Campus
Page 2
The Battalion
Monday, January 17,1994
Moving in
Jennie Maycr/I he Battalion
Freshman. Erin Semmler, left, unloads her belongings into
Krueger Hall with the help of her sister, Emily, as they prepare
for the beginning of the spring semester.
Vendors get strict soliciting limitations
By Michele Brinkmann
The Battalion
Vendors on the Texas A&M University cam
pus must follow stricter guidelines this semester
in response to repeated complaints by students
and faculty members.
Vendors will be limited to nine campus loca
tions, selected by a concessions committee,
where they can solicit customers. Previously,
vendors could set up an unlimited number of ta
bles across campus.
They also can only be on the A&M campus
for eight days this semester, down from 14 days
last semester.
Dr. Bill Kibler, chair of the concessions com
mittee that developed the new policies, said stu
dents and faculty members complain at the be
ginning of every semester that the vendors are
too aggressive.
"The biggest complaint is the behavior of the
vendors and not the number of them," Kibler
said.
In response to these complaints, vendors now
are required to stay behind their tables, and only
two vendors can work at each location.
Vendors in the MSC can set up a table in the
main hallway or in the fountain area, but cannot
have tables in both areas.
Jennifer Elliot, a sophomore biomedical sci
ence major, said she has reason to be wary of
vendors.
Elliot said she gave a vendor a check for a
newspaper, but she never received the paper,
nor did the vendor cash the check. She said she
left at least ten messages at the vendors office,
but her calls were never returned.
Gilbert Sarabia, a Houston Post assistant
sales manager, said a few "bad apples" have
hurt everyone, and the new guidelines are hurt
ing his business.
"If we mess up one time we could be thrown
off campus," he said. "It intimidates us not to
be as aggressive as we were trained to be."
Sarabia said that in his ten years of doing his
job he has never had a problem with anyone.
"I think the University should keep a few
hand-picked qualified people to stay on campus
and do their job," he said.
He said restricting the number of locations
interferes with his business.
"It is important for us to be spread out all
over campus so the students can see us," he
said.
But these guidelines are not as strict as
they could have been.
In December, the committee approved a
Back to School Services Fair that would have
restricted vendors to six days in Rudder Ex
hibit Hall.
However high costs, time constraints and
complaints by vendors prompted the com
mittee to cancel the fair and enforce some
new rules for the vendors to follow.
Reed Jenkins, a Star-Tel salesman, said the
new rules would not really affect Star-Tel's
business, and these guidelines are better than
the Back to School Services Fair.
"I wish the policy was like last semester,
but the new rules are OK," he said.
Kibler, who is also interim assistant vice
president for student services, said a conces
sions committee member will oversee each of
the nine locations.
He said students can address their com
plaints and concerns to the University Center
at 845-8902.
The booths have been set up ir the desig
nated areas since last Wednesday and will be
in operation until this Wednesday.
Bockris prepares response to research inquiry
By Jan Higginbotham
The Battalion
The Texas A&M University
chemistry department continues to
be plagued with problems stem
ming from the research activities of
Dr. John Bockris and his attempts
to turn mercury into gold.
The internal inquiry ordered last
November by A&M Interim Presi
dent E. Dean Gage was extended
recently in order to continue the in
vestigation into Bockris' research
until the end of the month.
Nancy Sawtelle, communica
tions director for the office of the
vice-president for research and
graduate studies, said the commit
tee received the extension because
Dr. Bockris was not available to ap
pear before the group until this
week.
The panel's chairman, Duane
Kraemer, had to make a trip to
Australia recently, and this also
contributed to the need for the ex
tension.
Bockris is scheduled to be inter
viewed by the committee Tuesday.
His attorney, Gaines West, said
they are prepared for the appear
ance and are confident the truth
will prevail.
"We feel the allegations are out
rageous," West said. "We believe
he (Bockris) has not done anything
to discredit himself or the Universi
ty. We believe that he will be exon
erated."
West and Bockris are currently
preparing their response to the in
quiry. West said he is anticipating
a full range of questions and will be
ready for all of them.
Bockris filed a request that
would allow West to appear with
him when the professor goes be
fore the committee Tuesday. West
said Bockris might not appear if
that request is not granted.
The controversy within the
chemistry department has re
ceived a great deal of media at
tention in recent months. Arti
cles concerning Bockris and his
attempts to turn mercury into
gold have appeared throughout
the state, and the story has even
received some national attention.
The subject also received one
of Texas Monthly's Annual Bum
Steer Awards last month.
Problems have also developed
because 23 of 28 distinguished
f >rofessors submitted a petition
ast month calling for the Univer
sity to demote Dr. Bockris for his
"bogus" research.
Rene Henry, executive direc
tor of University Relations, told a
reporter with the Dallas Morning
News in late December that the
University needed to speak with
staff lawyers concerning the mat
ter to ensure the protection of
Bockris' academic rights.
The controversy is expected to
come to a close later this month
when the committee will release
its findings.
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The Battalion
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