The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 17, 2001, Image 3

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    ire still spaces of-
10 \s ant to come
e Bra/os Center
don't need. nda >’ Se P tember ,7 ’ 200
tree. It is.
THE BATTALION
rtunity for siudt
\s the recruiter
osphere.”
*i)l be runninr
;i nee ring Buildr,
i a I Student Ce
throughout the s
: he companies»
diftereni type'
irs they are looi
a pretty good ^
s all the dtfferr
s,” Theriot said
Kin. director -
in the Cdk.
A penny saved
Thifi stores give students the opportunity
to save money and create their own styles
me a*
By LYCIA SHRUM
THE BATTALION
UK
aid.
One thing many college students have in
* mmon is their income. For many, it is
nost non-existent. After spending $300 on
it and $100 or more on bills, students are
t wi:h next to nothing for “luxury" expens-
sucL as food, entertainment and the ever-
-irrfcortant wardrobe. When shopping for
outfit, students sometimes can spend too
ach on name-brand clothing within a short
of time, leaving them with credit card
bt to pay off.
Bui two affordable shopping alternatives
ivelnade their way to Northgate. Vintage
orthgate and Special Deluxe Vintage have
)ened upstairs in the Sparks Building locat-
l at the comer of University Drive and
ollegc Main. These stores not only offer stu-
;nts more affordable clothing but a large
iriety of clothing that is unique. Vintage
orthgute and Special Deluxe Vintage supply
udents with a variety of vintage clothing that
hard to find at an average thrift store.
Ryan Ewing, owner of Northgate Vintage,
egan his vintage clothing business at a kiosk
in Post Oak Mall selling different styles of T-
shirts. After several transitions, Ewing has
moved his store across from campus, offering
a larger variety of clothing than just T-shirts.
Northgate Vintage has a selection of baseball
jerseys, ringer T-shirts, polo-style shirts and
other items ranging from $9 to $15. He said
his store offers students and others a cheap
and original alternative to name-brand cloth
ing.
“Students in Bryan-College Station starve
for ways to stand out and express themselves,
and their clothing is one of the most visual
ways students can do this," Ewing said.
Ewing said the clothes he sells may seem
expensive for second-hand clothing, but there
is a lot of effort put into providing his shop
pers with a large selection of clothing and
making it a convenient place to shop. He said
he spends hours sorting through the clothes
his distributors send him from places such as
Europe, New York and California.
“There is definitely a convenience to shop
ping here compared to other thrift stores
because you don’t have to spend hours digging
through clothes just so you can find one shirt
worth buying,” Ewing said.
Just two doors down from
Northgate Vintage is Special
Deluxe
my
nerw
heroes"
:a, Daer
niversity of!:
■ ear, he rrer
ministration
► n Universii)
ivl presuka
Houston St
■ groups
currently
i the Univ
ate UniversiPi
~ Daerr said «l
c walked ol
: it her distinp
lymn played.
low of studer:
get into (hex
mg. busine."
because of
hose collect'
lents are see®
ilia I for them"
Is.
it the first tinXj
opartment ha-
i to cut backed
indents in the'
; early W 1 '
own sized frorr
X) students be-
constraints.
a
&
SARA JUDKINS ♦ THE BATTALION
Vintage. Special Deluxe Vintage offers pearl
snap western shirts, men’s vintage tuxedo
shirts, terri-cloth shirts, dresses and even vari
ous types of costumes. Owner Kerry Simon,
Class of 2000, also spends hours sifting
through clothes from his distributors to pro
vide his shoppers with top-of-the-line vintage
clothing and a selection that with a unique
style.
Simon said Special Deluxe Vintage
opened Aug. 28 and has had a steady flow of
business. Simon and Ewing said although the
only form of advertisements for their stores
have been signs displayed in the store win
dows and word of mouth, business has been
good.
“1 think vintage clothing is growing in
popularity because of its uniqueness. When
you buy something from a store like mine,
you’re almost always guaranteed to be the
only person to own that exact shirt,” Simon
said.
Some students have already taken advan
tage of vintage shopping and what it has to
offer. Kayce Fitzpatrick, a senior exercise
technology major frequents various vintage
stores in Austin.
“I think vintage stores are great for stu
dents who don’t want to spend too much
money on clothes and who don’t want to dress
in clothes that you’re sure to see other people
wearing as well. I think the two new stores on
Northgate offer great variety,” Fitzpatrick
said.
Fitzpatrick said that when she did not have
time to go to Austin’s vintage stores she was
limited to resale stores located in Bryan-
College Station. Fitzpatrick said although
she pays more at vintage stores than she
would at resale stores, she is still saving
more money than if she was to shop at
name-brand clothing stores.
Adam Faught, a freshman general
studies major at Blinn College, also has
discovered the perks of vintage store
shopping. Faught said he has been an
avid vintage shopper for the last year
and is thrilled to see Bryan-College
Station getting quality vintage stores.
“I started thrift store shopping mainly
because of the personality it holds. But the
prices are a big plus as well,” Faught said.
Faught praised Northgate Vintage and
Special Deluxe Vintage in the selections they
offer their shoppers.
Whether the pocket book is thin, or if try
ing to make a fashion statement, consider the
shopping alternatives. Between individuality
and price, vintage stores benefit shoppers.
I Away from home
Students often get homesick when busy with school
lATTMi and organizations, there are many ways to cope
By Beth Mui.DOON come homesickness by talking to other stu- involved with my dorm,” Espinozr
:>r in Chief
Managing Editor
vc Ext i tor
lew s Ext i tor
l«i. News Editor
ist. News Editor
Asst. News Editor
ielife Editor
Asst. Aggiclifc EdiW
Asst. Aggiclifc Editor
on Editor
pinion Editor
Editor
Sports Editor
'roducer
Rad it) Producer
roto Editor
Graphics Editor
iphics Editor
Xfcbmastcr
1055-4726) is published
By Beth Muedoon
g THE BATTALION
If: It happens to everyone — the gut-
wrenching feeling that something in life is
about to change. The feeling that if some
thing could go wrong, it will. Then comes a
twinge of helplessness, loneliness and being
needy of affection and attention from some
one or something familial - . This longing for a
comfort zone and security blanket is a com
mon disease known as homesickness.
i.‘ Kristi Bean, a senior electrical engineer
ing major, said she misses the close relation
ship she lias w ith her mother,
p “The thing I miss the most is the late-
mng the fail and spring sc night talks with my mom and having her
' Thursday during iresTF 1 "'
? holidays and exam pw*
Periodicals Postage Ml
), POSTMASTER: Send aiW
i, Texas A&M University W
T7843-1111.
is department is manage)!
University in the DivisM
lit of the Department.]
• ere in 014 Reed MclM
one: 845-3313; Fax: 8^
M@thebatt.com; Web s 6 |
ol advertising does not *<1
ent by The Battalion. forc^J
display advertising, call 8 1 ; j
idvertising, call 845-05f
i015 Reed McDonald,!
to 5 p.m, Monday tlwxtl
he Student Services Fee ei* j
M to pick up a single copfl
lee, additional copies 25 ( I
1 per school year, $30 (0^1
d$17.50for the summertl
lard, Discover, or Amentfl
rht there to assure me that everything is
ling to be okay when things get rough,”
fan said.
| Each semester, at colleges and universi-
is around the world, thousands of students
iperience homesickness. While each stu-
[nt has individual reasons for yearning for
hat is familiar and secure, dealing with
Imesickness is more difficult for some stu-
|iits than for others.
| Dr. Andy Smith, associate director of
junselmg at the Texas A&M Student
hunseling Service, said experiencing
Imesickness is a completely normal expe-
fnce for college student s.
| “The first thing students who are home-
pk need to realize is that everyone, at one
me or another, feels homesick,” Smith said,
peing homesick may be uncomfortable at
rst, but students must realize that it will get
?tter with time.”
Smith also suggests students can over
come homesickness by talking to other stu
dents who are also homesick.
“Talk to other people and don’t isolate
yourself,” Smith said. “Even if you have the
strongest urge to lock yourself up in your
room, don’t do it. The more you get involved
the better off you will be.”
Vanessa Diaz Clark, assistant director for
the Department of Student Life, said home
sickness is non-discriminating and can sneak
up on anyone.
“There is no single personality or per
sonal background that is most likely to
experience homesickness,” Clark said. “It
can actually catch the most independent
individuals by surprise.”
Clark advises homesick students to first
recognize that they may be experiencing
homesickness or depression. She also
encourages those students to give campus
life a fair trial before packing their suitcases.
“Homesick students should try to be
committed and focused on all aspects of
their life here at A&M,” Clark said. “They
chose to come to A&M to attend college for
a reason or reasons, so they should give that
a chance.”
There are numerous things a homesick
student can do to improve their situation
and help themselves to ease their home
sickness. One of these options is to get
involved with an organization on campus
that is specifically designed to help stu
dents combat homesickness by providing
an avenue of involvement.
Monica Espinoza, a sophomore educa
tion major, got involved with student organ
izations to combat her homesickness.
“I tried to meernew people and 1 got
involved with my dorm,” Espinoza said.
“Also, I did not go home for the first month
of school.”
Programs and organizations such as Gig
’Em Week and FACT (First Time Aggie
Contact Team) are specifically designed to
help welcome new students to the A&M
campus.
Clark said FACT is an outreach effort
coordinated by the Division of Student
Affairs, Student Life Orientation and the
Aggie Orientation Leader Program. FACT’S
main purpose is to call new students and let
them know that the University is concerned
about their well being.
“These calls are also an opportunity to
assist new Aggies by answering their ques
tions and referring them to the appropriate
resources ” Clark said.
The Student Counseling Service deals
with hundreds of different types of problems
every day, but, according to Smith, the
biggest problem is that most students do not
think homesickness is a problem worth talk
ing about.
“Homesickness is just as legit a problem
as anything else,” Smith said. “We invite stu
dents to come if that is their main issue,
[butl sometimes that isn’t the only thing
bothering them.”
Homesickness is anything from missing
the smell of your room at home to missing
the way your mom’s home-cooked meals
taste. One thing students must remember is
that they are not alone in feeling this way.
Much like the way Aggies bond together at a
football game or during Muster, students
should also bond together to help each other
fpel at home in Aggieland.
Have questions about
Aggieland or trouble with
roommates, classes or other
on-campus issues? Email:
AskAggie@thebatt.com
Page 3
Getting
personal
- pus
Officers share the
lesser-known side ofPTTS
By Matt Stellbauer
THE BATTALION
By themselves, the letters
“P,” “T,” “T” and “S” do not
add up to much, but put
together, they can spell the
most terrifying force known
to students on this campus:
the Department of Parking,
Traffic and Transportation
Service. Some students think
PTTS is employed to issue
tickets, tow cars and guard
parking lots. While those are
some of PTTS’ more publi
cized jobs, students fail to
realize there is another side to
low is because we make a
good bit of money from the
tickets that are issued and
from our garages among
other things,” said Tom
Williams, PTTS director.
With all the parking lots
and special needs on campus,
Guajardo said a day in the
life of a PTTS officer can be
hectic but enjoyable.
“This is one of the more
challenging but at the same
time fun jobs on campus. You
never meet the same people
twice,” he said. “It is a 24-
hour job, and we always have
people on duty guarding the
parking garages and parking
We have found that [students'] per
ception stems from misinformation, and
that if we sit down with students or the
person making the complaint and show
them why we do things the way we do,
they are very understanding.
— Woddy Isenhart,
manager of customer service for PTTS
the department.
Woddy Isenhart, manager
of customer service for
PTTS said they receive most
ly positive feedback from
students and faculty but that
there are some complaints.
“There are those who
don’t feel the same way,”
Isenhart said. “We get lots of
emails from students com
plaining about lack of park
ing spots or the way we han
dle move-in day.”
Isenhart said most of the
animosity directed toward
PTTS is caused by limited
knowledge.
“We have found that [stu
dents’] perception stems
from misinformation, and
that if we sit down with the
students or the person mak
ing the complaint and show
them why we do things the
way we do, they are very
understanding,” he said.
However, if getting tickets
and being towed is a com
mon student experience, then
a negative attitude is under
standable. Yet Rudy
Guajardo, a PTTS adminis
trator, said there is much
more included in the duties
of a parking officer than just
the “bad cop” routine people
deal with on a daily basis.
“On any given day, we
have about 60 officers on
duty, of which about 47 are
statijoned in the garages and
about 13 in the field,” he
said. “We act as hosts to the
guests on our campuses,
divert traffic when weather
or accidents have made trav
el conditions unsafe, and are
the people you see when traf
fic is thick and you need to
cross the street. As you can
see, we want to help the stu
dent body more than hurt
them. If you pay attention,
you will see more officers
without ticketing machines
than with.”
While PTTS tries not to
do a lot of ticketing and tow
ing, it is still a major source
of income for the office.
“The reason we are able to
keep our rates for parking so
lots to ensure the safety of
1 students] and [their] vehi
cles.”
It is rumored that search
ing for a parking spot is one
of the most time-consuming
tasks for Aggies, and with a
campus this size, finding one
should not be a problem.
“Texas A&M is the num
ber one university when it
comes to parking spots,”
Williams said. “Right now
we have enough parking
spots for every 1.7 bodies on
campus, including blue, yel
low and garage spaces.”
Facilitating staff, visitors
and special activities groups
on campus often force stu
dents to fend for themselves
when it comes to snagging a
decent parking spot.
However, PTTS is always
looking for ways to combat
that problem without having
to pave the campus to create
new spots.
“We are in the process of
constructing a West Campus
parking garage, to be com
pleted in 2003, that will add
3,700-plus parking spots on
campus,” said Doug Williams,
associate director of PTTS.
“The idea is that we would
like to give every student a
parking spot who wants one.”
Still, the best advice the
PTTS can give students con
cerning avoiding ticketing
and run-ins with parking
officers is to find alternate
forms of transportation for
getting to school. To facili
tate those needs, Angela
Newman, a PTTS communi
cations specialist, said sever
al other transportation
options are available.
“One of the better options
for students is to take advan
tage of the busing system
A&M has set up around
campus,” Newman said.
“We try to make this as con
venient as possible for the
students to use. With our
new buses on campus, this is
a premier form of trans
portation for students.”