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.
See Page 9
online
http:/ / battalion.tamu.edu
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