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Inside
Punk plays
in Atlanta.
See p. 5.
VOLUME HI. NUMBER HI
UNIVERSITY OE GEORGIA. ATHENS, GEORGIA 30*112
THURSDAY. MARCH 2. 197*
Photo by C.A REgioiCR
Firemen fight blazes at Southeastein Publications
IN JURIES MINOR
Print company burns
By GREGG STEIN LE
Staff writer
Fire caused by sparks from a welder s torch destroyed
portions of an Athens printing company Wednesday and sent
clouds of black smoke high into the afternoon sky.
No serious injuries were reported but several firemen
suffered smoke inhalation, cuts and bruises and one had bums
on both arms.
Initial damage estimates ranged from $60,000 to $200,000
dollars, company officials said.
The printing company. Southeastern Publications, is a
division of Athens Newspapers Inc . and leases the building
from the First National Bank of Athens. Bob Chambers,
publisher of the Athens Banner-Herald and The Daily News
said
THE FIRE will cause the comics section to be printed
without color for some time, according to Chambers
Two hundred tons of newsprint caught fire when welding
sparks fell on it The newsprint was about eight feet from the
door being welded by workmen from Overhead Door of
Athens Inc ." according to the workmen.
They also said the fire extinguisher "fell apart" when they
pulled the release pin
"Mike pulled the pin in the fire extinguisher and it just fell
apart; they just serviced them,” one of the Door company
employees said
Don White, plant manager for the printing company, said
the fire extinguishers are serviced once a year by City Fire
Extinguishers and Welding Products Inc., and were last
serviced two months ago He said he tco nad heard the fire
extinguisher had "fallen apart "
HARRIS McCl’RLEY, spokesman for the fire extinguisher
company, said all his company does is service the
extinguishers
"We don't know what they do to them after we service
them They could run over them with lift trucks or anything.
What 1 want to know is why didn't they use one of the other
extinguishers They've got at least five." McCurley said.
The fire was under control by late afternoon but would
continue to burn into the night because the building's roof had
collapsed on the stacked rolls of newsprint. Fire Chief Tom
Eberhart said
The fire was "deep seated" and he could not estimate how
long it would take to put the fire completely out. he said.
Firemen used power saws to cut through the collapsed roof
and provide an opening for water
• WE RE CUTTING the roof away in sections so we can gain
access and get to it and extinguish it." Eberhart said.
The warehouse portion of the building was completely
destroyed but the office and several other businesses in the
same block suffered only heat, smoke and water damage, he
said.
Large crowds gathered to watch the fire and city police
blocked surrounding roads, causing minor traffic tieups in the
late afternoon rush
Throughout the afternoon smoke from the fire, which could
be seen for miles, blew through portions of the crowd forcing
only the most determined onlookers to retreat.
Voter turnout low
in SGA survey
By BILL KRUEGER
Staff writer
A meager number of students turned
out Wednesday to vote in a Universit)-
wido re f ‘»rendum proposing three amerd
ments to the SGA constitution
A total of 395 students voted in the
referendum, which resulted in all three
amendments passing by large majorities
Next year's executive branch will
consist of a president and vice-president
according to the amendment, instead of a
president, executive vice president and
administrative vice president, as it is this
year The amendment passed, 320-56.
The second amendment proposed to
give the president the right to choose a
representative to the SGA elections
committee In the past, the executive
vice president has served on the elections
committee.
The amendment proposed to give the
president the power to select his cabinet
and to preside at cabinet meetings The
executive vice president now presides
over the meetings. This amendment
passed. 326-67
Voters passed the third amendment,
which erased a requirement the president
and treasurer of the Student Senate serve
a full term (one yean as senator before
taking these posts. The amendment
passed. 292-90
Debbie Barnes, elections committee
chairman, attributed the poor turnout to
poor publicity
“It was done on the spur of the
moment. It took the senate so long to get
the amendments passed There was just
not enough time to publicize the
referendum." Barnes said The senate
passed the amendments at last
Wednesday’s meeting
In addition there were problems with
getting enough people to work at the
polling places. Barnes said. "We were
real short of poll workers. Because of the
shortage our polls didn't open till 12:00
noon at Bolton and the poll at the
Psychology-Journalism plaza was closed
for two hours We were unprepared
because of the time element." she said
"I’m really disappointed in the lack of
interest shown by the senators.” she
added.
There will be a referendum held with
the election April 13 to define the jobs of
the president and vice president. Barnes
said "The vice president has no defined
powers right now." Barnes said.
The referendum was scheduled to be
held on Tuesday but was postponed until
W'ednesday because of rain The delay
caused some concern because petitions
for candidates were available yesterday
and the referendum results were needed
to determine if there would be one or two
vice presidents
"We had one person pick up a petition
for vice president today and he filed as
just vice president, so there was no real
problem,” Barnes said.
The amendments will not become
effective until after elections April 13.
FACULTY, IP SPEAK OUT
Support grows for library employee
By PATRICIA TEMPLETON
Staff writer
Support for former library assistant
director Richard Press has moved
beyond the library and into the rest of
the University community.
A petition in support of Press,
signed by 31 history professors has
been delivered to Vice President for
Academic Affairs Virginia Trotter
In addition, a resolution expressing
"sympathy" for Press and calling for
his reinstatement to "the same or a
higher position" at the University
library was passed by the Idea
Production Idea Processing Group
(IP) Wednesday night
Press, former assistant director in
charge of collection development, was
told last Friday afternoon he would be
transferred to the library at the
Griffin Experiment Station, effective
Monday. Feb. 27.
LIBRARY OEFICI \LS sav Press’
transfer is the result of a reorganize
lion of the library’s structure, made
necessary because of impending
automation at the library.
However, the move has brought
forth loud criticisms from the library
staff and from people and organi
zations outside the library, who see
the move as an effort to get rid of
Press because he has been critical of
the library administration
The petition from the history
professors called Press "truly the
most knowledgeable and able librari
an-scholar amorg the present staff of
the libraries."
The petition expressed "strongest
disapproval" of Press reassignment.
"WE I)EPLOBE the senseless and
totally inconsiderate decision to
reassign him to an inferior position. In
the best interest of the libraries, the
University, the faculty, and the
students, and in consideration of the
best utilization of academic resources,
we request that you look into this
matter and rectify it at once,” the
petition stated.
The petition added Press "has
clearly demonstrated outstanding
ability Striving diligently to build our
collections in crucial areas. Dr Press
has used his scholarly ability and
broad bibliographical knowledge to
strengthen the sources so badly
needed for research in a wide variety
of academic disciplines."
One history professor said the
history department is a "very divided
faculty on many issues" but that
Press received "close to unanimous
support" from the members of the
department "I have not heard one
person say anything negative about
him." the professor added
Another faculty member said Press
is a "very professional, very able,
very humane, and tremendously
cooperative individual "
"HE HAS helped build the history
and social science section (of the
library) up very well He seems to
Di. Richard Pi ess
want to make it a better library."
another faculty member said
"Richard Press is a very competent
person, the sort of person we should
be keeping, not sending to Griffin
"I frankly feel it is an intolerable
situation It's the kind of thing that
happens in East Germain or Poland
or Uganda, not the kind ot thing you'd
think would happen on a university
campus." said one facults member "I
just think it’s shameful."
"1 think they (the administration)
have miscalculated They apparently
don’t know what they’re doing. There
are such issues involved, such
.•xplosive issues, it's very stupid to
heat it up It's a very nasty situation,"
the faculty member added
First they stripped them (the
librarv employees» of their dignity,
now they're treating them like
inmates of concentration camp instead
of like employees of a library "
TIIOM GOOLSBY, member of IP
said at the meeting last night, "it is
totally wrong for an institution to treat
a man the way that they have treated
Richard Press It is against all of his
rights "
"If it is true that they have
automated the library to the point
where they have to transfer people
over the weekend, why was it
necessary to transfer someone of his
position'.’" another spokesman at the
IP meeting s.\id.
Press’ transfer has also been
protested by library employees, who
stmt a petition to Trotter condemning
the move, and by the Library Staff
.Association who passed, by a 100-20
vote, a resolution calling for Press'
reinstatement.
The American Association of Uni
versity Professors <AAL'Pt has also
passed a resolution supporting the
Library Staff Association's "efforts to
improve the personel policies and
practices of the University Libraries "
used for Russian flu study
Students
By JOHN VARDEMAN
Staff writer
A campus-wide study aimed at the
prevention of Russian flu was started
Wednesday by the Center for Disease
Control (CDC). Dr. Walter Brown of
University Health Services said.
The project began at 10:00 yesterday
morning and volunteers were enlisted at
three locations on campus: the
University Union. Stegeman and the
Women s P E Building These sites were
chosen because "the most flow of
students" occurs in these three areas.
Brown said
Representatives from the CDC met
Friday with Health Services but did not
decide until Tuesday afternoon to go
ahead with the test The flu study had
already been approved by the
University’s Institutional Review Board,
Brown said
The upcoming spring break will occur
during part of the three week study,
causing some discussion by the CDC as to
whether the test should be done, he said
CDC OFFICIALS wili not be able to
follow student voluneers for the study as
closely during the break Brown said The
officials expressed some concern as to
whether the volunteers would commit
themselves as stringently to the
requirements of the test during a holiday,
Brown added
The effects of two medications for the
prevention of the Russian flu will be
studied during the test The medications.
Amantidine and Rimantidine. are li
censed and approved to combat the
Russian virus
Rimantidine is being used in great
quantities to combat the flu virus in
Russia he said It has helped control the
spread of the virus in Ru>sia as well as
decrease the severity of the symptoms.
Brow n said
A placebo (containing no medication•
will be administered during the test to
study a volunteer who is protected by
neither Amantidine nor Rimantidine, he
said
DOCTORS WILL supply each volunteer
with one of the three types, to be taken
twice a day over a three week period
The volunteers will not know which
medication they are taking. Brown said
He added volunteers participating in
Ihe study could not be hurt by the
medication Two of the tablet types will
provide protection, while the placebo will
have no effect at all. Brown said
“We will be comparing the attack rate
during the study," Brown said Doctor
will compare how many people in each oi
the three groups come down with the flu,
and whether it is the Russian strain or
not. he said.
Of those who become sick with the flu.
the difference in the severity of the
symptoms will be studied. Brown added
Doctors will also be checking for
sub-clinical infection in each of the three
groups
Sub-clinical infection occurs when a
person is not aware of the infection
although it exists within him. he said
BLOOD TESTS will be given at the
beginning of the study, during the middle
and at the end Doctors will U>ok for any
rise in antibodies for the flu virus and to
what degree protection is provided, he
said.
In addition, the doctors conducting the
study will be checking "any changes in
the blood chemistry" and "any changes
produced by exposure from the flu."
Brow n said
The flu study will require about 600
volunteers between the ages of 18 and 25
who do not have any kidney or liver
disease, are not pregnant and are not
taking any medication for a present
illness. Brown said
The student volunteers will be given a
supply of medication and a form on
which they are to record their daily
health record Symptoms such as an>
pains or coughs snould be recorded.
Brown said
THE SHEETS will be checked by the
doctors when the volunteer reports for
his blood test Each volunteer will be
Itaui about $30 for his or her service.
Brown
The study will not be conducted "in an
ideal way." he added, because of the
short time the doctors have had to
prepare The study had to be conducted
as soon as possible because "the number
of flu cases will probably peak and pass
before spring quarter. Brown said
"We do have some suspect cases of the
Russian flu on campus, but they are
milder and shorter in duration (than the
Russian flu which is currently attacking
several parts of the country.” Brown
said.
There is no reason to expect an
outbreak of Russian flu on this campus,
but a "possibility" the sickness will
reach the University still exists. Brown
said
Presently, the nearest site afflicted
with the Russian flu is Memphis. Tenn .
according to Dr Lyman Phillips, clinical
director at Health Services Recent flu
cases* in Decatur and Albany, however,
are also highb suspect, he added.
A "CONTINGENCY PLAN” has been
worked out by Health Services in case a
Russian flu epidemic should hit the
University, according to Phillips The
cases of commuters, married housing
and apartment dwellers would be treated
by Health Services Clinics would be set
jp in the dorms, and trained personnel
would help those living in the resident
halls. Phillips said
The problem with the Russian flu is
See FLU. p. 2
America’s most famous grandchild. 2-year-old Jason Carter, grandson of a
now famous peanut farmer made a campus appearance yesterday He was escorted
by his mother. Judy, and the two talked with a home economics class on child and
family development
AW
Who’s Grandpa?
Photo by WINGATE DOWNS