The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, June 18, 1998, Image 1

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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
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Celebrating freedom
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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."