RAMBLER TV WEDNESDAY
September 11, 2013
Vol. 97 • No. 8 www.therambler.org
Newscast Sports Access The Weekender Wesleyan People
Channel 25 when you’re on campus www.therambler.org when you’re not
The Rambler The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917
Roadwork to continue through November By Ryan Grounds
rrgrounds@txwes.edu
Major construction in front of Texas Wesleyan might cause heavy traffic and student delays. Since construction began in March 2013 Rosedale Street has been torn apart and rebuilt in halfmile sections. Now the construction has come to Texas Wesleyan’s front door step. The construction could disrupt traffic for this upcoming semester. “Construction is due to continue until November 2014,” noted the city’s official website fortworthtx.gov. This multi-million dollar project is intended to improve the street in front of Texas Wesleyan University. “The budget for Phase I is $15.5 million,” added fortworthttx.gov. Once completed, this project will also lead into Texas Wesleyan’s own project to revamp the front entrance of the university.
Campus, page 4 & 5
See pictures of The President’s Picnic
Sports,
Texas Wesleyan sells law school, Aggies take over for $73.2 million By Erica Estrada
eestrada@txwes.edu
On Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013, Texas A&M University paid Texas Wesleyan University $73.2 million for the acquisition of the former Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp described the transition to Texas A&M ownership going very well. “All employees have been moved over, our IT systems are largely transferred, and rebranding has begun,” said Sharp. “We are also discussing ways to further enhance our curriculum and related programs to provide the best legal education possible.” According to Texas Wesleyan President Frederick Slabach, Wesleyan has entered into a five-year property lease purchase with Texas A&M. The lease terms are $1.4 million the first year, then four payments of $1.7 million for the remaining 4 years, and at the end of the five-year lease Texas A&M will pay $11 million to acquire the property. Texas A&M acquired the law school for $54 million. The A&M system paid Texas Wesleyan $30 million at closing and will make four annual payments of $6 million each. The lease payments - $1.4 million and $1.7 million – are revenue to the operating budget for the TWU. The first portion of $30 million was used to pay off more than half of the long-term
Erica Estrada/Rambler Staff Recent transitions have been put into place at the Texas A&M School of Law. Former Texas Wesleyan School of Law signs have been replaced by new Texas A&M school of law signs in the entrance.
structured debt for the university, said Slabach. Slabach explained that parts of the endowment will be used to help students with student-faculty research, deffered maintenance and the vast majority of the existing endowment will be spent on scholarships. Slabach also said The Board of Trustees will have to make the determination about how the in-
come from the endowment will be spent - a process that will take months and will begin in November. “I think the transaction with Texas A&M involving the Law School will have a very positive overall affect on Texas Wesleyan University because of the resources that it brings to bear for us here,” said Slabach. “I believe Texas Wesleyan will be
New smoking policy could mean hefty fine for noncompliance
page 7 & 8 By Rosy Perez
rperez1196@txwes.edu
Take a look in the schedules and boxscores For More Current News, check out TheRambler.org
Your pockets will be $50 or more lighter if you’re caught smoking outside designated areas because of a new school policy. Starting Sept. 2, campus security began issuing citations to anyone caught smoking outside designated areas at Texas Wesleyan. Citations issued will be $50 for the first citation then an increment of $50 followed by $100 increments. The new smoking policy also applies to electronic cigarettes and dipping as well. “Electronic cigarettes can only be smoked in designated areas as well, and that includes electronic cigarettes and all smokeless tobacco, so dipping and things like that are included as well,” said Blake O. Bumbard, security manager at Texas Wesleyan. There are now 15 designated smoking locations at the school. Keep
in mind that if you are caught smoking while walking to the designated areas, you will be issued a citation. “I definitely think that it should be more restricted like no smoking at all,” said Nidia Benavides, junior Kinesiology major. You have 10 days to either appeal or pay your citation. After 10 days a hold will be placed on your account. Smoking inside a Texas Wesleyan building will cost you $200 as well. The smoking policy at Texas Wesleyan occurred over the summer and is currently in effect. An email was sent out by Chris Windsor explain the new policy changes. A map was also attached in the email including the new designated smoking locations. “The community called for it, the students faculty staff both wanted you know a healthier environment basically not to be able to have to walk through cigarette smoke
or umm have to smell it every time they walked out,” said Bumbard. According to www. no-smoke.org as of July 8, at least 1,182 college or university campuses in the U.S. have adopted 100% smoke free campus policies that eliminate smoking in indoor and outdoor areas across the entire campus, including residences. Will Texas Wesleyan be 1,183? “A $50 fine $100 $150, ain’t no body got no money like that, you might as well make it a $1000 fine, people up here just trying to get through get their supplies go to class and do their homework, no body has money like that,” said Keith Whetstone a 2000 graduate of Texas Wesleyan. If you have any questions regarding designated areas for smoking contact campus security or see the map at The Rambler.org. have helped some students get jobs after graduation.
perceived in the community just as favorably if not more favorably after the transaction than before.” Beverely Toal, vice chairman of the Board, felt the Texas Wesleyan family and faculty will benefit. Toal believes Texas Wesleyan will benefit for the long run, and the effect will allocate resources over the years, not just for the short run. Toal
also felt the funds received through the transaction will have a lasting effect. “I’m very excited about it,” said Toal. “I think the transaction was a win-win-win transaction for our university. I think it was a win for Texas Wesleyan and that the structure of the transaction was a winning one for Texas A&M. I also think the City of Fort Worth will benefit.”
You’ve Got Mail
What’s new in the Language Company? By David Hagen
dmhagen@txwes.edu
The Language Company is based on campus and according to the website thelanguagecompany.com, is here to help with giving international students an academic program that is carefully designed to help achieve their language learning goals. It is a globally-minded organization that provides English as a second language instruction and cultural opportunities to individuals who are seeking educational, professional and personal enrichment since 1983. TLC services 14 schools throughout the U.S with 12 of these based on a university campus along with three ongoing projects of which one will be in the Texas area. Since The Language Company signed a contract with Texas Wesleyan last April, it
has seen much change with new director Jerry Balding Jr., who joined over a month ago. “We now have 37 students with 16 arriving next week along with 12 teachers,” he stated. “This means that the students can get greater treatment giving them the knowledge they crave. Just like the Texas Wesleyan slogan, ‘Smaller, Smarter’, creating the best possible learning environment. Director Balding goes on to say “success is guaranteed as long as the students play their part. “Our main purpose is to help students walk straight into a university setting and begin classes straight away,” added Balding. The Language Company works with teachers who are highly skilled in different
TLC, page 3