New officers voted into SGA positions
Low voter turnout leads to decrease of 600 from last year’s elections

By Kristina Iodice
staff reporter

Brian Wood will be the next Student Government Association president after defeating Sara Donaldson in SGA officer elections Tuesday.

Wood, a junior economics major, received 822 votes (62.41 percent) while Donaldson, a junior neuroscience major, received 480 votes (36.45 percent).

Wood said he is excited about the chance to represent students.

“I want people to be excited about being at TCU,” he said. “We’re about to make big changes as mandated by the Commission on the Future of TCU, and I want students involved with what is happening to their university.”

Judy Fetter/SKIFF STAFF Ceci Burton, a junior management major, uses the Internet to cast her vote in the Student Government Association elections Tuesday.

About 1,330 students voted in the elections, a decrease of 600 from last year. No students opted to vote by paper by going to the Student Center Information Desk and abstentions didn’t count in the tally for office.
Donaldson, who couldn’t be reached for comment, said earlier that regardless of the election results, she would face new opportunities.

“This is opening a new page in my life and I really believe God has chosen my path,” she said.

Amy Render, a sophomore marketing major, was the only candidate for vice president of House and received 1,189 votes. Sara Komenda, a sophomore biology major, ran unopposed for vice president for Programming Council and received 1,156 votes.

For SGA secretary, Kaylan Minor, a sophomore environmental science major, received 957 votes and defeated Ryan Shoemake, a junior theater major, with 230 votes.

Deanna Bennett, a junior finance and accounting major, received 41 more votes than John Billingsley, a sophomore business major, in the race for House treasurer. Bennett received 649 votes while Billingsley received 608 votes.

Campus divided on importance of Electoral College
Narrow presidential race brings attention to old political institution

By Michael Davis
staff reporter

The Electoral College has become a topic of contention on TCU’s campus, where opinions range from apathy to resigned acceptance.

The Electoral College’s 270 votes elect the president of the United States independent of the popular vote.

he Electoral College has gone from a little discussed and little known institution to one that has outlived its usefulness for some students during this year’s election cycle.

Gov. George W. Bush has apparently won the Electoral College vote, depending on which candidate carries Florida’s 25 electoral votes. Bush has a 388-vote lead in Florida. Vice President Al Gore seems to have won a plurality of the popular vote. If Bush wins, he will be the first president since Benjamin Harrison in 1888 to be elected with a minority of the popular vote.

James Madison, one of the framers of the Constitution and sponsor of the Bill of Rights, contrived the Electoral College as a way to control the divisiveness of factions that would form to serve their own selfish interests. According to Madison’s “Federalist Papers,” the presidency is too powerful to trust to the ordinary people.

Madison wrote that decisions made by the majority were not made with consideration of the rules of justice and the rights of the majority, but by the superior force of an overbearing majority. Madison feared majorities of people would act in a short-sighted and self-interested way.

Some students are not worried about this year’s apparent conflict between the Electoral College and the popular vote.

“It doesn’t affect my beer drinking, so it doesn’t matter to me,” said Russ DiCapo, a senior management major.

Other students aren’t opposed to the abolition of the Electoral College, but know it will be difficult and is easier said than done.

“I don’t think a change is necessarily a bad idea, but I don’t want to turn the country upside down over the issue,” said Riggs Rylander, a senior political science major. “(Relying on the popular vote) is a Utopian idea, but a lot of people aren’t educated on the issues. And that’s why they (the founders) installed (the Electoral College) in our constitution.”

Other students oppose the Electoral College and believe it has outlived its usefulness.

“We shouldn’t have the Electoral College,” said Debora Copenhaver, a sophomore criminal justice major. “How do our votes even matter if the (Electoral College) doesn’t even have to go with the votes of the people?”

James Riddlesperger, chairman of the political science department, said this kind of turmoil over the Electoral College is to be expected when the vote is so close.

“I am not really troubled by it,” he said. “I think both parties will end up agreeing. Reforms of the Electoral College have always been debated.”

The abolition of the Electoral College will require a constitutional amendment. Two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-quarters of the states must ratify any change in the election process.

Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and first lady Hillary Clinton, who was recently elected to the Senate in New York, have already publicly come out in favor of altering the Electoral College.
Changing the Electoral College will be difficult because small states have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, Riddlesperger said.

“With the Electoral College, small states have more influence,” Riddlesperger said. “Under a system run by popular votes, big states would have greater influence than they currently do.”

“I think it (the current system) goes against our contemporary democratic values,” Riddlesperger said. “But in order to get reform, it will take a sustained effort.”

The Electoral College has been consistent, and has not made a mistake in 112 years, he said.

“The reason this is even an issue is because the margin of victory is so small,” Riddlesperger said.

Michael Davis
m.s.davis@student.tcu.edu

All adding up
Rhonda Hatcher awarded 2000 Texas Professor of the Year Tuesday

By Chris Gibson
staff reporter

In 1990, TCU math chairman Bob Doran told the potential professor sitting across from him that she was going to win a national award some day. Ten years later, Doran looks like a psychic.

The potential professor is now associate math professor Rhonda Hatcher. She was named the 2000 Texas Professor of the Year Tuesday.

The award is given out each year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

The national award was created in 1982 and has been given to teachers in individual states since 1987. TCU has had three previous recipients: Anantha Babbili for journalism, Bob Frye for English and Doran for math. Doran was also recognized with the national award.

Hatcher has been a math professor at TCU since 1990. She earned her B.A. from the University of Colorado and later received her A.M. and Ph.D from Harvard University. She has been the recipient of numerous awards over the years, the most recent of which is the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Hatcher said she is appreciative of the awards, but teaching is her main focus.

File photo Rhonda Hatcher, an associate professor of mathematics, was named the 2000 Texas Professor of the Year Tuesday. She has been the recipient of numerous awards over the years, the most recent of which is the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching.

“I’m always a little embarrassed to win an award because in the math department we have a number of faculty who are deserving,” she said. “It is great to teach in a department and a school that puts such a high value on teaching.”

Doran, who nominated Hatcher, said he is proud of his colleague and said she is deserving of the award.

“She teaches with a lot of joy and enthusiasm and her students recognize that,” he said. “She acts as a coach, cheerleader and mentor to her students. It’s a pretty good package.”

Ken Richardson, fellow associate math professor, said Hatcher’s ability to relate to her students is what really makes her excellent.

“It is pretty hard to teach math and to get the concepts through in an enjoyable way,” he said. “(Hatcher) is able to do that. She’s a great teacher and the students love her. I’m sure this award is great for her, but it is also good for the department.”

Amanda Knecht, a junior math major, is one of Hatcher’s current students. She said Hatcher is not only a great teacher but also a role model.

“When she teaches, she makes sure she doesn’t go too fast and keeps the pace on track for the whole class,” Knecht said. “She is one of the best professors I have ever had. She inspires me to want to go to graduate school and to one day teach math.”

Despite praises from colleagues and students and her numerous accolades, Hatcher has managed to stay grounded.

“The money and the awards are all very nice, but the recognition for being a good teacher is better,” she said.

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

Faculty, staff sign up for health care
UnitedHealthcare benefits considered before Friday deadline

By Angie Chang
staff reporter

Faculty and staff are weighing the benefits of new health care provider UnitedHealthcare this week before making a final decision to sign up for coverage Friday.

John Weis, assistant vice chancellor of human resources, said an Exclusive Provider Organization plan and a Preferred Provider Organization plan will be offered through UnitedHealthcare. The EPO plan is similar to the current Health Maintenance Organization plan provided by PacifiCare, but the new plan differs in the referral process and prescription drug plan, he said.

“UnitedHealthcare has streamlined the referral process,” Weis said. “(With the EPO plan), the insured can go to their (primary doctor), get a referral to another doctor and see them right away without having to wait for a week for paperwork to be filed.”

Weis said with the PPO plan, the insured would no longer have to get a referral from the primary doctor and can instead go straight to other doctors, including those not on the UnitedHealthcare network.

“You can self-refer to other doctors and still receive benefits coverage,” Weis said.

Weis said the PPO plan is more costly with higher premium prices as well as more out-of-pocket payments for deductibles, but offers more options.

TCU decided to change health care providers from PacifiCare in early October after faculty and staff complained about delays in processing claims. Coverage under UnitedHealthcare will begin Jan. 1.

Craig Elders, associate director of student affairs information services, said despite a 14.4 percent increase in premium cost, he likes the new plan because it allows doctors and patients to make decisions together. Information sessions organized by Human Resources and presented by insurance representatives indicated this communication would be possible, Elders said.

“(The insured) can get so much more for just a few more dollars a month,” Elders said. “I think everyone can be happy about that. I’m very optimistic about the new plan and I think the (Retirement, Insurance and Benefits Committee) has done a good job (of choosing a provider).”

Weis said the increase in premium rates won’t significantly impact the wage increase that was given to entry-level hourly paid workers last year. The premium cost that is deducted from biweekly paychecks from a self-insured employee will rise $4.11 from last year’s rates, which compares to about $120 that an entry-level hourly paid staff member earns from the raise, he said.

Ken Morgan, co-chairman of the RIB committee, said many complaints the committee received with PacifiCare were because of the lack of timeliness and communication.

“People would call to PacifiCare with problems and hear nothing back,” Morgan said. “If only they could get a response, they could deal with a negative decision as opposed to no decision.”

Morgan, who is also chairman of geology, said PacifiCare’s inability to respond quickly caused far more out-of-pocket payments. This created feelings of anxiety and frustration that made people want to look elsewhere for coverage, Morgan said.

Weis said UnitedHealthcare’s prescription drug plan differs in that it requires a $40 payment for a brand name prescription drug not on the preferred drug list as opposed to the current $20 payment with PacifiCare. PacifiCare had agreed to renew TCU’s contract with the existing prescription drug plan, but it was moving to a system that would require the insured to pay the entire cost of the drug, Weis said.

If TCU decided to stay with PacifiCare, there would have been a 17 percent increase, Weis said.

Weis said the new benefits package will include an Employee Assistance Program, which will make counseling assistance available for TCU faculty and staff and their family members. The program provides up to three free sessions and is provided by the university with no premium cost paid by the faculty or staff, Weis said.

Karen Baker, associate director of residential services, said she is impressed with the information sessions and the benefits that UnitedHealthcare is offering.

Baker said she is currently deciding whether she will sign up with UnitedHealthcare or re-enroll on her husband’s plan with CIGNA HealthCare.

“UnitedHealthcare is offering a very good benefits plan,” Baker said. “I want to look at both plans to see which is the best for me and my family.”

Morgan said TCU faculty and staff have been satisfied with the decision to switch to UnitedHealthcare and the company itself has been cooperative by providing information.

“The early impressions that we are getting from UnitedHealthcare is that they are helpful, which shows they put forth effort,” Morgan said. “Everybody seems to be extremely happy that we were able to get an ample benefits plan with a good cost.”

Angie Chang
a_o_chang@yahoo.com

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