EDITORIAL: "Smith Hall's Lease on Life"

Currently standing in the way is a year-long environmental impact study, required by federal law before the new building planned for the site can be built. The study is intended to find out the effect of replacing Smith Hall, located on 34th Street next to the Chemistry Building and across from Furness Library. This is happening on your campus, so it may affect you. The Air Force held a public meeting on August 19 to get your opinion, and originally allowed people to submit thoughts in writing until September 11. Unfortunately, you probably were not aware of the meeting -- and in all likelihood were not even on campus. The write-in deadline passed almost as soon as students and faculty arrived back for the fall. Happily, the Air Force has extended that deadline until October 1. We definitely support the change, and also hope another public meeting can be held. Gary Baumgartel, who ran the August meeting for the Air Force, said afterward that he could return to campus at a more convenient time if students were interested. Smith Hall may have outlived its usefulness. It is the oldest research laboratory building still surviving on campus. But more recently, it has housed the History and Sociology of Science Department and the School of Fine Arts. Currently on the table is a proposal to replace it with the cryptic-sounding "Institute of Advanced Science and Technology," or IAST. This $75 million dollar building would hold the most up-to-date laboratories on campus. The IAST's advocates argue that the building is a necessity for competitive reasons, but its detractors say Smith Hall must remain standing for the sake of University history. Some even argued that the IAST will merely be a glorified "weapons factory" for the Air Force, which may pay for half of the cost of constructing the building. But what is important now is what you think, and you have less than a month left to voice any opinion you have to the Air Force. Send your comments to: Lt. Col. Col. Gary P. Baumgartel AFCEE/ESE Building 1155 Brooks Air Force Base, Texas 78235-5000 Don't let the University erect a $75 million dollar building before you put your two cents in.