The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 16, 1996, Image 2

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Page 2 • The Battalion
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WE CAN GET A
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VIA FEDEX!
We Sai Student Tickets that allow
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Plan your Summer Early
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We are eurail
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A
N
FOUNDATION
???Interested in
Aggie Athletics ? ? ?
The 12th Man Student Foundation
is now accepting applications for
next semester!
Positions available:
Secretary
Membership
Swimming
Special Activities
Basketball
Tennis
Newsletter
Publicity
Baseball
Volleyball
-Soccer/Track
m Golf/Softball
Football
Organization/Hall Representative
Those interested in applying may pick up a
description of positions and application at the
12th Man Foundation office in the Koldus
Building room 109.
Due by Thursday, April 18 in the 12th Man Foundation
office. Interviews will be scheduled April 22-16.
Attention Students
Force Dates for English 210 & 301
The Department of English - Writing Programs Office
announces forcing for graduating seniors only for techni
cal writing courses (English 210 and English 301) in
Blocker 224 on the dates below:
Summer I and Fall Semesters
Wednesday, May 1
Thursday, May 2
Summer I Only
Friday, May 31
Fall Semester Only
Thursday, August 29
Summer II Only
Wednesday, July 3
Forcing Hours
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
and
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Graduating seniors must bring a signed letter from their aca
demic advisor on departmental letterhead indicating the
semester of graduation. Seats will be available for the
semester of graduation only.
The Writing Programs office does not guarantee seats to
graduating seniors in any class, including English 210 and
English 301. However, we will do whatever we can to
accommodate students who come to our office during
announced force dates.
Once again, we will not be able to force students who do
not come in during force dates. No forces will be done
during pre-registration.
For more information see our Web page at this address:
http://engserve.tamu.edu/files/writingprograms/rulesforforcing.html
Caivirus
Tuesday • April 16,
news
BRIEFS
High school science
projects shown today
The Junior Academy of Science,
a statewide competition sponsored
by the Texas Academy of Science
in which high school students pre
sent original research projects to
be judged by university scientists,
will be held today and Wednesday
on the Texas A&M campus.
Twelve students will receive
medals and certificates for their
projects, and two overall winners
will advance to the national Ju
nior Academy of Science in
Washington, D.C.
Winning projects at past acade
mies include "Tne Use of Naturally
Occurring Antimicrobials to In
crease Shelf Life of Tortillas" and
"Mechanisms of Disappearance of
Salmonella on Cutting Boards."
The academy is hosted by the
A&M Center for Mathematics and
Science Education, and activities
are slated to occur in the Rudder
Tower Complex.
Nubian Festival
awards held Sunday
The Texas A&M MSC Black
Awareness Committee and the
PanHellenic Council hosted the
Nubian Festival awards ceremo
ny Sunday.
The BAC, the PanHellenic
Council, the National Associa
tion of Black Journalists and
Zeta Phi Beta and Delta Sigma
Theta sororities gave awards for
student accomplishments.
The Academic Excellence
award, requiring a 3.75 grade-
point ratio, was given to Brian
Bell, a sophomore chemical engi
neering major, and Jeridith War
ren, a senior psychology major.
The Reginald Broadus award,
requiring a 3.25 grade-point ratio
and dedication to leadership and
community service, was awarded
to Steven Traylor, a junior finance
major, and Tamara fenkins, a
freshman general studies major.
Cracks in the sky: Three A&M
professors study aircraft hazards
The Aggies have been researching ways to improve airplane structures
By Eleanor Colvin
The Battalion
Improving the efficiency of aircraft and devel
oping better estimates of their structural life is
the goal of three Texas A&M professors who are
studying the hazards of cracks in aircraft.
Dr. David Allen, a professor of aerospace engi
neering who has studied aircraft cracks for 15
years, said A&M’s research on this topic is
unique and helpful because it involves strong
theoretical and mathematical approaches.
"Designing with more confidence
will be a significant benefit of our
research."
—DR. DIMITRIS LAGOUDAS
Associate professor of aerospace engineering
“The models used in the past were expen
sive,” he said. “They were not accurate enough
to be used as good predictors of the dangers of
cracks.”
Because cracks have caused one-third of all
aircraft crashes in the past 20 years, Allen said
his goal is to develop structures that will last
longer and repair schedules for older aircrafts.
The cracks being studied are often not visible,
Allen said. They measure from 1/3 of an inch to
1 foot long. He said the small cracks, if
monitored, are usually
not problematic.
“There are cracks in
roads, bridges, cars
and aircraft,” he said,
“but we’re fortunate
that most of them
aren’t critical cracks.
“We don’t want to
imply that the na
tion’s fleet of planes is
unsafe because of this
— because it’s not.
We simply want to
make it better.”
Dr. Dimitris Lagoudas, an associate professor of
aerospace engineering whose work concentrates on
the environment’s effect on aircraft aging, agreed
that improving aircraft quality is a top priority
that will have benefits beyond safety.
“Designing with more confidence will be a
significant benefit of our research,” he said.
“Stronger designs should increase the operat
ing speeds and engine efficiency of crafts, and
that should decrease costs and travel time for
consumers.”
Dr. Jay Walton, a professor of mathematics
and aerospace engineering, said the research is
innovative because environmental effects have
not been seriously explored before.
“Environmental processes, like oxidation, cause
aging and some safety problems,” he said. “We
work with chemical engineers to study models ol
how oxidation occurs that are more realistic thar,
simplified versions studied in the past.”
Walton, who derives equations that estimate
how cracks grow, said the research should edu
cate aircraft industries about monitoring and re
pair options.
“Because it
may be ex
pensive to
fix cracks
or unsafe
not to,”
he said,
much
information as
possible so they can
draw the best conclusions.”
Allen said their experimental
models can help industries establish
more efficient maintenance programs because
they estimate how rapidly cracks spread and how
often they should be monitored. Increasing the
intervals between maintenance or repair, he said
would reduce the cost of aircraft operations in
general.
We're looking for the most interesting & awesome look
ing guy to win The 1996 Texas Man of the Year. If we
pick your man, boyfriend, brother, etc , you'll win a
$300 shopping spree at FOLEY'S.
If you win, you'll receive:
*One year representation
by the largest modeling
agency in the Southwest -
The Intermedia Model &
Talent Agency
*A photo shoot with a top
fashion photographer
Contest is open to all males ages 1 6 to 40 and live in Texas or currently
attend a Texas college. Simply pick up an entry form between April 14th
thru April 28th at your local FOLEY'S in the Young Men's Dept., or mail
in a non-returnable photo (headshot or full length) with your name,
height, weight, age, address, phone number, and name of person who
referred you to this contest to:
TEXAS MAN MODEL SEARCH • Intermedia •
5353 W. Alabama #222 • Houston, Texas 77056 • (713) 622-8282
The Battalion
Sterling Hayman, Editor in Chief
Stacy Stanton, Managing Editor
Stew Milne, Photo Editor
Michael Landauer, Opinion Editor
Tara Wilkinson, City Editor
Tiffany Moore, Night News Editor
Gretchen Perrenot, Night NewsEww
Amy Collier, Aggielife Editor
Nick Georgandis, Sports Editor
Dave Winder, Radio Editor
Toon Boonyavanich, GraphicsEmt*
Brad Graeber, Graphics Edhor
Staff Members
City Desk - Assistant Editor: Lily Aguilar; Reporters; Marissa Alanis, Pamela Benson,Elew
Colvin, Johanna Henry, Lisa Johnson, Michelle Lyons, Heather Pace, Kendra S.Rar
mussen, Erica Roy, Wes Swift, Courtney Walker, & Tauma Wiggins
Aggielife Desk - Assistant Editor: Amy Uptmor; Writers: Rachel Barry, Kristina Buffi"
Amber Clark, Jonathan Faber, James Francis, Libe Goad, David Hall, Jeremy
Hubble, John LeBas, Amy Protas, Wes Swift & Alex Walters; Page Designer:He
len Clancy
Sports Desk - Assistant Editor: Tom Day; Sportswriters: Kristina Buffin, Phil Leone,fw
Nance, Nicole Smith & Wes Swift; Page Designer: Jody Holley
Opinion Desk - Assistant Editor: Jason Brown; Columnists: H.L. Baxter, Rob Clark,Eiin
Fitzgerald, Jason Glen, Shannon Halbrook, Aja Henderson, Elaine Mejia,Cl«
Miller, Jeff Nolen, Chris Stidvent, Dave Taylor, Jeremy Valdez & Kieran Watson
Photo Desk - Assistant Editor: Tim Moog; Photographers: Rony Angkriwan, Aim
Browning, Shane Elkins, Dave House, Gwendolyn Struve, Cory Willis & Evan
Zimmerman
Page Designers - News: Asad Al-Mubarak, Michele Chancellor, Jody Holley, Jill Mazra
Tiffany Moore & Gretchen Perrenot
Copy Editors - Brian Cieselman & Amy Hamilton
Visualization Artists - Terry Butler, Michael Depot, Dave Doyle, Ed Goodwin, lolm
Lemons, Jennifer Lynne Maki, Quatro Oakley, Gerado Quezada, James Vineyarc
& Chris Yung
Office Staff - Office Manager: Kasie Byers; Clerks: Abbie Adaway, Mandy Cater,Am
her Clark & Anjeanette Sasser
Radio Desk - Will Fdiclcman & Dave Winder
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University:'
the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism.
News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313;Fa«
845-2647
Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsemenl byTht
Battalion. For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. Ef*
classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDC-
aid and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 84 5-2678
Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick upa^
gle copy of The Battalion. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school)®
and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Exp® 1
call 845-2611.
The Battalion (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday duringtho® 1
and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session*
(except on University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University-
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840.
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Te®
A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
MSC Wiley Lecture Series
■
The Congressional and Presidential Roles
George Mitchell
Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Arthur Schlesinger
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian
Dan Quayle
Former U.S. Vice President
Moderator: Margaret Warner, News Hour with Jim Lehrer
8 p.m., April 17,1996 • Rudder Auditorium • Texas A&M University
Tickets available from the MSC Box Office • (409) 845-1234 • Students $5, $7, $9 • Non-Students $9, $12, $15
Persons with disabilities, please call 845-1515, three days in advance, to inform of your special needs.
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