Texas A and M University - Aggieland Yearbook (College Station, TX)

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Left: A student rides across cam¬ pus by the married student apart¬ ments. Approximately 2.2 per¬ cent of the student body was | comprised of permanent resident Asian students. Far left: Aggie 5 fans celebrate A M’s victory oc over the University of Texas. Above: John Saenz, senior animal science major, uses a model of a molecule to study for a chemistry quiz. Left: A company comes to attention before a pregame march-in. Features 29

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Administration pushes for increase Minority Enrollment By Lee Schexnaider Minority enrollment increased in 1987- 1988, but overall numbers were still low and the University turned to several pro¬ grams designed to attract more minority students. A M Associate Provost Jerry Gaston said the number of minority students in the graduate and undergraduate programs has increased. “Last fall (1986) we had 175 new black students,” he said. “This fall (1987) we have 268, which is a 53 percent increase. In the Hispanic category we also have a 53 percent increase, but the numbers are dif¬ ferent — 397 for last fall and 608 for this fall.” To help boost those numbers, A M start¬ ed a program to help minority students pre¬ pare for college while still in high school. The University Outreach Centers encour¬ aged minority high school students to take classes that would help them get into col¬ lege. And the Office of Student Relations ap¬ pointed recruiters who were to be perma¬ nently located in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. “The idea is they would be available as recruiters particular¬ ly in the public schools in the highly popu¬ lated areas,” he said. “And consequently they can work with school counselors to get the students to apply themselves toward higher education in the first place, and Tex¬ as A M is the second.” The program is a joint venture between A M and the Uni¬ versity of Texas. Lynn Brown, associate di¬ rector of the Office of School Relations for A M said the purpose of the centers is to contact potentially good academic black and Hispanic students. “Avery large percent of what would prob¬ ably be qualified students don’t take courses necessary to be able to go to col¬ lege,” he said. Sallie Sheppard, associate provost for the University Honors Program and under¬ graduate studies, says many of the minor¬ ities haven’t taken the right classes. “They come here and have a rough time or can’t get in. We want to talk to them while they are young and tell them they can go to (colleges like) A M or UT. Also in 1987-1988, the University formed the Multicultural Services Center to help students already at A M. Kevin Carreathers, the center’s coordinator, said a centralized office for minority students was needed. “The best thing we do is provide an initial contact that the students can have to find out about everything else that takes place on campus,” Carreathers said. “Someone has mentioned that it is a home away from home for minority students.” IS ' .- ' ►

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“In actuality, when you buy a permit for student parking you are buying a hunting license that allows you to hunt for a space.” —Bob Wiatt, University Police Director It’s 15 minutes to class, and you’re playing vulture, hoping a space will appear in the crowded parking lot. But with 9,931 permits issued for 7,260 spaces, the fact is that all too often there’s The Texas A M skyline started to change as a 2,000-space parking garage rose near the Blocker Building, but most students weren’t expecting the University’s parking problems to go away. The already-crowded parking lots were scheduled to get a new load as officials planned a new dormitory complex but didn’t plan parking facilities for the stu¬ dents who would live there. And officials haven’t decided how many students will be allowed to park in the garage once it’s fin¬ ished in 1989 — or how much it will cost them to do so. Students this year faced an added twist when enrollment passed the 39,000 mark in the fall. More students competed for the same number of parking spaces, prompting University Police Director Bob Wiatt to tell the Battalion, “In actuality, when you buy a permit for student parking you are buying a hunting license that allows you to hunt for a space.” And hunting for a space can bring out the dark side of even the nicest student. The Zachry parking lot was the scene of terri¬ tory-marking, as students perched like hungry animals at the beginning of rows, waiting for prospective prey to head for their cars. Jumping at the slightest move¬ ment on “their” row, or at the appearance of a car’s backup lights, students rushed to the space and claimed their new-found prize with a blinker. The desperate hunt for spaces on campus caused many students to turn to alternative solutions such as parking illegally or park¬ ing in off-campus lots. Nan Nolte, a senior secondary education major, described the parking situation as “utterly ridiculous.” “You leave for classes 45 minutes early Four years of parking stickers cover the car of a and you’re lucky if you get there on time,” she said. “You spend 10 minutes driving to school and 30 looking for a place to park. “It’s more convenient to park off campus and walk on than it is to try to park on campus. I would usually park around Northgate or use the ‘mud lot.’” Businesses along the north side of cam¬ pus have long been plagued with students parking illegally in spaces reserved for cus¬ tomers. Even though the lot adjacent to Skaggs Alpha Beta, Music Express and Fat Burger contains warning signs about towing non-patrons, it’s a popular area for students because of its convenient location and lack of control. Another Northgate parking attraction, the gravel-covered 6 Va acres of prime park¬ ing best known as the “mud lot,” attracted students looking for quick access to the north side of campus. Although the going rate this year was $65 a semester or $1 a day, students fed up with on-campus park¬ ing found it a good alternative. Does everyone hate the parking situa¬ tion? Hardly. Some, such as junior business analysis major Karen Gribschaw, like it just the way it is. “I personally like it because all of the buildings on campus are closer to¬ gether and easy to get to,” she said. “I don’t think they should add more parking lot space on campus because it would just mean more traffic and make it harder to get to class. Parking garages are a great idea, but they need to be put on the outskirts of campus.” With University officials estimating an enrollment of more than 40,000 by the ear¬ ly 1990s, more parking — whether on or off campus — looked like a necessity if the hunt was to be kept from becoming an all- out war. By Daniel A. La Bry 30 Features