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Front page:
Other state universities
borrow from Texas A&M
to create own
senior ring tradition.
104™ YEAR • ISSUE 174 • 6 PAGES
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TEXAS ASM UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
WEDNESDAY • JULY 22 • 1998
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Carreathers ends time as head
of A&M’s multicultural services
Photo Illustration By Brandon Bollom / The Battalion
IntmoiB'in Carreathers, director of multicultural services, has accepted a position with the University of
iRnphis and will be leaving Texas A&M in August. Carreathers has been the multicultural services di-
lantsrSor for 15 years.
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Rod Machen
City Editor
In August, Kevin Carreathers,
director of multicultural services,
will leave the University to take a
similar position at the University of
Memphis.
Carreathers said his long tenure
here made him look at other options.
"Tm leaving because I've been
here for 15 years," he said. "I felt it
was time to go."
Carreathers was one of 200 appli
cants for the position of associate
dean of minority affairs.
Carreathers said he has seen a lot
of changes at Texas A&M during his
15 years, most notably the increase
in minority enrollment on campus.
He estimates it has gone from ap
proximately five percent when he ar
rived to 15 percent presently.
Support from the administration
is another change Carreathers has
noticed.
"During my tenure there has
been a commitment to diversity by
the administration," Carreathers
said. "Some of that has been driven
because campus administrators
knew it was morally the right thing
to do."
Legislature regarding minority
matters also has influenced admin
istrators, he said.
Educating others about diversity
has been one of Carreathers main
priorities in the last few years.
He cites programs such as U-ACT
(University Awareness for Cultural
Togetherness) for students, MOSA
IC (Maximizing Opportunities for
Staff to Achieve and Inclusive Cam
pus) and a diversity education pro
gram for faculty coming this fall as
signs of the forward progress his de
partment has achieved.
"I've tried to strengthen the di
versity education program we have
in our department," Carreathers
said.
He said his other priority has
been to hold faculty and staff mem
bers accountable for their actions in
volving diversity.
Although he acknowledges Texas
A&M is not where it needs to be in
terms of minority enrollment, Car
reathers said he believes the campus
is going in the right direction.
"We are moving forward," he
said.
Carreathers said the success his
department has enjoyed can be at
tributed to more people than himself.
"The success of our department
has been because of the commitment
of our students and the many staff
and administrators," Carreathers
said. "I owe a great deal of gratitude
to many people."
L; . |
eather to blame for growth
cricket, grasshopper populations
By Sarah Goldston
Staff Writer
jugli
issues ^Because of the hot, dry weather con
ditions in the Brazos Valley, there has
|'P"
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L’inr.'
bee;) on increased number of crickets
p grasshoppers this summer.
Dr. Cliff Hoelscher, professor of ento-
Jogy and extension specialist with the
iLis Agricultural Extension Agency,
Id crickets and grasshoppers will con
tinue to be abundant if Texas does not re-
U), L pive any rain.
r ^W'When there are dry conditions,
ken ihere is more chance for the newly-
'ethanBfched nymphs to survive," Hoelsch-
dht ersaid. "When there is rain, there are
Ms more bacteria and fungus that kill the
re (h crickets when they are small."
ericauBj-ie said crickets can cause problems
aw f they get into residents' houses.
■ "Crickets feed on clothing, and they
liake noise that some people find both
ersome," he said.
if i The cricket population has become a
BHisance for some businesses and apart-
* Bent complexes in town, but nothing
SjyBrious has risen from the overpopula-
| jj iftion of crickets, Hoelscher said.
ID**® "We got one complaint about crickets,"
pjanncn Blackburn, leasing agent for the
Gabies apartment complex, said. "We
° called the exterminator, but we really
Is Of-
haven't had too many people complain."
Hi® ^ an Seale, Disc Go Round manag-
H said the business hasn't had too big
ia problem with the crickets.
"We haven't seen any more than nor-
I ina.'ri
It ford
laf around here," he said.
I Jay Moore, director of environmen
tal health services for the Brazos Coun
ty Health District said crickets cause ag
gravation for the food industry.
"Crickets have the potential for
spreading disease under the right con
ditions," he said.
"Bacteria can get on the cricket's body
and contaminate food, but there is a very
low risk. It's more of a mechanical trans
mission rather than a direct transmission."
tt Fve been at Texas
A&M for 30 years, and
this is the worst case of
grasshoppers
Fve ever seen.”
— Dr. Cliff Hoelscher
professor of entomology,
TAEA extension specialist
Hoelscher said although crickets do
not directly cause disease, they are a
nuisance. However, grasshoppers actu
ally cause damage.
"Crickets and grasshoppers are
common dry season pests," he said.
"Grasshoppers are more of a problem
in rural areas. They compete with cat
tle for food."
This summer's weather also has
caused an unusual number of
grasshoppers, Hoelscher said.
"I've been at Texas A&M for 30 years,
and this is the worst case of grasshoppers
I've ever seen," he said.
Randy McCarty, general manager
at ABC Pest and Lawn Services, said
the business receives many calls from
people concerned about crickets and
grasshoppers.
"We get a tremendous number of
calls for crickets, and 10 to 12 calls a day
on grasshoppers," he said. "I've been in
the pest business for 18 years, and this
is the worst season I've seen for both
grasshoppers and crickets."
McCarty said he tells people to get a
sprayer and pesticide to combat crick
ets and grasshoppers.
"If people treat their shrubs, eaves,
walls and out to five feet around the
perimeter of their house, they will re
duce the number of crickets and
grasshoppers," he said.
Hoelscher said people may see more
crickets around their businesses or hous
es because crickets are attracted to light.
"If people reduce the number of
lights they have on at night, that will cut
down on the number of crickets they
have around their business or house,"
he said. "Turn off extra outside lights
other than security lights."
McCarty suggests residents change
bright white lights to yellow lights to
cut down on the influx of insects.
McCarty and Hoelscher said people
can find the equipment and pesticides
they need to control the number of
crickets and grasshoppers at any lawn
and garden store.
Jniversity researchers implement social services
online project; program first of its kind in nation
By James Francis
Editor in Chief
People applying for social services
lltl l^'ill soon have a new option when go-
|rg through the arduous process.
•'gM Texas A&M researchers have de-
Iveloped a computer database that is
^ projected to go online next month in
^^Brazos and Leon counties,
f The Employability Requires Liter-
1 acy Skills (ERLS) project, funded by
jtje»ie Texas Workforce Commission,
ilB'lll aid social services applicants by
Paving them complete an online form
That provides a list of help available
pom various agencies.
Once an applicant completes the
lorm, the computer e-mails his or her
elected options to agencies that may
e able to provide assistance.
In addition to e-mailing the appli-
J -ant's requests to selected agencies, a
u cl' Printout provides addresses, phone
0 rri| lumbers and names of people to con-
:act for the desired services.
Dr. JoAnn Martin, project director
|vio ! md assistant professor in the educa-
ional human resource development
Suf 1 department, said making ERLS a re-
ility was a team effort.
"It's a collaborative project be
tween Texas A&M and the Brazos Val
ley Council of Governments to pro
vide an organized intake and delivery
system to assist citizens to reach self-
sufficiency," she said. "It's a Web-en-
abled database that helps clients who
may be in search of educational pro
grams, job-readiness training, food or
shelter or health-related aspects."
In explaining exactly how the pro
gram works for people, Martin said
she usually tells the story of how a
mother with three or four children in
a situation of domestic abuse can re
ceive help.
She said if a woman and her chil
dren find themselves in need of
food or shelter, the woman could
give information about herself and
family.
A social worker would then help
her enter the information and an e-
mail would be sent out. Since ERLS
is a computer database, the woman
only would have to provide infor
mation on a one-time basis.
"She would have information on the
agencies at her fingertips," Martin said.
She also said clients needing assis
tance should know that both agency
and client information will be kept
confidential.
"We are training the agency staff
currently, and we're hoping to start
doing intake on clients at least by the
first of August," she said.
Martin said one aspect of ERLS
that makes it so notable is that it is the
first of its kind being implemented in
the nation.
"This is a unique approach because
it's being done from the grassroots
level," she said.
As far as the project's future ex
pansion, Martin said the governor's
office has expressed interest in it.
"This is a first, and we're pretty ex
cited by it," she said. "We've been in
vited by Representative Dan Kubiak
to present the program to several leg
islative committees."
Outside of ERLS' main functions,
the program also will provide a com
munity calendar and job database
available on the Internet.
A University Relations' press re
lease on ERLS states, "The job data
base will tell industry and state offi
cials the number and kinds of jobs
available in a specific area, so they can
better meet the job training needs of
that region."
Blinn College, the Department of
Health and Human Services, Literacy
Volunteers of America and the Brazos
County Community Council are just
a few organizations involved in help
ing see the project to fruition.
For more information on ERLS,
contact Dr. JoAnn Martin at 862-1229.
T 5 *
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JAKE SCHRICKLING/The Battalion
Gray Harris, a 2-year-old resident of College Station, digs for buried treasure during Hidden
Treasure Tuesday at a local mall's "indoor beach."
News Briefs
from staff and wire reports
Local businesses benefit
from airport ad program
Interspace Airport Advertising, in partnership with
Texas A&M University and Easterwood Airport, is cre
ating a "Community Showcase" that will dramatical
ly change the airport's appearance.
The Showcase Program will create backlit wall dis
plays, corporate soffits, a new phone board, product dis
play cases and floor locations, allowing local business
and industry to advertise their goods and services and
show their support for the airport and community.
'The partnership with Texas A&M and Easterwood
Airport will create revenue not only for the airport, but
for local businesses," Interspace Sales Manager Earl
Eckert said. "Area companies will have tremendous ad
vertising resource available to them."
Eckert said the showcase will give local businesses the
ability to directly target business and leisure passengers.
"We have seen tremendous success by non-tradi-
tional airport advertisers in many airports we serve,"
Eckert added. "Restaurants, specialty shops, gift stores
and car dealerships find that targeting airport passen
gers is beneficial."
Harry E. Raisor, director of aviation, said, "In order
to be in compliance with federal and state require
ments that Easterwood Airport be as self-supporting
as possible, the airport is pursuing all sources of possi
ble revenue typically available to airports."
Eckert said many companies partnering with In
terspace participate for the visual show of communi
ty pride and support.
Interspace will be at Easterwood airport, meeting
with local business leaders July 27 through Aug. 7.