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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1983)
Page 16/The Battalion/Thursday, March 10, 1983 Auto adviser helps select the ‘right’ car United Press International SEATTLE — “Most Amer icans believe they have the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and a car that runs well for 100,000 miles,” jokes Ashley Knapp, a consultant for bewildered auto buyers. For the past six years, Knapp, 30, who calls himself the first “auto adviser,” has helped hun dreds of Seattle residents, and other motorists around the country, avoid the “Kleenex” (buy one, throw it away) mental ity of automobile buying. “The automobile is now the most expensive product many people will ever buy in their whole life,” he says. “There is an incredible amount of deliberate ripoff and a tremendous amount of incompetence. All too often, a person buys the im age and not the product.” After a few hours and $135 with the “Auto Adviser,” a client is armed with information, the key to making a safe and sane auto purchase. “My job is to study all the available technology, so you buy the product, not the image,” says Knapp, whose small consulting business has grown by leaps and bounds. “I studv all the available automobile technology, engines, transmissions, the way cars are built, and the relative dollar value,” Then, Knapp shows indi viduals and corporations how to get the best possible product for the least amount of money. The process begins with a simple phone call to the man who modestly claims to be the automobile expert of the Pacific Northwest. The decision of new or used car usually is made during this first brief exchange. Things really get going dur ing the “needs assessment” ses sions, which are much like a few rounds of analysis in a psychiat rist’s comfortable office. Only in this case, the malaise is easily identifiable: What to do about those several tons of steel already owned or about to be acquired? Clients are asked to fill out a questionnaire setting priorities on performance, safety, com fort, reliability, economy and image. Each choice has its tradeoffs, Knapp explains. For example, more durable cars generally get lower gas mileage. During this process, the client Petal Patch 707 Shopping Village 696-6713 Petal Patch, loo College Station DARK SILKS • SEIDEN BRASS Post Oak Village Hwy. 30 764 0091 College Station vjm outlines his or her specific auto mobile “uses and abuses.” Then, Knapp tries to break assumptions. He says the most common is that people think it’s best to buy last year’s model at the end of a model year. “The best time of the year to buy a car is actually when the new cars come out,” Knapp says- .“Buy the new model. Over the last five years, car prices have gone up dramatically during the model year.” Knapp recommends test driving a few prospects. From those, usually three, there’s a re liability and use comparison. Without much more fuss, a car model is selected. Despite requests, Knapp doesn’t actually go out and buy the car with individual clients, although he does for corpora tions. But he does help people pick options. He also helps the client sell the old car. More accurately, he provides the information needed to get the best sale or trade-in for the car. Domestic cars, he says, have improved dramatically in terms of “fit, finish and quality.” Gas mileage and pricing also have gotten better. “American cars offer more safety for the dollar,” he says. “American cars are the safest and most durable.” Generally, Knapp is against diesel and four-wheel drive vehicles. He’s not always against pur chasing a car in its first model year. He says he recommended the Mazda RX7, GLC, 626 and the Nissan Stanza in their first model years. This year, he’s pushing the new Thunderbird. As a matter of ethics, he never suggests buying a car that gets less than 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. What’s Up ■ Thursday TEXAS A&M EMERGENCY CARE TEAM:A meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in 510 Rudder. PRE-LAW SOCIETY:A field trip to Texas Law School is sche duled March 21 (first day after spring break). For more infor mation, call Greg McCarthy at 696-0747. CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST:A meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in 113 Kleberg. Everyone is welcome. MSC HOSPITALITY :A fashion show is scheduled for noon in the MSC Lounge. Spring into fashion with the latest spring attire. SCHEDULING OFFICE: All student organizations are encour aged to submit room reservation requests for Fall 1983 by April SPRI NG STUDENT ELECTIONS Tiling for elections will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Main Hall MSC. MEXICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION: International Week activities and other semester activities will be discussed at 8 p.m. in the MSC Lounge. CHI ALPHA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP: A brief stud\ on Intercession then Practical Application will be discussed from noon to 1 p.m. at the All Faiths Chapel library. SIERRA CLUB Ton Kaiser of the Recreation and Parks Depart ment will speak and show slides on “Issues in Water Policy” at 7:30 p.m. in the Brazos Valiev Museum. INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS:Ms. Emily Braswell, transportation planner for the city of Victoria, will discuss “Transportation Systems Management" at 7:30 p.m. in 503 A&A. I.E.E-E.:Signups for officer positions are scheduledftM March 21 in 214 -Zachry (EE office). I.E.E.E. meirv. ; eligible. A&M SPORT'S MEMORABILIA COLLEC - Buying, swaping and selling baseball cards is sdieduldj. 76 NC p.m. in 501 Rudder. Bring am cards you hawtoM come to learn about card collecting. I AMU FENCING CLUB: A meeting is scheduled forij |v 267 E. Kyle. VIETNAMESE Friday AMERICAN STUDENT INTRAMURAL-RECREATIONAL SPORTS:A water polo and innertube water polo team captains’ meeting is scheduled II, for 5:15 p.m. in 164 E. Kyle. A volleyball triples team captain’s meetine is scheduled for 6 p.m. in 164 E. Kyle. UN1VERSI I Y LU 1 HERAN CHAPEL: The group meets at 6:30 p.m. at the University Lutheran Chapel to go to the Sherwood Nursing Home to sing and visit the residents. TEXAS A&M EMERGENCY CARE TEAM: A general meet ing is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in 510 Rudder. VENEZUELAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION:Elections will be held at 7 p.m. in 404 Rudder. PANAMANIAN S I UDENT ASSOCIATION:!^'-^ al week and the semesters activities will be discussedai, 504 Rudder. MSC OPERA & PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY interested in applying for membership must attend t March 22 or March 23 meeting at 7 p.m. in 350 Rudi* more information, contact Chervl Burke at M5-1515.L, ,, . Unit MOSCO olice said iploinat o| CIATTON:A welcoming party for other Texas andOL^J Vietnamese student associations is scheduled IrumJsjpyj^ ( j- Midnight at Rumnu.s as ()(1 |m( TOASTMASTERS INTERNAT IONAL:Aggie Tt jy Ls a > ters meet March 22, April 5 and 9. and May 3 at8:30p.n joke sman MSC to sharpen their speaking, listening and ihinlin;, « MSC POLI I ICAL FORUM: Admit.d Stanslield In mer CIA director 1977-1981, uill sjjeuk on “Internal Spots" March 22 at 8 p.m. in Rudder Theater. SPRING STUDENT ELECTIONS:Filingforelecuo duled from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Main Hall MSC.Ap for elections must be in by 7 p.m. UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHAPEL:Gradii and students over 22 years old w ill meet at 6 p.m.attb sity Lutheran Chapel, 315 N. College Main, Collegti and go out for supper. LE.E.E.:Oral presentations of papers for the area cotHgU scheduled for 10 a.m. in 342 Zachry. ' ’ V ' Keith Kelly of I .R W will speak on 'Satellit -JL JL 7:30 p.m. in 103 Zachry. Everyone interested iswekotp If you have an item for "What’s Up," you can Fill ouuui Room 216 Reed McDonald at least two days activity. No items are accepted by phone. Disco, country being rivaled Big Band music returns United Press International HOUSTON — Step into a time warp and turn back the clock 40 years. It’s the beat of the big bands that’s heard in the background as the dark-suited men swirl their dates around the dance floor to the music of Glenn Mil ler, Tommy Dorsey or Benny Goodman. Before We Put You In Charge Of The World’s Most Sophisticated Nuclear Equipment, We Put You Through The World’s Most Sophisticated Nuclear Training. It takes more than 16 months of intensive training to become a fully qualified officer in the Nuclear Navy. You begin with four months of leadership training. Then as a Navy officer you get a full year of graduate-level training that most of the men who operate the reactors in private industry started in the Nuclear Navy.) It takes more time and more effort to become an officer in the Nuclear Navy. But the rewards are greater, too. unavailable anywhere else at any price. Navy training is based on more than 1900 reactor-years of experience. Right now the Navy operates over half the nuclear reactors in America. And the Navy’s nuclear equipment is the most sophisticated in the world. That’s why your Navy training is and must be the most sophisticated in the world. As an officer in the Nuclear Navy, you have decision-making authority immediately. You get important manage ment responsibility fast. Because in the Navy, as your knowl edge grows, so does your responsibility. Your training and experience place you among the country’s most qualified profes sionals. (No surprise NAVY OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION CENTER P.O. Box 5000, Clifton, NJ 07015 □ Please send me more information about becoming an officer in the Nuclear Navy. Name (Please Print) Address. City_ Age_ .State. 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Maybe it’s nostalgia that is drawing the crowds back to the dance floor, but many say the Big Band music has returned as the newest fad, replacing worn out disco and country as the music of the day. “This is the emerging new fad, a new version and a mixture of the music of the ‘30s and ‘40s,” said Buddy Brock, leader of his own big band for more than 40 years. “The Big Band music is the most dramatic and elegant of all dance music forms,” Brock said. “If you analyze it, it seems to be the strongest when economic conditions are bad.” At a recent gathering in Houston, the dance floor was crowded throughout the even ing as Brock’s band delighted the audience with a mix of oldies but goodies, and some modern day swing tunes. Fingers start snapping, hands begin clapping and toes start lapping when songs such as “Stardust‘‘In the Mood,” “Begin the Beguine,” "String of Pearls” or “Sunny Side of the Street" are heard. Brock said he remembers when swing was THE music and people would come to the show mainly to see its stars — Miller, Goodman, the Dorsey brothers. Count Basie, Woody Herman, Harry James, Stan Kenton, Artie Shaw. :nt Reagai ’tht .ongi t m in new )t, liintint: y advise! iproved. With c; :>rk next i d bill, Re; lest Thur stability ir from spre; merica. At the si Knot be nit on the Kisers am I le said the mety Big Bands were repli 1950s by the early n greats such as Bill Hal Comets, Elvis andSai Beatlemania topped tlnd may fe in the'60sand,bythebi.ore if his and '80s, the shonkf House were disco and them Id report (ionnt ry-western nws eling the popular in many part! r.” O’Neil country. ^Jer in But in New Yorkatlfiferblown.’ nightclubs are playingtJpfhey ha music to turn-awavcroi oney they in Washington, D Ok Reagan p ham Hotel has redootiv bid for Iroom to accommodaK a broad ] hands. Brock said then icand pol gaining popularity ^■nviting Chicano. tckpd lefti Angeles and Chicago. 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DUDLEY SOFTBALLS SB12LND, T-4000 SB12RF $4095 dozen/ WORTH SOFTBALLS $/IC19S dozen Red or Blue Dot 20% TEAM UNIFORM DISCOUNT Order Early! SPECIALS GOOD THRU SAT. MARCH 19, 1983 .Classifier ■seal... Opiniom Sports.. Bate ... National ft dice Be ^ What’s it] Navy Officers Get Responsibility Fast. TRI-STATE A&M SPORTING GOODS 3600 Old College Road 846-4743 846-4743 iSunnv ski 67 Wind: 115 mph. fviih the Hlurday Hbudy h