in
The Battalion
lo\. 92 No. 9 (14 pages)
‘Serving Texas ASM Since 1893’
Thursday, September 10, 1992
orps initiates plan
>&C lab provides leadership skills for non-contract cadets
By JULIE CHELKOWSKI
Reporter of THE BATTALION
With the successful implemen-
[ation of an enhanced leadership
aining program, the Corps of
adets hopes to eliminate internal
Iroblems, a Corps official said.
The program is a part of an ac-
lon plan released by Texas A&M
President William Mobley last
June to eliminate problems within
■he Corps.
! I Col. Lee McCleskey, opera-
■ions and training chief of the
Corps, said it is comprehensive
brogram designed to include ju-
kior and senior Drill and Cere-
honies (D&C) cadets, who do not
pursue a commission, in a struc-
ured curriculum for leadership
evelopment.
Previously, D&C cadets have
nly participated in non-credit
|| padership programs.
The program does not affect
eshman and sophomore cadets
_;cause they are required to fol-
dw a ROTC program regardless
if future plans.
The leadership training classes,
tfcCleskey said, provide these
D&C cadets with instruction on
basic leadership skills.
"It's a four semester program
to better prepare them (cadets) for
whatever career lies ahead of
them," he said. "It's designed to
make a better Aggie and a better
Aggie leader in whatever field
they choose to enter after they
leave here."
McCleskey said Gen. Thomas
Darling formulated the concept of
leadership training several years
ago when he recognized D&C
cadets were not receiving the for
mal training that was needed.
"Some were in positions of
leadership in which they benefit
ed, but others did not," Mc
Cleskey said.
The program entails four class
es, one each semester during the
junior and senior years, and fo
cuses on issues such as: leader
ship traits, ethics, principles of
leadership, stress management,
human relations (including
stereotypes and values), discrimi
nation, equal opportunity, moti
vational theory, and leadership
styles.
McCleskey said that so far the
program has been successful.
"The program has been ex
tremely well-received by every
body," he said. "They're happy
with it and we're happy."
Billy Dean, Corps scholastic of
ficer, said he agreed that it is a
valuable program.
"I was very impressed," Dean
said. "It provides a forum for se
niors to discuss problems of the
Corps — not in a chain of com
mand situation.
"It provides an opportunity for
staff to hear the problems of other
cadets and it also teaches valuable
leadership skills and traits."
Currently the class counts only
as an elective, but McCleskey said
as the program progresses, they
plan to have it count towards a
degree.
Dean said that if the class count
towards a degree, it would follow
the changing needs of the Corps.
"We're trying to make the class
more marketable for the future,"
he said.
"We're trying to adapt our pro
gram to train more civilians than
military leaders."
Ollen Chenault, Willy Swain and Reuben
Bernal from Texas A&M Water Utilities work to
put the finishing touches on the Fish Pond.
Work is scheduled to be finished Sept. 10.
Insurers consider discounts
for academic achievements
By ROBIN GOODPASTER
KefWfer of UIE BAT!AUON
Students who drive may have a new incentive
to make good grades.
The Texas Automobile Insurance Service Office
(TAISO) has proposed that car insurance compa
nies offer as mu :h as a 15 percent discount off car
insurance rates for students who maintain over a
3.0 grade average.
Today, the State Board of Insurers will vote on
whether to have a meeting or a public hearing
concerning the proposed discount for students.
If the board passes this proposed discount, insur
ers will have the option of offering good students
lower insurance rates.
We hope that this discount will encourage a
to achieve good grades, perhaps that would carry
over to other aspects of that students life - such as
driving.
"We do not have any statistics that having good
grades correlates with good driving, and I'm sure
that some people will think this is not sensible,"
she said. "But we are going out on a limb here,
and we are making a leap of faith - hoping that
this sense of responsibility will carry over and
make students good drivers."
Another available discount proposed by TAISO
is the "Student Away from Home Discount." This
discount would apply to a member of the house
hold who is attending school at least 250 miles
away from home, does not own an automobile
and is not furnished an automobile at school.
"This discount is offered under the assumption
that the student will be less likely to be driving a
car," Slivinske said.
TAISO Chairman Jack Crisci said that insurers
would have the option of providing either or both
of these student driver discounts, and offer up to
15 percent discount off liability, medical pay
ments, personal injury protection and collision
coverages.
To qualify for the discount, a student must be at
least 16 years of age and a full-time high school,
college or university student.
To receive the discount, the student would be
required to meet one of the following require
ments:
1. be in the upper 20 percent of his or her class
2. have a B average or at least a 3.0 on a 4 point
grade scale, or
3. be on the dean's list or honor roll
These requirements would need to be met the
semester that precedes the anniversary (expiration
date) of the policy.
If they are not met, the discount would only be
valid until the expiration date on the policy.
Bill Kuhn, a junior history major at Texas A&M,
said that his insurance company already offers the
discount.
"I think it's incentive to do well," said Kuhn.
"But if you make a 23 instead of a 3.0, it doesn't
make you a bad driver," Kuhn said.
The student driver discounts would hot be
available for drivers with miscellaneous type ve
hicles such as motorcycles, all terrain vehicles and
golf carts.
Kenny Mallard, owner of Mallard Insurance
Agency in Bryan, said that this is one more way to
individualize policies.
"If good grades equals good driving, then it
would be great," he said. "But there needs to be
some correlation between the two."
"The idea behind these reduced rates is to save
the insurance company from financial losses," he
said. "The idea has some merit to it. You would
think that the two would correlate together -
grades and driving."
Food Services keeps
students in mind
By ATLANTIS TILLMAN
competitor's price per once]
Editor in Chief of THE BATTALION
The privatization of Food Services has been pro
posed at Texas A&M and will go before the Board of
Regents for final approval on Sept. 24.
Students, former students and even contractors
have questioned whether this proposal is in the Uni
versity's best interest.
If passed, the proposal would allow a food-ser
vices organization to handle operations in the Sbisa
Underground and the University's snack-bar at the
Easterwood Airport (Billy Mac's). Once selected, the
company would contract with fast food restaurants
like McDonald's and Taco Bell to supply food.
Lance Parr, a member of the Sbisa Menu Board,
doubts that the contracting will end with this pro
posal, but will eventually lead to the complete priva
tization of the University's Food Services.
"Right now only two factors (Sbisa Underground
and Billie Mac's) will be affected," Parr said, " how
ever, they will probably make moves to where the
real money is, in the open board facilities like Sbisa
where many more are served."
Gary B. Zaleski, of Professional Food-Service
Management, Inc. (PFM) also raised this concern. In
a letter to Lloyd Smith, director of Dining Services,
Zaleski said adequate revenue was not available in
contract to keep their prices low.
According to Zaleski:
"While PFM sees great profit potential for
branded concepts, we feel the net result of this
and other additional concepts at the sites being
considered by the university would be an overall
reduction in profit to the universty.
... Based on our marketing survey of your facili
ties being considered in your RFP, there is clearly
not enough revenue available to generate an ade
quate return on our investment. ... It would be nec
essary for us to pass along these expenses, in higher
prices, to the students and other consumers... I
would suggest you operate your own facility, with
out a contractor, and pass the savings on commis
sions along to the customers."
Bottom-line concerns are the primary argument
of both sides. Col. James T. Moore, asst. dir. for
Board Dining (TAMU) Food Services, said the focus
on profits will overshadow the services provided to
the students.
"They're in the business to make money," Moore
said.
Information: Food Services
Director Lloyd H. Smith
ANAS BEN-MUSA/The Battalion
"Lloyd Smith had not been informed by Robert Smith to
include the Menu Board on this matter. My assumption is
that they had no intention to involve us."
-Lance Parr, Sbisa Menu Board
"We're
here solely
for the stu-
dents.
Money
made from
Food Ser
vices goes
back to
support our services, maintanence, up-grades and
keeping our prices low."
Prices, the bottom-line concern for students are
predicted to rise by as much as 65 percent with the
new food company, and that money is not likely to
return to the University, or to Texas, said Adin
Pfeuffer, Corps public affairs officer.
"The difference is that we're talking about a big
firm bringing in other firms like MacDonald's and
Taco Bell," Pfeuffer said. "Each of them needs to
make a profit."
Former students have voiced their opinions about
the proposal in letters to members of the Board of
Regents.
John M. Jackson, Class of '88, complains that not
only is the proposal a "bad business plan," it would
curtail the students' input and choice in food
service.
According to Jackson, "The contract food service
industry has a miserable track record with student
input. After all, how could the real customers (stu
dents) know anything about what they want to eat?"
The proposal, said Corps Operations Supply Offi
cer and Duncan Menu Board member Jerry Gonza
lez, was intended to provide Food Services with
competition. That, he said, is not the case with the
proposed long-term contract that is being consid
ered.
"A short-term contract of this sort would require
the company to work harder to ensure its re
newal. The long-term contract inherently does
not promote competition," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez
said the pro
posal origi
nated from
the Depart
ment of Fi
nance and
Administra-
tion as a sup
posed re
sponse to students' requests for it. Robert Smith,
vice president for Finance and Administration, was
unavailable for comment.
However, students involved with the University
Menu Boards that serve as a liaison between the stu
dent body and Food Services said they were never
approached to give an opinion on the proposal.
"The job of the Student Menu Board is to com
municate to Food Services our wants,wishes and
desires as to the menus on campus," Parr said.
"Lloyd Smith had not been informed by Robert
Smith to include the Menu Board on this matter.
My assumption is that they had no intention to
involve us."
Trade agreement to offer
tax relief, professors say
By SHARON GILMORE
Reporter of THE BA TTA LION
The North American Free
Trade Agreement will greatly
benefit Texas through the reduc
tion of tariffs and taxes from firms
in Mexico, Canada, and the Unit
ed States, said some Texas A&M
professors.
"The North American Free
Trade Agreement is negotiating to
eliminate political and economic
barriers based on industries and
products over many generations,"
marketing Professor Sam Gillespie
said.
The United States, Mexico and
Canada make up the largest trad
ing block in the world, Gillespie
said. The agreement is attempting
to gradually reduce tariffs, he
said.
Economics Professor John Han
son said he thinks the trade agree
ment affects Mexico more than the
United States.
"It is more significant from the
Mexican side than from the Unit
ed States' side," Hanson said.
"From the Mexican side, there is a
very sharp departure from import
substitution," he said. "It is a
change in their philosophy from
the past."
Import substitution is the prac
tice of trying to keep foreign prod
ucts out of a country.
Hanson said the agreement
will decrease inflation and make
trade easier but will not elimi
nate all tariffs from both sides.
"It doesn't make trade totally
free, but takes a big step in that di
rection," Hanson said.
Gillespie said Mexico and the
United States will have job losses
with the trade agreement, but new
jobs will also be created. "Some
industries will benefit while oth
ers will suffer," Gillespie said.
"All countries will have to adjust
and it will take time."
Hanson said he believes that
trading with Mexico will create
more jobs.
"I think that it is a myth that
somehow the job base will de
cline," Hanson said. "It is like
technological change," he said.
"Jobs are lost, but jobs are creat
ed."
The total number of jobs will
go up and the mix of jobs will
change to accommodate the trad
ing, Hanson said.
Gillespie said he believes the
trade agreement will allow Mexi
co to capture better laborers and
place them in jobs instead of
watching them gravitate to the
United States to find labor.
Prior to the trade agreement
the United States and Canada had
a bilateral agreement. But now,
with Mexico involved, there will
be a tri-lateral agreement which
will be an intermediate step to
ward world-wide trade, Gillespie
said.
"Clearly it will mean a great
opportunity for Texas," Gillespie
said. "It is a win-win situation for
Texas."
Hanson said he assumes the
trade agreement will definitely
bring more businesses to Texas.
"Texas will be a transshipment
point," Hanson said. "That is go
ing to be really good for Texas.'
With increase trading activity
through the trade agreement there
will be more revenue and more
jobs, Gillespie said.
He said there will be a greater
stabilization of the United States
and Mexican economy, thus re
ducing the elevated inflation rate
and making Americans more in
clined to invest their dollars in
Mexico.
Hanson thinks the whole trade
agreement is being ignored by
Arkansas governor and presiden
tial candidate Bill Clinton.
"Bill Clinton has been avoiding
the issue," Hanson said. "I think
that is a phony excuse."
A summary of the agreement
was sent out Aug. 20, but Clinton
said he has not gone over it.
"Clinton has no excuse for not
knowing what is in that agree
ment," Hanson said. "When he
says he hasn't read it, he is being
completely insincere."