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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1995)
15) age 5 • The Battalion w Wednesday • September 20, 1995 Fish clubs provide personal growth, confidence HAIR BIZ Store and Salon Regular Haircut $9.95 Special $ 6.95 Buy any Joico Conditioner and receive Shampoo Free! Expires: October 6, 1995 4321 Welborn Rd. 846-4790 Tues. - Fri. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. • Sat. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 4 Amy Uptmor The Battalion he desire Aggies have to help freshmen find their place at A&M doesn’t end with Fish Camp. There are three programs on campus that iallow freshmen to become stu- ident leaders while meeting oth- events together. A.L.O.T. just accepted 63 new members from the Class of ’99. Slay said leaders of A.L.O.T. look for leadership potential and an interest in improving them selves in new members. “We hope to give them the motivation and confidence to seek a leadership position at the end of their freshman year,” Slay said. Freshmen who are interested in continuing their Fish Camp Cr members of their class. S 1 Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow, Aggie Fish Club and Fish Aides are all programs for freshmen only. I. 0 ‘■The mission statement for Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow states that its primary goal is the “personal development of freshmen and opportunities through leadership, guidance and Aggie camaraderie.” lext Buc Slay, A.L.O.T. Chairman and a junior mechanical engi neering major, said that al though the group stresses mak ing leaders out of freshmen, the upperclassmen also try to make the organization fun. S IB Wh en you finish a year with A.L.O.T., most of the memories will come from the relation ships,” Slay said. | A.L.O.T. members meet every two weeks to learn about issues such as leadership and time management. On weeks when there are no meetings, A.L.O.T. members plan social da; Freshmen also participate in a mentor program, where they work on projects with MSC Council members. Over 60 percent of A.L.O.T. members from last year pur sued leadership positions at the University during their fresh man year. experience can direct their ener gy toward Aggie Fish Club. In its fourth year, AFC is composed of 50 freshmen and 14 counselors. Bryan Wallace, a senior man agement major and director of AFC, said more than 300 fresh men tried out for AFC this year. He said the high number of ap plicants is due to what the club has to offer. “A lot of clubs students join as freshmen limit them to one ac tivity or area on campus,” Wal lace said, “but AFC gets fresh men to learn about many differ ent aspects of the university.” Members are divided into dis cussion groups called “buddy huddles,” in which they do com munity service and fund raising with other groups. T.J. Williams, a sophomore marketing major and member of AFC, said that although it stresses leadership, the club is more socially-oriented than oth er freshman clubs. “AFC goes on retreats and plans activities together that are fun but are still meant to build leadership,” Williams said. Wallace said that many cam pus leaders, including Fish Camp co-chairs and directors, as well as class council leaders, got their start in AFC. Wallace said the program is successful be cause of the quality and struc ture of the program. “We have a highly-developed committee structure that pre pares our students for success in other committees and areas,” Wallace said. “Plus, we have qual ity programs and members that would be leaders regardless of what club they got their start in.” ^ HO< ^ BILLIARDS BAR HOSPITALITY NIGHT Every Sunday 7:00 p.m. - 1 a.m. Free pool for restaurant, bar, hotel, & city employees Miller Light or Icehouse Chuggers $1.75 Happy Hour 4-7 pm M - F $1.50 Draft $1.50 Longnecks $2.25 Chuggers $2.25 Well STUDENT APPRECIATION NIGHT! Every Wednesday Free Pool w/college ID • 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. ^WinnDixi^Shoppin^^entei^rexa^^e^^^^764-8664j Fish Aides aims to transform freshmen into leaders 'lr By Tara Wilkinson ttodii The Battalion H undreds of freshmen flocked to the Student Government Office Friday, hoping to spot their names on the list of h of 1995-96 Fish Aides. 1 Forty freshmen walked away as new in li members of the organization they had heard j stn praised so many times at Fish Camp and the ;e to; New Student Conferences. ; Jason Jaynes, Fish Aides co-chair and a uesd sophomore computer science major, said he ” he was told that Student Government Fresh- slow man Programs, known as Fish Aides, is an -organization that transforms clueless fresh- is be men into A&M’s leaders. I “I came here, and I guess I was a totally lost freshman like everyone else,” Jaynes aid. “Almost everybody said Fish Aides is ;he organization to get into because it’s to- lally awesome.” Kristen Paris, Fish Aides co-chair and a ophomore biomedical science major, said ihe program deserves its positive reputation. “I’ve never heard of anyone who has been a Fish Aide who hasn’t had a wonderful ex perience,” Paris said. The program provides a unique opportu nity to learn how Student Government orks, she said. “Fish Aides is one of the few ways you can learn the behind-the-scenes side of another, arger organization,” she said. “You get an inside look at Student Government.” Fish Aides are required to answer phones for three hours a week in the Student Gov ernment office, page one Student Senate eeting a year and serve on a Student Gov- mment committee. The duties may sound routine and ordi nary, but Paris said working at the Student Government office puts freshmen interested in leadership roles in the right place at the right time. jitor “At least ten Fish Aides from last year are holding Student Government offices now,” she said. Committees such as Muster, Big Event and Traditions Council reserve a few mem bership slots each year specifically for Fish Aides. This gives Fish Aides a better chance than the average student of getting placed on these small, closed committees. "Fish Aides is one of the few ways you can learn the behind- the-scenes side of another larg er organization." —Kristen Paris Fish Aides co-chair Jaynes said that as a Fish Aide he was given the opportunity to meet several inter esting and influential people. “It helps you improve your networking tons and tons,” he said. “It’s like a head start or a jump start on becoming a leader at A&M.” Despite the numerous leadership oppor tunities available, former and current Fish Aides said they applied for the organiza tion primarily for the friendships the pro gram fosters. Leta Hamrick, a former Fish Aides co chair and a senior English major, said deep bonds form between Fish Aides because they are all new students hoping to make an im pact during their college years. “I don’t know what it is about it, but something happens during the Fish Aides process, and people become best of friends,” Hamrick said. “I would think it’s because of the eagerness of the freshmen that come in. Fish Aides kindles that attitude.” Two Fish Aides are chosen each year to serve as co-chairs for next year’s Fish Aides. Hamrick said this unique system of sopho more leadership maintains a feeling of fresh ness and intimacy within the group. Freshmen are not intimidated or con trolled by the sophomore co-chairs, Hamrick said, so they are given the power to become active, contributing members of the group. “I was very, very shy when I came from high school,” she said. “If I hadn’t made Fish Aides, I don’t think I would’ve had the courage or drive to join other organizations. It totally changed me and helped me develop my personality.” Fish Aides are chosen based on an appli cation and interview process. Jaynes said applicants who show determi nation, motivation and enthusiasm score points with interviewers. “We weren’t necessarily looking for people with past leadership experience,” he said. “We picked the ones who showed the desire. You could see it in their eyes.” Paris said the 20 women and 20 men in the Fish Aides program represent a variety of races. “We were looking for diversity,” she said, “but we didn’t have to pick any people just to fill that requirement. We picked everybody for their personalities.” Fish Aides need to have people skills in or der to do their jobs, Paris said, but that does not mean they are all wild, loud and crazy. “We don’t have anyone who is in a total shell, but we have a wide range of personali ty types,” she said. The 1995-96 Fish Aides met as a group for the first time Sunday night. Jill Wenger, a freshman business man agement major, said the atmosphere of the meeting was exciting and motivating. “Everybody was laughing and yelling all at once,” Wenger said. “We all just clicked in about ten minutes. It’s one of those things where I just know we’ll all be the greatest of friends.” % U 2 CAN LIVE «& WORK Five weeks with a host family and an internship in a field related to your major! GERMANY! ENGLAND! DOMINICAN REPUBLIC! Let the MSC L.T. Jordan Institute help you make it happen! Applications available NOW in the L.T. Jordan Institute, Room 2231 MSC, 845-8770 Informational Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 21, at 5:30 p.m. 402 RudderTower Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 7:00 p.m. 707 Rudder Tower X Persons with disabilities please call 845-8770 for special assistance MSC OPAS PRESENTS nt for xh' class of ’99 Freshmen pictures are now being taken for the Aggieland yearbook. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be in the world's largest yearbook. Pictures are taken Tuesdays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Freshmen have until Sept. 29 to have their picture taken. AR Photography is located at 707 Texas Ave., next to Taco Cabana. Call 693-8183 for more information. WHO’S WHO AMONG STUDENTS IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES 1995 96 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Who’s Who applications are now available for both undergraduate and graduate students in the following locations: Commandant’s Office (Military Sciences Building) Student Programs Office (2nd Floor MSC) Student Activities Office (125 John J. Koldus Building) Sterling C. Evans Library Office of the Dean of each College Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs Completed applications must be received by the Student Activities Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 1995. They may be hand-car ried to tlie Student Activities Office, sent through Campus Mail, or sent through U.S. Mail. (See the application for the addresses.) Opera & rafirming Arts Society Saturday, September 23 at 8:00 p.m. Rudder Auditorium Tickets are on sale at the MSC Box Office-TAMU, or charge by phone at 845-1234. The MSC Box Office accepts Aggie Bucks 1 M New extended Box Office hours include Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visit our Home Page at http://wwwmsc.tamu.edu/msc/opas/opas.html Our E-Mail address is opas@tamu.edu 6^ Persons with disabilities please call 845-8903 to inform us of your special needs. We request notification three (3) working days prior to the event to enable us to assist you to the best of our ability.