The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 07, 1991, Image 3

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    State and local
^IS^jjhursday, February 7, 1991
75 Co-ed dorms
SSHousing Office proposes
^ residence hall conversion
war shout
ppen
require
on?"
By Karen Praslicka
Of The Battalion Staff
is a kinder, An increase of women’s on-cam-
Jrnment pus rooms this fall has prompted a
t. Wehadl®r<)p o sal by Texas A&M’s Housing
it. Ironica!^“ ce to convert Clements Hall into
iussein ao'ed residence hall.
■John T. White, A&M assistant di
ll l- ♦ r f$ ctor housing, proposed the con-
oadctoGoiiKi-sion because the number of men
upporteacand women applicants for on-cam-
( out for pus housing has started to even out.
l|y / wearf In the past, there have been more
'eacecant> > T ) T 7!f n npphcants.
[fallthk White says he also made the pro-
“'““Misal because of results from a sur-
appeartolBy which stated 74 percent of the
mall’s residents supported Clements’
■inversion.
l e studentii I “I know the residents of Clements
■re excited about it,” White says.
K; White says he is trying to create a
Bilance between men and women
■ w, on-campus rooms by converting
Bpowler Hall into an all-men’s dormi-
vjtory and making Clements co-ed.
■ Clements’ conversion would cre-
ate 116 men’s spaces. Changing
Mpowler Hall would provide 282 addi-
»8 tetteiTk’ spaces for men.
utMtet&fli! Reopenings of Spence and Briggs
p halls will create 440 more women’s
spaces, although White says he does
ot expect the rooms to be filled.
White says if the proposal is ap-
roved by A&M President William
fobley, the changes could be imple-
nented in the fall.
White says he does not expect
nyone living in Clements to move
ecause of the change, but the op-
ion to relocate \s available.
ight: It is
mi tfm
rit
“We will give people priority of
moving out of Clements and moving
into other mods if they want to, if
they don’t want to live in a co-ed,”
White says.
Cynthia Brasted, president of
Clements Hall, and Donna Chaney,
resident director of the hall, were
against the proposal when they first
heard about it. Both, however, now
support the idea.
Brasted says she was concerned
about a lack of security and how the
hall would change if men were al
lowed to live there.
“But now I’m starting to get ex
cited about it,” Brasted says.
Chaney says most Clements resi
dents support the measure.
A large concern about co-ed
dorms has been the 24-hour visita
tion policy.
Chaney says, however, residents
of Eppright and Wells halls — two
co-ed dorms that have 24-hour Visi
tation — approve of the extended
visitation rights.
Kristi Peterson, president of Ep
pright Hall, says Eppright residents
have not had any problems with the
policy.
Bobby Barrett, president of Wells
Hall, also says she sees the 24-hour
visitation policy as a privilege. She
says she also has not heard any com
plaints from Wells residents.
Both Peterson and Barrett say
they expect residents to keep the 24-
hour visitation policy for another se
mester.
The Battalion
DARRIN HILL/The Battalion
Jeff Gibbs, a sophomore biology major, grins and bares it as Candy Gonzolez
takes a pint of blood for the Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday afternoon.
Campus groups
adhere to federal
gender guidelines
By Bridget Harrow
Of The Battalion Staff
Few of the more than 600 student organizations
recognized by Texas A&M restrict membership to
persons of one sex, says Dr. Carolyn Adair, director
of student activities.
Any student organization that wants official recog
nition from the University has to comply with Title
IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1974, which states that
organizations must provide equal opportunity for full
participation by either sex and must not discriminate
on the basis of sex in any area of activity or mem
bership in the organization.
Adair says student organizations at A&M have to
fill out a signature card that states they are in compli
ance with federal laws.
“Every student organization that requests official
recognition has to fill out signature cards and has to
renew the card every year,” she says.
Adair says some organizations are exempted from
the federal law. They include:
• social organizations such as fraternities or sorori
ties;
• sports groups with the stipulation that there are
teams for both men and women;
• honorary and professional organizations that
base membership on grades or choice of profession;
• vocal music groups trying to achieve an all-male
or all-female sound.
Concerns were raised about single-sex organiza
tions at A&M after the University of Texas at Austin
administration ruled last week that 29 of its student
spirit and service organizations were in violation of
federal laws since their memberships were not open
to the opposite sex.
The UT administration said organizations that do
not open membership to both sexes will have to move
off campus or become only social organizations.
See Gender/Page 11
rirthday.
I Temtjfe
st lots of
lowing I
Richards calls for lottery, government
reform
sed by a
e slowed
over and
my aid.
/ould be
i phone,
id to say
true ex-
AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Ann Richards,
aying out a blueprint for the “New Texas”
She promised voters, Wednesday called for
ronsumer-oriented insurance reform, the
:reation of a lottery and consolidating some
of the 250-plus government agencies.
! In her first State of the State address, the
governor told the Legislature that she
[would follow through on her campaign
pledges to make government more accessi-
“We’re going to be progressive in this ad
ministration,” Richards said. “ ... In a New
Texas, there will be no doubt in people’s
minds that this government is here to serve
the people.”
“We will not sit back and let crisis over
whelm us,” she vowed. “We’ve gotten in the
habit of responding to problems about the
time we’re startled by the bright lights of
looming catastrophe. As many a Texas ar
madillo has learned, that’s too late to leap.”
The strongest action Richards urged was
immediate overhaul of state insurance reg
ulation, which brought a standing ovation
from lawmakers and spectators who filled
the House chamber.
She demanded that State Board of Insur
ance members James Saxton and Dick Rey
nolds resign by Feb. 15. A governor can’t
force resignations of board members, who
serve six-year terms. A third member’s
term has expired, and Richards already
named a replacement.
If the Insurance Board won’t change to
guard consumers’ interests, Richards said
she wants conservatorship of the regulatory
body under a special three-member panel
appointed by her.
“Texas consumers are fed up with an in
surance mess that results in higher rates,
cancelled policies and unaccountable ad
ministrators,” Richards said.
She said that by failing to institute an
early warning system to identify and mon
itor fiscally troubled insurance companies,
the Insurance Board was guilty of “gross
fiscal mismanagement.”
Richards said the rest of state govern
ment needs to become leaner and more ef
ficient. To achieve that, she proposed con
solidating many of the more than 250
agencies.
“Taxpayers are weary, and with good
reason,” she said. “They have long com-
E lained about a state government that is too
irge, unwieldy and expensive. They see an
enormous bureaucracy whose only pur
pose, it seems, is self-perpetuation.”
Among those recommendations, Rich
ards called for consolidating the 28 agen
cies that license various occupations; com
bining the Texas Housing Agency and
Department of Community Affairs; and
merging the Texas Public Finance Author
ity and the Bond Review Board.
Richards said performance audits autho
rized by a new law would be used to find
more areas for consolidation.
The governor renewed her push for the
creation of a state lottery that experts say
could raise $731 million in its first year.
Referring to lottery opponents, Richards
said citizens want the gambling games and
the government could use the money.
“Public opinion polls show that as many
as four out of five Texans want a lottery,”
the governor said. “We should be listening
to the people instead of telling them what to
do.”
'88 and
d forces
fern also
the war
it is that
: allows
dlitary?
ces; it's
during
dw) it is
hatrea-
ht. We,
only in
:all that
ined to
tO VO-
ed peo-
kitldo
forsake
5S.
student
organization
for
animals
and
animal
research
(Presents
Animal Research for
the Preservation of
Endangered Species
Dr, Duane C. Kraemer
Associate Dean for Research &
Graduate Programs, Texas
Veterinary Medical Center
Associate Director, Texas
Agricultural Experiment Station
February 11, 1991
Kleberg 113
7:00 pm
GMAT•GRE
LSAT
Lost in the land of silly
tests?
call today
1-800-749-6336
XHE.
EEINCETION
REVIEW
We Score More!
Here are
six fabulous fragrances
to tell her
how much you care
• . Vk : : ...
Eternity
by Calvin Klein
27.00-135.00
Elizabeth Taylor’s
Passion
25.00-175.00
Red
by Giorgio Beverly Hills
28.00-180.00
Realities
by Liz Claiborne
22.50-165.00
Oscar de la Renta
15.00-185.00
Ysatis
by Givenchy
15.00-120.00
Dillard’s
III ..
SHOP DILLARD'S MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10-9; SUNDAY 12-6, POST OAK MALL, HARVEY ROAD AT HIGHWAY 6 BYPASS, COLLEGE STATION. DILLARD’S AND ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS WELCOME.