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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1988)
Friday, September 30, 1988/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local Practice of renting out software causes conflict among dealers By Wayne Lowe Reporter There is a new breed of computer store in College Station: Floppy Joe’s, a software rental and sales store. With the increasing diversity of software, it is becoming more diffi cult to find a program that does what you want the way you want it. Floppy Joe’s is trying to solve that problem as a “try before you buy” software store. Other software dealers have dif fering opinions about the ethics of renting software. “1 think they’re just about forcing people to break the law,” said Com puter Access owner John Flynn, Class of ’86. “By renting the software they are making it easier for people to copy, which is against the law.” Flynn said Floppy Joe’s is not in truding into his market, which pri marily includes the University and small businesses. He said there are some benefits to rental services, however, such as the rental of Nin tendo game cartriges which cannot be copied. Cody Sperry, manager of E&I Computers, said, “For the software that they’re renting, it’s not that bad an idea because most are games. With a game you get it, you play it and in two or three days it’s over.” He said there is probably some pi racy of rented software, but not a large amount. Many games cannot be played without user’s manuals. Paul Rodriguez, manager of the Texas A&M University Micro Cen ter, said, “I think their ethics are questionable. The first thing that comes to my mind is, is it legal?” Eric Bessell, manager of Floppy Joe’s, said there is nothing wrong with his ethics and that software rental is just like movie rental. Communications Manager Jack Krammer of MicroProse Simulation Software, a computer game man ufacturer, said that his company does not oppose the idea of busi nesses’ renting the software they write. “The more people see our games, the more they will want them.” Floppy Joe’s employee George Bryant said, “We give people a chance to see if they like the software before they buy it. At most places, once you buy the software, they won’t let you bring it back.” Bryant said Floppy Joe’s doesn’t encourage copying, but if someone takes a game home and copies it, not much can be done about it. The store does not sell copying programs because it does not want to encour age copying, Bryant said. After paying a one-time $20 membership fee, software rental is $5 for three days or $7.50 for a week. If the user wishes, after 10 days of rental use, the charges can be applied to the purchase of the software. Anti-apartheid group plans to build shanty New gallery to hold cameo glass exhibit By Kathleen Reilly Staff Writer Texas A&M’s Students Against Apartheid group plans to build an anti-apartheid shanty on campus Sunday. Kevin Shive, SAA public relations chairman, says tbe group is building the shanty to make students aware of the conditions caused by apartheid in South Africa. The group built a shanty last year as well. Construction of the shanty will be gin at noon and last until about 3 .m, Shive says. The shack will be uilt behind the Academic Building, in the location the group chose last year to assure that many people would see the shanty. The shack will be built with do nated materials and anything else the group members can find, he says. A supporter of the group in Bryan will donate wood for the con struction of the shanty. “If anyone tears it down, we will rebuild it,” Shive, a senior psychol ogy major says. “No matter how many times it occurs we’ll be out there rebuilding.” Shive says he hopes no incidents occur like last year’s, in which two students crucified birds and hung them in the shack. “We expect it to be torn down within the first two days or at least defaced,” he says. “But we will show our commitment by coming back and rebuilding. Our permit is for ten days and we want the shanty to be up everyday.” University Police Department Di rector Bob Wiatt approved the building permit, which allows the group to display the shanty for ten days. One stipulation of the permit was that no one would guard the shanty. Having guards in the shack might encourage violence, Wiatt says. SAA also is working with MSC Great Issues to inform students of poor conditions in the community. “We are concerned about South Af rica, but we are also concerned with the surrounding community,” Shive says. If the shanty causes discussion and debate, one of SAA’s major goals will be fulfilled, he says. By Sharon Maberry Staff Wr iter The MSC will house a new art gal lery to be opened later this year. The MSC Forsyth Center Galle ries, located in the southwest corner of the MSC’s ground floor, where the Association of Former Students used to be, will feature an exhibition of English cameo glass from the Bill and Irma Runyon Art Collections. Runyon, Class of ’35, donated his collection of sculptured glass to the University. The opening of the MSC Forsyth Center Galleries will feature about 130 pieces of the glass. Many pieces were created by George Woodall, a major English cameo glass sculptor. The cameo glass will be displayed for 12 to 18 months, says |oe Arre dondo, coordinator of the MSC F or syth Center Galleries and curator of the Runyon Collections. Then, other art glass from the Runyon Collec tions will be shown, including Art Nouveau glass and other turn-of- the-century art glass. The MSC Forsyth Center Galle ries also will exhibit Runyon’s collec tion of American paintings, includ ing Western works and American Impressionism. Arredondo says he hopes to show different types of art in the four or five galleries that will make up the Forsyth Center Galleries. The purpose of the Galleries is to display high-quality art exhibits to the University for those who might not be able to see them elsewhere, he says. Supreme Court Justice to speak Oct. 1 Texas Supreme Court Justice Barbara Culver will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Saturday in 302 Rudder Tower. Culver, who occupies Place 4 on the Court, was appointed in January by Gov. Bill Clements. If re-elected Nov. 8, she will be the first woman in Texas history to be elected to the Court. Culver will answer questions about the level of education in Texas, financial aid and other concerns of A&M students. A reception will follow at 11 a.m. in 308 Rudder. Ceremony to rename building for Bell University News Service Former Texas A&M University System Regent H.C. “Dulie” Bell of Austin will be honored at his alma mater Saturday when a cam pus building will be redesignated to bear his name. The structure, to be known as the H.C. “Dulie” Bell Building, has been informally called the “USDA Building” because the fa cility was leased for many years to the U.S. Department of Agricul ture for office and laboratory space. Now A&M is the exclusive occupant of the landmark on the northwest corner of the main portion of the campus Ceremonies will be at 10 a.m. in room 101 of the Heep Center for Soil and Crop Sciences, a nearby building with larger ac commodations. A regent emeritus since 1986, Bell served in a variety of lead ership positions during his 12 years on the board, including board vice chairman and chair man of the planning and building committee. A 1939 graduate of A&M, Bell founded Central Texas Equip ment Co. in 1946 and was presi dent of the company for more than 30 years. ‘Verdi Requiem’ opens OPAS season By Leslie Guy Entertainment Editor Musicians from the Metropolitan Opera, the Houston Symphony Chorus and the Brazos Valley Symphony will perform tonight at 8 in the Rudder Theatre Com plex at Texas A&M. Their per formance of the Verdi Requiem will open the MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society (OPAS) 1988-89 season. “This is the largest choral pre sentation we’ve ever brought to Rudder,” said Traci Ratliff, co-di rector of PR/Marketing for OPAS 16. “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. Ev eryone is really excited.” The four soloists, Francis Gins berg, soprano; Gary Bachlund, tenor; Diane Curry, mezzo-so prano and Kurt Link, bass, regu larly perform with the Metropol itan Opera in New York as well as other international opera compa nies. The 200-member Houston Symphony Chorus has been with the Houston Symphony Orches tra for 40 years and sings guest performances across the country. The 70-member Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Franz Krager, has been per forming in the Brazos Valley since 1981 and is dedicated to providing a great orchestra to the community, Ratliff said. Anne Black, executive director for OPAS 16, said bringing Verdi Requiem w'ill start their 16th sea son on a high note with a unique blend of artists. Tickets for Verdi Requiem are still available at the MSC Box Of fice in Rudder Tower for $15.50 for students and $18.50 for non students. BEAT TEXAS TECH Texas Aggie Watches! Quartz Movements! Swiss Made! 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