The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 13, 1977 Page: 3 of 16
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Beyond the Hedges
Of killer airbags, allergic Geminis, and Law School
by David Butler
Two geneticists at Washing-
ton State University claim
that a chemical in automobile
airbags may have serious
effects on humans.
R.A. Nilan and Andris
Kleinhofs say that the
chemical, sodium azide, is
"one of the most powerful
mutagens (mutation-causing
agents) known to man." The
chemical is used as a catalyst
to inflate the airbags with
nitrogen, and the scientists
are worried that unused
portions of the chemical may
escape when the airbags
deflate.
Sodium azide, according to
Nilan and Kleinhofs, is three
to four times as effective as X-
rays in inducing mutations in
plants and animals, although
no tests have yet been
conducted on humans. The
scientists are also concerned
about large amounts of the
chemical—about a pound and
a half per airbag-equipped
car—that could escape into the
environment when the cars
are junked.
Airbag manufacturer
spokesmen claim that all the
sodium azide is used up in the
inflation reaction, leaving no
dangerous byproducts.
Congress is now considering
investigating the matter.
* * *
An ad hoc committee has
formed at Princeton Univer-
sity to stop the formation of
the Richard M. Nixon School
of Law on the Princeton
campus. According to a
handbill distributed by the
group, Nixon'8 friend Bebe
Rebozo has offered the
Princeton board of trustees
$23 million to build a law
school named for the ex-
president.
But the Daily Prince-
tonian, after talking to school
officials, branded the handbill
as a hoax. Assistant to the
President T. Dennis Sullivan
was quoted as saying of the
offer, "That's nonsense!
Besides, I don't think $23
million is enough to build a
law school."
♦ * *
According to Esquire,
classics majors comprise less
than one percent of all liberal
arts majors. What, after all
can one do with a classics
degree in the real world, you
ask?
If the classicist is William
Nethercut, professor of
classics at the University of
Texas at Austin, you can learn
where you're going to
experience health problems-
based on your astrological
sign.
According to Nethercut,
each astrological sign rules
different parts of the body,
with concurrent "typical"
ailments for each sign. The
healthiest people, he says, are
Capricorns, whose uncompli-
cated lifestyles lead to few
health problems, except for
possible knee ailments.
In astrological order, the
other signs and their pet
ailments are: Aquarius, ankle
trouble; Pisceans, foot
problems; Aries people,
headaches; Taurus, upper
back injuries, sore throats,
tonsil trouble and respiratory
ailments; Geminis, asthma,
allergies, and nervous
breakdowns; and Cancers,
ulcers and liver ailments (they
"tend to enjoy drinking a bit
too much.")
Leos, traditionally overeat-
ers, are prey to overexertion
and heart attacks; "nit-picky"
Virgos may develop ulcers or
intestinal disorders; Librans,
supposedly born under a sign
affiliated with the kidneys, are
"pretty healthy;" Scorpios,
while prone to bladder
infections and gout, are also
generally healthy; and
Sagittarians may be plagued
with lower back pains, hip or
thigh trouble, and slipped
discs.
Ma Bell's sworn enemies,
the phone phreaks, now have
other means to communicate
than clandestine phone
connections.
TAP, a New York-based
magazine for phone gadgeteers,
was recently profiled in
Manhattan's Village Voice.
TAP editor "Tom Edison" (the
name is a pseudonym, for
safety's sake) estimates the
bimonthly magazine's inter-
national readership at over
2000.
Ideas recently published for
foiling Bell's increasingly-
sophisticated technology
include techniques for
repunching the computer card
to lower your bill, methods of
hooking into the worldwide
military Autovon network,
and how to get or make new
improved slugs for pay
phones.
"Edison" told the Voice
that, while TAP is officially
"an 'information only' source,
we do encourage readers to
send us any hot tips. . .we've
even set up a special service
called 'MEAT' so phreaks can
discover each other within
their own cities."
(Subscriptions are $5 for 10
issues, or $7 for first-class
mail; send to TAP, room 504,
142 W. 42nd Street, New York
NY 10036.)
A fraternity has asked the
Texas A&M administration
for official recognition—the
first time a "Greek" social club
has made such a request.
(A&M, like Rice, does not have
official fraternities or
sororities; the only official
social groups are hometown
clubs.)
Sigma Phi Epsilon, a
national fraternity which has
operated an off-campus
branch at A&M since 1965, put
in the request There are 60
members and 34 pledges in the
group, and about 900 students
involved with one or another
of the unofficial Greek clubs at
the school.
SPE spokesman Freeman
Fisher says the group wants
university recognition, which
would allow it to use school
facilities and advertise on
campus, in order to help them
with special programs and
service projects. He says he
can't see why the administra-
tion should reject their
petition: "I'd at least want a
statement explaining why."
Student body president
Robert Hawley sees some
advantage in recognizing
Greek groups, "because we
would have some control over
them." But Corps commander
Mike Gentry doesn't like the
idea, citing the experience of
other schools where "you're
nobody unless you're in a
fraternity or sorority. . .All
Aggies can look at each other
equally."
Student services vice
president John Koldas will
rule on the SPE petition in the
near future.
D00HESBURT
by Garry Trudeau
willy, pass out these
questionnaires anp
\ booklets, willya? coach
: says we have to fill
them out now.
hjhapda
theyon?
w
*wh the advent of
equal opportunity for
women in c0lle6iate
sports, there is noma
need to educate athletes
y about the sports
situation as it
currently exists"
Pi)
" guide to ujomen
in athletics —
part ii - sexism
and contact
sports. "
okay, usten-the rest
of this deal is some
. sort of questionnaire
; we gotta fill out-it's
called the "male athlete
/attitudes and
dispositions
_ i v't , r-, survey. "
okay, the second part
of this questionnaire
is called "sensitivity
and the male athlete."
/
" part m '■ attitudes.
multiple choice questions.
(t) do you'mind the
idea of integration
of the sexes in
/ sports?"
something to do with
the new hew. rulings
requiring athletics
for women. the col-
lege wants our 1 just
!_reactions. remembered
groan! i have a
okunn! ptfffws
' ' \ APPOINTMENT.
towards that goal,
the university women's
athletic association
has prepared a brief
'6uipe to women
in sports
"fact' although there
has been some limited
acceptance, most men
arb painfully patronizing
towards women who try
to participate in
contact sports "-
'o should women
be allowed to
play football?
if so, when?"
i 0.r,mayi
handlb that
one?
* q) which human
emotions would
you rate as
bein6 the most
important?" 'insouciance!"
"hun6eiv'
AN6ER!"
a) i don't mind one
bit. 0) yes, i mind
the idea a lot. c) i
really haven't made up
/ my mind."
okay, okay,
cool m we
gotta take
this serj..
m
what follows are some of
the most frequently asked
questions about women,
which we'll try to answer
here in plain, simple
language.
"for instance, what
do you suppose the
average linebacker
would do if he suddenly
discovered that the big
running sack chap6/n6
at h/m through \
the line was a
woman?
go
ahead,
willy.
3.d., it 19 my opinion
that women should not
be allowed to play
football until such
time as it can be
reliably determined
that hell has frozen
over
* hunger"?
o
° "horniness!"
yeah,
yeah!
© what do you think of
the idea of both sexes
sharing the same locker
facilities? a) i don't
like the idea. b)i like
/ the idea, because
i believe in
total equality '
red dog, this £
is sexist pig!fjg w \
can you j < of course,
\ read :j'' silly'
W
/. what
exactly is
a "woman"
/
oh, wow-
i've always
been afraid
to ask i <=>
"he'd probably
try to try to calm
calm her her down. "
down? \
after thaz
it's f/ne
w/th me'
/
HORNINESS"
is NOT an
EMOTION, howjt!
WTr!IS W
/ /i>, HJUi y0j£(
c) i like the idea,
but fop, all the
wrong reasons."
the rice thresher, october 13, 1977—page 3
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Parker, Philip. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 13, 1977, newspaper, October 13, 1977; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245347/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.