By Jessica Schambach STAFF REPORTER The $250,000 Pizza Hut renovation will satisfy student's late-night cravings, lessen traffic in the Main and provide additional office space for management, dining services representatives said. Construction should be completed by Oct. 4, said David Ripple, general manager of Sodexho Marriott. The eatery will include Pizza Hut, Pretzel Logic, Freshen's yogurt, The Grind, Stems and Staples, a nacho and hot dog stand and a display cooking area. Computer jacks will be located at countertops for students with laptop computers. Construction began last month, but the original idea was proposed almost two and a half years ago, Ripple said. Ripple also said he compiled suggestions from student surveys and the House of Student Representatives to find out what students wanted on campus. "This is our way of addressing what we hear," he said. "It's definitely going to serve a need." Food Service Director Ed Lube said the University Ministries office, formerly located next to Pizza Hut, was moved in order to provide additional space. Doing so will help spread out traffic entering the Main, he said. "Hopefully we'll be able to avoid those major rushes we have at lunch," Lube said. "We understand people have a limited time to eat." Ripple said the current Staples location will be turned into dining services offices. "If you want to talk to a manager, you'll at least have a central place to go and talk to somebody," he said. "You don't have to go hunt somebody down." He said prices will not increase because of the new additions. "It's an interesting process of how we're financing it," said Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs. "Basically, we're making an assumption. The money was forwarded up front on the basis that there would be an increase in revenues." Ripple said he believes the eatery will pay for itself in three years. "We're trying to reduce overhead costs in other places and have this be more efficient to keep costs down," he said. Many students responded positively to the changes in eating establishments and new meal options. Ty Voyles, a junior business major, said he thinks more choices are needed for students. "I think it's a good investment," he said. "They're focusing their spending on something that students actually use." Brooks Zitzmann, a freshman premajor, agreed, saying offering more choices is definitely a step in the right direction. "Variety is the spice of life, so maybe it can spice up life around TCU," she said. Kristina Kerchief, a sophomore movement science major, said the eatery will also provide a sense of community on campus. "It will bring everything more together than the Main (and allow) more chances for students to get together," she said.
Deli replaces 'all-you-can-eat'
By Jessica Schambach STAFF REPORTER A brightly colored sign reading "a gourmet deli with a decorative delight" hangs above the glass doors on the north side of Reed Hall leading toward the former Eden's North location. Deco Deli caters mostly to health-conscious students, said David Ripple, general manager of Sodexho Marriott. Low-fat sandwiches, soups and salads compose the cafeteria-style spread. Plants, flowers and green and red tiles trim the surroundings. Some students said they were agitated by the loss of the only on-campus, all-you-can-eat cafeteria, but many students said they enjoy the first grease-free eatery. "It's much healthier," said Helen Rowe, a senior fashion merchandising major. "And I like that the sandwiches are made right in front of you." Kara Casper, a sophomore music education major, agreed, adding she did not receive the full benefit of eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet because her appetite is not very large. But Myles Hayes, a senior photography major, said he would like to see the all-you-can-eat option return. "When I went to Eden's North with mad eats, I left satisfied," he said. "The new deli does not satisfy me. I need to be satisfied." Food Service Director Ed Lube said not enough people liked the all-you-can-eat option. Because of its lack of profits, dining services representatives decided to replace it with Deco Deli, he said. And Ripple said the onset of Deco Deli has tripled business, although he knew some students would complain about the loss of Eden's North. "The deli at this point is viewed as a big success because it's meeting the needs of a larger part of the campus," he said. Food Service Manager and Nutrition Counselor Anne Jordan said only two out of 20 people responded negatively on comment cards. Ripple said students' suggestions play a key role in what is offered at the deli. "As with everything, it's a work in progress," he said. "As we get comment cards, we'll add stuff and delete stuff. It just depends on what's going on, but it's been successful so far." Lube agreed, saying dining services representatives are trying to meet the immediate needs of students. "It's an ever-evolving kind of thing," he said. "Desires change over time, and we need to be able to change along with those." Ripple said administrators have discussed opening another all-you-can-eat cafeteria when the new student center is built, but no serious plans have been made yet.
By Stephen Suffron STAFF REPORTER Every student is given a purpose in life, and stereotypes and limited experience serve as serious roadblocks to finding that purpose, award-winning lecturer and author Bertice Berry told students in a packed Ed Landreth Auditorium Thursday night. "All of these (stereotypes) keep us from getting to the truth - the truth that within us. We all have purpose," she said. "We all have something we are designed to do - something that fills your destiny down the road. It's not your occupation. It's your calling." Berry said it is through diverse experience that a person finds his or her purpose, but a narrow experience limits what that person can evolve into. "You can't do critical thinking with one thought," she said. Berry, a nationally recognized comedienne, kept the audience laughing throughout her speech. "I think that if you're touching someone's emotions, they're more likely to listen and to learn," she said. "And I think humor is a powerful emotion." Appealing directly to audience members for examples of stereotypes they know, Berry pointed out how those stereotypes are readily available in people's minds and how they shape the way people relate to each other. "The world can't just let different be different," she said. "It has to be superior or inferior, less or more." To overcome the impact of these "lies," Berry told the students they must "erase the tape" that runs those stereotypes through their minds and replace it with truth. And the only way for them to know that truth is to experience it for themselves by talking to people, looking for ways to serve others and confronting those who perpetuate those misconceptions, she said. "When people say these things - when they tell those 'harmless' jokes - if you don't say anything, they become yours," she said. After she finished her prepared speech, she answered questions from students, encouraging them again to use every resource available to expand their experiences and find their calling in life. After Berry closed her speech as she began it - with a song of prayer - students gave her a standing ovation. Meredith Pressly, a sophomore interior design major, said she enjoyed Berry's ability to mix humor with a serious message. "I found her very funny," she said. "That's what I enjoyed most - how she was able to talk about something serious, yet make it funny and put it on our level where we can relate to what she was talking about." Matthew Baade, a junior psychology major, said he enjoyed Berry's discussion of how people influence each other's lives. "I thought it was cool how she talked about how you shouldn't just look at the major influences and that how everyone plays a role in everyone else's life," he said. Ivy Totta, a sophomore elementary education major, said she was challenged by Berry's down-to-earth speaking style. "I am going to try to broaden my horizons," she said. "I realize that I have lived a very sheltered life, and I do shy away from talking to new people and expanding. I should just go out there and do it. They're just people." At the end of her remarks, Berry left the students with a quote from her novel that will be released next month. The quote sums up the philosophy by which she tries to live: "Learn to love. Strive to love. Because, children, we don't have time for anything else."
By Justin Roche staff Reporter Human Resources recently began performing criminal background checks on all prospective TCU staff members to ensure a safer campus community, said John Weis, director of Human Resources. The new policy, instituted in June, requires all non-faculty staff members, from librarians to groundskeepers, to have a complete check of their criminal record conducted before being hired. Weis said the implementation of the checks into the hiring procedure will only raise the caliber of TCU employees and the campus as a whole. "We feel it's beneficial for safety reasons in terms of the community and gives a better fit for the people we hire," Weis said. The background checks are merely a precaution to help university officials ensure they are hiring quality employees, he said. "What we're looking for is any felony convictions anywhere the person has lived," Weis said. "It doesn't automatically disqualify them. We look at the nature of the offense and what kind of job they would be performing on campus." The backgrounds of potential faculty members are not checked because they are hired by committees through the individual schools and not by the university. Most applicants also have a rapport with the existing faculty of the department in which they may be hired, Weis said. "A lot of people in the professional academics know the people through professional contacts and conferences," Weis said. "It's an entirely different hiring process." Weis also said there are no current plans for criminal background checks for faculty positions, but applicants can give a self-disclosed account if they want an aspect of their past to be known to the university. Background checks are also not required of students who apply to work on campus because these students are not considered permanent personnel, Weis said. Since the checks for staff members began, there has been an increase in the number of applicants turned down due to their criminal history, Weis said. However, this new policy has not deterred people from applying for TCU positions. But Ronald Burns, assistant professor of criminal justice, said the new policy has potential for discrimination. "There's a move in America toward 'restorative justice,' welcoming the offender back into society, and some people might use (the check) as a way of excluding a person whose supposedly paid their dues," Burns said. "It's not a bad approach. It just has its downfalls. But you do have to consider the risks and what you're dealing with here on campus." Monroe Howard, who was hired as a Human Resources specialist on Sept. 2, said the check was not an issue for him. "It didn't make me nervous because my record is pretty clean," Howard said. "At the same time, it's comforting because you never know the kind of people you might hire if you don't do the check." Paula Wyche, who began working as a library assistant Tuesday, said the background check makes sense due to the environment in which the workers are employed. "I've worked in public libraries, and they do this because the people work with kids," Wyche said. "The students here are kind of young so (the check) is generally a good idea." Kyle Sherer, a senior criminal justice major, said checking the criminal backgrounds of potential TCU employees is an assurance to the workers themselves as well as the students. "I think the management made a good decision in doing this because it improves the morale of the other workers," he said. "They feel safe and know they can trust each other. As for students, it's nice because you never have to wonder. You can walk around campus and feel safe."
By Jaime Walker skiff staff They came from crowded orphanages with cribs for beds and no view of the outside world. Now, after being adopted, the 20 Russian and Romanian children have beds in American homes but sometimes find it difficult to appreciate what they have. This summer's TCU-sponsored Camp Celebration for Internationally Adopted Children provided a rare opportunity for adopted children to learn how to love and be loved. "The reason this program was so rewarding was because, at the end, you could see their faces had begun to light up," said Karyn Purvis, a TCU graduate student in psychology. Camp Celebration was the first camp of its kind in the nation and brought parents, children and psychology professionals together. TCU's psychology department sponsored the camp as part of its attempt to help advance the study of psychological development of adopted international students. It was designed to give hope and support to families that often do not have the opportunity to share their experiences with one another, Purvis said. The boys and girls who took part in Camp Celebration left the war-torn countries where they spent their early years. They moved in with Fort Worth families, who in some cases spent close to $30,000 to give them better lives. With the help of TCU student volunteers, the children got the chance to really be kids, Purvis said. "It was great to hear them laugh for the first time," said Linnea Harribance, a senior psychology major who took part in the program. Purvis said it is difficult for the children to adjust to their American homes because, for the first time, they are experiencing love. "These children are very delayed," she said. "We essentially tried to help them develop an attachment to their parents." Purvis said because the children had such little human contact in the orphanages, they still have trouble interacting on a familial level. "Some of these parents have hearts the size of Dallas, and all they want is to share that with their children, but the kids push them away," she said. Camp Celebration was also designed as an educational experience for the parents. Throughout the camp, parents stayed in close communication with Ron Federici, a nationally known expert on attachment disorders. TCU staff members also helped track the progress of the children. "TCU truly provided us with the information and the feedback that we needed to understand how to help our children," said Kathi Seidel, a single mother whose two children attended the sessions. Seidel said she was delighted with the changes that took place in her son Gregory, 11, and her daughter Kaita, 13, both from Russia. "We have had a real challenge getting along, but with the help of the camp staff, especially the students, my kids are learning the importance of respecting each other more," she said. Seidel said she works to help her children understand social skills. "Sometimes it is hard not to feel isolated in a situation like this because no one informed me of what challenges I would face," she said. Jennifer Zwahr-Castro, a professor of psychology, said her eyes were opened to the widespread need for greater education regarding attachment disorders. "Considering the number of international adoptions that take place in the (United States), it is a problem that the nation must address," she said. Purvis said the psychology department is trying to make the camp a model for other organizations interested in addressing the psychological, emotional and learning challenges of internationally adopted youth. Seidel said she was not only impressed with the improvements in her children but also with TCU's role in the program. "TCU is on its way to becoming famous for the work they are doing in this field," Seidel said. "This camp was a wonderful way to give back." |
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