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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 1993)
r / June 1,1993 ?rence finals, ''Vednesday • s Madison time Jordan ’re points in olds the all- • 63 against in double ‘ a final bid minutes to e within 94- itrick Ewing -harles Oak- Ewing each New York, for Chicago »oints in the ■ second, 18 he fourth. ;r got the ’-1 lead but vith an 104 \n 8-4 run ; six of the n top 21-17. 1 but Grant spite a pair ■s, the Bulls 'hes and um- ng to control 've played vn at at least lem were at ■m were way aid. "Wun- A'ild, he had tty well, and ight at me. Ily got what think it was y would go mething like >se." ! was mean- ■ hits a lot of hird and I 11 right, and y thing that jnsch) was d smiling at rid Series tounced to- nstudent nstudent istudent istudent student student student itudent I tudent tudent I PC )sh The Battalion Vol. 92 No. 150 (6 pages) 1893 - A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993 Wednesday, June 2,1993 A&M considers NSI pilot program Clinton's National Service Initiative to help students obtain, pay for loans By JENNIFER SMITH The Battalion Texas A&M students may have the opportunity to be involved in President Clinton's new student loan program by the end of 1993 if the University chooses to partici pate in a pilot program. The National Service Initiative (NSI) is two pieces of legislation that may change the way students pay for college. The first bill of the initiative, the National Service Trust Act, will allow students to pay back loans with one or two years of community service. The second bill, the Student Loan Reform Act, will allow stu dents to borrow money directly from their college. Jack Falks, assistant director of Student Financial Aid at Texas A&M, said schools have until Oct. 1 to decide whether or not they want to be a pilot school for the program, and A&M is currently deciding whether it wants to be involved. Falks said the major drawback he sees with the program is the schools will face the added re sponsibility of being the lenders . "The schools will have more work to do," Falks said. "We will absorb the majority of the respon sibilities and liabilities. "If we have a bad loan, we would be stuck with the responsi bility of collecting it," he said. Falks said the loans would be awarded to the students directly through the schools. "This system will be a lot more streamlined," he said. "It really will simplify the entire process. "It is supposedly going to be a lot quicker for the students," Falks said. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley said in a press release that the primary objective in re vamping the student loan system is to serve students better. "A new streamlined system will simpli fy the ad ministra tive tasks of educa tional insti- t u t i o n s , make the system eas ier to un derstand, provide students with greater choice in repayment plans and lower costs to taxpayers and students," he said. Student body president Brian Walker said he is skeptical about Clinton's program. "1 would like to see a pilot pro gram go into effect first," he said. "If this shows that the system works better without the middle men, then there's no need to have them. "But if all the lenders are taken out and it goes to a direct loan from the University and some thing goes wrong, there's nothing to fall back on," Walker said. The middlemen, or the lenders, are not excited about the new pro gram. "The lenders have a lot to lose," Falks said. Another option of Clinton's program is to allow students to borrow $10,000 for two years of service. This service could be done before, during or after the student attends college. Falks said high school students could pay for their loan before they even attend school. "It would be a loan that is al ready for- given," Falks said. Riley said, "Under this pro gram, stu dents who wish to take low-pay ing community service jobs ... will be able to repay their loans as a small percentage of their income so that they will not be overbur dened by debt." Opponent of Clinton's plan have said students with a degree are too qualified to work in this type of service positions and could benefit the nation more working in their respective fields. "The money they have to pay off might be easily paid with their income," Falks said. Falks said Clinton's program is geared toward students with de grees that offer a low starting salary after graduation. "This will make it easier for students with low incomes to re pay their loans," he said. Other opportunities will be available for students attending schools that cannot originate this type of loan. "I understand that not every institution will be able to originate loans, and some will not want to," Riley said. "In these cases, an al ternative originator will be avail able at no cost to the institution." A U.S. Department of Educa tion press release stated colleges and trade schools would use fed eral capital to make loans directly to students and their parents. Ac cording to the release, "An esti mated $4.3 billion could be saved through fiscal year 1988 as a result of lower government borrowing rates and the elimination of lender subsides." "Students and taxpayers will benefit from a less expensive pro gram and students will enjoy low er interest rates, with simpler, more flexible repayment options," Riley said. "By cutting out mid dlemen and eliminating excessive profits, billions of dollars can be saved." The NSI is still in subcommit tee. When both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate ap prove the same versions of the bill, it will be submitted to the president for approval or veto. Since this is Clinton's program, he will almost surely approve it. "This will make it easier for students with low incomes to repay their loans." -Jack Falks, asst, director of financial aid Schedule Friday (Bracket One) #1 Texas A&M vs. #8 Kansas #4 Long Beach vs. #5 LSU Saturday (Bracket Two) #2 Arizona St. vs. #7 Wichita St. #3 Texas vs. #6' Oklahoma St. Poor school districts attack latest funding reform plan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUSTIN — The state no sooner presented its latest school funding reform plan to a judge Tuesday than property-poor school districts an nounced plans to challenge the measure. "Poor districts will suffer tremendously" under the law, said lawyer A1 Kauffman of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. State District Judge F. Scott McCown of Austin said he would pre sume the new law is constitutional until such challenges are filed, then set a hearing. He is allowing state aid to flow to schools this summer. McCown, who oversees the long-running school finance case, said it is likely that schools will operate under the new plan over the next school year because of the time needed for courts — and if necessary, lawmakers — to act. He said challenges should be filed by July 15. But lawyers for property-poor school districts want quicker action. Kauffman said he planned to file his challenge June 9 and hopes that a hearing will promptly be scheduled. He and other lawyers for poor districts cited as a top concern the way state funds are to be distributed beginning next school year. Lead ers have said the new measure does not include enough state funds to keep up with growing enrollment. RICHARD DIXON/The Battalion John Heffington, a senior at A&M Consolidated the Central Texas Junior Golf Tournament. The High School, practices golf Tuesday afternoon on tournament will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday at the ihe A&M golf course. Heffington is preparing for A&M golf course. Serbs bomb Sarajevo civilians during soccer game, killing 15 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegov- ina — Serb mortar crews targeted a pickup soccer game on a Mus lim holy day Tuesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens in one of the war's worst attacks on Sarajevo civilians. An hour after two shells slammed into the crowd of specta tors, the soccer ball remained on the parking lot near Sarajevo air port where the game was played, surrounded by the victims' blood. Bosnian radio had warned resi dents that besieging Serbs might launch a heavy attack on Kurban Bayram, a holy day that commem orates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to God. About 200 Sarajevans gathered on the Dobrinja suburb field any way for the soccer game. "It wasn't a very good idea," said Sead Bajric, his right leg bloody and bandaged from the at tack, as he lay in a field hospital nearby. "But ... people will gather and live their lives normally." Three days earlier, residents had shown their defiance and de sire for normalcy by holding a beauty pageant, crowning a 17- year-old as Miss Besieged Sarajevo. Bajric said he had a message for "these savages on the hill" — the Serb gunners positioned on the slopes around Sarajevo: "They will never kill our morale, no mat ter how many of us they kill." "People started screaming," Bajric, 20, said. "Shoes were flying around. There was a lot of blood." Bosnian television said 15 peo ple were killed. Attending physi cian Youssef Hajir said 25 of the almost 80 wounded had "life- threatening injuries," Hajir said. "It's one of the saddest days in Dobrinja since the beginning of the war," Hajir said. President Alija Izetbegovic urged his people to have courage and faith as he joined fellow Mus lims in dawn prayer. Reports of desperate battles in northern and eastern Bosnia added to the gloom on a day re served in better times to celebrat ing the "Feast of Sacrifice." Serb shelling in the north Bosn ian city of Maglaj on Tuesday killed two Danes and a Bosnian who worked for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Five other Danish drivers were wounded, one seriously. In the eastern Muslim enclave of Gorazde, ham radio operator Mustafa Kurtovic reported that the "ground is shaking" from ex plosions. Medjedja, a village 12 miles northeast of Gorazde, had fallen to the Serbs who had torched it, Kurtovic said. University fights research criticism Research, teaching related. Gage says By LAURA HALEY The Battalion In the past two years, re search-based universities, such as Texas A&M, have received in creasing criticism for spending too much time on research and not enough time on teaching. Dr. E. Dean Gage, A&M senior vice president and provost of aca demic affairs, said the research conducted by professors can add to the classroom environment. "Without research and scholar ship, the faculty does not grow and learn, and this affects what is done in the classroom," he said. There is an interrelationship between research and teaching, and the problem is that many re- search-based universities tend to over-emphasize either research or teaching. Gage said. When research is not done, ed ucation becomes obsolete, he said. Dr. Robert Kennedy, A&M as sociate provost for research man agement, agreed. "In general, the best re searchers make the best teachers and vice versa," he said. Many professors carry over their excitement from research to the classroom, making the learn ing experience fun for everyone, he said. Kennedy admits, however, that too much time spent on research not used in the classroom can be a disadvantage. Student body president Brian Walker said although research is an important aspect of the teach ing process, many professors do not mention their research in the classroom. "They (professors) have never said I'm teaching you this through research, but I assume they are," he said. If professors do acknowledge their research in the classroom, it may not be helpful to the student or pertain to what the class is studying, he said. Gage said some initiatives have been taken to keep a balance be tween teaching and research at A&M. A new faculty reward system is being used to help the balance, he said. In this reward system, faculty will be commended in the area of their expertise, whether it be re search or teaching. For example, teachers will be rewarded for their classroom ability instead of having to compete with re searchers, Gage said. A classroom communications enhancement program developed by the University two years ago focuses on emphasizing and im proving teaching at A&M. The program helps the teaching process by ensuring students are able to understand what is being taught in the classroom. "A research-based university adds to the quality and prestige of the degree because it reflects the quality and knowledge of the fac ulty," Gage said. Sports •Baseball: Aggies pack a punch with batting lineup •Sullivan: Choosing athletic role models Page 3 Opinion •Editorial: Concealed gun referendum necessary •Column: Vasquez agonizes over summer school Page 5 dent tomorrow in Preview: Teyti J\iusic Review: Stephen Coonts' novel "The Red Horseman"