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NOT QUITE ENOUGH
The Aggie Basketball Team
almost upsets No. 1 3 Texas Tech.
Sports, Page 7
TRACTOR PULLS AND GUN SHOWS
Nolen: The Special Events Center will need to draw
new events if it is to be justified.
Opinion, Page 11
MISSED TARGETS
Buffin: Broken Arrow is not as
good as promotions make it seem.
Aggielife, Page 3
The Battalion
102, No. 90 (12 pages)
Serving Texas A&M University Since 1893
Monday - February 12, 1996
’rofessor reports
ppear on line
te of what
C,” Horan
hat would
the last
ath
itudents' answers to
e questions on teacher
aluation forms are
ailable on the Web,
answers to other
estions are considered
ivate information.
Kendra S. Rasmussen
Battalion
Texas A&M students can search
World Wide Web to find out how
ir peers deem the abilities and
sonalities of their professors.
Mark Troy, coordinator of evalua-
i programming at Measurement
1 Research Services, said that if
dents knew professor evaluations
re available on the Web, the statis-
would be examined more often.
Troy said evaluation results have
been utilized much by students
cause they used to be available
lyin Sterling C. Evans Library,
ans’ offices and through Gopher
on-campus and remote access
nputers.
think students have not uti-
ed (teacher evaluation reports)
ich because they have had trouble
tting(the information),” he said.
More of the evaluation process
will be handled on line this semes
ter, and Web access to the evalua
tions has been expanded.
Troy said increased access to
evaluation results is a priority at
Measurement and Research Ser
vices because the summaries help
students choose professors, allow
faculty to adapt their teaching
styles, and help administrators
make tenure decisions.
Since the professor evaluation
system began in 1988, the Student
Senate has been allowed to write
five of the evaluation questions each
year. The answers to these ques
tions are available on the Web.
However, questions added by pro
fessors and administrators of indi
vidual colleges are unavailable to
students through the Web.
These results are kept anony
mous so that professors who use op
tional questions supplied by Mea
surement and Research Services on
their evaluations are not penalized
by the results.
“These additional items are in
tended to improve teaching, not to
(aid in) promotions and tenure types
of decisions,” he said.
Determining evaluation results
once required burdensome paper
work, Troy said, but will be handled
efficiently with the on-line process.
“The advantage is that it should
See Reports, Page 6
iwiski-
given in-
im by his
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ing of the
he month
1 the Ko-
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drink be
et during
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reakfast,
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eal after
course of
lose 10
'ice for a
1 player,
battle.
Texas A&M regent
under political fire
1
iSome state officials
fe questioning the
ppropriateness of a survey
?ntto legislators by one
oard member.
(Courtney Walker
he Battalion
A Texas legislator said that a
Mlticulturalism survey sent out
January by one member of the
Jxas A&M Board of Regents was
political action that jeopardizes
ademic freedom.
Regent M. Guadalupe Rangel,
'airwoman of the Committee for
tademic Campuses, sent letters to
15 Texas legislators asking if they
»ught A&M should mandate multi-
teal courses for students.
Rangel sent the letter without
nsulting other Board members
fcause she said she viewed the
Hrvey as homework for her com-
dttee and did not think it con-
rned the other regents.
State Rep.Steve Ogden, one of
he legislators who received the
arvey, said Rangel’s action to in-
olve the legislature could jeopar-
ize academic freedom in Universi-
(policy decisions.
The idea of soliciting legislative
aput with implications there should
legislation scares me to death,”
Jgden said. “To the greatest extent
•%sible. legislature should avoid the
temptation of putting a political
stamp on what is taught at colleges
and universities.”
The 63 responses Rangel received
from state legislators indicated that,
overall, there is not a perceived need
for multicultural courses.
“Responses indicated legislators
would like to see the courses imple
mented, but there is not an immedi
ate need,” Rangel said. “Students
who are ahead of the ball game and
looking towards the future will take
the courses on their own without be
ing forced to.”
However, Rangel said legislators
from highly urban areas and cities on
state borders thought A&M should
require multiculturalism.
“I think it is because of the high di
versity and demographics in those ar
eas,” she said.
Regent Frederick D. McClure of
Dallas said the survey will not have
an impact because the the Board, and
not the state legislature, makes cur
riculum decisions. Rangel said the
survey’s point was not for legislators
to influence the Board's decision, but
to obtain informed opinions from the
state’s elected representatives.
“All universities are operated by
the state and belong to the people of
Texas, so to understand the needs of
our future leaders I decided to ask
the representatives elected by the
people of Texas,” Rangel said.
Rangel said the results of her
survey will be reviewed by her
committee and then presented to
the entire Board.
REPLANT ’96
Dave House, The Battalion
Tiffany Bearicks, a senior recreation, park and tourism sciences major is planting a seedling in a pot.
By Marissa Aianis
The Battalion
M ore than 2,000 people participated Saturday in
Texas A&M’s Replant 1996 at Lake Somerville,
making it the biggest Replant since the event be
gan in 1991.
Participants worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in staggered,
two-hour shifts with the goal of planting at least 12
seedlings per person.
Daniel Hurson, Replant director and a junior geogra
phy major, said 10,000 new seedlings were planted, as
well as 16,000 of the 25,000 seedlings left over from last
year’s Replant.
Ryan Alspaugh, a Replant committee member and a junior
finance major, said he expected the event to peak around
noon, but that many people came early in the morning.
“Today we have twice as many people out right now
from 8 to 10 a.m. than we did last year,” Alspaugh said.
“It’s amazing. It keeps growing every year.”
The planting sites were divided into three parks, each
touching the Lake Somerville shoreline.
Certain species of trees, such as bold cypress and green
ash, were planted near the lake, and live oak seedlings
were planted further inland.
Chip Loomis, a Replant committee member a sopho
more biology major, said the seedlings were allowed to
grow for a year in a potting compound before they were
brought to Replant.
Loomis said the potting compound, with its extensive wa
ter system, contributes to the seedlings’ high survival rate.
Loomis said that the only University criticism Replant
has received is that the trees were not being planted in
places where they were likely to survive.
“This year, we’re making sure we plant in places where
they’ll have a higher survival rate,” Loomis said. “We’re be
coming much better and more organized in doing everything.”
Melissa Marshall, a freshman elementary education
major, said Replant is becoming a more established part
of the University, despite the misconceptions people have
about the Replant committee.
“Many people think we’re anti-Bonfire, but we’re not,”
Marshall said. “We’re just making up for the trees cut
during Bonfire.”
Carlos Arguijo, a freshman mechanical engineering
major, said participating in Replant is like the second
stage of Bonfire and that planting trees is easier than
cutting them down.
“If I took down all those trees during Bonfire, I feel like it’s
my responsibility to put them back,” Arguijo said. “It makes
me feel good to do something for the environment.”
Alspaugh said Replant might be held at Lake
Somerville for the next two or three years, but the final
decision will be made by park rangers.
“They pretty much run (Replant), since they let us
plant here and tell us where the best places to plant are,”
Alspaugh said. “If it weren’t for them, Replant wouldn’t
be half as big as it is.”
Loomis said that in the future. Replant might be extend
ed to last for several days, depending on how many trees
are planted and how much help the committee receives.
Dave House, The Battalion
Carre Huber, a sophomore recreation, park and tourism sci
ences major puts a seedling into the ground at Lake Somerville.
Computer theft bites into budget
>uter thieves get
npus buildings by
ig secret
ations, climbing
i ceiling tiles or
bvalking through
>ors.
By Heather Pace
The Battalion
One of the most common crimes on
te Texas A&M campus is the theft of
computers and computer parts.
Since the beginning of 1996, A&M has
•ost $20,000 to computer thieves. Losses
since Fall 1995 total more than $58,000.
John Dinkel, associate provost for the
Computing Services Center, said the
stolen computers will be replaced with
funds that otherwise would have been
used for improvements to the A&M com
puter system.
Since January, computers have been
stolen from the Blocker,
Bright and Richardson
Buildings.
William Scott, a de
tective with the Univer
sity Police Department,
said that although there
have been several com-
puter thefts in the last month, the num
ber of incidents is not unusually high.
“I don’t believe computer theft is any
higher here than at other universities,”
Scott said. “Computer theft comes in
spurts, and right now, in the last few
weeks, we have had a slight increase in
the theft of computers and components.”
Dinkel said he does not think comput
er-related crime at A&M is increasing at
an alarmingly high level.
“Computer crime is about the same as
it always has been, Dinkel said, “al
though more memory chips have been
stolen lately because they are in such
short supply right now.”
"I don't believe computer theft is any
higher here than at other universities."
— William Scott
University Police Department detective
The most costly computer theft oc
curred in November 1995 when a
$15,000 computer minitower was
stolen from the Langford Architectur
al Building.
Scott said the thieves gained entry to
the building by decoding a combination
lock on the door.
“When the combination isn’t changed
See Computer, Page 6
CAMAC conference
met with success
□ Attendees said they
were inspired to take on
leadership roles within the
Hispanic community.
By Danielle Pontiff
The Battalion
Texas A&M’s Committee for the
Awareness of Mexican-American Cul
ture facilitated discussion about issues
facing the Hispanic community this
weekend at the ninth annual Southwest
Student Conference on Latino Affairs.
More than 300 delegates from col
leges and high schools around Texas
were on campus for the conference.
Michelle Alvarado, CAMAC adviser
and a student affairs graduate stu
dent, said the conference provided suc
cessful student interaction.
“We wanted the delegates to voice
their ideas and opinions on issues
such as the role of women in the His
panic community,” Alvarado said.
“The conference has given them a
chance to express themselves and
hear what others think.”
Paul Ramirez, a community out
reach representative from the Bryan
Independent School District, said the
conference gave young Hispanics hope
for a successful future. He said many
Hispanics in high school worry they
will not be successful in college.
“A lot of Hispanic kids aren’t able to
go to college,” Ramirez said. “For me,
See CAMAC, Page 6
2 to 6.