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WEDNESDAY
March 29, 2000
Volume 106 ~ Issue 117
14 pages
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Vision’ to help bring
ew facilities to A&M
BY DOUG SHILLING
The Battalion
A major overhaul is now in the works for
Uetic facilities at Texas A&M.
Forthe first time in school history, the Texas
&M Athletic Department, along with the 12th
an Foundation, have announced a capital
mpaign for athletic facilities.
“The Championship Vision", kicked off on
arch 24th, is a plan to raise $35 million for
nprovements and additions to A&M's athlet-
iacilities.
A&M athletic director Wally Groff said the
ipital campaign arose out of a look at what
&M needed to improve its facilities.
“Prior to kicking off the capital campaign
self,'’ Groff said. “I had engaged an architec-
iral fimi out of Dallas, HKS, to assist me in
jveloping an athletics master plan. Rather
lan shooting from the hip and saying, ‘Let’s
ithis project then this project,’ we looked at
erything we’re going to need for the future.
“That had been ongoing and it has really
jlminated recently. Now that the capital cam-
aign has kicked off, we can make some of
lose plans possible.”
Some of the proposed improvements/ad-
itions are:
A west campus training room and lock
er room center.
• Construction of a seating bowl, football
complex and academic center at the south end
zone of Kyle Field.
• Renovation of the backstop, new suites, ad
ditional bleachers, covered batting cage, new
message board/scoreboard and a baseball muse
um at Olsen Field.
• New bleachers, press facility, locker rooms
and storage at the Frank G. Anderson Track and
Field Stadium.
• Construction of an indoor tennis facility at
the Varsity Tennis Center.
• Renovation of tlie soccer field at the Aggie
Soccer Complex.
• Renovation of Cain Flail athletic dorm.
• Construction of a North End Plaza at
Kyle Field.
• Construction of new parking structures at
Kyle Field.
• Construction of new ticket offices, new
grand entrances, bunker suites, founders suites,
new main concourse at entry level and club
lounge at suite level along with renovation of
the main bleacher facade and concourse at sec
ond deck of the West Stands At Kyle Field.
The top priority on the list will be the con
struction of the West Campus training room
and locker room center.
The facility, which will cost $2.5-3 million,
will provide dressing rooms and training rooms
for soccer, softball and men’s and women’s
track as well as a training room that, in addition
to serving those four sports, will also work with
men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and
women’s tennis, men’s and women’s basket
ball and baseball.
The money has already been raised for the
facility and the project has been initiated. Texas
A&M President Dr. Ray M. Bowen has already
approved the project and all that is needed now
is Board of Regent approval.
Groff said optimistically, he hopes to break
ground Fall 2000 and have the facility com
pleted in time for the 2001 -02 academic year.
The second priority will be the construction
of the Football Complex and Academic Center
and seating bowl at the south end zone of Kyle
Field. Groff said the completion of the complex
and seating will be a three or four step process.
The first step will be to complete the foot
ball Complex and Academic Center.
The complex, which will run from $15-20
million depending on design, will house the
football coaches offices, locker rooms, a foot
ball team auditorium and meeting rooms, stu
dent athletic lounge and an athletic academic
service center. The athletic academic service
See Facilities on Page 2.
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ATHLETIC FACILITIES MASTER PLAN - 2000
SKETCHES COURTESY OF THE 12TH MAN FOUNDATION
Clockwise from top
right: sketch of the
new seating bowl,
football complex
and academic cen
ter at the south
end zone of Kyle
Field, map of the
renovations,
sketch of new en
trance in front of
The Zone, sketch
of new west cam
pus locker and
training facility,
sketch of the new
south end seating
for Kyle Field.
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ommission
es candidates
BY BRADY CREEL
The Battalion
Campaigning officially ended at midnight on Tuesday, but some candi-
lates will have unfinished business with the Election Commission because
of fines received due to campaign violations.
I “[The candidates] have been really careful that they know the rules and
ley know what they can and cannot do,” said Ashlea Jenkins, election com-
pssioner and ajunior political science major. “They have been really want
ing to follow the rules this year.”
However, the Election Commission has assessed over $500 in fines be
muse of campaign violations.
The Election Commission, part of the Student Government Association,
as20 members who regulate the student elections.
Campaigning officially began at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 19, and any
ampaign activity before that time is against election regulations.
Student body president (SBP) candidates Jeff Schiefelbein, a senior man-
■gement major, and Corey Rosenbusch, ajunior agricultural development
najor, were both fined for misuse of email. The fine was also because they
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RUBEN DELUNA/Teii: Battalion
ed to show the party on their campaign expenditure sheets.
Schiefelbein hosted a party before campaigning officially began. Shiefelbein
aid his function was a barbecue—not a party — for his campaign staff and their
friends, and it came as a result of an email being inadvertently sent on a listserv.
An email accidentally sent to a listserv was also blamed for a barbecue
iltimately canceled by Rosenbusch. Election Commission regulations do not
lermit people outside of a campaign staff to participate in campaign events
tefore campaigning officially begins.
Because the barbecue was cancelled, there were no expenditures to be re
ported to the Election Commission.
Forrest Lane, SBP candidate and a senior political science major, had a
vehicle painted and parked in a staff parking lot before noon Sunday.
Lane said the pre-campaigning was just an accident. He said someone
drove a shoe-polished vehicle before it was time.
Any form of campaigning which interferes with the natural flow of pedes-
frian or vehicular traffic is also forbidden.
Lane was fined for having a truck in the median on Highway 6, north
bound into College Station.
Rosenbusch’s campaign was fined for campaign activity in the medians
3t the comer of Wellborn Road and George Bush Drive.
Regardless of whether or not the candidate is aware of how their staff is
Campaigning, if any member of their staiT is in violation of air election reg
ulation, then the candidate is fined.
Advisers gamer student criticism
BY MAUREEN KANE
The Battalion
Clay Hicks, a senior sports manage
ment major, was going to have to change
his graduation plans from December 2000
to May 2001 when he was informed by one
of his advisers that he needed to complete
technical writing in order to graduate.
Fortunately the department head arranged
for him to take the class via correspondence.
Hicks attributes the gap in his curricu
lum in part to the turnover of advisers in his
department during the past two years.
“I’ve been through three academic ad
visers in the past two years in my major.
Every time one tells you one thing, anoth
er one tells you another,” Hicks said. “I was
upset at first. Then they actually did their
job and bent over backwards to fix it.”
Other students have had better experi
ences with their advisers.
Todd Keith, a senior information sys
tems major, believe his academic adviser is
well-informed and helpful.
“My adviser is highly qualified. I al
ways go to a real adviser — the same one
every time — so I make sure she knows my
case,” Keith said.
Some students are not as confident in
their advisors, however.
Russ, ajunior engineering technology ma
jor wishes to be identi fied only by his first name.
“My adviser is terrible. You have to
wait in line because he doesn’t have set of
fice hours, and doesn’t make appoint
ments so you better have your questions
ready because he’ll run you out of there as
soon as possible,” he said. “I’ve asked him •
to help me find classes and he’ll say to
look in the book. He really doesn’t help
you at all. He’s qualified, he just doesn’t
care if 1 pass or fail.”
Dr. Mark Weichold, associate provost
of undergraduate programs and academic
services, said the qualifications for acade
mic advisers vary by department, and there
are faculty as well as non-faculty, advisers
who are usually active in the University Ad
visers and Counselors Committee (UAC).
“They [non-faculty advisers] will avail
themselves of the resources of UAC more
readily than faculty members because UAC
is the paraprofessional organization for Ad
visers and Counselors. I think you’ll find
good advising in both categories of advisers
(faculty and non-faculty),” Weichold said.
According to Dr. William Bassichis, an
academic adviser in the physics department,
anyone on the faculty could volunteer to be
a faculty adviser. Although there is no spe
cific training to be an adviser, Bassichis said
that new advisers learn through experience,
with the help of senior advisers.
“Other faculty undergraduate advisers
work with me and help register students.
That’s how they learn the ropes. That’s
what I did, and that’s how I became the un
dergraduate adviser,” Bassichis said.
Cathy Littleton, senior academic advis
er for the Department of Geosciences, be
came an adviser in a similar way.
“I went from an administrative secretary
to an adviser before I had completed my un
dergraduate degree. I had always worked
with students and the dean, so I was im
mersed. Some things I knew better than fac
ulty advisers,” Littleton said.
See Advisers on Page 6.
See Commission on Page 6.
about campaign platforms
The following three student statements were mistakenly not
printed in The Battalion’s 2000 Student Election Guide
Ricky Wood
Senior Yell Leader
I believe in A&M and its student body. I have faith in what the Lord has entrusted within each
one of us. This campus is breathing; it is pulsing, f feel it every time 1 say, “Howdy,” shake a hand,
receive a hug, see a smile, or hear a wildcat. Everywhere I go, in everything that I do, 1 will always
trust in the power of the student body.
Ky|a Crozierir*'”*" m iF““ H NHi tyiit ;
Class of 2001 Secretary
Howdy! My name is Kyta Crozier and I am an animal science major from Gonzales, Texas. I am running for Class of 2001
Secretary. This year, 1999-2000,1 have served as chair of the Historian of 2001. I want to continue to be involved in activities
for our class and help with decisions that will make Texas A&M a better place for all students. Next year is going to he a great
one! As seniors, we have an opportunity to leave a special mark on Aggieland before we graduate. I would like to meet as many
of you as possible, get your ideas, and take advantage of this opportunity!
Chad Olsen f lC"
On-campus Southside Senator
HOWDY! My name is Chad Olsen and I am a sophomore political science major from Brenham, Texas, and also a proud
member of the the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. I came here as a first generation Aggie and college student from a large Chris
tian family of 15, and I’d like a chance to give something back to this University. As a Senator, my primary agenda is to en
sure that my constituents are heard on key concerns such as parking, the railroad removal, online registration, and more. So,
Let YOUR voice be heard!! Vote Chad Olsen for Southside Senator.
INSIDE
•Dixon
helps
Aggies down
Bearkats
Page 9
•The many faces of art
Pop and environmen
tally-concerned pieces
represented at MSC
Page 9
•Misguidance
counselors
Quality of A&M's
academic advisers
need improvement
for students' sake
•Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at
1:57 p.m. for details about
bomb threats at several Bryan
schools.
• Check out The Battalion
online at
battalion.tamu.edu