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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1986)
ceiling, and recently, in re- turned down because his grade Meridian. says. i cut here 1 Defensive Driving Course April 9 & 10,18 & 19 College Station Hilton Pre-register by phone: 693-8178 Ticket deferral and 10% insurance discount icut here i CONTACT LENSES $79 00 $99 00 $99 00 pr.* - daily wear soft lenses pr.* - extended wear soft lenses pr.* - tinted soft lenses call 696-3754 FOR APPOINTMENT * EYE EXAM AND CARE KIT NOT INCLUDED OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D.,P.C. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY 707 SOUTH TEXAS AVE-SUITE 101D COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 77840 1 block South off Texas & University Dr. Procrastination leads to taxation. An urgent message from Merrill Lynch: If you don’t open an IRA by April 15, there’s no time left to procrastinate. For those of you who have contemplated opening an IRA, but keep putting it off “until tomorrow,” your “tomorrows” are running out. April 15 is just around the corner.* And if you don’t open an IRA soon, you’ll miss out on a very important tax break. Our knowledgeable Financial Consultants will show you how a Merrill Lynch IRA Is not just a tax savings, but a plan that allows for flexible investments. With a choice of over 50 investment opportunities, your IRA can be specifically tailored to your needs. From fixed-income securities to emerging growth stocks to government securities. So hurry. Call the number below, mail the coupon or come down to Merrill Lynch today And don’t put off ’til tomorrow what you should do today. 409-776-5636 or 1-800-433-4462 ■ Mail to: Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. 3131 East 29th Street, Stanford Court, Bldg. C, Bryan, TX 77802 | □ Please send me your free Merrill Lynch IRA brochure. • Name I J Address J ■ City : State Zip ■ I Business Phone Home Phone I I Merrill Lynch customers, please give name and office address of your I Financial Consultant: I I - - I An eligible IRA must be established and your contribution made before April 15. 11)86. <DCopyright 1986 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. Member SIPC. Merrill Lynch Page 4/The Battalion/Monday, April 7, 1986 AggieCon attracts variety of people from Southwest By Karen Watson Reporter With the signal from Howard Waldrop, science fiction writer and toastmaster, four guest writers and an artist bit the heads off chocolate Easter bunnies with red and green cream filling, and AggieCon 17 was declared officially open. AggieCon 17, which was held from April 3-6 in the Memorial Stu dent Center and Rudder Tower and sponsored by the MSC Cepheid Va riable, is the largest and oldest sci ence fiction convention in the South west. Yvonne DeGraw, vice chariman for public relations, said the conven tion attracts people from all over T exas and its neighboring states. Some of the convention events in cluded: panel discussions and semi nars by professional science fiction writers such as George R.R. Martin and Orson Scott Card, a Secular Hu manism Revival, art exhibitions, a masquerade contest with everything from a friendly wench to a barbarian huntress, dances, plays and games. Dr. Roger Beaumont, faculty ad viser for Cepheid Variable, said the administrators are “indulgent” about the conventions and just say, “Oh, that’s interesting.” However, Timothy Cowden, an electronics technician for the Cyclo tron Institute and a Cepheid mem ber, said, “They’ve (administrators) tried to suppress it for years.” Science Fiction for many young people is a form of escapism, Beau mont said. He bought his first sci ence fiction paperback in 1947 and it opened up a whole new universe, he said. DeGraw said most of the people who attend these conventions and are in Cepheid are a bit different, but they enjoy being treated that way. They’re the type of “people who won’t listen to the top 40 songs just because they’re top 40,” DeGraw said. Charles Neighbors, a literary agent and A&M graduate, said many science fiction writers are willing to expose themselves to their fans. “Writers accept the fans as an im portant part of what they’re doing - kind of an extended family,” Neigh bors said In turn, the fans who are aspiring writers often find encouragement at conventions because they have a chance to see that professional writ ers are real human beings with real concerns. Neighbors said. “But a lot of the people here won’t ever write anything but checks and grocery lists,” he said. “It’s just a chance for them to ter meet their heroes and heroines.” Science fiction writer Lillian Stew art Carl said conventions are a great chance to gain publicity and make contact with readers. “I’ve yet to have anyone connect my name on a PTA list with any of my books,” she said. “Conventions also give students a chance to see the literary process — an expansion of the English class.” Science fiction usually attracts people who for one reason or an other find their daily lives dull, Carl said. It’s a mental vacation and a chance to dress up in fantasy cos tumes and play — even grown-ups need a chance to play, she said. April Anderson, who was dressed as Penny Priddy from Buckaroo Banzai in a pink flapper costume and black fish net hose, said she came to the convention from Austin with The League of Lectroids for Lizardo, a Banzai fan club. People interested in science fic tion usually don’t have anywhere else to channel their excitement, An derson said. But when they get to gether at conventions, they’re able to live out their fantasies with people who share their same interest, she said. Most people interested in science fiction are individualists, Anderson said. “My sister always wanted to know why I never joined a sorority, but I just couldn’t see myself being told what to wear,” she said. “You just don’t find many people in them sew ing leather on boots for kicks.” Ferk, a convention fan who legally changed her name because she en joys “going through life as a four let ter word,” said people attend con ventions because of “intellectual curiosity and mad passionate lust.” “These conventions usually have little to do with science fiction,” Ferk said. “A lot of loose men and occa sionally loose women attend cons.” But because of the literary figures here, this one’s an exception, she said. “I do read as well as lust,” she said. The typical convention fan is usually a bit brighter and a bit more maladjusted than the regular per son, Ferk said. Collection to be displayed in MSC ' — What’s up - Monday ENGLISH DEPARTMENT: will sponsor a mini writi^l course “Coherence: Making Meaning Relationships Clear at 6:31) p.m. in 120 Blocker. The instructor will be Kb. Brewer. For more information call 845-3452 or stop by 225 Blocker. TEXAS AGGIE BAR ASSOCIATION: will award two$Mi scholarships to A&M Students entering law school in 19S6 Applications are available to any student who has com pleted most or all of his pre-law work at A&M and has maintained 3.5+ overall grade-point ratio. Deadline is April 30. Interested students should contact Dr. Hillan Jessup in 101 Academic. AGGIES IN RUSSIA: study abroad in Russia this summer from May 19 to June 29. The deadline for applying is Apri 15. For more information call Hugh Hughes, 2684268. PARENT’S WEEKEND: make your plans now! A comp!® schedule will be in The Battalion and at the MSC Iron; Monday to April 13. POLITICAL FORUM: will sponsor a lecture on “CunCoai-l trol: The Controversy” at 8 p.m. in Rudder Theater. MSC AGGIE CINEMA: will meet at 7 p.m. in 502 Rudder. AGGIE TOASTMASTERS: will meet at 7 p.m. in 1| Blocker, TAMU ONE-WHEELERS: will meet at 5 p.m. in front ofG. Rollie White Coliseum. Tuesday | ENGLISH DEPARTMENT: will sponsor a mini writing■ course “Examining l one: Open Your Persona and Sa* Ahhh” at 6:30 p.m. in 120 Blocker. The imiuctor willbf Howard Cox. For more information call 845-3452 or stop by 227 Blocker. GALVESTON COUNTY HOMETOWN CLUB: will me«ai 7 p.m. in 410 Rudder to discuss an Apnl 18 trip to Nt* Braunfels and hold officer elections. For more in formate III call Danny, 764-7106. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN/TAMU AS SOCTATION OF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN: Charlotte Sutton speaks on “Changing Perceptions of Women Exec utives in the L.ast 20 Years’* at 7 p.m. in 206 MSC. SOCIETY OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERS: Dr Nd Jefferies, the Center for Manufacturing Technology,and Ron Ellis will speak on “What is Happening in CAD/CAM at 7 p.m. in 305 Fermier. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR METALS: Dr W BradJywS speak on “Case Histories in Failure Analysis” at 7 p.m.in !z7B Zachry. MSC VARIETY SHOW: will be held Friday at 7:30 p.m.in Rudder Auditorium. T ickets are available now at Ruddo Box Office. ADVERTISING ASSOCIATION: will meet at 5:30 p.m.in 163 Blocker. TAMU HORSEMAN’S ASSOCIATION: will meet at 7 (rn! I in 115 Kleberg. MEXICAN AMERICAN ENGINEERING SOCIETY: ,! elect officers and discuss a San Antonio trip at 8:30 p.m.ii 410 Rudder. COLLEGIATE FFA: will hold officer elections at 7:30p.m.iE 208 Scoates. AGGIE DEMOCRATS: will meet at 8:36 p.m. in 305Rudde- BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION: will meet at* p.m. in 201 Veterinary Medicine Sciences. SPANISH CLUB: will meet at 8:30 p.m. at the Flying To mato. Items for What’s Up should be submitted to The Bxttalm 216 Reed McDonald, no less than three days prior to k sired publication date. Over $5 million in art given to A&M By Mary Ann Harvey Staff Writer The T exas A&M University System Board of Regents recently accepted a collection of paint ings, English Cameo Glass, art glass, Tiffany items and other selected works of art for perma nent display in the Memorial Student Center. The collection valued at over $5 million was donated by J.W. Runyon, Class of ’35, and con sists of more than 60 paintings by American turn-of-the-century artists, including: American Impressionists Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt and John Henry Twachtman; Robert Henri and his circle known as The Eight; and American West ern Scene painters including Frederic Reming ton, Charles Russell, Henry Farny and Joseph H. Sharp (recently exhibited in the MSC Gallery). Runyon first approached Dr. Robert Walker, vice president for development, and the Texas A&M Development Foundation in 1976 about the possibility of bequeathing his art collections to A&M to be displayed in the MSC. Since then, the foundation and J. Wayne Stark, special assis tant to the president for cultural development, have been working with Runyon to negotiate the proposed gift. Stark said different portions of the Runyon Collection may be exhibited in the MSC as early as fall. To exhibit and house the entire Runyon Collections, the board resolved to reserve space in the Forsyth Alumni Center after it’s vacated by the Association of Former Students. They also recognized the need for a visual arts facility of approximately 20,000 square feet in the planned expansion of the MSC, which is scheduled to be gin in 1987. The collections will be maintained, curated and exhibited by the Office of Cultural Devel opment and the MSC director’s office. In the past, Runyon has donated numerous gilts to support both (he academic and co-cu I ular cultural activities at A&M, includingll* I W. Runyon Jr. ’35 Sul Ross Scholarship, I John W. and Grace Runyon Presidential! I dowed Scholarships, the Irma RunyonCIb electrical engineering and the Class of 1935h I idential Endowed Scholarship. Runyon also served on the Friends of tin I brary Council and the A&M Commissionoi Visual Arts. He has supported the Sterlin; I Evans Library and provided for the enricto I of the MSC. “He’s (Runyon) the kind of person,really,I gets up in the morning and says, ‘Nowwhatfi do for A&M,’ ” Stark said. “That’s the first ll that hits his mind. “Runyon’s wish has been from the begin! that art needs to be placed in the MSC where! dents can come in contact with it in theirda| tivities.” AG CONVOCATION and PICNIC > t 1 c i c I t ( f t 1 t t 1 < ] I ( < I p« hi ta cc h: di cc as in ta M P at tl b ai ft s; b g S h b Saturday, April 12, 1986 5:00 p.m. Systems Bldg. Lawn Tickets $4 at the MSC Box Office For more info, call 845-3711 Sponsored by the College of Agriculture and the Student Ag Council