thebattalion
news for you texas Teenage birth rate ranks 3rd A study shows Texas has the third highest rate of teenage births in the country. The annual Kids Count report, released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, says more than 54,000 babies were born to girls between the ages of 15 and 19 in 2007. Texas ranks near the bottom in the number of children living in poverty.
White accuses Perry Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White on Monday accused Gov. Rick Perry of becoming a millionaire through unethical real estate deals, seizing on a newspaper report that raised questions about Perry’s purchase and sale of a plot of land in an upscale resort community.
● wednesday,
july 28, 2010
● serving
texas a&m si since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
campus
Coloring outside the
Interim provost explains layoffs
lines
ne Aggie is urging children to freely unleash limitless creativity by interacting with an outdoor studio. Laura Kaarlsen, class of 1990 and elementary art teacher, designed “En Plein Air,” the unique playhouse loosely based on of Picasso’s artwork. The colorful structure will be featured in the San Antonio Botanical Gardens’ playhouses and forts exhibit until October. The space puts smiles on the faces of parents, too, as youngsters can work on becoming the next Renoir or Matisse without making a troublesome mess indoors.
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Sarah Ammerman
Playhouse encourages children to express creativity
Gayle Gabriel | The Battalion
see story on page 2
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$2.68 Chevron at 600 Graham Road and Victoria Ave. www.texasgasprices.com
nation &world
The Battalion Although a large number of nontenured faculty members will be let go in the 2012-2013 budget cut proposal, officials say some positions could remain. Officials have tentative plans to roll out retirement packages for tenured faculty. A committee was focused on explaining the process and finalizing the $21 million reallocation. They also were searching for flexibility in the budget to not eliminate as many nontenured faculty members by implementing retirement packages for tenured faculty. An open meeting Tuesday with Interim Provost Karan Watson allowed nontenure track faculty, including lecturers and adjunct professors, to voice concerns about upcoming layoffs. “We have tentative approval for a plan to roll out the retirement plan quickly. Before the reallocation is released, we will know,” she said. Of the $39 million expected to be cut, $33 million impacts the colleges. This money has to come from colleges because that is where the state money goes directly, Watson said. The group working on the budget cut plan included a faculty tenure representative, the Student Government Association, a graduate student council member, an undergraduate student council member, a member from each academic department and college deans. She wanted to make it clear that the numbers of nontenured
Robert Dudley
See Layoffs on page 2
BP’s first American executive Robert Dudley, the American picked to lead BP as it struggles to restore its finances and reputation, pledged Tuesday that his company will remain committed to the Gulf region even after the busted well is sealed. Dudley will become BP PLC’s first ever non-British chief executive.
Dutch teen to attempt solo trip Laura Dekker, a 14-year-old Dutch sailor, will be allowed to launch a risky attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, a court said Tuesday, clearing her for an adventure that could begin within two weeks. Dekker said she was thrilled to hear of the court’s decision to lift a guardianship order imposed on Dekker in 2009 after she said she wanted to set sail when she was 13. Staff and wire reports
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money
Aggies analyze economy Austin Meek Courtesy photo, graphics by Evan Andrews — THE BATTALION
academics
Law helps keep textbooks affordable Sarah Ammerman | The Battalion A law went into effect this month to help textbooks remain affordable for students. The national average cost for a student to purchase textbooks for courses was about $900 per semester, an increase of four times the rate of inflation. This law was the first direct federal action to address textbook prices, and the purpose was to help rein in costs at colleges across the country and benefit students as well as professors. The law contained provisions from the College Textbook Affordability Act and covers three main points. Publishers must provide the professors evaluating a textbook with the price of the textbook. Textbook supply materials that were sold in bundles must be unbundled and sold as individual pieces. This will help reduce costs by letting students pass on resources they do not deem necessary. Colleges must include the retail price of the textbooks in course schedules when students are registering for classes so they are aware of what they are getting into from the beginning. “After a survey of professors across the country, 77 percent of faculty said prices are not provided when they are selecting their
course material. Also, 94 percent of professors said they would prefer the cheaper option of choices given,” said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin. Due to these changes, students will be able to shop around in advance for the most affordable option. It typically takes about two weeks to receive a textbook order placed online; before, students did not have this time in the semester to wait on the arrival of a textbook. Steven White, associate professor of marketing at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, said over recent years he has noticed students foregoing textbooks because they cannot afford to buy them, causing their grades to suffer. This trend has become pronounced since the economic downturn. “I appreciate the work that has gone into this law. Professors should have students’ best interest at the forefront of most of their decisions, and making this law will help me as a student manage my costs better,” said Tori Schwarzlose, junior recreation, parks and tourism sciences major. The next step for textbooks is the open source text, which puts textbooks online for students to view for free and charges $30 to $60 to print. This is a part of the
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Open College Textbook Act that will be discussed in Congress. This is a flexible option for professors as they can pull from different editions to compile one book customized for each class.
The Battalion Analysts are trying to determine whether the U.S. economy is on the rebound or whether we’re headed for another plunge. Mark Dotzour, chief economist and director of research at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, said the economy functions like a pendulum and that we were at a neutral point on its swing. “Beginning in 2003, America started running on a laissez-faire economy, which means unbridled, unregulated capitalism,” Dotzour said. “We had strong economic recovery, taxes were lower, businessmen and women were hiring and the economy was thriving.” Dotzour said the U.S. was employing a model that was the antithesis of laissez-faire — progressivism. The hallmark of progressivism was heavier governmental regulation, redistribution of wealth and higher taxes. He paralleled today’s economic climate with that of post-World War I America. U.S President Calvin Coolidge ran a government based on laissezfaire ideology, often appointing commissioners to the Interstate Commerce Commission and Federal Trade Commission who were sympathetic with his hands-off economic approach. See Economy on page 2
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