By Jaime Walker staff reporter Academic Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Casebolt said the students have spoken, but he wants to hear more voices before proceeding with plans to change the finals schedule, he told the House of Student Representatives Tuesday. Although about 18 percent of TCU undergraduate students responded to last week's all-campus e-mail survey about the finals schedule, Casebolt said he wants to get more than 1,236 responses. Casebolt said he wants a better cross-section of student opinion. "We are on the brink of making a dramatic and comprehensive change," he said. "As the House of Student Representatives, we need to make sure that we represent everybody. To do that, we have to talk to our constituents." According to House figures, 63.4 percent of those surveyed were in favor of the proposal, which will move one study day from the Thursday before finals week to the Wednesday of finals week. Roger Pfaffenberger, chairman of the Faculty Senate, said he expects the schedule change to be approved at the Senate's Thursday meeting. Once the Faculty Senate and the House each approve the proposal, it will move to the University Academic Council. The council, comprised of faculty, students and administrators, will make a final decision. Casebolt said the revised finals schedule is faculty-friendly, but he wants to make sure more students think it is student-friendly, too. "Not all students check their TCU e-mail accounts, so we want to make sure students understand the policies we want to enforce," he said. "One of our committee's major concerns is the fact that a lot of students are still locked out of their delta e-mail accounts because they changed the passwords over Spring Break." Debra Noll, a senior Spanish major, said she did not fill out the survey because she had not had time to change her password. "I don't use that e-mail account because the system is such a hassle," she said. "Every time I think about walking all the way over to Sid Richardson, something else comes up. The House survey just never crossed my mind. In fact, it makes no difference to me at all." Students Kyle Engelbrecht and Jen Perry both said they filled out the survey but were not clear about the proposal until someone explained it. Engelbrecht, a freshman speech communication major, said he voted against the survey. "I wish they had made the whole thing a little clearer, but regardless, I want to keep my four-day block," he said. Perry, a sophomore accounting major, said she also opposed the changes. "I didn't really see how a day in the middle of the week would make things any better," she said. Casebolt said he plans to present a resolution to the House next week, after getting more student opinions. "Next week will be the key," he said. "If it turns out that the students are not in favor, that's fine. We just need to have a strong voice on the issue." In other House business, Finance Committee Chairwoman Stine Lunden announced that next week's meeting will focus on passing next year's budget. House Dining Services Committee Chairman Josh Hawkins also announced that starting today and running through April 28, his committee will be rating customer service at on-campus eateries.
Jaime Walker
By Kathryn Garcia staff reporter Incoming freshmen will now have a chance to learn about the history and culture of Fort Worth before stepping into their first TCU classroom. Beginning with the 2000-2001 academic year, incoming freshmen will have two new frog camps from which to choose: Frog Camp Resolana and Frog Camp Casa Nueva. The two new frog camps offer students more options, allowing for a better transition to campus, said Carrie Zimmerman, program coordinator of Frog Camp. "We want (incoming students) to feel they have a voice in the university even before they get here and that they have a place on campus," she said. Wanda Muriy, a sophomore international communication major and ex-Frog Camp facilitator, said she would have preferred to have facilitated both new frog camps. "Being from the Ukraine, I know Casa Nueva will be helpful to international students," she said. "Many don't have cars, and it's hard to get around. It takes them awhile to learn where things are in Fort Worth." Resolana, a combination of community service and on-site cultural service, will offer attendees the opportunity to spend time in Santa Fe, N.M. They will help others and visit areas of interest, Zimmerman said. Incoming freshmen will help at a farm that voluntarily produces crops for underprivileged members of the community, volunteer at Ghost Ranch (an education and mission center an hour from Santa Fe) and experience the Southwest culture in Santa Fe. Megan Stuebner, a junior biology major and future staff member at Camp Resolana, said her job is to help students move into a new environment while pursuing cultural goals. Casa Nueva, an introduction to the history and culture in Fort Worth, provides incoming freshmen the opportunity to learn more about the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Zimmerman said. "The more they know about Fort Worth, and the more they know about the community, the more they can make an impact on the community while they are students here," Zimmerman said. Also director of Casa Nueva, Stuebner said the camp is still in the planning stages, but some plans include visiting various museums in the area, attending a Texas Rangers game and riding the Tarantula Express (a train tour through Grapevine and Fort Worth). "I want (freshmen) to leave with a sense that TCU is a welcoming community and that TCU can easily be their new home," she said.Zimmerman said Casa Nueva's dates are planned for the weekend of Recruitment so that students not pledging will have an alternative. "In no way are we trying to compete with (Recruitment)," she said. "We know some students don't (pledge), and Casa Nueva offers another set of activities during those few days." The other Frog Camp options are Frog Camp Alpine (a high adventure in Colorado), Frog Camp Challenge (a team-building challenge course), Frog Camp Quest (a community service camp) and Frog Camp Labor Day.
Kathryn Garcia
Editor's note: This is the 10th in a series of articles profiling the 17 task forces that make up the Commission on the Future of TCU. By Jill McNeal staff reporter Junior psychology and Spanish major Walker Moody said he sees what is going on in undergraduate science classes. Instead of merely complaining about the conditions, Moody has the chance to take action as the only student on the task force for the new College of Science and Engineering. "I know that in chemistry lab, we had to omit a portion of the assignment in our book because we didn't have the updated equipment we needed," Moody said. "In a lab of 40 students, there might be only two balances. As a committee, our job is to cite problem areas and tell what needs to be done." Task force members said they are discussing how to upgrade the equipment and boost the national reputation of the new College of Science and Engineering. The task force is one of 17 on the Commission on the Future of TCU, which was established by Chancellor Michael Ferrari to determine how the university can move to the next level of academic distinction. Timothy Barth, chairman of the psychology department, said a major concern for the task force as a whole has been updating science laboratory equipment for research and teaching purposes. "Technology in the sciences is moving so fast, and it is so important that students are exposed at this time to up-to-date technology when they come into the science labs," Barth said. "We also want to invest in improving the infrastructure of the teaching classrooms. If you've been over to Winton-Scott Hall lately, you know those classrooms are badly in need of repair." Moody said it is important to address the need for the right equipment. "Right now, there are students working with toxic chemicals and using a fan to blow them out into the hallway," Moody said. "They should have fume hoods. The solution seems simple, but it is not in place right now." Efton Park, an associate professor of math and chairman of the infrastructure subcommittee, said task force members want to move TCU's science programs to the next level of distinction. "We're looking to get more technology into the classrooms and labs," he said. "We're also looking at more mundane things such as security. We might want to replace the current lock system with key-card access." Park said he wants to make TCU more competitive for talented high school students looking at colleges. "With more state-of-the-art equipment and a new college that is more homogeneous than before, we will be able to react better to the needs of the faculty and the students," Park said. Walt Williamson, chairman of the engineering department, said he hopes the formation of a separate college for sciences and engineering will attract more engineering students to TCU. "We want to become more visible and also develop a greater community presence by establishing partnerships with local companies such as Texas Instruments," he said. Williamson said with the help of the new William E. and Jean Jones Tucker Technology Center, he hopes the engineering department will be able to increase its student enrollment and also its number of faculty members. "Just having a new facility will be a big plus for us," Williamson said. "The new college will be able to grow and do interesting new things yet maintain the things we are doing well now, like the personal attention and opportunities for interaction and undergraduate research our students get." Moody said the goal of the task force is to make every program in the new college a program of excellence. "I want any high school student in the country to be able to go to his or her guidance counselor and say, 'Where can I get the best science education?' and hear TCU in the top three answers," he said.
Jill McNeal
By Courtney Roach staff reporter TCU students will have the chance to view two movies from their childhood, but they will not need a time machine. The Spring Film Festival, sponsored by Programming Council, will feature two movies, "The Neverending Story" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," at 8 p.m. today and Thursday, respectively, in the Student Center Ballroom. Amanda Knecht, the fine arts chairwoman for PC, said the fine arts committee has chosen a theme for the event for the past two years and that is how they come up with their movie selections. "We decided as part of our theme that we would show movies from our childhood," Knecht said. "We wanted to show the movie 'The Goonies' also, but we could not get it." Frances Silva, a junior finance major, said she attended the movie at Frog Fountain last year and will go again this year because it was a fun atmosphere. "We all had blankets and popcorn and all kinds of candies and drinks," Silva said. "April is kind of hectic anyway with tests, so it was a nice way to relax." Not all students were pleased with the movie selections. John Sivak, a junior speech communication major, said he will not attend the film festival. "Actually, I didn't know about the film festival," Sivak said. "But I probably won't go because I don't think the movies are very good." Knecht said along with free admission, there will also be door prizes given away. Free popcorn and drinks will be available. Elizabeth Reap, a sophomore business management major, said she is not able to attend the event because of a busy weeknight schedule, but she likes the idea. "I think it's a good idea, and since it's free, it is a good option for students on weeknights," Reap said. Last year was the first time PC held the film festival, Knecht said, and there were three nights instead of two with the final movie shown outside by Frog Fountain. She said she is hoping for 30 or 40 people each night. "It was our first-ever outside movie, and the attendance was OK on the nights it was inside, but the outside was the best," she said. She said although the ballroom is not a theater, it is a good place to show the movies because people like to bring their own beanbags and pillows. "Ideally, it would be nice if we had a theater in a central location like in the Student Center, but it's adequate and people can move chairs around to get comfortable," Knecht said. Paige Reeve, a sophomore speech communication major, said the event could provide an opportunity to make new friends. "I think it's a great idea because it gives people an opportunity to meet new people and gives them something to do," Reeve said.
Courtney Roach |
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