m
I
Page
State & Local
Page 2
The Battalion
Tuesday, September 1,1
Fraternities round up
members with fall rush
Seminar kicks off group activities
By JULIE CHELKOWSKI
Reporter of THE BATTALION
Fraternity members at Texas
A&M will be looking for new
members beginning Wednesday
as Interfraternity Council's (IFC)
1992 Rush kicks off with the Fra
ternity Life Seminar at 7:00 p.m. in
Room 225 of the Memorial Stu
dent Center.
Individual fraternity rush activ
ities will start Thursday and wrap
up on Friday Sept. 11 with Bid
House where rushees will accept
invitations to join a fraternity.
Dr. Mike Leese, Texas A&M's
Greek adviser, said all of A&M's
28 fraternities will have represen
tatives at the seminar to inform
students of rush events for the
next 10 days.
IFC Treasurer Michael Reilly
said the seminar will provide ba
sic information on rush for inter
ested students.
Reilly said that at the beginning
of the week, each fraternity will
host events that will be open to all
rushees. As rush events comes to
an end, the parties become more
exclusive as the fraternities extend
invitations to select rushees for
special events.
"The rush events will start out
kind of open, then they narrow
down when the rushees decide
which fraternity events they will
return to," he said. "My advice to
rushees is to meet as many people
as possible."
Leese said he encourages stu
dents, especially freshmen, to go
through rush because it's a quick
and easy way to get involved at
A&M.
"I think it's another way to get
involved with student life at
A&M," he said. "At a university
with 41,000 people, a fraternity of
fers a close-knit group of friends
quickly."
Although the fraternities are la
beled as social groups, both Leese
and Reilly said the groups offer
much more than that.
"Fraternities provide a variety
of opportunities," Leese said. "It's
not only social in nature, but fra
ternities promote leadership and
provide service to the community
and sponsor other philanthropic
projects. They also promote schol
arship and academic success."
Reilly said that as an active
member of a fraternity he has
been given special opportunities
that he would not have found in
other groups.
"Fraternity life offers a great
way to meet people," he said.
"You develop leadership skills
and you are given responsibilities
you wouldn't have otherwise been
given. Most importantly, it offers
a brotherhood and a special group
of friends."
For more information or for a
schedule of fall rush events, call
the IFC office at 845-0112.
Student delegates sharpen leadership skills at conference
By TANYA WILLIAMS
Reporter of THE BATTALION
Before the semester had officially be
gun, 137 student leaders, or delegates,
gathered in Trinidad, Texas at TU Electric
Camp to organize and sharpen their lead
ership skills for the coming year.
The 40th annual Memorial Fall Leader
ship Conference was held from August
26-28. A variety of student leaders, repre
senting 75 organizations, came together
to listen to and network with former stu
dents, faculty, special guests and other
student leaders.
This year's theme was "Tuning in to
the Leadership Network," which allowed
delegates to venture into a television
world of leadership lectures and pep
talks. Delegates enjoyed talks on goals,
planning and creativity as well as team
work and group dynamics. Delegates
also enjoyed free time, swimming, volley
ball and bike riding on the facilities df the
camp, as well as a square dance and
dominoes or, 42 tournament, both spon
sored by the fall leadership committee.
The leadership conference has been
held in Trinidad the last 11 years, said
Paul Henry, adviser to the conference.
Henry said he and the committee had
four main objectives that they hoped stu
dents received from the program.
"We hoped that the student leaders
would gain leadership skills, make
friends, meet and interact with former
students and have FUN," Henry said.
t Henry said that FUN is an acronym,
coined by an earlier chair of the commit
tee, for friendly unstructured networking.
"At the end of the conference, I asked
the delegates if they felt that they had
gained all four objectives from the confer
ence and they all said yes," Henry said.
The committee, that consisted of 10
members, began organizing the confer
ence last spring in late March.
They distributed invitations to allor
ganizations with accounts in the Student
Finance Center, as well as advisers of or
ganizations. Though invitations were is
sued, the committee also distributed fliers
around the campus opening the confer
ence up to all organizations.
Lacking off-campus housing produces problems
By REAGON CLAMON
Reporter of The Battalion
If you are one of the students
enrolled in Texas A&M that has a
place to live this semester, consid
er yourself lucky . . very lucky.
With no dorm space available on-
campus, more and more students
are striking out to find off-cam-
pus housing and failing miser
ably.
"The situation is tough," said
Logan Hampton, coordinator of
the Off-Campus Center. "And
now, we're dealing with the peo
ple who don't want to live in the
residence hall, who decided not to
continue in the Corps of Cadets,
and people who for one reason or
another have just arrived."
The Off-Campus Center's
apartment availability board,
which lists more than a hundred
complexes, was completely full as
of Aug. 25.
The center also offers a room
mate referral service which
matches students who need a
roommate for an already occu
pied apartment or house with stu
dents willing to share their hous
ing. So far, the available spaces
haven't come close to keeping up
with the demand.
"As of the 25th of August, we
had 287 people who used the ser
vice to look for a place to live,"
Hampton said. "But, we only had
149 spaces, including roommate
cards, people with rooms to rent
in their houses, mobile homes and
sub-leases."
A large part of the problem is
the absence of new apartment
complexes in the Bryan-College
Station area to handle the ever-in
creasing numbers of new Texas
A&M students. The reason for
this is simple economics, accord
ing to Robert Worley, executive
director of the Bryan-College Sta
tion Economic Development Cor
poration.
"Rental rates went down dur
ing the oil bust," Worley said.
"Before builders can justify in
vesting in new construction, the
rents will have to come up."
Worley said the problem is se
rious, because it is holding back
the expansion of Bryan-College
Station.
"If we're going to have new
businesses in this community, we
need places for new employees to
stay. It is incumbent on the enti
ties involved to come together
and help create a solution."
The shortage of apartment
space may remain for awhile, said
Allan Hanson, president of Com
merce National Bank.
He said that unless rental rates
go up, or finance rates come
down, no potential builders will
test the waters for at least another
year. There has been no new
apartment construction since
1982, when the finance rate was
about the same as it is now. But
the difference is, Hanson said.
that the tax laws in effect at that
time encouraged more real estate
investment.
"The tax laws that were in ef
fect in 1982 that allowed for accel
erated depreciation and some tax
advantages for partnerships are
no longer there, " Hanson said.
"That has been done away
with by the federal government.
Therefore, some of the advantages
of owning real estate are no
longer there," he said.
Even if an individual or group
decides to build, they will have to
move soon to catch the August
rush next year.
"With August as the occupan
cy date, go back nine months for
construction and you'll see that if
they don't build by October, they
will wait another year," Hanson
said. "So, I think you could see a
good two years, maybe three be
fore a major new complex were
started in the local area."
Hanson said a solution will
have to come from the private
sector.
"Housing is going to be tight,
and I don't see Texas A&M com
ing in and picking up that void as
they have done in the past," Han
son said. "Dorms are very expen
sive and I don't see the capital ex
penditure for dormitories in the
near future."
"It's unfortunate and I em
pathize with the students that are
faced with a housing problem,"
Hanson said. "But I don't see
anything coming down the pipe."
HP Business
Consultant II
HP 17BII
The best is
better than ever!
These new models offer you
everything HP calculators have
become famous for - and more.
They’re faster, more powerful and
remarkably easy to use.
Come try them today.
HP Calculators —
t/ie best for HEWLETT
you r success.
PACKARD
LIST SALE
HP19BII 175 00 130°®
HP17BII 110°° 80°®
University
Bookstores
Northgata 846-4232
Culpepper 693-9388
Village 846-4818
3 OFF-CAMPUS STORES
The Battalion
ATLANTIS TILLMAN, Editor in Chief
STEVE O'BRIEN, Managing Editor GARY CARROLL, City Editor
JASON LOUGHMAN, Opinion Editor J. DOUGLAS FOSTER, Sports Editor
MEREDITH HARRISON, News Editor CHRIS WHITLEY, Sports Editor
HEIDI SAUER, News Editor KARL STOLLEIS, Photo Editor
TODD BLACKMON, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Staff Members
Reporters — Melody Dunne, Mark Evans, Todd Stone, Sharon Gilmore, Robin Roach,
Brandi Jordan, Cheryl Heller, Tanya Sasser, Robin Goodpaster, Juli Phillips, Tanya Williams,
Julie Chelkowski, Monique Lunsford, and Will Healy.
Copy editors — Kyle Burnett, Tracia Newbold, Jennifer Mentlick, David Thomas and
Jennifer Smith.
Photographers — Darrin Hill, Jenny Matlack, Randy Nichols, Sandra Alvarado, Billy
Moran, and Robert Reed.
Lifestyles writers — Susan Owen, Anas Ben-Musa, Tricia Martinez and Julie Polston.
Sports writers— K. Lee Davis, Michael Plumer, Don Norwood and Ruly Medrano.
Columnists — Anthony LoBaido, Stacy Feducia, Dwayne Purvis, Shawn Ralston, Matt
Dickerson, and Toni Garrard.
Cartoonists — William Harrison, Thomas Deeney, George Nasr, and Clay Welch.
Clerks — Darra Dees, Jane Harvey, Shelley Rowton and Jamie Anderson.
The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and
spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except
university holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid
at College Station, TX 77840.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building,
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840.
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in
the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices
are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone number is 845-3316. Fax: 845-2647.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the Opinion Page staff or the contributor
and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M Battalion editors, student
body, administration, faculty or staff.
Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For
classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and
office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-5408.
Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per
full year. To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611.
PF
said
famil
were
junk-
third,
Sundi
De
or ga
slayi
weapi
murd
son, .
Sundt
"VS
Robin
some
say dt
dicatk
Off
VS
ki
T
SA1
ina (/
crashe
place l
and w
the bio
the Ser
Me;
Bosnia
ernme
Gorazc
nounci
five-m
sou the;
Gor
ment h
gents ii
ina, hat
of the
majorit
ed for
goslavi
As
have b<
ficials :
optimis
Gorazd
attack ii
One
Re
IF
HOIS
Hundn
first ten
Monda
drew l<
and the
convoy
relief eq
But v
Floridia
quate f<
federalc
was in i
worst n;
tory.
And
Dade C
line: for
Red Cr<
from ins
Federal
Agency.
Thou:
traffic j £
r
Regisi
Call
4gri
R egii
Wei
Bej
M/S
5:3<
t/t
5:3(
tm
M/\
6:4j