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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1998)
Texas A & M University 1 m TODAY TOMORROW 14 th YEAR • ISSUE 136 * 10 PAGES COLLEGE STATION • TX TUESDAY • APRIL 28 • 1998 opwood means loose ends for A&M, UT ked results show declining minority enrollment in Texas’ largest institutions, overall numbers remain steady in state By Amanda Smith Staff writer kpite declines in minority enrollment fes A&M University and the Universi- fexas at Austin, minority enrollment at kte’s universities has remained about he since the 1996 Hopwood decision, ping to a report by the Texas Higher [tion Coordinating Board. |th|e decline in minority enrollment at itfstaie’s two largest universities has been tribpted by officials to the Hopwood deci- on, which banned affirmative action poli- es and scholarship incentives designated •Biority students at Texas’ colleges and universities. Dr. Emily Santiago, the assistant director of Multicultural Services at Texas A&M, said the declines in minority enrollment relate to finances. “The same finances are not available anymore for minority students,” Santiago said. “Highly qualified minority students before received special scholarships. Peo ple are now choosing to stay at home and go to school.” Only 64 fewer minority students attend ed Texas universities in 1997 than in 1995, a decline from 17,447 to 17,383, according to the findings in the report. The study found that minority students, particularly African-Americans and His- panics, are attending smaller schools clos er to home. Asian-American student en rollment increased 17 percent, adding 394 students, and African-American student enrollment increased by 64 students. However, the number of Hispanic stu dents enrolled in Texas’ higher education institutions decreased by 542 students. Santiago said Texas A&M needs to con tinue to focus on efforts to increase minor ity enrollment “The University needs to look into the funding issue,” Santiago said. “We need to be more aggressive in looking at funding al ternatives such as the provision of awards to minority students who return to high schools and speak to universities about Texas A&M.” Applications for Fall 1998 from minority students at Texas A&M dropped, according to reports by the Office of Admissions. The reports indicate that 21 percent few er African-Americans students applied this year than last year, dropping the number of applicants from 629 to 498 applicants. The number of Hispanic applicants de creased by 17 percent, from 1,257 appli cants to 1,174. The University of Texas at Austin in creased enrollment by 15 percent, accord ing to admissions reports by the university. The increase in applicants to the university included 14 percent more applications from whites, 7 percent more from African-Amer icans and 21 percent more from Hispanics. Augustine Garza, the deputy director of the Freshman Admissions Center at the University ofTexas at Austin, said the uni versity is slowly regaining minorities lost last year. “We saw an increase in the number of applicants,” Garza said. “We are reaching the point where we were before Hopwood. We are seeing applicants come back to us slowly, but the effects of Hopwood are still pretty obvious.” Please see Hopwood on Page 2. lira! public lealth school lears up for fall Nemo revisited -■■"V > IBy Kelly Hackworth Staff writer inistrators of the Texas A&M [jool of Rural Public Health are ig for ways to jfttain and in- i school igfor its first ■of students in Mm. |Ae school, /hich will offer a IsUm 's of public Hh degree, was ftdited by the |s Higher Edu- Tin Coordinat- loard on April [he program is prst of its kind ; United States. Texas A&M University |ol of Rural Public Health is e only school of public health targets the problems of rural communities. The school will serve as a training ground for doctors who choose to pursue careers in under served rural areas. Currently, 58 of 254 Texas counties have no hospital and 22 of those counties do not have a primary-care doctor. Dr. Giro V. Sumaya, dean of the new school, said he welcomes the work ahead. “We are glad to have been given the green light to move ahead with the establishment of the first school of public health in the coun try to concentrate on the health of our rural communities,” he said. Please see Rural on Page 2. “We are glad to have been given the green light to move ahead ... ” Giro V. Sumaya Dean of school of rum! public health Wm m GREG MCREYNOLDS/The Battalion Jason Falls and Bob Tu, both senior ocean engineering majors, load air tanks into a human-powered submarine Monday night. They are part of a group of students testing the submarine at the Ocean Drilling Research Building for a contest that will be held in San Diego this July. lEWS Briefs illege Station Its utility rates fie College Station City Council unanimously April 23 to lower Electric utility rate by $2 million a which will save the average leowner about $4.06 a month, he ordinance will go into effect 1. ludent designs laced on display Kudents in Visiting Assistant Pro- p Wesley Henderson’s second- rdesign studio will present some fceptual models for a teen recre- [nal center to representatives of College Station Parks and Recre- |n Department and the Teen Advi- ' Board today. [he College of Architecture be- pe involved last year as a source (design ideas and costs assess- it. Henderson’s class was given the and they met with the Teen Advi- y Board for direct input on fea- is for the Teen Center. The students’ designs will be on Play at the College Station Con- snce Center at 1301 George sh Drive, in the interim teen cen- from 7 to 8 p.m. today. CHEM 101, PHIL 240, Les Mis seats... OPAS allows students to purchase performance tickets through phone registration By Rachel Dawley Staff writer With productions such as Les Miserables, big, Madame Butterfly and Fiddler on the Roof, MSG OPAS is offering an exciting vari ety of shows for the 1998-99 season. A&M students will now have the option to purchase season tickets when registering for fall classes. The option costs $140 and includes six tickets. Stephen C. Stout, OPAS public relations director and a senior botany major, said in coming freshmen were offered the option last year, but this is the first year it has been available to all students. “It’s an easy way for students to see per formances,” Stout said. “It is flexible — they can bring their friends and there are are good seats.” Stout said there are a limited number of tickets available and he encouraged stu dents to register for the option soon. Participating students will be mailed a registration form this summer to select the performances they would like to attend. After the students return the forms to the MSC Box Office, they will be issued six ticket vouchers for their selections. Stu dents can receive up to two vouchers for any one performance. Students may redeem the vouchers for tickets to the performance and will have their choice of the best available seats in limited zones in the orchestra, mezzanine and balcony levels. Thurman Schweitzer, director of public ity and advertising and a senior geography major, said the option allows students to purchase the tickets at discounted prices. “A&M does not have a real fine arts pro gram, so the shows are an alternative edu cation for students,” he said. “You develop an appreciation for all kinds of art.” \of tudent dies in itomobile wreck [fP* Guadalupe Alfonso Medina, a se- r\ rmanagement major from Dallas, early Thursday morning in an au- lobile accident. Medina’s funeral service will be d at the Cathedral Guadalupe jrch in Dallas. A The traditional Silver Taps Cere- 'I nywill be held in his honor on dP )t. 8. Line-item veto law brought under fire WASHINGTON (AP) — The Clinton administration got a skeptical reaction from several Supreme Court justices Monday in seeking to restore the his toric ‘Tine-item veto” law that let the president cancel specific items in tax and spending measures. The president’s use of a line-item veto does not re peal part of a law, and there fore the separation of pow ers between Congress and the president remains in tact, Solicitor General Seth Waxman told the court. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy responded that when the president exercises a line-item veto, “From a tax payer’s standpoint, this was a law that’s been canceled” without a congressional vote. “You can call it a different word,” said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “but it’s the same thing — ifs gone.” A federal judge ruled the line-item veto unconstitu tional in February. But the government could win at least short-term reinstate ment of the law if the jus tices’ ruling, expected by July, says those who challenged it lacked legal standing to sue. Waxman argued that neither New York City nor an Idaho potato growers’ group could sue because they were not directly af fected by President Clin ton’s line-item vetoes. The Supreme Court last year threw out a previous challenge to the law by six members of Congress, say ing they lacked standing to bring the case. “It’s disappointing, you know,” said Justice Antonin Scalia. “We went into a big windup last year without a pitch.” He called it “as tounding.” Congress voted in 1996 to grant the president line- item veto authority, sought by nearly every president this century as a tool to control “pork barrel” spending. New network replaces CMT on cable service INSIDE — aggie life —■— Students find a whole new . By Colleen Kavanagh Staff writer , Beginning today, country music fans will see familiar faces such as Garth Brooks and George Strait singing on a new network. The Great American Country (GAG) channel, a music video network, will re place Country Music Television (CMT) on Channel 23. Tom Way, general manager ofTCA Ca ble TV, said that when TCA sent out a 30- day notice of the change, many viewers thought there would no longer be a coun try music channel. “We are basically looking to put a bet ter product on the market,” he said. “CMT serves its purpose in playing country mu sic videos, but GAG delivers a lot more. Viewers see more videos with less nation al advertising.” GAG shows include “GAC’s Top 15 Country Countdown,” a one-hour pro gram tJiat is based on viewers’ requests from the GAC Web site, www.countrys- tars.com; “On the Edge of Country,” fea turing alternative country music styles such as traditional country, bluegrass and country rock and “Fast Forward,” a look at the week’s new videos. Robin Rothman, GAC media contact, said she believes people enjoy watching A ) world outside the classroom with ecology classes at A&M. See Page 3 music videos more than commercials. “The simple answer is what we’re best known for — airing 400 more videos a month,” she said. “I truly believe that when viewers turn on a country music video channel, that’s what they want.” Rothman said it may take viewers a lit tle while to get used to the change. “People are often unsettled by changes,” she said. “Country music fans are the most dedicated and loyal of all fans. CMT has done a great job for 15 years at addressing what country music fans enjoy. But, I think, that if people give GAC a chance, they’ll see that it is more in teresting to watch videos than ads.” GAC, a subsidiary of Jones Internation al Networks, Inc., started in 1996 and reaches 2.2 million viewers. sports Baseball team faces off against Sam Houston for break from Big 12 action. See Page 5 opt tt to ft Schumacher: Sports is not always an ideal symbol of harmony between races. 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