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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1981)
'age 6 THE BATTALION MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1981 Mi Local / State h,'i ' Fire-resistant holiday By JOHN BRAMBLETT !■ 'i '. [ 1 1 Battalion Reporter It’s time to deck the halls with boughs of holly — but make sure the holly is fire-resistant. Although the number of fires resulting from Christmas lights or trees has decreased in recent years, people should exercise special caution during the holi day season, said Joey Porter, deputy fire marshal for the Col lege Station Fire Department. “Last year we did not answer any calls resulting from Christ mas mishaps,” he said. “In the last two years I think we’ve answered one call which re sulted from Christmas decora tions and there was no fire.” With the sales of flame- retardent artificial trees and safety lighting electrical fires during the holiday season have decreased. Porter said. People who put up live trees should take special care to pro tect their house. Porter said. Trees should not be put up ear lier than two weeks before Christmas because they will dry out, he said. If candles are displayed in the house, they should be kept away from the Christmas tree, wrapping paper and children, he said. “You’re not talking about los ing a present, you are talking about a child’s life, ” Porter said. Consumers should check labels on boxes to make sure ornaments and outside lights are fire retardent, he said. Out side lights should be checked for faulty wiring and cracked bulb bases. These can cause short circuits and fire. But Christmas decorations aren’t the only cause of holiday- related fires. Fireworks have been the major cause of fires in the Bryan-College Station area during the Christmas season. Porter said. Possession, selling, storing or transporting fireworks within city limits is illegal, he said. Citations will be given out, especially to people shooting fireworks from cars. Christmas decorations can pose threat to kids The delicate plastic Santa Claus dangles on a low tree bough, enticing the two-year- old boy. He grabs it, puts it in his mouth and realizes it isn’t candy. Surprised, the youngs ter tries to spit it out. But it cracks and a portion-of the plas tic lodges in his windpipe or is inhaled into his lungs. Aspiration of foreign objects is a leading cause of death and injury among children under six. The holiday season is a dan gerous time for toddlers. Animal science trip planned When You Are “STUMPED” For a Just-Right Xmas Gift!! BY LAURA J. LARSON Battalion Reporter One hundred fifty Aggies will take to the road January 10 for a 1,700-mile animal production field study trip through Texas. The seven-day study is de signed to allow students to see a variety of Texas livestock units and to hear owners and managers of each unit discuss their manage ment philosophies. Students will tour facilities ranging from feedlots to grain ele vators. Dr. Howard Hesby, associate professor of animal science, is organizing the field study for the eighth year. He said each manager or owner not only shares how the unit is operated, but why specific prac tices are followed. Students quick ly see that the reason these people are successful is simply because of themselves. Dr. Hesby encourages students to analyze their field trip hosts as to the characteristics which made them successful. He said the tour is especially valuable for students who want to become a veterinarian, vocational agriculture teacher, county agent or animal producer, but who don’t have a varied farm and ranch back ground. John Cozad, a senior animal sci ence major from McAllen and past field trip participant, said that get ting exposure to so many different animal agriculture industries in Texas was the most significant part of the trip for him. He said it showed that there are unlimited opportunities in agriculture after graduation. Learning that there are many similarities in the management of successful operations even though the type of agriculture or farm is so varied was important to Dorothy Stevenson, a junior animal science major from Copperas Cove, who attended last year. She also said that getting to know other students interested in animal agriculture was beneficial. 1 he trip costs $125 and is open to all interested students. To par ticipate, students need to register for animal science 400A and fill out field trip forms with Dr. Hesby. The trip is worth two credits. Students must write thank-you letters to all the facilities toured and two reports for Hesby. Dr. Hesby is also coordinating a nine-day agribusiness field study trip during spring break. It will cost $325 and is open to 44 stu dents. Toylane Today’s almanac 696-0798 404 E. University Center 4 Blocks East of Ramada Inn LOST A BOOK Today is Monday, Dec. 14, the 348th day of 1981 with 17 to follow. The moon is moving toward its last quarter. 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 Sagittarius. James (Jimmy) Doolittle, Amer ican hero flyer of World War 11, was born Dec. 14, 1896. RIGHT BEFORE FINALS? Lou Will Loan You One 'til You Take Your Exam! And We’ll Buy The Used Ones You Do Have... LOU NEEDS YOUR USED BOOKS! ffiLOUPOT'SiP Northgate - At the corner across from the Post Office nivesA Sharpening Stones * Our Eye. Brand knives are handcrafted of hammer forged steel, with exceptional Old World craftsmanship. We have the largest selection of quality knives, including 25 styles of Victorinox Official Swiss Army Knives, also Gerber, Puma , Marttiinni,and many more-all excellent Christmas gifts. Or select from f tne natural Arkansas sharpening stones in polished cedar boxes. Free pocket sharpening stone with every knife purchased (except kitchen or knife blanks. WHOLE EARTH PROVISION COMPANY 105 Boyett 846-8794 What’s up at Texas A&M Monday FOOD SCIENCE CLUB: Club will be selling pecans of Dec. 14 through 18 in 338 Kleberg and in the Me Student Center Dec. 14 through 16. OFF CAMPUS CENTER: Roommate session from3|.I p.m. in 137A MSC. Come and find u roommate tor the semester. ip Tuesday FOOD SCIENCE CLUB: Club will he selling pecansthewet, of Dec. 11 through 18 in 338 Kleberg and in theMSCDec. through 16. OFF CAMPUS CENTER: Rornmate session from 3p.m i p.m in 137 A MSC. ( ome and find a roommate for the spi semester. CHI ALPHA: Bible study and Christian fellovvshipatTp.m iiiJS' Rudder. Wednesday FOOD SCIENCE CLUB: Club will be selling pecanstheuj of Dec. 14 through 18 in 338 Kleberg and in the MSC Dec. through 16 BRAZOS VALLEY DIABETIC ASSOCIATION: Meet will be one week later than usual for the December meet®! There will be a Christmas party for all diabetics in this Boob s Bark. College Station, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. At thistmiiit new officers for 1982 will be introduced. On this date in history: In 1799, George Washington, Revolutionary War commanding general and first president of the United States, died at his Mount Vernon home after asking his doc tors to "let me go off quietly.” In 1819, Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state. In 1974, President Ford ar rived in Martinique in the French West Indies for two days of talks with French President Valery Gis.- card d’Estaing. Study predicts \ students scores in BANA class By STEPHEN VI. WARD Battalion Reporter A classification procedure de veloped in the business analysis department at Texas A&M Uni versity has proven useful in pre dicting success in introductory computing courses. Dr. Louis W. Glorfeld and George C. Fowler, assistant pro fessors of business analysis and re search, have developed a way to classify students as having either high or low aptitude for introduc tory computing classes. "We re trying to predict before (he’s) taken the course how suc cessful a student will be, ” Glorfeld said. By looking at four variables, Glorfeld and Fowler can usually predict the success an individual student will have in the introduc tory computing class, BANA 217, a class in which students learn the basics of programming. The four variables studied are: the results of the Wolfe Program ming Aptitude Test, SAT math and verbal scores and the stu dent’s current grade point ratio. Based on these variables Glor feld and Fowler can predict what grade a student will make. The variable that was most helpful in predicting success was the student’s GPR, Glorfeldii “We validated the proced® Glorfeld said. "We testedU dents a year later that were the original study and triedi classification procedure on and found our model to be 75 percent correct.” The purpose of the study. F: ler said, is to place studen special sections like honors ses, and possibly to counseltl into a particular degree progn “The need to identify a pol tially successful student is i important for reasons suchaser counseling into an appropit career path, ” Fowler said. Hif creased rate of computer usao placing a greater importanct computer education, he said This study also might be help in determining faculty needs like the number of studentst might take the course, said. “If we know more about students coming into the cows he said, “we should be abletop better for our courses. From, an administrative standpoint, could figure out the nuinbfl sections needed, the numte students in those sectionsand. many professors we will Students receive help United Press International DALLAS — The Dallas Inde pendent School District plans to pump $1 million to save about 14,000 first to sixth-grade students from failing this year, school offi cials said. The after-school sessions, which begin Feb. 1, are the second phase in a voluntary prog ram instituted last yeart cial promotion in Dalla: based on age rather that The students, who re] 22.5 percent of the first t sixth-grade youngsters i DISD, will be asked toenn' remedial after-school class (i face repeating the grade nerl? drive Texas Office of Traffic Safety DIETING? Even though we do not preset diets, we make it possible for many tl1 enjoy a nutritious meal while the) follow their doctor's orders. You ^ be delighted with the wide select^ of low calorie, sugar free and fat $ foods in the Souper Salad Area, Dining Center Basement. OPEN Monday through Friday 10:45 AM-1:45 PM QUALITY FIRST