tX'-',- ''' vi ■ :
Pai
Friday • February
The Battalion
\h STftWlOi
in -xm orifl
alume 103 • Issue 89 • 12 Pages
The Batt Online: http:// bat-web.tamu.edu
Monday, February 10, 1997
brum addresses changes in Senate
/
indents discussed
wmmtnroposals that would
estructure the
indent Senate and
hange the caucus
eader system.
By Erica Roy
The Battalion
[Proposals to restructure the
ps A&M Student Senate were
tsented to senators, Student Gov-
jment members and students at
Junday night forum. The forum
olowed a Feb. 6 meeting where
these groups gave suggestions and
ideas to Senate executives.
The proposals covered Student
Senate committee restructuring,
the Legislative Aid team, caucus
leaders, Senate public relations and
the size of the Senate.
Curtis Childers, the Rules and
Regulations Committee chair and a
junior agricultural development
major, said there was a consensus at
the meeting that the Senate needed
to make the senators more ac
countable to their constituents,
rather than altering its structure.
"The feel of the group Thursday
night (Feb. 6) was there isn’t a prob
lem with the structure of the Senate,
but with the responsibilities of sen
ators,” Childers said.
Speaker Chris Reed, a senior fi
nance major, said changes in the
caucus leader system will help define
the role of caucus leader and provide
a framework for the caucus system.
Caucus refers to senators from
the same constituency, for example,
the College of Engineering or the
Northside senators.
Currently, the caucus leaders are
chosen by their own caucus, but the
proposal will allow the Senate offi
cers to choose the caucus leaders
through an application process.
In the application, candidates
must provide a detailed descrip
tion of their plans to make each
caucus more responsive to their
constituencies.
Reed said one of the main roles
of a caucus leader would be to or
ganize their caucus into “an ef
fective team.”
This role includes pro
viding constituency re
ports, assisting in the
selection of filling sen
atorial vacancies and
developing a public
relations network.
Childers said
senators are not
held accountable to
anyone in the Sen
ate now, but redefin
ing the role of the
caucus leader could
ensure senator respon
siveness to constituents
Committee restructuring
proposals include allowing the
chairs of Senate committees
to select committee mem
bers through an applica
tion process. The ap
plicants would
present a list of goals
or ideas concerning
the committee to
which they apply.
Reed said the
changes in the Leg
islative Aid team
would help improve
the internal opera
tions of the Senate.
The Legislative Aid
team also will be ap
pointed through an appli
cation process. Applicants
would be restricted to the incom
ing freshman class.
The senators would be able to
use the members of the team for
help with research or legislation,
while the team members would
learn the workings of the Senatfe.
Changes in Senate public rela
tions include mandatory candidate
meetings before the elections
which describe the function of the
Senate, the requirements of sena
tors and the way to run for an office.
Other changes in Senate public re
lations include constituency reports
given by a maximum of two senators
for each group encouraging more in
teraction with constituents.
See Senate, Page 10
LEN, PHYS
EN-Safety,
ntal, INEN-Safety
EN, SCEN
YS
H, MEEN, PHY5
■air focuses on communications
N, FINC, MKTG
y MGMT, MKU
EN
Tee Time
Rogge Heflin, The Battalion
James jernigan, a senior bioengineering major, practices his swing at
the Texas A&M golf course Sunday.
Aggie Wranglers
Dancers to appear on TNN
By Graham Harvey
The Battalion
The Aggie Wranglers, Texas A&M’s
country and western dance organiza
tion, will appear on The Nashville Net
work this week.
Pam Goralski, a member of the Ag
gie Wranglers and a senior accounting
major, said the group will be spot
lighted this afternoon onTNN’s taped
programs “The Wildhorse Saloon” at 4
p.m. and “Club Dance” at 5 p.m.
The Aggie Wranglers appeared Fri
day on “Club Dance” and will appear
again on “The Wildhorse Saloon” Tues
day and Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Goralski said since the group has
successfully performed on TNN in five
of the past six years, senior Aggie Wran
gler Brandon Vaughn had no problem
organizing the trip to Nashville.
“It was exciting getting to see how
television programs run,” Goralski said.
The Aggie Wranglers were orga
nized 13 years ago. Eleven couples
now make up the dance group.
The dancers host dance lessons
twice a semester with around 50 cou
ples in each session. They teach prin
ciples of country and western dancing
and the jitterbug. The next session
starts after spring break.
“We are just a performance group,”
Goralski said. “We teach lessons also,
but we do not compete. Our purpose
is to promote the Aggie spirit.”
Goralski said the Wranglers will be
busy this semester. On April 11, the or
ganization will participate in a United
Way philanthropy by judging a jitter
bug contest at Hurricane Harry’s.
Tryouts for new members of the
dance group will take place on April
27. Prospective members show their
ability to jitterbug, polka and two-step.
Goralski said the chief qualification for
hopeful members is a love of dancing.
See Dancers, Page 10
Tim Moog, The Battalion
Pam Goralski, a senior accounting
major, and Jason English, a senior in
dustrial engineering major, practice
between classes at G. Rollie White.
Judge to rule on charges
against Hurricane Harry's
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
The Battalion
The fate of Hurricane Harry’s will
be decided in early March, after a
judge rules on charges brought
against the bar by the Texas Alcoholic
Beverage Commission.
The commission filed an adminis
trative case against Hurricane Harry’s
in response to allegations of alcohol
license misuse.
In a hearing Thursday, Judge Cath-
leen Parsley requested that both par
ties put final arguments in writing so
she can make a decision. She also will
consider testimony of witnesses on
Hurricane Harry’s behalf.
Allegations brought against Hur
ricane Harry’s are serving and con
tributing to an already intoxicated
person and serving minors. The
charges result from two complaints
reported by the College Station Po
lice Department.
The first incident, in November
1995, involved the death of Joseph Cot
ton, 24, who was killed in a car accident
after leaving the bar. The driver of the
car, Doug Sparks, was reportedly served
alcohol at Hurricane Harry’s, after he
was already intoxicated. Sparks plead
ed guilty to charges of intoxicated
manslaughter and was sentenced to a
six-year prison term.
The second complaint, which will
not be considered in Parsley’s final de
cision, involves several citations of mi
nor in possession and public intoxica
tion issued on and near the premises
of Hurricane Harry’s.
Lt. Scott McCollum, public infor
mation officer for the College Station
Police Department, said several mi
nors have been charged with posses
sion of alcoholic beverages and pub
lic intoxication at Hurricane Harry’s.
“Our main focus is to do a source
investigation to try to determine
how the alcohol was obtained,” Mc
Collum said.
The police department decides
who is at fault in providing the minor
with the alcohol, McCollum said.
“It is difficult to obtain direct
proof,” McCollum said. "We have to
see the source. If the bartender sells
to a minor or even someone who, in
other words, has had too much, then
a case can be filed against the bar
tender as well.”
See Judge, Page 10
Students will have
the chance to meet
with recruiters from
fields in public
relations at a fair
sponsored by PRSSA.
By Jackie Vratil
The Battalion
At the first Communications Fair
Tuesday, students interested in
teers in communications or pub-
relations will have a chance to
eet with recruiters and work on
?ir resumes and portfolios.
The fair, sponsored by the Public
lations Student Society of Amer-
will be from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on
? fifth floor of Rudder Tower.
Tickets are $5 and can be pur-
ased at Rudder or the MSC.
iney from ticket sales will go to
e society.
Melodie Layman, president of
e society and a senior journal-
ln major, said the purpose of the
r is to get publicity and to get the
r off the ground.
"Because this is the first year for
:fair,” Layman said, “our main fo-
s was to get the word out and tar
get the journalism, speech commu
nications and English majors.”
A speech called “Formula for
Success: Getting Outside the Box”
given by the vice president of pub
lic relations from Nations Bank
will kick off the fair. Layman said
the message of the speech is that
all careers have communications
and public relations facets.
Students can get information
on dressing for success, visit re
cruitment booths and participate
in resume and portfolio critiques,
and a round table question and
answer session. Layman said the
fair is more informal than the
Business Career Fair and is more
job-specific.
“We are offering so much more
to students,” she said. “We are
bringing in more of the people
and topics that apply to PR types
of careers.”
Layman said PRSSA also caters to
students who want to go into careers
dealing with public relations, but cjo
not know where to start.
“We go about looking for a job dif
ferently; we actually have to search,”
she said. “We need the tools and we
have to be more proactive.”
Melissa Bush, a junior English
major, said she took her disk re
sume to the Career Center looking
for a public relations internship
and learned students rarely bring
in resumes looking for public rela
tions internships.
“I just get frustrated when no
body can tell me where to go to
find the type of experience I
need,” Bush said. “The only ad
vice I have received is from a
friend of my dad’s who deals in
public relations.”
Layman said engineering ma
jors have no problem finding a job
after graduation.
She said the Liberal Arts Fair is
helpful to some degree, but it
brings in companies irrelevant to
communications majors, such as
businesses in the social sciences.
“The Liberal Arts Fair does
bring in a lot of companies,” she
said. “But they don’t have the com
panies we want, and the people
there cannot tell us anything
about how to set up a portfolio.
“That is the main reason we are
bringing in the people that we are.
Students who will need to have a
portfolio can learn how to do it,
and we also give students a place
to start."
Layman said this is the first year
for the Communications Fair and
she hopes at least 200 people will
attend the activities.
“I would like to see it get as big
as the Business Career Fair,” she
said. “That way, if we build up our
reputation, more companies will
want to come.”
Delta Gamma welcomes members
A&M's newest sorority extended
By Marissa Alanis
The Battalion
Delta Gamma, Texas A&M’s newest sorority, wel
comed 130 charter members into its founding colony
over the weekend.
After five days of informational sessions and inter
views conducted by a team of recruiters, bids were ex
tended in the Koldus Building early Saturday morning.
Ronda Stevens, charter member and a freshman
marketing major, said meeting the alumnae of Delta
Gamma and seeing the display of spirit and sisterhood
helped her decide to join the sorority.
“I just knew this was my home, and this is where I
needed to be,” Stevens said.
She said being a part of the founding class is a great
opportunity because they will be able to make a name
for themselves as a sorority.
“I don’t think many people have the chance to be
come the founding mothers of sororities,” Stevens said.
Delta Gamma, a national women’s sorority estab
lished in 1873 in Oxford, Miss., has expanded to 142 col
legiate chapters including the recent addition at A&M.
The A&M chapter is the seventh chapter in Texas.
Last semester, Panhellenic delegates chose Delta
Gamma to join the Greek community, making it the
12th sorority on campus.
Anne Signore, director of expansion for Delta Gam
ma, said since A&M sororities have some of the largest
pledge classes in the nation, they needed to provide an
other sorority for women to join.
“They (Panhellenic Council) saw there was a need to
bring another group on campus, and their strong Greek
systems could support a new group,” Signore said.
Signore said Delta Gamma expressed interest in
A&M from the beginning, but it was just a matter of
bids after five days of interviews
everything working out for both sides at the right time.
“It (A&M) is an outstanding university with many
students, and it’s a strong and viable community,” Sig
nore said. “We understand the high caliber of student
that goes here and are thrilled to be here.”
During the weekend of April 26 and 27, the sorority
will be officially initiated and installed as the Eta Gam
ma chapter of Delta Gamma. In the meantime, the
founding class is considered a colony.
Jennifer McCreary, colony consultant for Delta
Gamma, will be living on campus this semester and
working with the colony by holding meetings and so
cials and electing officers in March to prepare for initi
ation weekend.
“I am just thrilled with the women who have just
pledged the new colony,” McCreary said.
Delta Gamma’s symbol is an anchor symbolizing
hope. The sorority’s flower is a cream-colored rose. Its
philanthropic foundation is the Sight Conservation and
Aid to the Blind.
Signore said future plans for the sorority include
having a house within five years.
The Battalion
IN SI DETODAY
LLANO: Viacom
attempts to shut
down all unofficial
Star Trek websites.
Opinion, Page 11
Aggi elite
Sports
State
Page 3
Page?
Page 9