105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
MONDAY
July 12, 1999
Volume 105 • Issue 167 • 6 Pages
College Station, Texas
• Soccer’s rising popularity
offers a challenge to football’s
dominance with fans.
PAGE 3
today’s issue
News 2
Battalion Radio
Listen to 90.9 KAMU-FM at 1:57
p.m. to hear how A&M’s College
of Science is helping high-school
teachers keep up to date.
opinion
• Recent breakouts call for a
reevaluation of security efforts
at the Huntsville State Prison.
PAGE 5
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,’'University endorses direct-deposit plan
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BY CARRIE BENNETT
The Battalion
Jniversity Payroll Services and the Depart-
it of Human Resources are promoting direct
osit, in which an employee’s paycheck is de-
|ited directly into his bank account rather than
ted, because of the benefits direct deposit of-
over the system of issuing paper checks.
Ceri Robertson, director of University Payroll
ices, said University Payroll Services and the
jartment of Human Resources have been
ting with different departments each week to
vide information and answer questions re-
Jding direct deposit.
j'n'ansferring money electronically eliminates
per handling and reduces the likelihood of lost,
tcflen or misdirected checks,” she said.
■The University policy regarding electronic di-
■etlt deposit says that it “encourages all employ
es to participate in electronic direct deposit of
'hiir payroll check.”
■Gregg Baird, Vice President of Aggieland Cred
it Union, said a rumor that employees of A&M
would be forced to use direct deposit probably
started because the federal government is begin
ning to require income tax refund checks and
benefits such as Social Security to be deposited
electronically.
“People need to get prepared for the possibil
ity [of having only direct deposit] in the future,”
Baird said.
Robertson said direct deposit is available to em
ployees who bank with national and state banks
and credit unions. She said the bank has to be a
member of the Automated Clearing House (ACH).
Robertson said an electronic file containing
the amount the employee has earned is prepared
a few days before payday. When producing pa
per checks, the information would be sent to a
printer and those checks would have to be sort
ed by hand.
When funds are sent by direct deposit, the elec
tronic file is then sent to a clearing bank, the bank
A&M uses, and then to the ACH. The pay amount
is then sent to individual financial institutions.
She said the information sent via the elec
tronic file is tested in advance to check for prob
lems with the transmission which can be solved
before employees are aware of it.
“When there are mistakes, and there can be,
they can be cleared up before payday,” Robert
son said.
She said the pay amount gets to the bank
at the beginning of the banking day on payday
and the transaction can be verified through
phone, the Internet or ATM. She said all banks
have at least one of these systems and most
offer all three.
“[Paper] checks are so vulnerable nowa
days,” Robertson said. “Direct deposit just
does away with the piece of paper that’s so
vulnerable.”
She said generating the paper checks costs the
University money, too.
“Direct deposit eliminates man hours spent or
ganizing and delivering checks,” she said.
She said the most common obstacle is that
people think they cannot afford a checking ac
count due to service fees and charges.
“Some local financial institutions are promot
ing direct deposit by offering free checking ac
counts to A&M employees,” Robertson said.
see Payroll on Page 2.
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JP BEATO/The Battalion
Tim Duvall (left), a junior speech communications major, explains the woodcarvings in the Memorial Student Center Sunday
■to participants in the Summer Engineering Experience (S.E.E.), an engineering competition for high-school students.
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Bush Library offers
Maine history exhibit
BY SUZANNE BRABECK
The Battalion
The George Bush Presidential Library and
Museum has seen an increase in attendance
since the opening of the exhibit “An Anchor
to Winward: The Maine Connection.”
The exhibit features two distinct styles of
artwork that are enhanced by a dividing wall
that runs through the gallery, setting up the
contrast of the two collections.
The first half chronicles the history of Ken-
nebunkport since the 17th century, and the
second area of the exhibit flashes forward to
the 20th century to chronicle Bush’s time at
his summer retreat in Maine.
Patricia Burchfield, curator for the muse
um, said the Bushes have made a trip to see
the display, which shows the history of Ken-
nebunkport, Maine, and how the shipping
and fishing industries in the area helped
shape America.
“We were also trying to show that Ken-
nebunkport is not just a resort area,” Burch
field said, “but that there is a connection be
tween how Maine shaped [George] Bush as
a person.”
There are different types of paintings on
display in the gallery. The paintings depict
the diverse landscapes of the New England
town, with the diversity being highlighted
by the variety of canvas sizes and frame
styles.
Bush’s great-great grandfather and grand
father purchased a peninsula in Kenneb-
SPECIAL TO THE BATTALION
This photo is one of many depicting the history
of Kennebunkport and its ties to the Bush
family in an exhibit currently featured at the
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
unkport in 1903 known as Walker’s Point,
which has numerous houses on it for the
large Bush family.
“Bush has gone there for a month every
summer his whole life, except for when he
was in World War II,” Burchfield said.
see Maine on Page 2.
Conference
stresses need
for diversity
BY STUART HUTSON
The Battalion
I One hundred higher-education professionals from
bund the state attended Friday’s Texas Higher Educa-
|n Diversity Conference at A&M where ideas con-
Ining diversity were shared and educators were taught
|w to facilitate diversity on their own campuses.
I The conference sponsored by the Department of
Llticultural Services at A&M and the Division of Stu-
Int Affairs, featured workshops that addressed issues
eluding the role white males play in diversity, prob-
Jns faced by disabled people, the media’s effects on di-
Irsity, methods of diversity counseling and how chil-
|en’s games affect their perceptions of diversity.
1 Crystal Thomas, a hall director from St. Edward’s
[liversity in Austin, said diversity is like a sheet of mu-
“We are all different kinds of notes that are just
Medical gala honors representative
ANTHONY DISALVO/The Battalion
Bill Proudman, spokesperson for Inclusivity Consulting
Group, leads a group discussion during the Diversity
Celebration in Rudder Tower Friday,
sounds on our own,” she said. “But when we come to
gether, we make a beautiful song,”
Patti Reardon, staff assistant for the Department of Res
idence Life, said she enjoyed the children’s’ games work
shop because it illustrated how games can create the at
titudes and perceptions people bring into the workplace.
see Diversity on Page 2.
BY VERONICA SERRANO
The Battalion
U.S. Representative Chet Edwards was honored
with the “A Star for Texas” Award at a gala last Thurs
day in Temple hosted by the Texas A&M University
System Health Science Center College of Medicine,
which benefitted the program’s Cardiovascular Re
search Institute (CVRI).
Edwards received the award in front of 400 people,
which “recognizes and shows appreciation each year
to people who have contributed to A&M’s Health Sci
ences Center system goal of bringing quality health
care to dll the citizens of Texas.”
Drayton McLane, keynote speaker and owner of the
Houston Astros, said Edwards was chosen to receive
the award because of his commitment to health care
in Texas and his support of the institutions that have
collaborated to form the CVRI. These institutes include
the A&M System Health Science Center College of
Medicine, Scott and White Memorial Hospital and the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Alliance.
J. Jay Noren, president of the Texas A&M Univer
sity System Health Science Center, said Edward’s
mother had thanked him for the efforts of the CVRI
because she has personally benefitted from research
done at the institute.
see Gala on Page 2.
GUY ROGERS/The Battalion
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards (left) receives the “A Star for
Texas”Award from Michael L. Friedland, M.D., Thursday.