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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1977)
Inside today: ,ocal merchants and Texas A&M University, aren’t warming up to ot checks. Page 8. Mat's in the A&M lost and found? Page 7. ix Weekend Ways to keep from Studying. Page 6. onfessions of a football ticket scalper. Page 9. The Battalion Vol. 71 No. 21 10 Pages Thursday, September 29, 1977 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 Fraternity seeks official recognition By KIM TYSON Battalion Staff A fraternity has asked for Texas A& M University recognition for the first time and consideration of the whole “Greek” system is being made. Dr. John Koldus, vice president for student services, said Tuesday. Sigma Phi Epsilon, a national fraternity which has been operating off campus since 1965, asked for recognition Aug. 31, 1977, said Freeman Fisher, the fraternity’s chairman in charge of the petition. Although Koldus said he will confer with A&M President Jarvis Miller, he said the decision will be his. He said he will be meeting Miller at the end of the week and he hopes to discuss it then. “One major reason we wanted to apply is to clear up any misunderstanding about fraternities,” Fisher said. Fisher said there are some benefits to University recognition that his fraternity would like to have. “One is doing special programs and service projects,” Fisher said, “The frater nities and sororities are well organized and would like to apply this ability to other A&M activities.” set policy for the whole university, Koldus said. Other decisions that have come to him fiom the board include recognition of reli gious organizations and the Gay Student Services Organization. When asked why he thought the frater nity wants to be recognized, Koldus said, “To lump it all together, to be much more visible. He said this visibility would in clude advertising, promoting activities and soliciting members. “Their life-blood is membership, which means a great deal as far as recruitment. ” Koldus listed the following benefits of university recognition: use of campus facilities, a faculty or staff adviser, oppor tunity to request student activity funds, ability to advertise on campus, use of the Student Finance Center and eligibility to petition for Student Programs Office space. Fisher said the fraternity, if recognized, already has a faculty member to act as its official adviser. Dr. Carolyn Adair, director of student activities, said that the only restrictions on recognized organizations are they must keep funds in the Student Finance Center and bank through it. She said if an organi zation receives money from Bookstore profits, SOB would monitor how the funds are used. No money would be monitored if it is totally from the organization. She said the only recognized social or ganizations are hometown clubs. But she said these differ from Greek organizations because they are not selective in their membership and are not a part of a na tional organization. Koldus listed three things that are im portant for any organization: the chance (See ‘Greeks,’ page 8) taken at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Battalion photo by Susan Webb ommunity agency provides ee transportation services By COLIN CROMBIE jetaTurner is a67-year-old widow, in- ienced by the lack of public trans lion in Bryan-College Station, don’t mind walking when it’s walking ther,” Turner said. She frequently s to do her shopping. But she doesn’t to Bryan or see a doctor very often, she 1 [t is kind of a desperate feeling to know peed to go to the doctor and can’t go; I’m sure there are others like me,” Turner, who lives alone in College furner said she does not use the CAA ices very often. Ike services are Project Independence Years for Profit. Inject Independence is primarily con ed with taking customers to their doc- and to medical facilities for rehabilita- i, Watson said. e Brazos Valley Community Action cy (CAA) provides two free transpor- n services for the elderly and the ically and mentally handicapped, said Transportation Coordinator Lee Wat- a system whereby Bryan and College Sta tion, should they decide to begin a public transit system, could lease the transporta tion equipment to an operator, guarantee ing payment of the probable deficit. “An individual operation rarely suc ceeds,” Bloser said. The cities have the capital and can get federal funding but to prevent another governmental department it is best to have a public transit system managed by an outside company, he added. “I don’t think a public transit system will hurt my business. It will increase it,” Rodriguez said, and optimistically viewed his prospects of being awarded a manage ment contract. But D. D. Williamson, planning engin eer of the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, pointed out that decisions on a public transit system and on the type of operation have first to be made by the Bryan-College Station city councils before a decision can be made on the operator. Michael Beal, local chairman of the March of Dimes, said that there should be an alternative transportation system. It would alleviate the difficulty of the low in come segment of the population of getting to work, he added. He said that job transportation would tend to have the effect of lowering the wel fare rolls in the long run by making more job opportunities available. Kent Potts, chairman of the Transporta tion Committee of the Bryan Planning Commission, also said that public trans portation between home and work would help the employment situation of low wage earners. “I have some (workers) that could be ac commodated by public transportation,” said Potts, who owns a local nursery. Oleta Turner was in agreement with the officials’ statements. “It’s bound to put lots of people to work,” she said. “The cities would be capable of bringing it about,” she said. “I believe I’d ride it a lot,” Turner said, remembering the days of regular public transportation when she made four or five trips a week to Bryan. Fisher said last year his fraternity spon sored a balloon sale at the A&M/Rice foot ball game, donating the $900 they earned in profits to charity. This year, Fisher said the sale was turned down by the Univer sity Concessions Committee, mainly be cause they weren’t a recognized organiza tion. He said the sale had been held for the past four years. There are 60 active members in Sigma Phi Epsilon, with 34 more pledged this fall. Fisher said from 60 to 80 percent are involved in at least one recognized organi zation. Members of the fraternity include a member of the Corps of Cadets, an A&M basketball player, the vice president of Aston Hall, the president of the finance association, the chairman of the Recrea tion Committee and the A&M tennis player. Fisher said he is not sure how A&M students would accept a fraternity’s recog nition. “For one thing, any deviation from tra ditions at A&M normally raises a rumble,” Fisher said. “But with girls coming to A&M, enroll ment increasing and the overwhelming majority of students off campus, I think the Greek system has a lot to offer.” Fisher said the fact that there are about 900 students now involved in fraternities and sororities shows that there is a definite need for them. “I’d fail to see any reason for not being allowed on campus if we adhere to their rules and requirements for a recognized organization. I’d fail to see their grounds for rejection,” Fisher said, “I’d want at least a statement explaining why. ” Fisher and Koldus both said that this decision would set a precedent for the other fraternities and sororities. Most or ganizations seeking recognition apply to the Student Organizations Board (SOB), a student-faculty-staff group created by Dr. Koldus. But the Sigma Phi Epsilon peti tion was referred to him because it would Student reactions to ‘Greeks' vary Texas A&M Students’ views toward University recognition of “Greek” organi zations appear to be mixed. “My personal thought is that once the fraternities and sororities are here there would be some advantage to recognizing them because we would have some influ ence over them, Rober Harvey, student body president, said in an interview Tues day. Harvey said his reservation about hav ing them recognized is that they might in stitute a “caste-system" on social life based on wealth. Harvey said he is unsure of how other students feel about Greek recognition by the University. “I think the majority of students are against fraternities and sororities if there are no concessions made on how they are operated on this campus, he said. Harvey said many students he’s talked to are concerned that members would put the national organizations ahead of A&M. “They want to make sure the fraternities are Aggies first. If they can settle that in their minds they usually are for it (recogni tion),’ he said. Mike Gentry, corps commander, said the Corps “wouldn’t like it if the frater nity is recognized. “I think the anti-fraternity sentiment is that they don’t want the encroachment of a Greek-type social atmosphere on the A&M campus.” “As it turns out in other universities, you’re nobody unless you re in a fraternity or sorority,” Gentry said. “At A&M, people who aren’t like in the Corps can still be in an organization. All Aggies can look at each other equally. Mike Mitchell, president of the Off Campus Student Association, said he thought if his council was representative, most off campus students would not object to the fraternity being recognized. “If we were to recognize these organiza tions and include them, perhaps we can help the fraternities and sororities as a whole to orient their interests in the tradi tion of Aggieland, Mitchell said. “We need to take fraternities and sororities into the fold of Aggieland or we re going to go find that when they get big enough we won’t be able to do tnis. ” “Mainly, it’s because it is just not an Aggie tradition,” Senior Frank Harrison said. Some student base their opposition on experiences with high school friends who have joined fraternities and sororities at other schools. “I’ve noticed a lot from friends of mine at other schools that the fraternity makes their whole life,” said Beau Meyer, civil engineering major. “I think they are more interested in put ting up a front, rather than coming down on a one-one-one level,” Harrison said. “A&M has really done well without them and we re unique in this aspect, I hope it will stay that way,” Meyer said. Not all fraternities and sororities want to be recognized by the University, either. Bob Limbacher, president of Sigma Chi, said his fraternity would not like to have restrictions placed on their funds by the university. Chris Clements, president of Kappa Alpha, said that they are making no moves now to apply. The sorority presidents of Alpha Delta Phi, Chi Omega and Kappa Alpha Theta said they would probably not apply for recognition, even if recognition is ap proved for Sigma Phi Epsilon. Lauri Holford, president of Kappa Alpha Theta, said she had heard adminis tration officials had not informed entering freshmen of the availability of fraternities and sororities. I second concern is taking the people o are serviced to government offices ch as social security and welfare, she visit can be made to a grocery store if there is time. ;ars for Profit provides transportation !he physically able to nutrition centers Iryan and College Station, or takes food he physically disabled, Watson said. !AA operates two vans in Brazos lunty, one with a hydraulic lift. But on said there are not enough vehi- ‘Happy Hour’: no time for cheap liquor think we re in desperate need of pub- ansportation,” she remarked. Oleta Turner said she remembers “a id system back then,” just after the jand World War, that ran every 15 or ininutes. pe last attempt at public transportation is an experiment by Roy Ellis in July and gust of 1976. Ellis said he never went o full operation, but would have arged a 50 cent fare while servicing van, College Station and Texas A&M. He said he had no meaningful financial jprmation concerning his two month greyhound Bus Lines and Central as Bus Lines have at least six buses ch day connecting Bryan and College lion, but the only stops are at the de ls and the fare is a $1.10 minimum, said eyhound agent Sam Enloe. He added that threre are no extension tosfor the Bryan-College Station service d the outbound services are already ex uded. A charter and rental bus service is Svided by Transportation Enterprises forporated, said Ed Bloser, manager of i Bryan-College Station branch, ihe charge varies, Bloser said, but gave K) for three hours for an in-town bus as lexample. Jim Rodriquez owns three taxicab com- Cies in Bryan-College Station, United, e-T-Way, and Diamond. His fares are cents per mile and 75 cents for the first ip, and are as low as he can put them, said. Closer and Rodriguez are both in- ested in a management contract. This is By GLENNA WHITLEY Battalion Staff At Happy Hour business picks up. Lines stretch from one end of the huge room and back again. Some people stand on tables waiting impatiently. Others mill around, griping about the long delay. “This is ridiculous.” “I’ve been waiting an hour and a half, can you believe?” “This place smells like one giant armpit.” They wait for their name or code to be called. “Smith, 1972, Max, Adams,” shouts one of the men behind the counter. Happy Hour isn’t an opportunity for imbibing cheap alcoholic drinks. Students and faculty come to this room on the sec ond floor of the Texas A&M University Li brary between 8:30 and 10 each week night and 12:30 to 1 each afternoon. They come to run their computer programs for free. As people hear their code word an nounced, they reach through the crowd for their computer print-outs, results of as signments in classes ranging from agricul ture to nuclear engineering. Some use the computer for personal research and games. And they don’t have to to pay for the computer microseconds they use. During regular hours, computer time is paid for with an account set up in each department that requires computer use in their courses. As each program is running special code and account number, the amount of money used for that program is computed and deducted from the department’s ac count. Happy Hour, however, is paid for through the the office of the vice-president for academic affairs. In a busy month, the bill can amount to about $4,000. Almost one-third of the programs run in a 24 hour period, are run during Happy Hour. The free computer time is meant for students not taking any courses in which funds are alloted for computer work, but who want to use the computer anyway. But many students who are in a class with funds set aside for computer use take advantage of Happy Hour to conserve the class’s funds. “It is true that some departments are using it for instruction,” said Dr. Dick Simmons, engineering profesor and direc tor of the Data Processing Center. “That happens when you have an unpoliced Happy Hour. But we’d rather not put re strictions on it.” The Amdahl 470 computer can execute programs in seconds, but the backlog of jobs and the waiting time results because the printer is much slower than the com puter. “The problem is not the printers, it’s the number of key punches and the physical space,” Simmons said. “When the new li brary opens we ll have even less room.” The Remote Computing Center will be moved to the basement of the building it now occupies. Simmons said the DPC was not con sulted about the space reserved for the RCC when the new library was planned. Dr. Irene Hoadley, library director, just informed him of the decision after it was made, he said. Hoadley said the decision to move the RCC to the basement was made by the architects and systems planning people, and the DPC officials were asked about the plan. Battalion photo by Susan Webb A long line begins to form as students await noon “Happy Hour” in the Remote Computing Center in the library. The reason the RCC was moved to the basement was to provide it with an outside entrance, Hoadley said. “The RCC used to be open until 2 a.m., but the library started closing earlier,” Simmons said. The outside entrance will allow the center to stay open later than the library. The earlier closing time is one of the reasons lines are longer at the RCC said Steve Candler, remote operator. The Teague Computing Center in the Teague building has been closed to undergraduate users, and this also creates overcrowding. Simmons said the undergraduates crowded out the graduate students and commercial customers running their pro grams at Teague, so it was made off-limits to undergraduates. “The problem with Teague is space, too ” he said. Simmons said he put in a request for enlarging the space in Teague. Another remote center is in Zaehry En gineering Center, but it is also not large enough to handle the hundreds of students using the key punch machines and printer. Future remote computing centers could alleviate the overcrowding problem. The Bu siness Administration building being planned will have a remote center. And the College of Agriculture is considering installing one in the new Agricultural building, Simmons said.