'hursday, September^
hursday, September 21,2000
as in Brief
tion case
icond trie
RTH (AP) — A nu
; abduction of a 1 ;
ilked about the6.
earance to hisjs.
testimony onlue;
.ee Franks is uno;
md trial in thek:
Jo Jennings, wh:|
sen since she p
andparents’ Sm
irch 1999. Franks'
n a hung jury in J
reningday of test
arrant county ti
two former cour:
led to bolster ir IyBtuart Hutson
'he Battalion
jinsthim was we;
body would nei
AGGIE^^A
Page 3 A
THE BATTALION
aster \s c/n
i&M’s student body and Food Services Department favor upscale, on-campus coffee houses
ood. who now
ild Police Deparr
anks sobbed in
e knew he had
vrong.
d another forme r
n, also saidtl
I in the Tarrant C:
they overhea
th spurs clanking at every step and a Fris-
ee-sized belt buckle gleaming under the
electric lights of Texas A&M, a student
swings open the door to his favorite water
ing hole and moseys his way to the bar.
In a voice thick with cowboy pride and
Texas twang, he orders.
“I’ll take a double espresso latte with extra
1 foam. Oh, and don’t forget to sprinkle a little
sugar and cinnamon on there — Ma’am.”
his may not be what one expects at a university infamous for its bars
tk ites that he f fr|ight out of a spaghetti western and students who drink more beer than
but dropped he vator, but these days it seems more and more Aggies would rather sip a
Stp mocha while reading Shakespeare than gather in log-cabin bars with
lead animals on the walls.
pligh -class coffee houses and delis have been popping up all over cam-
7 : ~7'77.—jTiyf during the last few years as part of a Food Services Department plan
,ulUi o give students ample opportunity to indulge in their favorite gourmet
uch 1051 The' rea,s while studying or chatting with friends. Students have been more
utted ,i questk han glad to take advantage of this opportunity.
f,nd oui whethe ■" “We came up with a five-year plan to increase the quality and atmosphere
1V e another m, >f dining on campus back in 1995,” said Ronald Beard, director of the Food
t should he TK services Department. “It has been extended for an additional three years be-
d overwhelmin- :aUse h has proven itself to be a popular item for all the students here,
scot with another. ‘ "The idea was to provide the quality and current tastes that students
hepherd Theco " in P off campus in such places as Starbucks or upscale eateries and pro-
en to replace the(kide that on campus.” 1
'• Beard said that rlie University instituted the changes, in part, to keep
itudents assured that dining on campus is, indeed, fun.
,7,. “Most of the colleges around the country have mandatory meal plans, so
■feey don’t have to constantly compete for student business,” he said. “But we
do that af A&M, so we have to make sure that we provide what the stu-
ients want.”
One has only to walk into a cafe on campus to see the results. The
a Town Tour and 1
Tuesday, October;,
:afes are constantly filled to the brim with students eager to partake in
i-gourmet deli sandwich and Starbucks coffee while soaking up the dark-
irted, relaxed atmosphere.
“Places like this are what a lot of students expect when they come here,’
i. The luncheon will
:ell. This tour is sob
Ip familiarize wont
..oimmunr.. Membe^^ ..j t j s t j ie current trend, so they get used to the high-class cafes
<‘ting in the vO; inc j at i lome as a pi ace to go, relax and enjoy themselves. So, they
)ger parking lot see ^ jj- ou j- here.”
<way) at 8:45' *xhe cafes, snuggled away in the obscure corners and crevices of A&M, ex-
. Please R$' .
> Margie Henryck
i plan to join uslt
ncheon. For child
ns at the "Just
nre center, pleas
ihill at 694-194“
ist as havens for those who tire of the fluorescent and neon lights of this col
lege town.
“I think people enjoy coming here (Rumours cafe, in the Memorial
Student Center) just because it is a different atmosphere than what you
find everywhere else,” said Charbel Dahdah, a freshman biomedical sci
ences major. “It is somewhere where you can just come and relax in a qui
et atmosphere perfect for studying or just hanging out.”
Although these settings may make one reminiscent of the days
where beatniks would snap their fingers to lines of Kerouac’s po
etry, those sporting cowboy attire need not be frightened.
“I don’t really think that these cafes stand out too much be
cause they are pretty much-welcoming to everyone,” said Ste-
fanie Page, a freshman genetics major. “It is just as likely to see
someone in here with a cowboy hat as it is to see someone with
blue hair.”
Beard said visitors to the campus are often surprised to see
New York-style cafes in this Texas-style town.
“When somebody comes down to take a tour of campus, they
are amazed to see that what they consider a dusty, old town has
these kind of places,” he said. “It just isn't what they expect in
this part of the country.”
The only disconcerting characteristics of these laid-back hide
aways are the prices, but it would seem most people do not mind
shelling out the extra greenbacks for the name-brand coffee
and gourmet deli sandwiches (the average sandwich costs
about $5 and a cup of joe starts at about $3).
“It’s all pan of why people come here (Poor Yourk’s coffee
house, in Evans Library),” said Sarah Stapleton, a freshman
political science major. “You can have just a sandwich and
coffee anywhere, but you come here because they are bet
ter quality. It’s not just a ham and cheese sandwich.”
The food is not the only costly part of the cafes. Beard
said he estimates that the recent additions to the campus's
dining experience came with a price tag of about $5,000 to
$6,000.
“It all came out of our reserve amount that we had built up over
time; we didn’t use University or tax funds,” he said. “But with as well
as they are going, making it up won't be a problem.”
Beard said the coffee-house improvements are only the beginning. As styles
and tastes change, he said, the University will try to adapt.
“We experience the same problems as the computer industry,” he said.
“As soon as we think we are on top of the situation, the wants and needs
•of our customer base change.”
This attempt,.however, may not apply to the boom in the sushi industry.
“We tried offering it at the Twelfth Man, but most people weren’t real
ly so sure about it,” he said. “But we do offer it at hors d’oeuvre gather
ings and special events.”
Staying on top of the times may take a lot of work, but Beard said it is
worth it if it provides the students with what they want.
• “Yes, maybe cowboys in coffee houses may be an odd sight to every
one else,” he said. “But, this is A&M, and he’s a sophisticated cowboy.”
ANGELIQUE FORD/Thk B attalion
50
years+
Millions of Visitors
Growing Enrollment
(700 Student Organizations)=Aging MSC
ON
on, Aggielife Editor
Opinion Editor
liison, Photo Editor
s, Photo Editor
les, Night News Edito [
ist, Copy Chief
is, Radio Producer
irough Friday during#
r session (except UnW
tage Paid at College St#
as A&M University, Ilf
Problem: The University Center Complex received its last major
expansion in 1973, when Texas A&M s enrollment was 23,000. The
buildings are used heavily, furnishings show wear and tear and the
u look” is dated. In addition, the cost of utilities, equipment and staff
continues to rise. Free meeting rooms for organizations are tightly
scheduled—100 or more meetings each night. It is time to plan ahead,
to consider the best use of space and to think about expanding the
facilities.
Solution: Vote FOR the Student Center Complex Fee referendum
on the general election ballot Sept. 26-27. The Student Center Com
plex Fee is currently $30 per semester. The referendum will increase
this fee to $40 per semester. Two dollars will pay for daily operations;
the remaining $8 will pay to refurbish public areas on the MSC s first
and second floors, to provide a detailed plan to remodel the basement
and to begin planning for a major expansion of the MSC.
What Do I Get From This Fee Now?
* Free rooms for student meetings, dances and banquets
* A nice place to lounge, take visitors and meet friends
* Furniture and audiovisual equipment for meeting rooms
* Cleaning, minor repairs and maintenance
* A new roof for the University Center
at Texas A&M
i. News offices are
347; E-mail: Thebattal# *
irship or endorsement 1
845-2696. For class#;:
aid, and office hours are 1
Where Do I Vote? Vote at the Memorial Student Center, Evans
Library, Blocker, All Faiths Chapel, Commons, Duncan or Zachry.
Or use the web-based poling site at http://www.vote.tamu.edu.
Why? The cap on this fee is currently $40; the referendum will tell
the Texas Legislature that students support increasing the cap to
$100. Any future increase of 10% ($4) or less could be made with
approval of a student advisory board. Any increase of more than
10% would require a student body vote. The Texas Legislature
meets in January 2001 and not again until 2003. If the legislature
approves, students could vote to renovate the basement or to ex
pand the University Center without going back to the legislature
for approval. A yes vote will give students control of this fee.
What Will Happen To The Basement? A committee recommended
remodeling underused areas to add:
* Small meeting rooms
* A 50-100 seat theater
* “Cyber cafe” tables in a “branded” food court
* Other amenities that more students would use
What Happens If This Vote Fails? Complete refurbishing will not
happen and plans cant be made to remodel the basement or to add
meeting rooms without funds in sight to pay for these items.
exas A&M student to f
. Mail subscriptions are ^
imeror$10a n
1.
Vote Yes on the Student Center Complex Fee September 26-27
it