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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1982)
A Purdue view of Dr. Arthur Hansen See pages 8 and 9 inside Classified 1 Local 3 National . 10 Opinions 2 Sports 13 State 4 What’s Up 5 forecast Today’s Forecast: Overcast, foggy and warm with a 40 percent chance of rain; high in the low 80s; low in the mid-40s. Firday’s forecast calls for cloudy skies with a high in the low 70s. The Battalion Serving the University community 75 No. 129 USPS 045360 24 Pages In 2 Sections College Station, Texas Thursday, April 8, 1982 pr. Arthur Hansen ' Future chancellor sets sights on A8cM Editor’s note: On March 22, Dr. irthurG. Hansen, president ofPur- iue University, was named chancel lor-designate of the Texas A&M Uni versity System. Last week, The Batta lion sent a reporter to Purdue to in- '.eniew Hansen, other administra tors. Faculty and students. Their in- tights into Texas A&M's new chancel lor can be found on pages 8 and 9. by Denise Richter Battalion Staff VJi WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — v ) Iphur and Nancy Hansen should A '■ right at home at Texas A&M Uni- Bright A iHpty. \)BThey’re leaving a campus with malls, trees and fountains. A stately ■ administration building. A dominat ing smokestack. And friendly stu- lents. WAnd they’re coming to a campus .ivith malls, trees and fountains. A .itately administration building. A jjBninating smokestack. And friend ly students. B Hansen will assume the Texas A&M chancellorship July 1, succeed ing Dr. Frank W.R. Hubert, who .imiounced his upcoming retirement jih January. M During an interview last week, Hansen reflected on his 11-year term as president of Purdue University and his outlook as chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. Q. What would you see as some of the highlights of your II-year term at Purdue? A. There are three main things that I would see as highlights. First of all, the establishment of what I consider to be a very good administrative team. I’ve* been very fortunate to have found people who I think understand the management of a major research university and know how to reach the goals we have set. Second is the emphasis I have placed on private support. When I came here we had no development operation, and that has now grown to the point where I feel it is in good shape. Third, I’ve ... tried to build a sense of community that involves students, faculty, staff and alumni. My one goal has been to try to break down artificial walls that separate the various compo nents of the university. We’ve worked hard and I think we’ve moved a long way in this direction. Q. In Indiana, each state- supported school must have a stu dent member on its Board of Trus tees. How do you feel about this? A. Originally, I was opposed to (the Dr. Arthur G. Hansen idea of a student trustee), not because I don’t like sttidehts, but because we also have a student representative to the Board ... elected by the students. So I questioned the idea of a student trustee because he or she must be a trustee in the true Sense, he caii't just be concerned with students. 1 felt it was a duplication — 1 didn’t see any advahtage in it. But, it has turned out to be one of the best moves we’ve made ... because it’s a young voice — a different pers pective, a different attitude. We’ve had nothing but success with that idea and I think it’s one of the best things that has happened to that Board. Q. Would you be in favor of a stu dent regent or a student representa tive at Texas A&M? A. Absolutely. Unequivocably. But ... I’m a little bit leary at the outset of getting into A&M’s direct operation, so I would look at that with care. I think the student trustees at Purdue have been a great idea (and) I think my position would have to be to indi cate to people that I’m receptive to the idea. My job is to sell that to the Board of Regents, which I hope I’ll be able to do. But I would like to see that come from within the University. On the whole, you need responsi ble input from the faculty and stu dents. If you don’t, you’ll have a we- they relationship — you’ll have the administration over here and the fa culty and students over there, and you never really build a team that has a genuine sense of moving in a com mon directioffT Q. What is your relationship with students? A. You try to get input (from stu dents) by visiting residence halls and (sorority and fraternity) houses. Also, my office has been open to them, and when they have a problem 1 want them to see me. I treat them the same way I would treat any other member of the faculty or my administrative team — they are welcome anytime to come in and sit down and talk. I think that sort of thing leads to this commonality of purpose and di rection. Welding a common purpose is critical — it takes a lot of time and a lot of trust. You’ve got to build a feel ing that everyone is on everyone eise’s side. Q. When you announced your res ignation from Purdue in November, did you know about the job at Texas A&M? A. Well, I was certainly aware of the fact that the possibility might occur, and I think at the time the decision had pretty well been made that I was going to go for a state chancellorship. Of all of the prospects on the horizon back then, it seemed that the opportu nities at A&M were the most favor able. Q. When were you first offered the chancellorship? A. There’s been a long relation- See FUTURE page 8 CS city council to talk on Civic Center policy by Lori Weldon Battalion Reporter Policy for the new city Civic Center will be discussed in the regular meet ing tonight of the College Station City Council at 7 p.m. Issues being considered by the council include possible use of alcohol on the premises and fees to be charged for use of the facility by pri vate non-profit groups and commer cial or political gatherings. North Bardell, city manager, said that not allowing use of alcohol at the center might cut down on the number of groups wanting to use the facility, but allowing alcohol would result in additional clean-up and security costs. The council will hear any protests or suggestions about the Civic Center policy before bringing the proposed policy to a vote tonight. Also being considered tonight by the council is a resolution to allow Mayor Gary Halter to enter into an agreement with the city of Bryan and Brazos County which would form a narcotic traffic control unit. A similar resolution was passed recently by the Bryan city council. Mayor Richard Smith of Bryan said at that time that the unit would consist of a police officer from Bryan and a police officer from College Station patrolling together in order to pro vide dual jurisdiction in cases requir ing narcotics arrests. Another public hearing will be held concerning the consideration of a permit application by Wood Energy for an exploratory well in the Univer sity Park subdivision. Peace Corps using skilled workers to help countries She must have the right amount to make her experiment work, so Kara Basden watches carefully as she pours Benedicts Solution into a beaker. The staff photo by David Fisher chemistry experiment is designed to help students learn how to use a spectrometer. Basden is a freshman from Houston in electrical engineering. by Julie Farrar Battalion Reporter The Peace Corps — highly publi cized in the 1960s — doesn’t receive the attention it once did. But it still exists and still works to help people in underdeveloped areas. The Peace Corps has two major goals — to provide technological aid to underdeveloped countries, and to help Americans understand foreign cultures and give them an opportun ity to understand their own. Today, the Peace Corps still works to help different countries improve health care, agricultural techniques, and provide better learning facilities and methods. Last week, Peace Corps recruiters were at Texas A&M hoping to attract students with special skills for their programs. “We have a lot of highly qualified applicants on this campus,” said Frances Kelliher, Texas A&M Peace Corps representative and strategy coordinator. Kelliher said Texas A&M students have “scarce skills” — skills in fields such as engineering, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, entomology and education. Recruiters look for people with skills that can be matched with up coming programs the government has planned. Signing up for a 27-month tour with the Peace Corps isn’t a legal con tract — they can leave if they want to, she said. About 5,600 workers serve in 58 countries, she said. The majority are in Africa, but Peace Corps volunteers work in Asia, South America, Central America and the Caribbean Basin. Applicants are interviewed and their references are checked before The Peace Corps has two major goals — to provide technological aid to under developed countries, and to help Americans understand foreign cultures and give them an opportunity to understand their own. being accepted into the Peace Corps. They then receive technical, cross- cultural and camp training for three months, Kelliher said. The training period usually is spent inside the developing country, which gives the applicant an oppor tunity to adjust to the environment before actually beginning work. A country usually will request that Peace Corps volunteers come to their country to fulfill a specific need. Their money is spent to train these people, so it takes cooperation from the host country as well as the volun teers to have a successful program, she said. However, a government some times will ask the Peace Corps to leave, or circumstances may warrant an early departure, she said. “When a country is dangerous poli tically, we don’t endanger the lives of the volunteer,” she said. Work as a Peace Corps volunteer is very rewarding, she said. “The Peace Corps fits in well with Reagan’s push for volunteer work,” Kelliher said. Harry Howell, a research associate in entomology and a former Peace Corps volunteer, said the organiza tion has not only made Americans aware of different cultures, but has improved foreign policy and world relations as well. “It’s hard to measure it’s impact on the world,” Howell said. As an entomologist, Howell was involved in field research in Hon duras from July 1972 to December 1975. He explained how learning to speak the Spanish language opened his eyes to another way of life. “Language and culture are inter- See PEACE CORPS page 16