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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 1991)
State & Local Wednesck Page 2 The Battalion Wednesday, November27, AUSTir Committee Down and dirty RICHARD S. JAMES rfhe Battalion Marco Vargas (on top), with company P-2/N-1, wrestles in the mud with Mark Brookshire of company P-2 Tuesday afternoon after Elephant Walk. During the event, juniors taunt the "dying" seniors by throwing eggs, shaving cream, and mud at them. Texas GSL reports decline in defaults ■ew state pries in the ■aI challe |§roaching i I Attorne paid if the < a new plan Hhat is acce ■ie House, Riat the ele Future looks brighter for agenq | y ed/' loan corporation president says Imativeth 1 Ta deal witl HOUSTON (AP) - The presi dent of the Texas Guaranteed Stu dent Loan Corp., which paid a record $244 million in default claims last year, said that he be lieves things may be looking up. "Over the last five months, we've seen a steady decline in the number of default claims filed," President Joe McCormick said. "We turned the corner in August or September of last year." Officials say a shakeout in the default-plagued trade school in dustry is improving the agency's financial prospects. Most of the $244 million in claims were covered by federal reinsurance. However, because the Texas guarantee agency's de faults exceeded a rate determined by a federal formula, the state stu dent loan corporation had to pay $14.1 million out of its reserves. That resulted in a record loss for the 1991 fiscal year ending Sept. 30. On the positive side, the agen cy guaranteed fewer loans for stu dents of for-profit trade and tech nical schools in the year just end ed, McCormick said. Loans to such schools have proved risky. More private trade and techni- in session, ficials said run by Ho Job cal schools have closed t ; ( , , • , Tex a s as the federal go J has tightened restriction. r t . school default levels and ^Xlthoui sources have dried up,salt ' Bodnar. Bednar heads the'; Education Agency's divisi; proprietary, or for-profit,sd Many of those school- most of their tuition fromsfc who receive low-costloani: the federally guaranteedloj gram. Bednar said 70 Texass; remc closed during the 13-month^ * ending Oct. 1. Closings hat- numbered openings forth three years, and the totahi; of trade and technical schoc: dwindled from 342 a yean; 301 now. "The main reason forth DALL.A ings seems to be the laj months aft< lenders in Texas," Bednarfc fjfict rehire Houston Chronicle inlue; editions. "Also, there's been: certed effort... to more close ulate those schools." As trade school fortune faltered, the guaranteeag District offi portfolio mix has begun to;: early Sept ward more stable loans,;, loans to students,at four-ye versifies and graduatestiis teacl Iff during some teach Scheme stii cards in a d [ Dallas Staff, student relations top spring editor's list Nominee to focus on leadership By Melinda Cox The Battalion Better preparation of Battalion staff members and improved rela tions between Texas A&M's school newspaper and A&M stu dents, faculty and administrators are only some of the goals of The Battalion's next editor. The Texas A&M Student Pub lications Board recently nominat ed Douglas Pils, a senior journal ism and economics major, as edi tor of The Battalion for Spring 1992. "As editor-in-chief I feel I'm in a better position to help the paper overcome any problems it might have," Pils said. "I think my most important responsibility as editor- in-chief is in leading the staff." Pils said he applied for the po sition because the spring semester is his last semester at A&M and he would like to move up to a more overseeing role. He said the staff of the paper is one of his main concerns. He said he wants to organize and train new and old staff members in the computer system that has recently been installed for use by The Bat talion staff. The staff should be able to have guides or manuals available to them to use and refer to if they have a problem with the system, Pils said. Staff members are students, too, and it is important to have a system they can understand so all their time isn't spent on the com puters, Pils said. Staff members must have time to go to school as well, he said. Pils said he would like to bring new staff members into The Bat talion office a week before school begins to give them a course in the computer system and help them become familiar with the news room. The newsroom is another one of Pils' concerns. Pils said he would like to begin a better filing system which would keep track of graphics and stories needed for the paper. He said he also wants to im prove communications between the different desks involved in a newspaper. Different desks repre sent the different sections of the paper such as sports or lifestyles. Students who work for the pa per are assigned to one of the desks and are rc^pdnsible for cov ering events that fall under that particular desk. Pils said he wants to begin evaluations of how well staff members perform their duties and start pay incentives which reflect this performance. "A student might begin work for The Battalion at a 65 or 70 per cent wage level," Pils said. "How ever, if duties are carried out by the staff member then the salary would be bumped up to full salary." Pils said he would also like to set up a bonus system which would reward staff members for work done "above the call of duty." The main responsibility of The Battalion, Pils said, is to the A&M community. The paper should re flect events at A&M, but coverage by The Battalion shouldn't blindly promote the school. "The paper is here to report the news as fairly and accurately as possible," Pils said. "The paper is here for the stu dents, staff and faculty, but the pa per shouldn't be used as a public relations venue fob the Universi- Pils said, howeViar, that there will be times when his job will call for a little "PR." He said his job will involve coming in contact with the public, dealing with complaints that come to the paper and being in close contact with staff members of the paper. It is important to present a positive image to the people you work with because this image has a trickling down effect, he said. A positive image means being in close contact with staff members and being available when they have concerns or questions, he said. It is important to be aware of these concerns, Pils said. "The success of any editor will depend on the quality of the staff around him," Pils said. ‘THE BATTALION- because ol Robin Hoc Under that dreds of rr ■roperty-r ones. Da 11a officials sai Even tl were rehin by the wa out. For ex; who has years, last enth assig said each ti him, they s Dean V school tea; on medica hL new as: die school i I "(The j< feel dimini a professio an art tea signed to si Douglas Pils, Battalion editor nominee HUNT: Jtistin May day when l<f)wer cour execution. About 1 cution, the agreed wit timony frc should be i When OPEN THANKSGIVING DAY!! In addition to our regular menu, try our Thanksgiving Day Special: featuring $6.95 Turkey Enchiladas w/a cream sauce Rio Grande Yams • Corn Chowder Cranberry Salsa • Pumpkin Pie (quantities limited) Sunday'Thursday 11 a.m.-lO p.m. Friday &l Saturday 11 a.m.'l 1 p.m. 4301 Texas Ave., Bryan 846-5752 Distribution of the new Campus Directory now going on Room 216 Reed McDonald Building 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday ATTENTION ON-CAMPOS COULD YOU USE $200? If you are graduating in December, or if you will be co-oping, student teaching, or studying abroad, or will not be enrolled during the Spring I 992 semester, and you would like your bousing deposit back. Written notification must be received in the Housing Office, 10 1 YMCA Building, by: MONDAY, ] y DECEMBER 2, 1991, 5:00 p.m. Don't wait — Time is running oul The Battalion The Battalion Editorial Board Editorial Policy (USPS 045 360) Member of: Editor-in-Chief Timm Doolen News Editors Douglas Pils Jason Morris Associated Press Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Associate Editors Holly Becka Todd Stone Opinion Editor Carrie Cavalier City Editor Sean Frerking Photo Editor Karl Stolleis Lifestyles Editor Yvonne Salce Sports Editor Scott Wudel The Battalion is published daily except Saturday, Sunday, holidays, exam periods, and when school is not in session during fall and spring semesters; publication is Tuesday through Friday during the summer session. The Battalion is a non-profit, self support ing newspaper operated as a community ser vice to Texas A&M University and Bryan-Col- lege Station. The Battalion news department is man aged by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. The newsroom phone number is 845-3316. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M student body, administrators, faculty or the A&M Board of Regents. Advertising We Pa Subscriptions Advertising information can be % from the advertising departmental! 1 Monday through Friday 8 a.m, to 5p" visiting the office in room 015 Reed! 1 building. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. Phone: 845-2611. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843- 1111. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843, Advertising Manager Patricia Heck Adviser Robert Wegener