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Page 6
The Battalion
Wednesday, July 24,1991
Critics misunderstand college's aims, dean says
Continued from page 1
"Biotechnology is just modem
science," he says. "It is the use of
modem tools to do traditional
science. There are people who
have made the statement that
the new College of Agriculture is
focusing too much on biotechno
logy. That means they don't un
derstand what it is."
Some ranchers and livestock
groups in Texas, however,
worry A&M graduates might be
more familiar with laboratories
than corn fields.
"If someone is not animal
oriented, there's no use in talk
ing to them," says Sims, who
owns a farm in Concho County.
"I don't understand biotechno
logy, but I do understand some
one in the animal sciences.
"We must maintain that ani
mal production ability, recogniz
ing biotechnology will play a
part in it," he continues. "We
just don't feel these areas of
plant and livestock production
should be ignored or de-em-
phasized in favor of biotechnolo
gy-"
Amtzen, however, said fewer
than 5 percent of the college's
students go into farming and
ranching, while 50 percent go
into agri-business.
He says he has changed the
programs because of the rise in
plant genetics, bioremediation,
biochemistry, food process engi
neering and other scientific ca
reers.
Amtzen also says biotechno
logy must be taught to keep
A&M graduates and the people
they serve alive in the market
place.
"If we try to teach these fresh
men arriving today the science of
today and the '80s, those poor
devils are dead. We have to
teach them state-of-the-art tech
nology.
"There are folks who would
like for us to teach where We are
today," he continues. "It's com
fortable. But we can't afford to
do that. If we're going to stay
competitive with the Argentini
ans, Australians, Canadians and
Europeans, we have to have the
best technology."
But not everyone associated
with Texas agriculture believes
Amtzen is taking A&M down
the wrong street.
"I have heard some concern
about Amtzen's biotechnology
push, but I don't think it's a real
P roblem," says state Rep. Pete
atterson, D-Brookston, and
chairman of the House Agricul
ture and Livestock Committee.
"Different people have different
interests they would like to see
the experiments and research
g°"
Amtzen says it is a time of
change for the college, and
therefore, concerns surface that
traditional agriculture will get
left in the dust. That simply is
not true, he says.
"That's not our intention. Our
intention is to be the No. 1 agri
culture program in the country
and you can't be the No. 1 ag
program unless you continue to
serve the traditional clientele,
the food and fiber industries. But
you have to serve them using the
very best tools."
Despite rumors about his
ouster, Amtzen says he hopes to
stay at A&M.
"Actions speak for themsel
ves," he says. "I don't see how
anyone can overlook the impact
the new ag program has on
Texas A&M and the agriculture
system statewide."
University President William
Mobley says Amtzen "has made
a number of positive contribu
tions" to A&M and is not the
only one to face repeated attacks
for the job he does.
"We all get complaints," Mob
ley says. "Any administrator
that has to satisfy a number of
constituents will have various
views expressed to him — my
self included."
Chairman of A&M's Board of
Regents Ross Margraves did not
return phone calls to The Battal
ion.
Meanwhile, Arntzen will con
tinue responding to his critics by
denying he ignores farming and
ranching interests. He remains
convinced, however, that bi
otechnology is now an inevitable
part of the agricultural world.
"When changes come, there's
always the perception that some
thing has been left out," he says.
"I don't believe that's true.
We're continuing to support the
traditional forms of agriculture,
but we're adding and building."
Tuition lowered to assure firefighter training
Continued from page 2
onstrations have been elimi
nated to keep tuition at the low
est price possible.
Page said he understands
many of the firefighters come
from rural communities with
volunteer departments where
funds are a problem. The
classes, however, are important
for several reasons.
Not only do accredited fire
fighters provide cities with
breaks in their insurance costs.
_M S C.
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PRES E NtS
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they also help develop the abili
ties and knowledge of the de
partment, he said.
property and lives without this
support.
"If you live in a rural commu
nity like I do, there is a real need
for support for the fire depart
ment," Page said. "People lose
"Firefighters aren't driven by
the money, they just want to try
and save lives and property," he
continued. "They do it as a serv
ice to the public."
Leadership skills help
A&M cadet win award
Continued from page 2
However, he said the deciding
factor was his strong leadership
abilities, which he attributed to
being Corps commander.
where he will be stationed.
His favorite thing about the
camp was the "real-case" scenar
ios.
Sherman said the award will
give him many opportunities.
not only in what he wants to do
with his military career, but
"It really gives you a taste of
things to come in the Army,"
Sherman said.
The University Police Department has initiated a new pro
gram for reporting inoperative exterior lighting called Light-
Line.
Anyone on campus can dial L-I-G-H-T (5-4448) any time day
or night to report lights in need of repair. Off-campus callers can
dial 845-4448.
The UPD communications supervisor will fill out a repair or
der and forward it to the physical plant or the proper depart
ment. If the reporting party is not sure of the exact location, the
security division will help find the light in question.
Effective lighting is considered to be one of the best crime de
terrents available.
Police and security personnel actively report lights on cam
pus that need repair, and the program gives UPD the ability to
monitor the status of exterior lighting on campus.
For more crime prevention information contact Lt. Bert
Kretzschmar or Cpl. Betty LeMay at 845-8900 or 845-6713.
Weather may delay
launch of Atlantis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
(AP) — NASA put the finishing
touches on the shuttle Atlantis
on Tuesday for its trip into space
with a satellite that will serve as
a switchboard for ships and ob
servatories circling the world.
Launch officials said the sole
concern for Wednesday's
planned liftoff was weather.
Forecasters said showers or
thunderstorms were possible.
NASA said the chance of good
weather at the scheduled 10:55
a.m. liftoff time was 50 percent.
The odds were expected to im
prove to 60 percent by mid-af
ternoon.
The nine-day mission, com
manded by John Blaha, will be
NASA's 42nd shuttle flight. It
will be the fifth time a shuttle has
taken up a Tracking and Data
Relay Satellite.
Atlantis' five astronauts plan
to release the giant satellite six
hours after liftoff, with an at
tached rocket boosting it 22,300
miles above Earth. It will join
three similar satellites already
stationed above the equator.
NASA sent up the first Track
ing and Data Relay Satellite
aboard Challenger in 1983. The
satellite enabled Mission Control
to maintain nearly continuous
contact with astronauts in space,
a vast improvement over the old
system of ground tracking sta
tions.
Challenger had a TDRS craft
on board when the ship ex
ploded in 1986, destroying the
satellite and killing all seven as
tronauts. Two more Tracking
and Data Relay Satellites have
since been placed in orbit, the
latest in 1989.
The newest satellite, valued at
$120 million, will replace the sec
ond-oldest craft, which will be
come a spare. The oldest is al
ready a spare. NASA plans to
send up two more TDRS craft by
the mid-1990s, one of which may
go up on an unmanned rocket.
Student regents bill
ready for floor debate
Continued from page 1
voting student regent," he said.
"That was because he knew
this form had a chance, and the
other didn't."
Giesecke said the two-year ex
piration on the amendment was
added to gain Higher Education
Committee Chairman Gary Wat
kins' support. Although Ogden
received nis support, the bill
never reached the floor during
the regular session.
Gieseke said the bill, now in
amendment form, would go
straight to the floor.
For university systems such as
A&M's, the student regent
would be chosen by the gover
nor from nominees from each
school within the system. A stu
dent regent could not be chosen
from the same school within a
system for two consecutive
years.
Student governments at each
school within a system would
nominate student regent candi
dates.
The amendment would also
create a roundtable for each sys
tem, consisting of each school's
nominee for regent. The round
table would meet, with the stu
dent regent as chair, to inform
the regent of concerns at each
school.
Budget cuts provoke
concern in students
Continued from page 1
important for students to fight
for the cause of higher educa
tion.
"It's important for the Legis
lature to see the students and the
commitment we've made to
higher education," Talbot said.
After the rally, A&M students
entered the Capitol to talk to leg
islators.
Cash said the student rep
resentatives are pushing for
House Bill 1, which maintains
current levels of funding for
higher education.
"We want the Legislature to
hear our voice as one of concern
for our future," she said. "If
Sharp's plan were to go through,
from my understanding of what
it entails, the cuts would be dev
astating for Texas A&M and
higher education.
"The important thing is to
keep cuts from being so drastic."
Heather Hartman, MSC rep
resentative, said the best way to
accomplish that is to show sup
port for what the students want.
"If we come forward with a
united statement, legislators will
see the students' point of view,"
Hartman said.
Graduate students wait
on limited apartments
Continued from page 1
intersection of University
Drive and S. College Street.
Due to the limited space for
graduate students, they must
wait 18 months between ap
plying and receiving an apart
ment. A&M's Student Apart
ment Office recommends
students apply now for hous
ing in the spring of 1993.
"There are facilities available
to house only 10 percent of the
g aduate students at A&M,"
prisko, a graduate student in
plant physiology, said. "And
33 percent of undergraduates
can be housed."
Robert Smith, vice president
of finance at A&M, said he be
lieves the University is not
solely responsible for graduate
students'living arrangements.
"I honestly believe that the
private sector can handle the
need for graduate student
housing," Smith said.
Opriska disagreed, saying
she oelieves graduate students
— especially those with chil
dren — need affordable hous
ing only the University can
supply.
"Most people don't view
graduate work as a job, but it
is," she said. "With the grad
uate student stipend being
only about $500 to $800 a
month — much of that going
to support a family — there is
a need for housing that we can
afford."
Fabiana Bezerra, president
of the University Apartment
Council of Texas Aggies, said
there is a need for more hous
ing but does not foresee an im
mediate solution.
"With the cuts in the bud
get, I don't see how more
nousing can be built without
raising our rent," she said.
"We've talked to the manager,
but the problem is above his
capability."
The University Apartment
Council is going to do all it can
to help the situation, Bezerra
said.
"We are trying to build a
community here," she added.
"We need to be organized as a
community in order to have a
voice."
Bezerra also said University
officials underestimate the
need for housing because
many graduate students do
not apply for University apart
ments.
"Many students don't even
bother to apply because they
will be gone in two years, and
there is a one-and-a-half year
wait for the housing," she
said.
Opriska said she voiced the
concerns of the Graduate Stu
dent Council in June to John
Koldus, vice president of Stu
dent Services.
She said the department will
respond with a survey in Sep
tember to determine the hous
ing needs of graduate stu
dents.
"The study will prove one
way or another what the
needs of the students are, and
hopefully something will be
done about it," she said.
Smith said he was not aware
of the survey, and there are
presently no plans to build
any new housing, undergrad
uate or graduate.
Koldus was unavailable for
comment.
A presidential panel recom
mended late last year that NASA
limit its use of the shuttle to jobs
requiring human intervention,
the ship's unique capabilities or
compelling reasons. The satellite
inside Atlantis would have re
quired extensive redesign to fit
in an unmanned launcher, re
sulting in a delay of several
years, NASA officials said.
"We're ready to put this satel
lite in orbit and to begin to check
it out and to use it as the rest of
our constellation ages," said Wil
liam Lenoir, head of NASA's
space flight program. "We need
it. We don't want to wait that
long."
These crimes were reported to the University Police Depart
ment from July 13 to 18.
ASSAULT:
□ After advising the operator not to move an illegally parked
vehicle, a Parking Service Officer was struck on the right knee
by the bumper of the vehicle as the subject fled Parking Area 22.
MISDEMEANOR THEFT:
□ A wallet was removed from a backpack on the third floor
of the Sterling C. Evans Library.
□ A brown leather purse was stolen from a first floor room of
the Eller Oceanography and Meteorology Building.
□ A yellow Diamond-back five-speed boys bicycle was sto
len from the Sbisa Dining Hall bicycle rack.
□ A dark green Raleigh 10-speed boys bicycle was stolen
from the Fowler Hall bicycle rack.
BURGLARY:
□ Someone removed a Canon T-50 electronic flash from a
first floor room of Lechner Hall.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF:
□ A 1989 Chevrolet pickup truck was covered with mud or a
substance similar to cement while in Parking Area 49.
RECOVERED PROPERTY:
□ A Huffy 10-speed boys bicycle was recovered by the
owner near Building 16 of the University-Owned Apartments.
The bicycle had been stolen from the owner's residence in Col
lege Station.
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