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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1982)
California anti dashed over Mnndav’s landings atteinot w;is ral- weath^r had closed White Sands I ■ Aggieland has come a long way by Sandra Kay Gary Battalion Staff In the beginning, Texas A&M University had six students, six instructors, one unfurnished main building and no bathing facilities. Today Texas A&M has 32,463 students, about 2,0()() in structors, at least 158 buildings on the main campus and more than 4,757 bathing facilities. Texas A&M was founded in 1871, and opened for classes Oct. 4, 1876, as the state’s first public institution of higher learning. Now it is designated as both a land grant and sea grant university. Things clearly have changed in the almost 106 years Texas A&M has been an educational institution./ Once upon a time a proposal was made to turn the University into a state hospital for the in sane because wavering negotia tions over funding problems with the University of Texas couldn’t be resolved. Once upon a time a student was attacked by a pack of hungry wolves in front of the main building as he was going to regis ter for classes. Once upon a time the social organizations at the University included a Fat Man’s Club and a Bowlegged Man’s Club. And now in the 1980s, nego tiations about funding between Texas A&M and UT still are wavering, students still have to fight their way to register for classes and unique organizations — such as Alpha Phi Omega and the International Student Asso ciation — are play a large role in student life at the University. Meanwhile, Texas A&M Pres ident Frank E. Vandiver says the University’s top priority for 1982 is to acquire better compu ter facilities. In his state of the University address in February, Vandiver said computer training should be available to all students, but because money isn’t available the University is able to accom modate only 25 percent of the student body. Another top priority, Vandiv er said, is to solve the problem of massive enrollment in the Col lege of Engineering “without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” Enrollments in en gineering (11,418), agriculture (4,877), architecture and en vironmental design (1,665) and veterinary medicine (431) are the largest in the nation. University officials including Vandiver maintain that such priorities are directed toward the goal of making Texas A&M an outstanding international in stitution. Page 3 Photo by Rose Marie Delano Sparkling Waters The water shooting from the of the mid-afternoon sunlight. A fountain in front of the old star filter over the camera lens Chemistry Building captures glints enhances the effect of the sunlight. Changes in student government reflect University’s development TUDENT IRNMENT U N I V by Robert Curlin Battalion Reporter The present form of student government consists of more than 100 elected positions and recommends an almost S3 mil lion budget f or student set s ices — but it wasn’t always that com plex. Fhe earliest form of a student senate at Texas A&M Universitv began in the late 1940s, when the civilian student council was formed. The council was to serve the needs of returning veterans who were not required to join the Corps of Cadets. Around 1959, the civilian stu dent council, which coordinated civilians' dormitory councils, merged with the Corps senate. The newlv-formed senate's first major decision dealt with the use of revenue from the new Coca- Cola machines on campus. Fhe profits, it w as decided, would be used to fund student activities. Fhe earlv 1960s brought drastic changes to the Texas A&M student both and to its student government. The f irst female students and the first black student were admitted to the Universitv in 1963. In 1965, RO I C training for students became non- compulsory. Shortly thereafter, the stu dent government was reorga nized into its three present bran- E R S 1 T Y cites: executive, legislative and judicial. Along with the expan sion caused by the three-branch organization, student govern ment expanded rapidly with funding from the MSC Book store. Increasing enrollment — up to the fall 1981 semester record of more than 35,000 students — not only brought new revenue to the bookstore, but also a need for expanded student services which were to be funded by bookstore profits. Student Government now makes budget recommenda tions for student services such as the A.P. Beutel Flealth Center, the Personal Counseling Service and the MSC Council. Those re commendations are made through channels to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, which takes final budgetary action. Student senators also have discussed and made recommen dations on legislation such as the location of the new University Press Building and catalog list ings of courses which require evening examinations.