Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1984)
^[national i winding °f aviation ’> a former arrent su ^ntgomery he Aged, flight else- ■- N.C., in hing was uld be the ; f possibly s." the trail sts visiting n aviation s U.S. Air 'e through horn Hill, id Wilbur ville occu- ir’s death; -‘atures the ae theyde- 31d Court- an exhibit lorabilia is »rn ere there art id ultraviolei ■en measured irmful level.' el there ism ead aprons.’ Tied in " sponuneoia ancies is lefects octui ants. i a large nut — 7 to 1 ‘ :ted thatdus- I birth defefli he said, s for Disease rmy Environ- icv found an - • »•••••* )' oT,>- Friday, August 31,1984/The Battalion/Page 11B Trained dogs give freedom, independance to the deaf United Press International JEFFERSON, Mass. — Dawn and Dave Sharp came all the way from Dale City, Va., to buy their new dog, Valerie, from Bryant Hill Farm, and not because she was a rare breed. Valerie is just your plain old ani mal shelter pooch. Well, almost. She is a well-disciplined hearing dog who will make it possible for her new deaf mistress, Dawn Sharp, to move about with greater freedom and independence in her silent world. The dog was trained by Donald MacMunn, founder and director of Hearing Dogs International, who considers deafness is “an under ground problem because no one talks about it.” “Society is ashamed of it, so we hide it,” Mac Munn said. “Deaf peo ple tend to become withdrawn from a world which they can’t hear, but the hearing dog can provide emo tional support and stability as well as performing its role as a prosthetic- aid. The dog may become the deaf person’s new best friend.” Sharp also is eight months preg nant, and although she is capable of taking cure of herself, the added se- omvy cA a way Vo a\en Yvcy Vo vW newborn baby’s cries for food, atten tion, or even help will be a great comfort. Hearing clogs for the deaf is not a new concept, but the idea has been overshadowed by its counterpart, the seeing eye dog. With over 20 million deaf or hear ing impaired people in the United States and only a handful of training programs, the demand for hearing dogs far exceeds the supply, said MacMunn. He says there are only about 25 similar programs in the U.S. which train a total of 300-400 clogs each year. MacMunn, a former president of Holliston Junior College, got into the business through a project per formed in the school’s Department of Animal Science. It involved train ing dogs to respond to sounds using positive reinforcement techniques. If dogs could be trained to distin guish and respond to sounds like doorbells and alarm clocks, they could serve as mobile hearing de vices f or deaf people. MacMunn left the school and set up the Jefferson Educational Cen ter, the base for his non-profit Hear ing Dogs International. Over the last seven years, he has trained nearly 200 dogs by himself and the help of volunteers. The dogs he trains come from pounds and animal shelters. Using a carefully designed series of tests, MacMunn examines each clog for sound response, temperament, cu riosity and intelligence, playfulness, obedience and other characteristics. He tests each canine for 20-30 minutes, and it takes from up to 10 tests before he finds one promising enough to train. At Bryant Hill Farm the dog un dergoes a three-to-five month train ing program including obedience training (verbal and hand signals), exposure to social atmospheres, and sound response to doorbells (doork- nock), smoke and fire alarms, alarm clocks, telephones and other vital sounds such as a crying baby. All training is done through posi tive reinforcement, a system in which the dog is rewarded with food for a correct action or response. The food is gradually replaced by the dog owner’s affection, providing an other incentive. Flven after MacMunn’s training regimen, there remains a lot of work to be done by the new owner. “The deaf person must work as hard ov even harder than the dog if the relationship is going to work,” MacMunn says. The prospective owner must come to the 90-acre farm in Jeffer son and stay for a two-week period during which the dog’s loyalties are transferred and the two come to trust, love, and respect each other. For the first two days, the dog and master are literally hooked together by a special harness for 24 hours each day. MacMunn conducts two formal and several informal training sessions with the couple daily. The deaf person eats, sleeps, plays, and works with his new com panion under the watchful eye of MacMunn and a housemother who takes care of the facility. The deaf person hbs a choice be tween several dogs at the facility, and MacMunn attempts to match the personalities of owner and dog. “It’s gotta be the right match,” MacMunn says, explaining a very hyperactive dog wouldn’t be a very smart choice for someone like Mrs. Sharp who is going to have a baby around the house. The cost of training one of Mac Munn’s four-legged friends is $3,000. MacMunn makes them avail able to the deaf for $1,500, with $150 paid by the new owner and $1,300 from a social service sponsor such as a Kiwanis or Lions club. W. Oren Swearingen, Jr. D.D.S. Announces the relocation of his practice of General Dentistry and the opening of his new office at 1126 Villa IVIaria at Kmap*crest faiviily deimtistry for office 20 years 823-2323 ^96-8944 beautiful Savior Lutheran Churctr Meeting at South Knoll School Langford at Southwest Parfcway Worship Bible Class & SS 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Come To The Weis Lutheran Collegians Picnic Sept. 2 at 5 p.m. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Loren Fritz Pastor (409) 693-4514 Inventor says slow down joggers and try a weighted jump rope RENT United Press International Grand Rapid, Mich. — One re quirement of the fitness frenzy sweeping the nation is time — a com modity that always seems in short supply. Many people who have become devotees of aerobics or jogging find themselves slipping out of the habit because they just can’t find the time to slip on their Danskins or their Nikes. But inventor Mike Mattox be lieves he has developed the answer — a weighted jump rope. Mattox, a former college track star, said the exercise is ideal because it involves the entire body and stimu lates the cardiovascular system in a short period of time. Ab coudtuoumg wogrAux Voy vYve weighted rope, marketed under the “Heavyrope” trademark, peaks out at 26 minutes. But he says he knows of no one — including football star Walter Payton or basketball greats Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Ralph Sampson — who has reached the top level of exercise prescribed in his conditioning program. Average folk can take only a 15 minute workout, jumping for one minute and resting for a minute, he said. His studies indicate that a short amount of exercise is better for the body than miles of jogging or many, many minutes of aerobic exercises. “There’s nothing like it,” Mattox said. “You could run for aerobic conditioning and then lift weights for anaerobic conditioning, but you’d still not be working the heart to ■gel the oxygen and nutrients to the cells. This does it.” College and professional athletes who have worked with the weighted rope, which has been on the market since February, seem to agree. Jabbar and Sampson were so im pressed they invested in the com pany, joining a group of 15 current and former athletes who purchased the marketing rights to Heavyrope. College coaches from Michigan State University to Boston College are purchasing the ropes by the dozen for their basketball and foot ball players. “I find it very beneficial in supple menting our weight program,” says Dave Henry, strength coach for MSU football team. “It’s particularly beneficial for cardiovascular endur ance.” Sasfcethafl coach Kay McCahill, of Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, Mich., did the un thinkable after working with the rope — he told his players to stop running wind sprints. “I’ll never have my team run wind sprints again,” says McCahill, who claims at least two team members in creased their vertical leap by five inches after working out with the rope. But the move from the lockeroom into the living room has brought a warning from Bob Gadja, an Illinois fitness expert who once held all the titles — Mr. USA, Mr. America and Mr. Universe. He said the Heavy rope is fine for athletes, but cautions beginners to make sure they are in shape before they begin swirling a six-pound rope. wants to be your party connection for BACK TO SCHOOL... We carry a full line of quality pa per products and we rent ev erything from linens and crystal to party tents and dance floors. Two Locations: 1904 Tx. Ave, Bryan 779-0085 2301 S. Tx. Ave, College Station 693-1313 0101^- EjQ°/o / GR^DSLAMSPEQIAWi □ 1st MONTH’S RENT □ DEPOSIT OFF □ DELIVERY FEE Offer good through October 1, 1984. Limit one special offer per contract, please. A More people rent furniture from Aaron Rents than any other company in the country. One word tells you why: Value. Students have known for years that at Aaron Rents the word “value means more furniture, more quality, and more service for less money than anywhere else. Aaron Rents has the lowest rental rates, next-day delivery, a 3-month minimum rental period, and a showroom full of great-looking furniture. That’s why more people coast-to-coast rent from Aaron Rents Furniture than any other furniture rental company in the country. Aaron Rents Furniture 1816 Ponderosa-College Station 693-1446 Showrooms located in: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Charlotte, Clearwater, College Station, Columbia, S.C., Dallas, Denver, Durham, El Paso, Fayetteville, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Worth, Greensboro, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Kansas City, Lubbock, Memphis, Miami, Midland Odessa, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, Tampa, Tucson, Tulsa, Virginia Beach, Washington, D.C. Buy the Best of BROADWAY and get 7 BRIDES MSC Town Hall/Broadway announces the best deal ever on a Broadway season at Texas A&M! The 1984-85 season brings five great performances straight from Broadway to you! At a season ticket discount that gives you "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" free! Plus first choice on tickets for a special pre-season Broadway performance to be announced later. Time is limited and so are seats. Reserve yours today! •SEiViENIBRlDE^ SEiVfENIBRBiTfBERS 1983 Pulitzer Prize Winner! ’night, mother Neil Simon's BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS MSC TOWN HALL BROADWAY MSC Town Hall / Broadway 1984-85 Season Ticket Order CHECK ONE: □ NEW ORDER □ RENEWAL NAME SEATING PREFERENCE:. _Same Seats / Section^ _Best Available / Orchestra. Explain Seating Preference: 1st Choice. .Row Seat fs_ Balcony TAMU ID # ADDRESS APT. # ORCH. BAL. Zn.l AA-L A-K Zn.2 M-Z L-Q Zn.3 - R-ZZ 2nd Choice. Zone x Zone J CT 2 Zone 3 Regular Student Tickets x Price - Totals $ $54.25 $51.50 $46.25 CITY/STAXE/ZIP > Town Hall/Broadway is bringing you five great shows at one low price! Payment: □ Visa □ MasterCard □ Check (to TAMU MSC) Handling Grand Total 1.50 PHONE # CARD NUMBER / EXPIRATION DATE CARDHOLDER'S NAME Mail order form and payment to: MSC Box Office • TAMU • P.O. Box J-l • College Station, TX 77844. If you have any questions please call the MSC Box Office, Monday thru Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at (409) 845-1234.