Angelo State University's Rampage Newspaper
New ASU System Finalized
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer & Jennifer Rios, Editor-in-Chief Aug 30, 2007
ASU officially becomes the second largest institution in the Texas Tech University System Sept. 1 when it makes the switch from the Texas State University System.
Gradual changes will be seen starting Saturday, President Joseph C. Rallo said.
"Other than the signs that say 'we are now a part of the Texas Tech University system' I doubt students will see obvious changes."More visible signs of the merger include a new tagline, logo and homepage, some of which are already in place.
The merger will also make the transition easier for an ASU Pre-Med student to apply to Tech's Medical School.
Rallo said Tech was recently approved to build a $50 million medical school in El Paso, which will be a part of our system and enable ASU students to transfer there if they keep a certain grade point average.
Rallo said that he would like to see the same thing for a law and engineering department.
"It will be a major benefit for students because a lot of students like to do their undergraduate degree in a smaller environment."
Tech will also be recognizing ASU along with the Big 12 scores in football, basketball and other sports.
"A small, but very nice gesture," Rallo said.Other new additions include a Web site that will have new programs and fresh features, like a 3-D interactive campus map. A news section with the latest campus information will be available on the homepage.
"It sounds more modern and user friendly for parents and students," sophomore Sammy Vasquez said.
Information Technology and News and Publications are collaborating to make the transition as smooth as possible.
"We worked for the past two months on the transition for the new Web site," Information Technology Student Assistant Daris McInnis said.
The new logo will be a "Ram's Head" in the letters ASU, which was previously used as the sports logo. It will replace the "Flaming A" which was the logo for the past decade. The logo was designed by Michael Martin, director of graphics in the News and Publications Office.
"Office Director Preston Lewis thought if we could somehow make the horn swirl around ASU, it would make a great logo and he left me to finish it. The mascot, Dominic, inspired me too," Martin said. "I was flattered that it was selected."
Rallo has instructed the News and Publications Office to incorporate them into campus publications and stationery. The goal is for ASU to be ready to make a seamless switch to the Tech system.
SigEp Future Questioned
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer Jun 8, 2007
Male students who want to join a fraternity this year might have a shorter list to choose from.
Sigma Phi Epsilon is in the process of removal because of not meeting the national GPA requirements.
The national fraternal order of Sigma Phi Epsilon notified ASU of the minimal GPA, which is a 2.6 on a 4.0 scale. The GPA standard clashed with ASU's standard, which is a 2.25 to a 2.3.
"Some students qualify for the roster at ASU because of the different standards, but do not qualify for the roster nationally," Associate Dean for Student Involvement Rick Greig said.
Deadlines were also not met. The fraternity had until May 15 to situate the roster and GPA requirements.
"Time was the biggest element against them," Greig said.
The fraternity needs at least 25 members to continue with the chapter at Angelo.
"The status of the fraternity is still unsure," he said.
When a student joins Sigma Phi Epsilon they have to pay $270 for the Balanced Man Program. Within the program, the members are exposed to leadership, experimental learning, personal development, mentoring and other positive activities that focus on a core of universal respect and balanced living.
"It's costly to be in a fraternity and you need a certain amount of people to be involved," Greig said.
Efforts to keep Sigma Phi Epsilon on campus have been offered by ASU staff and Alumni.
"We are seeking and receiving help for the fraternity," Alumni and former president of SigEp," JD Shaw said.
Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded at Richmond College, now Richmond University, in the November of 1901. It has grown to more than 255,000 lifetime members, including author Dr. Seuss.
The fraternity's chapter name is Texas Omicron and they were chartered on Dec. 7, 1974. The chapter was initiated by chapters from Texas Christian University-Texas Gamma, University of Texas at Arlington-Texas Kappa and West Texas State University- Texas Xi.
They leased their first house in San Angelo in August 1980 on Thrifty Nickel Boulevard. It closed down because of declining membership and the rent was too high.
Sigma Phi Epsilon is known for their brotherhood, leadership and community service. Their mission statement is "Building Balanced Leaders for the World's Communities."
"We would be highly upset if the fraternity was removed from ASU," Shaw said.
Transition Team Breaks Ground
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer Jun 8, 2007
ASU's Centennial Master Plan breaks through its first major project with the Centennial Village, which has an expected completion date for the fall of 2008.
Students were informed of the benefits and projected growth of the Centennial Village Tuesday at the groundbreaking ceremony in the C.J. Davidson Conference Center. At the ceremony, Chancellor of Texas Tech University System Kent Hance spoke about ASU's future and how it will be transformed from the results of the Centennial Village.
"It will recruit and attract more students and help ASU to grow and become a bigger campus," Hance said.
In each unit of the Centennial Village there will be four rooms and two bathrooms.
Each student will have one room.
"The four room unit gives students an opportunity to room with more friends in a contemporary environment," Director of Facilities Planning and Construction John Russell said.
In addition to the Centennial Village, other projects in the Master Plan include the demolition of the University Hall, Mayer and Runnells buildings.
An asbestos abatement program will be conducted this November for each building by construction workers. The program will remove all asbestos from each facility. It will be the largest executed abatement in the state in any recent time, according to Russell.
"The Physical Plant Maintenance Facility will oversee the program," Russell said. "An asbestos consultant will be at the project also to make sure we are following the state laws with the removal of the asbestos."
New projects for the Master Plan include additions to the Center for Human Performance and the University Center Snack Bar. These plans are still under consideration.
Russell says he wants students' input on the process of the additions.
"Our department wants groups of students involved in the planning of the additions," Russell said. "We want them to be in the meetings and to give feedback of exactly what they want."
Students have already seen visual changes from the Master Plan with the insertion of signs around campus. The signage project cost $ 550,000 from contractor Intex Inc. of Houston.
"When I first saw the signs, I thought they looked more professional and expensive than the older ones," junior Alexey Volkov said.
Russell says boundary signs will be put up too and they will help people to identify that they have entered ASU boundaries.
The signs will be on the streets of Jackson, University, Ave N. and Dena.
When the Master Centennial Plan is completed in 2028, Russell says that students will feel great about being able to recognize that they had their education at ASU.
"Students will want to come back to see the final result," Russell said.
Fish' Must Not Flounder
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer Sep 13, 2007
Many factors trigger students to drop classes. Some students might drop a course because it's too difficult or they want a different professor. Others may drop because of expenses or a changes in their major.
"I have dropped a few classes because the professor was too hard," junior Crystal Wright said. "I know a lot of people who have dropped a class because of a professor."
According to a law passed by the state of Texas in June, a first-time freshman in the fall of 2007 cannot drop classes after the sixth drop. This includes any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education.
Registrar Angela Balch says the state decided to limit the number of drops in order to stop students from "course shopping." Course shopping is a term known for students who repeatedly drop and add courses during the drop/add period of the semester.
According to legislation, any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring any academic penalty, the student's transcript indicates or will indicate the student was enrolled in the course or the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.
With the new law officially enacted, freshman Daniel Hocking says the reason for a target put on first-time freshman was to discourage new students from dropping too many classes.
"This law can encourage students to buckle down sooner in life," Hocking said, "and apply themselves to their entire career."
On the other hand, Wright says the new law is unfair for first-time freshmen.
"The main thing is students change their majors a lot. I know I have changed mine a lot. They should be able to pursue whatever profession they want. If students want to change their major, they should be able to," she said.
If students were able to drop as many classes as they wanted, the state would lose investments made to the institution, according to Balch.
"The state of Texas awards higher education institutions funding based on the total number of credit hours students take at the institution," Balch said.
"When a student drops a course from the institution which had already received funding, the state loses the investment it has made to the institution for the student in the course."
Exceptions provided by the legislation include severe illness, responsibility for the care of a sick family member, death of a family member or a call to active duty military. If students claim any of these exceptions, the drop may not count against them.
Wright says being careful and keeping a tab on how many drops you have can help first-time freshmen.
"Consider what classes apply to your major," Wright said.
"Use the advice you get from your adviser and don't just drop a class to get a different professor."
New ASU System Finalized
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer & Jennifer Rios, Editor-in-Chief Aug 30, 2007
ASU officially becomes the second largest institution in the Texas Tech University System Sept. 1 when it makes the switch from the Texas State University System.
Gradual changes will be seen starting Saturday, President Joseph C. Rallo said.
"Other than the signs that say 'we are now a part of the Texas Tech University system' I doubt students will see obvious changes."More visible signs of the merger include a new tagline, logo and homepage, some of which are already in place.
The merger will also make the transition easier for an ASU Pre-Med student to apply to Tech's Medical School.
Rallo said Tech was recently approved to build a $50 million medical school in El Paso, which will be a part of our system and enable ASU students to transfer there if they keep a certain grade point average.
Rallo said that he would like to see the same thing for a law and engineering department.
"It will be a major benefit for students because a lot of students like to do their undergraduate degree in a smaller environment."
Tech will also be recognizing ASU along with the Big 12 scores in football, basketball and other sports.
"A small, but very nice gesture," Rallo said.Other new additions include a Web site that will have new programs and fresh features, like a 3-D interactive campus map. A news section with the latest campus information will be available on the homepage.
"It sounds more modern and user friendly for parents and students," sophomore Sammy Vasquez said.
Information Technology and News and Publications are collaborating to make the transition as smooth as possible.
"We worked for the past two months on the transition for the new Web site," Information Technology Student Assistant Daris McInnis said.
The new logo will be a "Ram's Head" in the letters ASU, which was previously used as the sports logo. It will replace the "Flaming A" which was the logo for the past decade. The logo was designed by Michael Martin, director of graphics in the News and Publications Office.
"Office Director Preston Lewis thought if we could somehow make the horn swirl around ASU, it would make a great logo and he left me to finish it. The mascot, Dominic, inspired me too," Martin said. "I was flattered that it was selected."
Rallo has instructed the News and Publications Office to incorporate them into campus publications and stationery. The goal is for ASU to be ready to make a seamless switch to the Tech system.
SigEp Future Questioned
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer Jun 8, 2007
Male students who want to join a fraternity this year might have a shorter list to choose from.
Sigma Phi Epsilon is in the process of removal because of not meeting the national GPA requirements.
The national fraternal order of Sigma Phi Epsilon notified ASU of the minimal GPA, which is a 2.6 on a 4.0 scale. The GPA standard clashed with ASU's standard, which is a 2.25 to a 2.3.
"Some students qualify for the roster at ASU because of the different standards, but do not qualify for the roster nationally," Associate Dean for Student Involvement Rick Greig said.
Deadlines were also not met. The fraternity had until May 15 to situate the roster and GPA requirements.
"Time was the biggest element against them," Greig said.
The fraternity needs at least 25 members to continue with the chapter at Angelo.
"The status of the fraternity is still unsure," he said.
When a student joins Sigma Phi Epsilon they have to pay $270 for the Balanced Man Program. Within the program, the members are exposed to leadership, experimental learning, personal development, mentoring and other positive activities that focus on a core of universal respect and balanced living.
"It's costly to be in a fraternity and you need a certain amount of people to be involved," Greig said.
Efforts to keep Sigma Phi Epsilon on campus have been offered by ASU staff and Alumni.
"We are seeking and receiving help for the fraternity," Alumni and former president of SigEp," JD Shaw said.
Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded at Richmond College, now Richmond University, in the November of 1901. It has grown to more than 255,000 lifetime members, including author Dr. Seuss.
The fraternity's chapter name is Texas Omicron and they were chartered on Dec. 7, 1974. The chapter was initiated by chapters from Texas Christian University-Texas Gamma, University of Texas at Arlington-Texas Kappa and West Texas State University- Texas Xi.
They leased their first house in San Angelo in August 1980 on Thrifty Nickel Boulevard. It closed down because of declining membership and the rent was too high.
Sigma Phi Epsilon is known for their brotherhood, leadership and community service. Their mission statement is "Building Balanced Leaders for the World's Communities."
"We would be highly upset if the fraternity was removed from ASU," Shaw said.
Transition Team Breaks Ground
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer Jun 8, 2007
ASU's Centennial Master Plan breaks through its first major project with the Centennial Village, which has an expected completion date for the fall of 2008.
Students were informed of the benefits and projected growth of the Centennial Village Tuesday at the groundbreaking ceremony in the C.J. Davidson Conference Center. At the ceremony, Chancellor of Texas Tech University System Kent Hance spoke about ASU's future and how it will be transformed from the results of the Centennial Village.
"It will recruit and attract more students and help ASU to grow and become a bigger campus," Hance said.
In each unit of the Centennial Village there will be four rooms and two bathrooms.
Each student will have one room.
"The four room unit gives students an opportunity to room with more friends in a contemporary environment," Director of Facilities Planning and Construction John Russell said.
In addition to the Centennial Village, other projects in the Master Plan include the demolition of the University Hall, Mayer and Runnells buildings.
An asbestos abatement program will be conducted this November for each building by construction workers. The program will remove all asbestos from each facility. It will be the largest executed abatement in the state in any recent time, according to Russell.
"The Physical Plant Maintenance Facility will oversee the program," Russell said. "An asbestos consultant will be at the project also to make sure we are following the state laws with the removal of the asbestos."
New projects for the Master Plan include additions to the Center for Human Performance and the University Center Snack Bar. These plans are still under consideration.
Russell says he wants students' input on the process of the additions.
"Our department wants groups of students involved in the planning of the additions," Russell said. "We want them to be in the meetings and to give feedback of exactly what they want."
Students have already seen visual changes from the Master Plan with the insertion of signs around campus. The signage project cost $ 550,000 from contractor Intex Inc. of Houston.
"When I first saw the signs, I thought they looked more professional and expensive than the older ones," junior Alexey Volkov said.
Russell says boundary signs will be put up too and they will help people to identify that they have entered ASU boundaries.
The signs will be on the streets of Jackson, University, Ave N. and Dena.
When the Master Centennial Plan is completed in 2028, Russell says that students will feel great about being able to recognize that they had their education at ASU.
"Students will want to come back to see the final result," Russell said.
Fish' Must Not Flounder
Brittany Robinson, Staff Writer Sep 13, 2007
Many factors trigger students to drop classes. Some students might drop a course because it's too difficult or they want a different professor. Others may drop because of expenses or a changes in their major.
"I have dropped a few classes because the professor was too hard," junior Crystal Wright said. "I know a lot of people who have dropped a class because of a professor."
According to a law passed by the state of Texas in June, a first-time freshman in the fall of 2007 cannot drop classes after the sixth drop. This includes any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education.
Registrar Angela Balch says the state decided to limit the number of drops in order to stop students from "course shopping." Course shopping is a term known for students who repeatedly drop and add courses during the drop/add period of the semester.
According to legislation, any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring any academic penalty, the student's transcript indicates or will indicate the student was enrolled in the course or the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.
With the new law officially enacted, freshman Daniel Hocking says the reason for a target put on first-time freshman was to discourage new students from dropping too many classes.
"This law can encourage students to buckle down sooner in life," Hocking said, "and apply themselves to their entire career."
On the other hand, Wright says the new law is unfair for first-time freshmen.
"The main thing is students change their majors a lot. I know I have changed mine a lot. They should be able to pursue whatever profession they want. If students want to change their major, they should be able to," she said.
If students were able to drop as many classes as they wanted, the state would lose investments made to the institution, according to Balch.
"The state of Texas awards higher education institutions funding based on the total number of credit hours students take at the institution," Balch said.
"When a student drops a course from the institution which had already received funding, the state loses the investment it has made to the institution for the student in the course."
Exceptions provided by the legislation include severe illness, responsibility for the care of a sick family member, death of a family member or a call to active duty military. If students claim any of these exceptions, the drop may not count against them.
Wright says being careful and keeping a tab on how many drops you have can help first-time freshmen.
"Consider what classes apply to your major," Wright said.
"Use the advice you get from your adviser and don't just drop a class to get a different professor."
