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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1985)
Tuesday, September 24,1985/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local - Waldo by Kevin Thomas SC Council approves sale of laser photograph posters s accusals nt to knosi ?nts).” condoneQ tie don’u •rovide i □grams, h the majoii | lanes - iversities, lifficult pe 1 n\' progre f: won’t appi pport anil By MEG CADIGAN Staff Writer The Memorial Student Center ouncil unanimously approved the ale of laser photo posters at T exas &M Monday. Other important business in- luded a request from the president f the Mexican Students’ Associa- lon, Angel Gonzalez-Mendez for undraising help to aid Mexican arthquake victims. David Klosterboer, executive vice president of programs, said the laser Iphotos will be full color, moderately priced and should yield $9,600 (profit. He said the proceeds from poster ales will benefit student devel- ipment programming at the MSC, mich includes the fall and spring leadership programs and retreats, nd freshmen leadership programs. The project requires an initial utlay of $5,400. This funding was llocated by Enrichment Fund oard during its meeting last week- nd. Jill Thrash, vice president for de velopment, said, “The purpose of the Enrichment Fund Board is to f uovide contact for students for undraising.” Thrash said the board’s lead ership consists of Chairman Wade Seidel, Vice Chairman for Public Re lations Joe Arredondo and Vice Chairman of Finance Charles Plum. She said the board is vital in help ing MSC committees achieve their fundraising goals. Jim Reynolds, director of the MSC, said committees this year are expected to solicit $300,000 in con tributed income. Thrash said the Enrichment Fund Board is assisting MSC student de velopment to raise its long-range goal of $6 million in endowment funds. In other business, the Mexican Students’ Association made a pre sentation on the situation in Mexico after the two recent earthquakes there. Gonzalez-Mendez said his group is planning to work through the San Antonio Red Cross to get aid to Mexico. He said about $300 has been raised by his association so far. International Student Association President Luis Rodriguez said, “Thirty-six thousand students here at A&M can do better than that.” MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society and the MSC Fall Leadership Committee also appeared before the council. OPAS Chairman Jody Boarnet re ported that 1,806 OPAS season tick ets had been sold already. She said season ticket sales com bined with 212 tickets given to OPAS corporate sponsors left only 494 seats available for individual ticket sales. Boarnet attributed the success of season ticket sales, in part, to a two- for-one student ticket promotion run by OPAS. Fall Leadership Chairman Sharon Schultz said the Fall Leadership Conference was successful in both its fundraising and student devel opment goals. Tuition crunch Devaluation of currencies affect foreign students :ures have ty’s primi st educaffi :he NFL. oolitical i and a M :rente 3oard or Editor - Editor Wi n'S Editors Jitor Jerry Op n, Jan Pern an Willis® /aiterSn# me Grab® iecca Adair Sarah Oat* Id Cassavof amara Bell d Cassavoj' DoufiHal dyjolinso" ■nsKoeple McWhorter icia Parl (er ' Rae Pe> vec ’ jei Shan4 nnethSw] Mike LaM -inThomai ilie Brown 1 Pallmeye’ 3S ,el Sanely e thoi'f*! By JUNE PANG Staff Writer The recent currency devaluation in such countries as Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Brazil accom panied by an increase in tuition is causing some Texas A&M interna tional students to wonder how they will be able to stay at the University after thissemester. “In February 1983, it was 4.30 bo- livares to $1 (U.S.),” said Luis Rodri guez, the president of Venezuelan Students Association about the Ven ezuelan currency. “Now, it’s 15 boli- vares to $ 1.” Rodriguez explained that Vene zuela’s huge debt prodded the gov ernment to devaluate the currency, hoping the devaluation would stimu late more exportation and curb the money flow to other countries. “The (Venezuelan) govenment says up to December this year, for eign students can have $490 per month for living expenses, and $2,500 per academic year for tuition at the old rate,” Rodriguez said. “Wi thin this limit you can use the old money rate. But if you need more money than that, you’ll have to buy American dollars at the new rate.” Rodriguez said many Venezuelan students are spending their $2,500 limit this semester. With this semes ter’s tuition increase, an average for eign student taking 15 credit hours needs $1,800 for tuition per semes ter. What about next year? “That’s a problem,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know how the Venezu- going ■ Decen next year. . . . After December, only those who are wealthy can stay here. Those who are not so wealtny will have to either go home or transfer.” In Peru, 6,000 soles — the Pe ruvian currency unit — was equiva lent to $1 in December 1984. Now it ranges from 18,000 to 20,000 soles per dollar, depending on the current exchange rate of the bank or market used, said Rosa Yupari, the president of Peruvian Students As sociation. Yupari said the devaluation in Peru started in 1968 when the for mer president was overthrown by a military government. The military government distributed the wealth of the rich to the poor, but didn’t know how to manage the economy, she said. Yupari said Peru’s military gov ernment lasted until 1980 when a democratic government was adopted. But, she says, the new gov ernment inherited the bad economic situation and the currency remains unstable. Although there are no resrictions on the money flow from Peru for students to pay tuition, the high tu ition and living expenses make it im possible for an average family to send their children to study here. “Most students here come from families who have business back grounds,” Yupari said. “They have to have a wealthy family if they don’t have scholarships to support them.” The Brazilian and Argentine gov ernments also have devaluated their currencies. According to Flamarion B. Diniz, the president of Brazilian Students’ Association, Brazil’s foreign debt is the highest in the world. The bad economy caused high inflation and fewer number of students are study ing abroad now, he said. “T his year we have very few stu dents,” he said. “When I first came here, we had many students from Brazil.” Diniz, who came to A&M in 1982 to get his Ph.D. in Chemistry, said when he came here there were about 60 to 80 students from Brazil, and now there are only about 30 stu dents. Three years ago, it was about 100 cruzeiros — the Brazil currency unit — per $1, now it is 6,000 cruzei- rous per $1. In black market, the exchange rate can go as high as 9,000 cruzeiros per $1, Diniz said. In Argentina, the inflation rate from June of last year to June of this year is nearly 1,000 percent. Since June the government enforced new regulations and the exchange rate has been stablized. In August, the in flation was 3 percent, said Alberto Livore, president of the Argentine Club. “Every time the government de valuates, the families (of students who study here) have more difficulty in supporting them,” Livore said. Like the situation in Peru or Ven ezuela, Livore said, “It’s not possible for people to come here if they don’t have a wealthy family or schol arship.” WYATT’S SPORTING GOODS Manor East Mall 505 University Dr. Culpepper Plaza ACTIVE ADVANTAGE! That’s Russell Athletic, ■ Meet the Proformers from Russell Athletic— ™ styling that works as hard as it plays. Physical fit and styling that give you an extra fashion edge. Tops and bottoms tie good looks together with the comfort and qualify it takes to keep up with your high-energy fun! Whether you work out or step out—the Proformers live up to their name. 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