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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWomen at Texas A&M, newspaper clipping, (09/26/1988)women at 1 exas A&IV1: You betyour senior boots! University News Service dents in liberal arts, education and Women at Texas A&M University is a among those pursuing the doctor of vet - concept that has gone from unheard-of erinary medicine degree. They make up to forbidden, then to accepted, and now more than 41 percent of all business ma - applauded. jors and about the same percentage of This year — the 25th anniversary of candidates for a medical degree. the date of the decision to allow women to This fall marks the first time a woman enroll on a limited basis — women make wears the coveted senior boots in the up 41.7 percent of the student body at Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, and in the nation's seventh-largest university. 1986-87, a woman was the second - "at figures out to a record 16,340 ranking member of the 2,200 member Corps of Cadets, serving as deputy corps women, more women than the total en- commander. rollment at many colleges and unt- versities. Becoming the first woman to earn a Female students at Texas A&M are no position on the corps staff was one of longer limited — as they were in 1963 — many honors for Amanda Schubert of to enrollment in a course of study not Houston, a 1987 graduate. In her junior available at other state -supported year she was one of the first two women schools or in A&M's graduate school. selected to the Ross Volunteers, the By 1969, all women applicants who ceremonial honor company of the corps. "When I enrolled Texas I was met the institution's academic quallfica- lions tions were admitted. concerned that I might becommee just an - Now they make up the majority of stu- Please see Women, 3A Bryan -College Station Eagle Monday, September 26, 1988 Women From 1 A other face in the crowd," ex- plained Schubert. "I had always been active in high school organi- zations, and I wanted to get in- volved in college activities as well. My dad had always says that the corps was a great experience, so I decided to join." In 1985, Andrea Abat of Hous- ton and two other freshman women added a chapter to the history of women at Texas A&M when they became the first female members of the Aggie Band. This fall, Abat became the first senior woman in the band's 94 -year history. In doing so, she made good on her prediction as a freshman: "I'm going to earn my senior boots." Abat will continue to earn the boots by serving as a role model for other women in the band — five returning members and six Incoming freshmen. "Most of them ask me what the freshman year will be like — not only as members of the band and the corps, but also as students," Abat says. "I remember what it was like for me that first year — trying to fit in and make a contri- bution." Students at Texas A&M in 1988 are more accepting than those in 1972, when campus housing was opened to women, or those in 1974, when the Corps of Cadets first admitted women, and most certainly more accepting than those in Sallie Sheppard's classes In 1963. "People In class were always courteous. They all says 'Howdy' during the day, and made no per- sonal affront, but at night there were meetings and rallies against women at A&M," says Sheppard, who received her bachelor's de- gree in 1965. Today, Sheppard is an associate provost on the campus, the highest university -level post held by a woman. The first of anything tends to be visible and bring attention to it- self, says Sheppard. "The surrounding publicity educates other women to the pos- sibilities and opportunities avai- lable," she says. Sheppard says she has seen many changes leading up to the 25th anniversary, such as women as tenure -track full professors and women students involved in all aspects of student life. Abat says she has met a lot of former students and former band members and, for the most part, the response has been positive. "I realize you're not going to win everyone over, but having women in the band was a big change," Abat says. It's also difficult to be a pioneer, says Gayle Schmidt, a Texas A&M professor of health and physical education, and former chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on the Status of Women In the Unlversi- ty"I applaud Andrea Abat for her courage, but she probably doesn't want to be pointed out as the first woman In band boots," Schmidt says. "Her achievement has been positive for women at Texas A&M, but it shouldn't be such an issue — it should just be accepted." 3A Schmidt, the first woman in her department to earn her doctorate, says she has seen much change In the past 19 years, including an increase in numbers, greater ac- ceptance of the role of women, and awareness of the need for concern over women's issues. One important stride has been the move toward gender -free documents In classrooms, admin- istration and conversation, ' Schmidt says, a far cry from the ; concern over the lack of women's restrooms in the 1960s. In 1988, there still is an empha- sis on recruiting women for Texas A&M, but the focus has shifted to recruiting women for the faculty and administration, Schmidt says. Schmidt has one daughter who , Is a senior at Texas A&M, and an- other who, now age 16, wants to be a leader in the corps. Schmidt says her daughter should be a; leader because she has the right qualities and abilities — not be- cause she is a woman. "On the 30th anniversary of women at Texas A&M, I hope there is nothing remarkable to say about women at A&M, other than that they are an integral part of the university," Schmidt says. "It would be nice to see an article ; about the inauguration of the first ' woman president of Texas A&M." Like Abat, Schubert and Shep- pard, Schmidt says she did not come to Texas A&M to be a pioneer, the role was thrust upon her., Schmidt says her own respon- sibility and that of all other" women at Texas A&M is to en- courage women to make the best of themselves.