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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2003)
m THE BATTALll mmm r Taps datf leduled Dnth's Silver Taps lext Tuesday, Ses D.m. instead of lor: 1 e start of classes- eremomes typer e on the first Tued 3ther month. Robley Nalls, U: I and George Wes- it will be rememfe eek’s ceremony i commissio zes police nent of citizens ALEM (AP) - aakmg Israeli corr inquiry found p‘ assive force in quo i three years age r a stinging rec Monday thal • ate has systems*® I its Arab minonti eument — the prtc. years of investor ased on the test*: itnesses and ods ‘ ie of such scop- story. lei's findings carr destinian violr aw Monday, aeli helicopter fc at a car carrying?'; ulitants in Gaza: me and woo f : wenty-five bysla':- e hurt in the r nssile strike in s the West Banker oldiers shot arxj: jnded a 15-yea v a firebomb ser- re. nel of two judges r mic urged thegc^^ come up wir plan for narrowinc" ween Jews and At who make up ab: of the populate n people. “cfion for a new emer d take place as early 2004 after the adopc :onstitution. police said the it exploded after i» [•Yiday contained I t of 1,650 pounds ‘y say the 19 sas(x : o far may have link' eath toll .strxxl ai -vounded, some seno Maj. Rick H. n for the 1st Batta! es. Chief putsch, Sci|Tcch Editor ] >e$ch, ( .opy Chief ‘ l.una. Graphics Editor ’ , Photo Editor ‘ ngsley , Radio Product! ■ trbusch, Webmaster • Jay through Friday duringflf ■ during the summer sessff ] Iniversity. Periodicals Postags , iss changes to The Battaliof - -mi. ts at Texas A&M Universit) ' [ urnallsm, News offices are 1 ' 1 13; Fax: 845-2647; E-mi „ irship or endorsement byT* ■ ?, call 845-2696. For classf - i Reed McDonald, and offs* [ 2678. :h Texas A& M student to pib ; •pies 254. Mail subscriptio' , •^ j 17.50 for the summer ortWj in Express, call 845-2611. ainment iders decades" kggie football uvith Aggie none of the Year /ranglers nee Team ^Ipha Psi V Kane zed Arena! Aggielife The Battalion Page 3A • Juesday, September 2, 2003 Building on excellence Campus construction, improvements affect different sectors of Aggi e Uf e By Lauren Romero THE BATTALION When Sabre Schronk was helping her daughter choose a college, the look and feel of the campus comprised a large part of her decision. She wanted something that looked appealing and felt safe. “One thing that sold us (on Texas A&M) was that the campus was so pret ty and clean,” Schronk said. Looking back now, Schronk and her daughter Mindy, a senior agricultural systems management major, are glad they chose A&M. Schronk said the present construction around campus would make it difficult for incoming freshmen moving in and navigating campus. She said she is glad she didn’t have to deal with the construc tion during her daughter’s move-in day back in 2000. Currently, the A&M campus has undertaken numerous construction proj ects, and many directly affect the student body. Throughout the Texas A&M University System, there are $575 million in construction projects, including 24 proj ects that are either up for bids, in program ming, in design or in construction. Timothy Donathen, director of Facilities Planning and Construction for A&M, said students frequently voice their concern about how campus renova tion projects affect their wallets Donathen said the majority of the con struction funding does not come from student tuition and fees. He also added that the projects are only authorized when the money comes from the University’s budget. This money comes from a variety of sources such as grants from the state, gifts from donors and bonds. If the undertaken project is an auxiliary such as housing, parking and bookstores, then students indirectly pay fees with rent, parking rates and the cost of books. Ami Davis, a senior psychology major, said the campus con struction projects are a wise use of funds. “It’s the nature of a college campus to be perpetually under con struction,” Davis said. “If we’re not constantly improving, the campus stagnates — especially when you’re dealing with a campus that’s over a century old.” Student input for cam pus design plans are also considered. Donathen said the designers of student- focused buildings seek student input through various interviews and focus groups. “We do not want to follow an attitude in this department that says we make the decisions for what the University needs,” he said. “If I ignore the customer, then more than likely it will not be a success ful project.” One project in the works is the reno vation of Davis-Gary Residence Hall. Donathen said the purpose of the renova tions is to offer students the convenience of living on campus while having the amenities of an apartment. The designers plan to create apartment-style housing with living and kitchen areas. Donathen said administrators are using the project to test out this new form of housing. The new plan for Davis-Gary will become available for bidding this fall. Debra Reffner, a senior journalism major, said she preferred the old floor- plan for Davis-Gary because it allowed her to meet a lot people. Because reno vating Davis-Gary would decrease its occupancy by half, Reffner said the con struction will make it harder to find a student’s choice of on-campus housing in an already saturated market. “Dorm life is sup posed to be a communi ty-living style of hous ing. Dorms are not apartments,” she said. Another addition to the campus will be the multi-purpose Residence Life and Student Services Building. Donathen said the facility, slated for a location near Sbisa din ing hall, will come with a price tag of more than $13 million and will have game rooms, computer rooms, study areas, gathering spaces and multiple offices for Residence Hall staff and student service programs. Reffner said the building would have been nice when she lived on Northside. “It would have given students something else to do,” she said. Liz Spiekermann, a senior anthropology major, said the projects aren't big issues that adversely affect her life. “They are often finished over vacations so as not to interrupt student life, and I appreciate that,” she said. Spiekermann chooses to focus on the future effects the present construction will have on future students. “I hope the future generation of Aggies appreciates our daily inconven ience,” she said. It’s the nature of a college campus to be constantly under con struction... if we're not constantly improving, the campus stagnates. — Ami Davis Senior psychology major Construction on the new Chemistry building near Zachry continued Mondav as students headed back to class. Career Advising- All Majors Internship Listings Job Search Workshops Resume Reviews Career Research Library TRULY F REE C H E C K I N G Tell your bank the jig is up. You’re done with their monthly fees. You’re done jumping through hoops. You’re done with fake free checking and you’re ready for Washington Mutual’s truly Free Checking account. Truly free, with no monthly fee no matter what your balance, no direct deposit requirement, no per-check charges and no charge to talk to a teller or telephone banker. That’s no hidden fees, period. Reject your bank’s fakery. Go to any Washington Mutual Financial Center or call 1-800-788-7000 and switch to truly Free Checking today. .. . . \ , . • , . . , j ./. 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