Texas A Sc M University
1
Today Tomorrow
See extended forecast, Page 2.
lume 103 • Issue 145 • 6 Pages
College Station, TX
Monday, June 9, 1997
lEWS
Briefs
till
1 iyan man threatens
icide in hotel room
Bryan man, distraught over his
I aration from his wife, locked him-
hinahotel room and threatened
tide before surrendering Sunday,
an Police said.
jSobert G. Rodriguez, 38,
j edhis estranged wife at about
pSunday morning and threat-
Ntokill himself, BPD patrol
I jeant Harvey Branch said. His
.Jathen called the BPD, which
^Latched SWAT negotiation
histothe Brazos Inn at 3313
^"l highway 21 in Bryan.
Wriguez emerged from the
., |mat4:30 p.m. and discard-
r a Ills gun and ammunition,
IP e "j-icti said. He was taken into
itody for psychiatric evalua-
Land was later charged with
Hating a protective order for
pacting his wife.
Iloonewas injured in the incident.
xal Red Cross
isksfor donations
lltieBrazos County Red Cross is
Ineed of money because
i in aid given to victims of
but disasters in the area has
Wed its budget.
1 :|!«o apartment fires in College
! lion this spring left 44 people
out homes. Red Cross exhaust-
tsresources helping victims of
: accidents.
8ilThomas, Red Cross execu-
sdirector, said the fund now
sr-fads replenishing.
nas said money contributions
ire needed than clothes and
■on iw terns.
|be| Iwantto make sure that peo-
L.piiare made homeless have
| fe fttlter, clothing and medical ex-
L taken care of, and then are
’ penough to get back on their
Ihe T"'fbomas said.
n . jtaey vouchers for such items
0 {Wento disaster victims.
ygj^eRed Cross receives much
fits funding from United Way
^gi.'mail solicitation. Fund rais-
I jJarealways a big help, Thomas
i, pas are volunteers to help
‘ ■mrelief operations.
^iptroller Sharp
% campaign papers
has State Comptroller John
irp began his campaign for
-tenant governor June 7 by fil-
paperwork with the Texas
'«s Commission.
Itough Sharp has not officially
ounced his campaign plans yet,
Ramsey, a Sharp spokesmen,
he announcement would come
ty shortly.”
Sharp wants to succeed current
tenant Governor Bob Bullock,
•has said he will not seek re-elec-
'oext year.
SPORTS
^Texas A&M 4xl00-meter
by team brought home the
lional crown this weekend.
See Page 3.
OPINION
Piety’s treatment of elderly,
fieless citizens displays
9 ttietic attitudes.
See Page 5.
ONLINE
Wbat-web.tamu.edu
out
look
^e Batt’s
Page.
Rec Center cancels
pass sales to appease
local competitors
ByJenaraKocks
The Battalion
Disagreement over the definition of a “stu
dent” between the Student Recreation Center
and local gyms prompted the Rec Center to
stop selling “continuing passes” to students en
rolled for fall but not summer classes.
See Column, Page 5
Dennis Corrington, director of the Depart
ment of Recreational Sports, said that before
the cancellation, such “continuing students”
were considered students.
But a “good neighbor policy” between the
Rec Center and the gyms capped the number
of non-student passes the Rec Center could
sell, and the gyms complained that continuing
The Weight of the Cap
Non-Student
Membership
Cap
Estimated
Number of
Students
Affected
by Pass
Cancellation
Estimated
.oss of
Revenue
students are non-students and should not be
allowed to buy summer passes. Corrington has
since redefined a “student” as one who is en
rolled in the semester he or she wishes to use
the Rec Center.
Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. J. Mal-
on Southerland, who concurred with Corring-
ton’s decision to discontinue the passes, said lo
cal businesses always thought continuing
students were defined as non-students.
“He (Corrington) made a decision in sup
port of their (local businesses) perception,”
Southerland said.
Southerland said the businesses did not
threaten legal action on the issue, but were “ag
gressive in their request.”
Steve Lumpee, manager of Gold’s Gym, said
selling continuing passes violated the good
neighbor policy.
“They (the Rec Center) said they would
try not to drastically affect the private sec
tor,” he said.
Lumpee said the center has affected local
businesses because only two gyms remain
open in the Bryan-College Station area since
the Rec Center began operation.
Corrington said the Rec Center and local
gyms agreed on a 1,150 cap on the number
of non-students, such as faculty and staff
and families, who could buy a membership
to the Center.
But Corrington said this agreement did not
define what constitutes a student.
Corrington said some students are excep
tions to the new policy, and these students will
be added to the cap. Graduate assistants and
student workers for the Rec Center can buy an
employee pass for the summer. Students in the
veterinary and medical colleges also can buy a
Rec Center pass during the summer because
their enrollment is defined on an annual basis.
Corrington said that as of 10:30 a.m. June 4,
the Rec Center was only 30 memberships away
from the cap.
Lumpee said he believed other student ser
vices on the A&M campus cannot be used if a
mm.
* *
m
1
m
if.;*:?;.,
S'/ -
ipgi
= Money requested
for '97-98 fiscally ear
| = Proposed allocation
for '97 '98 fiscal year
Ainount in Millions
Source: Bill Kibler
, «
student is not enrolled in classes.
But at least two such services are available
to continuing students. Charlene Clark, public
relations officer for Sterling C. Evans Libraries,
said “students continuing their studies in the
summer or fall are still listed in the library’s pa
tron database and retain their circulating or
check out privileges, as well as their use of the
online databases.”
Kirk Cole, assistant to the director of A.R
Beutel Health Center, said students who at
tended in the spring but are not enrolled for the
summer can pay the $44 health fee and use
health services for the entire summer.
At least two services are either not available
to continuing students or are limited. Ted Sta-
chowiak, associate director of Student Coun
seling Services, said the services available to
students enrolled in the fall but not the sum
mer are limited to counseling on the student’s
fall schedule. Director of Computing and In
formation Services Thomas M. Putnam said
computing resources are not available to stu
dents who are not registered for classes.
Graphics: Brad Graeber, Tim Moog and Stew Milne
The Rec Center now also falls under the cat
egory of services unavailable to students if en
rolled in the fall but not the summer term.
Corrington said the Rec Center will make up
for the estimated $42,000 loss in continuing
pass revenue through “salary saving and other
savings methods.”
Southerland said how the Rec Center will
make up funds is under evaluation. He said the
Rec Center receives no state funds and has to pay
for itself through membership and student fees.
However, Southerland said it is not an op
tion to raise student fees because the fees are
set by the legislature.
“This is a direct hit on the Recreation Cen
ter’s budget,” Southerland said.
Southerland said he is uncomfortable with
any long-term reduction in services to students.
For the moment, he said, Corrington has
agreed with the businesses, but Southerland
said this matter is “definitely open to discussion.”
“We will be working to get the needs for stu
dents met while trying to understand the needs
of local businesses,” he said.
A&M System could get
11 percent boost in funds
Budget bill allocates over $1 billion of state money
CC
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
The Battalion
Need-based scholarships, non
faculty pay raises, merit-based rais
es and building improvements are
among the higher-education alloca
tions featured in the state budget bill
approved by the Texas legislature.
The bill awaits Governor George W.
Bush’s approval or veto.
Texas A&M University System
Chancellor Dr.
Barry Thompson
said the bill would
provide a boost to
higher education
in the A&M sys
tem, including
the College Sta
tion campus.
“With my 26
years of working
with the Texas
Legislature, I can say that this group
of lawmakers put their hearts into
ensuring that college students and
their families, as well as the eco
nomic future of our state, were
among the top priorities this ses
sion,” Thompson said.
Approximately $1 billion in state
support would be given to the A&M
system for the next two years, bring
ing the general revenue appropria
tion up 11 percent from the previous
fiscal period.
Kathy L. Harris, A&M System
communications specialist, said the
extra money is necessary and will
I, MBm
ym.
Bush
benefit A&M in many ways.
“We are really excited,” Harris
said. “This is a real home run for
higher education if the governor
signs the bill.”
Harris said improvement of high
er education is the No. 1 goal of the
bill. Its goal is to increase the num
ber of college graduates in the state
of Texas by concentrating on under
graduate students.
The bill calls for across-the-board
pay raises for non-faculty, budgeted
employees. The $100-per-month
raise, the first such increase in four
years, would go into effect Septem
ber 1, 1997.
A&M employs a fraction of the
220,000 state employees eligible for
this raise. Employees on hourly
wages will not be affected by the
pay raise.
Dr. Ray M. Bowen, Texas A&M
president, would decide whether to
give pay raises to faculty members
based on a merit system and would
make his decision at a later date.
The A&M Financial Aid Depart
ment would be granted an unspeci
fied amount of money to go toward
need-based scholarship recipients.
Plans include a new scholarship, ti
tled “New Horizons”, directed to
ward minority students in need of fi
nancial assistance.
George Parker, A&M assistant
provost, said students would benefit
in three main ways from the increase
in funds.
“The budget affects salaries, de-
This is a real
homeruxi for higher
education if the gov
ernor signs the bill.”
Kathy L. Harris
Communications specialist,
A&M System
partmental operating expenses and
a lot of other things that have to do
with the resources that we have to
carry out our mission in undergrad
uate and graduate education,” Park
er said.
Students would benefit from
funds allocated for scholarships,
building and campus improve
ments and more teacher-staff devo
tion, he said.
However, Parker said the faculty is
already committed to serving un
dergraduate students.
Merit-awarded pay raises would
allow professors and teachers more
time to focus on classroom activi
ties rather than financial situations
elsewhere.
“The faculty here work hard,” he
said. “They work hard with the un
dergraduates. They work hard with
the graduate students.”
Legislature TAGs
over $9 million onto
scholarship fund
By Erica Roy
The Battalion
The Texas Legislature increased funding for the Texas Tuition
Assistance Grant program from $98,000 to $10 million as part of
the 1998-1999 appropriations bill.
Texas high-school students from middle- to low-income
families who hold a B average are eligible for the program,
which would pay for college tuition and fees to a state uni
versity.
Students who receive tuition assistance must maintain a
B average in college or lose eligibility.
Nickie Obenhaus, the 1996-1997 Legislative Relations Com
mittee chair and a senior chemical engineering major, said the
$10 million will help more financially challenged high-school
students to attend college.
“It ( jjag) makes college so much more accessible to stu
dents,” Obenhaus said.
Chris Reed, the 1996-1997 Student Senate speaker and a se
nior finance major, said TTAG will help relieve the burden of tu
ition and fee increases for more students.
“As we see fee increases and tuition rising, by having the state
provide financial aid based on merit will really benefit A&M stu
dents,” Reed said.
Texas A&M along with the University of Texas, Texas Tech
University and the University of Houston organized press con
ferences and lobbied to legislators about TTAG.
Mandy Gomez, external affairs chair for Student Senate and
a junior political science major, said at least one A&M student
was at the state Capitol every week during last semester talking
to legislators.
Gomez said the support from the universities showed stu
dents care about their educations and futures.
“When we went into the offices [of legislators] with so many
voices, it was really hard for them not to listen to us,” she said.
Gomez also said the Legislature is in support of higher edu
cation, so it is important to have a student presence in Austin to
push the increased scholarship funding through.
Please see TTAG on Page 6.