House votes to restructure SGA
Legislation awaits approval from the student body on Oct. 23

By Kristina Iodice
staff reporter

House of Student Representatives approved a bill to change the structure of the executive portion of Student Government Association Tuesday after spending a week in discussion and debate over the proposal.

On Oct. 23 the student body will vote on the proposal to change the constitution after a required 10 class days to advertise the referendum. The bill will have to pass by two-thirds of a vote for it to pass, said Brian Becker, chairman of Elections and Regulations Committee.

“I really hope the student body takes time to look at this,” said Cye Fischer, a senior history major and House representative for the Tom Brown-Pete Wright Residential Community. “Ultimately it’s in the hands of the student body.”

According to the proposed organizational chart, the secretary position would be eliminated and the vice president positions in House and Programming Council would be changed to Executive Directors. A new executive office, the SGA Vice President, would handle internal affairs of PC and House. The president would then have more freedom to focus on external issues like communicating with the administration, Fischer said. Also, the treasurer would not hold a chair in House.

The bill was first introduced to House Sept. 27 by Fischer. House voted to table the bill for another week, allowing more discussion and debate at the next meeting. The Bill needed a two-thirds majority, or 35 votes, to pass House and go to a student referendum. Thirty-five representatives voted in favor of the bill. Four representatives left before the vote so their votes were not counted, said Sara Donaldson, vice president of House. Of those that left, three voted against the bill.

“There is no procedure for absentee voting or voting by proxy,” said Scott McCray, House Parliamentarian.

McCray said the students who left early didn’t hear all of the debates so it would be inappropriate for them to vote.

“I believe it passed on its merits and that’s the way it should have passed,” Fischer said. “We didn’t need an absolute majority, we needed two-thirds majority and we got two-thirds.”

Charles Abbott, a sophomore international business, environmental science and vocal performance major represents Foster Hall in House. He said he was concerned that changes were proposed without warning only weeks before the SGA voting is to be held.

“A number of my residents I’ve talked to were concerned that SGA is worrying more about its own structure than helping the students,” he said.

Chelsea Hudson, a sophomore political science major and Colby Hall representative, said there were three reasons the bill needed to pass. She said the new SGA structure will create a stronger presidency and increase communication between House and PC.

Sarah Kirschberg/CO-PHOTO EDITOR Jason Cordova, Student Government Association secretary, and Cye Fischer, senior history major and Tom Brown/Pete Wright representative, explain their support of legislation to change the organization of SGA Tuesday night. The legislation passed by one vote.

“House stands for ordinary people creating extraordinary results,” Hudson said. “To improve you have to constantly move.”

Stine Mosier, SGA treasurer and chairwoman of the finance committee in House, said some representatives aren’t completely familiar with the current structure. Last year’s changes have not been given the chance to work, she said.

“I think we can be more beneficial to the student body by exploring other concerns rather than restructuring the SGA,” Mosier said.

Jason Cordova, SGA secretary, said about five weeks were spent developing the bill.

“The changes last year were necessary but we didn’t go far enough,” he said. “I know it appears we’re moving fast but in my time (in House) we’ve made faster decisions.”

Referendums are harder to do in the fall because there is only a small window where changes can be made to the constitution, he said. If House waits until spring it would mean another year with the current structure. Elections must be held between Nov. 1 and Thanksgiving after 15 to 20 days of campaigning, Cordova said. If the bill is passed by the student body, officers would run for office under the proposed changes, even though the changes won’t actually take affect until Jan 1.

Cordova said House will try to explain how the new structure will work to students in the next two weeks.
House will have tables set up outside The Main 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20 so students can ask questions about the bill, Becker said.

Kristina Iodice
k.k.iodice@student.tcu.edu

Variance to allow lights postponed
TCU waits for variance to light intramural field

By Chris Gibson
staff reporter

The City of Fort Worth Board of Adjustments postponed a decision last week to grant TCU a variance to light the intramural field area until early November.

TCU has requested a variance from the city which, if granted, would allow for the current height of the lights around the intramural field area to be raised from 35 to 75 feet.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Don Mills said the board wanted TCU to present them with additional information before a final ruling.

“The board wanted to know exactly what the hours of play would be, what color the (light) poles would be and what future plans TCU has for the Worth Hills area,” he said.

SPECIAL TO THE SKIFF The Physical Plant and Musco Lighting have developed artist renderings of the intramural fields with several heights of lights.

Mills said the board has widened the scope of what they are examining to include parking and future developments of the Worth Hills area, as well as the lights.

The postponed decision comes less than two weeks after neighbors voiced their concerns about adding the lights. Following the Sept. 21 meeting, TCU and Musco Lighting offered projections for different lighting scenarios.

Mike Monroe, a representative from Musco Lighting, said they were able to present the board with the new information at the board meeting Friday.

“The Board of Adjustments was just wanting some details on light levels under the two different scenarios — poles at 40-foot and 80-foot,” he said. “We had run the numbers informally, but they wanted us to put them in a presentation, so they could become part of the official record.”

Monroe also said his company would seek a professional opinion on the color of the light poles, but said the color would not affect the cost of the project.

Steve Kintigh, director of Recreational Sports, said TCU is aware of the neighbors’ concerns and is doing everything possible to cooperate with them.

Mills said TCU is still confident the board will grant the variance when they meet again Nov. 1.

“The board is looking for a solution that will allow TCU to do what we need to do and to have the least impact on the neighborhood,” he said.

Chris Gibson
c.j.gibson@student.tcu.edu

Big plan in store for university
Renovation plans add up to $100 million

By Erin Munger
staff reporter

Chancellor Michael Ferrari announced $100 million renovations to campus facilities as one of six immediate actions recommended in the final report of the Commission on the Future of TCU Tuesday.

At the closing luncheon for the commission in the Student Center Ballroom, Ferrari said private donations, student and user fees and institutional resources will fund the cost of the project, which will be completed in the next year.

He said $30 million of the total sum will go toward renovations and upgrades of classrooms, laboratories and equipment in each of the TCU colleges. The deans will convey to the Board of Trustees what needs to be done in their colleges, Ferrari said.

Erin Munger/STAFF REPORTER Chancellor Michael Ferrari speaks at the luncheon to announce the findings of the Commission on the Future of TCU Tuesday afternoon.

“Our main focus is not money or buildings, but it is what goes on inside the buildings,” said Bob Schieffer, the Commission chair and anchor and moderator for CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

The remaining $70 million will go to renovating parking, the Rickel Building, Waits Hall and Milton Daniel Hall. If needed, part of the money will be used to add to donations from Stephen and Sarah Smith and James Ryffel for the M.J. Neeley School of Business. That money would go toward the construction of the facilities for the MBA program.

The administration is looking at garages to improve parking, said Don Mills, vice chancellor of student affairs. No definite locations have been chosen, but the Perrotti’s Pizza parking lot, the Moudy Building parking lot and an area on the north side of Amon Carter Stadium are possibilities, he said.

Mills said there is a meeting scheduled later this month to discuss the pros and cons of this project.

The renovation process for the Rickel is already underway with the selection of the Cannon Design Group, Los Angeles, as the architectural firm, Mills said. He said the firm has a prominent design history for university recreation centers, including the University of Miami in Florida, Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and the University of California at Los Angeles.

The firm should have drawings for the renovations by the end of the academic year, Ferrari said. He estimated the completion of the renovations to be about 18 months after the completion of the drawings.
Renovations on Waits Hall will begin this winter, probably January, Ferrari said. Renovations for Milton Daniel will follow next winter.

In addition to these projects, Ferrari targeted other areas of concentration.

He said revamping the Core Curriculum, expanding internships, strengthening the Honors Program and increasing interdisciplinary programs throughout the university will be a part of enhancing the undergraduate experience at TCU.

The administration is currently forming a committee to look at aspects of the Core Curriculum that can be improved, which will report its findings on Nov. 11.

Another important aspect, according to Ferrari, is targeting current distinctive programs and enhancing them. Some prominent areas considered are the MBA program in the business school, the piano and orchestral studies in the School of Music, health professions and global education.

National and international recognition is a key issue that came out of the commission process, Ferrari said.
Schieffer, who graduated from TCU in 1959, said the university’s stature has grown considerably since he was a student.

“After today, you will see more and more statements about TCU’s global position,” Schieffer said.
Ferrari also targeted new graduate and professional degree programs, such as pharmacy and law, as future projects.

As for physical expansion, Ferrari said acquiring funds for the renovation of the Student Center will follow the Rickel renovations. Other buildings to follow are the Mary Couts Burnett Library, Ed Landreth Hall, the College of Fine Arts, the School of Education, a facility for communications studies, a multipurpose learning facility for the entire campus, new residence halls, enhancements to the Brite Divinity School and a multipurpose athletic facility.

All of these aspects will serve to put TCU in the elite category, Ferrari said.

Schieffer expressed the necessity of all of the projected plans from the commission. Universities have to compete for the best students, he said.

“We have to show (prospective students) that TCU has something they can’t get anywhere else,” Schieffer said.

Erin Munger
erebm@netscape.com

Drug case not yet filed against Oliver
Arraignment postponed until Nov. 15 in La.

By Wendy Meyer
staff reporter

A case has not yet been filed in Fort Worth against former TCU student William Stuart Oliver, who was arrested on campus Sept. 12 on suspicion of drug possession.

Arresting officers confiscated 542 tablets of Valium, two to four ounces of marijuana and a 5 and 1/2-inch knife, according to a Fort Worth Police Department report. The Fort Worth district attorney’s office has not yet filed a case with the court for these charges because the police are awaiting results of analysis for the drugs confiscated during his arrest, E.R. Mann, a detective in the narcotics division of FWPD said.

Anytime a substance is confiscated during an arrest, it has to be analyzed by a chemist to determine what that substance is, Mann said.

“In my opinion, this is a good case and it will probably get filed,” Mann said.

Oliver’s arraignment scheduled for Oct. 9 in Monroe, La. was postponed until Nov. 15 in the Fourth Judicial State District Court, District Attorney George Ross said. Oliver also faces three counts of drug possession in his hometown Monroe, La., said Lt. Jay Via, the commanding officer for the Monroe Metro Narcotics Unit.

The district attorney’s office and Stephen Jefferson, a defense attorney, declined to comment on why the arraignment has been postponed.

He was arrested Sept. 1 in Monroe after allegedly purchasing drugs in Thailand and mailing them to himself in Louisiana, according to the Monroe Narcotics Unit incident report.

According to the Monroe Metro Narcotics Unit report, U.S. Customs intercepted two packages addressed to him containing three vials of Stanozolol, 1,000 Methandienone pills, which are anabolic steroids, and 20 vials of Primobolan, which is an injectable or oral steroid.

After further investigation, a third package sent to Oliver’s home in Monroe was found to contain 15 additional vials of Stanozolol and several other suspected steroid pills, according to the initial report.

He faces one count of possession of Schedule III drugs with intent to distribute, one count of Schedule II drugs with intent to distribute, and one additional count of Schedule III drugs, according to the district attorney’s office.

Schedule III drugs include stimulants and depressants and Schedule II drugs are cocaine or cocaine-based substances.

“All packages sent from foreign countries are legally allowed to be searched by U.S. Customs,” Wes Windle, a supervisor of customs inspectors, said. “That doesn’t mean that we search every single package. Some are searched and some aren’t.”

Wendy Meyer
w.m.meyer@tcu.edu

Hot drinks, hot draw
Burnett Bistro celebrates grand opening today

By Elise Rambaud
staff reporter

For years, University Librarian Bob Seal said he noticed people sipping coffee and listening to music while reading at cafe bookstores.

In an effort to emulate the coffee shop atmosphere of large bookstores, Burnett Bistro opened in the lobby of Mary Couts Burnett Library Sept. 11, and the ribbon cutting grand opening ceremony is 3 p.m. today.
“I suggested the project because I wanted to make the library a more comfortable and inviting place to study,” said Seal.

“We have exceeded our expectations of success in terms of sales and student reaction,” he said.

Brooke Worthington, a freshman psychology major, said she likes the location of the bistro because most of her classes are on the east side of University Drive.

“It’s nice not to have to go to The Main to get a cup of coffee,” she said.

Sarah Kirschberg/ CO-PHOTO EDITOR Andy Walker, a freshman engineering major, buys a cup of tea from the Burnett Bistro in the lobby of Mary Couts Burnett Library Tuesday morning. The ribbon cutting grand opening ceremony is at 3 p.m. today.

The bistro serves Starbucks coffee and teas, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, biscotti, fresh fruit and pre-packaged snack items. All items can be purchased on the student meal card.

Construction for the bistro cost about $40,000, Seal said. New plumbing and lighting were installed in the cafe and all the furniture had to be custom-made. Comfortable chairs and a music sound system have also been purchased for the periodical room, he said.

The project received tremendous support from administration, Seal said.

“Improvements such as these make the university adapt and change to provide a more comfortable environment to learn,” said Larry Adams, associate provost for academic affairs.

The funding for the project was supported by allocations from the student affairs budget and donations from Friends of the TCU Library, an organization that sponsors various functions at the library.

Eugenia Trinkle, a retired TCU faculty member, and her daughters Alison and Barrie, also made a large donation toward construction of the bistro in memory of son and brother Kent who died in his senior year at TCU in 1976.

“Kent worked in the library for as long as he was at TCU and had decided to become a librarian,” said Eugenia Trinkle.

The brief ceremony will include remarks from Chancellor Michael Ferrari, Mills and Adams. A plaque will be presented to donors and Eugenia Trinkle, Seal said.

Elise Rambaud
e.j.rambaud@student.tcu.edu

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