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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1992)
The Aggie Roll 'n' Squirt Engineering students design water nozzle By Billy Moran The Battalion A new fire hose nozzle de signed by 16 mechanical engi neering students sprayed its way out of the computer and into real life Thursday afternoon at the Brayton Fireman Training Field. The "Aggie Roll 'n' Squirt/' as it is known by the students, is a movable water nozzle mounted on top of a fire truck and con trolled from the inside of the cab. The design and manufactur ing of the prototype was the semester project for Dr. Peter Gien's section of Mechanical En gineering II last fall. The device wa6 demonstrated for the first time on Thursday for the media and members of the Austin Fire Department. Also on hand were 10 members of the de sign class, who saw their inven tion at work for the first time. The idea for the project came from Charles Page, head of the Fire Protection Division of the Texas Engineering Extension Ser vice (TEEX). He wanted an inex pensive device to fight grass fires that could be operated from in side the truck. Page took his idea to Gien, an assistant professor in the Depart ment of Mechanical Engineering. Gien took the idea and gave it to his class along with a budget and a deadline. The students came up with conceptual designs, and then broke up into design, manu facturing, and research groups. The designs came together, and the project was manufac tured and installed on a Brayton Field truck. Project Manager Laurisa Watkins said the deadline put pressure on the project. "Getting people to get stuff done on time — it's a challenge," Watkins said. The project will not only ben efit the students and University officials, but firefighters as well. Second to heart attacks, the lead ing cause of death for firefighters is responding and returning from alarms. Many firefighters fall to their deaths from fire trucks. With the new invention, they will not even have to get out of the truck to fight grass fires. In the future, the Texas Forest Service may make a kit that would allow fire departments to install the device themselves. The company that donated the BILLY MORAN/The Battalion The Texas Fireman Training School tests a fire hose nozzle invented by A&M mechanical engineering students. nozzle may market it on a na tional basis. Gien said there is the possibil ity of a patent crediting the stu dents as the inventors. If a patent is granted, the design group will receive a share of the profits — and a noteworthy addition to their resumes. Group member Laura Churchill said she was excited about the possibility of patenting the device. "People go through life with out ever approaching a patent," she said, "We ^ot a shot at one on our first try.' Page said the cooperation be tween TEEX and the University is also important. "It's a two-way street," he said, "I think we've opened that direction." Students to visit look at A&M lifi Program invites minority high schooleij By Tanya Williams The Battalion Black and Hispanic high school seniors undecided about attending Texas A&M will be giv en the opportunity to visit and learn more about the campus at a conference in Rudder Tower this Saturday. The Office of Admissions Counseling is sponsoring the sec ond annual "Admit One" confer ence, which welcomes minority high school seniors who have been admitted to the University, along with their parents. The "Admit One" conference is designed to show the various opportunities Texas A&M has to offer through presentations by student organizations and aca demic programs. "The program is used to in crease the matriculation of black and Hispanic students," said Chris Brown, Associate Director of the Office of Admissions. "Ad mit One sells Texas A&M to a population that might not have the opportunity to see the cam pus." The program was begun two years ago because the office felt there was a need to have minority students visit the campus. "We felt that the admitted black and Hispanic students did not have the chance to visit the Gage will welcome the minoi students and Vice Presiden! Student Services Dr. JohnKoll will speak to the group. Then students will have opportunity to learn more at the eight colleges at A&M.The dividual colleges will holds sions requirements and oppot nities available at each school In the afternoon, students be treated to a compliment 1 ftlPV will: lunch at Sbisa, then they joy performances by Fade Dance Ensemble and thePri Time Posse, a dramatic per:: mance group affiliated with Department of Multicultural vices. Students will also have chance to get an inside lookatt lege life from a student pois: view. An A&M student panel will available to answer the school students' questions. To end their day, studentse parents will hear about stude organizations, college life, various other aspects of All such as the Corps of Cadets, Hi [ dence Hall Association and Department of Multicultural vices. The Office of Admissii Counseling expects to haved to 1,000 parents and students tend. Current A&M students: welcome to assist with the ot? Coordinator stresses class agents' roles By Robin Roach ' The Battalion What is a class agent? Class agents serve as a liaison between their graduating class, the Associ ation of Former Students and Texas A&M. Class agents are elected during the spring senior induction ban quet held each year for students who will graduate in May and August. The Class of '92 will be asked to vote on their class agent team April 7 and 8 during this year's banquet. The candidates will be introduced at the banquet but will not speak. Jean Herbert-Wiesenburg, class programs coordinator for the Association of Former Students at A&M, could not express how im portant the class agents are in keeping former students involved and aware of what is going on with the university and their class mates. "Class agents are very, very important to the association, to the university, and to the class," Her bert-Wiesenburg said. "I can not understate their importance in what they do." The class agent candidates run in teams of three. The teams, which are chosen by the candi dates themselves, represent their graduating class up until the first formal five-year reunion. At the five-year reunion, the former students are asked to vote for the next team of class agents. The class agents are required to attend two meetings a year to remain up to date on events at A&M. Currently, agents from the Class of '21 all the way through to the Class of '91 meet each year. Each team of class agents as sembles a newsletter three to four times a year and is responsible for distributing them to their class mates. Included in the newsletter is information about the adminis tration, sports, clubs and financial updates at A&M. Through correspondence with former students, the newsletter also announces new jobs, promo tions, awards, births and deaths that occur in each class. Prior to the election, class agent candidates were counseled on what their responsibilities would involve. The candidates were required to complete an in- tent-to-serve letter. "All the people that decide to run have all received information from our class agent manual about the duties and responsibilities of class agents," Herbert-Wiesen burg said. *■'**-• The class agent candidates for the Class of '92 are, by team: •Mark Miller, Christy Ramirez and Elizabeth Torres; •Jennifer Darr, Drew Miller and Danny West; •Kristi Lorson, Vanessa Matthews and Stephen Ruth; •Kerry Cox, Mike Davidson and Lesli DeBord; •Steve Beller, Heather Casteel and Jennifer Collins. Winners will be announced Thursday, April 9. campus," Brown said. "Admit If students would liketok One offers the peek at Texas A&M with the conference, thev; University that is needed." show up at Rudder Foyer8< To begin the day. Senior Vice Saturday, or call Chris Brow President and Provost Dr. E. Dean 845-3741 for more information In Advance Da Bran spee' the / (Run-off) C S John Ansb; Lisa Cash Big Event plans rally April 4 at KyleM, to kick off annual local volunteer clem\ Ser Tim Isgitt Adin Pfeuffi Ronnie Met On April 4, the Big Event, attended by hundreds of student volunteers, City of College Station staff and local dignitaries, will kick off with a short rally at Kyle Field, beginning at 9 a.m. This is an annual neighborhood cleanup campaign organized by Texas A&M student volunteers. The objective is an improved! community and neighborhood] appearance. This year's event concentrate efforts in the $ gate area bounded by George! Bush Drive, Wellborn Roadj Arizona and Fairview Streets. Jun Mark Rollir Steve Scan Kim Vice Tha Vice The Battalion USPS 045-360 The Battalion is published daily except Saturday, Sunday, holidays, exam periods, and when school is not in session during fall and spring semesters; publication is Tuesday through Friday during the summer session. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1111. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. The newsroom phone number is 845-3316. Fax: 845-2647. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the contributor, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M student body, adminis trators, faculty or the A&M Board of Regents. Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-5408. Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611. ECKANKAR Religion of the Light and Sound of God Eckankar is a religion that teaches there is a spiritual essence, known as the ECK, that connects each of us with the Heart of God. We can experience the ECK as inner Light and Sound. Through study and practice of the Spiritual Exercises of Eckankar, we learn to recognize the light and Sound of God as It touches our lives, bringing increased divine love. You are invited to attend a free introductory presentation on ECKANKAR Sunday, April 5th, 4:00 pm, in the Hilton’s Dogwood room, 801 University Dr. E. For more information: 822-9081 Presented by the Texas Satsang Society, Inc., A Chartered Affiliate of ECKANKAR ClipThis Before Another Chi Vic It's nothing personal against your classmates. It's just that Ronkin gives students the skills, practice and support needed to gain an edge in the competition for graduate school admission. Sure, you want your classmates to get in. But don't you want the Ronkin advantage for yourself? Call Ronkin today. 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