tens for MV
;h °ts, tesfc
Jtments.
One proven,
two leonlsji
e info. 764.|;
If~voi7r(
11 Point, dan'
I. one blact
>tate
300 & 10021
'■000. 31x1m
:>letely remn
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 5 • Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Big budget bike racks
£2 xcessive spending could be solved by better planning and individual contracts
DAVID
SHOEMAKER
, 3bdrm/2lr
ill have o*r
i 979-7^
64.
^2bthj
he summer is not just
bdrm7ii)ttua| tjppe f or students to
i. 979.°229^ML catch a breather, but
jiaHhlime when the University
^IHHches up as well. The Uni-
roommate versity uses the summer break
1e Rachel°2= *° vor * < 011 P ro j ccts that would
■rapt the campus during the
fal and spring semesters.
>Sjfl 0ne thin g the University
^/mo+bisMches up on is bike racks.
set-648s,■ me pi aces have been identi-
fiedas in need of more rack space, so the Univer-
siU is addressing this by installing new ones.
■The actual work is fairly simple — the rack
^Ts^isametal pole slid into supports stuck in the
5n ' w/d ■•Bound, and then has metal loops for locking
bil es slid onto it — and could be installed in a
k-zm 65 T ll P* e °f hours. Placing bricks under the racks
1 uld be done in a day or so, weather permit-
t ig. Overall, it seems like one of the simpler
7-235-356t jl iprovements to be done on campus.
1 Bike racks are just one of the many projects
that are related to the upkeep and improvements
to residence halls on campus. Improvements are
proposed by Residence Life and then submitted
tl the Physical Plant for estimates. But then the
■w house ■ pi cess becomes murkier. If the Physical Plant
dt s not do the job, it goes out for bids, or to a
om fu n called Alpha Corporation.
778 5713 ■ r r .
The problem is that not all jobs can be bid out
f e to time constraints, meaning that Alpha, with
contract, gets the job without any competi
tion. This works fine for jobs identified long in
vance, but this is not always the case. The list
projects to be done this summer at ResLife’s
request illustrates that not all projects are part of
long term plan but on a more immediate basis.
ResLife has a list of projects for this sum-
I er, which can be found on the Residence Hall
ssociation’s Web site. Many of the projects for
is year were originally identified in a study of
979-690#: facilities conducted in 1996.
andoah sutcB This study prioritized need for work on a
Call 979-n
■tale from one to live, with ones being the most
-^j^Hnportant. In the seven years since the study, 84
i-293-a Jpercentof the “priority one” jobs have been fin-
nmate'ished, said ResLife’s Dan Mizer, who oversees
O, Stll IWI
me 3/2
io. +i/3u
r Fall
Redstone
»nng.
i, $325
i from
ores,
ishing. 97
o. and$2t
ixcept bed!
7.
g. 2bdmvl
icluded, full
irina, 4854
Brand :
No smok
Facilities and Operations for ResLife.
But many jobs that were not in the study
are being done as well. These projects
include replacing shower doors, replacing
ceiling tiles and replacing bike racks. In
fact, the bike racks seem to stand out from
the rest of the document.
This is because of the seemingly high
cost of expanding the bike racks near Mcln-
nis Hall. The cost of expanding the racks
there, as well as replacing the gravel under
them with brick pavement is estimated
at $16,000. A similar project planned for
Walton Hall that includes adding tables and
benches is estimated at $35,000.
Although it is always good to ensure
quality work is done, $16,000 is too high. It
is possible that the project could run under
estimate, but it could just as easily go over.
The Physical Plant’s estimation shop has
the responsibility of making an estimate for
projects such as this. Jobs that do not go
to Alpha or the Physical Plant are bid out.
George Parker, assistant director of Re
source Management for the Physical Plant,
said the bidding usually takes seven to 11
weeks.
This means that ResLife would need to iden
tify work that is not part of the facility study by
March or April for work to start at the end of
the spring semester, so projects identified late
in the spring must either be done exclusively
by the Physical Plant or Alpha. In either case,
there is no way for someone to come in with a
better deal.
Even though the Physical Plant does not
make a profit and the cost of using Alpha is
fixed by its contract, it is not guaranteed that it
has the most cost-effective plan. The Physical
Plant must allow more options to have the most cost-
effective plan enacted.
In cases where there is a long lead time, obvi
ously the most cost effective contractor, whether it is
Alpha, the Physical Plant or an outsider, will be cho
sen. The trouble is that when the University needs
work done over the summer, it is boxed in — it lacks
time to pick and choose.
More options could be available if several
contractors had contracts like Alpha’s with
the Physical Plant. That way there would be
multiple providers of jobs. Under the current
system, there is no competition for the jobs
that go Alpha’s way.
This way, when a job could not be put out for bids
or completed by the Physical Plant, several compa
nies under contract could compete to do the work.
Competition is the best way to try to keep costs
for such work down. Without it, there is no incentive
to try to improve and be more efficient. Estimates for
$16,000 bike racks seem to indicate that perhaps a
little more efficiency is in order.
David Shoemaker is a senior
management major.
Graphic by Grade Arenas
87-2481.
ing roon*i»_
ugainvillea.** .
i Hew parking system
-—4astes time
;e. $425V
| am a fifth year senior who registered on
e for a spot in PA050, Zachry lot. I was
ied my first and second choice and now
'e to park at Reed Arena for the entire
year. I hope TS realizes that instead of
Iting 15 minutes like I have in years past
|a spot in Zachry lot, I will instead be mak-
a 40- minute round trip from Reed to the
jneering buildings every day for the next
ir. There are 164 days of class this next
ioo! year. Multiply this by 40 minutes
nd trip) and you get 109.3 hours, the
ount of my life TS will be wasting this
ir. Multiplying 164 by 15 minutes (wait
time) and you get 41 hours, the amount
ly life that TS wasted last year. Subtract
amount of my life that TS wasted last
or SbdfflPB
in souitiCiar from the amount of my life that they
-820-0114^1 b e wasting this year and you get 68.3
eeded j as*; Jrs [\| 0Wi to top it all off, multiply 68.3
the thousands of students in the same
lation that I am in and multiply that num-
S'avanaf by the average value of a student’s time,
it comes to several million dollars.
How will TS compensate me for my
ttime? I’d like to suggest a free park-
pass for I doubt TS is going to recon-
me for the full value of my time.
MAIL CALL
3/2/2, sM
j/mo. +1/3SI
idmiMbth 1
U cable, lifl
)/mo. 972$i
led,
uded.onDn'J
adrm Itousej
jets ok.
fenced f
imate oee#
I condo ink
>droom Sbai
atie, 832-26
)a -
fett, 713-226
2ba, $250/*'
-744-0487
drm/1btli
3.1st mo#
■net include
Adam Shephard
Class of 2004
Abstract art can
add to campus
In response to Mike Walters’ July 27
column:
Art of any kind is an open book for end
less interpretation. Abstract art may be
more conceptual than some, but I hardly
see it was a reason to rage against all that
is modern and forward.
Mr. Walters is campaigning for art with
concrete ideas and meanings, but show
me a “realistic statue” that depicts the
Spirit of Aggieland. What does a feeling
or emotion like spirit look like? It’s unique
to each person, so why not embrace the
fact that everyone is different and free to
think or feel as they wish with a piece of
modern art that’s meaning is left to the
eye of the beholder?
“Modern art on campus will take away
from traditional campus atmosphere?”
No, people change the atmosphere of
this campus. One piece of art will not
make or break us, it is the people who
hold the Aggie Spirit in their hearts, and if
we need a piece of art or special event to
prove that, we don’t really know what the
Aggie Spirit is.
Travis Hawkins
Class of 2006
ing. Lols-t'
smissat/ina/
m^piti), '
Fri(6pm#
3am-2:30pi"
20yrs. Iflitf
Inn, Sle.26
Walk-ins *'
nrlce by I®
7. Show-'
he Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters should be 200 words or less and include the
luthor’s name, class and phone number. The opinion editor reserves the right to edit letters for
| ngth, style and accuracy. Letters may be submitted in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid
I udent ID. Letters also may be mailed to: 015 Reed McDonald, 1111 TAMU, College Station, TX
7843-1 1 1 1. Fax: (979) S45-2647 Email: mailcall@thebattalion.net
A&M should take advantage of
Napster’s file-sharing solution
T he file
sharing war
has seemed
to die down in the
past few months,
after hundreds
of lawsuits and
settlements
heightened the
crackdown by
the Recording
Industry Associa
tion of America against those who
illegally downloaded mp3 music.
Until recently, no real solution
existed to the problem of young
Americans wanting to listen to
music but unwilling to pay $15 for
a CD from which they only wanted
one or two tracks. And while there
were some efforts from Web sites
such as BuyMusic.com to allow a
customer to purchase an individual
track, such services offered a lim
ited selection.
Luckily, Napster, which pio
neered the original music-shar
ing phenomenon, has once again
stepped forward to solve the
problem. This time, Napster is do
ing it legally, and in an intelligent
method that appears capable of
quenching college students’ thirst
for new music, while keeping the
music industry pleased as well.
Currently, Napster offers a
subscription service that offers
a library of 800,000 songs for a
monthly rate of $9.95. While this is
an affordable rate for most people,
Napster has further reached out to
college students by striking deals
with colleges across the country.
A&M should negotiate with Nap
ster so that Aggies can benefit from
this service as well.
Pennsylvania State University
was the first to make such a deal,
and many others have followed
suit, each making different deals.
Some, such as the University of
Southern California, offer Napster
to its students at a reduced rate,
while George Washington Univer
sity is making the service free.
Napster is even working with the
universities’ music schools to add
their own musicians to their music
library, as they are doing at the
University of Rochester.
“This deal between Napster and
the University of Rochester dem
onstrates the momentum behind
our initiative to put the world of
legitimate digital music in the
hands of college students — the
nation’s most demanding music
consumers,” said Larry Linietsky,
Napster’s senior vice president of
business development in a press
release.
Napster’s plan
seems nothing
short of business
genius. With
easy access
to high-speed
Internet connec
tions, college
students are can
quickly amass
thousands of
illegal mp3s. By
making deals
with universities
to make their
downloading
activities easy,
affordable and
legal, Napster
keeps college students happy and
safe from prosecution. There has
been a lot of demand for a service
like this on campus. Students want
to get music through legal means,”
said Matt Nehmer, a spokesman for
George Washington University.
Indeed, these deals may very
well prove the start of a return to
legality for many students who
have strayed because of the ease
of downloading mp3s. But Univer
sity of Rochester Provost Charles
Phelps feels that to make this
return permanent, education is the
answer. “We intend to mount a
vigorous effort to educate members
of the University community about
their personal responsibilities to
observe copyright regulations,”
Phelps said. “The digital world
— and our own institution’s role as
the creator of‘intellectual prop
erty’- demand that we respect the
principles of ethical use for digital
data and products.” In carrying out
his vision, his school is exploring
the creation of an undergraduate
course that studies digital copy
right issues.
Will the deal between Napster and
these universities bring illegal file
sharing by college students to a halt?
They won’t know for certain until
the end of this school year how this
“experiment” will work, but
the officials at participating
universities are ready to ex
tend their one-year contracts
if the program proves useful
to students and the RIAA
and A&M should jump on
the bandwagon.
Students should contact
the administration and
express an interest in this
program. Texas A&M of
ficials have continuously
been trying to increase the
quality of education of its
university. While most of
the administration’s meth
ods have proven controver
sial and even sometimes
offensive to students, making a deal
with Napster would be something the
entire campus would benefit from.
Certainly A&M doesn’t want the
kind of press that comes with RIAA
lawsuits filed against students.
If a measure can be taken to prevent
illegal file sharing on campus that lets
students continue to download their
favorite songs, it should.
Napster seems to have the solution
to this problem; Aggies should en
courage their university to accept it.
Mike Walters is a senior
psychology major.
MIKE
WALTERS
These deals
may veiy well
prove to be the
start of a return to
legality for many
students who
have strayed...