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Vol.89 No.106 USPS 045360 12 Pages
College Station, Texas
WEATHER
TOMORROW’S FORECAST:
Partly cloudy
HIGH: 68 LOW: 48
Friday, March 2,1990
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Second case
of measles
confirmed
By SELINA GONZALEZ
Of The Battalion Staff
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Although the second case of mea
sles at Texas A&M has been con
firmed, Dr. Kenneth Dirks, director
of the A.P. Beutel Health Center,
said Thursday he doesn’t consider
measles an epidemic at tire Univer
sity.
Officials suspect a third student
also may have measles, but the diag
nosis has not yet been confirmed.
Dirks said the health center will
draw a sample f rom die student to
day for testing.
Although the patients haven’t
given permission for their names to
be released, their classmates have
been notified and those who have re
sponded have been vaccinated, he
said. The health center has notified
other students with whom the pa
tients believe they have been in con
tact.
“We have been using the measles-
only (vaccine) for those who are pre
sumed contacts of the three known
cases,” Dirks said. I he Texas De
partment of Health has supplied the
vaccine to the health center free of
charge for those presumed to have
been in contact with the cases.
Dirks said he estimated that the
second patient has been in contact
with 270 students.
John E. Carroll II, sophomore ac
counting and finance major, was di
agnosed with measles Feb. 23 as the
first case of measles at A&M since
1971.
Dirks said there is no connection
between the second and third cases
of measles and Carroll’s case. It is
not known how the two patients con
tracted measles.
"We have given a little over 1,000
doses of vaccines since last Thurs
day,” he said.
"All three cases have been very
mild,” Dirks said.
Dirks recommends that all stu
dents get immunized even if they
See Measles/Page 7
A kinder, gentler avenue
Photo by Jay Janner
Jersey Street was officially renamed George Bush Drive Thursday at 12 a.m.
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Explosion prompts look at chemical storage
By JULIETTE RIZZO
Of The Battalion Staff
The Texas A&M System Safety and Health
Office will survey campus buildings for proper
chemical storage, a precaution prompted by an
explosion in the old Chemistry Building last
month.
Harry Stiteler, director of safety and health at
A&M, said the precaution is necessary after im
proper storage was determined to be the proba-
ole cause of the explosion in two chemistry labo
ratories.
Stiteler said the refrigerator that exploded
contained the highly flammable solvent diethy-
lether and was not explosion-proof.
Chemical vapors that were present when the
refrigerator’s compressor went on could have
caused the explosion, he said.
A chemist, who requested anonymity, said any
type of electrical contact, such as the start of a
compressor, with diethylether will cause an ex
plosion.
Both laboratories sustained a significant
amount of ciamage when the refrigerator ex
ploded and caused windows to be blown out of
the second-floor room, he said. The rooms also
sustained heavy smoke and water damage.
According to figures from the Physical Plant,
the estimated cost to repair the rooms would be
$18,000. The chemistry department has esti
mated that equipment lost, including two scales
but not the refrigerator, is inventoried at $ 1,000.
“By surveying other buildings on campus for
proper chemical storage, we are trying to elimi
nate the possibility and potential danger of this
occurrence happening again in other locations
on campus,” Stiteler said. “It’s one of those occa
sions you don’t like to have occur, and all you can
See Chemical/Page 7
Forum offers peek
into other
By JILL BUTLER
Of The Battalion Staff
The second annual International
Forum, hosted yesterday by the In
ternational Student Association at
Texas A&M, included speakers and
round table discussions on the
theme “Interaction Through Educa
tion: The Age of Unity.”
The forum was part of Interna
tional Week, a yearly event designed
to give people a chance to experi
ence other cultures.
Leon Galindo, an A&M student
from Bolivia and one of the chair
men for International Forum, said
the purpose of the forum is to pro
mote international awareness on a
different level than other events
during International Week.
“So far this week we’ve shared our
food, our music and our dance,”
Galindo said. “I think there’s one
more thing we can share, and that’s
our ideas.”
Galindo said international stu
dents have had many experiences
that American students haven’t. He
said by sharing these different expe
riences, international students can
enrich the lives of American stu
dents and American students can
enrich the lives of international stu
dents.
Other objectives of the forum
were to create an awareness of the
increasing interdependence of na
tions, to provide an open forum in
which students could discuss the
problems and challenges of educa
tion and to stress the importance of
international students as agents of
cultural diffusion.
Speakers at the forum were Dr.
Bill Stout, A&M professor of agri
cultural engineering; Dr. Bill Harris,
Snead professor of transportation
engineering; and Dr. Dean C. Corri
gan, Head of the Commitment to
Education Task Force at A&M.
The topics of discussion were the
educational systems of different
countries and the effectiveness of
these systems; the role universities,
such as A&M, can have as instru
ments of cultural diffusion and the
ways technological advances of the
past 30 years have affected the diffu
sion of knowledge and culture.
Stout said many people resist
technological changes because they
feel it causes more problems than it’s
worth. However, Stout said he dis
agrees.
“Technology must be employed
for everyone in the world to survive
and feed themselves,” Stout said.
. He said technology is necessary
because as a generator of power hu
mans are not very good. Stout said in
10 hours of work, humans generate
750 watt hours of energy, or about
three-fourths of a kilowatt hour. In
comparison, a kilowatt hour of en
ergy costs about 10 cents from the
power company.
cultures
Table talks
emphasize
education
By JILL BUTLER
Of The Battalion Staff
Round-table discussions held
in the Memorial Student Center
yesterday as part of the Interna
tional Forum revolved around
the forum’s theme “Interaction
Through Education: The Age of
Unity.”
The seven round tables were
led by faculty members and stu
dents. Any Texas A&M student
could apply to take part in the
discussions.
Participating students rep
resented various countries in
cluding Lebanon, Turkey, India,
Yugoslavia and Finland.
Discussions were not limited to
a specific topic, but delegates
were urged to discuss the differ
ing ways education can bring to
gether people from different
countries.
Cristian Siebold, an A&M stu
dent from Guatemala, said many
people in his country wish they
could live without education.
“Many people do not want the
trouble of learning,” Siebold said.
However, Eudoro Galindo, a
visiting businessman from Bo
livia, disagreed.
“People tend to abandon
what’s uncomfortable for what’s
comfortable,” Galindo said.
He said through education and
technology, people can move to a
better lifestyle.
Dr. Stephen P. Biles, rep
resenting the Jordan Institute for
International Awareness at A&M,
said people must believe
See Round table/ Page 7
“The physical work value of a hu
man being is only pennies per day,”
Stout said.
“We must supplement our physi
cal work capacity with the employ
ment of technology.”
However, Stout said technology
used in American universities can
cause problems for international stu
dents who plan on working in their
home countries after graduation.
“Universities, such as A&M,
should be careful and avoid educat
ing international students away from
their culture, or educating interna
tional students away from the work
environment these students will face
See Forum/Page 6
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Soviet university, A&M share similarities
Letterfrom students of Kazan describes sister city relationship
The students at Kazan State
University sent the following
FAX to Texas A&M students. It
describes what the delegates hope
to gain from the sister city pro
gram.
Dear Friends:
On behalf of the students of
Kazan University we extend our
greetings to Texas A&M Univer
sity students, professors, your
family and all the citizens of the
United States at large.
We know that the processes
taking place in this country are of
interest to the United States and
to the whole world. We hope the
summit meeting held recently in
Malta will give new impulse for
development of cooperation be
tween our two countries.
In our view, one of the means
of cooperation, the most impor
tant part of it, is the so-called peo
ple’s diplomacy where people
from the Soviet Union and
United States will have an oppor
tunity to tell each other every
thing they think, feel and know.
The relations between the
United States and the Soviet
Union grow stronger as more
people of our countries have a
chance to make contact with each
other. Therefore, we welcome
the proposal to establish a sister
cities relationship between Bryan-
College Station and Kazan, and
also between Texas A&M Univer
sity and Kazan State University.
We’ve been happy to make ac
quaintance with TAMU students
Jeff Starr and Paul Grupe, who
visited our city in December 1989
with the official delegation. Dur
ing our meetings we discussed the
possibility of cooperation be
tween the student body at A&M
and students of KSU.
Hopefully, Paul and Jeff told
you about it. From our side we
only want to note that our nego
tiations were very' useful. "We out
lined the ideas which every side
would try to fulfill.
We realize that in order to ful
fill our ideas we must overcome
some difficulties, first of all the
differences in our economic sys
tems. But we guess the good will
and desire to continue dialogue
between the students will over
come all harriers. We hope to
continue our negotiations with
the Student Senate of A&M in
Spring 1990 when the of ficial del
egation from our country will
visit the United States.
After that time well have more
information about the ways to
solve our problems. We’d like to
come to an agreement in the field
of cooperation between A&M
and KSU and'to sign a contract.
We’d like to establish wider
contacts with the students of
A&M. We propose to exchange
students, tourist groups, sports
teams, musicians and so on begin
ning in 1991. We’d like to begin
the exchange of information at
once. We hope the exchange of
frank and opportune informa
tion will be a norm in our rela
tions.
We want all people in the
United States to know t hat Soviet
students are ready to have an
honest and frank conversation
with those who are of the same
age on every burning issue of to
day. But most of all, we simply
want to be friends and socialize
with those who live on the other
side of the ocean.
When Jeff and Paul were re
turning to America, we told (Item
that they had taken away from
Kazan part of our heart and left a
part of their hearts in Kazan.
They agreed with us. The
warmth of our hearts will melt
away the ice of distrust between
our nations.
Let’s be friends and cooperate
with each other.
With the best wishes,
On behalf of the students of the
University of Kazan, Members of
Student Council of Kazan State
University, CL Spirchagov and D.
Kunitza
Student Editor of Kazan Univer
sity newspaper A. Gogolev
By PAM MOOMAN
Of The Battalion Staff
The Soviet university that edu
cated Vladimir Lenin and Leo
Tolstoy wants to.educate Aggies and
be friends.
Kazan, the Soviet city chosen to
participate in the Bryan-College Sta
tion Sister City Association pr ogram,
was selected because it has a univer
sity as its focal point, Cathy Loving,
international coordinator at Texas
A&M, said. This characteristic
makes it similar to Bryan-College
Station.
Kazan State University is the third
largest and oldest university in the
Soviet Union and is known mainly
for its science and math scholars.
The university has its own mu
seum of history, complete with pic
tures of important chemistry experi
ments and outstanding professors
and students, Loving said.
“This goes much beyond football
trophies,” Loving said.
The university proudly shows
people what it has done to increase
knowledge, she said.
Kazan, home of the university,
only recently opened to tourists be
cause it is 800 kilometers from Mos
cow and is the location of several
strategic industries. Loving said.
Not everyone in the Soviet Union
is Russian, she said. Kazan is the ca-
pitol of the Tartar Republic. The
Tartars are very proud of their cul
ture,just like Texans, she said.
The Tartar dances and language,
which are different from the Rus
sian language, express their individ
uality, she said. They are very skilled
horsemen, she added, and Kazan is
known as “horse country.”
Loving lived in Leningrad for one
semester in 1978, and returned to
the Soviet Union in May Ur visit Ka
zan.
“There was a profound difference
in the openness and honesty exhib
ited by public officials in public pla
ces,” she said. “They are very honest
and open.”
Nine delegates from Kazan and
three delegates from Kazan State
University will arrive in Washington,
D.C. on May 5, Loving said. They
will be met by a delegate from the
Bryan-College Station Sister City As
sociation and escorted to Bryan-Col
lege Station.
The delegates will he in Texas for
a week. During this time, A&M Pres
ident William H. Mobley will host a
luncheon for the delegates to show
University support of the sister city
program.
The foreign delegates also will
meet with faculty and students. Stu
dent groups who are interested in
talking with the delegates, or anyone
who w-ants further information
about the program, should contact
Loving at 845-4821.
“I think they will find very open
and honest people who want to learn
more about the nation and Texas,”
she sttid.
Students
serve B-CS
in Big Event
By SELINA GONZALEZ
Of The Battalion Staff
The Texas A&M student govern
ment requests your presence at a big
event.
The seventh annual Big Event
sponsored by student government
invites A&M students to serve the
Bryan-College Station community.
Some of the activities in which stu
dents can participate during the Big
Event on March 24 are trash pick
up, house painting and landscaping.
The invitation is RSVP only.
Those interested in participating can
sign up by calling the student gov
ernment office by March 9.
“The purpose of the Big Event is
to give the students of A&M the op
portunity of giving to the commu
nity what it has given to the stu
dents,” Mitch White, chairman of
community involvement in the Big
Event, said.
White said the community has
supported the Aggies in many ways
and the students can help the area
by participating in service projects.
Though more students had com
mitted to help during last year’s Big
Event, only 2,000 people actually
participated due to unexpected bad
weather, he said. This year 6,000
students are expected to participate.
Big Event participation has grown
over the years, he said, becoming
one of the biggest community serv
ice projects in the nation. This year
the community has become more in
volved than in previous years.
This year’s event will differ from
programs of the past in two ways.
First, the clean-up efforts will ex
tend to new areas of Bryan-Gollege
See Event/Page 6