State & Local
Page 2
The Battalion
Texas A&M Dance Team showcases talent, earns national recognition
By Karen Broyles
Tm Battalion
The Texas A&M Dance Team has been
building an award-winning program over
the past two years, and they hope to use
the team as a recruiting tool for the Uni
versity.
The team placed seventh at the Nation
al Cheerleading Association's Collegiate-
Level Dance Contest in January. In 1993,
the team took fifth place at the same com
petition. These two awards are the first
for the dance team in the four years the
team has existed.
Keri Zelsman, president of the team
and a junior international marketing ma
jor, said she hopes word of the team's
success will encourage women who want
to be on a college dance team to come to
Texas A&M.
"We had never entered a competition
before 1993," said Zelsman, "We just
wanted to see what we could do."
Zelsman said the fifth place award at
the 1993 competition was unexpected.
"It's hard for a new team to come out
and place in the top five their first year,"
Zelsman said. "This year was tougher be
cause some of the past national champions
came back, so there was stiffer competi
tion."
The dance team was started by two stu
dents who saw there was nothing to do
for women at A&M with an interest in
dance. One of the founders, Marilu
Amador, now coaches the team.
The all-woman team consists of 25
members, which is large for a college
dance team, Zelsman said.
"We have a talented, hardworking
team this year," she said."The members all
have backgrounds in everything from
dance or cheerleading to competitive
roller skating."
The team dances at half-time and time
outs of the men's and women's basketball
games. They have also performed at the
Mr. Aggie and Miss TAMU pageants. The
team plans to take part in the MSC Variety
Show this year as well.
The main goal of the team is to gain
recognition and respect, Zelsman said.
"It seems like we get lost in the shuffle
sometimes because of the number of orga
nizations on campus," she said.
Vice President Lauren Fore said getting
money for their expenses is one of the
struggles of the team.
The team gets their funds from mem
bership dues and student activity money.
They also hold fundraisers to cover costs
such as costumes, which can run about
$100 for each member. The members usu
ally cover most of the costs on their own.
"The amount of money we have puts
limits on what we can do with costumes
and choreography," Fore said.
Team members made their own cos
tumes for this year's competition to save
money, she said.
Fore said the best part of the being a
member of the team is working through
the challenges the team faces.
"Hopefully, we will gain respect and
recognition from Texas A&M through our
awards," Fore said.
Zelsman said she would like the team
to have more funding so that they could
attend more competitions. A scholarship
program for the dance team is another one
of Zelsman's goals for the future of the
team.
Another goal is to perform at the Cot
ton Bowl. Fore said she talked to Head
Coach R.C. Slocum about the idea, but no
definite plans were made.
"The beginning of January is a busy
time for us with competition," Fore said.
"If Texas A&M wanted us to perform
at football games, we would, but only if
they asked.'
Zelsman said the team members are
not trying to be cheerleaders or to take
over the yell leaders' positions.
"We just want to add to the tradition at
Texas A&M," Zelsman said.
Students interested in trying out for the
team must have a minimum GPR of 2.0,
The Texas A&M Dance Team celebrates
the women's basketball win over Hous-
be a full-time student and have a back
ground in dance or dance-related activi
ties. The tryout routine is taught at a four-
day clinic with an audition follou
Tryouts for next years dance team wills
held in April.
Comptroller orders 'bed-check' to alleviate crowding
County jail overcrowding forces audit of prison space, possible renovation, restructuring of system
The Associated Press
AUSTIN — Comptroller John Sharp said Thurs
day that his auditors will conduct a bed-by-bed
count to determine how many empty state prison
beds might be put to use without violating court
orders and the constitution.
Finding that number should take five to six
weeks. Sharp said.
"We're simply trying to answer the questions that
folks have," Sharp said.
"How many (empty beds) are out there? What
would it take to use them?"
Sharp acknowledged that "there is a wide differ
ence of opinion" on whether any of the empty
prison beds could be used to help alleviate severe
overcrowding in county jails.
More than 20,000 state inmates are being held in
the jails awaiting transfer to state prisons.
Last week, the Houston Chronicle reported that
Sharp's office had determined that as many as
6,000 state prison beds are empty.
Prison system officials said that's true.
However, they also said that the beds can't be
filled because of a federal court settlement in which
the state agreed not to use them.
In the negotiated settlement to a 20-year inmate
rights lawsuit, the state agreed to limit the popula
tion of some prison units and to increase the popu
lation of others only if showers, dining halls, med
ical and other support facilities were added.
Sharp said Thursday that it appears unlikely
many of the beds could be put to immediate use.
He and his staff said some prisons may require
renovation, construction of more facilities and ad
ditional expenses before using any empty beds.
"No one is saying, I think, that you can go in
and do something immediately without this
study," Sharp said.
"There is a wide difference of opinion.
"You're not going to settle that difference of
opinion until you go in bed-by-bed, and count as
the governor has instructed us to do," he said.
A lawyer for counties that have sued the state
over being forced to hold its prisoners said such;
accounting is long overdue.
"This should have been done a long time a^d
said attorney Margo Frasier, a former county;
superintendent.
"Go out there bed by bed by bed, unit by unit]
unit . . . and figure out once and for all whetil
you can use these beds, how many of thesekJ
you can use, how much it's going to cost and get ;
with it," she said.
Frasier said that perhaps 4,000 of the bedscoJ
be used. ~ ... -»..J
But even 1,000 extra beds, would help ease court
ty jail crowding, she said. _
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4rEXCITING NEWS^r
JUBtF’ SPRING
Inquiring Aggie Minds Want to Know,,
Question:
What is maroon and white, tells you
what’s going on, where to get your
questions answered, keeps you
organized AND is inexpensive?
Answer:
I he 1993-1994 All University Calendar
on sale now at the Texas A&M
Bookstore for a mere $2.98!
This popular calendar contains...a Problem Solver, ImportaE
Phone Numbers, 1993-1994 dates, a campus map, and mor;
And you can sleep soundly knowing that the proceeds from tk
calendar go directly to benefiting student organizations on campif
Smart Aggies know....
the 1993-1994 All University Calendar tells all!
SPRING
GRADUATES
GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
ARE NOW ON SALE
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THROUGH
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MSC STUDENT
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OF APRIL 1994
H ey Ags, want to be in the nation’s largest
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following questions and the winners with the
best answers will be printed in the Aggieland!
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while you have been at Texas A&M?
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Who is the best professor you have had? Why?
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Aggielancl
The Battalion
JULI PHILLIPS, Editor in chief
MICHAEL PLUMER, Managing editor KYLE BURNETT, Aggielife editor
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HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor SEAN FRERKING, Sports editor
TONI GARRARD CLAY, Opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, Photoedto
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Staff Members
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Laurel Mosley, Angela Neaves, Mary Kujawa and Karen Broyles
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Photographers - Amy Browning, Chad Cooper, Robert Dunkin, Darrin Hill, Kevin Ivy, Mary Macmaws
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