News stories this week...

Street dance and concerts attract area residents

Students signed up for TIP save money

Bad date comparisons will crash computers

Right foot is the key to $2,500

Fires in dorms can lead to arson arrests

Live TSU teleconference

TSU selects Alumni of the Year for 1997

Campus Police Incident Report; SGA Update

Street dance and concerts attract area residents

Whitney McHugh, Editor

Troy residents and TSU students will once again be able to party on the square in downtown Troy.

Because of last year's success, the Pike County Chamber of Commerce Downtown Revitalization Committee decided to host another TSU Homecoming Street Dance.

The dance will feature the band "First Call."

"The band plays a variety of music and is made up of TSU music professors and students," said Meri Mock, membership director at the Chamber.

The chamber is selling reserved tables for the dance.

King Rex tables are close to the dance floor and are $150. Court tables are $100. Each table seats eight. About 15 tables have been reserved so far, said Mock.

Those with reserved tables can compete in the table decorating competition.

TSU will award the winners with a prize such as a drop ticket, said Mock.

People without tables are welcome to bring their own chairs.

Rigby's, Denim Blues, Pike Pioneer Village, Wendy's and Papa Johns will be selling food during the dance. Cactus Calli's and Yesterdaze Gallery will be open, said Mock.

The WTVY Radio Wagon will also be at the dance. The station will be selling popcorn and drinks, said Mock.

The chamber will be selling Mardi Gras Masks, beads and streamers at the dance.

The dance is Friday, Nov. 31 from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. There is no admission charge.

The Chamber has also been hosting bag lunch concerts on the square.

The Gospel Choir, Collegiate Singers and Old Time Fidlers have performed at the concerts.

"If you call in and order lunch between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., local restaurants will prepare your lunch in a brown bag," said Mock. "There has been a wonderful crowd so far. There are about 200 to 300 people at the concerts."

The concerts are free will be held during October and November.

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Students signed up for TIP save money

Aaron Shiver, Staff Writer

The Trojan Incentive Program can save freshmen and sophmore students up to $3,000.

Housing and Residence Life has introduced the Trojan Incentive Program.

"TIP was designed to do a couple of things: to help students and their parents to save money on housing and to encourage students to live on campus at least until their sophomore year," said Ron Pierce, director of Auxiliary Services.

A large number of sophomore students have changed over to the Trojan Incentive Program, and many Freshmen have chosen TIP.

"Approximately 188 students that were here last year switched over to the TIP program," said Sara Joe Burks, TSU Housing.

Many freshmen are also taking advantage of the program. Troy State hopes to see the numbers continue to rise.

In the past, there have been problems keeping the dorms filled. Since TIP started at the begining of the Fall 1997 quarter, there has been an increase in the number of sophomore students living in the dorms.

Students enrolled in the program pay for six consecutive quarters of housing and the last six are free. Summer quarters are not included. Students must complete six consecutive quarters before they can receive the free housing.

If for any reason other than medical a student moves off campus or drops out for a quarter, the credits earned are voided, and the student must start over.

Even though students pay for a meal plan during, the price for the meal plan would not increase after their first two years.

"Not many schools can tell you what it will cost you to go to school four years down the road," said Pierce.

"If you live in the traditional dorms, housing will cost $1,680 for the first year, $1,800 the second year and will cost you nothing the third and fourth year. For Cowart Hall and the Hill Crest Houses,it will cost $2,055 the first year, $2,190 the second year and will cost nothing the third and fourth years."

Pierce said that to live in the simplest of off-campus apartments it can cost up to $3,600 each year.

Students who live in the traditional dorms (Gardner, Hamil, Alumni, and Clements halls) with a seven-plus meal plan can save up to $3,060 using TIP. For larger meal plans students could save up to $3,795.

The only TSU residences that are not included in the TIP are Dill Hall and the Married Student Apartments.

"We think that this is going to be an effective way to help students save money, persuade students to stay on campus," Pierce said. "We hope that it will serve as a tool to recruit new students.

"We feel that if we can show parents what it will cost to send their kids to school four years from now they will be more apt to choose Troy State."

For more information on the TIP program contact the TSU Housing and Residence Life Office at 670-3346.

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Bad date comparisons will crash computers

Whitney McHugh, Editor

With only two years to fix computer date problems, procrastinators may be in trouble if their computer isn't already year 2000 compatible.

"The sad thing is that the software won't work, and you can't do anything," said Tommy Horne, computer systems programmer at Troy State University. "Someone is going to be sitting there not able to do a thing."

The problem with older computers is date readings.

Computer systems in the 1970s and early 1980s were programmed to read years with two digits. Instead of reading 2000, computers under the old system will read it as 1900.

For some software applications this will not be a problem, but any system using dates will be affected.

"Basically, the computer will go crazy," said Horne. "The whole world revolves around date comparision, loans, credit cards, billings."

Even if a specific application does not use date comparision, the operating system that runs it may. This will also crash a computer, he said.

Most of TSU's computer systems have been upgraded.

The library and the firewall are already compatible. The old administration system was not compatible so it was changed to the Data Tel system, said Horne. Auxiliary services and the computer information science mainframe will soon be upgraded.

Management Information Services is responsible for upgrading the TSU systems but the departments are responsible for their own personnal computers.

"We can't cover all the PCs," said Horne. "We have no idea what's on them. Someone might have had a friend install personalized software."

New computers are year 2000 compatible but many older models are not.

Different computer systems require different fixes.

Most personal computers just need a software upgrade. The upgrade is cheaper than buying the applications for the first time, said Horne.

Specially designed computer systems may take several months to convert because they must be redesigned and tested, said Horne.

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Right foot is the key to $2,500

Whitney McHugh, Editor

A parachutist will jump from a helicopter and land on one of 3,000 two feet by two feet plots sold in "The Drop" on Nov. 1.

"The contest is a fundraiser for the seven women's athletic sports," said Dr. Jean Laliberte, associate professor of marketing management and ecomonics."At the beginning of the process, we alotted each team 400 tickets to be sold for $10. The teams will make $4,000 each. The 200 remaining tickets went to the team who wanted them."

Softball and voleyball have been the big sellers, said Laliberte.

The money raised will be used to buy new equipment.

Last year, the drop raised $24,000 for women's athletics. Some of that money was used to buy new lockers for the women's volleyball team.

Laliberte said that this year they hope to raise at least $25,000 because the ladies soccer team was added.

David Stroud, the parachutist, will jump at 1:30 p.m. The plot in which his right foot lands will win $2,500, and $250 will be awarded to the adjacent plots, said Laliberte.

A representative from Henig Furs, the sponsor of the event, will help judge the contest.

There are still a few unsold tickets.

"We want everyone to participate," said Laliberte. "$10 is a lot of money but I want to remind people that several people can go in together to buy a plot."

Stroud will jump at 1:30 p.m. The plots are located on the football practice field.

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Fires in dorms can lead to arson arrests

Mark Skinner, Staff Writer

Changes are being made in the fire procedures for Troy State University's residence halls.

All residence halls will have fire drills before the end of the fall quarter, said Herbert Reeves,director of Housing.

The drills will be announced ahead of time and held on rotating days because they will involve Reeves' staff, he said.

There will now be at least one drill per quarter.

The Troy Fire Department may assist with the drills.

The drills are intended to provide training for both the dorm's staff and residents.

Even if just 50 percent or 60 percent of the residents participate in the drills, a real evacuation will be made easier, he said.

Students who do not cooperate during the drill can expect some kind of disciplinary action, Reeves said.

There have been problems in the past with people setting small fires in the dorms.

"It's a very serious issue when someone does something like," Reeves said.

"Setting a fire is a felony, not a prank. Anyone caught setting a fire will be arrested."

Rewards have been offered by the Residence Hall Association, the Troy Fire Department and the state fire marshall for information leading to the arrest and conviction of arsonists.

No arrests were madein conjuction with the fires, Reeves said.

Three to four fire alarms go off on campus every week, but most are false alarms.

"We get more from Alumni than we do from any other building," Reeves said.

These have decreased from last year because more emphasis has been placed on deterring false fire alarms, he said.

Fire procedures are now discussed in hall meetings and staff walk throughs of the buildings have been increased.

"We feel that is a deterrent to some people pulling a false fire alarm," he said.

When an alarm is set off, the residence hall staffs check the section where the fire alarm was activated. If it is necessary to evacuate the building, the fire alarm will be silenced then reactivated.

The staff then begins a room by room evacuation.

The entire area must be checked before the residence hall staff can leave the building, Reeves said.

"People could realistically sleep completely through it (the alarm)," he said. "You may wonder how they did it, but some do."

One of the major concerns in dorms is smoke damage and inhalation, not the building burning to the ground, he said.

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Live TSU teleconference

Whitney McHugh, Editor

"Race, Poverty and the Criminal Justice System" will be discussed at a live interactive teleconference Monday, Nov. 3.

The teleconference is intended to increase understanding of social justice and national problems, said Dr. Edward Stevens, assistant professor of criminal justice and social sciences.

Dr. William Julius Wilson is the keynote speaker and lead panelist. He is a leading authority on the growth of the urban underclass. "The underclass is in a situation that is quite desperate in many places around the nation," Stevens said. "His (Wilson's) whole theme is work isn't available which refutes the idea that the economy is doing well."

Throughout the teleconference viewers can fax or call in questions to the panelists.

Colleges and universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New York, Virginia and West Virginia will participate in the teleconference.

The teleconference is sponsored by Auburn University and will be sent via satellite to Troy State. The teleconference will be shown in 110 McCall Hall from 1-4 p.m.

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TSU selects Alumni of the Year for 1997

Special to the Trop

The Troy State University National Alumni Association has selected four individuals a Alumni of the Year for 1997.

Robert Butterworth, Michael Crew and Jose Henderson have been recognized as Distinguished Alumni of the Year. Richard Scrushy has been recognized as honorary Alumnus of the year.

Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., chancellor of Troy State University and ken Cox, president of the National Alumni Association will present the Alumni of the Year in a special ceremony during halftime of the Troy State Trojans Homecoming game on Saturday Nov. 1, 1997.

"It is a privilege for us to be able to honor such fine individuals, not only for their professional contributions to society but also for their dedication and loyalty to Troy State University," said Faith Ward, director of Alumni Affairs for TSU.

The national Alumni Association Board of Directors bases their decision for Alumni of the Year on four basic qualities: a high standard of personal living, professional achievement, community service and service to the university and National Alumni Association.

Butterworth, a strong supporter of Trojan athletics, graduated from TSU and is currently a State Farm Agent in Montevallo, Ala. he is a charter member of the Greater Birmingham TSU Alumni Club and has served on the TSU National Alumni Board of Directors. Butterworth is also involved in the Montevallo Rotary club and the Shelby County Life Underwriters Association.

Crew graduated from TSU in 1967 and is the founder and president of Crew Distributing Co., a full lane Texaco Wholesaler that owns and operates a chain of convenience stores throughout southeast Alabama. Crew is currently serving on the Troy State National Alumni Board and is an active member of the Covington County TSU Alumni Chapter. Crew is president of the Opp Rotary Club and is a past president and current director of the Opp and Covington County Chamber of Commerce. Crew is very supportive of the youth in his community and is involved in many activities concerning them.

Henderson graduated from TSU in 1975 and furthered his education at both Auburn University at Montgomery and Troy State University. he is currently employed by the Organized Community Action Program as director of the Head Start program. Henderson also serves as president of the Alabama Head Start Association and is a member of the American Society of Public Administrators, The Careerman's Club and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. He presently serves as a City Councilman for the City of Troy and is a member of the Education Board for Pike County.

Scrushy graduated from The University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1975 and holds a honorary doctorate from Troy State University. He is currently Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of HEALTHSOUTH Corporation, the nation's undisputed leading provider of outpatient surgery and rehabilitative heath care services. HEALTHSOUTH contributes to many causes, including United Cerebral Palsy, the Arthritis foundation, Multiple Sclerosis and the United Way.

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Campus Police Incident Report

Oct. 20: Automobile accident: There was a two vehicle accident in the new Alumni Parking Lot at 3:42 p.m. There were no injuries.

Oct 21: A littering ticket was issued to a student at 3:30 p.m. at Wallace Hall after the student's parking ticket was found on the ground.

Oct. 23: A student was reported missing from Alumni Hall at 2:15 a.m. by his roommate. He had been missing for several days. He was located Oct. 24 at 2:30 p.m. He had gone home.

Oct 24: TSU student arrested. Toby Anthony Prater, 21, of 4005 King Lake Road, Defuniak Springs, Fla., was arrested by the Troy Police Department for disorderly conduct at the Front Porch at 2:35 a.m. He was released on $500 bond. A plea date has been set for Dec. 10. The TSU Police Department was called to assist with the crowd.

Theft of property: A handheld phone was stolen from Alumni Hall at 1:08 p.m.

Automobile accident: There was a two vehicle automobile accident at the Phi Mu House at 4:20 p.m. There were no injuries.

Oct. 25: A suspicious male was found in Gardner Hall at 1:05 p.m., during non-visitation hours. He was spotted by a resident assistant.

Tori Lee has been crowned Homecoming queen for 1997.

The SGA wants to thank all of the students and organizations for their support of of Mardi Gras Madness Homecoming Week.

Skit night winners: first place-Kappa Delta; second place-Phi Mu; third place-Alpha Delta Pi

The Mardi Gras Mattress Bed Race winners are for the race: first place-Farmhouse; second place-Lambda Chi Alpha; third place- Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Bed decoration winner are: first place-Phi Mu; second place-Kappa Delta; third place- Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Spirit spot winners are:first place- Alpha Delta Pi; second place- FarmHouse; third place- Sound of the South.

Dorm decoration contest winners: first- Cowarts Hall; second-Hamil Hall; third- Clements Hall.

A Pep Rally will be held Oct. 30. Activities will include a costume, lip sync and spirit stick contest. The night will begin with the Torch Light Parade starting in the Clements Hall parking lot and go to the stadium.

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