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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1996)
The Battalion Monday • March 25, 1996 A 4-page Special Section Pullout ng of the sun le / of obsidian is/into your j ng.” ; Sting has - ice he left The j speaking, it is 1 ked by unique ! holds true on STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT and harmoni- pliments ofex- Vlarsalis), the the mood of oulful, pop aot be a turnoff. •ury Falling more radio- out the depth g. Sting fans f pace with ling falls pleas- Veird' id, Yankovic ongs by Beck, its, Sheryl vlails, R.E.M, Smashing ot Chili Pep- Soundgarden I wish Yankovic : would be to put i humor, is he has had ;ubjects ranging itive right to the , though, he just le. It is still av- must be doin' 'our Chris Williams — #1 Howdy. For those of you whom I ha\^ not yet met, my name is Chris Williams, and I a,m a mem ber of the Class of 1997. I am a political science major and a p'oud mem ber of the Corps of Cadets and the nationally fa mous Rightin' Texas Aggie Band. As the election days draw near, i-' is important that you vote for who you feel will cb the best job. My father always told me that/ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivatio* determines what you do. Attitude determines how w^l you do it." It's crucial that the SBP exemplify these traits, for there are 40,000 students who will depend on him or her next year to be their voice in the admin^tration. My strong upbringing ard the moral beliefs in stilled in me by my parents have developed my strong foundation built on these qualities. As you place your vote, I urge you to vote for me, not simply because of who I am, but because of what I stand for — ability, motivation and the right attitude. The most vital point I will focus on next year is uite simple — meeting the basic needs of the stu- ent body. What is most important to realize is not what I want as SBP, but what you want as the student body. After all, I'm here to represent you. How will I meet the needs of the students? Here are just several of the things we will ac complish next year: 1. Fees • Because of the large number of increases this year, I will actively oppose any fee increase next year (that's just common sense). 2. Services • I've already helped us get two new parking garages that will be built on West Campus and by the library, and I will lobby for a third one on Dun can Field. • I will expand the current Day-Care Center pro posal to allow for increased student accessibility. • I will provide a bus service to and from home football games, Bonfire and Muster. • I will implement class registration over the computer. McAllister — #2 Tracey Experience,integrity, strong leadership. Through ny involvement and leadershr wit h Student Govenment, the Memorial Stude'' Center and Student vctivities, I have had the opportunity loobserve mny different styles of ma' a 8 ement - I've lived le successes, but I hav- a ' so witnessed '-“failures. I '' r e exp iences provide the basis of my knowl- %ian<i ^ are the foundations of my platform. Having se/ed both as vice president and a senator intk Studeit Government Associaton, I have the qualifications anl the knowledge to redirect the course of this ^rgarization. There are changes that need to be made within the Student Government in order to encompass the entire University. I am ready to make those changes. As a firm believer in a having a pro-active Texas A&M Student Body President, I know that this position needs a candidate ready to take a strong stand on the issues before the issues in question become campus wide problems. I have the experience, the ability to communicate and the leadership qualities to take -Student Govern ment and the position of Student Body President to a new level. I want to continue to strive to understand the needs and concerns of the students and effectively represent those needs. Our campus and our student body is continuously growing and changing. We must be aware of issues such as state appropria tions, diversity awareness and enrollment in order to voice an educated student opinion. Priorities help determine the price we are willing to pay to realize the things we value most. My priority is the student body. I want to take the office of Student Body President back to the students, where it belongs. Ryan Shopp — #3 Howdy Ags. My father once told me that, "Commit ment transforms promises into reality." Each year we search for a leader with the experience and commitment to guide us through the next year. We search for such attitudes as integrity, loyalty, dedication and motivation. All five candidates have a plan for how they are go ing to make A&M a better place for you and I. What I challenge each and every Ag to do is com pare the qualifications. Take the time to look and see who has taken the time to get involved in a wide variety of areas so they truly have a complete campus perspective to properly repre sent you. Answer the question — What is commitment? Commitment is what I, Ryan Shopp, offer you as I chase the dream of serving as your next Student Body President. I'm the only candidate who has been involved in all three branches of Student Government (Executive, Judi cial and Legislative). I'm the only candidate who has served as an officer in numerous major campus organizations (i.e. MSC, Corps of Cadets, Student Engineers' Council, Honor So cieties, SGA, etc). I'm the only candidate who has developed a strong network of administrative relationships while serving as SGA University Committees Chair. And I'm the only candidate who has been able to maintain academic excellence as an Electrical Engineer while serving the student body. So as you can see, not only is a vote for Ryan Shopp a vote for the only candidate who has a well-rounded involvement, but it's a vote for the best candidate. It would be an honor and a privilege to serve as your Student Body President. All I ask of you is to please take the time and go vote to help me take these commitments and promises to the next level. Help me make these a reality for you, the student body. God bless and Gig 'em. its: ial fee inter: Bo Armstrong — #4 Fees — We don't have a money problem at Texas NltM. We lave a management problem." • Oppo>e all drastic fee increases • Worl toward decreasing our fees by reforming the feeallocaion process • Recpire a 3/5 majority in the Student Senate to ap prove a fee increase Stud£nt Needs — "We must stand strong for student needs by not caving in to the demands of the adminis ter. " •Develop strategies for building apartment-style dorms on West Campus •Develop on-line registration •Keep low-cost housing available and maintained Parking — "Parking problems are a tradition I want to shatter." • Open many of the 24-hour reserved spaces after 5:30 p.m. and on weekends • Support the current plans for a parking garage on West Campus • Address all questions about the PTTS budget Student Voice — "The student voice is the most important issue on this campus — the students deserve to be heard." • Establish a committee to open communication be tween students and the Board of Regents • Improve the library's computing services • Expand minority images by pursuing projects like the Matthew Gains statue GENERAL QUESTIONS How is your platform feasible? — First, the money for many projects (building new dorms, building a new parking garage) has already been allocated into the A&M budget. What we should be concerned with is how we spend this money. Do we want to build more modular dorms or do we want to build apart ment-style dorms with kitchenettes? How can we decrease fees? — Decreasing fees is a viable option if we can get the state to fund their own requirements. Currently, A&M spends $14 million in meeting unfunded faculty merit increases and ORP (a retirement plan) mandates from the state. If the state would simply fund its own mandates, we would have $14 million more a year to repair dorms, increase finan cial aid or lower fees. Is this possible? — Absolutely. There are already state legislators working on this problem. It is up to us to let them know that through these unfunded mandates, they are hurting students from all across the state. Carl Baggett — #5 Howdy. I'm running for Student Body President be cause I believe I can make a difference. I love Texas A&M University and want only the best for it. I have participated in the MSC, Student Government, the Corps of Cadets, Bonfire, and I have gained a wide variety of experience through these different leadership positions throughout the University. Because I have such a diverse range of experiences, I feel qualified to lead this University into the future. I want this opportunity so that I can make a differ ence. I believe that the true voice of Texas A&M can come only though the students. Therefore, we should conduct surveys through Measurement and Research Services to find out the average student's opinions and thus the voice of Texas A&M. I believe that I will be the channel through which students can most effectively communicate their needs and opinions. Therefore, students need to have more input over ever-increasing fees since they have definite opinions on the subject. I believe that I will bring this campus together by promoting communication and unity among our diverse student groups. Therefore, an executive council composed of mem bers of student groups should meet and discuss all cam pus issues and foster lines of communication. I believe that every student has the right to capitalize on the University's strengths. Therefore, since much of the University's strength comes from traditions, we should endow committees such as Bonfire, Fish Camp and Replant for our postferity. I believe that being Student Body President involves representing and being available to all students. Therefore, the Student Body President must be acces sible to students by eating lunch in dining halls and having a table set up in the MSC. I believe in the pillars I have identified in my plat form as the keys to future successes. I believe that actions speak louder than words. Therefore, I will make a better tomorrow.