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.”