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Texas Renaissance
Festival 1990
See Page 4
0'| ol. 90 No. 27 USPS 045360 10 Pages
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, Octobers, 1990
Junior Jeff Benzick watches fellow lacrosse players practice on ular schedule of games this Saturday at noon against South-
Gen. Ormond R. Simpson Drill Field. The team begins their reg- west Conference teams playing under extramural sports.
Emergency spending measure
Bush, Congress
end shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi
dent Bush and congressional leaders
agreed to legislation Monday night
that would end the government
shutdown and allow agencies to
open Tuesday morning for normal
business.
The Senate began debate on the
emergency measure after all-day
backroom negotiations. Senate pas
sage would send the measure back to
the House, which approved a
slightly different version of the bill
early yesterday.
Under the agreement, the gov
ernment would operate at normal
levels through Oct. 19. Congressio
nal leaders hope all budget work will
be completed by then.
Republican and Democratic con
gressional sources said they ex
pected the Senate revisions to be ap
proved by the House and signed into
law by the president in time to avert
the full-fledged interruption in gov
ernment business that otherwise
loomed.
The Statue of Liberty, museums
and national parks have been closed
since Saturday because the budget
crisis had prevented Congress from
approving any spending legislation
for the new fiscal year. But the full
brunt of the federal shutdown was
masked because of the long Colum
bus Day weekend.
At the same time, Senate moved
toward final approval of a $500-bil-
lion deficit-reduction plan envision
ing smaller cuts in Medicare but pos
sibly higher tax increases than an
earlier version the House rejected
last week.
Earlier in the day, lawmakers
warned of chaos if the White House
and Congress failed to resolve their
months-long impasse over the fed
eral deficit.
“We’re not just dealing with pro
grams,” warned Senate Majority
Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine,
urging his colleagues to pass the
measure quickly. “We’re dealing
with individual human beings and
families, and their hopes and fears
and dreams.”
“This has just been playing
marshmallow stuff’ so far, said Sen.
Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., the Senate’s
assistant Republican leader, refer
ring to the limited impact on the
government during the Columbus
Day holiday weekend.
“Any thoughtful, reasonable per
son now knows what happens to this
government tomorrow.”
Debate on the budget began in the
early evening. Leaders of both par
ties had spent the day trying to line
up support for the budget and for a
separate measure bringing the shut
down government back to life Tues
day morning.
“This is not a shining moment for
anyone,” Senate Budget Committee
Chairman James Sasser, D-Tenn.,
said of the budget mess as debate be
gan. “And frankly, our countrymen
are rightly tired of it.”
In backroom meetings, lawmakers
were moving toward an agreement
by which Bush would sign emer
gency legislation already passed by
the House to keep the government
operating normally through Oct. 20,
said officials who asked to not be
identified. Bush has vetoed one such
bill, and has said he would veto oth
ers that come to him without spend
ing cuts.
The House passed the budget
250-164 in a post-midnight session
early Monday.
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Texas A&rM’s budget and payroll
iffice will send faculty retirement
ontributions in overnight mail this
nonth in an attempt to reduce inter-
st earnings lost because of late pay-
nents.
Robert Smith, A&M’s vice presi-
lentfor finance and administration,
old Faculty Senate members Mon-
lay that mailing the contributions
ivernight is a short-term remedy
mtil the budget and payroll office
an be modernized and the money
ent electronically.
The remedy became necessary be-
ause many A&M faculty members
(ho contribute to the Optional Re-
irement Program are losing interest
arnings because payments are not
redited to their retirement accounts
mtilthe middle of the month.
The following three delays are
possible during the lengthy process:
a delay from the University in mail
ing the checks, a delay from the
postal service and a delay from the
retirement carriers depositing the
money.
Smith said the A&M administra
tion wants the money in the retire
ment accounts as quickly as possible.
“Our objective is to get them de
posited the first day,” he said. “We
lack the sophistication to do it now,
but it is our objective to achieve that
on the first working day.”
The Faculty Senate Personnel and
Welfare Committee drafted a reso
lution asking the administration to
modernize the payroll office so ORP
deposits are received by carriers on
the first working day of each month
when faculty are paid. This resolu
tion, however, was not acted upon
during the meeting.
The overnight mailing, which will
cost about $6,000 a year, will con
tinue until the payroll office is up
dated and money can be transferred
by computers, Smith said.
During Committee of the Whole,
a resolution was passed asking the
Executive Committee to examine the
Faculty Senate’s role in policy mak
ing. The resolution also asks Exec
utive Committee members to meet
with the administration if they deter
mine the Senate is not playing a
large enough role.
Committee of the Whole is when
the entire Senate acts as a single
committee and brings up issues for
discussion unrelated to the day’s
business. Resolutions passed during
this time only are requests for action.
Several senators said they believe
the Senate is overlooked in some
policy decisions.
Dr. Gary Hart, a professor of soil
and crop sciences, pointed to a deci
sion made recently without the Fac
ulty Senate to increase to 18 mem-
problem
bers the size of the Committee on
Academic Freedom, Responsibility
and Tenure.
Dr. Larry Hickman, a professor of
philosophy, also said the Senate had
no input in the decision to raise tu
ition rates for graduate programs in
the College of Business.
But Dr. E. Dean Gage, provost
and vice president for academic af
fairs, disagreed and said he does and
will continue to request Faculty Sen
ate representation on University
committees.
Also during Committee of the
Whole, Student Senate liaison
Charles Phipps said Student Senate
is studying the problem of profes
sors teaching classes they weren’t
listed in the curriculum catalog as
teaching.
He also said the Senate is studying
why there are so many “staff’ listings
in the catalog instead of specific pro
fessor names.
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Architecture students develop plans for civic center
Dfeeftl yUBBY KURTZ
. flhe Battalion Staff
canoe;
tlecosfs Sixteen Texas A&M architecture students pre-
nted preliminary plans for a multi-purpose
Merto Upshur County representatives.
, . members of the Upshur County Civic
isuan^provement Foundation Board met Friday
15. Bth the students and George Mann,
:soi.
The civic center will be built in Gilmer, home
|lthe annual Yamboree and Rose festivals.
“The proposed civic center will serve as a gath-
ing place for members of our community,” says
)ard member Steve Williams. “We want a build-
lgthat will be pleasing to everyone.”
The A&M students, who worked on the plans
orkslKl Bt week after visiting Gilmer, presented eight
pentf ifferent projects to the representatives.
jjjjjliO All plans call for preserving the landscape that
^ .. Jirrounds the eight-acre site.
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Williams, a former A&M student, says he is
pleased with the students’ work.
“All of the students are on-line with the
thought process we conveyed to them last week,”
he says. “We like the diversity of the students’
thoughts. In the end, we need plans that are
buildable and affordable.”
Jim Summersett, president of the board, says
the biggest challenge is selling the proposed plan
to the community.
“All plans are worth looking at because we
want to chose the plan that will appeal to the
most people,” he said.
Mann says the hands-on experience his stu
dents are receiving is important because it is tea
ching them how to work with a community and
an actual budget.
Dewayne Grimes, a junior from Jacksonville,
says the project has put things in perspective for
him.
“This project has shown me what it will be like
on a day-to-day basis if I become an architect,” he
says. “It’s been very time consuming, but well
worth our time and efforts.”
Jonathan Hoke, a senior from Wharton,
agrees that preparing the plans have taken a lot
of time.
Senior David McLemore of Houston says final
plans for the civic center are due the day before
classes are out for Thanksgiving break.
“We’ve only started our work,” McLemore
says. “Right now, we’re looking for rainbows. We
are trying to sell an idea to the residents of
Gilmer. We need a civic center that will be both
interesting and realistic.”
The students will return to Gilmer next week
to attend the Yamboree Festival and conduct fur
ther research on the proposed civic center.
Suja Abraham, a senior from Nederland, says
the students hope to gain a better understanding
of Gilmer by attending the festival.
After the final projects are turned over to the
board, members will decide which one best suits
Upshur County’s needs.
Faculty Senate assures
teaching will be priority
By CHRIS VAUGHN
Of The Battalion Staff
Undergraduate teaching will
become a higher priority at Texas
A&M, the provost and vice presi
dent for academic affairs said
Monday in a speech to the Faculty
Senate.
Dr. E. Dean Gage said there is
a national “wave of institutional
soul searching” which is making
teaching at least an equal partner
with research in a University’s
mission.
Gage said a recently formed
committee to develop a Council
of Master Teachers, the imple
mentation of the Classroom Com
munications Enhancement Pro
gram, and the emphasis on the
Center for Teaching Excellence
are some initiatives his office is
undertaking to improve teaching.
Gage also hinted at making un
dergraduate teaching a higher
priority in setting faculty salaries.
“We must create and foster a
University climate in which it is
an honor and a reward for faculty
scholars of all ranks and seniority
to teach undergraduate stu
dents,” he said.
He also said a committee
formed to review promotion, ten
ure and review of faculty must
add aspects to reward faculty for
international efforts, intercolle
giate faculties and student advis
ing.
But Gage said “simple-minded
dichotomies” of teaching vs. re
search must be avoided.
“Let it be clearly stated that re
search is not being de-emphasi-
zed,” he said. “Rather, our quality
“Quality teaching
and research must
be carefully linked
to scholarly
complement each
other.”
— Dr. E. Dean Gage
teaching and research must be
carefully linked to scholarly com
plement each other.”
Research and graduate pro
grams, however, have a challeng
ing future as federal and, state
funding goes down and costs go
up, Gage said.
He said the University must
deal with the budget crunch by
cost sharing, requesting matching
funds and seeking private and
corporate assistance.
The provost also told the Sen
ate his office will work to increase
the number of women and mi
norities in the faculty and admin
istration and that he has ap
proved the Race and Ethnic
Studies Institute proposed by the
Senate.
Gage closed by saying the Ster
ling C. Evans Library is at the top
of the administration’s list of
priorities. He said the University
is planning the expansion of the
library and already is setting aside
funds.
“You must be assured that we
are committed to the continued
development of our libraries, and
that this is evidenced in the prior
ity in the capital campaign, our
legislative request and the Uni
versity budget,” he said.
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Board of Regents approves bid for Corps of Cadets center
lyBILL HETHCOCK
ItThe Battalion Staff
Construction of a new Texas
t&M Corps of Cadets center is ex-
cted to help turn the tide of de-
bing Corps membership, the com-
landant says.
Texas A&M University System
tove* card of Regents approved a bid
05 (^■ r id a y f° r th e $3 million Sam Hous-
Sanders Corps of Cadets Center.
Construction will start in a month,
nd the center will take about 14
lonths to complete. The Corps cen-
i, Thi
ll ef
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bai
ter will be funded by private dona
tions.
Corps Commandant Maj. Gen.
Thomas Darling told regents the
number of cadets decreased by 111
this year to 2,055. Ninety freshmen
who paid housing deposits decided
at the last minute not to enroll in the
Corps, Darling says.
He says escalation of the Persian
Gulf crisis coupled with military cut
backs might have discouraged stu
dents who had not decided whether
to join the Corps.
“I think the Mideast crisis might
have scared some away,” Darling
says. “Also, talks of budget cuts to
the military may have taken away
some of the incentives.”
Whatever the reason for the de
crease in Corps numbers, Darling
says he thinks the new center will
spur renewed interest in the Corps.
“When the Sanders building gets
under construction and especially
when we move into the building, it
will provide a great boost to the
Corps,” he says.
In a report for the Corps En
hancement Committee, Darling said
changes are being made to eliminate
hazing while still providing a strong
leadership training program.
One change that has taken place
during the last year is integrated
male and female units. However, in
tegration has caused some problems
that are difficult to work out, Dar
ling says. Women make up about 5
percent of the Corps.
“The integrated units program is
controversial and difficult to work,
but we’re determined to make it
work,” he says.
Another change this year is the
eating habits of Corps members.
Freshmen now have more freedom
while they eat.
“We’ve changed some things to
make sure freshmen have time to eat
and get enough to eat,” Darling says.
“That hasn’t always been true in the
past.”
The Corps also is emphasizing
academics and leadership in Univer
sity activities, Darling says.
He says the changes are helping
the Corps freshman retention rate,
with fewer dropping out of the
Corps than ever before.
Last day for
voter cards
Local residents still can register
to vote if registration cards are
postmarked by today.
College Republicans and other
campaigns will be at the following
locations today: Sbisa Dining Hall
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7
p.m.; the Commons from 10 a.m.
to 7 p.m.; and the MSC, Blocker
Building and Sterling C. Evans
Library from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday was the last day to reg
ister in person to vote.