the squadron from standard Corps dormitories should not necessarily create any major prob lems for its memebers. “The move to Hart will affect (Squad ron 12’s participation in the Corps) to the extent they let it affect them,” Woodall said. Mears said, “I don’t think the move will affect their participation. It may make things more difficult, but I think they’re aware of the problems.” Squadron 12 holds the George P.F. Jouine Award presented to the outfit with the highest overall academic re cord each school year. Moving cadets into Hart will not tot ally solve the housing problem, Mears said. “We still will be very crowded, we’ll have triples in every hall (in the Corps area),” he said. The Corps area coordinator said he Regents to meet to appoint new A&M president By JANE G. BRUST Battalion Staff The president of North Texas State University today will be appointed to the Texas A&M presidency, Texas A&M officials say. The Texas A&M Board of Regents today is expected to appoint Dr. Frank E. Vandiver to the position and thus end a year-long search for a University president. “The search for a Texas A&M presi dent is all sewn up and Vandiver is the man,” a University official said. The appointment of a new president will not be official, however, until the appoint ment is confirmed by the board. The regents will hold a special meet ing today at 2 p.m. at the University’s Research and Extension Center in Dal las. They will receive a recommenda tion from the four-member interview ing committee and that recommenda tion will be subject to approval by the full board. Vandiver, 55, was not available for comment Tuesday. The Bryan-College Station Eagle Tuesday reported that Vandiver would not comment Monday on his candidacy but that he said he would wait and see what the Board will do. Vandiver is a noted historian and scholar who received a master’s degree from the University of Texas in 1949 and a doctoral degree from Tulane Universi ty in 1951 but who sidestepped an undergraduate degree. A writer for NTSU public relations explained that Vandiver left school in the seventh grade to pursue indepen dent study. By the age of 16 he had published his first scholarly article, she said, and he resumed his formal educa tion at the master’s level after receiving a Rockefeller Fellowship. Vandiver has taught at Washington University in St. Louis and at Rice Uni versity. He became provost at Rice in 1970 and became vice president in 1975. He served as acting president from 1968 to 1969. Vandiver has served one year in the president’s position at North Texas in Denton. That position has involved his overseeing both NTSU, with 17,000 students, and that school’s sister school, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medi cine in Fort Worth. Board of Regents Chairman H.R. “Bum” Bright would not confirm or deny Vandiver’s candidacy. “I will not discuss who that candidate (to be appointed) will be,” he said, “but we {Corps unit to be housed in Hart Hall expect the board to take some action.” System Chancellor Frank W.R. Hubert said the committee will make one recommendation and the regents will discuss that recommendation in closed session. “If everything goes well, we should announce a new president,” Hubert said. “It’s very likely that the nominee will be present at the meeting. We ll return to an open meeting to take action that the board deems appropriate.” Hubert has served on the four- member committee who will make the presidential recommendation. Hubert, Bright, Vice Chairman John Blocker and Regent Clyde Wells have inter viewed approximately 12 candidates since January when a 22-member search committee recommended a list of at least 20 candidates. Those names were selected from some 500 nominee? and applicants. Acting President Charles Samson, who is one of the candidates considered by the selection committee, Tuesday had no comment on his plans should he not be the one approved by the board. But a civil engineering professor at Texas A&M prior to becoming acting president, Samson said returning to teaching is a possibility. He has more than 20 years of teaching behind him. Bright said the transition period be fore the new president takes office “will depend upon the date the man (accept ing the position) can make himself avail able. At the outside time I’d say two to three weeks or a month.” Hubert said the transition period will be worked out with the new president and with Samson. “A month estimate is a reasonable period of time, ” he said. Samson said, “I think we could adjust to whatever decision is made — we have a very capable staff.” Raul Fernandez, former president of the Association of Former Students, praised Samson’s service and expressed relief that the search for a president could be nearing an end. “Chuck Samson is a super individual, he has done a fine job,” Fernandez said. “I’m glad they’re bringing some per manency to the position — I still would like for Texas A&M to have some sortpf continuity, some stability. We’ve asked for the finest person they can find. Our association will work with anybody they name to serve students and former stu dents alike.” The Battalion will publish a special edition Thursday to report the results of today’s board meeting. has not yet been able to determine how many cadets there will be in each hall but that every outfit should anticipate triple occupancy in the rooms. “We won’t triple the freshmen — we’ll triple the sophomores and juniors first,” he said. Mears said he is looking into alternate housing possibilities for next year. Sev eral years ago. Dorms 1 and 3 (Briggs and Spence halls) were converted into housing for civilian women. One possi bility to alleviate overcrowding would be to use those dorms for Corps hous ing, he said. The Corps area isn’t the only crowded housing area this year—some residents of other campus dormitories should anticipate a third roommate also. Dena Todd, area coordinator in the Housing Office, said present plans call for tripling 100 freshmen women in Cle ments Hall and 85 freshmen men in Dunn and Aston halls and in the North and Central area Corps-style dormi tories. “We over-assign intentionally to make up for no-shows, ” Todd said. “We try to predict the number of no-shows so we’ll be full and ... to accommodate as many people in the dorms as possible.” There are 10,000 spaces on campus and the Housing Office over-assigns by about 2 or 3 percent, Todd said. Last year, the dormitories were over booked by a record 600 students. At the beginning of the fall semester, men were housed in study carrels in Aston and Dunn halls and in vacant rooms in the Corps dormitories. Others were placed three-to-a-room in the North area male dormitories. Women were tripled in the four modu lar dormitories, Haas, McFadden, Neeley and Hobby halls. Hours are different during semester break During the current period before fall semester classes begin, most campus facilities are operating under different hours. The following sche dules are in effect. Sterling C. Evans Library Monday—Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 1p.m.-5p.m. Creamery Continues regular hours Monday — Friday 8:15 a.m. — 5 p.m. MSC Main Desk Open 24 hours a day Check cashing: 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. MSC Bowling and Games Monday—Thursday 8a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday 8a.m.-lp.m. Sunday 1p.m.-11 p.m. Intramural Department East Kyle Field and G. Rollie White Coliseum: Monday—F riday 8 a.m.-midnight Saturday and Sunday 8a.m.-10p.m. Deware Fieldhouse: Closed until Aug. 28 Wofford Cain Pool: Monday — Friday 12p.m.-6p.m. Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Tennis Courts: Courts are open all the time on a first come-first served basis, except for reservations. Reservations can be made Mon day— Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. I.D.s are required to make reser vations. The Battalion This issue of The Battalion is the second of two Wednesday issues to be published in the two-week period before the beginning of fall semester classes. A special edition of The Battalion will be published Thursday to report the results of Wednesday’s special meeting of the Board of Regents. The Battalion will then continue dai ly publication Monday through Friday. New system causes problem for students who drop/add Any student who has gone through the add-drop process and received courses designated as pass-fail when these were not requested should wait to be contacted by the Registrar’s Office before taking any further action, Associ ate Registrar Donald D. Carter said. “A new system was put in this year to speed up tbe process and some prog ramming problems occurred that caused a considerable delay,” Carter said. “We anticipated these problems — they’re inherent in the programming change.” Students who had problems with add-drop will be contacted individually or through The Battalion, Carter said. “We have to determine what caused the problems before we can do anything else,” he said. Carter said about 8,000 students re gistered or added and dropped courses Monday.