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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 1987)
Monday, May 4, 1987/The Battalion/Page 5 lew project provides chance or students to help minorities By Tammy Hedgpeth Reporter Some minority children have the potential to be successful, both in jchool and in society, but often ft given an opportunity, says Dr. )onna Wiseman, a Texas A&M as- ciate professor in educational cur riculum and instruction. Wiseman and Dr. Patricia Larke, kn assistant professor in educational purriculum and instruction, have de igned a mentorship project that will [>air area minority children with stu- jents in order to help the children ecome aware of availible opportu- lities. “We want to get the student who jias many times been overlooked,” Larke says. “That’s one of our top priorities.” Wiseman says she hopes to get thildren who want to be academi- pally successful if given the opportu- lity. “We’re going to look more at atti- jude — a willingness of the student jo be involved,” she says. The participating A&M student dll have a great responsibility, Wise- Jnan says. “Each kid will be matched up with kn A&M student,” she says. “A&M students will do things like tutor the minority student, keep in touch with the student by mail through the summer and take the student to an Aggie basketball game or a MSC Op era and Performing Arts Society production. Funding will be pro vided for our students to do that.” can make these children understand this is something they can do. Pro viding models is a very big goal.” A&M students hope to help ac complish this project, which is de signed with the minority child in “By working academically with the children, the A&M students will provide role models the children can look back on if they decide to become professionals. ” — Dr. Donna Wiseman, associate professor Wiseman adds that the project will be funded for $300,000 through the College of Education and the el ementary education department. “We would not only like to help minority children with academic suc cess, but we would also like to change their environment to show them the opportunities that are available for them,” Wiseman said. “By exposing minority children to higher education,” she says, “the child’s goal will hopefully change at an early age. By working academi cally with the children, the A&M stu dents will provide role models the children can look back on if they de cide to become professionals. “Getting to know a college student mind, Larke says. “We are looking for undergrad uates who work well with minority students,” Larke says. “We think most of our people in volved in this project will be educa tion majors,” Wiseman says. “Ho wever, some people who are not education majors are interested, so we’re going to have a screening where we will do interviews. We will select the ones who have the greatest potential success with this kind of project.” To qualify, the undergraduates will have to look at their degree plans and be available for at least three years. This part of the pro gram lasts three years and will be an <ert W'.Ria; on the t nets. is Is tai doesn't dings, itk es to iffi stry mani becoraitif in the Hit' American c >d in mat i) science the first* tates, ;red to k i educatt® FBI inspects S&L dealings for illegal acts HOUSTON (AP) — Some sav ings and loan associations in Texas may have tried to disguise their financial weakness by trad ing non-performing loans or foreclosed assets, the Houston Post reported Sunday. One of the Texas thrifts be lieved to have been involved in the practice was the former Main land Savings of Houston, which had $800 million in assets when it was closed in March 1986, un identified industry sources told the newspaper. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston confirmed that it was waiting for the results of a FBI re in be met j the ib Eplingw realize that! view of the matter, the newspaper reported. While selling loans and other assets among savings and loans is not illegal, the trouble starts when loans or foreclosed assets are rep resented as being worth more than they actually are worth, ex perts told the newspaper. The practice of passing along non-performing loans or fore closed assets from one thrift to another is known as a “daisy chain,” the newspaper reported. “The typical thrift is not a daisy- chain operation,” said _ Frank Anderson, hanking consul- tie tension tant with Ferguson and Co. “I be lieve the really bad stuff involved no more than a dozen S&Ls.” Mainland appeared to have been active in moving non-per forming loans around to escape detection by regulators, said W.W. McAllister III, chairman of San Antonio Savings Association. The company was hired by regulators to manage Mainland’s successor, AllenPark Federal Sav ings & Loan. “There was a daisy chain,” McAllister said. “The feeling was that Mainland was one of them.” Mainland was among five sav ings and loan associations men tioned by name as possibly having engaged in the purchase and sale of bad loans and assets among each other, the newspaper said. ling )ug med to * he staie/f it the i lyment $ I xl and "t' :ome Penned headt) 111 ' Problem with housing in C.S intensifies during summer By D. A. Jensen Reporter The abundance of off-campus housing is a perpetual problem in College Station, and the problem in tensifies during the summer, an em ployee at the Texas A&M Off-Cam pus Housing Center says. Apartment complexes suffer high vacancy rates, and students struggle to find roommates to combat the costs of summer housing, says Cheri Zdziarski, who works at the center. She says the off-campus center has more than 150 people searching for roommates to share an apart ment during the summer and less N than 40 who are interested in mov ing to another person’s apartment. “Typically, we always have more cards in our roommate service of people who already have housing because they have signed a lease and are obligated for a particular length of time,” Zdziarski says. More than 1,322 people utilized the center in March. Some success fully found roommates, and others did not. Janice Riggs, a junior general studies major, says, “During the first week of April, I called over 32 peo ple trying to find someone to move into my apartment with me. “All of those 32 people had either found a place to live already or didn’t want to make a decision about their living arrangments until after the beginning of May. “I can understand their reluc tance to sign a lease too early in the month because it is worth the effort of looking around to find the best housing deal you can get. “The people who already have places are trying to entice people to live with them, so they are offering extraordinary deals. There just aren’t enough roommates to go around.” Brian Ratzer, a freshman account ing major, agrees. “I wanted to stay in College Sta- Church members stand behind minister who attempted suicide DALLAS (AP) — Church mem bers offered tearful prayers Sunday for a Methodist minister who police say attempted suicide before they could question him about discrepan cies in his account of the attempted strangling of his wife. “In the midst of all the police and media reports that attempt to dis cern fact from fiction, and truth from sensation, we must strive to maintain the quality of mercy that befits the followers of Jesus,” the Rev. Gordon Casad said in a statement read to the congregation of First United Methodist Church. Casad told the congregration that the Rev. Walker Railey’s condition has improved to satisfactory. But his wife, Peggy Railey, remains in crit ical condition. “We must remember our pastor is troubled in mind and spirit, the depth of which only the future will tell,” Casad said. Friday, police guards discovered Railey in his hospital suite where he had been living since his wife was hospitalized last month. Railey found his wife lying unconscious on the floor of their garage early on the morning of April 22. The Dallas Times Herald and Dallas Morning News quoted un identified sources Saturday as saying a letter in Railey’s suite said he was tired of pretending to be good, that he had fought demons for years and that suicide was the best way out. The five-page handwritten letter for also contained instructions burial, the newspapers said. Police have declined to comment on the contents of the note. Authorities also say threatening letters sent to Railey, known for his strong stands on civil rights, ap peared to have been typed on a church typewriter. Police had exam ined the letters for any link with the attack. Church members said after the service that their congregation sticks together and that their faith in Rai ley remains. Van Baggett, who has been a member of the church since 1950, said, “I believe everybody is sad dened and confused, as I am. But this is a strong congregation. We have to carry on.” Pentagon puts medical center plans on hold >ngeri eril ting'^ al level a" iere " a M SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Defense De- in S’ ... partment has taken the unusual move of going public with a counter offensive against critics of its Brooke Army Medical Center replacement plans. £ “A handful of cantankerous and irresponsible general officers could be robbing beneficiaries of Igealth care in San Antonio,” David Newhall III, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense, told the San Antonio Light. I “Unfortunately, the egos of a few retired gen eral officers who didn’t get their way” have placed plans to build a ; new BAMC in jeopardy, Be said. The Pentagon’s harsh language was aimed at a group of retirees, but the new hard-line ap proach was prompted by a proposal submitted last month by the retirees’ champion on Capitol Hill, U.S. Rep. Henry B. Gonzalez. Gonzalez’ proposal, if passed into law, would prohibit the spending of any money on the planned 200-bed facility until the Pentagon comes up with exact cost estimates. The Pentagon responded to Gonzalez’ move by canceling plans to break ground for the new facility and said they will divert the $135 million authorized for BAMC to other programs. Some officials believe the events of last week may prove to be a watershed in a battle that has gone on for nearly a decade and has raised pas sions more than any other local military issue. A House-Senate conference committee meet ing next month to resolve differences between the two versions of the Defense Department bud get bills likely will produce a showdown. Pentagon officials say they are fed up with the political uncertainty caused by Gonzalez. Newhall said that if the “Gonzalez cloud” is not cleared up by this summer, “the BAMC replace ment is dead.” 9 OUT OF 10 PUPPIES PREFER THE BATTALION ssified* / to ofl* 1 election I. sellifS ucts o' them ED BLOESE POOL TOURNAMENT MAY 8-9 FRIDAY 7 pm-1 am SATURDAY 9 am- Men and Womens Division Double Elimination A&M Students Only Entry Fee $3.00 Sign up at Bowling & Games Desk in MSC or For More Information Call 845-1054 ongoing program which would last six years, Larke says. “We will start with sixth graders and hope this type of mentorship program will be available for stu dents when they are high school se niors,” Larke says. The A&M stu dent needs to make a commitment to work with the same minority student for the entire three-year period, she added. Wiseman says the long-term as pect of the program makes it unique. “That’s what’s different about it,” she says. “Many mentorship pro grams are set up for short-term ba sis. But this is a long-term basis pro gram.” She adds that this project may de crease the school dropout rate and increase college admissions. In Texas, the school dropout rate is 33 percent overall, 45 percent for Hispanics and 34 percent for blacks, she says. “One of our ultimate goals is to pool the students to go into higher education,” Larke says. Parent involvement is essential — both the child and the parents must consent, she says. Neither the A&M students nor the minority students will be drafted, she says — both must volun teer and want to succeed. A.vdo Cash For Used Books Chimney Hill Bowlixig Center "A Family Recreation Center' OPEN BOWL Every night *40 Lan?*—Automatic Scoring Pool Tables League & Open Bowling Video Games Bar„& Snack Bar Q^ Q/1 701 University Drive East /.oU-ylo^t Cash For Used Books AM/PM Clinics Minor tmergencies 10% Student Discount with ID card tion during the summer and go to summer school because the apart ment prices were reduced at my complex, but I couldn’t find anyone to move in with me,” Ratzer says. “I have so much furniture that I really didn’t feel that moving to an other apartment was an option for me,” he says. “At one point my neighbor and I were so concerned about finding roommates that we considered living together, even though her parents wouldn’t approve of her living with a guy, Ratzer says. “I finally decided to go home to Dallas for the summer and work. “Staying here isn’t worth the hassle.” If more students take Ratzer’s atti tude and leave town for the summer despite lower apartment rental rates, higher vacancy rates for apartment complexes may result, making it more difficulty for students under taking the roommate hunt. 3820 Texas Ave. Bryan, Texas 846-4756 401 S. Texas Ave. Bryan, Texas 779-4756 8a.m„-11 p.m. 7 days a week Wajk-sn Family Practice Trouble Finding A Place To Park? MUD LOT PARKING • A Guaranteed Parking With Permit Summer Rates $15. 00 -1 Session $30. 00 -Both Sessions If Bought Before May 15,1987 $20. 00 a session if purchased after May 15, 1987 Vr' Fall Session: $55,°°-If purchased before Sept. 1,1987 $80. 00 -lf purchased after / Sept. 1, 1987 ‘Daily Rates $1. 00 ALPHA KAPPA PSI National Professional Business Fraternity Proudly Presents Its New Spring ’87 Members Marianne Aalby Jackie Marek Paul Berger Dana McLean Michael Brennan Katie McMahon Ben Butchka Jacquie Miller Kerri Byrd Christopher Murzin Susie Cook Michelle Perez Julie Crawford Michelle Rambo Royce Dawkins Carl Ramey Michael Dolson Laura Reynolds Karen Duhon David Rodriguez Sandra Hugghins Mindy Schmidt Laurie Isaacs Peter Vela Lisa Jordy Charles Viktorin Jeanie Kovacs Toni Webb Jeff Large Laura Wolken CONGRATULATIONS ZETA