Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1998)
Weather Today ■ti c* i n b ■HI S I U c . see Page 3 Opinion... see Page 5 HIGH LOW Tomorrow JOflGH , , LOW 75’ 104 th YEAR • ISSUE 1S^ • 6 PAGES the TEXAS ASM UNIVERSITY 11 COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS , Next Monday Opinion: When a woman says no, it does not leave room for ne gotiation — in crime, sales and the workplace. THURSDAY • JUNE 18 • 1998 >re. Brt ned insi lolaspi com epartmf >erceni: are n<; s. Acco; iity sin i saves Celebrating freedom Juneteenth commemorates slavery’s end sin, I (he I id he read InheE- /f I By Shatera Kennedy Staff Writer "Wuneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the emancipation of Texas M slaves. More than just barbecues and parades, it is a time for all African- " Americans to celebrate freedom. President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became official on Janu ary 1, 1863. However, the state ment had no impact on Texas slaves because there were no Union troops to inform Texas slave owners. It wasn't until two-and-a- half years later on June 19,1865, that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops landed in Galve ston with news that all slaves were free. Many stories were told to ex plain the delay of the news about slavery abolishment in Texas, including one of a mes senger being murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom and another rumor that the news was withheld until af ter the cotton harvest. Whatever the reason for the delay. Granger's first order of business was to read to the peo ple of Texas Lincoln's General Order Number 3, which an nounced that through executive order all slaves were free. It also said any further connections be tween former masters and slaves were to be on an employ er and free laborer basis. After this news, a mass cele bration began in Galveston and spread throughout Texas. Dr. Robert A. Calvert, a pro fessor of history at A&M, said politicians used the holiday to inform African-Americans of the privileges of their new found freedom. "During Reconstruction," Calvert said, "many black Re publican politicians used the picnics and other gatherings to inform the newly-freed slaves of the political issues at hand and encourage them to vote." Juneteenth continued to be an unofficial holiday after Re construction but it began to fade during the Civil Rights Movement. Many African-Americans did not want a holiday that recognized slavery or its end, citing they should not have been enslaved from the beginning. Now Juneteenth has a different meaning for many African-Americans. While it still commemorates the end of slavery, it also has become a time to reflect on the accomplishments and impacts African-Americans have made on society. Juneteenth became an official holiday in 1980. Although it is not a multi cultural holiday, it is slowly beginning to incorporate other races through parades and other programs that explain and invite others to join in on this African-American Independence Day. Events begin at noon Friday By Shatera Kennedy Staff Writer tf The Black Awareness Commit tee, the Department of Multicul tural Services and the National Pan-Hellenic Council are joining together to present the Com memoration of Black Freedom program in recognition of June teenth this Friday starting at 12:30 p.m. in the MSC Flagroom. Spectators can join in the singing of the Negro National An them, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and other performances that pay tribute to the African-American Independence Day. Songs, prose and historical notes will be included in the program as well as a time for reflection and personal ac counts of June- teenth's meaning. MSC Program Ad viser, Stephenie Rhodes, said the pro gram provides a time for African-Ameri can students on cam pus to communicate their shared past with other students. "Awareness, a time to reflect and rejoice and a time to look from whence we've come is the whole purpose of the pro gram," Rhodes said She said the pro gram will be held in the Flagroom be cause it is the opti mal location for full involvement and participation. Rhodes said passersby are more likely to stop and lis ten to the program if they see the crowd and the different performances. By using this loca tion the coordinators said they hope they can both teach and celebrate. Rhodes said she continues to work with the Black Awareness Committee and the Juneteenth program because awareness is essential. "It is a matter of uplifting African-Americans," Rhodes said, "while enriching the minds of all." B-CS named one of Texas’ least expensive communities By Amber Benson City Editor The American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association has ranked Bryan- College Station the state's second least ex pensive community of the 29 cities sur veyed in Texas. The cost-of-living index ranks Bryan- College Station as the fifth least expen sive U.S. com munity of 329 cities surveyed nationwide. Using 100 per cent as the aver age cost of living Bryan-College Station Cost of Living Comparisons State Nation index for the 329 Paris 86.8 Bryan-College Station, TX 87.0 surveyed cities. Bryan-College Station 87.0 Atlanta, GA 101.7 Bryan-College San Antonio 89.9 Denver, CO 106.5 Station was 87 Lubbock 92.2 Los Angeles, CA 117.6 percent, 13 per- Houston 95.1 Washington, DC 122.6 cent below the na- Austin 96.6 Boston, MA 134.5 tional average. Dallas 98.3 New York City, NY. 226.2 (Composite Index -100%) Based on First Quarter 1998 issue of the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association Cost of Living Index The cost-of-liv ing index is based on a "market bas ket" of goods and services available in the city. Most of the consumer areas surveyed included grocery items, housing, utili ties, transportation, health care and oth er specifics goods like pizzas, haircuts. dry-cleaning and movies. A low cost-of-living plays a crucial part in recruiting businesses to relocate and ex pand in Bryan-College Station, Frank Murphy, an economic developer with Bryan-College Station Economic Devel opment Corporation, said. "We have been overwhelmed by new businesses moving into the area. Business es consider cost of living as part of the overall quality of life in a communi ty," Murphy said. "It's reassuring to know that you live in a town with a low-cost of living. You know that your getting more for your money." Andy Luccasen, a graduate student in economics and undergraduate ad viser for the depart ment, said that stu dents reap the benefits of living in a city with a low cost- of-living. "For people living on fixed incomes, a low cost-of-living means you can stretch your dollar more," Luccasen said. Bubble trouble MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion Three-year-old Heather Mills pops bubbles at a local daycare Wednesday morning. The kids at the daycare have an outside fun day once a week. Incoming class 51 % larger than last year’s By Sarah Goldston Staff writer Texas A&M University is an ticipating 7,200 freslimen in the fall of 1998, a 51 percent increase ov er last year. Dr. Ronald Dou glas, executive vice president and Provost, said. He said two-thirds of students that were offered admission to A&M chose to accept. "As a result of the law stating that the top 10 percent of high- school graduates are accepted, we j Arere able to send out acceptance letters earlier," he said. "It has been shown that if students are given acceptance information ear- l er / there is a likelihood that ac- Ce ptance numbers go up." Douglas said A&M anticipated ^ore acceptances for the 1998 school year, and in the spring, of- hcials initiated more summer- school sections. "We began planning for space in February by including more summer-school sessions, Dou glas said. "We have told freshmen that if they are interested, they have the option of starting school early by attending summer school in July." Due to the large number of ac ceptances, Douglas said A&M is not able to accept any students from the waiting list to attend classes at the main campus. Students on the waiting list are being offered admission to Texas A&M at Galveston. Students who qualify also are being offered guaranteed transfer after one year of maintaining a certain grade point ratio at another institution. Mack Thomas, assistant direc tor for residence life, said there are 265 vacancies for the second sum mer-school session, but that figure changes everyday. Once the remaining vacancies at residence halls are filled and if more housing applications are received, Thomas said the hous ing department would consult maintenance lists to see which halls can be opened to accom modate students. Freshmen starting school ear ly by attending the summer ses sion beginning in July will not be able to move into the campus housing they have been as signed to for the fall. "There are no staff in those buildings, and maintenance is still working on projects in the dorms," Thomas said. Sherry Scott, accounting assis tant for the residence life, said freshmen wanting to live on cam pus for the second summer ses sion need to go by the housing of fice in room 101 of the YMCA building and fill out an applica tion or request a summer housing application by mail. Student Affairs’ programs endure overload By Sarah Goldston Staff Writer The Department of Stu dent Affairs is anticipating a strain on some of its pro grams due to the large incom ing freshman class. Dr. Wade Birch, director of Student Counseling Services, said he anticipates a waiting list for students seeking per sonal counseling. "Every student has an ini tial interview to determine the seriousness of their problem," Birch said. "The students with more serious problems are seen first, and the other students are put on a wait list. We try to see students as rapidly as possible." He said the counseling center is expecting more emergencies concerning de pression, suicide and other emotional problems, partic ularly at night and on the weekends. Birch said more freshmen may take advantage of a learning skills certificate program, a 15-hour program designed to acclimate stu dents to the college learning environment. "We generally see an even balance of freshmen through graduate students taking ad vantage of all our programs," said Birch, "but we anticipate seeing more freshmen using our grade distribution statis tics to plan out their second semester classes." He said the counseling cen ter plans on more freshmen needing help with homesick ness, adjustment problems and choosing majors. The counseling center has a full-time psychiatrist on staff to assist students with prob lems, Birch said. Dr. Lucille Isdale, director of Student Health Services, said she does not anticipate an over crowded facility in the fall. "We encourage students to call and make an appoint ment," she said. "That way they don't have to wait to see someone. Students should know that prescription medi cines are the cost of the medi cine plus three dollars. How ever, it is no charge to see a doctor." Students pay a mandatory health facility fee, she said. Isdale said the health cen ter will be staffed by at least 10 physicians at a time. Dr. Jan Winniford, assistant vice president for Student Af fairs, said directors of each de partment under Student Af fairs are adjusting to meet the needs of the incoming fresh man class. "Department by depart ment, directors are working to accommodate the bigger crowds," she said. "Everyone is shifting resources to meet the demands of the students."