University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 42, Ed. 1 Friday, March 18, 1983 Page: 1 of 6
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UNIVERSITY PRESS
Is 1 ^
^U/-? Serving the Lamar community for 59 years
It’s Friday
March 18,1983
Vol. 59, No. 42
Alleged overpricing
refuted by Pete Plotts
Pruning—
Herbert Durand, Lamar’s horticulturalist, prunes crepe
myrtles and shrubs in front of a sorority house on cam-
pus.
Plwto by MARTHA JONES 8MITH
Senate passes DWI bill
Students: Bill
to increase fees
By FRED TRAMEL
UP reporter
Pete Plotts, Lamar bookstore manager,
has described as “ludicrous” statements
made at Tuesday's Student Government
Association meeting that he owns a part of
the Child Bookstores on Virginia Street.
Vivian Seiver, Port Arthur senior and
SGA representative to the Faculty Senate,
told the SGA Tuesday that the senate had
discussed problems that teachers were
having with the Lamar Bookstore, manag-
ed by Plotts, president and director of
Lone Star College Book Inc., with home of-
fices in Beaumont.
The bookstore, Seiver said, is charging
up to ISO percent above the publisher’s
suggested retail prices and that Plotts is a
coowner of Childs.
“That is absolutely ludicrous,” Plotts
said. “The margin in profits for text books
is in the area of 28 to 30 percent above cost.
There isn’t a product in that store (the
Lamar Bookstore) that has a ISO percent
markup.”
Plotts said that the financial statement
for the Lamar store, dated April 1,1961,
through March 31, 1962, indicates that the
store had a net profit of 4.4 percent for
every dollar it took in. Merchandise costs
the store 63.1 percent and operations cost
another 32.5 percent.
The statement has been audited and
* there should be no question of “hanky-
panky,” he said. “If you want to get an ac-
counting major to go over the statement,
tell him to go to Dr. Richmond 0. Bennett
at Lamar. He is the one who audits the
statement.”
Bennett, professor of accounting, was
out of town and unavailable for comment.
Referring to the statement that he is
part owner o|CWlds Bookstore, Plotts said
jokingly he would like to see someone with
, a lot of money put that statement in
4mting so he could “sue” him or ho*.
“There is no way on God’s green earth that
I am part of Childs Bookstore,” he said.
William Childs
Plotts said be has known William Childs,
owner of Childs Bookstore, for many
years, and they are “good friends.” “I
know Childs because I am in the book
business and Childs is in the book
business.”
t Plotts’ company owns nine bookstores.
The Lamar store is the only one in the
area, be said. Plotts said anyone who is in-
terested in knowing who owns Lone Star,
and what other companies the firm owns,
can obtain the information from the Texas
Secretary of State in Austin.
That office keeps records only on the of-
ficers of corporations, a spokesperson for
the Secretary of State said Thursday.
Their records verify that Plotts is presi-
dent and director of Lone Star.
Leiton Lundgren of the state comp-
’ trailer's office said his records indicate
that Lone Star Book Inc. has no interests in
any other companies. The office keeps
records of all companies owning at least 10
percent of another company.
Bill Childs, son of William Childs, said
that the statement of Plotts owning part of
Childs is “absolutely false.” However, he
said, “Plotts has been trying to buy our
store” for several years.
Plotts said he has talked to Childs before
about buying the store and that Childs had
spoken to him. “I was primarily interested
in the land located near Lamar,” Plotts
said.
In the faculty senate meeting, members
said the Lamar Bookstore had four major
Liberal Arts Day
set for Tuesday
Lamar University students, faculty,
staff and alumni are invited to participate
in the Liberal Arts Careers Day Tuesday
in the Spindletop Room of Gray Library.
Following registration at 9:15 a.m., a
session entitled “Professional and
Graduate Careers” is scheduled for 9:30
a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The session is designed
for those students interested in advanced
degrees rather than immediate employ-
ment.
Program speakers Dr. Boyd Lanier,
head of the government department, and
Dr. Howell Gwin, professor of history and
director of graduate studies, will address
the vidue of liberal arts courses in prepar-
ing for graduate degrees in law and other
areas.
The session will cover choosing a
graduate/professional program, applica-
tion strategies, financial aid, grade point
average and GRE/LSAT exams.
Jack Martin, director of placement, and
Dr. Blaine Thomas, professor of English
and foreign languages, will be featured
speakers on “Employment Strategies”
from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Martin will ex-
plain the function of the job placement ser-
vice. Thomas will discuss letters of ap-
plication, resumes and interviews.
The final session, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45
p.m., will be a panel featuring alumni,
employers and employees for a discussion
on “The Value of liberal Arts Skills in the
Business World.”
A question-and-answer period concern-
ing the job market will follow the program.
problems, Seiver told SGA members. They
include books not arriving on time for
classes, books being taken off the shelves
too early, faculty members having to
order books too early, and overpricing.
Seiver also reported to the SGA that Sue
Hachbald, an English instructor at the
Port Arthur campus, had a list of several
books that she claimed were overpriced.
Hachbald said Wednesday that she was
in the process of forming an ad-hoc com-
mittee to study the bookstore. She did not
want to release any figures until the com-
mittee was able to set up a budget and do
more research. She said that she was not
aware of the 150 percent figure mentioned
by Seiver.
‘Negative image*
Dr. Charles Hawkins, chairman of the
faculty senate and associate professor of
economics, said the figure (the 150 percent
mark up on books) was mentioned at the
meeting. Commenting on the allegation
that Plotts owns part of Childs, Hawkins
said it was mentioned but that he could not
name who said it. “It was something that
came up in the course of the discussion,”
he said.
Hachbald said she considered it to be a
rumor that needed to be checked out. “It is
persistent folklore,” she said, “part of a
folklore network that believes that the
bookstore is cheating everyone.”
She said she wants to be fair. “There is
one thing for certain,” she said. “There is
a negative image of the bookstore among
students and faculty, more than usual. The
bookstore is not communicating with the
faculty.”
Plotts said he was not aware of any pro-
blems until he received a copy of the facul-
ty senate minutes from Oscar Baxley, vice
president for finance. Baxley had written
“What is this all about?”
As far as books arriving late, Plotts said
the bookstore places orders about two
months before a semester begins. He said
the p.oblem can be attributed to the lack of
availability of books from the publishers
and faculty members turning orders in
late.
“Sometimes we make mistakes, but
there are very few times that we do not
order a book,” he said.
In regard to the statement that books are
being taken off the shelves too early, he
said that since 1969 it has been the policy of
the store to take books off shelves six
weeks after classes have begun. He said
the bookstore notifies departments two
weeks in advance. The books are available
to students for three to four weeks after the
six-week period, while they are being
prepared for returning.
Publishers have a 90-day return policy,
he said. It also costs the store extra in-
terest payments to keep a large inventory
since the store borrows money to purchase
inventories. For spring 1983, the store pur-
chased books for $552,000, Plotts said. Of
that amount, $250,000 worth of books was
returned.
Plotts said the store asks for book orders
from the faculty “early” so that he will
know which books he can buy back from
students. He asks for book orders to be
made by March 1 for the fall semester. In-
structors have the option to write undecid-
ed on their order forms.
Plotts said the average for used book
sales for a store the size of Lamar’s is 10.5
to 11.5 percent of all book sales, according
to a survey from the National Association
of College Stores. Lamar’s average for
1982 was 34 percent, he said.
AUSTIN, Texas (UPI)-A tough
drunken driving law has passed the Senate
with strong support and is expected to get
similar support from the House.
On a 28-1 vote, the Senate passed the
centerpiece of a legislative package aimed
especially at repeat offenders.
“I hope you hear the cries of the victims
and your constituents who have been abus-
ed by the laws of this state,” said Sen. Bill
Sarpalius, D-Amarillo, as he offered the
measure on the Senate floor Tuesday.
Included in Sarpalius’ Driving While In-
toxicated Bill is the prohibition of deferred
adjudication, a legal practice that persons
convicted of DWI to stay out of jail and
keep their record clean if not arrested
again during a probationary period.
While urging lawmakers to support the
removal of deferred sentencing, Sarpalius
cited the case of a Travis County man who
was arrested for DWI 21 times but never
served a day in jail.
“Our problem is not with the first of-
fender,” he said. “It’s with the repeat of-
fender.”
Sarpalius managed to defeat an amend-
ment by Sen. Tati Santiesteban, D-El
Paso, that would have increased the
penalties for DWI convictions but also
would have retained deferred adjudica-
tion.
Under Sarpalius’s bill, first offenders
would face a $100 to $2,000 fine and from 72
hours to one year in jail. The jail term
could be probated but not the fine.
. A second offender would be subject to a
fine of $300 to $2,000 and a jail term rang-
ing from 72 hours to one year. A third-time
offender would be subject to a $500 to $2,000
fine and as much as two years in jail. Fur-
ther offenses could result in a five-year
prison term.
The measure also required that if repeat
offenders were given probated jaU terms,
they must serve a minimum of 72 hours in
jail for a second offense and 30 days for
subsequent convictions.
In all cases, penalties would be increas-
ed if the drunk driver injured another per-
son.
Sarpalius’ bill also required counties
with populations in excess of 25,000 to pur-
chase videotape equipment to photograph
DWI suspects for later admission in court.
Under the Senate bill, police also would
be allowed to obtain both breath and blood
tests from suspects. A refusal to undergo
the test would be admissable in court and
would cause an immediate suspension of
the suspect’s driver’s license.
Sarpalius’ bill now goes to the House,
where it is expected to pass again. Other
DWI legislation, such as a bill that would
ban open beer or liquor containers in
automobiles, are still in committee but
could reach the Senate floor next week.
AUSTIN, Texas (UPI)—Students told
legislators a proposed bill which would put
the power of setting tuition fees in the
hands of a Houston committee could
possibly put education out of the reach of
many Texans.
“By immediately doubling tuition, and
possibly increasing every student fee,
from the fee we pay for gym lockers to the
fines we pay for overdue library books,
this bill has the potential of putting higher
education out of the reach of many poor
and even middle-income Texans,” said
Paul Begala, University of Texas student
body president.
A public hearing on the measure spon-
sored by committee chairman Bill
Presnal, D-Bryan, drew only negative
testimony Tuesday from the students who
claimed the bill would short-circuit the
legislative process in dealing with college
tuition.
The bill by Presnal would allow the
Legislative Budget Board to recommend
to the Legislature the amount and type of
all fees charged by the state. Under the
bill, the increased fees would be enacted
through the addition of riders to the
general appropriations bill.
“It doesn’t change any fees," Presnal
told the committee. "It simply allows the
Janice Edwards, a Beaumont senior ma-
joring in English, is the winner of a $600
scholarship for her essay on the theme of
the black church and its effects on the
black American’s psyche found in the
works of novelist James Baldwin.
The scholarship contest, sponsored by
the Port Arthur Epsilon Phi Lambda
chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and
Del Papa Distributors of Beaumont, was
designed to commemorate Black History
Month and to encourage students to study
the life and contributions of blacks of
literary and historical significance, Dr.
Kirkland Jones, associate professor of
English and fraternity life member, said.
Second-place winner is Beaumont junior
Charles R. Anderson Jr., a government
major. Anderson’s essay focused cm Dr.
Charles Drew, the Washington, D.C.,
physician who discovered blood plasma in
the early 1900s.
The scholarship was originally set at
Beaumont Municipal Transit System
has streamlined its bus times, and
reprinted and updated its schedule in
order to better serve its passengers, Tom
Home, transportation administrator for
the Urban Transportation Department,
said Tuesday.
“Basically, the downtown central
transfer point has undergone some time
changes. For example, the bus used to ar-
rive downtown at 6:05; now it arrives at
6,” he said.
Home said this action was directed at
reducing the waiting time between buses
for the convenience of transfer
passengers. “This action will also help us
better adhere to our schedules,” he said.
Home said the reprinted schedules will
be distributed on the buses and at regular
Legislature to address fees through the ap-
propriations process. It’s a logical ap-
proach.”
Jim McCormack, chairman of the Texas
Student Lobby, called the measure a
“back door approach” to legislating fee in-
creases.
McCormack said the bill “practically
mandates at least a 100 percent tuition in-
crease without a single tuition bill actually
being passed by the Legislature.”
“Tuition is very different from any other
type of state fee,” argued Doug Myers,
president of the Texas Student Associa-
tion. “It is not appropriate for tuition to be
decided by the Appropriations
Committee.”
Myers told committee members any in-
crease in tuition should be achieved only
through a tuition bill considered by the
House Higher Education Committee.
“They have the expertise and they
understand the impact raising tuition will
have,” he said.
Students at state-supported colleges and
universities in Texas now pay $4 per
semester hour in tuition, one of the lowest
rates in the nation.
The fee bill was referred to subcommit-
tee for study of several suggested amend-
ments, including possible exclusion from
the bill of fees set by the board of regents.
$1,000, but, because the two winning
papers were so nearly parallel in merit,
the panel of judges decided to award a first
and second place, Jones said. A total of 10
entries was received.
Jones coordinated the contest and was
assisted by Dr. Marilyn Georg as and Dr.
Robert Olson, professors of English.
Five other students received honorable
mention: Sarah ReGina Guidry, a Port Ar-
thur mechanical engineering sophomore;
Robert Glenn, a Fort Worth accounting
senior; Curley Randall, a Port Arthur
communications sophomore; Stella Ken-
nedy, a Beaumont communications
sophomore; and Kevin Johnson, a Beau-
mont chemical engineering junior.
The contest was open to all full-time
Lamar students who had completed 12
semester hours. Participants are asked to
pick up their entries in 47 Liberal Arts
Building, Jones said.
stops Friday, Saturday and Monday.
“From the point of view of the
passenger, the most important thing is the
appearance of the schedule itself. The map
on it is larger so it is easier to read.
Schedule times are indicated on it in big-
ger type. The schedule also has instruc-
tions outlining how to use it. A close-up of
the downtown area is printed. The
schedules also have new numbers for the
bus lines, and each lists the area served by
the line on the front,” Horne said.
Lamar University is still served by the
South Park route, which is now numbered
Route 7, he said.
Route 7 leaves the downtown transfer
point 15 minutes after the hour and 15
minutes before the hour, Monday through
Friday, Horne said.
$400 added
to McMaster
scholarship
More than $400 has been added to the
McMaster Honor Scholarship Program at
Lamar University by the Beaumont
chapter of the American Contract Bridge
League.
The honors program at Lamar was in-
itiated along with McMaster scholarships
in 1976 to offer motivated students an op-
portunity for intellectual enrichment.
Helen McMaster, who wanted to assist
good students at Lamar, her sister,
Katherine McMaster and their brother and
sister-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Bradley
McMaster of Jennings, La., have sup-
ported the program since 1976, making
regular contributions.
The scholarship program has rewarded
academically excellent students with $50
to $150 a semester, Joe Lambert, director
of the Lamar honor program, said.
“We are very thankful that the bridge
league saw fit to contribute to this wor-
thwhile program. More than 300 students
have gone through the program since it
started," Lambert said.
Since the start of the scholarship fund,
many other people have contributed. The
fund not only aids student, it also serves as
a means of perpetuating the memory of
Mr. and Mrs. M.W. McMaster of Beau-
mont.
Dr. R. Blaine Thomas, professor of
English and foreign languages at Lamar,
is president of the bridge league.
Area code changes to 409
By SUSAN CHANDLER
UP reporter
Beaumont and approximately 180 cities
throughout East and Southeast Texas will
have a new telephone area code beginning
Saturday.
The 409 number, which will replace the
current 713 area code, was unveiled by
Southwestern Bell officials last January.
Houston and a few cities in the Houston
metropolitan area will retain the 713 area
code.
“Record growth, especially in the
Houston metropolitan area, has created
the need for the splitting of the existing 713
area code,” said Jim Lydon, public rela-
tions manager for Southwestern Bell
Telephone Co.
Lydon said telephone company forecasts
indicated that all numbers in the 713 code
would be exhausted during 1983, if the new
area cods was not formed.
The new boundaries for the 713 area code
encompass Houston and some surrounding
communities. All other cities in the ex-
isting 713 area code will move to the new
409 territory. Hie 713 territory will now be
completely surrounded by the 409 area.
Lydon said the decision to change the
area code of cities outside Houston was
also based on economics, as well as
volume of telephone numbers to be con-
verted. About 500,000 telephone numbers
will be changed to the new 409 area code,
while two million customers will remain in
713.
Local telephone numbers, as well as long
distance rates, will not be affected by the
area code change.
In order to ensure that telephone
customers in the new 409 area code receive
their calls after the change, Southwestern
Bell' has arranged for the automatic
transfer of calls.
A caller dialing 713, followed by a
number located in the new 409 area code,
will be automatically transferred to the 409
number for 90 days after the conversion,
Lydon said. After the 90-day period, a
recorded announcement will instruct the
caller to dial the new 409 number.
Lydon said the company announced the
new area code in January to give
customers time to plan for the change. He
said the company wanted to give business
customers an opportunity to prepare for
the new number on stationery, business
cards and advertising in 1983.
In addition, a telephone bill insert sent in
February, advised residence customers to
notify friends and relatives of the new area
code.
The telephone company will use upcom-
ing bill inserts to advise customers of the
new 409 number, he said.
Edwards wins contest
BMTS changes times
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Tisdale, John. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 42, Ed. 1 Friday, March 18, 1983, newspaper, March 18, 1983; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500043/m1/1/: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lamar University.