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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1997)
The Battalion T01\ Page 11 Monday • February 24, 1997 fudging books by the cover f ans Library is poorly funded, but hope looms on the horizon library should be the heart of any institution of [ier learning. But ly, students have p spouting a dis- png phrase — “The try sucks.” ijAerhaps this is be- ■se students can no nifter enjoy a three- Kwse meal while teBbbling out equa- [; ons on the fourth itjooi Maybe this phe- nenon is related to the dis ing “lost” or “missing, check if” errors which appear under perfect book on NOTIS. eiHatever the case, students al- ws seem to have problems Sm the library, but many of gjiein have not looked into the [dalized processes which gov- [the policies and actions of Sterling C. Evans Library, urthermore, talk of the library g inadequate should sound alarm among students and Ity concerned about the quali- education at Texas A&M. First, one must consider how aquality of a library measured. Wording to a fax from Charlene ; bk, public relations officer for ps Libraiy, Texas A&M has |re problems than the football ings. Among 109 Texas re- ch libraries, A&M ranks 66th in iber of volumes, with 17,072 total. In comparison, the hives at the University of Texas ank 5th with 7,329,663 volumes. 'Bs difference of 4,962,591 books 8quite a significant number. ^Moreover, A&M ranks 38th in iber of volumes added, 50th in iber of current journals and in total expenditures for the $4-1995 academic year. UT, on he other hand, ranks 10th in all hr('e respective fields of library ^ration. It would appear the li- Ty operating procedures at V&M need to be investigated. iMThe methodology for selecting tew volumes for the Evans Library tense. Steven Atkins, coordi- [or of collections, said the |cess involves many highly lified individuals. Columnist Stephen Llano Senior history major “We have selectors, who at least have a master’s (degree) in a specific subject area,” he said. “All the selec tors right now have published at least one book themselves. Oc casionally we have someone with a Ph.D. as a selector.” Atkins said the book-approval process is an- other intri cate endeavor. “It’s a year-long process,” he said. “We deal with a vari ety of vendors and publishers [of] over 50 different sources. Sometimes we use our expertise to go deeper into a spe cific subject. Right now, we’re working on a military histo ry collection.” If the Evans Li brary has a staff of selectors with at least two college de grees and books un der their belts, its administration cannot be blamed for a lack of quality materials on the shelf. Obviously, A&M’s adminis tration is going to have to make a higher financial commitment to the library. For stu dents who find them selves de pressed at the library’s prob lems, take into account an old Chinese proverb: “It’s al ways darkest before the dawn.” In my own personal test of the quality of Evans, I acquired a list of the top-100 books created by a pri vate reading club, using several different university syllabi. Evans had at least one copy listed of every book on the list. In many cases, there were more than one copy available according to NO TIS. Even though my own little benchmark doesn’t seem signifi cant, it does prove the point that we have the basics necessary for improvement. In a more broad area, Evans and Cushing are rarely seen as separate enti ties. Recently, Cushing was closed for renova tions which should be completed by June 1998. Although Cushing was scheduled to be de molished, its historical value was the ultimate rea- son for its restoration, Clark said. “We did a careful study and decided that it (Cushing) was sig nificant enough to save,” Clark said. “When it’s completed, it is going to be the home of special collections, rare books and archives — it’s what every impor tant library has.” The expansion of the library also will improve quality. The new section will feature expand ed study areas for students, as well as new computer facilities. More storage space for volumes will be available. There also will be a parking garage for easier ac cess to the facility, slated to be complete by August 1998. In 1995, students voted to ap prove a Library Use Fee. While the fee is just beginning to make a difference in library funding, it will soon mean better facilities and more volumes. With the way things are run ning now, it seems future Aggies will have one of the finest li braries anywhere. £ 6 f : . .. The Battalion Established in 1893 Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the editorials board members. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, re gents, administration, faculty or staff. Columns, guest columns, cartoons and letters express the opinions of the authors. Contact the opinion editor for information on sub mitting guest columns. Editorials Board Rachel Barry Editor in Chief Michael Landauer Executive Editor Tiffany Moore Managing Editor Alex Walters Opinion Editor Save Mt. Aggie Student Government and Town Hall should work together to provide funds The only thing more roman tic than a rebel without a cause is a group of college students with one — especially when they organize under a catch phrase like “Save Mount Aggie!” But sometimes a good cause must go through the proper channels, and this is what MSC Town Hall learned last week. After getting its “Save Mount Aggie” concert approved by the MSC Council, Town Hall had to scrap the program because it did not fit with its mission statement. It is the kind of tech nical glitch that keeps things from getting done every day on this campus, but students should not be dismayed. There is a way to have a program sim ilar to what Town Hall has pro posed — a concert to raise awareness and appreciation for Mount Aggie that also might contribute funds to rebuilding the structure in a different lo cation. Apparently, the football team needs more practice space, and nothing on this campus can compete with that. Town Hall is not a political organization. It is a group of students that are good at what they do. Town Hall has brought a variety of programs to A&M that have entertained students for more than 15 years. And al though its members deserve credit for doing so, adopting a cause is not something Town Hall should do. If Student Government adopted the cause, planning a concert with Town Hall would be an excellent way to act on the students’ wishes. After all, students are gener ally proud of Mount Aggie and the uniqueness it offers to campus. It also is useful to many students who wish to learn how to ski in the warm, dry Texas climate. The two classes taught on Mount Aggie and the Ski Club only serve to increase students’ opportuni ties to learn something new in college. For experienced skiers, Mount Aggie offers the only chance to practice. Certain people in the admin istration may find Mount Aggie hard to look at, but that is no reason to strip students of the chance to hone their skills on its slopes. Student Government should stand up for Mount Ag gie and work with Town Hall to keep this issue from being set tled without the student voice being heard. Mount Aggie has been moved before (it used to be across the street from Kyle Field, next to the parking garage), and it can be moved again. There is no current plan to rebuild Mount Aggie, but perhaps if administrators were made to see how much stu dents appreciate the structure, a plan would be put on the table. A concert could even be students’ way of helping to pay for some of the costs involved. (And by involving Town Hall and having a concert, students may never have a better time adopting a cause.) Balanced Budget Amendment will keep students in the black | is supported by 80 percent of he American people. It makes life easier on poor college stu- Jts. It could be coming to a state Islature near you. It’s the Bai led Budget Amendment, a nec- rtool in building a bright lerican future. If you were to write billions in (checks, you would spend the | of your life making license ps and showering with guys ned Bubba. If the federal gov- tent were to do the same fending billions of dollars it |snot have), there is no immediate conse- fnce — and it has been doing so every r since 1969. For students who cannot comprehend | problem, the last time the government ent within its means, the New York Jets i the Super Bowl. Columnist Donny Ferguson Sophomore political science major While deficit spending cannot be blamed for 25 years of mediocre football, it does cause a whole host of other problems, such as high interest rates and less money available to spend on critical programs such as student loans and health care. As citizens of a free and equal society, we should expect our government to live under the same rules we do. If the Balanced Budget Amend ment passes Congress and is rati fied by three-fourths of the states, expectations will become realities. Make no mistake about it, America needs the Balanced Budget Amendment. Deficit spending is eating away at the government’s ability to fund necessary programs, thus threatening America’s future. According to Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan, the current practice of operating on unbalanced budgets holds “serious, ad verse consequences for financial markets and economic growth.” In non-C-SPAN- junkie terms, unless we adopt the Balanced Budget Amendment, future generations will pay dearly when the national debt stalls eco nomic growth and causes financial disaster. Still, the term “Balanced Budget Amend ment” may be a bit misleading. The proposed legislation does not actually mandate a bal anced budget, it simply requires a three-fifths majority of both the House and Senate to pass a budget with a proposed deficit. This require ment can be waived in times of war or eco nomic crisis. The anti-balanced budget crowd and its cries of “Social Security checks will be im pounded” are not credible. Deficit spend ing, not a fiscal responsibility, is the single greatest threat to the Social Security pro gram. The Balanced Budget Amendment is the most important thing we can do to pre serve critical social programs. Sadly, the opponents of the Balanced Bud get Amendment care more about preserving wasteful spending than they care about pro tecting the poor, the elderly, and the students. Interest on the national debt consumes 40 cents of every government dollar, and it’s con stantly rising. Unless the budget is balanced, deficit spending will eventually result in gov ernment bankruptcy. Therefore, all student loans and checks (Social Security checks in cluded) will be canceled. Hopefully, arrogant opponents of this common-sense legislation will see the light to do their part in preserving our future. One of the most beneficial perks of a bal anced budget for college students is the result ing drop in interest rates. The ratification of the Balanced Budget Amendment equals an estimated 2 percent drop in interest rates, shaving as much as $2,200 from the cost of loan paybacks. Those students who must take out thou sands of dollars in loans just to attend college could use an extra $2,200 dollars to help pay for food, housing and clothing. The last people on earth who deserve students’ cash are Washing ton bureaucrats. Moreover, fiscal responsibility should be the guiding principle for which budgets are engi neered. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case with the prior congressional regime. The Balanced Budget Amendment, if passed and ratified, will make up for the 25 years of budgetary arro gance America has suffered. Now another quar ter-century of financial irresponsibility is threat ening to destroy critical social programs and take hard-earned cash from the pockets of over burdened taxpayers. Social Security, Medicare and student loans must be preserved, and the only way to do so is to mandate fiscal responsi bility. The Balanced Budget Amendment must be passed and ratified, because too many peo ple, college students included, depend upon it. roadcast journalism students attempt to catch-up with UT Columnist 1M Jenne Hamlin Senior journalism major tudent-produced television pro- . grams at Texas A&M have always ’been rare and virtually unknown, like the thriving programs at the Uni- fsity of Texas. ■UT has a student-run station, KRV9, Id a film program in the College of Immunications. UT even broadcasts pws on the Internet and has a student lowing only comparable to A&M’s einfeld” audience. I Production classes are essential for [(dents to compete in an increasingly Idia-oriented society. As business |ves onto the Internet and television feomes more an instrument of commercialism and tcation than entertainment, those with the skills to ipete will reign supreme. |It begins with adding courses and production op- Irtunities to our curriculum. A&M students in Jour- |ism 326, Television Production II, plan to bridge : gap and, it’s about time. [The course, instructed by KAMU-TV station man- er John McCarroll, aims to provide students with ktical production experience and a creative outlet. |ln past semesters, students produced Campus trnal, a program showcasing people who ap- ired in The Battalion every week, but hardly any- |e watched the show. |A new image would define the show’s success. The Television Production II students decided to quit having the traditional A&M brochure image shoved down their audience’s throats. When they chose their show format, they de cided to focus on things that usually slip through the cracks. They appropriately tided it Between the Lines. Travis Stiba, class member and a senior chemical engineering major, said the show staff vows to remain true to its title, and leave traditional Aggie topics to other programs. “That aspect of A&M already gets expo sure ad nauseum,” Stiba said. The show’s premiere aired Feb. 20, on ca ble channel 15 after a live taping, featuring Day at the Beach director, Nick Veronis, and local band, Loud Plaid Jacket. Amanda Taylor, a senior journalism major, said she was surprised that A&M didn’t have student pro gramming shows similar to the ones she watched as a student at UT. “The shows at UT are very uncensored and a lot of people watch them,” Taylor said. She said she hopes Between the Lines will attract a similar audience. The problem with student productions is often fi nancial. School administrators overlook funding for student shows, and merchants cannot advertise on a PBS-supervised show. Unless a large production pro gram is already established on campus, ventures like these struggle. Veronis said he was surprised that a university with one of the largest student-run film programming organizations in the country had so little to offer in comparison to UT. “You know, for the money it takes to maintain the (rock climbing) wall in the Rec Center, you could have a film program,” he said. Journalism department head Dr. Charles Self agrees. He said A&M should seize the opportunity to serve citizens with stronger communication pro grams — if funding is available. “But the University and those who support it have chosen to put their resources into other priorities,” Self said. Still, A&M students can benefit from this field. Tirey White, a KAMU employee and a graduate ar chitecture student, said production classes offer an edge to students in the age of new media. “Knowledge of media will define almost every ca reer field in the next century,” he said. McCarroll said although A&M doesn’t have an in tensive production program, students are more likely to get practical experience through local stations and production classes than their Austin counterparts. “One of the big problems UT faces is huge enroll ment in the program and only limited hands-on op portunities,” he said. Some students seek out production opportunities in the Bryan-College Station area. Art Sobarzo, the production class’ teaching assis tant and a senior speech communication major, said he has gained a lot of experience working part-time at KAMU-TV. “I have friends call and say they got to run the audio board for the first time, and I’ve been directing and pro ducing shows for three years,” he said. “We definitely get more experience than UT’s radio/tv/film students.” Even with access to studio equipment and motiva tion, students still have to make a name for the show. They have a web page at KAMU’s web site and are plan ning a mass e-mailing, but maybe kidnapping Reveille VI would help show recognition. McCarroll said the biggest challenge will be main taining the momentum to drive the class. He said peo ple will start watching as long as the students keep the excitement building. To keep things interesting, the class plans to keep the show format in flux. They invite friends and those curious about the show to be audience members at Thursday evening tapings, and they may extend the show to a full hour later in the season. Between the Lines is a step in the right direction. It offers students a change from regular programming, and a chance for those interested in television to flaunt their skills. The show provides A&M with a non-traditional stu dent point of view. Besides, focusing on the abnormal might remind us there is life beyond our tradition-infested existence. With audience support, the student body might find the show to be a much-needed spanking.