By Jaime Walker staff reporter The House of Student Representatives voted 23-20, with three abstentions, to encourage the administration to review policies surrounding the finals schedule. In an individual role-call vote, each member expressed his or her support or disapproval for the House resolution about finals week at its regular meeting Tuesday. "We designed the resolution such that it said 'We, the student body, want and support the spirit of change, but we want the administration to review the policy and come up with the plan that is best for the students,'" said Brian Casebolt, chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee. As he presented the resolution to the House floor, Casebolt told the representatives to take debate seriously, consider both sides and vote for what they felt was right. Bryan Perkins, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon representative, spoke in opposition of the resolution. "When I talked to my guys, they made it very clear that they like the schedule the way it is," he said. "They saw our proposal as just prolonging the inevitable. The way they look at it, finals are stressful anyway. People who support this say that it will be break up the stress, but I will just stress out more." Jenny Gravley heard a different story from her constituents in Sherley Hall. "Of all the people I talked to, I didn't find anybody who didn't like the idea of a change," she said. "Personally, I take a lot of upper-level classes, and I am already thinking of ways to use that day. It would make my life so much easier." Student Government Association President Ben Jenkins said he was not surprised debate lasted for over half an hour. "This issue has a direct impact on people," he said. "When it comes to major changes like this, there will be a contest. Around finals, everyone's grades are on the line. When we start considering changing the schedule during that time, it penetrates people, and there are a lot of opinions." Scott Geer, Sigma Nu representative, said the results of the vote not only represented the opinions of House members but also reflected the constituents. Geer, who voted against the resolution, said he did so because his fraternity brothers were opposed to the change. "When I talked to them, 80 percent voted against it," he said. "I felt that's what I had to do (Tuesday) because they elected me to represent them." Sherley Hall representative Jenny Specht also opposed the bill. For her, the vote was not just a chance to express her disapproval for the finals schedule but also for the work of the Academic Affairs Committee. "We have been discussing this same issue since I have been in House," she said. "I am convinced that nothing will really change, regardless of this resolution. We need to move on." By putting the finals week resolution to a vote, the House took the next step toward administrative action, Jenkins said. "(Tuesday) the representatives spoke their minds and their constituents' minds," he said. "With their votes, they send a message that this issue is a concern. After four years of discussion, we finally put it to a vote, and that says a lot." Even though many words were exchanged about the Academic Affairs resolution, only two people spoke about the SGA budget - SGA Treasurer and House Finance Committee Chairwoman Stine Lunden and Programming Council Finance Director Nhu Do. After explaining the SGA, House and PC budgets, the two women took questions. No hands went up. "For some members, reading a budget can be like trying to read a foreign language so I think the fact that there were no questions reflects the confidence they have in us to produce a budget that will help SGA, House and PC run effectively," Lunden said. According to House parliamentary procedure, discussion of the budget should move from the question-answer period to debate, but before debate began, Matt Louis, chairman of the Technology Advancement Committee made a motion to expedite the process and vote. Although town representative James Applebury asked the House to reconsider, allowing debate, his motion was denied. A vote was taken, and the budget passed. Town representative Nicholas Parks said he was disappointed that debate was closed before it even opened. "The House is supposed to be the place where students can voice their concerns and be heard on all of the issues, but that can't happen when we cut the process short," he said. "By not allowing our debate, House doesn't function the way it should." Lunden said students are encouraged to voice their concerns about the budget and have a variety of opportunities to question it before the House meeting. "We want students to understand the budget, and for that reason, they are always welcome to talk to me," she said. "My door is always open. Before the budget even comes up for a vote, it passes the (Administrative Cabinet) and Finance Committee." Lunden said she was not surprised the budget passed rather easily. "I think the members of House showed they are confident in our abilities," she said. Jenkins said the House meeting was successful and productive. "Overall, I was very impressed with all that went on (Tuesday)," he said. "Representatives really showed that they can take their job seriously. They focused on things that were important to them and weren't afraid to share opinions and then make decisions."
Staff Reporter Kaitie Smith contributed to this report.
Jaime Walker
By Courtney Roach staff reporter Pulitzer Prize nominee and the 39th U.S. poet laureate of the United States Robert Pinsky will discuss "Learning and Art" at the Honors Convocation Thursday.
Karen Steele, a professor of English, said a poet laureate is someone who has achieved high accomplishments in the world of poetry and does not apply for the honor but is chosen. "They are the public face of poetry," Steele said. "They travel around the United States and promote poetry and liberal arts." Kathryne McDorman, director of the TCU Honors Program, said the tradition of a poet laureate goes back to England, where a poet was chosen to memorialize or put issues of that day into a timeless form of poetic art. "His addresses are passionate appeals for liberal arts and humanities," McDorman said. "Everyone in the university would benefit from hearing him speak." McDorman said Pinsky has traveled to many events and written poetry about them, including the millennial celebration in Washington, D.C. He has transformed the job of a poet laureate into being an advocate of liberal arts, she said. "He has become a spokesperson for a view of life and values that too often get lost in moneymaking and politics," McDorman said. Jesse Elsey, a freshman psychology major and member of the Honors Program, said she will be attending Convocation and is looking forward to hearing Pinsky. "We're proud as the TCU Honors Program to be able to host such a prestigious speaker," Elsey said. Pinsky has been awarded several honors and awards including a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his book "The Figured Wheel: New and Collected Poems." He has written several books of poetry, and his works have appeared in numerous magazines. Pinsky is best known for his book, "The Inferno of Dante," his own translation of Dante Alighieri's "Inferno." Alison Trinkle, assistant to the director of the Honors Program, said Pinsky was chosen as the Honors Convocation guest speaker because poetry is something to which we can all relate. "I found an article on him a couple years ago, and I liked what he said about creativity in the classroom," Trinkle said. "He talked about stepping outside of the norm and doing what it takes to keep students interested, whether it's English or biology." Even if we don't consider ourselves poetry lovers, it is still an integral part of our lives, Trinkle said. McDorman said Pinsky has been reappointed as poet laureate for a third term, which is fairly unprecedented. She encourages everyone to not miss out on the opportunity. "The Honors Convocation is open to everyone, and it is our gift to the university," she said.
Courtney Roach
By Danny Horne staff reporter When Sandra Ware gathers her things and turns out the lights in her office on July 31, she will be doing so for the last time as the dean of admissions.
"This is a job that demands 150 percent of your time, but, at this point, I don't think I can do that." Ware joined TCU as an assistant director of admissions in 1986. She served as an associate director of admissions from 1990 to 1996 and as the interim dean of admissions from Aug. 1, 1996, until April 18, 1997, when she was named dean of admissions. Jim Atwood, professor of religion and assistant to the dean of admissions, said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs William Koehler has already begun the nationwide search for a replacement. Koehler could not be reached for comment. "We will not need an interim director because Koehler is conducting the search right now, and we hope to have a new dean by Aug. 1," Atwood said. "It will be a challenge to find a replacement, but the end of the school year is really a good time to look for one because many of the changes in universities take place then." Atwood said his name has not been mentioned in the search for the new dean. Cornell Thomas, special assistant to the chancellor for diversity, said he would like to see someone with qualities similar to Ware's. "Admissions has done a good job with honing and perfecting what they do," Thomas said. "When a new dean is hired, it should be assured that (he or she) continues in the same direction." Ware said there are some issues the next dean should examine. "We need to address name recognition and visibility through improved marketing, and I think (Chancellor Michael) Ferrari has the initiatives to propel us," Ware said. "We need to make our recruitment and retention efforts more campus-wide." Ware said she will miss the relationships she has formed with other members of the TCU community. "That's probably what I will miss the most about my years at TCU - my interactions with the students, faculty and staff," she said. "This really is a community, and we don't tell ourselves enough what a great place this really is."
Danny Horne
By Jeff Anderson staff reporter Loaded with friendly smiles, good conversation and TCU purple, Fox Barbers is no ordinary barber shop. Owner Dallas Kirbie said she is a proud TCU supporter, and the shop is so close to TCU that it is only right to support the school. To show her spirit, Kirbie began collecting TCU memorabilia when she purchased the shop in June 1998.
"When I bought the shop, the first thing I did was paint (the outside) TCU purple," Kirbie said. Inside the barber shop are two autographed TCU football posters and a couple of faded stickers on a mirror. The once-purple stickers from the 1960s are now faded to a blue-gray color. The autographed posters are from each of the past two TCU bowl game victories. Kirbie said she had the chairs' cloths and smocks specially made in TCU purple, too. "TCU is the jewel of Fort Worth," Kirbie said. "I am two blocks from TCU - why not show support for them? We (exclusively) use purple (in the shop)." Kirbie said she has several TCU faculty and staff members come to her barber shop. Some of these customers become her good friends. Kirbie said Kenny Vaughn brought the TCU FrogHorn to the barber shop during the first week she owned it. Vaughn, who markets for TCU athletics and operates the FrogHorn, said he takes Kirbie every piece of TCU memorabilia he has or can find. "Dallas is a real nice person," Vaughn said. "She is very supportive of TCU. Everyone at Fox's loves TCU." Kirbie said she has good conversations with her customers and knows most of them by their first name only. She remembers people by their haircut and what they like to talk about, she said. Kirbie said she enjoys science fiction books and discusses them with one of her TCU faculty customers, Fred Erisman. Erisman brings her books when he comes in, she said. Erisman, a Sherley professor of literature, said Kirbie enjoys several of the same authors as he does. "I like her - she's a nice person and a great barber," Erisman said. "What more could you ask for?" A lot of TCU football players and even an entire fraternity come to Fox Barbers for haircuts, Kirbie said. "I mother them," she said. "If (students) ask for advice, then I will give it to them." Kirbie said all of the TCU memorabilia in her shop was given to her by employees or customers. She said she is grateful that her customers and barbers care enough to bring memorabilia to her. "It shows I am accepted in the barber shop," Kirbie said. Kirbie said her autographed poster means the most to her because it is dedicated to her and the barber shop by the football team. A couple of players brought it to her after the December bowl win, she said. Kirbie was recently given a January 1941 issue of the TCU Daily Skiff. The copy is yellowed and brittle, but she said she intends to frame the newspaper and hang it up in the shop. Kirbie said she does not collect for value but because she wants to support TCU. "I want to see TCU freshmen 20 years from now come in and see the stuff and be amazed," she said. Kirbie said she decided to buy the barber shop after she was fired from another shop. Kirbie was told she made too much money for a female barber and had too many clients, she said. "It was the first time I had ever been fired," she said. "I decided I would never be fired again, so I bought my own business." Kirbie said word-of-mouth has been her best advertising. Over the last 15 years, Kirbie worked in three different shops, she said. Several customers have followed her from shop to shop, she said.
Jeff Anderson |
Pinsky, a professor at Boston University, editor of the
online journal Slate and regular contributor to The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,
will speak at 11 a.m. in Ed Landreth Hall Auditorium.
"The deciding factor was that my husband is retiring
from Delta Airlines," said Ware, who has worked for the university
for 14 years. 'We are building a house in Colorado, and we knew it would
be difficult to handle both the house and the job.
The barber shop is located at 3028 Sandage Ave. near Leibrock
Village, the Brite Divinity School student housing complex currently under
construction.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |