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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 1999)
Page 2 • Thursday, June 3, 1999 News Till; Cutting up ANTHONY DISALVO/The Battalion Groundskeeper Willie Jackson mows the grass near the Corps of Cadets residence halls Wednesday. Camps introduce fish to traditions BY RYAN WEST The Battalion Dr. Don Tomlinson, a journalism professor, said being a namesake for this summer’s Fish Camp is one of the highest honors he has received in his 15 years at Texas A&M. “It ranks right up there with be ing promoted to full professor,” he said. Tomlinson will be one of 36 honorees from A&M who will be namesakes this year for Fish Camp. The camp is being run by director Joni Martindale, Class of ’98, her seven assistant directors, 74 co-chairs and 900 counselors for the summer. Because there will be another large class of in coming freshman this year. Fish Camp is expecting around 5,000 applicants to fill 4,750 spots. Tomlinson said Fish Camp is a tradition that sets A&M apart from other places because it is different from other freshman orientations. “I was petrified when I started college,” Tomlinson said. “I knew a little bit of what the University had showed us at orientation — like how to get around the library — but it was nothing like Fish Camp here at A&M. ” Tomlinson said he and his wife have been involved with the people from his camp — from dinner and Putt-Putt to picking strawberries in Planters ville. “It’s been great,” he said. “Then again. I’ve never heard otherwise from people involved in Fish Camp. What amazes me is that other universities haven’t caught on to this.” James Nash, assistant director of facilities for the Department of Recreational Sports, was a Fish "Its an honor for us to be chosen and given the opportunity to make such an impact on their [freshmen's] college experience — Jack! Franzen Camp Hoyle co-chair Camp namesake last year. He said he was involved with his camp by attending many of the functions and bringing cookies, chips and brownies out to the camp site. “I also told the fish that if they came by my office after camp and mentioned the name of my alma mater, Oklahoma State University, I would buy them lunch at Free- bird’s,” Nash said. Nash still keeps in touch with his co-chairs and continues to run into freshmen who were in his camp. Jacki Franzen, co-chair for Camp Hoyle this summer and a senior so ciology major, said her and her part ner’s main focus is to make Fish Camp as fun as possible. “That’s part of our new mission statement — to create an uncondi tionally accepting environment for everyone,” she said. “We want our freshman to know we’ve been plan ning for every single one of them. It’s an honor for us to be chosen and given the opportunity to make such an impact on their college ex perience.” Cynthia Maus, co-chair for Camp Jackson this summer and a senior marketing major, said Fish Camp makes freshmen see they are not just attending A&M to take classes. “It’s more than that,” she said. “It’s a family for life.” Maus said one of her goals this summer is to make sure the fresh men do not feel like just a number, so they know they are not simply being tossed into a big A&M melt ing pot. “We want freshmen to know that we really do care about them and their transition here at A&M,” NUTZ BY R. DELtr^ L Zone to open in Novemb Lower-level seats available for September home of BY CARRIE BENNETT The Battalion Construction on The Zone extension to Kyle Field will not be complete for the first football game scheduled for September 18, 1999. Bill Scott, construction project manager for the Texas A&M System, said the publicity surrounding The Zone led people to believe the construction would be finished before football season began. “Weather delays and changes in the construction were some reasons why construction won’t be fin ished on time,” Scott said. Marty Garza, senior project manager for Bartlett Cocke and Class of ’82, said the construction, which began in March 1998, actually was scheduled to be gin in December 1997, but due to changes in the budget and contract, it was delayed four months. Garza said that had the construction started in De cember 1997, The Zone would be completed in time for the 1999 football season. “Our contract has never said construction must be completed by the beginning of football season,” Garza said. “If construction had been started in De cember [1997], as it was supposed to according to the proposed bid from Halloween 1997, then [seats for] football season would be available. ” Garza said the lower portion of The Zone, includ ing the goal-line stands and the Zone Club, will be available for the first football game in September. He said the two sections hold around 9,500 seats total. The upper levels, which hold 13,000 seats, will appear ready from the stands, Garza said. “The seats will be in place. [But] the facilities, including the rest rooms and concession stands will not be finished until November when the upper levels will be open. ” Scott said the present budget is close to the orig inal overall contract budget of $33 million. Changes were made throughout the project to stay within budget. “Some of the work and extras that were taken out of the project in the beginning due to a lower bud get were added again because of additional fund ing,” Scott said. The construction budget, which does not include additional fees that may be added, is about $34.4 million. Garza said as sections of the upper levels become ready, parts of the Touchdown Terrace armchair and bench sections might open. MIKE PUENTES The Zone, the extension to Kyle Fieldcurr construction, will not be completed in titr Texas A&M Football Team’s home openetoi Miles Marks, executive director ofs% Foundation, said seats are presently bes^ The Zone. “We have 9,000 seats to fill, which willel care of the season ticket holders,” Marks;: one will be without a seat.” Shay Scruggs, chief development offcl 12th Man Foundation, said the foundation'l over 5,000 seats, which are primarilyarmctiij “The foundation had 8,000 seats to sell j 5,000 we have sold does not include theft! athletic department has sold,” she said. B-CS banks prepare for Y BY SAMEH FAHMY The Battalion Y2K specialists at banks in the Bryan-College Station area said they have taken the sting out of the Y2K bug by testing and updating their computer systems to ensure cus tomers will be able to successfully conduct financial transactions after the year 2000. Most banks have been working for years to make their systems Year 2000 compliant. Glenn Duhon, Y2K coordinator for First Federal Savings Bank, said the bank began testing its system in November 1997. Implementation of a new network began in March 1998, and testing of the new net work began in November 1998. “We had to test everything from air-conditioning thermostats to the phones,” he said. Alan Bruton, Y2K project coordi nator for First American Bank, said the bank’s systems were tested indi vidually as well as for how they work together as part of a large com puter network. Banks in Texas are regulated by the state and federal government and are checked for compliance by the federal government. Bruton said systems must be compliant by June 30 or penalties can be imposed on non-compliant banks. Duhon said the bank has all systems are compliant,bl has trained employees int- system falls victim to theYi Bank employees have trained to use ledger books, puter systems fail to work.]! also will print paper copie transaction records before 31, 1999. Banks will also holde.' serves of cash in case peop draw large amounts of mow Bruton said educatingtlrt can help prevent panic. Her bank has worked tomaket" lie aware of their Y2K comply making pamphlets and otW mation available to its custo’ more reason to si up For our GRE course There are Few guarantees in liFe. We have one of them. If you're not happy with your score, we'll work with you until you are satisfied. Period. THE PRINCETON REVIEW & Classes start 6/1 9. Call now* (409) 696-9099 www.review.com ‘ The Puncelon Rt,-w:w is not offilialed wiiti Puivetcn l 1 - y;-ivTy cr [iS t o u Crawfish Festival 99$ Drafts S Frozen Margaritas (w/purchase of entree) • Must Show Student ID • Any of these for $3.99 Boiled Crawfish Sm. Crawfish Ettouffee Catfish with Ettouffee Crawfish Quesadillas Crawfish Pie Crawfish Enchiladas (with student ID) 268-5333 3 I 7 College Ave. • Old Albertson’s Shopping Center 105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Kasie Byers, Editor in chief Sallie Turner, Managing Editor Veronica Serrano, Executive Editor Mark McPherson, Graphics Editor Riley LaGrone, Aggielife Editor Doug Shilling, Sports Editor Matt Webber, Night News Editor Sallie Turner, Photo Editof Guy Rogers, Photo Editof Caleb McDaniel, Opinion- Veronica Serrano, City ^ Noni Sridhara, Campus£# Ryan Williams, Web Editof Kyle Whitacre, Radio Pr° c Staff Members City - Carrie Sennet, Sameh Fahmy, Ryan West, Suzanne Brabeck & Stuart Hutson. Sports - Jeff Webb, Santosh Venkataraman, Michael Rodgers, Ruth Stephens & Reece Flood. Aggielife - Assistant: Stephen Wells; Aaron Meier, Scott Harris, Brian Fleming & Michael Maddux. Opinion - Tom Owens, Jeff Becker, Mark Passwaters, Marc Grether, Chris Huffines, Megan Wright, Aaron Meier, Beverly Mireles & Ryan Alan Garcia. Photo - Assistant: JP Beato; Mike Fuentes, Terry Roberson, Bradley Atchison & Anthony ^ Graphics - Assistant: Mark McPherson; ft & Michael Wagener. Cartoonists - Gabriel Ruenes. Copy Editors - Amy Daugherty, Marium M*’ Mandy Cater Graeber & Aaron Meier. Page Designers- Manisha Parekh. Radio - Andrea Bragdon, Paul Breaux, W Campbell, Francis Fernandez, Jason P^' Stephen Landin & Logan Youree. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publicatioi 6: Department of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax ift-'' batt@tamvml.tamu.edu; Website: http://battalion.tamu.edu Advertising Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and raix*® ’ tising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office howsai**® Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-2678. Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. Fic tional copies 254. Mail subscriptions are $60 per school year, $30 for the fall or spring semester and $17.50 for the summer. card, call 845-2611. '/fj I The Battauoh (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday tlwft . ing the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University. Periodicals Postage Paid at College Sft POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 015 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M Univeisity, College Station, IX 778^ 6"
