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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1986)
HERB! Make Your Parents Proud! Business Career Fair Blocker Building Feb. 3-7 1< WITH PURCHASE OF ONE AT REGULAR PRICE. THRU FEB. 5, 1988 TACO 'BELL. Limit one coupon per person per visit: 11 am -11 pm. Not good with any other offer. Valid oniy at Bryan/College Station TACO BELL® Restaurants. PHOTO SYSTEMS INCORPORATED — AND — PARTY PICS It’s that time again! REORDER WEEK order from: all sorority & fraternity parties • all rush parties elephant walk • all dorm socials & formals • cottonbowl campout RHA Halloween • AND MANY MORE! 5X7 buy 4, get 5th free For more information or location CALL 8X10 Buy 3, get 4th free Posters But 2, get 3rd free 693-8181 TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY and ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS... A Winning Combination! Zenith Data Systems, a major manufacturer of personal computers, will be at Texas A & M University for three days this week to answer questions about microcomputers and discuss how a Zenith computer can help you become more productive. Zenith Data Systems manufactures five different personal computer models so you’re sure to find one that is right for you. All of the models are IBM-compatible meaning you'll never have to worry about finding the right software program. We offer you high quality computers at affordable prices. When total performance is your only option, see why Zenith Data Systems is your only Featured below are two of our most popular models: $1099°° Price (excluding monitor) ZF-148-42 The Z-148 provides you with all the features you need, except the high price. Just look at what you get: • 2 5%~ 360K. disk drives • 256K RAM (expandable to 640K) • 8 Mhz Turbo Switch • Monochrome and RGB color capability • Serial and parallel ports • MS DOS 2.11 Operating System(FREE) Price S148400 ZFL-I7I-42 The Z-171 Laptop gives you all the power of a desktop computer system in a small package: • Weighs less than 15 lbs. • 2 S'/i" 360K. disk drives • 256K RAM (expandable to 640K) • Full size 80x25 line screen • Serial and parallel ports • MS DOS 2.11 Operating System (FREE) YkM/TM data systems When total performance is the only option. For more information and a demonstration, plan on visiting one of the Open Houses at these convenient locations: Tues., Jan. 28 Main Lobby Zachry Engineering Bldg. Wed., Jan. 29 Main Lobby Blocker Bldg. Thurs., Jan. 30 Across from Underground Tunnel Veterinary Bldg. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily Zenith Data Systems' products may be purchased at the Micro Center/ Page 8/The Battalion/Thursday, January 30, 1986 Widow wins $3 million in damages AUSTIN — Missouri Pacific Rail road must pay $5.4 million in dam ages in a fatal traffic wreck caused by a driver who stopped to look for a lost baseball cap, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. Clay Dove died in the Dec. 9, 1982, collision near Placedo in Victo ria County. Dove, a Missouri Pacific worker, was a passenger in a van driven by a transport service hired by the railroad. The driver crossed Farm Road 616 and stopped on the shoulder on the other side of the l oad, facing tra ffic. An oil truck came around a bend and slammed into the van, kill ing Dove and another passenger, George Smithwick. The lawsuit filed by Roselyn Dove, Clay’s widow, and his two chil dren, blamed the driver. “While hunting for a $4.50 ball cap belonging to an employee of the railroad, (the driver) drove the vehi cle carrying Dove and the rest of his crew across the center stripe,” the suit said. Jurors awarded $3 million to the widow and $1.5 million to each of the Dove children. They said the van driver was 90 percent responsible for the collision, ordering the rail road to pay $5.4 million because of its employee’s action. — —- —— ---—- Around town BAYLOR LAW SCHOOL OFFERS SCHOL ARSHIPS TO TEXAS A&M STUDENTS: Baylor University’s School of Law is offering three tuition free Nance Scholarships may be renewed tor up first year if die recipient is doing good work. If students are inter ested in applying, they should see Dr ). M. Nance in 560 Harrington Building. It is essential that a copy of your LSAT scores accompany your application. Applications are due by February 7. 1986. VITOP1L RETIRING: Peggy Vitopii is retiring from the Texas A&M Personnel Depart- at the end of the month. Vitopii has worked in the Personnel rtment’s employee benefits office for the past 20 years. A re- puon in her honor will be held January 31 from 2 p.m,-4 p.m. in 45 MSC. The staff invites Vitopil’s friends to join in honoring her. V.-:" . -V THE BIG EVENT: All individual students and student organizations are encour aged to volunteer their services to THE BIG EVENT on March 8th. Applications are available on die second floor of the MSC in the Stu dent Programs Office and on the second floor of the Pavilion in the Student Government office. Applications are due February 21. For more information call 845-3051. To submit an item for this column, come by The Battalion office in 216 Reed McDonald. Humor an elemental part of chemistry prof’s lectures By DEBBIE VOSS Reporter Some teachers may feel keeping students interested is a difficult task, but Dr. Larry Peck of the Texas A&M Chemistry Department has a few ideas for his colleagues. Peck said his techniques include breaking up the lecture with a dem onstration. “I try to break the monotony of the presentation,” he said. “Snort presentations are more effective.” But he said there usually is not enough time in the semester for short lectures. “I’m trying to change the pace in class,” he said. “I’ll work problems, then after a while I’ll do a demon stration of some sort.” Another of his techniques is to use a Fictitious role call, Peck said. He said he uses compounds and el ements in a humorous way. “I’ll use a little comical relief — trivia or nonsense,” Peck said. In one such demonstration he paints the nonsense word “Chaem” with potassium nitrate onto a paper towel and lights it. He said after he asks the class if they know what this word means, he tells them it is an “A” in Chem. Peck said he bases his ideas on the techniques of a few nationally known chemistry professors includ ing Hubert N. Alyea, a retired chem istry professor from Purdue Univer sity and Gilbert Haight from the University of Illinois. “Teachers I admire very much share these techniques, and I try to incorporate their ideas into my class presentations,” Peck said. He said he hasn’t personally done any research on how effective his ideas are, but, he said, the laughs, “I think the students have a little better impression, and a little more fun with chemistry. ” — Dr. Larry Peck, chemis try professor. ” groans and boos from the students show they are responding. “I’m sure the experiments have been done,” Peck said. “We are not talking about anything new here. But it pays to be eccentric. I can’t al ways break it up, and I’d like to do more, but we are often rushed for time.” Peck said he finds that students remember his techniques at the end of the semester and teacher evalua tions often reflect this. “I am not sure this has anything to do with learning more,” Peck said “If you can make it more enjoyable, you are ahead of the game. I think the students have a little betterin’ pression, and a little more fun witli chemistry.” Peck gave a presentation titled “A Look at Ways to Keep the Studenii Interest” at an August 1985 seminal of the Association of Chemistry Tea chers of T exas in San Antonio. The three-day seminar was for hiefe school and college chemistry teach ers. Dr. Russell Larson, a cheraistn professor at Texas Tech, attended the seminar and said he thought Peck has unique ideas that motivate and stimulate the student. “I believe what Dr. Peck is doingii effective,” he said. “We can usenit ideas coupled with our own person alities ana the differences in thedv namics of the classes. A lot of us have parallel techniques.” Dr. Yi-Noo Tang, professor of chemistry at A&M, said he heard Peck’s talk at San Antonio and said he thought it held a lot of merit. “1 think his talk was extremely in teresting,” Tang said. “He showed exciting demonstrations — magic show type of things. There is no doubt all the methods he talked of will increase the students interest. “Everybody has a different style In the future 1 may try his method but not at the present time.” Deputy says trial evidence was mislaid Associated Press LIVINGSTON — Clothing from the body of a football coach appar ently was misplaced while the sher- ifFs office was being remodeled, a deputy testified in the trial of a for mer principal accused of the slaying. _ Deputy Linda Pruitt testified Tuesday the shirt, underwear and blue jeans found on the body of Billy Mac Fleming were placed in the Lib erty County sheriffs radio room, in stead of the locked property locker, because of a foul odor. Hurley Fontenot, 48, former principal of Hull-Daiseiia Woodson Junior High School, is on trial for the April 12 shooting death of Flem ing, 38, who coached and taught math and science at the school. Prosecutors allege the two men were rivals for the affections of Laura Nugent, 36, the school secre tary. Fleming’s decomposed body was found 10 days after his slaying off a logging road in Polk County. He had been shot twice in the back of the head. Pruitt said she tried to store Flem ing’s clothing with the rest of the evi dence. However, she said, the odoi was so bad that she moved them to the radio room. The clothing appar ently disappeared last year while the office was remodeled, she said. Defense attorney Dick DeGuerin contends sheriffs investigators ig- _nored evidence that could clear his client. “I’m suggesting that once thes found out that Fontenot’s truck tires did not match the tracks found ai the scene, they lost interest in them, he said. Wake the kids, Call the Neighbors, It’s a For more information: with Phi Kappa Tau Treehouse Apt. Party Room Thursday, Jan. 30 8:00 p.m. Rush Chairman Joe Cannella 693-2588 More Fun than Humans Should be allowed to have