January 25,19!
Super Sunday
The Dallas Cowboys look to get
back on top in the NFL.
Sports, Page 5
an Fisheries Society:
a ;,i neral meeting
104 Nagle Hall.
Issues Committee:
an informational
7:00 p.m. in 141
rrent member;
[. For more infer
ict Danny Frazer
A general meeting
t 8:30 p.m. in
more information!
it 260-9082.
jciation of Blacl
'he first general
j semester will be
in 301 Reed Me-
ict Jemia at 847-
Is.
Team: A general
3 held at 8:30 p.m
Hveryone is invit-
Contact Dave at
)re information, 1
ide For Christ: A
will be held at 7
SC. Call Andy at
tails.
There will be an
meeting to go
exico at 4:30 p.
Bizzell Hall,
will be given in
ns and Interna
ication. For more
call the Study
, 845-0544.
, Inc.: Today’s
5ojourner Truth
"irst Black Worn-
Convention in
351.
The Battalion
Smoking singes nerves in MSC
SHOULD GREEKS BE PART OF A&M?
Columnists debate the pros and cons of fraternities
and sororities.
Opinion, Page 7
Vertigo adds a new dimension to
the Northgate club scene.
Aggielife, Page 3
Serving Texas A&M University Since 1893
Friday • January 26, 1996
Battalion service
rofit student and
id activities. Items
tied no later than
Ivance of the de-
\pplication dead
's are not events
un in What's Up.
questions, please
n at 845-3313.
□ One University policy
prohibits lighting up in
the MSC, but another
allows Bowen to grant
smoking exceptions.
By Pamela Benson
The Battalion
Some MSC employees are fum
ing mad.
Not because of people wearing
hats or walking on the grass, but
because some people are ignoring
the state and campus policy that
prohibits smoking in all Texas
A&M University buildings.
See related EDITORIAL, Page 7
Employees in the Center for Di
versity Education said that smoke
periodically seeps through the
vents in their MSC office, making it
difficult to work.
And they said they believe the
smoke is coming from the Board of
Regents office next door.
Tanya Williams, an A&M gradu
ate assistant who works in the Cen
ter for Diversity Education office,
said the smell of smoke is some
times so strong that it affects work
ing conditions.
“I was here over the weekend,”
Williams said, “and a smoke smell
came into the office. I got sick and
had to leave.”
Some MSC staff members said
they deal with smoke fumes by
burning potpourri.
Richard Burgess, Native Ameri
can Association president, said he
too suspects that the odor is coming
from the regents office.
“I’ve noticed smoke before and
have discussed it with others in the
office,” he said. “It seems pretty ob
vious that it’s coming from their of
fice, because they are the only ones
close enough.”
Thelma Isenhart, Board adminis
trative assistant, said that she does
not know of anyone who works in the
regents office who smokes, but that
the regents do sometimes smoke in
their private MSC quarters.
The University’s smoke-free poli
cy states that “effective June 1,
1993, smoking will be prohibited
inside all facilities and vehicles,
owned or leased, under the admin
istrative purview of the President
of Texas A&M University.”
According to this policy, smoking
in the MSC is prohibited for every
one, including the regents.
But Mary Nan West, chairman
of the Board,
admitted that
smoking does
occasionally oc
cur in the re
gents office.
“I’ve been
known to light up
in the office when
I’m under pres
sure,” she said.
This is not
necessarily ille-
has not been changed by Dr. Ray
Bowen, A&M president, and is still
in effect.
This is not the first time that
smoking has been a problem in
the MSC.
The Texas Rehabilitation Com
mission once occupied an office
space near the regents office, and
Sue McBeth, commission employee,
"I've been known to light up
in the office when I'm under
pressure.
— Mary Nan West
chairman/Board of Regents
gal, because a smoking policy on
file in the Board office states that
it is the responsibility of the Uni
versity president to decide which
smoking restrictions apply to the
regents office.
This policy, implemented by for
mer President William H. Mobley,
said the same smoke problem oc
curred when she was there.
“We never were able to identify
if the smoke was coming from the
rooms upstairs or the office, but it
seemed that the smoke would occur
See Smoking, Page 4
Shane Elkins, The Battalion
iloaid of Regents put
: ee increase on hold
eoinetrv
% = y si
y
i Board members said
the/do not yet support
iovven's call for an
iicrease in the general
use fee.
tyJohanna Henry
Battalion
The Texas A&M University
System Board of Regents grant-
d permission Thursday to Dr.
lay Bowen, A&M president, to
public hearings with stu-
i, faculty and staff about a
imposed increase in the general
ise fee.
an*
that Bowen proposed the first
fee increase in the summer
when fewer students were on
campus.
Regent Don Powell said the
Board has not decided whether
or not to support Bowen’s pro
posal for the general use fee in
crease of $8 per semester credit
hour.
“The Board requires that jus
tification for a fee increase must
be very clear and that alternate
funding methods are explored,”
he said.
Students can be confident
that the Board will fully asses
the need for an increase in the
general use fee, he said.
“My concern is that the ad
ministration is doing all they
men
he
iplan a
cries of
carings
chow the
o n e y
com the
ccrease
'ould be
W e
'ant to
»ld them anywhere students are
ithered,” he said. “We might use
TV show, and we are open to
Uggestions.”
Regent T. Michael O’Conner
id public hearings for such
latters became a requirement
her the general use fee was in-
ceased for the fall semester.
“The administration cannot
pproach the Board until they
ave held public hearings,” O’-
onner said. “It needs to happen
lefore the semester ends so that
ill parties can express their
'pinions on a fee increase.”
Many students were upset
"The Board requires that
justification for a fee in
crease must be very clear
and that alternate funding
methods are explored."
— Don Powell
Texas A&M University System Regent
can to spend the money wisely,”
he said. “We need to ask lots of
questions, and this Board will do
that.”
Kelli Harman, chair of the
Student Services Fee Allocation
Committee, said that if the ad
ministration is serious about
eliciting student opinion, hear
ings are a feasible way to do it.
“I hope that it is not just a
formality,” she said, “and that
the administration really wants
to hear the students’ opinions.”
Harman said she thinks a fee
increase is necessary, but how
much of an increase and how
See Regents, Page 4
□ The Board also
named a new provost
and gave the go-ahead
for a westside garage.
By Johanna Henry
The Battalion
The Texas A&M University
System Board of Regents ap
proved Dr. Ronald G. Douglas
as A&M executive vice presi
dent and provost Thursday.
Dr. Ray Bowen, University
president, who requested the
appointment, said he is pleased
that Douglas will fill the posi
tion directly beneath president.
“Dr. Douglas is a distin
guished mathematician and an
experienced academic adminis
trator with a proven commit
ment to undergraduate educa
tion,” Bowen said in a Thurs
day press release.
Douglas, a former vice
provost for undergraduate stud
ies at the State University of
New York at Stony Brook, will
assume his position March 1.
“Texas A&M is an impressive
university that balances strong
undergraduate education with
quality research and graduate
programs,” Douglas said.
In other action, the Board:
•Passed a Facilities Plan
ning and Building Committee
recommendation to initiate
construction of a West Campus
parking garage.
•Awarded Corey Pullig, for
mer quarterback, a framed cer
tificate in appreciation of his
contribution to A&M football.
Pullig is the quarterback with
the winningest record in
A&M’s past 101 years.
Amy Browning, The Battalion
TON O' T-SHIRTS
Lexie Okeke, a senior kinesiology major from Garland, finishes preparations for MEDALS '96, a col
lege preparatory program for Texas high school students. This year MEDALS is expecting over 750
participants to spend the weekend at A&M.
Cadet creates common ground for minorities
Amy Browning, The Battalion
jermaine Hailey, a Company E-2 cadet began the support group
tor minorities.
□ Jermaine Hailey started the
support group to increase
Corps unity.
By Johanna Henry
The Battalion
Members of the Texas A&M Corps of
Cadets started a support group this semester
for minority cadets to share common concerns.
Jermaine Hailey, an African-American
Company E-2 cadet and senior political sci
ence major, was prompted to start the sup
port group by minorities who told him they
were disenchanted with the Corps.
“We started it to create a relaxed envi
ronment for minority cadets to share and
deal with their social concerns,” he said.
Hailey said the support group will im
prove relationships between minorities and
the Corps as a whole.
“It is not intended to create a clique,” he
said. “Its purpose is to lead to the better
ment of the Corps. We want to find ways
that minorities can help the Corps and en
courage these cadets.”
Everyone is welcome to attend the sup
port group meetings.
“It’s not a closed-door thing,” he said.
Hailey said the effect of the support
group on the Corps will be increased mi
nority recruitment and retention.
Minority enrollment in the Corps in
creased from 21 to 23 percent from Fall
1994 to Fall 1995, and Hailey said he
thinks this trend will continue.
Marsha Johnson, a Squadron 12 cadet
and sophomore microbiology major, said
being an African-American woman in the
Corps is difficult.
“You feel like you are the only one going
through what you are going through,” she
said. “We don’t have any historic base at
this university.”
Johnson said the number of women in
the Corps has doubled since a women’s
support group was started a few years ago,
and that a minority group might have a
similar effect.
One junior in the Corps, a Caucasian who
wishes to remain anonymous, said not all mi
norities are uncomfortable in the Corps.
“I’ve seen minorities that have no prob
lem fitting in,” he said. “The Corps has no
problem accepting them.”
The support group will meet Saturday to
establish a regular meeting time and to
discuss selection of an adviser.