By Danny Horne staff reporter Funds are currently being raised in an attempt to endow the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, which officials said is another step toward further diversifying campus. By endowing the scholarship fund, the members of the Chancellor's Council on Diversity and Community said they think more students will receive this scholarship because there will be more consistent amounts of available money. Cornell Thomas, special assistant to the chancellor for diversity, said the lack of consistent money is why the diversity council has been working to endow the scholarship. "Endowing the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship would definitely increase funding for the students who receive the scholarship," Thomas said. "The amount of money that becomes available would depend upon the interest earned on the endowment." By endowing this scholarship, the diversity council is actually setting aside the donated money, Thomas said. The council will draw money from the interest earned on the endowment. Linda Moore, chairwoman of the social work department, said the scholarship is typically awarded to three to five students each year, with approximately $1,000 given to each student. "(The Martin Luther King Jr.) scholarship has been available here for about 15 years," Moore said. "The idea behind endowing this scholarship fund is to increase the funding, so more students who fit the criteria might be able to receive the award and possibly receive more money." Thomas said no matter how much money is in the endowment, students will always have to meet the criteria of the council. "Students who apply for this scholarship do not have to be black like many probably think," Thomas said. "Students who apply must share the ideals and spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. and have a background in community service whether they are black or white. Academically, the applicant must maintain a 3.0 GPA." The latest issue of "TCU Voices", which is distributed by the Chancellor's Council on Diversity, said Chancellor Michael Ferrari plans to donate $1,000 to the fund and has challenged 25 other members of the TCU community to contribute. "I have been contributing to this fund for some time, and I think (Ferrari's) stance should be very helpful," Moore said. "I would like to see more people contribute to the fund on a regular basis. Obviously, if more people contribute to scholarship funds all over campus, we will be able to help more students." Andrew Fort, a professor of religion and member of the diversity council, said the initial idea was to get different faculty and staff members to contribute to the fund but added that the council will accept donations from anyone. Fort said the diversity council does not try to focus the scholarship toward minorities but that the scholarship does usually go to minority students. "The scholarship is, by no means, closed to whites, and is, by no means, a straight quota issue," Fort said. "Students do designate their race on the application, but that is really not taken into consideration. We also must look at issues like single-parent households and first-generation college students." Moore said most of the applicants are minorities, and most of the applicants who receive the award tend to be a minority because only about 10 percent of those who apply are white. Thomas said no matter who applies, the point of the endowment is to take another step toward diversifying the campus. He said the white students who apply for this scholarship can be just as valuable toward diversifying the TCU campus because they must hold the same ideals, beliefs and dreams as Martin Luther King Jr.
Danny Horne
By Justin Roche staff reporter Ben Ruyack doesn't like to spring forward. He doesn't like to fall back. In fact, he doesn't like daylight-saving time at all. Ruyack, a sophomore education major, is from Indianapolis, Ind., one of three U.S. states that doesn't recognize daylight-saving time. Ruyack said he didn't even know it existed until he came to TCU. "The first time I heard of it, I was at a friend's house," he said. "He and his family were going around the house changing the clocks. When I asked 'Why are you doing that?' they looked at me kind of weird and said, 'Because it's daylight-saving time.' I said I had no idea what they were talking about. It took me a while to convince them that I wasn't lying or crazy. "But I don't like it. It doesn't seem worth the hassle. I don't know if it's people being greedy with daylight, but it doesn't seem to make a difference." Ruyack said since he arrived at TCU, daylight-saving time has caused him to be early for church, sleep in and mark his calendar so that he doesn't forget it again. "It seems here that people think you're an idiot if you don't know about it," he said. Ruyack isn't alone here at TCU in his lack of daylight-saving time experience. Other students from Arizona or Hawaii - the other U.S. states that don't adhere to daylight-saving time - could be surprised or bothered by the time shift 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks are moved ahead one hour, causing an hour loss in the day. The dawn of daylight-saving time arose in 1784 when Benjamin Franklin proposed the idea in a humorous essay titled "Turkey vs. Eagle, McCauley is my Beagle." But the first serious consideration came from William Willett in his 1907 pamphlet, "Waste of Daylight," in which he advocated adjusting the time because when people arose in the morning, an hour of daylight had already been wasted. When asked why he didn't just get up an hour earlier, Willett jokingly replied, "What?" and pressed on with his idea. After much ridicule and opposition, Willett's notion of shifting the time in the spring and fall to match the sun's time in the sky was adopted in England in 1916, a year after his death. The railroad system helped develop a standard time in the United States, but daylight-saving time didn't make an appearance in the states until 1918 as a way to conserve resources for World War I. It was observed for seven months until its immense unpopularity caused its repeal. World War II brought on another implementation of daylight-saving time, this time lasting from 1942 until 1945. For 21 years after the war, however, there was no federal daylight-saving time law, and states were free to choose whether to observe daylight-saving time or not, causing nationwide confusion in the travel, broadcasting and various other industries. This caused President Lyndon Johnson to sign the Uniform Time Act in 1966, bringing about daylight-saving time as it is known today. It established the beginning of daylight-saving time to begin on the last Sunday of April and to end on the last Sunday of October, allowing for sunlight to stretch longer into the evening. The law was amended in 1986 to begin daylight-saving time on the first Sunday of April. But even though daylight-saving time was in the lawbooks, there was still resistance, causing states to take advantage of the clause that a state not wanting to observe daylight-saving time could simply pass a state law. This is precisely what Indiana, Arizona and Hawaii did, choosing to remain on standard time all year round. In the same vein as Ruyack's disapproval of daylight-saving time, others have spoken up against the idea since its conception. In Robertson Davies' 1947 essay compilation, "The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks," he wrote, "As an admirer of moonlight, I resent the bossy insistence of those who want to reduce my time for enjoying it. At the back of the daylight-saving scheme, I detect the bony, blue-fingered hand of Puritanism, eager to push people into bed earlier, and get them up earlier, to make them healthy, wealthy and wise in spite of themselves." Proponents of continuing the observance of daylight-saving time cite the fact that it saves energy, and the extension of sunlight into the evening hours provides a safer environment in which to drive home from work. They say this decreases the number of auto accidents, allows more time to run errands in the day and decreases the number of crimes, giving less nightfall for criminals to work under. The weight of these benefits are contrasted, though, by its effects on farmers, whose lifestyles and incomes are affected by the change due to their need to rise with the sun and not a determined time. Other factors are the extended hour of darkness in the morning, possibly contributing to school bus accidents and the effects on the human body, like sleeping patterns, motor skills and mental acuteness. However, some students concur with Davies' sentiments, suggesting that daylight-saving time is unnecessary. Jennifer Osborne, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., said she doesn't understand the hassle. "They claim it's to get an extra hour of sunlight, but you do have that hour," said Osborne, a senior history and English major. "It's not hiding. It's just in the morning." Osborne and Ruyack both claim that life is easier living on constant standard time, knowing that you never have to worry about forgetting to adjust your clock and possibly "missing out on an hour of society," Osborne said. If given the choice, both said they would choose to live on constant standard time. One student from Indiana said although it's nice living without daylight-saving time, he doesn't see it as that big of a deal. Nathan Brown, a sophomore religion major from Lebanon, Ind., said he's still not used to the idea of daylight-saving time but is willing to deal with the hour change. "It's not like I sit around and dwell on it, like, 'Man, I don't know what to do about daylight-saving time,'" he said. "I've just been so used to it that I forget. I guess it would probably frustrate some people, but it's not the end of the world."
Justin Roche
By Matt Welnack sports editor It is a day when people have the license to play that ultimate joke and get away with it. It is also the day where suspicion is high, where the unexpected is around the corner. April Fool's Day is a day many people look forward to as a way to lighten the day at the office or school with a good practical joke. To some students, like freshman computer science major Ben Collins, April Fool's Day is one of the more important days of the year. "It is more like a necessity to play a joke because you have to carry on a tradition," he said. While April 1 has become a tradition, the origin of April Fool's Day is disputed. Most historians agree that the April Fool's Day tradition started when New Year's Day was changed from April 1 to Jan. 1. Some say it started in Europe in the 1500s when the Gregorian calendar was adopted, but others will say it first started during the Roman Empire when the Julian calendar was put into use. Where and when this idea of playing jokes on people originated is not known. Others believe April Fool's Day started in France during the 16th century when Pope Gregory introduced a new Christian calendar and New Year's Day had changed to Jan. 1. However, when New Year's Day was moved, some people did not find out about the change, so they continued to celebrate on April 1. People started to play jokes on those who did not know New Year's Day was on Jan. 1. They would invite them to fake celebration parties on April 1, send them on foolish errands or make them believe false stories. Hence, the name April Fool's. In France, April 1 is called Poisson d'Avril, which means "April fish." Traditionally, French children will tape paper fish to their friends' back, and when they discover the prank, the children yell out "poisson d'Avril!" The origin of the fish is also unknown in relation to April Fool's Day, but some people believe it has to do with the vernal equinox and when the Sun leaves the Zodiac sign of Pisces, which is a fish. Pranks today, however, range from the clever to the destructive. Junior theater and radio-TV-film major Dustin Griffith said he looks forward to April Fool's Day every year. "It is a good way to play friendly pranks on people," he said. "It is just a good excuse to do it legally and with a good reason." Griffith said he has been on both ends of an April Fool's joke. "In fifth grade, I was getting ready to take a shower when my dad activated the smoke alarm," Griffith said. "He started yelling, 'Fire! Fire!' so I ran downstairs with just a towel on, and my dad told me to get outside. When I ran outside, I didn't see anybody else out there. "I turned around, and my whole family was standing there laughing at me. I was really embarrassed." But Griffith said he has also pulled a couple of creative pranks. "One time in camp, I got some green Jell-O powder, and I put the powder in some gelcap tablets that I had emptied out," he said. "Then I unscrewed the shower head and put the new gelcaps inside. The hot water dissolved the gelcaps, and the next person who took a shower got dyed green. "They were stained green for the next three days. He tried to get me back, but it just didn't compare to being green." While some pranks last for a few days, some can have lasting effects. Collins said he played an April Fool's joke on a neighbor in his residence hall to get a little revenge. "My neighbor always played his music really loud," he said. "So, on April 1, we drilled a small hole through our wall and connected his speakers to our stereo. At 3 a.m., we blasted some Korn into his room and blew out his speakers. "It took him a while to figure out what happened." Freshman music major Jeff Dazey said he has also played a couple of good jokes but does not necessarily restrict them to the first of April. He said he put chocolate laxative in some brownies and gave them to a sorority on campus. Dazey said he also put some risqué photos in his band director's music, and when the director turned the page, Dazey said he got quite a surprise. But Dazey said he is especially excited about the possibility of Saturday's foolish festivities. "It is kind of like an excuse to be a jerk to people," Dazey said. Whether it is having a good-natured laugh at somebody else's expense or playing a little revenge, April Fool's Day offers everyone the chance to play the ultimate joke. But Griffith said people have to be careful what they do to others. "What comes around, goes around," he said. "But I'm not really that worried because I will just get them back the next year."
Matt Welnack
By Reagan Duplisea staff reporter The TCU Board of Trustees is expected to pass the expense budget for the 2000-2001 academic year during its meeting today at the Dee J. Kelly Alumni & Visitors Center. At its January meeting, the board projected a $165 million revenue budget, which is how much income it expects TCU to receive. Chancellor Michael Ferrari said the board will decide on budget allotments for four main categories: faculty and staff compensation, academic program initiatives, campus facilities and student financial aid. Faculty and staff compensation will take up about 40 percent of the expense budget, he said. Ferrari said the board will decide on the main allotments, but the rest will be up to administration. "The board does not get involved with micromanaging at the department level," Ferrari said. Mike Scott, director of student scholarships and financial aid, said he is asking the board for $11.5 million, which is up from this year's $10.68 million budget. Scott said it was increased because of the tuition increase and the new scholarship stacking. Besides the budget, another main issue the board will discuss will be staff salaries, said Mary Lane, chairwoman of the Staff Assembly. "We have the chancellor's word on that," Lane said. "Our biggest concern is salaries." The issue was brought up at a luncheon Thursday by Ferrari and Student Government Association President Ben Jenkins, Lane said. Board members, vice chancellors and deans attended the lunch, and Roger Pfaffenberger, chairman of the Faculty Senate, and Jenkins gave reports on their organizations. Lane said she hopes the board will recognize the need for staff support since many of the board members are businesspeople. "If the university wants to go to the next tier, we have to be able to hire and retain staff," Lane said. "To do that, we have to pay them." Staff salaries were also brought up by members of Intercom during its meeting with the board's Student Relations Committee, said Kathleen Jeffery, Uniting Campus Ministries president and Intercom member. Intercom is an association of the presidents of campus organizations. "In general, TCU pays (its staff members) less by a good percent than (Tarrant County College) and the Fort Worth Independent School District," Jeffery said. Jeffery said Intercom members also made presentations on issues such as the safety of academic buildings and academic facilities. She made a presentation on improving academic experiences by implementing seminars for all four years at TCU, instead of just a student's freshman and senior years. Ferrari said the Academic Affairs Committee toured the academic buildings Thursday to see what was needed. Facilities were another issue Intercom brought to the attention of the Student Relations Committee of the board, said Sara Donaldson, vice president of the House of Student Representatives. Donaldson said she found many facility needs while she prepared her report. "If you go building to building, there's story after story," Donaldson said. "Outside the buildings, TCU looks beautiful, but it's what's inside that matters." Jenkins said he hopes that Student Relations chairman Clarence Scharbauer III will take many of the topics they talked about to the board. "What they usually talk about depends on if the issue can be acted upon," Jenkins said. Donaldson said she remains positive. "I could tell the committee was very concerned with the concerns we had," Donaldson said. "Hopefully, good things will come out of that."
Staff Reporter Danny Horne contributed to this report.
Reagan Duplisea
By Omar Villafranca staff reporter The TCU department of ballet and modern dance will showcase seven performances this weekend, with benefits going to the TCU Guild Scholarship fund. The spring concert will feature six original works by TCU students and faculty members. The finale of the concert is the work of TCU choreographer-in-residence and international dance star Fernando Bujones. Ashley Flowers, a freshman ballet major, said the dances that will be performed are not all the same. "It's a really different mix of performances," Flowers said. "If you have never seen dance before, this is the performance to come to because it's a mix of different genres of dance." Keitha Manning, a lecturer in the modern dance department and organizer of one of the performances, said the concert will feature a wide array of styles.
Ellen Garrison, chairwoman of the ballet and modern dance department, said she has high expectations for her dancers and the concert. "What I expect is no more than they give on a daily basis," Garrison said. "They've been working on this since January. They've put their heart and souls into it." The TCU Guild, founded in 1954, gives one scholarship to each department in the College of Fine Arts and Communication. One student from the art and art history, ballet and modern dance, communication science and disorders, journalism, music, radio-TV-film, speech communication and theater departments will receive a scholarship. Jenny Mendez, a recipient of one of the TCU Guild scholarships, said two well-known choreographers' original works will be performed. "We are performing works from Fernando Bujones and Paul Taylor," said Mendez, a senior modern dance and RTVF major. "I think because of that, this performance will stand out. And that this is the TCU Guild event rounds it out." TCU Guild president Betty Boisselier said she hopes this year's event will be a success. "Last year, we raised a little (more than) $7,000 for the TCU Guild," Boisselier said. "All proceeds from the ticket sales go to the scholarship." Mendez also said students who come will not simply see a great show. "Students who come see this performance will see what dance is about," Mendez said. "They will see the different forms that dance can take, and they will be supporting their fellow TCU students and the dance community."
Omar Villafranca
By Jaime Walker staff reporter For senior Jeff Moles, being selected as state finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship program is just one of his many wonderful opportunities as a student, he said. "When they asked me to apply, it was a great honor," he said. "I will never forget what I learned by going through the process. Add that to everything else I have learned here, and I can honestly say that TCU has changed my life."
"I remember talking to my mom about the scholarship way back when," he said. "When I got to college, it crossed my mind, but I never dreamed I would go so far." Hatcher, also the coordinator of prestigious scholarships for the Honors Program, said the Rhodes Scholarship is designed to honor 32 college seniors nationwide who have strong academic credentials and demonstrate outstanding leadership. Scholarship recipients receive a two-year, fully paid scholarship to Oxford University in England, Hatcher said. A resident of Oklahoma, Moles went on to become one of 11 finalists for that state. In December, he joined college students from around the nation for rigorous interviews. "The panel asked some really tough questions," he said. "They have to. Each state can only select two national representatives." Although Moles was not selected to go on to the national finals, he said he is glad he got the opportunity to participate. "I knew winning was a long shot," he said. "But in the end it, the whole thing was worth it." Moles, who will attend Stanford Law School next fall, said his internal drive and motivation have led him throughout his life. Kelly Boyington, a senior nutrition and dietetics major and Moles' girlfriend, said she admires his motivation. "When I tell people about Jeff, I describe him as smart and ambitious," she said. "But the great thing about Jeff is that he is so humble. He just goes about his life and never publicizes all that he has done and accomplished. "Jeff is one of those people who gives so much to everyone who is important to him. He respects his family and values his friendships." "If there is one thing I have learned in my time here, it's that education is about what you put in and what you choose to get out of it," he said. "I have learned a great deal in the classroom, but I have learned valuable lessons as an RA, too. Sometimes my residents help me as much as I help them." He would not be where he is today without the guidance he received from his mother and grandmother, Moles said. "I owe them a huge debt of gratitude," he said. "Growing up without a father meant they had to make enormous sacrifices to get me here. There is absolutely no way I could ever repay them." Hatcher said she expects Moles to continue having great success in life. "We chose Jeff for the Rhodes program because he was well-rounded and well-grounded," she said. "With those qualities, there is no limit to what is in store for him."
Jamie Walker |
"The dance I am working on is a dance
used for spiritual reasons," Manning said. "(The dance) is a
significant ending in our spiritual process."
Moles, who will graduate in May with a 4.0
GPA and a bachelor's of science degree in mathematics, said the thought
of being a Rhodes Scholar had been in the back of his mind since he was
little, but he did not think too seriously about it until TCU associate
professor of mathematics Rhonda Hatcher encouraged him to apply last fall.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |