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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1987)
Wednesday, July 8, 1987/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local mem. | iseand Jrbeec: ts. minj ouwtii bout. DG to offer counselors to help fall freshmen adjust to A&M life planning fall activities during ummer. T1 world redbii ossiblt nof you stotlt, nent.l pam :.it Ito Why ferentt a ot.In like actices By Kirsten Dietz Senior Staff Writer To help the freshmen who will ove into Davis-Gary Hall this fall ladjust to college life at Texas A&M, the Department of Student Affairs is reating freshman counselor posi tions, said Debbie K. Owensby, Cen tral Area coordinator. Aside from the hall staff, only freshmen will occupy Davis-Gary in the fall. The 156 residents who were to return to the dormitory were reas signed to other dorms earlier this summer because of what housing of ficials termed “excessive vandalism.” The freshman counselor position was established after the housing of fice received calls from former Da vis-Gary residents who were con cerned that, because the dorm will be almost completely occupied by freshmen, no upperclassmen would be around to introduce the newcom- dion ing .the ester hfor icawas walk it: tople it, not ite ce,too or those ponic tricau ers to the traditions of A&M and of Davis-Gary, Owensby said. “It’s not very often that you have a hall that’s all incoming freshmen,” she said. One counselor will be assigned to each floor. Owensby said the depart ment is seeking upperclassmen who smoother transition for the fresh men.” Owensby said that because all eli- S ’ble or interested students may not : on campus for the summer, the department is asking the Depart ment of Student Activities and MSG groups to suggest students qualified “They’re sort of the go-between between the residents and the staff. We hope this will make a smoother tran sition for the freshmen. ” — Debbie K. Owensby, Central Area coordinator have lived on campus at least one year, have demonstrated leadership ability and have at least a 2.0 grade- point ratio. “They’re sort of the go-between between the residents and the staff,” she said. “We hope this will make a for the position. These students will be sent letters explaining the new position, she said. Another drawback of having a dorm with no returning residents is that no hall council exists, Owensby said. She said hall councils usually ”Ik| about r oldet igrefi t is toil the of jabot :yoti it peat nthe )t red to he tow laredif e neve intasi ot ,t of all ling, rdart as he e moti it lew newf 6 - and B:- of the ^ jpresft r iheB' ip«r and t' 1 $34.61- g raid % nald. W 77843. f Bit# legeSiP Clements raises possibility of another special session AUSTIN (AP) — As efforts to shape what could be the largest tax bill in Texas history spilled from committee rooms to the Capitol lawn Tuesday, Gov. Bill Clements raised the prospect of another special session on the budget crisis. Clements said his goal of holding 1988-89 tax in creases to $2.9 billion “is not standing up too well” as senators considered a House-passed increase nearly double his bottom line. With the Legislature’s 30-day special session half gone, the Senate Subcommittee on Tax Policy opened hearings on the House tax package that would raise approximately $5.2 billion. At the same time, a House-Senate conference committee began adjusting differences in two-year state budgets adopted by those bodies. The Senate appropriations bill would spend over $39.5 billion, the House about $1.1 billion less. Clements, who returned to the Capitol for the first time after a long weekend, said a lot of things could happen in the 10-member conference commit tees that are writing the final spending and tax bills. ig disturbec “I think the Senate is getting i ?d about what the situation is on the revenue side, and I think there’s more of a meeting of the minds indicated at this point than we have had in the past,” he said. Noting the state’s shaky economy, he said, “Under those circumstances I think a lot of the Legislature, both in the House and Senate, are having some sec ond thoughts about these increases in spending.” At the Senate tax committee hearings, much of the discussion focused on whether an insurance tax could cause other states to impose “retaliatory” taxes on Texas companies operating in their states. State insurance commissioner Doyce Lee noted that the proposed Texas tax is directed at the poli cyholder — not the company or agent — “for the sole purpose of trying to avoid any successful retai- liation against our domestic industry in other states.” John Melton, president of Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Texas, said more than 2 1 /z million Texans have no health insurance coverage, and the 6 percent tax would cause employers “to discontinue providing health benefits for their employees altogether.” He suggested deleting health insurance and main tenance organizations from the bill. Hundreds crowd steps at Capitol urging approval of higher taxes AUSTIN (AP) — Hundreds of demonstrators chanting “tax, tax, tax” overflowed the Capitol steps Tuesday, urging legislators to ap prove higher taxes to avoid cuts in state services. “The legacy that you leave should be greater than the heri tage you receive,” said Barry Jackson, a leader of Austin Inter faith. “We want them to be coura geous. We’re willing for them to tax us.” The rally, organized by the Texas Industrial Areas Founda tion and other community groups, drew a crowed estimated by organizers at 3,000. Speaker after speaker urged lawmakers to pass, and Gov. Bill Clements to sign, a state budget that wouldn’t cut public educa tion, higher education, indigent health care programs, child pro tective services and human serv ice programs. “Thank God you’re here be cause the cause is important,” San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros told the crowd. “The next 10 days will decide whether we go back ward or forward. I say let’s go forward.” Also speaking to the rally were members of the Legislature, along with Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and Attorney General Jim Mat tox. Rep. Larry Evans, D-Houston, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, said, “It’s time to help the needy, not the greedy. Hell will freeze over before we go along with the cuts that have been pro posed by our governor.” Rep. A1 Luna, D-Houston, notea that Clements, a Republi can, has been saying opinion polls show public opposition to higher taxes. “Gov. Clements believes that most Texas citizens aren’t willing to pay higher taxes,” Luna said. “Gov. Clements needs to look down here (from his second-floor Capitol office) and see another Texas poll.” start the summer. The student affairs de partment is trying to perform some of the duties a hall council usually does, such as planning several par ties and mixers for the dormitory* sending a newsletter to the new resi dents and printing hall T-shirts, she said. Owensby said she sees the new po sition as part of a concentrated ef fort that must be made to ensure positive developments this semester and to erase Davis-Gary’s negative reputation. “We view this as a challenge to wipe away the negative attitude that so many people outside our depart ment have of that residence hall,” she said. Applications for the freshman counselor positions can be picked up at the Central Area office, at the cor ner of Hughes and Moses halls. Prison escapee caught in Vidor; 1 still at large HUNTSVILLE (AP) — One of two convicted robbers who escaped by crashing through prison gates in a stolen truck was captured Tuesday after he allegedly abducted three people and held up a restaurant, au thorities said. Jerry Wayne Abies, 28, and Carl Lang, 44, broke out of the Texas De partment of Corrections’ Wynne Unit Monday night, and Abies then launched a crime spree that spanned several Southeast Texas counties, authorities said. Abies broke into a Huntsville home, stole a shirt, called a taxi and forced the cabbie at knifepoint to drive aimlessly for about four hours, Huntsville police spokesman Robert Reese said. He then fled on foot, abducted a Huntsville woman and ordered her to drive him to Lumberton, Orange County Sheriffs Capt. Wayne Dial said. He abducted another woman at knifepoint in Hardin County and made her drive him to Vidor. Neither the cab driver nor the two women was injured, Dial said. A short time later, Vidor police were dispatched to a fast-food res taurant on a robbery call. Abies was transferred to the Orange County Jail in Orange be cause Vidor does not have a jail. The inmate was serving a life prison term from Taylor County for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and burglary of a habitation with a deadly weapon. Lang, meanwhile, remained at large, prison spokesman David Nun- nelee said and added that authorities believed the pair had split up be cause the older Lang was unable to keep up with Abies. Lang was serving a 30-year prison sentence from Aransas County for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon. MSC DINNER THEATER AND AGGIE PLAYERS PRESENT WALLY'S CAFE JULY 8,9,10,11 "..AN AMUSING STORY OF WHAT HAPPENS IN A YOUNG NEW JERSEY COUPLE’S MARRIAGE WHEN THE HUSBAND BUYS HIS DREAM BUSINESS ... A HAM BURGER-SHAPED DINER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOJAVE DESERT " INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES* (TICKETS MAYBE PURCHASED AT MSC BOX OFFICE OR DILLARD'S) STUDENTS NONSTUDENTS JULY8 AND 9 $10.00 $12.00 JULY 10 AND 11 $13.00 $15.00 * SAVE MONEY WITH SEASON TICKETS. SEASON TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE UNTIL FRIDAY JULY 10. FOR MORE INFORMATION. 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