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riday, November 11, 1988
A&M
he Battalion
College Station, Texas
Vol. 88 No. 55 USPS 045360 12 Pages
obley: Super collider a win for state, science
By Richard Tijerina
Staff Writer
■Having the superconducting super col
lider coming to Texas is not only a win
for the state, but a win for the entire sci
entific world, Texas A&M President
William. H. Mobley said in a press con
ference Thursday.
[U.S. Secretary of Energy John S. Her-
Jigton announced Thursday morning
that a site near Waxahachie, Tx. had
chosen over locations in six other
Bites for the construction of the pro-
bsed high-energy particle accelerator.
Mobley said he was very pleased that
Texas was chosen as home for the super-
See related/Page 5
collider. He said Texas scientists consid
ered Illinois their chief competition. He
said the decision would have vast impor-
“This is one of the major announce
ments of our time,” he said. “It is a ma
jor development for both the state of
Texas and science. It has great scientific
tential, it has great knowledge impact,
d the potential is there for not only an
mediate research, but also for the en-
e state and nation.”
The idea for the super collider, an un-
rground 54-mile circular tunnel which
a large atomic particle accelerator
powered by superconducting magnets,
was first created in the beginning of the
decade.
A&M physicist Peter M. McIntyre,
widely considered to be one of the origi
nators of the super collider concept, said
the decision was only brought about by
the help of three miracles: the foresight
and open-mindedness of former A&M
president Frank E. Vandiver to consider
the super collider idea, the wisdom of
Texas voters two years ago that approved
$2 billion worth of bonds to help create a
presentation to the government, and the
technology Texas has to make the whole
idea become a reality.
Although construction of the facility
won’t be finished for several years, Uni
versity Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs Donald McDonald
said it would be well worth the wait.
“Even though we’re talking about sev
eral years of construction,the beginnings
of operation and the buildup to experi
mental workings at the facility, we can
undoubtedly begin focusing attention to
physics and sciences alike going on both
at the University of Texas and A&M,”
he said. “The impact will be felt immedi
ately. The intentions are strong.”
University officials said even though
the super collider would be based in
Texas, cooperation among scientists
throughout the world would be essential
to make the project a success.
“There is always international cooper
ation and international activity in pro
jects like these,” said Richard Arnowitt,
head of the A&M physics department.
“Of course, American scientists will be
the dominant force behind what’s going
on with the super collider, but it will
have to be and international effort.”
Duwayne Anderson, Associate Pro
vost for Research Management, said
physics is already an important depart
ment at A&M, and the super collider will
only enhance its importance.
“A&M is playing a key role in attract
ing outstanding scientists who will come
to the state, splice into the facility once
it’s built, then obviously come down the
road to A&M to be part of our activity
here,” he said.
Anderson said he hoped a better trans
portation network could be developed
between the Waxahachie site and Col
lege Station, which would allow for de
velopment of further communication be
tween the two.
Mobley said the decision would not
have been possible without the cooper
ation of other Texas schools.
“We have seen over the recent months
a number of things to come from the suc
cess that comes from that kind of collab
oration,” he said. “The collaboration of
Houston, Rice, UT and A&M in some of
the early accelerator research provided
the further communication of the com
bined power of very able scientists.”
He said he was surprised to see the su
per collider coming to Texas because the
state already has the scientists capable of
improving research information in a
knowledge-based society.
“We are living in a knowledge-based
society and a global competitive environ
ment,” Mobley said. “Those facts de
pend on good science and good research
by capable human talent. Texas has it,
and this facility is going to allow us to le
verage that to further advantage.”
Texas chosen for super collider
WASHINGTON (AP) — Texas beat out six other
states Thursday in a high-stakes race to capture the
$4.4 billion superconducting super collider, which, if
Congress finds the money to build it, would be the
largest scientific instrument ever constructed.
The announcement by Energy Department Secretary
John Herrington drew immediate howls of protest from
losing states, where officials had waged a years-long
battle to win the giant atom-smasher and the jobs and
scientific prestige that will accrue to the project’s home
state.
Illinois officials also were angered, with House Mi
nority Leader Robert Michel calling on the president to
review Herrington’s decision declaring Texas the pre
ferred site for what the department will name the Ron
ald Reagan Center for High Energy Physics.
Sen. Jim Sasser, D-Tenn., said his state should be
proud of its efforts.
Herrington said the Texas site — some 16,000 farm
acres in Ellis County 35 miles south of Dallas — was
“superior” to the others for building the collider, a 53-
mile underground tunnel capable of whipping proton
beams into each other with 20 times the force of the
world’s most powerful existing particle accelerator.
“The Texas proposal clearly received the highest
overall technical evaluation ratings of any proposal and
exhibited no significant overall weaknesses,” Herring
ton said.
Herrington said the Texas site would best permit the
highest level of research productivity and effectiveness
at a reasonable cost of construction and with minimal
impact on the environment.
Many in Congress argue the project will starve other
more useful scientific research. Congress has kept the
project on a short leash, and only agreed to provide
$100 million this year for research and engineering de
sign. None of that may be used for construction.
Nonetheless, states eagerly sought the projects,
which is expected to create 3,000 scientific jobs and
3,500 construction jobs, great prestige and a non-pol
luting industry with untold scientific spinoffs for the
host state.
Herrington said the collider is absolutely necessary
to keep scientific leadership in the United States.
The collider will put Texas on the cutting edge of
high-energy physics. Sen. Loyd Bentsen said. He
pledged as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
to do everything in his power to guarantee (that) the
funds for construction are appropriated on time.
Yell practice stories examined
By Sharon Maberry
Staff Writer
■ Although midnight yell practice in
cludes longstanding Aggie traditions,
( lome A&M students question whether
lexual references in yell leaders’ tradi
tional stories are appropriate.
I A&M Student Senators Greg Duewall
pd Patrick J. Janis will introduce a bill
to the Student Senate proposing that yell
Headers refrain from making sexual refer
ences during yell practice.
■ The bill is based on a University regu
lation, in which the definition of sexual
IHarassment includes . . sexual innuen-
.ttdoes or statements made at inappropriate
®mes or disguised as humor or obscene
Westures.”
I “Sexual references and innuendoes are
Mncalled for at yell practice, in my opin-
Han,” Duewall said. “Many students I’ve
Balked to are students who are offended
or embarrassed by them.”
H Duewall said that yell leaders have be
gun to make sexual remarks in their sto
les only relatively recently.
“This is not any longstanding tradi-
ion,” he said. “It’s only in the past few
‘ears that remarks have gotten sexual,
j “In the past, they were things like the
tggie ends up with the girl instead of the
ipposing team member winning her.”
Janis said he is concerned about sexual
references because of visitors who come
to yell practice.
"it’s not just students who come to
yell practice,” he said. “Parents and peo
ple in the community and old Ags come,
too.
“In addition to being yell practice, it’s
also a PR (public relations) activity. The
media is there sometimes.
“I’m along the lines of not having sex
ual innuendoes,” he said. “In fact, this
year we’ve kept away from a large ma
jority of the bad language.
“We point the jokes more at the other
team rather than at women.”
Although yell leaders say they have
toned down their jokes this year, the sto
ries still contain sexual references.
“Sexual references and innuendoes are uncalled for
at yell practice, in my opinion. Many students I’ve
talked to are students who are offended or embar
rassed by them.”
Greg Duewall,
A&M Student Senator
“One of these times, we’re going to
get a bad rap because people will speak
out and say the wrong thing at the wrong
time. A&M might get a bad name.”
Head yell leader Steve Keathley said
he agrees with the basic premise behind
the bill.
“I agree along the lines that yell prac
tice should not have explicit sexual re
marks, and when I say that I mean heavy
overtures of pointing the jokes toward
women,” Keathley said.
“The University wouldn’t accept
going from one extreme to the other,”
Keathley said. “But we’ve been pointing
it to a Lousiana Tech Tiger or an Arkan
sas Razorback and making them the butt
of the joke.
“Last year was worse, but we can’t go
completely clean.
“Over the last two or three home yell
practices and the away ones we’ve been
doing a pretty good job, not based on ex
ternal pressures, just based on what we
feel is best.”
Keathley said he objects to the bill be
cause it infringes on the yell leaders’
control of yell practice.
Situations traditionally handled by yell
leaders should not be controlled by stu
dent government actions, he said.
“I would much rather work with peo
ple who have complaints than with a
bill,” he said. “It’s like it’s almost chal
lenging me to fight it.
“I’m a student just like everybody else
and I respect the opinion of all Aggies.
“If they think something should be
done, I’ll listen to them.”
Duewall and Janis said they will intro
duce the bill to the Student Senate
Wednesday.
If it is accepted as an emergency bill,
it will be voted on at that meeting.
Otherwise, it will be voted on at the
Senate’s next meeting on Nov. 30.
Although the bill is subject to change,
if the Senate accepts it, it will restrain
yell leaders from making sexual refer
ences during yell practice.
However, if the sexual references con
tinue, complaints must be registered with
the yell leader adviser, who will decide
how to react.
Board nominates
Battalion editor
By Stephen Masters
Senior Staff Writer
Texas A&M Student Publications
Board Thursday nominated Battalion
managing editor Becky Weisenfels to
serve as editor for Spring 1989.
The Board’s unanimous nomi
nation awaits approval from Provost
Donald McDonald before Weisenfels
officially takes office.
Bob Rogers, chairman of the
Board and head of the journalism de
partment; said Weisenfels’ applica
tion was the only one received.
Donald Johnson, student publica
tions coordinator and secretary of the
Board, said this semester was not the
first time for a single application.
“It’s not unusual, especially when
there is a strong candidate who is well
known to the staff,” he said. “The
staff usually rallies behind them.”
Weisenfels, a senior journalism
major from Paris, Texas, has worked
on Battalion staff since May 1987
and on the staff of The Aggieland
since May 1986.
Lydia Berzsenyi, editor of The
Battalion for Fall 1988, said she
couldn’t think of a better qualified
candidate.
“I think Becky will do a wonderful
job,” she said. “She has had experi
ence in all areas of the paper.”
Johnson said,“I think she’ll do an
excellent job. I have no doubt about
her qualifications.
“She is in my publications manage
ment class (Journalism 306), and I
know about her abilities to make
strong management decisions.”
Applications for the rest of The
Battalion’s editorial board are due
Monday at 5 p.m.
Applications can be picked up at
216 Reed McDonald.
Amtrack expands train service to B-CS
By Fiona Soltes
Staff Writer
1 Amtrak’s new Texas Eagle service is
bringing back a piece of history by pul
ing the “station” back in College Sta-
on.
Beginning Tuesday, Bryan-College
tation passengers will be able to board a
lorthbound line heading for Corsicana,
alias, St. Louis and Chicago or a south-
und line heading for Houston.
College Station City Council member
Fred Brown, liaison between Amtrak
and College Station, said he is enthusias
tic about the new service. He said he
thought it is time for a train to stop in this
area again.
“As of Nov. 13, it will have been
11,099 days since a train has stopped in
the area,” he said. “The Southern Pacific
Owl ran for 86 years but stopped June 8,
1958.”
Brown said that Amtrak presented the
idea of the new stop to Bryan, College
Station and Texas A&M as part of a
$529,000 expansion project.
“College Station just jumped at the
chance,” Brown said. “The University
did not have a site where the train could
stop without tying up traffic tremen
dously. Besides, College Station had the
funding for it already.’’
Brown said the only cost to the city
was $6850, for the land lease. The plat
form was provided by Amtrak, and the
College Station Parks Department al
ready had the pavilion-like structure for
the station, now located near the corner
of Jersey Street and Wellborn Road. The
entrance to the station is on Marion Pugh
Boulevard.
Mark Smith, College Station assistant
city engineer, said that the present sta
tion structure is temporary. The city is
searching for an alternate site.
“We’ve taken out a one-year lease on
the site,” Smith said. “At the end of that
time we’ll decide if the station has
worked well there and if it should stay
there. If not, the building is portable and
the site will be turned into a park. We
have been working with the Parks De
partment to make this a pleasant place,
with picnic tables and landscaping.”
The station will be a stop for north
bound trains at 10:35 a.m. Tuesdays,
Fridays and Sundays. Southbound trains
will stop at the station at 7:10 p.m. Mon
days, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Tickets are available through local
travel agents or by calling 1-800-USA-
RAIL. With a special introductory offer,
passengers can travel with a $1 return
fare through Feb. 28, 1989. Roundtrip
fares from College Station are $15 to
Houston, $18 to Corsicana and $26 to
Dallas. After the offer, tickets will be
$21 to Houston, $25.50 to Corsicana and
$37.50 to Dallas.
Patrick Jeffery, Amtrak spokesman,
said sleeping and coach cars are avail
able for the trips. Snacks, beverages and
private meals also are available through
out the trips.
Jeffery said the company is excited
about the new line.
“Amtrak receives requests from all
over the country to extend our services,”
Jeffery said. “We’ve had a lot of requests
from Texas to do so. Whenever possible,
we try to provide that alternative to high
way and air transportation.”
Jeffery said that for the past 12 years,
the only rail link between Dallas and
Houston was in San Antonio.
“We finally were able to start negotia
tions this summer with Southern Pacific
Railroad,” he said.
Amtrak’s new train service
begins Monday to Houston
Registration
of P through Z
closes early
By Fiona Soltes
Staff Writer
Juniors whose last names begin with P
through Z will not be able to register af
ter 5 p.m. today because of a planned
power shutdown in the Pavilion. Phone
hnes will be re-opened from 7 a.m. to 1
p.m. Saturday for those eligible to regis
ter Friday.
Willis Ritchey, assistant registrar, said
that without electricity, the phone regis
tration system cannot work.
“We do have the capacity to forward
phone calls, but only to one number,”
Ritchey said. “We are reserving that
number for a recorded message saying
registration will continue on Saturday.
But it’s important to get the word out. A
student may try to call in several times,
coming up with a busy signal, and never
know the schedule has been changed.”
Charlie Kuder, electrician foreman,
said power will be out in both the Pavil
ion and Animal Industries buildings be
ginning at about 5 p.m. He said he hopes
to have the power on again by 10 p.m.
“We’re changing a high voltage
switch in a manhole near the O&M
Building,” Kuder said. “We’re increas
ing power to the System Administration
Building.”
Kuder said the switch had to be done
during a weekday, regardless of registra
tion.
“We had to line up the work as quickly
as possible,” Kuder said. “We just
couldn’t find employees for the week
end.”
Kuder said that another power shut
down for the Pavilion and Animal Indus
tries buildings will take place at some
time between the Thanksgiving and
Christmas holidays, but he did not give
the exact date.