Texas A & M University
hH
TOMORROW
LTH
YEAR • ISSUE 76 • 8 PAGES
COLLEGE STATION • TX
MONDAY • JANUARY 26 • 1998
Plunging gas prices credited to crude oil costs
By Rachel Dawley
StaffWriter
Motorists can now fuel their vehicles at a lower price.
The national average gasoline price has fallen 5.7 cents
per gallon since Dec. 9 — the largest drop in that time
—period since 1991.
The cost of gasoline in 1998 has been considerably lower
^ than the average national price in 1997. The national aver
age price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is $1,159,
12.9 cents less than one year ago, according to AAA’s monthly Fuel
Gauge Survey.
Pete Huddleston, a visiting professor of petroleum engineering at
Texas A&M University, said the price of crude oil affects the overall
price of gasoline. The cost of crude oil is determined
by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Coun
tries (OPEC), through its control of production quo
tas, Huddleston said.
Crude oil costs make up about one-third of the
price of gasoline. Because crude oil is priced on the international mar
ket, American crude oil costs are affected by world supply and demand
changes, as well as by political events.
“OPEC recently chose to open up more wells, which drives
prices down because there is a larger supply,” Huddleston said.
“OPEC can produce around 30 million of the 65 million gallons of
gasoline demanded.”
OPEC normally produces 22 million gallons, but the members are
now producing 26 million gallons. Huddleston said this will continue
for a few months before OPEC cuts back to 22 million.
Although the national average price has decreased dramatically
because of the larger supply, retail manufacturers and stations set their
prices independentiy.
Brett Smith, a Bryan-College Station gasoline station owner, said
there are many factors that influence not only the overall gasoline
prices but also regional variations in price.
“The major thing that influences our local gas pricing is com
petition,” Smith said. “We compete against 20 or so stations in
the area. We have to keep our prices comparable to their prices,
or we will lose business.”
The competition between stations is driven by consumer demand,
Smith said. When there is more demand for gasoline, the price will in
crease according to the basic law of supply and demand , he said.
The two peak demand periods during the year are the summer and
the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Stephen Brown, a freshman general studies major, said most stu
dents purchase the lowest price gasoline, so it is necessary for stations
to keep their prices competitive.
“I’m looking for the cheapest price,” Brown said. “This keeps prices
down, because of the pressure on all stations in the area to match the
lowest price offered.”
Local gasoline station manager Jimmy Reed said this type of “price
war” often causes his station to sell their product at a loss.
“At times, we are forced to sell gas so cheap that we don’t break
even,” Reed said. “Eventually, prices return to levels that allow a rea
sonable income for retailers.”
Please see Gas Prices on Page 8.
stob
ean calls affiliation terms
situation for Texas
-win’
Staff & Wire Reports
m Texas A&M University and the
uth Texas College of Law signed
lea iaffiiiation agreement Friday, giv-
g A&M direct-name relationship
efe th a law school for the first time,
es- A&M University President Dr.
y M. Bowen said an affiliation
th a respected law school will
Jp A&M reach its goal of becom-
g one of the nation’s top 10 public
/ersities by the year 2020.
. “Even if we are authorized by
state to do so, creating a new
w school for ourselves would
ist, [Conservatively, $150 million,”
,! said. “With the affiliation we
eate today, we overcome that
lallenge in a constructive, wide
ly beneficial manner.”
Terms of the agreement main
tain South Texas’ independent, pri
vate, non-profit status. The law
school will not become a part of the
A&M system. No state dollars will be
allocated to South Texas besides the
tuition-equalization grant money
already being utilized. Tuition for
the school will remain the same.
South Texas President and Dean
Frank T. Read said the affiliation is a
“win-win” situation for Texas.
“This is the single finest example
of public/private partnership I have
seen in higher education in Ameri
ca,” he said.
A&M will appoint one-third of
the South Texas Board of Directors.
The day-to-day operations and hir-
ett
lof
ies Life, CIS efforts allow students
o get wired up ahead of schedule
By Amanda Smith
Stajf writer
The Department of Residence Life and Computing
formation Services (CIS) aims to complete wiring of
:| sidence halls by fall 1998, two years ahead of the orig-
al schedule.
, RouSass, the director ofthe Department of Residence
e, said that he is excited to see that all students living
campus will have Ethernet access, which provides di-
:t access to the Internet and e-mail.
“Many students living in residence halls have been in-
ifillested in getting all the residence halls connected,” Sass
id. “We want to provide our students with the latest
yffTmology available.”
Dan Mizer, the assistant director of the Department of
I j sidence Life, said that wiring may begin as soon as May
^ aft er classes have let out for the summer.
“Some of our buildings will be vacant during the sum-
S 3r,” Mizer said. “Some of our dorms will be used for
tnmer conferences. Installation is a lot smoother when
tSOH ople are not in the rooms. We will work with Comput-
; Information Services (CIS) and they will help us man-
( 2 the project.”
Currently, about 50 percent of students have access to
; Ethernet in dorms across campus. An Ethernet con-
ction provides access to the Internet directly, without
; use of a modem or phone line.
Raymond McCauley, a systems analyst for Depart-
;nt of Residence Life, said students can purchase an
lernet card that ranges in price from $20 to $200, with
; average card costing $50.
iell “Ethernet allows students direct and faster access,”
Cauley said. “Off campus residents have to use a ca-
■0 modem or phone modem to communicate.”
Eric Williams, Residence Hall Association (RHA) pres-
^ :nt and a senior biomedical science major, said RHA
3 5 been involved with consideration of wiring the resi-
I. ace halls.
"RHA began petitioning for wiring in the residence
Us,” Williams said. “Many classes are moving to access
illia the Web.”
Ann Murphy, a freshman business analysis major and
a resident of Spence Hall, said that she enjoys having In
ternet access in her dorm room.
“It’s really helpful because you do not have to go to lab
to get your notes,” Murphy said. “You do not have to take
the time to dial in (from a phone line). I use the Internet
for a lot of my classes.”
Bethany Weir, a sophomore civil engineering major
and a resident computer consultant (RCC) for Haas Hall,
said that having access to e-mail and the Internet is in
creasingly important.
“I think that A&M needs to get 100 percent access in
the residence halls,” Weir said. “There are people in
every dorm that want Ethernet access. It is fast and a
good resource.”
As an RCC for Residence Life, Weir assists students liv
ing in her hall hook up Ethernet accounts and work out
computer difficulties. Weir serves as an RCC for Haas Hall,
which was wired in Summer 1997.
McCauley said that the students’ demand for Ether
net access has contributed to faster wiring in the dorms.
“Completion of wiring in the dorms will benefit stu
dents gready,” McCauley said. “It is kind of a big project
though. We are planning to hit the remaining 50 percent
of dorm rooms in one summer. There are going to be a lot
of logistics that we have to work out.”
McCauley said that CIS is developing a bid specifica
tion that is expected to be completed within the next
month. Then, contractors may bid on the cost to com
plete the wiring on campus.
"The remainder of the wiring project could cost from
$400,000 to $800,000 depending on the bids,” McCauley
said. “This is a joint project coordinated by Residence life
and CIS. We are providing some funding and opening up
the residence halls for the work to be done.”
Sass said that residence hall fees may increase for fall
1998 but not as a result of the wiring this summer. He said
the department will rely on the funds made available
through an earlier residency increase and an appeal to re
ceive additional funds approved by Dr. Bowen.
In addition to completing wiring residence halls on
campus, McCauley said that Residence Life and CIS are
considering wiring the University Apartments for Ether
net access.
)fl
Dprah’s testimony still up in the air
. AMARILLO (AP) — Oprah Win-
fey has made her name interview-
ig others. When she will become
n iinterviewee on the witness
and is the lingering question as
er beef defamation trial grinds
ito a second week.
One of the cattlemen suing her
as to resume testimony Monday
5 defense attorneys continue trying
> deconstruct the plaintiffs’ case.
At issue is whether Winfrey
red knowingly false and defama-
>ry statements about the poten-
al U.S. threat of mad cow disease,
hich began ravaging British cat-
e herds in the 1980s.
Winfrey has showed little reaction
through two days of often-dry testi
mony, except for signs of fatigue
caused by long days at the court
house followed by evenings of taping
her talk show at a local playhouse.
Attorneys cited a gag order when
asked to speculate when Winfrey
might take the stand. Her name ap
pears on both sides’ witness lists.
Already slumping cattle prices
fell after the April 16, 1996, show,
which included an interview with
vegetarian activist Howard Lyman,
a co-defendant in the lawsuit.
Plaintiffs claim they lost $10.3 mil
lion in the market plunge.
Because the feeding of rendered
livestock protein to cattle —
thought to have spread the disease
in Europe — was occurring here,
Lyman said consumers ran the risk
of contracting a similar brain-de
stroying disease.
The feeding custom was volun
tarily banned in 1996 and out
lawed last summer.
“I think that any supermarket
shopper after watching would be
afraid of buying beef products,
because they were afraid to cook
it and get holes in their brain,”
Amarillo cattleman Bill O’Brien
testified Friday.
ing authority of South Texas will re
main independent. Input from the
A&M provost will be required when
hiring faculty and future deans.
The South Texas College of
Law has 1200 students, 15 per
cent of whom are A&M alumni.
The 74-year-old law school occu
pies two full city blocks in down
town Houston.
Don Powell, A&M University
System Board of Regents chair,
said the signing is a positive move
for the state.
“This links the seventh-largest
public university in the nation with
one of the 15 largest law schools, a
union of immense potential bene
fit both to the schools involved and
to the people of Texas.”
‘Chute’ing the breeze
f} iMi
JAKE SCHRICKLING/The Battalion
Mark Woodings; Class of ’94 and owner of Aggies Over Texas, gathers his parachute after a tandem jump Saturday.
Campaign study reveals
source of winners' wealth
AUSTIN (AP) —When it comes to
races for the Texas Legislature, mon
ey wins. And businesses and other
special interests are the big givers, ac
cording to a new study of Texas
House campaigns.
In the last election cycle, state
House members raised $14.6 million
in campaign cash.
Most House members got their
money in big checks that came
from outside their home districts,
says the study conducted by three
consumer groups.
Just nine of the state’s 2,618 postal
ZIP codes were the mailing address
es for more than $6 million of the to
tal. And $4.4 million came from only
three Austin ZIP codes — home of
many lobbyists and industry groups.
“Money wins in campaigns,”
said Tom “Smitty” Smith of Public
Citizen, one of the groups con
ducting the study.
“The special interests are paying
the piper and calling the tune, and
the Texas Legislature is dancing with
them that brung them. That’s why
the policies in this state favor big
business over Bubba, time after
time,” Smith said.
Political consultant Mark
Sanders, told of the report’s find
ings, said, “They just go to show
that the Austin lobby cares a whole
lot more about who is in the Legis
lature than voters do.
“Anyone who’s ever paid any at
tention to legislative races knows that
the Austin lobby is the primary fi
nancial supporter of politicians,”
Sanders said. “But that is a rather
staggering amount of money.”
Joining in the study were Texans
for Public Justice and the U.S. Pub
lic Interest Research Group. The
report, a copy of which was ob
tained by The Associated Press,
will be presented this week to a
House committee studying cam
paign finance reform.
Entitled “Mortgaged House,” the
report analyzed campaign finance
reports filed by 149 of the 150 House
members from July 1,1995toDec.31,
1996. (One House member later was
elected to the state Senate.) Among
the findings:
— There are not many small
donors. Contributions of $100 or
more accounted for 95 percent of
House money, and 37 percent of con
tributions were $1,000 or more.
— Not much of that money is
homegrown. House members got 80
percent of their $ 100-plus contribu
tions —totaling just over $10 million
— from outside their home districts.
into what goes on within
the rooms of student homes.
See Page 3
sports
Super Bowl, Texas A&M
basketball big weekend
sports stories in Aggieland.
See Page 5
opinion
Cater: America’s absurd
fascination with the plight of
others causes concern.
See Page 7
online
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