ly, August 27 Monday, August 27, 2001 Page 5A Hush the we fu\ bookstore gives trip Jback to re: e said. = you need fora., over. The boob book, and it car . A professor can ; luring the first v- iseful. oes not get all:' ie beginning oij to forget anc: year does not U be advantage old is contagious. E: j it only gets had Continued from Page 3A ■ Douglas Williams. “The beginning of the fall semester is definitely a challenge.” I During move-in days, PTTS sets up warning signs, barricades and protected lanes to make moving into the residence halls much easier. ■ “We work closely with the Department of Resident Life to send fliers to incoming freshmen to warn them about parking and pniiTic issues,” Williams said. I PTTS faces many challenges throughout the semester but especially during freshman move-in days on the Southside of campus. I “The biggest problem we have is with ■tort-term parking,” Williams said. “It’s difficult to satisfy the needs of both new stu dents and returning students who come back to campus and expect to have a parking y space.” I PTTS - also must deal with one of the biggest A&M traditions of all — Aggie pfootball — and the traffic problems it brings. With the closing of John Kimbrough Boulevard and the demolition of the crosswalk over Wellborn Road, pedestrian traffic will need to be controlled and safe. “We will urge students and visitors to use the shuttle buses,” Williams said. “The buses will run until 2 a.m. and if they are utilized, will cut pedestrian traffic drastically.” Another business affected by the return of students are local bookstores that must work with the transition from summer to the fall. “We have had a very smooth transition this year,” said Texas A&M Bookstore General Manager Mark Eckhart. “Book reservations have gone well and people are doing their book shopping earlier.” During summer school the bookstore does not experience much activity, but when the residence halls open, business picks up. “Customer traffic really started to increase when the dorms opened last Wednesday,” Eckhart said. “Things will start to slow down during the second week of classes.” Certain measures are taken to help make the first few weeks of classes easier for both the students at A&M and the employees at the bookstore. “Normal staff at the store is about 100 people, but during back-to-school and foot ball season, we hire more people,” Eckhart said. As well as hiring more staff, the book store also has extended their usual hours of operation. The bookstore will now be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays, and until 8 p.m. on the first three days of classes. “We usually are not open on Sundays,” Eckhart said. “So this should be really help ful and convenient for a lot of people.” In addition to supplying students with their academic needs for their classes, the Texas A&M Bookstore also helps Aggies with their financial needs. Each year the bookstore gives a minimum of $1.5 million back to the students. The money goes toward funding scholarships, the Rec Center, study abroad programs and numer ous other activities. “We enjoy giving back to the school that gives us so much,” Eckhart said. “We just want students to know that by buying their books from us, they are actually helping themselves in the end.” Its true that Bryan and College Station are crowded when students return after sum mer vacation, and yes, the lines are longer. There is more traffic, and parking rarely is available in the Zachary lot. However, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. These long lines and overcrowded parking lots mean that Texas Aggie Football is right around the comer. A • THE BATTAi' RANSITION Continued from Page 3A ration was a difficult transition. I “It was really hard because [my boyfriend and 1] were so close during the school year, and then rail of a sudden, we were 180 miles apart,” she said. “Long distance relationships, when all you have is the phone, are not fun.” Students are not only missed by their peers but also by employers. j Elizabeth Neff, a library specialist in the [ Library Annex, hires student workers every year | and depends on their help. “I depend on my students heavily [and] with out them I would not have a job,” Neff said. “I always miss them and am glad to have them back in the fall.” Many students also miss the busy lifestyle Bryan-College Station has to offer. From clubs to [late night restaurants, Aggies miss the constant ■ action. Christina Polemenakos, a sophomore business 1 major, returned to her hometown for the summer I and said she craved the constant bustle of student I *'k - “1 missed clubs and other fun places being | open late, and 1 really missed the Rec Center,” * Polemenakos said. As another year dawns on campus, the bustle ■ of academic, social and personal exploration ■ begin once again. In eager anticipation for the Istart of a new year, students return from their ■ maroon-starved summers to the place all Aggies ■call home. PEOPLE IN THE NEWS R&B Singer Aaliyah loses life in plane crash Sunday AALIYAH NEW YORK (AP) - From the moment the Fifteen-year-old Aaliyah burst onto the scene in 1994 — an R&B singer whose sul try voice, striking good looks and sexy attitude belied her young age — it seemed as if every thing she touched became a success. Her debut*album sold more than 1 mil lion copies, she was nominated for a Grammy twice and even her foray into the movies yielded a surprise hit. Her career had barely begun to peak when she was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas on Saturday. Eight others on board also perished when the twin-engine Cessna they were traveling in went down shortly after it took off; Aaliyah had been filming a video for the next single off her album. A statement released Sunday by the singer's publicist, PMK, said: “Aaliyah’s family is devastated at the loss of their lov ing daughter and sister. Their hearts go out to those families who also lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.” She is survived by her mother, father and brother. Aaliyah Haughton was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 16, 1979, and was raised in Detroit. Aaliyah’s career appeared to be predes tined: Her mother, Diane, was a singer, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment manager who was once married to Gladys Knight. By age 6, she was already on stage, appearing in a pro duction of the musical “Annie.” “I was an orphan, I had one little line,” she recalled. “But what I loved about it was just putting the production together, being in the chorus, learning the routines, singing, and doing a little bit of acting.” “That’s when I said, I’ve got to do this forev er,” she added. By age 11, she was polished enough to earn an invitation from Knight herself to perform with her in Las Vegas. But the singer who would have the greatest impact on her career was R&B superstar R. Kelly. Kelly produced Aaliyah’s debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number.' Aaliyah’s next disc, “One in a Million,” did even better as she began a partnership with producer/rappers Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott and Timbaland. Among the hits off of that album included the title track and “If Your Girl Only Knew.” Her latest record, the self-titled “Aaliyah,” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart when it was released last month. WELCOME AGGIES’ K# From your Campus Ministers The Texas A&M Campus Ministerial Association provides ndn-denominational pastoral care for students Monday-Thursday from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. at All-Faiths Chapel. Our code of ethics includes: > Respect for the values of all people regardless of religious background. _ > Affirmation of the right of every person to retain his/her own belief system, to privacy, to be left alone, to survey other belief options, and to make their own decisions in freedom. > Disavowal of behaviors which seek to promote one religion by publicly demeaning another. > Defense of the human dignity and freedom of all people while rejecting manipulative appeals intended to bypass one’s right to critical thinking. > Commitment to work with administration, faculty and staff to fulfill the educational goals of the university. A&M Church of Christ 693-0400 Aggie Lutherans , 693-4403 Episcopai Student Center 693-4245 First Baptist of College Station 696-7000 First United Methodist/CS 690-8415 Hillel Foundation 696-7313 Intervarsity Christian Fellowship 693-4787 Latter-Day Saints Institute 696-8202 j Reformed University Fellowship 776-11851 St. Mary’s Catholic Center 846-57171 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 696-5285 i United Campus Ministry 846-1221 University Lutheran Chape! 846-6687] Wesley Foundation 846-4701 Howdy Ags! You are invited to Rally Day Sunday, September 9. First | 1 Presbvterian “Aggies ‘N More” Sunday School Class 1 Church 9:30 AM Morning Worship 8:30 or 11:00 AM Helping Aggies grow in faith... 1100 Carter Creek Parkway Rides from Fish Pond & MSC Bryan, Texas 77802 Just call 823-8073. WHni’.fpcbiytm. org WHERE THERE'S HURT THERE'S HOPE POST ABORTION PEER COUNSELING ♦ Peer Grief Counseling ♦ Help for Symptoms of Abortion Trauma ♦ 10-week Recovery Program ♦ Emotional & Spiritual Support ♦ Free & Confidential eJtofLe GentenA, Call and ask for the PACE (Post Abortion Counseling & Education) Director. Brentwood • College Station TJ ZJ I 2/ www.hopepregnancy.org LONE STAR GOLF ACADEMY (979) 694.- 0406 The only place in town where it is legal to DRINK