The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 1979 Page: 1 of 8
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Business office ditches Fisk phone service
by Matt Muller
Continuing problems with
the campus telephone system
have led the business office to
discontinue the university's
service contract with Fisk
Telephone Co. and to purchase
a contract costing twice as
much from the General
Dynamics Corporation.
General Dynamics is the
parent company of Stromberg-
Carlson, the manufacturer of
the various pieces of equipment
which together are known as
the master "switch" for the
campus phone system. Ken
Williams of the Campus
Business Office said, "We
figured the manufacturer was
the best place to turn for
service."
A variety of problems have
plagued the Fisk system for
some time, although it seems
the problems of crosstalk (two
or more conversations audible
to each other on the same line)
and of dead telephones have
gotten worse this summer. For
this reason, the university
discontinued the $1800 per
month service contract with
Fisk and purchased the $3600
per month contract from
General Dynamics.
The Stromberg-Carlson
personnel have been working
with the system since July 1.
Numerous problems remain in
the system, however. "We want
to get the system up to 100% of
capacity," said Williams, "hut
there are thousands of
components and checking
them all out is a slow, tedious
process."
Campus Business Manager
Russel Pitman stated that he
felt the university should allow
Stromberg-Carlson six months
to get the system in perfect
order. "However," said
Pitman, "this poses a problem:
if the system continues to be
overloaded after we have
determined that it is working at
100% of designed capacity then
we will have to go to a new
system."
"The university has ap-
proached Southwestern
Bell," said Pitman, "and they
have provided a preliminary
estimate of a $400,000
installation cost for new
switching equipment which
would utilize the existing cables
and telephones."
"If we went to Bell," said
Pitman, "we would want to
install the equipment next
summer. This would require
that we make a decision
whether to order the new
system or not by October—
before Stromberg-Carlson's six
month period is over—so we
have problems with our time
frame on this."
Mr. Pitman also mentioned
that with the system already
functioning below par, users
can expect substantial
problems during orientation
week and the first week of
classes. "During this time
before the private Bell lines
have been connected everyone
who wants to make a call has to
use the campus phones. Since
there are a limited number of
outside lines, we always
experience a real overload on
the system at this time of the
year," he said.
About the possibility of
converting to Bell equipment,
Mr. Williams commented, "It's
a little premature right now to
See phones, page 3
thresher
Volume 67, number 2
Thursday, August 16, 1979
WRC commons to be completed on time
by Wayne Derrick
Barring any last minute
disasters, it appears that the
major renovations undertaken
on Will Rice Commons this
summer will be completed in
time for orientation week.
The new kitchen area will be
completed and the appliances
installed by Saturday August
18, giving the kitchen crew time
to check out the equipment
before meal service starts
Monday.
The Private Dining Room,
Office area, and the main
dining area in the upper
commons all will be completed
£
R
m
1m
before Monday the 20th, the
first day of orientation week.
The brick work on the
outside arcade probably will
not be finished until later in the
week. This should not pose any
problems for incoming
freshmen and advisors,
however.
Will Rice Master Dr.
C.D.Armeniades said he felt
that the quality of the work was
"reasonable" compared to most
work in the Houston area.
"After all," he commented,
"craftsmanship just isn't the
same anymore."
Dr. Armeniades did express
concern, however, about the
condition of the grounds
surrounding the college. Two
large trenches dug adjacent to
the Will Rice volleyball court
have yet to be filled in. Dr.
Armeniades said he was
worried about the trenches
"because a deep hole dug in
Hanszen's grounds during then-
renovations was still there
months after a lithe other work
had been completed."
Dr. Armeniades also noted
that Buildings and Grounds
will need to replant, probably
during October, grass in all the
areas that were cleared during
the renovations.
Thermostats to be
set at 78 degrees
This 10-foot-deep remnant of construction endangers the WRC volleyball court. photo by wayne Derrick
Rice to host NSF seminar
on US-Mexico cooperation
Rice will host a one day
seminar Friday, August 24 at
which members of the National
Science Foundation will
inform researchers from Rice
and a number of other Texas
senior colleges and universities
of the possibilities for future
scientific and technical
cooperation with Mexico.
Dr. Frank Vandiver,
Provost and Vice President of
the university, said the seminar
is a direct result of the meeting
between Presidents Carter and
Juan Lopez Portillo last year.
The National Science
Foundation has a Mexican
counterpart, the National
Council for Science and
Technology of Mexico. The
two organizations have been
working together through a
mixed commission for several
years. This seminar will pass
along to Texas researchers the
commission's thoughts about
where work needs to be done
and where research funds
might be available for
cooperative studies between
the two nations.
Rice was selected by the
National Science Foundation
to host the seminar "because
we're good," said President
Norman Hackerman. "They
called me and asked if we
would do this. I said yes and
turned it over to the provost,"
he added.
Dr. Vandiver, who will
preside over the seminar, said
early acceptance to attend the
session had been received from
the University of Houston,
University of St. Thomas,
Texas A&M University,
Southern Methodist Univer-
sity, Texas Christian
University, Baylor University,
and Prairie View A&M
University. "We have
attempted to contact several
other research institutions in
the state," said Vandiver. "For
instance, we expect a
representative from the UT
Health Science Center at San
Antonio and we have contacted
Baylor Medical School about
the seminar."
Since the function of the
meeting is to provide
information, Vandiver
See seminar, page 3
by Richard Dees
The temperature of Rice
buildings wil be set at 78° when
students return to classes this
month.
In accordance with Depart-
ment of Energy regulations
announced July 5, buildings
must have their temperature set
at 78° for cooling and 65° for
heating. In addition, the
maximum temperature for hot
water will be 105°. However,
the regulations do not apply to
residential buildings; thus, the
residential colleges will not be
affected.
Besides the colleges, 1CSA,
parts of the library, and many
of the laboratories will be
exempted from the regulations,
since they house equipment or
materials that require
operation at a temperature
below 78°.
The university, like all other
building operators, must be in
compliance with the regulations
by August 16 or be levied a fine
See energy, page 3
lHattie, HATCU's automatic teller, may be in danger. See story, page 3.1
1 photo hy Waynr Perrick ]
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Muller, Matthew. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 1979, newspaper, August 16, 1979; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245408/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.