By Stephen Suffron staff reporter Programming Council will kick off the campus-wide observation of Hispanic Heritage Month Thursday with a Mexican Independence Day celebration that will feature mariachi music, a jalapeño-eating contest, sombrero painting, a "grito" contest and other activities. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center lounge Hispanic Heritage Month begins Wednesday and runs through Oct. 15. Thursday's program is the only one scheduled by PC, but more activities are being planned by other campus organizations. Brenda Gómez, a junior fashion promotion and Spanish major and president of the Organization of Latin American Students, said it makes sense for TCU students to take an interest in Hispanic culture. "The Hispanic culture is all around," she said. "America is so global. Being from America means being from somewhere else, so it's important to recognize and celebrate the different cultures around us." Lee Daniel, chairman of the Spanish and Latin American studies department, agreed. "There are Hispanics living in every part of the (United States), but especially in the Southwest," he said. "For anyone living in the Southwest or Texas, knowing about Hispanic heritage is just common sense, so having a time dedicated to Hispanic culture is certainly important." Some Hispanic students said they have been disappointed in past years with the lack of campus-wide participation in their cultural events. Frances Silva, a junior finance and accounting major, said she believes multicultural activities do not get the same promotion as events hosted by other "non-minority" organizations. She said this difference disturbs her. "It's upsetting," she said. "I've been here three years, and yes, I could up and leave, but I'm not going to leave, because this is where I chose to go to school. I'm here to get a degree whether people accept me or not." Roberto Montes, a sophomore business management major, said since TCU's Hispanic community is so small, those who plan cultural events are at a severe disadvantage. "I think they do all they can," he said. "Unfortunately, there aren't enough Hispanics here to really tell if their doing a lot (to raise awareness). I think it's hard to bring Hispanics together, because there are too few to really show our culture." Silva said she is frustrated by the problem. "Each year, I'm told, 'Next year it'll get a little bit better,'" she said. "But when I first came here, I hated it. It was like I was sold on all the wrong aspects of TCU. But then, you could sit back and complain, or you can make a difference." But Silva said she will not let the frustrations of the past dampen her hopes for this year's celebration. "Even if we have just a small impact, to me, that's enough," she said. "Instead of just walking by to The Main, maybe this year, they're going to stop and say, 'Wow, this is pretty interesting.'" Montes said he hopes celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month will be mutually beneficial to both Hispanics and non-Hispanics on campus. "Like every other cultural event, it should increase the knowledge of our culture," he said. "And I think it would help (other students), because a lot of them are going out into the business world and being asked to speak Spanish and deal with Spanish-speaking people. They're going to have to be familiar with the culture to know what to expect."
Stephen Suffron
By Kris Gutierrez staff reporter About 600 new fraternity and sorority members gathered in the Student Center Ballroom Sunday to learn the roles and responsibilities of being a member of the TCU Greek community. "It's intended to acclimate new members to the fraternity and sorority community," said Kristen Kirst, director of fraternity and sorority affairs. "What we had found is that once somebody joined a group, they thought that's all there was to it." The fourth-annual Greek 101, which was sponsored by the Panhellenic Council, was a mandatory all-day event for new Greek members. The students selected two of 12 "hot topic" sessions, with topics ranging from sexual assault to diversity and stereotypes. These sessions were led by faculty and staff members. Kirst said the event emphasized academic issues and risk management, as well as a sense of community among Greek organizations and their members. "What we really want to portray is that there are 23 fraternities and sororities on campus, not one," Kirst said. "Certainly we want (new members) to be proud of whatever organization they joined but to know there's a bigger picture." Kim Hinkle, vice president of Panhellenic Council, said Greek 101 tries to help new members adjust to their fraternity or sorority. "I think when they first join a fraternity or sorority, they are overwhelmed," she said. "This is a day to kind of show them what's out there. We like to hit them with important issues when they're new." Keynote speaker David Westol, a member of the National Interfraternity Conference Legal Affairs Committee and executive director of Theta Chi fraternity, discussed the responsibilities that come with joining a Greek organization. Hinkle said Westol was chosen because of his prominence among Greek members nationwide. "We (also) thought his program centered around new members," she said. "It's a good program to start off with because he makes things fun. He doesn't just lecture." Laura McClure, a freshman psychology major and new Kappa Kappa Gamma member, said she enjoyed Westol's address, as well as the "hot topic" sessions. "He was very vocal and had lots of good points," she said. "The sexual harassment skit was informative for both guys and girls. Overall, I think it was fun." Scott Geer, a freshman business management major and new Delta Tau Delta member, agreed, saying he thought the "hot topic" sessions were beneficial. "I thought Alcohol 101 was good," he said. "It gave us valuable information on important things related to fraternities and sororities."
Kris Gutierrez
By Matt Stiver staff reporter A TCU Staff Assembly member should be appointed co-chairperson of the Resources, Insurance and Benefits Committee, said Ken Morgan, chairman of the geology department, at Tuesday's meeting. Morgan, also chairman of the Resources, Insurance and Benefits committee, said equality of benefits for all faculty and staff members is important. "I happen to look at it as a benefit we can take that is not just for the faculty," he said. "If we implement that benefit where it is most appropriate, then it is for absolutely everybody, across the board without restrictions. It looks to me like almost all the time we can approach those issues and have parity of benefits." Several members of the Assembly said the meeting was productive. "I think it went very well," Staff Assembly Chairwoman Mary Lane said. "I like it when there is a lot of discussion, and there were people talking (about the topics)." Jean Andrus, an administrative assistant in the M.J. Neeley School of Business, said the Staff Assembly will be effective in promoting the needs of staff members. "I think we are all here for the same reason," Andrus said. "We are a body of people working together to make things happen." In addition to Morgan's information on benefits, Assembly members discussed unresolved business and heard updates on several issues. n Beth McLaughlin, of Human Resources, presented results of a survey taken on the need of English as a Second Language classes among TCU staff members. Sixty members responded, but some did not answer all questions. According to the survey, 38 out of 55 respondents said they would like to take an ESL class. TCU does not currently offer an ESL program for staff, and attendance at programs sponsored by the Fort Worth Independent School District has been sporadic, McLaughlin said. The survey illuminated the need for ESL classes to be held during the workday, because 34 out of 54 respondents said they could not attend class after their shift because of a second job. TCU librarian Bob Seal put forward a motion that the university fund ESL programs during the workday and re-evaluate their effectiveness after one year. The motion passed unanimously. n Chancellor Michael R. Ferrari discussed the Conference USA issue, the growing size of the university and the National Commission on the Future of TCU. "There is nothing new to report," Ferrari said of the Conference USA situation. Ferrari said he, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs William Koehler and Athletic Director Eric Hyman met with Conference USA officials in Chicago last week and exchanged information. He also told Assembly members that the enrollment of the university increased by 100 students since the 1998-99 academic year. Most of the increase came from transfer students, he said.
Matt Stiver
By Justin Roche staff reporter A car burglar in the coliseum parking lot proved he was fast Friday as he stole a car CD player in less than 30 seconds. But Matt Scratchard proved to be faster as he chased the suspect down at the intersection of Stadium Drive and Bellaire Drive. "I didn't see anything until the guy started running," said Scratchard, a freshman premajor. "I ended up catching him, and we all got around him until TCU Police got there." Business majors Clay McNutt, Greg Sommers and Cory Durham helped Scratchard detain the suspect. Sommers said he heard someone break a window as he was leaving baseball practice. He saw the teen-age suspect hiding in the bushes and went to apprehend the youth after he noticed the truck's broken window. The suspect fled the scene and was slowed down when Sommers grabbed his shirt. The suspect escaped and was finally caught by Scratchard. The suspect was eventually taken to Tarrant County Jail by Fort Worth Police.
Justin Roche
By Jessica Schambach staff reporter The $15-million housing project for graduate and Brite Divinity school students will break ground at McCart Street and Sandage Avenue possibly next month, apartment committee representatives said. Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs, said initial planning began almost six years ago, but building designs were not finalized until the end of last year. He said finding a location for the complex delayed construction for years, and now officials are waiting on a building permit from the city. "We are moving in a direction we've never been before," he said. "We're moving out into the community." Willett Stallworth, assistant vice chancellor for plant management, said once construction begins, it should take about 11 months to finish construction. He said they will try to accelerate the process so students can move in at the beginning of the 2000-2001 academic year. Mills said the $6-million graduate student apartments will be funded through loans, but the money will be paid back over the next few years with students' rent. The $9-million apartments for Brite students will be paid for by donations. Rent and lease policies have not yet been established, he said. He said 88 unfurnished apartments will compose the off-campus complex. Thirty-two of the apartments are primarily for graduate students, and 56 are reserved for Brite students. Mills said TCU does not currently offer housing for graduate students, and the option should be available. However, it will not be offered exclusively to them, he said. Stan Hagadone, director of admissions at Brite, said if graduate students do not rent all of the apartments, then upper-level undergraduates will be allowed to move in. He said Brite students currently have three housing locations, but they are outdated. Brooke Lemmons, a Brite student working toward her master's degree in theological studies, is a resident of the Princeton House apartments, one of the three current Brite housing locations. "I think that they're needed because these and the Bellaire complex are pretty old," she said. "They're fine, but in a few years these are probably going be a lot worse than they are now." Mills said Brite students have a need for new housing, and it will develop a sense of community, he said. "(The apartments) will be designed with a central commons area and study areas to build a community among students at Brite Divinity school and families," Mills said. He said the current locations of Brite student housing will be turned into a parking lot, a Brite academic facility and possibly a storage area. Mills said about 15 houses and multiple duplexes and apartments were torn down in order to clear land for TCU's new housing. A few complaints and letters of concern were received from students living in the area, but residents were given ample time to find new living arrangements, he said. "We understand that it did cause an inconvenience to some students," he said. "We regret that. But to go forward with this project we really needed to get the land cleared, get it surveyed and do the things you have to do to prepare for construction." Stallworth said a meeting informing neighborhood residents about the construction was held at a local church. "It was well attended by both the media and neighbors," he said. "They were all very positive." Mills said the area was becoming a crime and gang problem. "I think it's one of the best things they did in this neighborhood because of what went on down there," said Evelyn Hudson, a resident who lives just north of the construction site. "I think there was crime and drinking and dope and everything else." Ben Smithson, a sophomore management information systems major and a resident on West Lowden Street, said he believes the student housing development will benefit the neighborhood. "It should help to upkeep the property value," he said. Mills said the new complex is a positive move that will benefit the community surrounding TCU. "Just taking those (homes) out helped the community in what we're going to put back," he said. "We think it will help in terms of security and really stabilize that side of the campus."
Jessica Schambach
By Steven Baker staff reporter Twentieth-century people think they are so smart, scientific and independent, and do not take religion's answers to life's questions seriously, said Rabbi Harold S. Kushner during his "What's the Point of Being Religious?" lecture Tuesday afternoon. "There is something immensely reassuring about finding out there is a God greater than we are," he told a crowd that filled the first floor of University Christian Church.
Kushner said the five gifts of religious commitment are reverence, belief in one God, practical forgiveness, the plague of loneliness and the cure for the fear of death. Many people know there is something missing in their lives but do not understand there is another way to feel, he said. "We have forgotten how to recognize God, because all we can do is recognize ourselves and how wonderful we are," he said. "It never occurs to (people) that human beings don't have to feel like that It is possible for human beings to wake up each new morning as if it were a miracle." People can also feel better when they know our choices matter to one God, who has told the difference between right and wrong, Kushner said. "There is something in us that helps us respond to what is wrong," he said. "I believe it is because God has implanted in everyone of us a little of himself that responds to right and wrong." Kushner said most people have either struggled with loneliness or forgiveness in their lives, but they can turn to God for forgiveness when they have done wrong, and they can find a congregation of fellow believers when they go to church. Kushner concluded his first lecture with the issue of death. "My faith has cured me from the fear of dying," he said. During Kushner's second lecture - "How Good Do We Have To Be?" - he said people have problems forgiving each other every day because people feel guilty and unacceptable about our own imperfection. Perfectionism is a sin that ruins all kinds of relationships, Kushner told Tuesday evening's sold-out crowd at Ed Landreth Hall Auditorium. "We can't forgive our parents because they made mistakes raising us," he said. "We're disappointed in our children because they didn't turn out the way we hoped." Ann Louden, director of principal gifts for TCU, said her father died this summer, and Kushner's comments about God's role in her life were meaningful. "His comments about religion and God eliminate the fear of death," she said. "His lecture really comforted me." Stanley Kurtz, whose wife is the executor of the Gates of Chai Inc. which sponsored the lecture said many people, even non-Jewish ones, can relate to Kushner's message because all Western religions have much in common. "I agreed with what he said about right and wrong," he said. "There are many roads that lead to God." Kurtz's wife, Marcia Kornbleet Kurtz, said she provides the Gates of Chai funds because she supports TCU's decision to bring Kushner, and other Jewish leaders, to campus. "Judaism is a strong part of my life and always has been," she said. "Having the Jewish Studies Program and lectureship at TCU will promote brotherhood and understanding between Christians and Jews."
Steven Baker
By Tealy Dippel staff reporter New House of Student Representatives members and two new committee chairpersons were sworn in Tuesday night during the Student Government Association's first meeting of the semester. SGA has added the Campus Communications and Residential Concerns committees for this semester. Mandy Mahan was sworn in as the new chairwoman of Campus Communications and Greg Skasko as the new chairman of Residential Concerns. "The Campus Communications Committee was added to increase communication between organizations on campus," said Carlo Capua, chairman of the Permanent Improvements Committee. "It's an effort by the House to be proactive." The Residential Concerns committee was initiated because residence hall representatives make up a large part of student government, Capua said. "We have seen a growing need for a growing voice for residences, we needed a committee to look at the issues," Capua said. Sara Donaldson, chairwoman of the Academic Affairs Committee, talked about some changes her committee is hoping to finalize this year. Among the changes are a new final exam schedule, increased noon classes to avoid long lunch lines and Frog Finder, a guide to help students find information on professors before registration. Capua also mentioned a preliminary plan to offer students a bus service that would take students downtown from campus.
Tealy Dippel |
The lecture was the first part of the Second Annual Gates
of Chai lectureship in Contemporary Judaism, sponsored by Brite Divinity
School's Jewish Studies Program.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |