• June 19,
A
&z
1VL
U
1ST
E
R
Y
Pexas and tt-
160 (6 pages)
Established in 1893
Tuesday • June 20, 1995
3owen to host student forum Bl11
money appr
1 he System,
motions ordis
awsuit mayfe- 1
arded may nt
i by theLegisA&M's president will hear
udent views on the possibil-
v contributey of fee increases.
oy to the Un
hty. In 1992, Wes Swift
u)co and h iE g ATTALION
> Gas, parec
umies toTt: j-j r j^ a y Bowen, Texas A&M presi-
Power Gene’j^ w iB host an open forum for stu-
n ‘•°’nts to share their views on the propos-
uted S45,50 ^o[ raise the general use fee Wednes-
I.bOO, and tfciy j un e 21 in 292 MSC.
$85,500. At a meeting on June 15, the Texas
xmefit the G fcM Board of Regents authorized Uni-
icering and tr rsity presidents of the A&M System to
k* Studies, dd the public hearings.
In reducecc
use of negotitH See Editorial, Page 51
' •; f 'v HR
\elp individu , „ , ^ «
-Johnson sa The general use fee is currently $12
l /ed bora :r semester credit hour, and the propos-
wpuld increase it to $26 per semester
^■t hour. Texas House Bill 815 autho-
zes university systems to raise general
• r* se fees as high as tuition rates.
.ies ra Currently, tuition rates are $30 per
semester credit hour, and may increase
to $32 by Fall 1996. A provision in House
Bill 815 requires each university to hold
an open forum for students to voice their
opinions on proposed increases of the
general use fees.
Bowen said he thinks that, while fees
will likely go up, student input will be
instrumental.
“We will listen to the students’ con
cerns,” Bowen said. “It is more than likely
that fees will go up, but their input could
determine how much is put in financial
aid and things like that. I think well hear
a lot about what problems come up and
hear their ideas about how the money
should be spent.”
Bowen said the University has a $10.8
million shortage in its 1995-1996 budget.
The University wants $6 million to
raise staff and faculty salaries 3 percent,
add $1 million for need-based financial aid
grants, $1 million in deferred maintenance
and another $2 million for special needs.
Overall, the University needs approxi
mately $19.4 million, $15.4 million of
which would be paid by the revenue from
the general use fee.
Bowen said the fee proposals are in
dicative of a new trend in Texas higher
education.
“Our fees are set by the Legislature,”
Bowen said. “Historically, they’ve been
able to appropriate more general revenue
and keep fees down. This time they have
indirectly said ‘OK, we’ll allow you to
raise your fees; we don’t have any more
general revenue.’
“No matter how you
look at it, the basic
conclusion is that it’s
going to cost more to
get an education in
Texas,” he said. “We’re
part of that, and it’ll
cost more here.”
Bowen said it may
be necessary to reduce
funds from several ar
eas in the budget if
the Regents do not
approve the increase. He explained that
without a higher general use fee, there
will have to be cuts across the Universi
ty, including a $5.3 million in
academic affairs.
to pay
proposes to allow Army
ay commandants’ salaries
Bowen
See Forum, Page 6
□ A spokesman for the
Citadel said allowing an ac
tive-duty officer to serve as
commandant may increase
the number of cadets seek
ing commissions into the
armed forces.
By Michael Simmons
The Battalion
The 1996 Defense Authorization
Bill could give Texas A&M University
and five other colleges with military
programs the opportunity to have
their commandants’ salaries paid by
the U. S. Army.
Retired Army Col. Roger Popham,
the commandant of cadets at the
Citadel in Charleston, S.C., said the
authorization bill would give the col
leges the option of allowing their se
nior army officer to also act as their
comm andant.
Rep. Steve Buyer, a 1980 Citadel
graduate, penned an addition to the
authorization bill which would allow
A&M and the five other essential
schools with military programs to
have their highest ranking army offi
cers serve a dual role — as both the
professor of military science and the
commandant of cadets, Popham said.
“This would give the school the
ability to have an active-duty profes
sor of military science serve in a dual-
hatted role as the commandant,”
Popham said. “This would ensure that
the college would stay up-to-date on
current military practices.”
Like A&M, the Citadel currently
commissions less than 35 percent of
its cadets into the armed forces after
completing school, Popham said.
“I believe an active-duty comman
dant would draw more cadets to pur
sue commissions,” Popham said.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Darling, A&M’s
See Bill, Page 6
llor ^acuity reacts positively to proposed
withdrawal, attendance policy changes
ne politicia:
ics. Gov. Hot:
d,” said Sar;
coordinator | jhe Faculty Senate's proposed
>ol. "Evenir 7 ^
, for examphanges regarding attendance
histono t j|| ma y k e j n violation of confi-
tias a bacheklentiality laws.
ry but no mi
Le, shrugs wty Katherine Arnold
lever wentfe'Hg Battalion
ick up ani:
Faculty reactions are positive to the policy
es workinghanges regarding withdrawal and atten-
ant professc ance proposed by the Faculty Senate during
> deanship. ; S June 12 meeting.
ecause some The proposed withdrawal policy will elimi-
irking spa ate the “withdraw passing” and “withdraw
i’t vote for ^ailing” classifications. Currently, if a student
l ago,” Hobbydthdraws from the University and is failing
g in Sunday? class, the credit hours the student is in dan-
iston Chroni-erlof failing are calculated into the grade-
some experifioint ratio. “Withdraw passing” does not af-
>f thing.” Ghe GPR.
cal skills sho Dr. Sallie Sheppard, associate provost for
ndergraduate programs and academic ser-
stem hasbei ces > said the elimination of WP and WF
s past year b will benefit students.
et ween the it p a student has to withdraw, then thepe is
Hite schools G su piiy ari extenuating circumstance that ini-
(Hear Lake^T 68 that decision,” Sheppard said. “When a
tudent withdraws, then they’ve lost the
diole semester anyway. [The new policy] is a
dn-win situation all around.”
1 J Sheppard is the chairwoman of the Acade-
('■') 1 1 I f] he Operations Committee, which made the
CLAV4 ecQmmendations for the policy changes. The
I | ommittee consists of deans from each of
T'* I I pn-A&M’s colleges.
The Senate also proposed moving the with-
^ rawal deadline from the last class day to the
ration more'jfirop date.
get ax. Dr. Brent Paterson, associate director of
ild then sim tudent affairs, said moving the date will ease
said. helconfusion of the withdrawal process,
ed, public ro “There used to be hundreds of students try-
1s coming to} a g to withdraw on the last class* day, mostly
?. re money, Lcademic reasons,” Paterson said. “We feel
irst? ’ Olivas hat students know by the midterm if they
ling News for rd failing one or all of their classes and are
s : . Scb 00 ^ Ganging on when they shouldn’t be.”
iition. Paterson added that the Senate proposal
:ial planner ^11 a n ow withdrawal past the Q-drop date
d the progi or students with extenuating circumstances,
investment, ?
iition and f fi ~
as they havf
d the purcha?
tax liability-
E x p e r :
also quest
whether >
state mi?’
have to bi
out the fat
with taxpa;
money.
The legir
tion allo f
people to
two- or for
year contra
from the st
to prepayf
fees for child:
18.
riust be Tel
le children
d enrolls in «■
colleges or a:
nptroller trait
lue of the e
ol. The stud'
nteed that'
uld be coverec
letails have}
it, but officii
pay for itself-
:pect the into
rue on the cot
re than enoto
>gram.
goes into eff
state will be?.
after Jan. 1.
which will be determined by the dean of the
student’s college.
Changes in the attendance policy were also
proposed. The Senate has requested that stu
dents must show proof of an excused absence
within two working days of the absence, and the
documentation must show proof of treatment.
The Senate proposed the second revision at
the request of the Academic Operations Commit
tee, because they believed the revisions would
clarify the attendance policy, Sheppard said.
“There have been students who have
abused the attendance policy,” Sheppard said.
“The new policy will accommodate students
with a legitimate illness.”
Dr. Kenneth Dirks, director of A.P. Beutel
Health Center, said the proposed policy may
violate laws of confidentiality.
“I have requested that the proposal be eval-
"There have been students who
have abused the attendance policy.
The new policy will accommodate
students with a legitimate illness."
— Dr. Sallie Sheppard
associate provost for undergraduate programs and academic services
uated by general counsel to see if it is consti
tutional,” Dirks said. “From our perspective,
we cannot release medical information re
garding a student to a faculty member.”
The Senate attempted to avoid problems
with confidentiality by revising the regulation
to state that a student must obtain proof of
illness and treatment from the health center
to show to professors.
However, this still may be violating confi
dentiality, Dirks said.
“We cannot release information regarding
treatment and diagnosis,” Dirks said. “The
student taking that information to the profes
sor would be a similar situation.”
Paterson said issues still remain to be
worked out regarding the attendance policy.
“There is the question of how much a facul
ty member actually needs to know,” Paterson
said. “From a faculty member’s perspective,
professors just want to know that a student
was justifiably sick.”
Nick Rodnicki, The Battalion
Workin' hands
The Rec Sports Center slowly approaches completion as workers seal the windows to the building on
Monday afternoon.
Restaurant
EMPLOYEES
PROTEST
Several former employees of
Ninfa’s restaurant in College Sta
tion protest outside of the restau
rant on Harvey Road Monday.
The signs, written in Spanish
on one side and English on the
other, read, "Not to be treated
badly," "Respect the right of peo
ple," "Justice for workers," and
"With your help we can do it."
Juan Carlos Cardenas,
protest organizer and former
employee, said through a trans
lator that the protesters are all
non-English speaking, former
kitchen staff who were either
fired or who quit.
Cardenas said a letter based
on the employees' complaints
was sent to Manuel Rodriguez,
owner of the College Station
Ninfa's, and to Ninfa's corporate
headquarters.
Julio Pineda, a cook at Nin
fa's for six months, protests the
unfair treatment of employees by
Stew Milne, The Battalion the management.
Experts study potatoes’ antioxidant qualities
□ The Texas Agricultural Ex
periment Station is re
searching ways to breed
healthier vegetables con
taining antioxidants that
fight cancer and heart
disease.
By Tara Wilkinson
The Battalion
Researchers at Texas A&M have
discovered that potatoes are second
only to broccoli in content level of
disease-fighting antioxidants.
Dr. Creighton Miller, Texas Agri
cultural Experiment Station potato
breeder, said eating potatoes will
help slow down harmful oxidative
processes in the body.
“This is important because there
are so many oxidative activities in
the body that contribute to cancer
and heart disease,” Miller said.
Oxidation, a natural metabolic
process of the body, produces unsta
ble “free radicals” that take electrons
from DNA molecules which damages
proteins and lipids. Howard said nat
ural defenses against oxidation are
weakened with age, stress and expo
sure to tobacco smoke and pollution.
Dr. Luke Howard, TABS food sci
entist and assistant professor of hor
ticulture, said after comparing an-
tioxidative levels of various vegeta
bles, it was surprising to find that
potatoes ranked so high.
“You always hear about broccoli
being good, but we didn’t know pota
toes were too,” Howard said.
With the help of antioxidants, free
radicals can be disarmed, making
them unable to break DNA down,
Howard said.
“That’s why it is so important to
eat five servings of antioxidant rich
foods a day,” he said.
Howard, Miller and graduate stu
dent Mohamed Al-Saikhan, have
ranked vegetables based on antioxi
dant content during three years of
vegetable research. On a scale of 100,
Howard said broccoli rates a 96,
potatoes a 69, carrots a 32, onions a
25 and bell peppers a 15.
Preliminary results indicate the
high antioxidant level in potatoes is
caused by a protein called patatin,
Howard said. Once the protein is
identified and understood, it can be
used in potato breeding.
“If we can positively identify the
compound, we can try to increase it
in potatoes,” he said.
Patatin levels are particularly
high in potato skin, he said, but
See Potatoes, Page 6
Percentage of U.S. Recommended
Daily Allowances (U.S. RDA)
(1 medium potato. 5.5 ounces)
Protein €
Vitamin A *
Vitamin C SO
Thiamin 8
Riboflavin ..... 2
Niacin i o
Calcium *
Iron... 8
Vitamin Be i s
Folicin (folic acid) 8
Phosphorus e
Magnesium 8
Zinc 2
Copper 8
Pantothenic acid 4
iodine is
* insignificant amounts
Agricultural Communications,
The Texas A&M University System
Correction:
A page one story Monday on the
fee increases should have stated
that the health center fee has been
increased from $25 to $40 per se
mester. The increase is effective in
Fall 1995.