Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1983)
A Page 4/The Battalion/Monday, October 24,1983 System saves A&M money Sprinklers computerized by Kellie Dworaczyk Battalion Reporter Computerized rain? Not yet, but Texas A&M has a compute rized watering system to water the campus grass when nature doesn’t provide enough rain. Michael Goldwater, associate director for ground mainte nance at Texas A&M, says the Texas A&M system is the only one of its kind. There are about 20,000 underground sjlrinkler heads on the 500 acres of the main campus. A central control in the grounds maintenance building turns them on and off according to a schedule. The system here differs from other automatic watering sys tems because it sends the “on” message to the sprinklers by radio waves. Most automatic sys tems send messages by under ground cables. The watering schedules acti vate sprinklers on different parts of campus every night. Classes scheduled to start October 30 Educational Center call 696-3196 for information 707 Texas Ave., 301-C TEST PREPARATION SPECIALISTS SINCE 1938 In Dallas: 11617 N. Central Expwy. all HALLMARK HALLOWEEN items Whether an area is watered or not depends on the moisture in the air, the temperature and the rainfall in the area, Goldwater said. The grounds department looks at those factors and plans a watering schedule. Goldwater said the Grounds Maintenance Department tries to see that all the areas receive one inch of water per week — usually a combination of rainfall and watering from the sprink lers. A rain gauge at the grounds maintenance building measures rainfall and can be set to cut off the sprinklers. For example, if the gauge is set at two-tenths of an inch, and it rains two-tenths of an inch, the sprinklers will not turn on. Watering the grass usually starts around midnight because the water pressure is highest and there are fewer people on campus. The system was installed ab out four years ago. Previously, Texas A&M had an automatic watering system, but it did not have a central control. This means the sprinklers could be turned on by a time clock, but men had to be sent to more than 100 controllers to turn the water off if it rained. Goldwater said that when the present system was being de signed the department looked into the possibility of using underground cables or tele phone wires as a means of com munication from the central controller to the sprinklers, but rejected both ideas. Because of the many streets and utility lines on campus, cables would have been too ex pensive and too diffucult to run all over campus, he said. Tele phone wires also were too ex pensive, so the department chose radio waves. Goldwater said the biggest advantage to the computerized watering system is that a water ing schedule can be changed or shut off without having to go to the site, and this saves money. Because the rain gauge can turn off the watering system automa tically, the system does not have to be monitered constantly. Shutting the system off at night can save about one million gallons of water — about $500. Manpower costs are saved also because no one has to go to cam pus and physically turn off the sprinklers. Goldwater said the computerized system saves Texas A&M about $15,000 a year. In the summer about 10 mil lion gallons of water a week are used to water the grass. The watering system can be cut off at the physical plant building if there is a fire on cam pus so that all available water pressure can be used to fight the fire. 1/2 price • Cards • Door Decorations • Pins • Cookie Cutters • Party Goods Free carnation with $5.00 purchase Petal Patch _j|zdlC wv.ua YOUR COMPLETE FLORIST 707 Shopping Village 696-6713 The Center For Education and Research In Free Enterprise and the Economics Department announce: DESTINATION WEST AND EAST BERLIN From December 26 to January 2, a special tour of West and East Berlinis offered to Aggies, their parents and friends. Dr. Steve Pejovich and Dr. Richard Anderson will direct the tour and conduct daily lectures on "Capitalism and Socialism in Theory and in Practice.” Three hours academic credit for Econ 324, Comparative Economic Systems, may be earned by Texas A&M students. No pre-requisites. The total cost of the tour of $1,490 includes airfare from Dallas to Berlin and back to Dallas, hotel accomodations, meals, ground transportation, and all scheduled social events including New Year’s Eve and East Berlin. For information contact: Dr. Richard K. Anderson Economics Department Harrington 434 Dr. Steve Pejovich Center for Education and Research in Free Enterprise A&A Bldg 459 THE LOW-DOWN ON A HIGH-PAYING CAREER WITH LUBY’S. To become a manager of one of our cafeterias is a very special business oppor tunity. You'll be joining an ambitious and progressive company that requires more of its managers than any food chain in the Sunbelt. Local managers are decision making executives who are responsible for all purchasing, menu planning, and hiring of personnel. We grant our managers a great deal of autonomy, and treat them as business partners. Luby's Cafeterias, Inc. is a firm believer in promoting from within; hence, most Corporate Officers are former unit managers. Luby's Cafeterias, Inc. is not restricting interviews to only Business majors; we're open to all degrees. We're looking for people who are interested in becoming dynamic, aggressive, and well paid business people. If that's your goal, then we're looking for you! INTERVIEWING IN YOUR PLACEMENT CENTER ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. OCTOBER 26 & 27 LubYHs LUBY’S CAFETERIAS, INC. 2211 N.E. LOOP 410, P.O. BOX 33069, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78265 Luby'fe is a registered trademark of Luby’s Cafeterias, Inc. ‘Pirates’ entertainin but not memorable by Angel Stokes Battalion Staff With a drum roll and hoo pla, “The Pirates of Penzance” landed at College Station Sun day night. The first act was a flurry of flirtatious dancing and sing ing. Frederic, played by Lou Valenzi, is an indentured pi rate apprentice who on bis 21st birthday has come of age supposed to be obnoxious, they deserve applause. Maria Muldaur was Freder ic’s true love as Mabel. Although given top billing, she didn’t present a character dynamic enough to compete with the others. Her solos were good, but she was lost in the carnival effect of the en semble. (based men and fmallycaJ one. The performance wstj niited just to the st reached the pit —th tra pit. The conductoriJ the antics by usinghisbaid fence with the PirateKiiJ lost. Review and fulfilled his indentured servitude. He has not laid eyes on a woman since he was 8 years old, except for Ruth, his 47-year-old nurse maid. Spying six young sisters, Frederic realizes what he has been missing and proceeds to use all his manly charms to capture ‘... One Maiden Breast.’ A swagger stolen from Elvis’s pelvis sent the coy maidens into passionate swoons. If the sisters were One of the shining charac ters was the Major-General Stanley, the father of Mabel and her sisters. Played by Zale Kessler, he was a combination of Teddy Roosevelt and Cap tain Kangaroo. His outstand ing solo in which he left the- cast-the-orchestra-the- audience breathless, literally, was some pretty fast singing. The pirates kepulicj, alive with choreotrai bumbling, stumblVJ fumbling. The poly used the typicalKeystOM routine to battle wthilul rates. The songs werec cult to understand, boil music score kept ilfromfe dull. The orchestrameiiil a comic accessory to tlitj were excellent music® well. The Pirate King, played by Steve Steiner, used melodra- matics to aid his comic swash buckling. Ruth was great when she la ter joined the pirates in their pillaging and plundering. Played by Mary Stout, she While the first actwl moving, the secondactii down ... almost toastoJ Although entertaidnl tales” isn’t memorabltj fun. “The Pirates of Pent will perform at 8 toiii Rudder Auditorium. Marine battalion on alert after bombing United Press International CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A Marine battalion that returned from Beirut four months ago was placed on alert Sunday fol lowing the terrorist attack ear lier in the day on Marines in the peace-keeping force. Grim-faced Marines moved about with 80-pound packs and M-16s. Others weighed jeeps, a procedure observers said usual ly means the Marines are getting ready to go by plane. “We have a mission to do," said Lt. Col. Edwin Kelley, com mander of the Second Battalion of the Sixth Regiment of the Second Marine Division. “We are going with a level head and do the jol> we are assigned to do. We are ready.” Kelley declined to say how many men were assigned to his unit or where it might be going. A Marine battalion usually is made up of 800 men. The Pentagon said jiM afternoon there had betB’ ^ orders to deploy MarincBjiQ am where, although thi I . , change. As the Second Battali bristled with activity, fiRj^ and h iends of memben ^ Marine contingent in mT ‘ waited anxiously for dein j. the- Sunday attack. b KTAW 92 FM ■ Sponsored By ROAD RUNNER PROD. FULL MOON COSTUME CONCERT FISH RICHARD'S STARRING JOE "KING" CARRASCO olso RACKITT Heovy Metal Coliseum Corner of Hwy 6 at Hwy 21 Saturday, October 29th Gates Open At 7:00 COSTUME CONTEST FREE 60 FT. ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT DUFFET Tickets $9.00 Pre-Sale or $ 10.00 at the door 50< DEER AVAILADLE AT: HASTINGS BOOKS 0 RECORDS AND TIP-TOP RECORDS APO BOOTH — MSG LOBBY Maj. Gen. Al Gray,coeBI; dei of Camp LejjeuntjB^ largest Marine base on: , C oast, said the deathscliPj Mai ines in the suicide tall m Beirut had only increast| commitment of base to the U.S. roleinlek Ithe rafte eeh ] "We could mustertnwSti' of Marines and sailoribs y would want to go tonigL iecte< w ere needed," Gray said Da’ Gray said morale au- ase il i em.lined at "almostaf® pitch.” “While there isconcetil compassion and while ihtl anger, there is absolutely! sion,” said Gray. The Marines in Beiruti been scheduled to reltitj Gamp Lejeune atThanbj* A replacement grouplehl day but was diverted to L Tp, in the event they were need® 0 protect Americans therel*j ^ ing tire slaying of that com®