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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1983)
Special humor supplement The University of Houston [makes ‘upside-down’ showing Aggie hires Nobel prizewinner See inserted section Rag See page 3 The Battalion Serving the University community 76 No. 1t6 USPS 045360 18 Pages In 2 Sections College Station, Texas Monday, March 21,1983 staff photo by Diana Sultenfuss This model shows the proposed 48 scheduled to be discussed by Texas A&M additional prestige boxes at Kyle Field, regents at 8:30 a.m. today. luropean governments lalt currency exchange : United Press International BRUSSELS. Belgium — European name ministers called an unpre- Jtlcined suspension in currency ex- harige by their governments today as ley worked to reset currency values nd [maintain stability in the Euro- ean Monetary System. The ministers scheduled another :ssion of talks today after two abor- ve attempts during the weekend to mtrol exchange rates and avoid dis- Uptingthe fixed-rate system that has nhanced trade among Common larket nations. Today’s new round of talks was set tst hours before European Com- tunity heads of government and :ate were to meet on the major prob- ;ms facing its 10 members, with the conomy a chief topic. “Everybody felt the position of the negotiations justified continuation of the talks,” said West German Minister Gerhard Stoltenberg as his counter parts returned to their capitals Sun day for consultations. Stoltenberg ref used comment on a French warning it might pull out of EMS, but indications from Paris Sun day were that the threat had receded. The ministers said there would be no official fixing of rates on exchange markets today by the eight EMS gov ernments, the first such suspension in the system’s four-year history. Officials said specifics might differ in the EMS nations — France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg — and that private transactions might not be affected. Such a hands-off approach could leave the currency markets free to carry out a de facto realignment of the currencies, probably leading to a weakening of the French franc and a strengthening of the West German mark. The crisis began when France, trying to forestall a third devaluation of the franc, demanded West Ger many revalue its mark. But Stolten berg warned a break of fixed rates could hurt all EMS nations. Britain and Greece are not members. EMS nations keep the fluctuations of their currencies within narrow margins linked to those of other members. But in recent weeks heavy speculation has sent the mark up and the franc down, forcing France to prop up its currency. dancer cures may be near United Press International SAN DIEGO — Some scientists ex- >ect to conquer cancer by the year 000 and half of all malignancies can iow.be cured, the head of the Amer en Cancer Society says. Bp We in the cancer community are ncreasingly optimistic because many 'I us think our goal of cancer control i in sight,” Dr. Willis J. Taylor said ainday at the 25th annual Science Vriters Seminar. ' “In fact, some cancer experts pre- iict control of cancer by the year 2000 -which is only 17 years away!” I The AGS president stressed that when we speak of cancer conquest or ontrol we refer to successful man- gement of the problem rather than t> its total elimination.” Taylor said he based his optimism on progress in cancer research involv ing tumor virology, immunology, genetic engineering, interferon and oncogenes, which function in early fetal life, become dormant and are activated later into cancer develop ment by viruses, chemicals, radiation or other causes. He also cited the discovery that cer tain chemical and food substances — including substances found in cab bages, Brussels sprouts and orange oil — can protect against cancer. About half of all cancer patients suffering from at least 14 types of cancer can now be cured, he said, and “substantial improvement of surviv al” has been achieved in seven of the 10 major forms of cancer, including breast, uterine cervix, colon, rectum, urinary bladder and prostate gland. “Very significant declines have come about in cancer deaths between 1968 and 1979,” said Taylor, citing figures from the Biometry Branch of the National Cancer Institute, which show decreases of up to 56 percent in deaths due to nine types of cancer. The only increase in deaths was noted among female lung cancer pa tients, with a 16 percent rise during the 11-year period. Taylor attributed the increase to more women smoking, a habit persis tent despite widespread publicity ab out its deadly effects and expected to account for approximately 40 percent of this year’s projected 450,000 can cer deaths. Area code changes Approximately 90,000 General Telephone customers formerly in the 713 telephone area code service area, including Bryan-College Station resi dents, switched to a new area code Saturday afternoon. For a three-month grace period, customers in the 409 area will receive calls if the caller dials the 409 area code or the. former 713 area code. The grace period is intended to give customers time to |alert friends, business associates and others of the area code change. At the end of the grace period, a recording will answer calls from per sons outside the 409 area code who are attempting to call a number in the 409 area. The recording will explain the change which has taken place and advise the caller to use the 409 area code. inside Around Town 4 Classified 6 local 3 Opinions 2 Sports 9 State 6 National 7 Police Beat. . 4 What’s up 4 forecast Clear skies today with a high of 60. Winds from the north at 10 to 15 mph. Clear tonight with the low near 34 and a chance of frost. Most ly clear skies Tuesday with a high near 64. ‘Aggie Rag’ appears briefly Inserted upside-down in the middle of today’s Battalion is a humor supplement called “The Aggie Rag.” Some members of The Battalion staff produced the six- page issue during spring break. On Page 2 of today’s Battalion is an editorial explaining the purpose of The Aggie Rag. Other college newspapers, in cluding the University of Houston and the University of Texas, have produced similar issues in the past, but it has not been done at Texas A&M in several years. The Aggie Rag is not necessarily intended to be an annual issue. Opinions expressed in The Aggie Rag are those of the authors and are not intended to represent the opin ions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty members. Regents’ committee OKs dorm fee hikes Proposed Fee Increases Dorms 1982-83 1983-84 Hart, Law, Puryear , Walton $284 $313 Corps dorms (1-12), Crocker, Davis-Gary, Moore, Moses, Hotard $458 $504 Fowler, Hughes, Keathley, Mclnnis, Schuhmacher $504 $555 Legett $529 $582 Haas, McFadden, Neeley, Hobby, Clements, Underwood $678 $746 Commons $707 $778 Board Plan 1982-83 1983-84 Five-day plan $534 $571 Seven-day plan $597 $639 by Angel Stokes Battalion Staff A 10 percent increase in dormitory fees and a 7 percent increase in board plans were approved by a committee of the Texas A&M Board of Regents on Sunday. Fees for Hart, Law, Puryear and Walton would increase from $284 to $313 per semester. The Corps of Cadets dormitories 1-12 and Crocker, Davis-Gary, Moore, Moses and Hotard fees would increase from $458 to $504 a semester. Fowler, Hughes, Keathley, Mclnnis and Schuhmacher hall fees would in crease from $529 to $582 a semester. Legett Hall would increase from $529 to $582 a semester. The modu lar dormitories would increase from $678 to $764 a semester and the Com mons would increase from $707 to $778 a semester. A comparison among Texas A&M housing costs and housing costs at the University of Texas and the Universi ty of Houston showed that Texas A&M has overall lower rates. A com parison of board plan costs to those at UT, Southern Methodist University and Sam Houston State University showed that Texas A&M also has low er rates. The five-day board plan would in crease from $534 to $571 a semester and the seven-day board plan would increase from $597 to $639 a semester. University President Frank E. Vandiver said the cost of housing has increased during the past few years. The increases are needed to cover uti lities and labor costs, not to make a profit, he said. The full board, which must approve all committee action, will vote on the dormitory and board plan fee increases Tuesday. In other business, plans for a new chancellor’s residence were consi dered by the planning and building committee. The proposed 7,291-square-foot house, located on a 13-acre site, would cost about $1.2 million. The architect’s plan incorporated post oak trees already on the land as landscap ing aids. The back of the house faces a See REGENTS, page 6 Lawmakers milk cows, debate United Press International AUSTIN — As the T exas legisla tive session enters its 11th week, members of the House and Senate will stray a bit from routine work to mark Texas Agriculture Week with an event on the front steps of the State Capitol today. A trio of senators was scheduled to take on a trio of House members in a cowmilking contest with Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower judg ing the event. When the barnyard antics are done, the House faces debate on a battleship bill and a Senate committee hears testimony on a measure dealing with drunken driving. A Senate committee will consider one of the session’s most controversial driving-while-intoxicated measures: a bill to ban open containers of alco holic beverages in automobiles. Sen. Bill Sarpalius, D-Amarillo, succeeded in winning Senate approv al last week of a package of bills toughening DW1 penalties. He also sponsored the open container law, which will be heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee. The House planned to consider a bill to abolish the Battleship Texas Commission, which oversees opera tion of the tourist attraction berthed in the Houstpn Ship Channel. Spring break pranks Buz Stiener, a senior English major from Dallas, gives a Gig ’em after playing a prank on Scott Hoskins, a student at the University of Texas. While Hoskins sleeps, Stiener covers him with beer cans and shaves his legs to provide some entertainment during spring break at South Padre Island. A House committee earlier this month unanimously approved the bill after hearing testimony from bat tleship employees who complained the commission wasted money on “frivolous things” like a ski boat and German Shepherd puppy instead of financing needed repairs on the ship. The employees said the ship, which has been moored in the channel since 1948, is a health and safety hazard because of poor maintenance. The bill up for House considera tion would abolish the commission and transfer administration of the battleship to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Vandiver, wife escape hotel fire from staff and wire reports Texas A&M President Frank Van diver and his wife were trapped for about an hour early Friday morning by a fire in the Dallas Regent Hotel. Vandiver confirmed Sunday that he and his wife, Renee Vandiver, were uninjured in the blaze, which left them stranded on the 13th floor. The fire forced the evacuation of more than 100 guests. Vandiver said that he w'as thankful that he and Mrs. Vandiver are well and back at Texas A&M. The fire, which started about 4 a.m. Friday on a couch in the lobby of the hotel, was estimated to have caused $500,000 in damages. The Vandivers, along with another hotel guest, were rescued from the balcony of the Vandiver’s 13th story hotel room about 45 mi nutes after being awakened by smoke from the fire. Vandiver said that staying on the 13th floor of the hotel hadn’t given him cause for w'orry. “They manage to disguise it pretty well,” Vandiver said. “They call it (the 13th floor) the penthouse. If you didn’t think about it, it was all right.” Dr. and Mrs. Vandiver w'ere in Dal las celebrating their wedding anniver sary. Vandiver, said of the incident, “It straightens out your priorities.”