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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 1995)
"il 3,15I TERRIFIC TANDEM llllfe Rico Rodarte and Eric Horan double A&M tennis success. Zs# Sports, Page 5 NO PASS, NO PLAY, NO CHANGE The Texas Legislature should not alter the law that keeps failing students from extracurricular activities. Opinion, Page 11 CLASSES TURN TO E-MAIL Students and professors are using e- mail more often for assignments. Aggielife, Page 3 et a hnson's ■mtribiiii onCht Vol. > No. 124 (12 pages) The Sin “Serving Texas AdrM since 1893 ” - Tuesday • April 4,1995 &M fraternities recognized for academic success Sigma Chi and Alpha Gamma Rho re al, T ceived the Princeton Review's Academ- dBar ic Excellence Award. By Kasie Byers IThe Battalion The Texas A&M chapters of Sigma Chi and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternities received the first Chapter Aca demic Excellence Award presented by the Princeton Re view Sunday. I I The award, created as a joint effort between the Prince ton Review and Texas A&M Interfraternity Council, rec ognizes the scholastic efforts of A&M fraternities. John Lopez, local director for the Princeton Review, [said academics are a side of fraternity life that are highly Q stressed but rarely seen by non-fraternity students. “I know there are a lot more to fraternities than peo ple hear about because I was a member of a fraternity ] d p owe as an undergraduate,” Lopez said. “Academic excellence Collegial was always stressed within my chapter, but it was not itrodi:;; often seen by others.” Lopez said the Princeton Review has been working ince last semester to become more involved with the 1 he cr fjGreek system. “I see this award as a way to create academic compe- I star; tition among the fraternities and encourage them to i tosh ! strive toward academic excellence,” he said. The award is divided into two divisions. Maroon Divi sion and White Division, the prior consisting of fraterni- tly.’ leift Aligns;: Jrug F-- n raeei VVindckj power! 'or them' 1 train!, re fort i Rotf nd inti named! 11-Amer only tw ntomak ots. ,. with more than 50 members and the latter with 50 ties i , members or less. Sigma Chi, with a chapter grade-point ratio of 2.880, received the Maroon Division award and Alpha Gamma Rho, with a GPR of 2.855, received the White Division award. The average GPR for men at A&M is 2.68 and for women, 2.80. The average GPR for the sororities is 2.86 and 2.63 for the fraternities. Scott Gilbert, president of Sigma Chi, said the local chapter has a long history of academic excellence. “Recently, our local Sigma Chi chapter was recog nized nationally for high academic achievement,” Gilbert said. “I hope this award will force other frater nities to try to achieve and to reach the level that we have academically.” Recipients of the award are given individual plaques and their names are placed on a plaque in the IFC office. The award is presented each semester to the fraterni ties with the highest GPRs within each division. Andre Kostelnik, IFC Scholarship and Intramural Chairman, said he hopes this award will show the broader campus community that academics are a cen tral part of fraternity life. “We want to stress the importance of academics as well as camaraderie and brotherhood within the Greek system,” he said. Lopez said this is the first award of its kind, but he has been speaking to other Princeton Review offices with the hope that other fraternity chapters will have the opportunity to be recognized for academic excel lence as well. Bart Mitchell/THE Battalion end ad shales. 7410“ tation ersity le wM i! Our ve will ficenf / got it! Shelly Doggett, a junior landscape architecture major, and Holly McNurlen, a senior health education major, fight for position on an incoming ball during a women’s lacrosse scrimmage Monday evening. Yell leaders look forward to exciting year as leaders of the Twelfth Man □ The new yell leaders, all members of the Corps of Cadets, agree that they are a cohesive group. See Yell Leaders, Page 10 tness 35ure 53. A orina By Gretchen Perrenot The Battalion The newly elected yell leaders say next year will be a good year for A&M school spirit. The new yell leaders, who are also all members of the Corps of Cadets, agree that this group will work well together in building Twelfth Man spirit. David Kemp, 1995-96 senior yell leader, said next year’s yell leaders will be a cohesive group. “We’ve had several meetings al ready and everyone shows so much heart and desire,” Kemp said. “This is going to be a really great group.” Henry Hewes, 1995-96 senior yell leader, said this year’s group will be even better than last year’s group. “We know each other, and we are wiser to problems that arose last year so we can make it a better year,” Hewes said. “Next year’s group will make it even better than our group, as well.” Chris Torn, 1995-96 junior yell leader, said the leaders have been raised on a common ground in the Corps of Cadets. “David Thornberry and I have been buddies since last year,” Torn said. “He’s -in my outfit, so we’ve been through a lot together already. “I have a lot of re spect for David Kemp and Henry Hewes,” he said. “And Michael Thornberry is a gen uinely great guy.” David and Michael Thornberry, 1995-96 junior and senior yell leaders, promise there will be no brotherly spats as fel low yell leaders. “My brother and I get along great,” Michael Thornberry said. “We don’t fight much at all.” David and Michael said they had both al ways wanted to run .. .. , _, . _ for yell leader. Henr y Hewes, 96, and Chris Torn, 97. Bart Mitchell/THE Battalion A&M System leads state in women- and minority- owned business contracts Q The A&M System had a high er percentage of contracts with HUBs than any other state agency in 1 994. By Lisa Messer The Battalion The Texas A&M University System ad ministrative office awarded a higher per centage of contracts and purchases to women- and minority-owned businesses than any other state agency during fiscal year 1994. The A&M System awarded 26.5 percent, or $24.9 million, of its $93.8 million total expenditures to women-owned and minori ty-owned businesses, also known as histori cally underutilized businesses. That percentage is more than the per centage awarded by any of the other ten state agencies with the most expenditures in fiscal year 1994. The percentage almost doubles that of the agency with the next highest percentage of 14.3 percent. The System’s contracts and expenditures to HUBs increased from fiscal year 1993’s reporting period, in which the administra tive office spent 15.8 percent or $12.1 mil lion, of its $76.4 million total expenditures with HUBs. Dr. Barry Thompson, chancellor of the A&M System, said working with women- and minority-owned businesses is a System & oal - “We have greatly intensified our efforts to identify and work with women- and mi nority-owned businesses in the past year, and that effort is paying off,” Thompson said. “However, we must strive to ensure that all the universities and agencies in our System continue their goal of increasing business with HUBs.” Tom Bullock, coordinator of special pro jects for Facilities Planning and Construc tion, said the System is making special ef forts to increase involvement with HUBs. “We have improved our coordination with System members so purchasing agents know about the increased emphasis on awarding contracts and purchases to HUBs,” Bullock said. “System HUB teams meet regularly to determine how we can improve our performance to reach the good faith effort goal of awarding 30 percent of our contracts and purchases to certified mi nority- and women-owned businesses set by the 73rd legislature.” Of the System’s $93.8 million in expendi tures, $90 million was spent in the System construction program, which is headed by Gen. Wesley Peel, vice chancellor for Facili ties Planning and Construction. Peel said A&M’s efforts are not specifi cally to hire minority-owned contractors but to make them aware of the System’s op portunities. “We don’t want to select HUBs that are unqualified, but we have made an effort to notify HUB firms about our projects,” Peel said. “We encourage HUB firms to submit bids to general contractors that complete our work.” Peel said most HUBs are subcontractors that bid to general contractors who put in bids to the A&M System. He said A&M requires general contrac tors to make a good faith effort to use HUBs and to provide A&M with evidence that they have done that. Peel said the percentage of work in the A&M System awarded to HUBs could be negatively affected if several bills before the Texas Legislature pass. “One bill defines HUBs but precludes companies that gross more than $2 million or $3 million,” Peel said. “If that bill is passed and you get to that level, you no longer constitute a HUB. A company could n’t be a certified HUB even if it is minority- owned. That would punish success and ad versely affect our percentages.” Old Main Society considers restoring Military Walk path Michael Thornberry said his deci sion to run did not have anything to do with his brother’s participation in the race. The 1995-1996 yell leaders are David Thornberry, ‘97, Michael Thornberry, ‘96, David Kemp, ‘96, □ The proposal calls for restor ing the central pathway that once led from Sbisa to Guion Hall, where Rudder Theater now stands. By Wes Swift The Battalion The Old Main Society is hoping to revive a part of A&M history through a proposal to restore Military Walk. The society unveiled its proposal Monday to restore the walkway that once stretched from Sbisa Dining Hall to Guion Hall, where Rudder Theater now stands. Constructed in 1918, Military Walk was the primary path for campus life during the early 20th century. Cadets would line up in formation three times a day and march from the Guion Hall to Sbisa for meals. Shortly after the Southside Corps dorms and Duncan Dining Center were built. Mil itary Walk declined as the m^jor center of campus. The walk was demolished in 1971 and re placed with barriers, kiosks and grass malls. The society’s proposal includes restoring the central pathway, original vegetation and lampposts. The kiosks and barriers would be re moved to provide an unobstructed view from Sbisa to Rudder Theater. Bryan Mason, new construction and campus improvements crew co-leader, said that in its prime. Military Walk was a unique landmark. “Military Walk was something that set the campus apart from other campuses,” Mason said. “Now it’s not. It’s just another part of the campus. Students don’t have any idea what Military Walk is or where it ran.” Mason said the demolition of the walk has left some without a sense of history. He said Legett Hall is one of the few original buildings on Military Walk that still stands. “Some students don’t get a very good idea of what Military Walk is,” Mason said. “This is where people had fun, lived, ate and took classes.” Greg Keith, president of the Old Main So ciety, said that restoring Military Walk would correct the mistake of demolishing it. “What they did to Military Walk was just terrible,” Keith said. “The University was growing by leaps and bounds. Military Walk just got chewed up.” Mason estimated the cost at $75,000, ex cluding the cost of the lampposts and removal of the barriers, kiosks and grass malls. But Mason also suggested several ways to fund the project, such as alumni donations. Dan MacGilvray, Old Main Society ad viser and architecture professor, said that any alumni donations would have to be so licited soon because of the probable age of the possible donors. “If the walk began to fall into disuse near the end of World War II, then the people who would donate would be in their 70’s now,” MacGilvray said. “The time to act is now.” Class gifts are another funding possibility. Keith said that the $75,000 restoration would fit perfectly in the usual price range of class gifts. “Classes usually raise about $96,000 for their class gift,” Keith said. “Why not choose this project?” Keith called the restoration a long-term project. He cited five other buildings on campus as needing more immediate attention for restoration. “This is a something we could always do,” Keith said. “Right now, I see this as our number five priority. It’s behind Puryear and Law Halls, the DeWare Field House and the Downs Natatorium.” Texas A&M Archives Military Walk looking toward Sbisa Dining Hall in 1928.
