Mustang Daily < -i Tncaday, May 10,1983 California Poljrtachnic State Univeraity, San Lnia Obispo Volnine47 .N o .ll9 FFA ‘Blues’ visit campus for 55th year by Marilyn Freeman Staff Wrttar For the 55th successive year. Cal Poly was invaded by bluejackets. No, these aren’t insects—these are the Future Farmers of America. “ Education’s Treasures, .•IN' Discover Yours’’ was the theme of this year’s state con­ vention which began May 8. Sunday morning’s session of the 900 FFA represen­ tatives from throughout California included an address I by the frrst female national FFA president, Jan Eberly. Eberly, 20, from Fallbrook, Calif, said she felt a certain warmth in returning to her home state of California. “ I have traveled all over the United States and halfway around the world, but 1 always love returning to the blue and golden state of California,’’ said Eberly, referring to the FFA association’s colors. Cal Poly President Warren Baker welcomied the FFA delegates to Cal Poly by crediting them with immense contributions to agriculture... “ It is a pleasure to have you here,’’ said Baker. “ I hope you en joy your v is it to our classroom s and la b ora tories." Keynote speaker at this year’s convention was Jim Kem from Jelm, Wyoming. Kem gave a humorous talk in which he discussed the realities of life. He covered such topics as how to teach children, giving advice, and living MuMang DaSy— OoaJwIn life to the fuUest. Dwight Barnes, left, and Tony Washington help serve beans at the Future Farmers of America Sea p a g e 5 79-day rainyConvention season barbeque. almost sets county record by Teresa Mariani By the end of April, San Luis Obispo had gotten a ico’s El Chichón last spring, climatologists are finding StaH Wiltar soggy 46.98 inches of rain. Believe it or not, that’s no out just how eruptions affect the weather. record; in 1969 the area was drenched with 54.50 in­ Scientists now say that if an en^rtion throws Is it just a figmont of the Poly imagination, or has it ches; in 1978, with 48.66 inches. volcanic ash and dust h i^ enough into the air, it wUL-^ really rained much much more this year then it did last ’The past three years have been some of the wettest form a dust ve il over the earth, absorbing su nlight and year’’ Or rained a 'ot more these last few years than it on record, with rainfall between 27 and 48 inches. But reflecting sunlight back into space. ’The result is cooler did when all the juniors, seniors, and sophomores were during the whole period of 1954-1964, the rain never temperatures and more rain—an eruption of an In­ tak in g naps in n u r s ^ school? broke the 36 inch per year mark. donesian volcano in 1816 caused “ the year without a It’s not imagination. So far this year, it’s rained a 'This y ea r’s to ta l is seven inches above the average o f summer” in Pennsylvania the following O^ear, when total o£ 79 days. 'That’s more rain than in any of the the past 100 years. Agricultural Engineering professor snow fe ll on th e c ity every month fp r 12 m onths. past 55*years. The closet any other season has come to Joe Glass, who studies local rainfaU patterns, says While no conclusive studies haVO. bi9^ done on the our record number of wet miserable days was in 1940- th a t’s unusual. psychological effects of bad weathw, t|ie Los AngsUs 41. which ended up with a dripping 76 days of rain. “You just don’t expect that much of a dramatic in­ Times recently ran an article about the effects of con­ And the official rainy season isn’t over yet—it runs crease in such a short period compared to 100 years,” tinued snow on Lake Tahoe dwellers this season. The from July 1 to June 30. 'Iliw e are an average of four he explained. “ M y gut feeling is that it’s the effect of article quoted a Tahoe sheriff as saying that residents rainy days each May in San Lula Obispo; so far we’ve the volcano (eruptkmsi we’ve had," he added. w «‘e definitdy getting more short-t«npered and ir­ only had two. ’Ilieories about the cause of the bad weather are roll­ ritable. ing around the country as fast as freak snowstorms. While Cal Poly residents don’t have to deal with ’Thanks to the eruptions of Mount St. Helens and Mex- shoveling snow and being cooped up inside a cabin with mom, dad, sis, the dog, the Idtty, and the hamsters, rain that won’t go away seems to have a Princess from Poly depressing effect here. Robert Sorensen, head of Cal Poly’s Psychology Department, says studying the psychological effects will go for state title of weather is alinost impossible because of the many variables and externalities involved. by Margie Cooper “ More important than the weather is people’s expec­ staff Writer tations," Sorenson said. “ If people expect it to be nice and it isn’t, then there might be some frustration. Despite the obvious connection to commercialism. “ More likely, in a pattern of continued bad weather, Karyn Scheuber is “drinking milk for good" because she people just adust,” he added. like the taste. An ability to adjust to continuous bad weather The twenty-one-year-old agriculture management ma­ might be necessary in the future, depending on which jor has passed the taste test. Scheuber was chosen Miss climatological theory comes true. A smattering of Dairy Princess three weeks ago for District Six, represen­ some of these: ting Mariposa, Stanislaus, 'Tuolome and Merced counties. • Increased volcanic activity will blanket the earth She was competing against nine other contestants. with a volcanic veil, blocking more and more sun. cool­ ’The princess travels to the State Competition on June ing temperature, and increasing snow and rain. Accor­ 23 in Industry Hills where judges will choose the “ State ding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad­ Dairy Princess.” Dairy princesses from the 13 districts in ministration, the Earth is due for nx>re volcanip erup­ CalifcHmia will compete. ’The contest is sponsored by the tions. O rap^ of volcanic activity show an abnormal California Milk Advisory Board and financed by Dairy quiet spot frt>m 1920 to 1946; the recant volcanic ac­ Farmers of America. tivity is just beginning to get back to niMinal. Dairy Science Professor Herman Rickard, said con­ • A return of continental glaciation. ’That’s testants are judged on their knowledge of Um dairy in­ right-another ice age. Technically, we’re in an ice age dustry by making an effective public presentation, show­ right now, as ice covers polar caps. During the periods ing their desire to promote the industry and an ability to between the four ice ages of the past 260 billion years, relate to the media. the polea were ice-free and tropical fruit grew in Scheuber said her education of the dairy business has Greenland. improved sinoe taking classes in her major although she A 1972 report frmn the National Sdence Board com es from a fam ily o f da iry farmars. forecast an and to the current warm period and a In her Dairy Husbandry course, Scheuber learned return of the glaciers. When? The traditional theory is about mviroiunental concerns of California farmers, that ice will build up at the ends of existing gladarsv eepedally the impact of winter raiiu iqwn milk produc­ causing the glaciers to advance over hundreds and tion. hundreds o f years. District 6 Dsiry Princess Ksryn Scheuber PtMMSMpagaS Ptaaaa sea paga 6 Pag« 2 MiMtaiig Dally Tua«day.May10.1963 EPA reports chemical drop End asked to death penalty * SAVANN/tH, Ga. (API - Supreme Court Justice WASHINGTON <AP) - The Environmental Protec­ , Lewis F. Powell, citing an "intcrierable” backlog of tion Agency, emu-ging from months of critidam, ' criminals on death row; said Monday that the death reported a success story Monday • a sharp drop in the Newsline penalty should be abolished unless prolonged delays in levels df a toxic chemkai in the bodies of all >r- d s rry in g ittm t are elim inated. Am ericans. — “This malfunctioning of our system of justice is un­ The fraction of Americans with high levels of fair to the hundreds of persons confined anxiously on polychlorinated biphenyls, also known as PCBs, death row,” Powdl told a conference of judges froih declined from 9.7 percent in 1977 to 1 percent in 1981, Finance rejects fee increase the 11th U.S. Judicial Circuit. according to a new E P A study. SACRAMENTO (AP) • Targeting one of Gov. "It also disserves the public interest in the im- "This is a dramatic example of the improvements George Deukmejian’s key prc^ioaals, a Senate subcom­ plementatoin of lawful sentences...,” he said. that environmental regulations are bringing us,” said mittee Monday rejected $178 million in fee increases “ Unless the courts - and Congress- discharge their Don Clay. EPA acting assistant administrator for for California university and college students. duty to move effectively to address this problem, the pesticides and to x k chemicals. The Finance subcommittee rejected most of the legislatures of the several states should abolish capital However, the study found that all Americans now Republican governor’s plan to charge sharply increas­ punishment." carry detectable levels of PCBs in their fat tissues.