Pag* 2
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1974
Your
Man at Batt
by Greg Moses
Finding the library a poor place for serious study,
David Sneed, a junior zoology major, went to the Zachry
Engineering Center for his weekend book-cracking. He
expected to spend a few hours studying in the afternoon,
but all the rooms were locked.
“Last semester . . . rules for the Engineering Center
classrooms were posted on bulletin boards in each class
room,” noted Sneed in a letter to The Battalion. “One of
the rules stated that all classrooms were to be open for
studying at all times when not in use by scheduled classes.
Why has the rule been suddenly abandoned?”
David J. Harvell, administrative assistant for TEES,
said the rooms were locked beginning Jan. 21 due to
“extensive abuse of the classrooms” after normal class
hours.
Sneed mentioned in his letter that in the many nights
he studied at Zachry before it was closed he saw trash in
classrooms only rarely.
Harvell said complaints of trash was one reason the
Engineering Center was closed. “Faculty members said that
classes were unfit for use in the morning,” said Harvell.
Besides the litter problem, there were chairs broken in the
classrooms and lounge chairs from the halls were being
dragged into the rooms, he added.
“We’re not trying to lock anyone out of an educa
tion,” said Harvell. “That’s why we held off as long as we
did.
“The front doors are always open and we still have
four classrooms open for study until midnight on weekdays
and 24 hours a day on weekends,” said Harvell.
The rooms are 104A, B, C and D. “If they were
locked when (Sneed) was there, it was a mistake and I’ll
look into it,” said Harvell.
R. A. P
By 1
SP
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'YOU READY FOR YOUR NEXT CRISIS
Lease Line—
Tenants
live with mold, rats
Parking blues
The parking problem won’t go away.
“Our major problem is getting people in their
designated parking areas,” said Chief O. L. Luther of the
University Police. Recent changes in a few parking areas has
compounded the confusion. Twenty spaces on the South
side of lot 32 (across Houston Street from Sbisa) will
remain faculty staff area but the others have been changed
to day student parking. Lot 49 will be used according to
the map below, not according to the parking map, which
was a misprint.
There are enough spaces for all students, but some are
just more convenient than others. Parking Lot 50, behind
the Engineering Center, has an average of 300 vacancies per
day, says Luther. Between 350 and 450 spaces are usually
available in PA 40 and the south end of PA 24, behind the
Krueger-Dunn complex. Spaces are also available in PA 40,
behind K-D, according to Luther. Happy parking.
“Your Man at Batt” is a column for student
problems. All calls to The Battalion which may contribute
to this column are welcome.
By BARB SEARS
Two grave wrongs have been
done to the tenants of West Knoll
Townhouses in College Station:
one perpetrated by their landlord
and one by the local government.
The poor maintenance on the
part of the landlord is amazing.
The roofs of the apartments leak
so badly that many tenants report
that mold grows on their walls
and ceilings. One observed mil
dew beginning to overtake her
carpet, and during rainy weather,
water even drips from the ceiling
light fixtures! The internal hu
midity of the apartments has also
caused the entrance doors to warp
and stick.
In addition to these complaints,
the tenants have informed me
that the apartments are infested
with rats, which frolic in the play
ground and yards at night. One
report referred to a child that
had actually been bitten by a rat.
THIS SPOTLIGHT on West
Knoll Townhouses is not taken
arbitrarily. Members of the Fair
Housing Commission have talked
personally with three different
tenants who have described simi
lar complaints and who guarantee
that there are many other dissat
isfied tenants.
n 11 i i n i i i m / i » ii itt
RATI.ROAD
(This area reserved
for residents of Hughes
Fowler, and Keathley)
215 Spaces
DAVIS-GARY
L
This area is
reserved for
MAROON (male)
permit holders
In spite of continual complaints
for many months, little has been
done by the landlord to rectify the
situation. The manager made
some feable attempts to patch the
roof himself, but the reports indi
cate that he only aggravated the
situation. It seems obvious that
a professional roofing job is
needed, but the landlord seems
hesitant about spending any
money for maintenance.
After receiving little action
from the landlord, the tenants
tried other alternatives. The Pub
lic Works Department of College
Station was called, but it refused
to send a building inspector due
to a loophole in the current hous
ing code. The minimum housing
standards apply only to buildings
constructed after the adoption of
the code, and that was only three
years ago. West Knoll Town-
houses are four years old.
THE TENANTS thought that
the water dripping from the light
fixtures could be a severe electri
cal hazard, and they were able to
obtain a visit and cursory inspec-
Cbe Battalion
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the editor or of the writer of the article and are not
necessarily those of the University administration or
the Board of Directors. The Battalion is a non-profit,
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tion by the College Station Fire
Department. In one area, the Fire
Department official was quite
helpful, because he pointed out to
the manager that the door stuck
so badly that the little children
could not open it, and thus could
be trapped inside during a fire.
But in relation to the electrical
circuits and the danger of their
exposure to water, the official
said that it appeared to be a seri
ous problem, but he could not de
termine exactly how significant
without tearing the roof off, and
he would need permission. Final
ly the owner responded and said
that he personally would fix the
roof that week. The date he spe
cified was over a week ago, so it
has become apparent that he is
not going to be as diligent with
the repairs as the tenants had
hoped.
The tenants decided to try an
other route. In relation to the
dampness and rats, the tenants
felt they had a reasonable objec
tion in relation to occupancy and
health, and so they called the
County Health Office. They were
told the Health Department only
investigates matters concerning
state buildings. Pursuing this
angle, the tenants called the San
itation Department, described the
situation, and were told that they
would be called back. They were
not contacted, however.
IN DESPERATION, the ten
ants called the Mayor and the
County Attorney, who, although
sympathetic, just referred them to
be construed that he did not live
up to his responsibilities, and thus
nullified the contract. If they so
desired, the tenants could move
out and legitimately demand their
deposits back. However, such an
action could place them in a posi
tion vulnerable to a suit or evic
tion by the landlord. Although
the matter is not at all settled, it
is possible that they will seek
justice through the court system
and try to force their recalitrant
landlord to provide them with a
decent place to live.
the Better Business Bureau.
It is clear that the landlord has
not provided a "habitable place”
for his tenants. Therefore, it can
0iDMS’!ra , awaDFS£LL
NEEDS YOU!
If you want to participate,
express your views, testify
before a committee,
desire information:
CALL TOLL FREE:
1-800-292-9600
OR WRITE:
P. O. BOX 13286
AUSTIN, TEXAS
78711
REMEMBER, THIS IS
YOUR
CONSTITUTION.
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The Graduation Present
The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is
published in College Station, Texas, daily except Saturday,
Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods, September through
May, and once a week during summer school.
Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school
iptions subject to 5%
on request. Address:
7, Services Building, College Station,
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for
reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it or not
otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous
in published herein. Right of reproduction of i
matter herein are also reserved.
all other
Interim Editor Rod Speer
Assistant to the Editor Greg Moses
Managing Editor Stephen Goble
News Editor T. C. Gallucci
Photo Editor Gary Baldasari
Sports Editor Kevin Coffey
Ass’t. Sports Editor Ted Boriskie
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