Thursday, January 22, 2004
Aggielife:
Get fashion
tips for your
trips to the
gym.
Page 3A
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Athletic Department to form new band
By Michael Player
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M basketball and volleyball fans will
[hear the beat of a new band next fall.
I Athletic director Bill Byrne said the new band,
I whose membership is open to all A&M students,
I not just members of the Aggie Band, will be
I formed by next volleyball season.
“Most schools in the Big 12 have bands at all of
Itheir games,” Byrne said.
[ Byrne said he decided to form the new band
I after main frequent game attendees said they
[enjoyed the games more when a band was present.
Alan Cannon, assistant athletic director of
media relations, said visiting teams to Reed Arena
and their fans note the difference in the atmos
phere when the band performs.
“We really want the excitement that the band
gives the players and the crowd,” he said.
The Aggie Band, the University marching unit
within the Corp of Cadets, performs at many, but
not all, of the men’s and women’s home basketball
games. Just this year, the band performed at the
volleyball games.
Members of the Aggie Band said between
school and other activities, it was hard to find time
to commit to perform at all the games.
“It’s just too much to ask (the band) to perform
at all of the 50-plus home games,” said Jonathan
Dunbar, head drum major.
The band that does perform at the games is
made up of approximately 100 volunteers from
the Aggie Band. Those 100 are then divided into
two smaller bands comprised of 50 members each
who rotate the games to meet their schedules;
Byrne said.
Byrne said the new band will not be under the
direction of Maj. Timothy Rhea; instead, the
University will hire a new band leader specifically
for the basketball game band.
Associate Athletic Director for Game
Operations Mike Caruso will meet with Rhea
Friday to discuss more details about the new band.
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SOURCE • TAMU ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
A balancing act
jhomore marketing major SeHi Hansen balances on a slack line tied between two trees outside the
cademic Building Wednesday afternoon. Hansen and his friends practice new tricks between classes.
Staff members concerned
about new TS parking plan
By Natalie Younts
THE BATTALION
When Phil Brand first came to work at Texas
A&M. he was frustrated that he had to park in gen
eral parking lots.
Brand, a research instrumentation specialist for
the biology department, often had to park illegal
ly because the lots were full. When he finally got
a reserved numbered space, he said he was
relieved.
But now. Transportation Services (TS) has pro
posed a plan to eliminate or drastically reduce
reserved numbered spaces for faculty and staff
members.
“I'm so ticked off about it I might quit,” Brand
said. “If we have to start going through this hassle
of parking again. I’m not going to bother coming
back to work.”
Brand's reaction to the proposed plan echoes
the sentiment expressed by many faculty and staff
members on campus.
Some have claimed the plan is just a scheme to
increase revenue.
“If you look at (TS Director Rodney) Weis’
PowerPoint presentation, he does emphasize rev
enue generation,” said Karl Aufderheide, associate
professor of biology. “Part of that is to pay off the
very large debt for the West Campus garage."
Weis said that is a misconception.
“I don't really understand where that comes
from,” he said. “I think part of that is a lot of mis
trust from the past toward parking, and a lot of the
misunderstanding about what our mission is.”
Weis said TS does not make a profit, but it pays
for the facilities they build, including the garages.
“Certainly, there's no bonus or anything
involved when we make more money,” he said.
“All we’re trying to do is operate more efficiently,
and what we’re really trying to do ultimately is to
avoid building another garage until we absolutely
have to.”
Some faculty members have expressed concerns
that they would not be able to get a parking spot
and would be late for the classes they teach.
“Part of that is because of the misconception
that we just sell permits until nobody wants any
more in a given area, when in reality the number of
permits sold are very, very closely controlled and
monitored,” Weis said.
Weis said a lot of the faculty and staff members
have said that they do not want reserved spaces
eliminated.
“1 think we'll have to (offer reserved numbered
spaces at a higher price), ultimately, because real
ly, this is all about trying to do what the customers
want.”
Weis said no decisions have been made about
prices.
“Some may go up. some may go down, but cer
tainly the goal is not to see how high we can raise
anything," he said.
Lynne Hambric, reference librarian at Sterling
C. Evans Library, has a reserved space close to her
work, on the opposite side of the History building
from the library. She said she would be disap
pointed if she lost it. Hambric said she would like
to keep a reserved space, if that option was avail
able, but it would ultimately depend upon the cost.
Weis said he has observed mixed reactions from
faculty and staff members, from loving the plan to
hating it.
tudents able to nominate VP of student affairs
By Erin Price
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M officials are giving students,
culty and staff the opportunity to nominate
andidates for the office of vice president for
Itudent affairs.
The deadline for nominations is Feb. 1, and
officials expect to appoint the new vice presi
dent by June.
The position has been vacant since May
2003, when Dr. J. Malon Southerland retired
after serving as vice president for student affairs
far nine years and at A&M for 36 years.
I Dr. William Kibler, interim vice president for
student affairs, said this is a very important posi
tion to A&M and its students.
“(The vice president for student affairs) leads
and directs most of the student programs on
campus,” Kibler said. “They set the tone for the
quality of student life, and we want all of that to
continue and improve over time.”
The student affairs division oversees 12
departments including the Memorial Student
Center, the Corps of Cadets. Recreational Sports
and Multicultural Services.
Dr. Robert Strawser, chair of the vice presi
dent for Student Affairs Search Advisory
Committee and accounting professor, said that
the search is going well.
“In my opinion, this is one of the most impor
tant jobs at Texas A&M, since this individual
will deal with our primary focus, our students,”
Strawser said. “We need to attract the very best
person to fill this position.”
The job qualifications include a doctoral
degree or extraordinary experience in student
affairs administration, the ability to evaluate the
needs of the student body, to make recommen
dations to the president and have strong person
al and professional integrity, Strawser said.
“The new vice president must understand and
appreciate the unique role of students in govern
ing Texas A&M,” Strawser said. “They have to
also value our unique tradition-rich campus
while being able to promote change within that
context.”
Student Body President Matt Josefy, who
serves as a student representative on the search
committee, said this position is important for
the future at A&M.
“I encourage people to let us know what the
qualities they feel are important for the new vice
president to have,” he said.
Josefy said the vice president plays an intri
cate role in guiding and supporting student lead
ers across campus.
Dr. David Prior, executive vice president and
provost, said the new vice president does not
have to be an Aggie, but he or she must have a
good understanding of the Aggie culture and
See VP on page 2A
•tudent leadership conference topic
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
Sixteen years ago, collegians at Texas A&M needed a
Jsrum in which African American students in the southwest
could assemble to address problems affecting the black
community. In order to do so, the Southwestern Black
5 tudent Leadership Conference (SBSLC) was formed.
Since then, the SBSLC has been dedicated to empower-
i ig black scholars to be productive leaders of tomorrow.
I Under the theme “Developing Collegiate Leaders: The
Catalyst for a Productive Tomorrow,” students from across
he nation will gather at A&M today through Sunday for
tie 16th annual SBSLC.
I Anverly Black, marketing director for the conference,
said this is the largest student-run conference that unites
schools across the nation and is not limited to black stu-
c ents.
“This conference is open to all races and nationalities,”
sie said.
I Anverly said the conference will feature workshops that
ficus on developing strong leadership skills as well as
s ress management and how to be a better student.
The SBSLC encourages participants to look to the
future, Black said.
“We want them to be leaders in the community,”
she said.
Shawna Smith, chair for the SBSLC, said the confer
ence has been utilized for corporate networking and for the
development of leadership skills.
“We, as the executive staff, have worked diligently to
provide thought-provoking speakers, a career fair present
ing some of the biggest companies and informative work
shops,” she said.
This year’s keynote speakers will be Bryonn Bain,
Nikki Giovanni and Lee Jones.
Giovanni is a world-renowned poet and has published
more than 14 volumes of poems. Her speech Saturday is
open to the public, but a ticket is required to attend, accord
ing to the SBSLC Web site.
Bain is a Harvard Law School graduate, and Jones is the
associate dean of academics at Florida State University.
Black said she expects 700 participants to attend the
conference, which coincides with the “Campus with a
See Conference on page 2A
Bus oops
Michael Pla
A Chevy Cavalier driven by an A&M freshman was struck by a Transportation Services bus on
Ross Street in front of the Harvey Bum Bright Building Wednesday afternoon. The Cavalier tried
to pass the bus just as the bus was leaving a stop. No injuries were reported.