Leaders discuss A&JVTs racial environment
jj nP his is the second in a three-part series examining
1 issues facing African-Amencan students at
j Texas A&M University. Leaders of various
lj African-American student organizations were
asked to participate in a round table discussion
on the state of racial relations at A&M. The
j| Battalion formulated several questions to
facilitate discussion and encouraged open and
honest dialogue among the participants.
1] Adrienne Ballare:
president c
if National Associution of Black
Joumali
i$t9
j] Even'll Broussard :
represenut
ive from Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
j B.J. Brown
repre sent at
ive from ExCEL conference
ji Kendall Davis
president o
TOmega Psi Phi Fraternity
| Suzelte Figaro:
president o
fNAACP
! Tammy Henry:
president o
if Black Awareness Committee
j Rasheda James:
president o
f Afncan-American Business Society
l! Preston Jenkins
president n
TGamma Phi Delta Christian Fraternity
;! Mm Johnson.
president o
f Pan-Hellenic Council and president of
Alpha Phi Alpha FTtlemity
Joe OUryant:
lepresentnt
ive from the National Society of Black
|j Samuel Ogungbctm
president o
f African Students Association
| Curtis Pete:
president o
f Kappa Alpha Pm Fraternity
1 Wilmetria Simpson:
vice-chair <
jf Black Awareness Committee
{j Tanir Upshaw;
president o
f Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
ROBERT HYNECEK/I mi BATTALION
Question 2: Why do you think Texas A&M is not attract
ing a lot of African-American students? Does A&M have a
reputation in the state of Texas for not being a welcoming
racial environment?
Kendall-. I’ve been here for four years now, to me it’s all indi
vidual perception ... if I knew then what! know now, there’s noth
ing that would attract me here because there’s nothing here to do
for us, there’s nothing....
Might: So why did you choose A&M?
Kendall: I came here because it’s a good school to get an ed
ucation. My parents went to Prairie View down the road and I’m
the first to go to a major university. So 1 wanted to be the first one
to say that, but if I could have chose differently I would have chose
differently.
Might: What would you have chosen?
Kendall: UT is cool, no one cares what you are.
Might: You feel like your race wouldn’t be an issue at UT,
where as here, it’s always in the back of your mind.
Kendall: Not as much. Not as much.
James: The number one reason 1 came to A&M is money. I’m
not saying I’m just dirt poor — or really poor — but money really
did attract me to A&M. The fact that they had set aside scholarship
money for minority students. I felt like I had a better chance, even
though I think 1 can compete academically with anybody else on
this campus, but just for the simple fact that money was set aside
[for] minorities. The second reason is that 1 was tricked to come to
A&M. They brought me down on a black event-weekend. I came
down here thinking 'Wow, we got some black people here.’ When
I came down to my freshman orientation [it was the second week
of orientation, for the honors invitation] Out of a thousand plus peo
ple [at the orientation] it was, what, eight of us? Oh no, I almost
went to [the University of Houston] right then and there. For me,
money was a big issue and iff could do it again, 1 would try to go
to either UT or U of H. A&M, it seems like they do a lot of talking,
“Oh yes, we’re trying to recruit, and everything,”
James: Yes. Look at [my high school]. My year, there were
ten of us, and the year after us there were 12, and now we're down
into the single digits. So I mean what happened within a two-
year span is what 1 want to know. Is A&M really doing anything
to try and recruit?
Ballare: When Texas A&M came down to recaiit people like
me and Rasheda to go to A&M, when they brought us to the SB-
SLC (Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference), my au
tomatic thought was that they do have a lot of black people that go
here. Because it was just goo-gobs of black people and that’s all I
saw. 1 was like, 'This is the school I want to go to’ and plus 1 heard
their academics were good and everything else. So that’s the rea
son I chose to go here and I felt that I was tricked, but I do not re
gret coming here. 1 am glad that I did make the choice to come here,
because I know I would not change it.
Jenkins: I'm hearing people saying 1 was tricked into coming
to A&M and this, that and the other, but the deal I have is that if
we’re talking about why there’s so much racial tension and stuff go
ing on, why is it that 'Well, I want to be around black people all the
time,’ or Tf I had to do it over again, I would have gone to an all
black school.’ Aren’t we purposely segregating ourselves? Does
anyone else feel what I’m saying? Am I off base or something? 1
mean, y’all let me know.
Davis: I said I would go to UT, 1 would go to a place where no
one really gave a damn. We feel different things, because you’re in
the Corps, I’m not. I’m on the outside, you’re on the inside.
Sge RoundTable on Page 2.
Howdy Week takes off
Freshman business major Robbie Blakley kicks off howdy week with a splash by jumping into Rudder Fountain
on Monday.
Variety of apartment
options available
BY SARA PROFFITT
The Battalion
The fall semester is almost six months away, but
many students are planning looking forward to pack
up and move to another location.
For many students, the option of moving into an
apartment is the most appealing choice of living
arrangements.
Some apartments are seen as luxurious, offering
more amenities at a higher price, while others are often
seen as offering few luxuries but at an affordable price.
But do “high-class” and high-priced apartments
really offer more for what they charge?
Tyann Blessington, a freshman horticulture major
who currently resides at a less expensive apartment
complex, believes high-class apartments are nice but
unneccesary.
“I have to pay for it, so I’m not going to lease any
thing like that. 1 don’t think they’re worth it,” Bless
ington said. “You’re in college as a student, not as a
millionaire.”
“The apartments are nice, high quality, with little
problems, but I wouldn’t pay that much.” said Kerri
Reed, a sophomore journalism major. .
Reed’s opinion echoes the concern of most stu
dents: “We're college students. We can't afford it.”
Sterling University Village, which may be consid
ered high-class, offers basic cable, monitored alarms
and high speed Internet connection included in the rent.
CHAD ADAMS/Thk Battalion
Students have a variety of housing choices in
the Bryan-College Station area ranging from
high-end luxury complexes to less expensive
apartments.
University Commons, which may also be consid
ered high-class, offers full furnishings with many
kitchen appliances included.
Both offer swimming pools, recreational rooms,
exercise rooms, tennis volleyball and basketball
courts.
High class usually means high price, but managers
at University Commons and Sterling University Vil
lage believe their properties are affordable.
Lisa Michael, assistant manager at University
Commons, attended the Housing Fair held at the
MSC last Wednesday.
“With what I saw, it looks like we are under every
one else in housing.” Michael said.
See Apartment on Page 2.
Ceremony marks beginning of International Week
Patric Schneider/Tiie Battalion
International Week began with an open
ing ceremony in the MSC featuring tra-
ditional performances by students rep
resenting their native countries.
BY DANA JAMUS
The Battalion
Drums and dancing came to the Memorial Stu
dent Center (MSC) Flag Room as part of the open
ing ceremonies Monday for International Week.
Thomas Reagan, dean of architecture, spoke
at the ceremony on how people’s perception of
the world has been changing over the years.
Our planet (which he continually referred to
as “the blue marble”) used to be perceived as flat,
he said. Even though people knew it was round,
they perceived it as flat.
Now, people visualize the earth as round, and
this globe is a rotating entity with no beginning
and no end.
Reagan advised the audience to visit countries
abroad and experience the different cultures that
will change a person’s beliefs and values and pre
sent them with an environment to which they
must adapt.
“Redefine yourself through international
studies,” he said. “This will make you stronger
and happier.” Reagan foresees managing a rela
tionship between culture and the rapidly ad
vancing technology as a challenge.
“Technology can be a great enemy of cul
ture,” he said.
Folklore dances and ethnic clothing will al
ways be celebrated on occasions such as Inter
national Week, Reagan said. However, the real
threat is that day-to-day culture will be eliminat
ed because of technology displacing our lives.
Reagan said the challenge is to find a way to
ensure that technology does not ruin culture, but
rather helps to develop new cultures while main
taining the old ones.
The International Student Association’s (ISA)
mission for International Week is to promote cul
tural exchange and interaction among students from
all nations said Gustavo De Sousa, ISA president
and a senior agricultural engineering major.
International Week is the association’s biggest
event during the year, but it also holds an Inter
national Camp, a program that helps incoming
international students adapt to life in the U.S. and
to Texas A&M traditions.
College Station Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney up
held the yearly tradition of proclaiming a week
— Feb. 28-March 3 this year — as International
Week in both College Station and Bryan.
See International on Page 2.
MSC President selected
for 2000-2001 school year
BY KIMBERLY OLSON
The Battalion
Beginning April 1, Nathan Cray, a senior mechanical en
gineering major and the new Memorial Student Center
(MSC) Council president, will have a few more headaches
and a lot more responsibility — but he would not trade ei
ther for the world.
The President leads the council by planning and carrying
out both long and short-term goals to be executed by the 27
committees and 2,000 members of the MSC.
“As president, I will do my best to provide a vision for
the council and make sure the organization is moving in the
correct direction,” Cray said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the MSC, which
will be hearalded with a dedication ceremony to be held in
the spring of 2001 along with other traditional events such
as MSC Opera and'Performing Arts Society (OPAS) and the
Texas Film Festival.
During the 2000-2001 semesters, Cray hopes to find a
place for every student interested in participating and wants
the MSC Council to work with the other organizations such
as the International Student Government and the Student
Government.
Throughout his membership in MSC, Cray has served as
amemberofthe MSC Film Society and in various positions
on the council.
“The staff is
wonderful because
they are versatile,”
Cray said. “We can
have a good time
and get work done at
the same time.”
Kelly Siebert,
the newly elected
executive vice pres
ident of MSC Hu
man Resources and
a senior mechanical
engineering major,
said Cray will make
the MSC an enjoy
able work environ
ment.
“Nathan Cray is
a good leader, but
he can also have
fun,” Siebert said.
Bill Anderson,
fonner MSC president and a senior mechanical engineering major,
said he is confident Cray will do a good job in his new position.
“Nathan will move the MSC Council forward to the po
sition it is supposed to be,” Anderson said.
RYLA SCULL/Thk Battalion
Nathan Cray, senior mechani
cal engineering major, is the
president-elect of the Memorial
Student Center Council.
Outreach program
works for students
BY KENNETH MACDONALD
The Battalion
The Student Government Association’s (SGA) new Outreach campaign has a
mission — to let students know that SGA is working for them.
Next month, the Outreach Program’s goal will be to educate the student body
about the roles of SGA.
Laura Baggett, director of the SGA Outreach Program and a senior mechanical
engineering major, said the SGA wants to get away from the student sentiment that
the SGA is “too self focused,” and to emphasize that the SGA’s purpose is to serve
students.
Baggett said the program is concentrating on three strategies.
“First, we are trying to inform students about SGA services and the programs that
we offer,” Baggett said.
As part of the program, on March 6, members of the SGA will be outside the
Memorial Student Center near the Rudder Fountain area passing out free t-shirts and
information about the SGA.
SGA members will also be speaking to various organizations around campus over
the next few weeks.
The second part of the program is to recruit new people into the SGA and en
courage involvement by the student body.
“All of the big positions in student government are filled and there are a few spots
open in the Student Senate, but there are a lot of parts in which students can become
involved,” Baggett said.
“If there is a certain issue on campus, we want to make an outlet for it.”
Baggett said that the third objective of the Outreach Program is to promote stu
dent government and improve their image with the campus community.
See SGA on Page 2.
*'■ WvO'-
• The Great Debate
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Texas A&M
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the Prairie
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Scientists ap
ply genetic
engineering
to save birds
Page 5
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90.9 at 1:57 p.m. for
details about CSISD
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• Check out The Battalion
online at
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