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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 1983)
Page 4/The Battalion/Wednesday, March 9, 1983 local state Greek system debate tonight DA: Witnesses feel guilt for not reporting deaths by Michelle Powe Battalion Reporter The value of social fraternities and sororities at Texas A&M will be debated at 7 tonight in 701 Rudder Tower. Two Texas A&M students will participate in the debate which is sponsored by the Texas A&M debate team. Teresa Barr, a junior agro nomy major from Maryland, will argue that social fraternities and sororities at Texas A&M are detrimental to the spirit and tra ditions of Aggieland. Karen Pirtle, a sophomore accounting major from Houston and a member of Chi Omega sorority, will defend fraternities and sororities. After both women have spoken, members of the audi ence will be allowed to express their opinions. The audience will be divided into two sections. Those in favor of fraternities and sororities will sit on one side of the room and those opposed will sit on the other side. Anyone who changes his mind during the debate can get up and move to the other side. At the end of the debate, the audience will vote on the issue of Greeks at Texas A&M by voice count. When the debate is over, people will be asked to leave through certain doors depend ing on how they voted. This will allow the debate team to official ly tally votes. United Press International SAN ANTONIO — District Attorney Sam Millsap says hos pital witnesses testifying to a grand jury investigating infant deaths feel guilt because they failed to come forward earlier. The grand jury heard testi mony two weeks ago from a doc tor and a nurse, both of whom were employed by the Bexar County Hospital District when the mysterious deaths occurred. It reconvened to hear testi mony from other witnesses Tuesday. “There’s a certain amount of guilt that they didn’t come for ward earlier to tell the things they heard,” Millsap said. “It’s not so much a cover up (but being involved) in the pro cess of something unfolding and not recognizing its significance.” Millsap said the witnesses would not be identified because of possible harrassment “from people who have interests in this matter who are adverse to the state. “Their (witnesses) concern is about privacy,” Millsap said. “Their concern is our concern. With all the attention there’s a certain natural reluctance to be come involved.” The special grand jury is look ing into the possibility that homicide was involved in the deaths of infants and children at Medical Center Hospital’s pediatric care unit from 1978 to 1982. Chief Deputy District Attor ney Nick Rothe declined to spe cify the number of deaths the grand jury was investigating. According to hospital re cords, a total of 2,064 patients were admitted to the unit during the period in question. Of that number, 122 infants and chil dren died, indicating a survival rate of about 94 percent. An internal hospital investi gation, reportedly prepared by Pediatric Department Chair man Dr. John Mangos, indi cated that only 10 to 13 deaths were questionable. But other re ports have stated that the grand jury was investigating up to 42 suspicious deaths. Mangos refused Tuesday to confirm or deny that he con ducted an in-house investiga tion, citing a promise of secrecy to the grand jury. Attorney Bill Chenault, who represents a registered nurse who testifed before the grand jury two weeks ago, said that no wrongdoing on the part of hos pital personnel had been estab- lishecl so far. He also said he believed the grand jury had narrowed its in vestigation to only three ques tionable deaths. Millsap said the grand jury will reconvene next Tuesday. There's always something happening at VIDEO GAMES 49 MOn.-FRI. 4:30-6:00 A GREAT LUNCHEON BUFFET $ (All You Can Eat) — Pizza, Spaghetti & Salad Bar Old Time and Current Movies (Three Stooges, etc.) Every Tuesday Night is Spaghetti Nite. To Go Pizza — you bet. All Stores have drive thru win dows. We also deliver. University Square 846-3412 Shiloh Place 693-0035 Private Meeting Rooms for a cozy 12-15 or a 80 seat banquet. Please call for information. Hot check fees don’t stop abuse by Kimberly Hix Battalion Reporter Increased returned check fees in the local area have not helped merchants curb the number of bad checks they receive, but one Texas A&M official says the University’s fee is effective. The increasing number of students and the recent econo mic recession should result in more bad checks despite the high fees, said Bob Piwonka, stu dent financial services manager. “But the number (of re turned checks) is running close to the same as before,” he said. “That in itself is an improve ment.” The fee for bounced checks at Texas A&M increased from $15 to $20 last September. Fees for checks not cleared within 15 days increased from $25 to $40. Another increase in the fee is not planned, but if the number of bad checks does rise, an in crease may be considered, Piwonk,a said. “We’re here to provide a ser vice,” he said. “It is cashing checks. Stricter rules would be a hassle, which is not fair to the students who don’t write bad checks. We just have to penalize those who do.” Local merchants also are looking for ways to reduce the number of returned checks, but say returned check fees are not a deterrent. Owner of Rother’s Book Store, Dennis Rother, said the $ 15 bad check fee does not help. “Most of the checks we get back are honest mistakes — bank errors. Dad doesn’t get the money in on time and that type of thing,” he said. There are a few people who continually write hot checks, Rother said. As a solution, he suggested that local stores de velop a list of habitual bad check writers. CUSTOMER INFORMATION FROM GENERAL MOTORS HOWTO STOP DRUNK DRIVING. TOUGH LAWS MAY HELP’ BUT WE ALSO NEED TO CHANGE OUR ATTITUDES. Do you know anyone who’s in favor of drunk driving? Not likely. And yet many people have driven when under the influence of alcohol, or will do it at least once. Take a look at some chilling statistics. One out of every two of us will be in volved in an alcohol-related accident sometime during our lives. Last year alone, more than 25,000 people died in such accidents; an additional 1.5 million were injured. A disproportionate number of those killed were under 25 years old. The cost of drunk-driving accidents amounts to over $24 billion every year in property damage, loss of wages, medical and legal fees. Not to mention the emotional pain to the vic tims’ families and friends. What is being done about it? Over the years, many different approaches have been tried: mandatory jail sentences, stiff fines, license suspensions, alcohol- rehabilitation programs, and higher drinking-age laws. No single countermeas ure seems to do the job by itself. Tough laws, unless they are supported by equally tough enforcement and the certainty of punishment, don’t seem to work over the long run. Even with all three, probably the most effective single thing we could do is to examine our own attitudes about drinking and driving. How much do you really know about the effects of alcohol? The facts may sur prise you. For example, a lot of people believe that beer and wine are less intoxicat ing than other drinks. In fact, a can of beer, a glass of wine, or a l^-ounce drink of 86-proof liquor are all about equally intoxicating. A lot of factors deter mine how quickly youll get drunk. Your body weight, how much you’ve had to eat, and the number of drinks you have over a specified time all make a difference. That’s why it’s so hard to know when you’ve had too much. A common legal defini tion of intoxication is .10 per cent blood-alcohol level. For a 160 lb. person, it takes about four or five drinks in the first two hours on an empty stom ach to reach the legal limit, compared with three or four drinks in the first two hours for someone who weighs 120 lbs. Of course, your judgment and reaction time will be impaired well before you reach the legal limit. At General Motors, we’re very concerned about the effects of drinking on driv ing. Over a decade ago, we developed a device that tests a driver’s reflexes and motor responses before starting the car. The Department of Trans portation is now field-testing that device. We also strongly favor all efforts that focus attention on the problem such as the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving. Make sure your friends and family know the facts about mixing alco hol and driving. Drunk driv ing will only stop when we all decide it isn’t socially acceptable. Be self-confident enough to admit when you’ve had too much to drink to drive safely. Meanwhile, seat belts are still your best protec tion against drunk drivers. They can’t prevent an acci dent, but they will help save your life during a serious crash— whatever the cause. This advertisement is part of our continuing effort to give customers useful information about their cars and trucks and the company that builds them. MARK OF EXCELLENCE Chevrolet • Pontiac Oldsmobile • Buick Cadillac • GMC Truck Around tow ei : Unitec TEN I Cadet receives Phi Eta Sigma aivardy^ trol at Brian Terrell, a junior agricultural economics major[rF ea ' * 1 Plainview has been presented the Phi Eta SigmaOutsufj 6 ,^ 11 ing Sophomore Award. The $300 award is presented cia s year to second year college students enrolled at TexasAigt' 1 with high academic and leadership qualifications. tnor,ul< Terrell currently has 63 semester hours anda3.936t!f8 1 He is a member of the Corps of Cadets, is in the Collect{ ® 11 Agriculture and is Speaker of the Student Senate. Be ic< r r Applications for membership in Phi Eta SigmaarerP'fS u lx*ing accepted for any freshmen with at least 13 seniKE^j'S hours and at least a 3.5 GPR. Qualified |>ersons contact Dr. C. F. Lard. leratin ter Last V sion gr ng toj Zachry to speak tonight in Rudder heif-it finding H.B. Zachry,distinguished Texas A&M alumnus,will: at 7:30 tonight in Rudder Forum on how economksof and economics of the future relate to modern construi Zachry s speech, ‘'Today’s and Tomorrow’s Econom Relates to Construction,” is sponsored by the Constn Management Association and is open to all students. Zachry received a bachelor's degree from Texas Al civil engineering in 1922 and operates H.B. Zachry pany which is based in San Antonio. Zachry Engine Center is named after him. Prof to speak on language origin ds ex i com nerous i of due , c < >o I i em. A 11 hsev, st; tiohalh 'comp; ctors a iniL's s< lamsey were si Dr. Lee Pearcy, professor in the Department of CL the University of Texas at Austin, will speak tonighta in 204B Sterling C. Evans Library on the origin of sc language in ancient Greece. The speech is sponsored by the 1 exas A&M department, modern languages department and the ophy department. The speech is free and open to the public. defects l hired lo the c jatui e c le also ndj to I Md have tl inspe i\Y Sports Event scheduled /br SafurdaiFjp ill The Vietnamese American Student Organization the 1983 Sports Event this weekend. To kick-off the weekend’s activities, a Welcome Patty be held at Rumours, located behind the post office al Memorial Student Center. Opening ceremonies wi Saturday morning at 8 a.m. All indoor sports willtakey in East Kyle from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. followed by anavc ceremony and a dance at 6:30 p..m. on the second [la the MSC. The outdoors sports will be held on Sunday, j For more information contact the Vietnamese Ante! 'e they Student Organization. Ef^ v * a ines sai If you have an announcement or item to submit fortes ^of c column, come by The Battalion office in 216 ReedM 'tn the nald or call Tracey Taylor at 845-2665. r 'ng a n lion, v Unite HOUS- er that Hous rport at ns, and rmissio -sed Police beat Tnh Ye grov The following incidents were listed in University Police De partment records for March 7. THEFTS: •A 10-speed bicycle was taken from the bicycle racks near East Kyle. •A Schwinn 10-speed bicycle was taken from the hits stop in [h (legr parking lot 60. ft, so n •A Huffy 10-speed ay with was taken from a walk-n succ Fowler I fall. Last y< •A motorcycle ms d killed from t he cast parkingartifphrl ( Academic and Agency In'E for tl It is .1 I'177 1 ItHul.i.» partme license plate number3Hion, s; Former dean will talk on oil i get its port pi er on tl A spoil ' the Pr annals ; -propo guns i ne end trnals. by Scott Griffin Battalion Reporter The recent oil depletion and its effect on Texas A&M re search will be the subject of a speech tonight by Dr. Earl Cook, distinguished geography and geology professor at Texas A&M University. The speech is part of this year’s University Lecturer series and will be at 8 p.m. in 601 Rud der Tower. Cook’s speech, “Marooned in Aggieland,” will deal with the function of the University in the state’s economy and what the re cent decline in oil tax dollars means to the school and the state. Cook, who served as dean of the College of Geosciences from 1971 to 1981, says he has seen a dilemma evolving whits mately affects Texas Ail the state. he New method help This dilemma, he sad fact that high oil priceswH state and t lie University.^ Q tier the economies of thos® J not producing oil. L, Cook came to Texas.® y\T 1965 as associate dean® College <>( Geosciences y nite( 1969 to 1971 he served AUSTI ctor for the Universh'sore G vironmental Quality projundsot H e now teaches and ills wit] research in environment® city resource decision-makii'- Speak has had several articlesptnierc lished in various science epiion zines. JUonai Cook has also publi'jinessd book titled “Man, Enerfpa nil Society.” Bowl ^strial 30s. '‘For th : New an Is," W1 West Texas aquifrz: 1 3 a lau United Press International LUBBOCK — Preliminary tests indicate that a new air injec tion technique could provide a feasible way to recover water trapped in the wet sands above the Ogallala aquifer, the mana ger of the High Plains Under ground Water Conservation District said. Dwindling water supplies are a major concern farWesllM ^ farmers and ranchers. |$ : W By injecting air that is® pressure into the formatio® district has been success® breaking the surface teK, the water held by thel grains. Then, the waterd released and How by f down to the currentwateff formation.