Candidates, students campaign on eve of election
Popularity polls lean towards Bush; Electoral College less predictable

By David Espo
associated press

WASHINGTON — George W. Bush and Al Gore campaigned through the final hours of their run for the White House on Monday, seeking last-minute momentum in a costly and exhausting race to become the nation’s 43rd president.

The Texas governor said he trusted that Americans had “heard our message” — compassionate conservatism and a less intrusive government. The vice president urged a Democratic vote to maintain the nation’s economic prosperity.

Gore anticipated a long count on Election Night, and joked that his first meal as president-elect would probably be breakfast.

“But I’m going to make it a Happy Meal from McDonald’s,” he told an Iowa audience.

In Florida, Bush was confident he would return Republicans to the presidency lost by his father in 1992.
“We’ve laid the groundwork for victory,” he said, “now it’s up (to us) to get people to the polls.”

Candidates for the 107th

Congress went through their final paces, Republicans and Democrats focusing their energy and money on four or five dozen highly contested races likely to determine control of the House and the Senate.

The airwaves were a blizzard of campaign advertising, with an advantage to Bush. From the start of his run through mid-October, the Texas governor had spent $138 million, including $56 million on radio and TV ads, according to the Campaign Study Group. Gore was at $94 million overall, including $41.5 million for broadcast ads.

The polls gave Bush a small edge in the popular vote, a position he gained after overtaking Gore in public opinion surveys during October. But the decisive Electoral College seemed less predictable. It takes 270 electoral votes, a majority, to win the White House. Key swing states included Florida (25 electoral votes); Pennsylvania (23); and Michigan (18); and an aggressive Bush campaign bid as well for Gore strongholds such as California (54) and Tennessee (11).

Some aides worried that Green Party candidate Ralph Nader would damage the vice president’s chances of succeeding Bill Clinton by diluting the Democratic vote in swing states like Oregon and Wisconsin. Under pressure from Democratic liberals to back off, Nader countered: “...The only wasted vote is for someone you don’t believe in.”

Gore expressed no concern, saying, “I think by tomorrow, particularly with the election this close, most people are going to want to participate in the main choice.”

The candidates’ itinerary and pace told the story on the final day of a long and costly campaign.

Gore embarked on a 30-hour nonstop journey beginning in Iowa, then heading to Missouri, Michigan and Florida before flying home early Tuesday morning to Nashville, Tenn.

“I think that what is involved in this race is whether or not we are going to have policies that keep our economic good times rolling and extend them to the people who’ve not yet shared in those good times,” the vice president said in an early morning interview on NBC’s “Today.”

“I have a passion to do what’s right for your family,” he said later in Flint, Mich., touching on issues ranging from health care to campaign finance reform to targeted tax cuts.

Bush’s schedule projected his confidence: from Gore’s home state of Tennessee, he flew to Wisconsin, Iowa and Arkansas, four states that Clinton carried twice, before returning to his residence in Austin, Texas.
“My opponent vows to carry his home state,” Bush said in Chattanooga. Gore “may win Washington, D.C., but he’s not going to win Tennessee.”

Later, in Green Bay, Wis., as he has in hundreds of stops in the past year, he said a Republican victory would mean “a fresh start after a season of cynicism” in Washington.

One survey suggested that Bush headed into Election Day with his supporters more enthusiastic than Gore’s backers, a potential advantage in a close race. The poll, by Pew Research Center, found that 32 percent of Bush’s voters said they strongly support him, compared to 26 percent for Gore’s supporters.

“Go door to door and keep working the phone banks,” Republican vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney told volunteers in Nevada.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Gore’s running mate, placed get-out-the-vote calls in St. Paul, Minn.

“Hey Marie, believe it or not, this is Joe Lieberman,” he told one skeptical voter. “I am running for vice president.”

LSU, Reform Party members try to raise local support for Nader

By Matt Jones
staff reporter

Members of the Leftist Student Union and the Texas Reform Party demonstrated on campus Monday in a last ditch effort to raise support and awareness for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.

Handing out voters’ guides and bumper stickers, participants lined the crosswalk on South University Drive, displaying signs and distributing material to oncoming traffic and students.

Ivan Stober, a local business owner and the 12th congressional district delegate for the Texas Reform Party, joined students on campus to persuade undecided voters.

Stober said the Texas Reform Party officially endorsed Nader Sept. 15.

He said although the Reform Party doesn’t agree with all of Nader’s issues, the party supports the core values of Nader’s campaign.

Sarah Kirschberg/Photo Editor Joe Machemehl, a senior religion major, helps support presidential candidate Ralph Nader Monday by passing out pro-Nader pamphlets to students and motorists on South University Drive.

“Nader clearly respects campaign finance reform and a basic living wage for all citizens,” Stober said. “He is clearly the people’s candidate.”

Stober is also raising awareness for United We Stand, a non-partisan educational organization that seeks to educate citizens about local issues and politics.

He plans to start a Texas chapter in order to raise awareness of local issues. Stober said he believes education is the key to understanding the world of politics.

If Nader collects 5 percent of the popular vote nationwide, the Green Party will earn millions in federal funds for the 2004 campaign.

So far, national polls show him at 4 percent, with toss-up states — including Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon, Washington state and Wisconsin — giving him the most support.

Phillipe Doan, a senior criminal justice major, said even if Nader doesn’t win today, he shouldn’t be overlooked.

“He really cares about the people, even if they don’t care about him,” Doan said. “We can’t forget that people must come before profits.”

Doan said students demonstrated Monday morning, during lunch and again Monday night.

Matt Jones
matthewsjones@hotmail.com

Spartan surprise
San Jose State dashes Frogs’ BCS bowl hopes

By Chad Carey
staff reporter

The Horned Frogs’ storybook season came to a startling plot twist during TCU’s first-ever trip to Spartan Stadium on Saturday evening.

TCU’s dreams of a perfect season and a possible Bowl Championship Series berth came to an end after San Jose State ambushed the Horned Frogs 27-24 before 15,681 rowdy fans and a national television audience on ESPN2.

The Frogs had moved up to No. 9 in the BCS rankings and still had a chance of playing in a BCS bowl if they would have remained undefeated. The Frogs needed to move into one of the top six spots in the standings to assure themselves of an automatic berth in one of the four BCS bowls.

The loss, the first for the Horned Frogs’ (7-1, 4-1 WAC) since Oct. 23, 1999, snapped TCU’s winning streak at 12 games and left top-ranked Oklahoma as the nation’s only unbeaten team. TCU fell from ninth to 18th Sunday in The Associated Press poll, and fell completely out of the BCS poll.

“It’s a tough loss, especially when you’ve fought so long to attain a position like we had,” head coach Dennis Franchione said. “We’ll see what we’re made of now.”

Now the Horned Frogs, if they can win the rest of their games, will likely make a repeat trip to the Mobile Alabama Bowl. TCU defeated East Carolina in that same bowl last year 28-14. That would mean defeating both Texas-El Paso (7-2, 6-0 WAC) and Fresno State (5-3, 4-1 WAC).

The Spartans’ defense — ranked last in the country in total defense and coming off a game in which it allowed 48 points to 1-7 Hawaii — kept Heisman hopeful senior tailback LaDainian Tomlinson from making big plays.

“They had a great game plan,” said Tomlinson, who finished with 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. “You have to give them all the credit.”

The Spartans dared the Frogs and sophomore quarterback Casey Printers to throw the ball by using eight- and nine-man fronts to slow Tomlinson and the TCU running attack. Printers completed his first six throws for 122 yards, but he went 6 of 17 with a crucial interception in the second half.

“Our plan was to make Printers and their wideouts beat us,” said San Jose State coach Dave Baldwin. “We thought if they can do that, they’re a great football team.”

The anticipated showdown between the nation’s two leading rushers — Tomlinson and San Jose State’s Deonce Whitaker — never materialized.

TCU opened the game by stacking the line of scrimmage and forcing Spartans quarterback Marcus Arroyo to find open receivers in man-to-man coverage. Arroyo completed 11 of 24 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, while Whitaker rushed for just 100 yards — 78 below his season average.

Senior middle linebacker Shannon Brazzell said the unexpected loss put a damper on the Horned Frogs’ accomplishments this season.

“It hurts a lot,” Brazzell said. “You think about all the work we’ve put in since August. It feels like it’s all been taken away.”

This story contains material from The Associated Press

Chad Carey
chadcarey@mindspring.com

New parking spaces reserved
Staff Assembly gives spots to workers

By Angie Chang
staff reporter

New parking spots have been created near buildings on campus to provide better access for housekeepers and maintenance workers after complaints from staff about inconveniences posed by parking problems.

Nancy Grieser, chairwoman of the Parking Committee of the Staff Assembly, said the created spaces don’t take away from existing faculty, staff or student parking spaces and are reserved 24 hours. Action was taken after complaints were made, and because it is important to have fast access to buildings to efficiently fix maintenance problems.

“If there was a plumbing problem, you need for that to be fixed quickly,” Grieser said. “Maintenance crews need a place to park so they can quickly access the building and unload equipment without having to carry it long distances.”

Gail Truitt, assistant supervisor for residential housekeeping, said the new spaces are helpful and have alleviated parking problems for housekeepers and maintenance workers at Waits Hall. In previous years, there were certain spaces that maintenance workers used, but it was only this year that they were marked and painted as maintenance spaces.

“(The new spaces) are a good thing,” Truitt said. “(The markings) prevent students from parking in those spots.”

Grieser, who is also coordinator of housing assignments, said committee members decided where spaces were needed and approached Robert Sulak, director of landscaping and grounds, who then had the spaces created, she said.

Grieser said the Parking Committee is an ad hoc committee designed to tackle various parking problems on campus. The announcement of the new spaces will be included in a committee report that will be delivered at the Staff Assembly meeting today, she said.

Grieser said the committee is examining other problems and solutions that include a shuttle for TCU faculty, staff and students to campus from the parking lots north of Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and a parking garage.

In other business, Sharon Hudson, historian for the Staff Assembly, said the assembly will request that the Policy Review Committee look at revising TCU’s current policy of taking time off for volunteer work.

Hudson said TCU currently requires faculty and staff to use vacation time if they want to take a few hours during the month to do volunteer work. A request will be forwarded to the committee for the option of using one or two hours a month toward volunteer work at a TCU approved charity without having to use vacation hours, she said.

“(Volunteering) would be a good benefit for employees to take a few hours away from the desk each month to help out in the community,” said Hudson.

Hudson said based on the decision of the committee, the request may become a recommendation to the Retirement, Insurance and Benefits Committee or the university administration.

Angie Chang
a_o_chang@yahoo.com

House to discuss TCU network access

By Kristina Iodice
staff reporter

Off-campus access to the TCU network and creating a 24-hour gathering place are at the top of the agenda for the House of Student Representatives meeting today.

Representatives will discuss a bill for off-campus access to the Internet and TCU network for students. Kaylan Minor, Commuter Concerns Committee chairwoman, said the resolution would allow students at home on break or studying abroad to connect to the network and the Internet without purchasing Internet service from another provider.

The service will hopefully cost nothing or only a small charge, Minor said.

Mark Lewis/SKIFF STAFF Barbara Zerda, a freshman biology major, studies in the Student Center Lounge Monday evening. The lounge’s hours of use is one of the topics the House will discuss at its meeting today.

“TCU will not turn this into a business venture,” Minor said. “It’s about helping students out.”

The TCU Technology Task Force of The Commission on the Future at TCU recommended to make computer and network resources always available on and off campus.
Faculty and staff members can access the TCU network and the Internet from home for no additional charge, Minor said. The
resolution is to support dial-up network services for the students since the project was already being worked on, she said.
Minor said 61 percent of TCU students live off-campus and if they want to have the same Internet resources as campus residents they must pay a service provider.

The off-campus Internet access project will affect every student regardless of where they live, Minor said. The technology is available and the program could be activated by fall 2001, she said.

No other university has this kind of direct access off-campus, said Dave Edmondson, assistant provost for Information Services.

“I want to offer more than an (Internet service provider) where anyone can register and have off-campus access by way of the TCU home page,” Edmondson said. “I want it to be where all faculty, students and staff can be anywhere in the world and have a local number to dial in to have access to network files, print and mail servers.”

Edmondson will be attending the House meeting at 5 p.m today in the Student Center, Room 222, to answer any questions regarding the project.

Representatives will also discuss creating a 24-hour study area in the Student Center.

According to the survey results from House constituency day, 94 percent of 875 students surveyed would use a 24-hour studying and gathering place.

The idea of a 24-hour study area is not new, said Vice President of the House Sara Donaldson.

Donaldson found a bill that a House member wrote in 1980. The bill allocated House funds to purchase two steel roll-down gates for the east side of the Student Center, allowing the reading room and the lounge to be left open while the rest of the building remained closed. The gates are still used but the Student Center closes at 2 a.m. along with Frogbytes.

Suzanne Riordan, Residential Concerns Committee chairwoman, is also submitting a resolution to extend library hours in conjunction with the Academic Affairs Committee.

The extended hours would focus on library hours during study days and finals, she said. This idea was also discussed in the early 1980s, with House allocating funds to pay for library staff during the extended hours, Donaldson said.

The resolution was a combined effort between the Residential Concerns Committee and Academic Affairs Committee because the proposal is a campus concern and has a lot to do with academics, said Brian Casebolt, the Academic Affairs Committee chairman.

“My hope is there will be a trial run this semester and we’ll be able to see if it is correct for the students and see it the students are receptive to the change,” Casebolt said.

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

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