Texas A&M
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Serving the University community
bl 78 No. 68 USPS 0453110 14 pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, December 7, 1983
Funded or not,
research needed
by Karen Wallace
Battalion Staff
Non-funded research projects at
Texas A&M are not taken as seriously
as funded research projects, Dr. Tho
mas Johnson, associate professor of
English and humanities at Texas
A&M at Galveston, said Monday.
“In fact, the administration does
not believe people do serious research
unless it is funded research,” Johnson
said.
His comments were in response to
a Battalion series on Texas A&M re
search.
Non-funded research is paid for by
the researcher or somebody outside
the University community who
doesn’t benefit by the project.
Funded research is paid for by
grants from the government, private
companies or foundations. There is a
contract between the organization, re
searcher and University under which
all three benefit, Johnson said.
Feenan Jennings, executive direc
tor of University research services,
said he agrees that non-funded re
search is important. However, he
said, it doesn’t get as much attention
as funded research is because it’s not
sponsored by a company.
Researchers compete for company
funding, Jennings said. Hence, when
a department head or college dean
sees that no agency was interested
enough to sponsor the research, he’s
going to be less interested than he
would be toward a funded research
project, Jennings said.
He said non-funded research
doesn’t compete with peer research.
Research that is not compared with
that of its peers causes speculation
over what it is worth, he said.
Johnson agreed that funded re
search also has other advantages.
“The company benefits with re
sults of the study, the researcher be
nefits because research buys off
teaching time and the University be
nefits because they receive a percen
tage of the funding,” Johnson said.
“People don’t like to fund unless they
get something in return.”
Even so, he said, that doesn’t mean
that non-funded research is without
value.
“Just because a company isn’t in
terested in my research, doesn’t mean
it should be completely ignored,” he
said. “Isaac Newton didn’t receive
many British Royal Society grants to
come up with his famous laws. Ein
stein didn’t get a lot of funding from
the European Office of Scientific Re
search while he was working on his
theories of relativity either.”
Johnson said Texas A&M is close
to becoming a world class University,
but the goal would be impossible if
funded research is the only research
taken seriously.
“There is more grant money
around today than ever before, and
more often than not it produces
worthy results,” he said. “But we must
remember that major, fundamental
discoveries have been made without
massive grant support.”
Jennings said he understands the
importance of research whether it’s
funded or non-funded.
“I understand that some people
just don’t have the time to compete
for funds,” Jennings said. “I’m sure
their research is just as important.”
Johnson also sees time as a major
factor in research work. He said his
research must be worked in around
his teaching schedule. He currently is
researching the history of folklore.
“All my research is done on top of a
12-hour teaching load and is all paid
for out of my pocket,” he said.
Jennings said there are several
alternatives to company-sponsored,
funded research. Researchers can use
research money allocated to each col
lege in the University, apply for state
or federal grants, apply for mini
grants from the University, or use
money from their own pocket, he
said.
Each college starts out with funds
appropriated from the University.
Then, each college dean decides how
the money will be spent and which
research projects will be funded.
“There are a number of factors the
deans look at to decide,” Jennings
said. “Some of them are the number
of students in the department, the fa
culty, the type of research and how
much money they would need.”
When a professor doesn’t get the
funding he applies for, he can look to
other alternatives, said Keith Hamm,
associate professor of political sci-
“There is research money the state
provides, federal money an indi
vidual can obtain through a research
proposal or grant proposal to the Na
tional Science Foundation, and mini
grants,” Hamm said.
Mini-grants come from money the
University sets aside for research pro
jects. Faculty members turn in grant
proposals to the mini-grant commit
tee. The committee decides who re
ceives mini-grants for research.
| Speakers aggravating
lit
On Santa's Knee
Cindi Tackitt, Battalion staff
Sharon Hinton, a senior secondary
education major from Crosby, left, and
Julie Klabunde, a senior management major
Trom San Antonio, sit on Santa’s knee
while okaying the picture just taken of
them. Leggett Hall is sponsoring the
pictures with Santa. All of the proceeds
go to the United Way.
Limitations discussed
oviets not saying whether
they will return to START
United Press International
n .. , GENEVA, Switzerland — The
Soviet Union, which already has
walked out of negotiations on
[dium-range nuclear missiles, re
led to tell the United States Tues
day if it will break off talks on long-
range nuclear weapons.
Delegations met for 65 minutes at
ut 70th session of the Strategic Arms
Reduction Talks, but Soviet nego-
>tinjiitf|
s oify
said
tiators would not say if Moscow will
return after a recess for Christmas
and the New Year.
Before going to a luncheon hosted
by the Soviets, negotiators agreed to
meet Thursday for a probable final
session of the current round.
Moscow is expected only then to
say if it will agree to set a resumption
date or break off the 18-month-old
START as it broke off the parallel
Geneva talks on limiting medium-
range missiles in Europe two weeks
a g°-
“You will hear from us Thursday,”
said chief Soviet negotiator Viktor
Karoov.
The Soviets broke off the Interme
diate Nuclear Forces talks after the
West German Parliament approved
NATO deployment of new U.S.
cruise and Pershing-2 missiles.
by Connie Hutterer
Battalion Reporter
The student Religious Council re
commended Monday that the Stu
dent Activities Office limit open-air
religious speakers to three campus
locations: Rudder Fountain, the west
side of the Academic Building, and
the sidewalk in front of the All Faiths
Chapel.
The council’s recommendation
came in response to complaints from
students of being annoyed or insulted
by religious speakers who preach reg
ularly at many campus sites.
Those complaints received at the
Student Activities Office were for
warded to Kevin Carreathers, the Re
ligious Council’s adviser, who sug
gested the council take a stand. Car
reathers expects a decision on the re
commendation in February.
The Religious Council is comprised
of representatives from each of the 40
or so campus religious organizations.
Only 13 members attended Monday’s
meeting, representing eight groups.
None of those groups, to the know
ledge of their representatives, were
involved in the controversial
preaching.
Council members had discussed
the problem at their November meet
ing, and had been asked to question
their peers about possible solutions.
They reported various student
reactions, from apathy (students who
just walk by and ignore the evangel
ists) to annoyance at the noise, to hos
tility at speakers who, according to
council secretary Sharon Noble,
“...tell you, ‘If you don’t believe,
you’re going to...,’ and they tell you
where.”
Another member questioned the
difference between such speakers and
the residence hall groups who “shout
obscenities” as they return from the
dining halls.
Council members were cautious ab
out recommending any changes, fear
ing that such changes could cause a
snowball effect leading to restrictions
on free speech. Some said the speak
ers present no real problem as long as
students have the right to not listen.
A compromise allowing outdoor
preachers three speaking sites would
give them a public arena to profess
their beliefs that uninterested stu
dents could avoid, council members
said.
Such a compromise, members said,
would protect free speech rights be
cause the proposed restrictions are
only as strict as those requiring reli
gious services to be held in the All
Faiths Chapel.
Some regulation could later be
added to prevent monopolization of
the sites by particular groups or indi
viduals, members said.
The Religious Council will meet
again Feb. 6.
Replacement
Reagan removes member of Civil Rights Commission
United Press International
' WASHINGTON — President
Reagan replaced former GOP lead
er Mary Louise Smith on the res-
Buctured U.S. Civil Rights Commis
sion Tuesday, ignoring congression
al and civil rights leaders who said
there was a tacit agreement she
would remain.
| In a letter to Smith, who differed
; J with Reagan by supporting quotas
and busing as a last resort in fighting
iscrimination, the president said he
intends “to presevere in the expan
sion of equal rights” for all Amer-
i'kans.
White House aides said Smith re-
sed to pledge to support Reagan’s
nice to head the commission, Clar-
ce Pendleton Jr., if she was re
named. She also had criticized
Reagan for not hiring enough
minorities and women.
I Smith refused to criticize the
president but said, “I think he’s got
ten some very bad political advice.”
In a telephone interview from
Iowa, she said Reagan’s decision
” ill be perceived as a negative mes-
ge to women and blacks, and the
vil rights community in general,”
as well as discourage other women
yiilg to get into positions of power,
d will be bad for the Republican
’arty.
“I don’t think it’s as important
at Mary Louise Smith be on the
U.S. Civil Rights Commission that it
is that we get on with the civil rights
agenda,” she said. “I think the im
portant thing is that the work of the
commission be preserved with integ
rity and independence.”
One key senator involved in
negotiating a compromise with
White House aides to reconstitute
the commission denounced
Reagan’s decision to replace Smith,
saving it “calls into question the abil
ity of Republicans and Democrats
alike to negotiate with anyone who
purports to speak for the White
House.”
Reagan announced he was nam
ing in her place Esther Gonzalez-
Afroyo Buckley, 35, an Hispanic
high school teacher fron Laredo.
The president also renamed New
York civil rights lawyer Morris
Abram and John Bunzel, former
president of San Jose State Universi
ty, to the panel. The nominations of
the two Democrats had been stalled
in Congress.
The president signed comprom
ise legislation Nov. 30 enlarging the
membership of the commission
from six to eight. At the same time,
ne reappointed Pendleton as a
member and redesignated him as
chairman.
Under the new law, four mem
bers of the panel will be chosen by
the president and four by Congress.
A majority of the membership must
concur in the selection of the
chairman.
Some key senators claimed that
during negotiations on the com
promise, White House aides prom
ised to reappoint Smith, former
chairman of the Republican Nation
al Committee, but presidential
counselor Edwin Meese denied any
deal was made.
Rep. Pat Schroeder said, “It is
clear that the president’s word is ab
out as meaningful as his commit
ment to civil rights.”
The Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights said Smith apparently
would not commit herself to voting
the way the White House deman
ded. “Thus, the president’s decision
goes right to the very heart of the
independence issue. The White
House wants a commission it can
control.”
In a letter to Smith dated Tues
day, Reagan praised her work and
said, “I trust you know that I intend
to persevere in seeking the preserva
tion and expansion of equal rights
under the law for all Americans.
This is a continuing battle and will
require the best efforts of everyone
of us.”
Buckley, is chairman of the Webb
County Republican Party. She will
serve for three years.
Abram, a Democrat and civil
rights lawyer who shares Reagan’s
opposition to quotas and busing, was
appointed for a six-year term.
Bunzel is a Democrat who was
been honored by the San Francisco
County Board for his dedication to
“efforts looking to the elimination of
racial and religious bigotry and dis
crimination.”
The commission, which became
mired in controversy after Reagan
moved to replace five of its six mem
bers and actually fired three com
missioners, technically went out of
business Nov. 28. But the reauthor
ization legislation was retroactive
and guaranteed no lapse.
A controversy developed over
Reagan’s power to fire three holdov
er Democrats on the commission —
Mary Francis Berry of Washington,
Blandina Ramirez of San Antonio,
Texas, and Rabbi Murray Saltzman
of Baltimore.
Reagan claimed in an interview
recently that they were “always snip
ing at me.”
Congressional leaders have
promised to use their slots to rein
state Berry and Ramirez. Jill Ruckel-
shaus, wife of EPA administrator
William Ruckelshaus, also is ex
pected to be reappointed.
Berry and Ramirez both have
been vocal critics of the administra
tion’s pace in efforts to aid blacks,
women, handicapped and other
groups.
Holidays take off
with local festival
by Ed Alanis
Battalion Reporter
The City of College Station is kick
ing off the holiday season with a
Christmas festival today from 3 p.m.
to 7 p.m. at the College Station Com
munity Center. The festival will in
clude food, arts and crafts and enter
tainment.
Local artists will exhibit paintings
and sketches, and photography work
done by students at A&M Consoli
dated High School will be on display.
Area bands and choirs will be per
forming every hour on the hour.
Last year’s festival was a big suc
cess, community center director Peg
gy Calliham said. The city has always
held an open house to begin the holi
day season, but this is only the second
year for the Christmas festival. The
idea for a festival came about when
the community center was built, she
said.
Expecting a large turnout, Calli
ham said the festival should provide a
great opportunity to interact with the
community.
The A&M Consolidated High
School Choir will begin the festival
with a performance at 3 p.m. At 4
p.m. the A&M Consolidated Jazz
Band will perform. An ensemble
from the Community Singers will per
form at 5 p.m., and at 6 p.m. an en
semble of young violinists will take the
stage.
Between these performances
junior high students will act out tradi
tional Christmas plays.
The police department’s new robot
will make a guest appearance, and the
results of the “Name the Robot” con
test will be announced. The robot is
useful in all kinds of police work, in
cluding the questioning of children.
Christmas wreaths will be included
in the crafts exhibits, along with hand
made Christmas ornaments. There
will also be a special exhibit from the
local Spinners and Weavers Guild.
inside
Around town 6
Classified 8
Local 3
National 3
Opinions 2
Sports 13
State 5
What’s up 7
forecast
Cool today with highs reaching 60.
Low tonight 42.