Class of *82
has high
voter turnout
Class President
CHERYL SWANZY
Cheryl Swanzy bases her bid on
three years in student govern
ment as freshman senator, dire
ctor of legislative affairs, vice pres
ident for external affairs and class
gift vice-chairman. As president
she says she would like to in
crease awareness and participa
tion in the affairs of the Universi
ty. The candidate said she knows
how to get results for her class.
Class President
GARY WAYNE BRANCH
Gary Branch says he would like to
be re-elected in order to maintain
an ongoing pursuit of class goals.
He cites communication as the
class’s major problem and says he
hopes to increase involvement by
working closely with the public re
lations committee.
Branch has served as Class of
’82 President, Fish Camp sub
chairman, and on the advisory
council to the student body presi
dent.
Class Vice President
ANN HANKINS
Ann Hankins, a junior marketing
major, says she wants to heighten
involvement in the planning of
class activities and to make more
of her class members aware of
meetings and activities.
Hankins has held offices in va
rious clubs and organizations and
says she feels she has adequate
experience for communicating
with her class.
Class Vice President
JAMES BOND
James Bond, a junior biology-pre-
med major, said his major goal will
be to make decisions of the class
officers more representative of the
class through effective public rela
tions.
Qualifications he cited included
experience as a class officer,
leadership positions in other orga
nizations, experience in the field
of public relations and a desire to
benefit his class.
Class Secretary/Treasurer
DAVID S. MOYER
David Moyer, a junior computer
science major from San Antonio,
says by keeping the financial
records during the past three
years as Class of ’82 secre
tary/treasurer he has become well
acquainted with the respon
sibilities and workings of the posi
tion.
Class Social Secretary
SUSAN PAVLOSKY
Susan Pavlosky, a biochemistry
major from Houston, says she
likes being involved in class activi
ties and believes her two years of
experience as social secretary
have given her the knowledge and
the contacts to anticipate and deal
with usual problems.
Pavlosky says she would like to
get more people involved in class
functions like the annual picnic,
the class gift, and fundraisers.
Class Historian
BRYAN BARTELS
Bryan Bartels says he likes to get
involved in all aspects of student
life at Texas A&M.
His qualifications include hav
ing worked on the Class of ’82
Council for two years and various
other committees, Bartels says.
He has also been selected as a
Fish Camp counselor for 1981-82.
Class Historian
MARK MORRIS
Mark Morris, a junior history ma
jor from Greensboro, N.C., says
he wants to become involved with
the Class of’82 and guide the class
in making decisions about the
senior class gift and other impor
tant goals.
Morris says his special goal will
be to try and maintain contact with
as many class members as possible
after graduation •
Class Historian
BILL SMITH
Bill Smith says he hopes to be
come better acquainted with his
classmates and to help with the
problems encountered by the
Class of ’82.
Smith said his goals will be to
make the members of his class
more aware of the historian posi
tion and to keep an accurate re
cord of all class happenings.
Class of ’83
Class President
GEORGE Z. SOPASAKIS
George Sopasakis says he is seek
ing office because he is a strong
befiever that the worst citizen is
the one who is not involved in his
city’s problems.
He said problems he will
address will be the Sophomore
Class Ball, raising money for the
class gift, and improving relations
between national and internation
al students by organizing special
activities.
Class Vice President
LARRY M. COLUS
Larry M. Collis says he would
attempt to solve problems of or
ganization and publicity as vice
president of his class.
Collis says he believes he is
qualified for the office because has
worked closely with the class offic
ers in the past and held similar
positions in high school. He says
he also beheves he has the leader
ship required for the position.
Class Secretary
ANN HORNE
Ann Home says she wants to be an
active part in continuing to make
the Class of ’83 the greatest class
ever in the making.
Home says her qualifications
include being a hard worker who
does her job as best as possible.
She says she also enjoys meeting
people and getting along with
them.
By KATHY O’CONNELL
Battalion Reporter
If the voting trend at Texas
A&M University continues as did
last year, student government
officers shouldn’t be too con
cerned about voter apathy.
Brad Smith, current student
body president, said up until last
year the turnout for student elec
tions at Texas A&M was approxi
mately 12 percent, which is nor
mal for a university this size.
Smith said the average turnout for
other universities is usually be
tween 12 to 15 percent.
Compared to other universi
ties, Texas A&M does have a lar
ger turnout. For instance, the
University of Texas at Arlington
(20,166 enrollment) had a 10 per
cent turnout at its Fall 1980 elec
tion.
Texas Christian University had
an exceptionally high turnout for
its 1981 election, because of a re
ferendum to allow alcholic bever
ages in dorm rooms, Chris Kelly,
co-editor of the student newspap
er, said.
Otherwise, the turnout at TCU
is usually low, he said. Results
showed that in the Fall 1980 elec
tion at TCU, only 446 (seven per
cent) of 6,000 undergraduates
voted.
Universities hold their elec
tions at various times in the year.
Rice University holds an election
in the spring and fall semesters, as
does Baylor University.
Eddie Platt, chairman for
academic affairs at Baylor, said the
turnout is usually larger in the
spring than in the fall because the
spring election is held on Dia del
Loso (day of the bear), which is a
student holiday.
For that election, Platt said
approximately 29.5 percent of the
8,100 eligible students (undergra
duates) voted. He said approxi
mately 3.7 percent (300 students)
voted in the fall election.
The University of Texas at Au
stin doesn’t have a student gov
erning body, so it does not hold
student elections.
Smith said he can’t explain why
7,141 students (24.3 percent) of
the 29,409 enrolled at Texas A&M
voted last year.
“I don’t understand why it was
so high last year ... a lot is that the
campaigning is pretty heavy here.
I’m biased on this, but we do have
one of the best student govern
ments in the state.
Smith is hoping there will be a
10,000 student voter turnout this
year. “There are a lot of things that
need to be done (next year), and
we’ve got to get some good people
in here,” he said.
University
Spring 1980
Enrollment
Percentage
Voter Turnout
UT at Arlington
20,166
North Texas State University
17,200
12%.
Texas Christian University
6,000
7%
Rice
2,500
33.8%
Baylor
8,100
29.5%
Texas A&M University
31,443
24.3%
Class President
MIKE LAWSHE
Mike Lawshe says he wants to
continue working with the pro
jects started by class members
when they were freshmen. He
said he believes his two years of
experience as a class officer have
given him insight into the work
ings of the class council and
quaify him for president.
Lawshe says he would like to
see more student input and parti
cipation in the Class of ’83 begin
ning this summer.
Page 8,— Voters Guide
1 ) - - >v M «
Class Treasurer
JOHN MOTLEY
John Motley says he plans to file
bi-monthly reports of all income
and expenditures because he be
lieves the council and the class
should be better informed regard
ing the financial status of the class.
Motley has served as assistant
treasurer for MSC Aggie Cinema,
and several other organizations at
Texas A&M. He says he is in his
outfit’s financial committee and is
minoring in accounting.
Class Social Secretary
DEBBIE RICHMOND
Richmond says she is running for
Social Secretary of the Class of’83
because she wants to become a
more active member of the class.
Richmond says she believes she
is qualified for the office because
she has worked with the current
class officers on projects and
would keep class activities well-
organized and work with the other
officers as a team.
Class Secretary
PANDORA DYSART
Pandora Dysart says with the ex
perience she gained a secretary of
Mosher Hall she feels she will be
capable of scheduling her time
and upholding her respon-
sibilities as class secretary.
The candidate says she enjoys
meeting and talking with people
and has been on an executive
council before. She was also a 1980
Fish Camp counselor.
Take a trip
to the polls
Off-CancvpAJis Angies
OCA — voice of off-campus Ags
$
m
%
next year as a result of the new
housing policy affecting fifth-year
seniors and graduate students.
Schulze said the OCA hopes to
get some of those students next
year who have held leadership
positions in their dorms to take
similar leadership positions within
the OCA.
The OCA also works along with
the Off Campus Center within the
Department of Student Affairs to
coordinate roommate sessions and
landlord receptions.
And the OCA is active in intra
mural athletics. The Organization
owns the class “C” womens bas
ketball crown.
OCA President
PAUL BETTENCOURT
Paul Bettencourt, a senior che
mistry major from Houston, says
he sees the need for OCA to have a
strong, interested and motivated
president which he thinks he can
be.
Beginning this summer he says
he would plan to coordinate OCA
as a viable student organization
which would promote off-campus
students’ interest in every situa
tion.
His past offices include Student
Government Judicial Board chair
man, Aston-Dunn senator and
vice president of rules and regula
tions.
OCA Vice President
BRUCE MARTIN
Bruce Martin, who is running un
opposed for OCA vice president,
says he is running for the office
because he felt there was a need
for leadership in that position of
the organization.
He says the main problem he
wants to deal with is getting infor
mation for off-campus students
who aren’t in communication with
the University, so they will have a
greater voice in the issues that
concern them, such as parking.
He has been involved in OCA
since its inception and helped
form the organization.
One of the more newly-created
organizations at Texas A&M Uni
versity, Off-Campus Aggies was
formed in the Spring of 1979
through a merger of the Off Cam
pus Student Organization and
Hassle Free.
The organization was created to
help students solve the problems
which are unique to off-campus
living.
Louann Schulze, staff adviser
for the OCA said “if students who
five off-campus have any problem
at all this is the place for them to
start.”
OCA calls itself the “political
voice of the off-campus student”
and aids students by representing
their needs to the University
administration and Student Gov
ernment.
The organization works to keep
students informed of university
activities by posting notices of
events at area apartment com
plexes. Distribution of material to
the different complexes is routed
through the Student Programs
Office in the Memorial Student
Center.
Yearly events in which the OCA
participates include: Almost Any
thing Goes, Apartment Managers
Reception, Bonfire, Off-Campus
Nite, Blood Drive, MSC All-Nite
Fair, Crime Prevention Program
and a Parents’ Day Barbecue.
The OCA has won third place in
both the Fall 1979 and Spring
1980 blood drives.
In one of its heir most recent
efforts the OCA, along with the
Residence Halls Association,
sponsored a program for students
who would be forced off-campus
A major project of the organiza
tion this year has been to establish
apartment councils “to reach the
students on a smaller scale,” OCA
President Paula Sorrels said. Five
or six such councils will be formed
next year, she said.
Other future goals in sight for
the OCA, Sorrels said, include
working closely with incoming
freshmen as well as fifth-year
seniors and graduate students who
will be forced to live off-campus
next year.
OCA Secretary
RHONDA RHEA
Rhonda Rhea says she is running
for OCA secretary because she
wants to help in the revitalization
of the organization. She says it is
time the organization came back
to life and brought off-campus stu
dents together.
She says communication is the
biggest problem off-campus stu
dents face because they are so dis
perse. She says it is up to OCA to
bridge this communication gap.
She has served as a Ward II
senator and as a member of the
Rules and Regulations Com
mittee.
OCA Treasurer
MELLISA ANN
MONTGOMERY
Melissa Montgomery, a sopho
more from Houston, says she
would work hard to make Off-
Campus Aggies successful, but
that she feels there “aren’t too
many problems with our organiza
tion.”
She says she wants to get OCA
more involved in the University
and is seeking the office of the
treasurer because she is an
accounting major.
As a current member of OCA,
Montgomery says she views the
organization as one whose pur
pose it is to help off-campus stu
dents get adjusted and involved in
the University.
Residence Halls Association
RHA President
TIM RYAN
If elected, Tim Ryan, a junior
agricultural economics major, says
his primary concern would be to
ensure that the new constitution is
implemented as smoothly as pos
sible.
He cites aiding the growth of
RHA as another objective and says
he would attempt to achieve this
by making the organization more
visible and available to all on-
campus students.
The candidates experience
with RHA includes serving as a
general member, a hall delegate
and communications coordinator
on the executive council.
RHA Vice President
MICHELLE ROWLAND
Michelle Rowland, a junior
journalism major, says her experi
ence on the RHA executive com
mittee has taught her how to
undertake responsibilities and
meet challenges.
Since 1979 Rowland has served
as treasurer and secretary of
RHA, Chairman of the RHA Par
ents’ Day. And the candidate says
she wants to continue her service
by running for vice president.
One problem area she says she
would deal with is communicating
and operating with other organiza
tions.
RHA Vice President
KARIN TINCH
Karin Tinch, now president of
Hughes Hall, says if elected she
would attempt to operate effi
ciently under the organization’s
nel structure to increase the
RHA’s involvement in resident
activities.
Tinch says being president of
her dorm has given her experi
ence in dealing with people on
both social and professional levels.
The candidate has been active
in RHA for two years and is pre
sently involved with Casino and
the National Association of Col
lege and University Resident
Halls.
RHA Secretary
GAYE HENLEY
Gaye Denley, a freshman jour
nalism major from Houston, is
running for RHA secretary be
cause she says she sees it as a good
way to stay involved in dorm acti
vities.
Her qualifications include edi
tor of the Mosher newsletter and
RHA director of facilities and
operations, the position she cur
rently holds, and secretary of her
high school student government.
If elected, Denley said she
would become involved in com
mittee work and help with admi
nistrative problems. «
RHA Treasurer
KEVIN J. BAILEY
Kevin Bailey, a sophomore che
mical engineering major from
Houston, says as treasurer of RHA
he would attempt to expediate
monetary transactions by making
prompt and exact demands.
The candidate says he is seek
ing office in an effort to become
more involved in campus life and
learn how the administration
works.
His previous experience in
cludes president of Puryear Hall
and involvement in RHA.
RHA: unified voice’ for residents
rnmu
L
The Residence Halls Association,
created from the Civilian Student
Council in the Fall of 1973, now
serves some 7,500 students.
The Civihan Student Council,
which represented all students ex
cept the Corps of Cadets, experi
enced a transition period in 1972-
73 and saw the need to diversify
because of the rapid growth of the
University, Sherrie Balcar, RHA
president this year, said. At that
time the RHA began to represent
those students who lived on
campus.
The purpose of the RHA is “to
serve as a unified voice for on-
campus students,” Balcar said.
Some of the larger yearly prog
rams and activities of the RHA in
clude Casino, which will be held
on April 24 this year and Parents’
Day, April 26. Also, the National
Convention of Residence Hall
Associations will be held here at
Texas A&M this year.
Recently, the RHA attended
the Texas Residence Halls Asso
ciation convention in Denton and
received the award for the out
standing-school exhibit. Balcar
was named president of the TRHA
for next year at the convention.
The organization is comprised
of an executive council including
the president, vice president, sec
retary and treasurer. A national
communications coordinator who
serves as a delagate for the RHA
and a chaplain who serves as an
officer. Presidents and delegates
' V > • « • ' I * ♦ < ' I •
from each residence hall repre
sent the residents of each hall in
the RHA’s general assembly.
Officers must be full-time stu
dents in good standing with the
university, have an overall GPR of
not less than 2.25 during their
term of office and live on campus.
RHA presently serves 25 halls
at the University and with the
additional housing to be com
pleted next year, the organization
is predicted to serve some 8,000
students.
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Voter’s Guide — Page 5