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A&M appealing discrimination verdict
By Mariano Castillo
The Battalion
Texas A&M is appealing a feder
al judge’s decision ordering the Uni
versity to pay more than $200,000
in damages and legal fees to a fe-
J male employee. The ruling found
I J (hat the University had sexually dis-
briminated against Beverly Wymo-
la, an A&M graduate and long-time
employee.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M.
I Hoyt ruled that A&M violated the
I Equal Pay Act of 1963 by paying
I Wymola significantly less than
I male co-workers, despite her qual-
I ifications in Computing Informa
tion Services (CIS), where she
worked at the time.
The University has filed a notice
of appeal at the 5th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals. No legal briefs
have been tiled yet, and a date for the
hearing has not been set.
Brian Bricker, A&M’s lawyer in
the case, and University Relations
spokesman Lane Stephenson both
declined to comment. Stephenson
said the University does not com
ment on ongoing legal matters.
In his decision, Hoyt sharply crit
icized A&M for not acting earlier to
correct the salary discrepancy. In his
final order, handed down on Dec. 13,
he said it is “undisputed” that Wymo
la had the same responsibilities as her
male co-workers but was paid less.
The ruling that A&M seeks to
overturn ordered the University to
pay her $116,578 in damages and
more than $95,000 in legal fees and
raise her annual salary to $53,560.
The lawsuit changed Wymola’s
view of the University, she said. .
“Unfortunately, not for the better,”
she said. “[The administration] does
n't care as much about faculty or staff
as they do about students. As a student,
I never felt discriminated against.”
After getting a degree in wildlife
and fisheries sciences in 1981,
Wymola earned a master’s degree
from A&M in 1985.
Wymola transferred from the
tt
As a student I nev
er felt discriminated
against."
— Beverly Wymola
University employee
agricultural economics department to
CIS in 1989 and accepted a position
reserved for non-degree personnel.
According to court documents,
she was repeatedly passed over for
promotions and paid less than her
male co-workers. In 1994, although
Wymola was second in seniority in
her CIS group, she had the third-
lowest salary.
Much of her frustration was due
to the administration’s slow reaction
to her complaints, Wymola said.
“In cases that they are wrong —
discrimination and other areas —
they would hope people would shut
up and go away,” she said.
Wymola began to question her
salary after an investigation by the
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC). The investiga
tion recommended that the University
correct the disparity in her pay.
Wymola’s attorney, Beatrice
Mlandenka Fowler, said the EEOC
gave the University time and oppor
tunity to act, but instead, it “just
thumbed its nose.”
“The judgment will be upheld,”
Mlandenka Fowler said.
A&M countered Wymola’s
charges, contending that she received
multiple pay increases. The Univer
sity also argued that market forces
and budget constraints resulted in
Wymola’s lower salary.
See Appeal on Page 2.
Playground fun
PATRIC SCHNEIDER Battalion
Three-year old Chet Taylor of College Station
streaks down a slide at a local indoor play
ground. He was visiting the playground with his
grandparents.
Railroad hindering
new parking garage
By Amanda Smith
The Battalion
Planned construction on
West Campus has been hin
dered as Texas A&M officials
continue to wrestle with the is
sue of the busy railroad tracks
that divide the campus.
Construction of the West
Campus parking garage and
pedestrian passageway is not ex
pected to begin until late May or
early June, said Parking, Traffic
and Transportation Services
(PTTS) Director Tom Williams.
Plans were delayed in Fall
2000 when the designs were sent
back to the drawing board,
Williams said he expects the new
plans and bidding to be complet
ed in late March.
The $30 million parking
garage will provide at least
3,000 spaces and room to acco
modate an additional 500 auto
mobiles. Williams said some
spaces will be contract and the
rest will be reserved for visitor
parking.
The West Campus parking
garage will be built on Parking
Area 56, called Fish Lot, next to
the Student Recreation Center.
The pedestrian passageway will
connect the parking garage to
main campus near Kyle Field.
Williams said the future of the
railroad that divides main cam
pus from West Campus contin
ues to be an issue for the A&M
community as the University
looks to the additional parking
space slated for West Campus.
The Bryan-College Station
Metropolitan Planning Organiza
tion (BCSMPO), A&M, Bryan,
College Station and Union Pacif
ic Railroad are in the sixth month
of studying options for the future
of the railroad that runs parallel to
Wellborn Road.
Michael Parks, director of
BCSMPO, said the stridy was ini
tiated because of concerns ex
pressed by University and city of
ficials as a result of the train traf
fic in the growing community.
Union Pacific Railroad runs
26 trains through the A&M cam
pus daily, and traffic is expected
to increase to as many as 50 trains
daily in the next five to eight
years. Parks said.
“We see an opportunity to do
something collectively,” Parks
said. “The same issues still pre
vail. Whenever you draw a line
on a map, you are going to affect
someone. The folks we are hear
ing from are the ones who are be
ing affected.”
Included in this group are
A&M students, faculty and staff
traveling from main campus to
West Campus.
Williams said the railroad has
always been a safety issue and
concern for the A&M.
BCSMPO hired a consulting
See Parking on Page 2.
cams request AOL users info fill 1 Housing
coststo
Mstomers asked to release password, credit card number
iy Brady Creel
The Battalion
Residents of Bryan-
College Station have be
come the target of a cyber
jhief who is posing as an
urierica Online official
Jnd requesting credit card
numbers and personal in-
lormation from users.
College Station Police
)epartment (CSPD) is-
Jued a release Tuesday, de-
tiiiling the nature of the so
licitation and warning
isers to steer clear of the
/ebsite indicated on the
Imail messages.
“The site looks like an
AOL site, but it’s not — it’s
not a part of AOL at all,”
said Lt. Dan Jones, public
information officer for
CSPD.
Jones said AOL cus
tomers receive an email in
forming them that their
AOL information needs to
be upgraded. The email
points the customers to a
Website, which is designed
to look like an official AOL
site. The site requests per
sonal information about the
customer, including name,
Social Security number,
AOL password and credit
card information.
“Basically, it’s a scheme
to get a person to unknow
ingly give out their person
al information,” Jones said.
“Once the suspects have
that information, they can
use that credit card to order
merchandise online.”
The perpetrator is hard
to track, Jones said, be
cause the server and do
main name of the Website
used to gather information
change frequently.
The threat extends be
yond simple credit card use.
Jones said it is possible for
the suspect to obtain
enough information about
the AOL customers to get
more credit cards in the cus
tomers’ name, or to even as
sume their identities com
pletely. Possessing such
information would enable a
would-be con artist to open
new credit card accounts
under the identity of the
original victim.
The con artist would
then use the credit cards
without making payment,
creating large balances un
der the name of the victim.
If that happens, Jones
said, victims may not
know until they get their
next credit report, or until
credit agencies call de
manding payment.
Jones said one College
Station resident has al
ready fallen victim to the
scam.
However,- he said,
there could be many more
who will not know until
the get their credit card
statements.
“Depending on how
See AOL on Page 10.
\tanoi respond
unisonal or credit
tniA Inlormailon
1 t I I I! Ill 111 I
Bill l l III H
increase
Energy costs cause
4 percent raise
By Sommer Bunch
The Battalion
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion
Brady focused on
education, loans
Chinese New Year begins today
Iff Mark Passwai i us
The Battalion
WAS! 11NCETON Now that George ■«
W. Bush is the 43rd president of the Unit- 1
,\l States, many obstacles lie before him a
md the members of C ongress. On the day |
ielore Bush was sworn in. U.S. Rep. >
Kevin Brad) of the Eighth Congressioiv ® tf
il I )istrici of Texas discussed a few ol the T f
ibstades facing the new president, how Bionv
hey would affect people in Texas and
tow the new president will affect Texas.
"It ought to feel good (to have a Texan in the White
louse).” Brad) said. "Texas is gi\ing the nation a gift.
Bush] is exactly w hat w e need a breath of fresh air.”
Regarding the current political climate and the even
lumber of Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate,
had) said he w as “optimistic about change.”
“Doom and gloomers are wrong." he said.
Brad) heartily agreed w ith Bush's statement that edu-
ation reform will be one of his first priorities. Brady said
ehools could accomplish things that federal programs
See Brady on Page2.
Traditions and superstitions large part of three-day celebration
inr **
U
By Emily Hendrickson
The Battalion
New Year’s resolutions
may already be ancient histo
ry to many Americans, but for
those of Asian descent, the
new year is just beginning.
The Chinese New Year
begins today and traditional
ly lasts three days.
Yen Cao, a freshman busi
ness major, said families cel
ebrate the new year with a
feast to honor their ancestors.
Ancestors are remembered
with great respect because
they are responsible for lay
ing the foundation for the for
tune of the family.
“It symbolizes family uni
ty and honors the past and pre
sent generations,” Cao said.
The date of the new year is
determined by the Chinese
lunar calendar instead of the
Gregorian calendar that is
s Wdf
ccoPdinq to the Luna
used in the western world.
The Chinese add an extra
month every few years, like
adding an extra day for leap
years. As a result, the start of
the new year could be as ear
ly as late January or as late as
mid-February.
Each year symbolizes one
of 12 animals. This year is the
Year of the Snake.
Superstitions and tradi
tions are an important part of
new year festivities, said Thi
Nguyen, a senior economics
major.
“Every family does spring
cleaning to cleanse their
house and enter the year with
a clean start,” Nguyen said.
Appearance and attitude
set the tone for the rest of the
year. Red is considered to be
a bright, happy color, and
wearing it brings luck and
prosperity for the rest of the
year. Wearing white is
avoided because it is a sign
of death and misfortune,
Cao said.
Anything that happens
during the new year celebra
tion foretells events to come in
the coming year, so the main
concern is getting rid of the
old spirits from the past year.
“Dragon dances and leav
ing windows open are a way
to chase away bad spirits
from the past year so we can
start fresh for the new one,”
Cao said.
Cao said her favorite part
of the holiday is the custom
of giving children and un
married adults money in red
envelopes for good fortune.
Although many Chinese
people today may not believe
in the superstitions, they are
still in practice because fam
ilies think they are an impor
tant part of their past and a
way to provide family identi
ty, Cao said.
Custom also dictates what
food is eaten during the fes
tivities.
“We honor our ancestors
with food such as new rice,
See New Year on Page 2.
Students living on campus can ex
pect to pay 5 percent more for housing
in Fall 2001.
The cost of utilities in the residence
halls is projected to rise $1.2 million
during the next two years, according to
Texas A&M’s Physical Plant. Ron
Sasse, director of Residence Life, said
the cost must be passed qn to students.
Energy costs alone will constitute
more than 4 percent of the proposed
increase.
Sasse will formulate a proposed
housing rate plan to present to the ad
ministration for approval this month.
His suggestion of a 5 percent increase,
though not final, will not be far from
the approved rate, he said.
The rate change will affect all 8,200
students living in residence halls.
“Estimates are that costs to provide
power to the halls will rise 15 percent
each year for the next two years,”
Sasse said. “Energy costs are rising in
the area; anyone who lives off campus
can see their bills climbing. It’s ex
pected that those of us on campus will
see the same thing.”
A 5 percent raise will be a $86 rise
in rent in modular-style halls and a $32
rise for non air-conditioned rates.
Energy conservation needs to be
stressed, particularly in the face of ris
ing costs that students themselves will
have to pay, said Alisa Bescherer, vice
president of public relations for the Res
idence Hall Association and a senior
See Housing on Page 10.