14,1993
The Battalion
Vol. 92 No. 174 (6 pages)
1893 - A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993
Thursday, July 15,1993
Texas A&I alumni battle regents over name change
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By STEPHANIE PATTILLO
The Battalion
Five Texas A&I University
alumni and one student fighting
to keep the school's name from
changing to Texas A&M Universi-
ty-Kingsville filed a lawsuit Tues
day alleging the Texas A&M Uni
versity System Board of Regents
violated the Texas Open Meetings
Act when they voted to rename
several of the system's institutions
in March.
The lawsuit contends that the
Board failed to post notice of its
March 5 meeting at least 72 hours
in advance as the Open Meetings
Act requires. It seeks a temporary
injunction barring any name
change for Texas A&I based on
the March 5 meeting.
Penny Beaumont, System vice
chancellor for communications,
said the University has been told
School supporters file lawsuit charging A&M System violated Open Meetings Act
of the lawsuit, but it has not been "appropriate and official" name to of the A&I alumini's threat to se- to change the name was for the
of the lawsuit, but it has not been
filed with the System. She de
clined to comment on the suit be
cause the System's attorneys are
just now reviewing documents.
Effective Sept. 1, Texas A&I
University will be Texas A&M
University-Kingsville, Corpus
Christi will be Texas A&M-Cor-
pus Christi and Laredo State will
be Texas A&M International Uni
versity. The name changes were
made to reflect a strong associa
tion with the Texas A&M System.
But Doug Vannoy, executive
director of the Texas A&I Alumni
Association from 1980-1991, dis
agrees with the regents' name
change decision.
Vannoy is a member of the polit
ical action committee called the Al
lied Alumni of Texas A&I Universi
ty that formed in May to restore the
'appropriate and official" name to
Texas A&I University.
He said he'd like to see the re
gents reverse their decision on
changing Texas A&I's name, but
Regent Bill Clayton said this
won't happen.
"The Board won't go back and
readdress this issue at all," he said.
Vannoy said, "We're angry and
we won't get over it until they do
the right thing."
He said he was only given three
days notice of the Board meeting
that determined the name changes.
"If that's what the System is
about then when don't need it," he
said. "They made specific promis
es, and if they are unwilling to do
that then the bottom line is that we
don't want to be in the system."
Dr. Bob Kirby, Texas A&I
provost, said he had no knowledge
of the A&I alumini's threat to se
cede from the Texas A&M System.
"We know this is an emotional
issue, but it was the Board of Re
gents' decision to change the
name of the institutions," he said.
Although some of Texas A&I's
alumni are against the name
change, the school's administration
agrees with the regent's decision.
"We're prepared to support the
name change Sept. 1," Kirby said.
"Every institution would like to
have their alumni's support, but we
don't know how this will play out."
Clayton sa>d although he un
derstands this is an emotional is
sue with the Texas A&I alumni, it
is not possible for the group to in
stigate the move of Texas A&I
from the A&M System.
"The alumni is not running the
institution," he said. "The decision
to change the name was for the
betterment of the students."
But Texas A&I alumni and
committee member Ken Perkins
said, "I don't think it does any
body any good."
"There is one A&M and one
Texas A&I," he said. "We have a
lot of tradition. We have 25,000
alumni, and we don't want to be
come a new university with a
new name."
Vannoy said his group is not an
anti-A&M organization.
"We are not ashamed to be part
of the A&M System, but we have
great pride and satisfaction in the
name Texas A&I and what it
means to people," he said.
Vannoy said about 1,500 Texas
A&I supporters have contacted re
gents to express their opposition
to the change or have donated
money to the committee.
"We have enough money to
make our effort last as long as the
regents cause it to last," he said.
"This an attempt to make sure the
regents understand that they've
caused more problems than they
have solved."
Kirby said he didn't know how
large the Allied Alumni is, but he
didn't believe it encompassed all
the school's former students.
Vanno}' said four years ago it
was promised to the public that
no name changes would be made
without study and discussion.
"At the time the merger into the
A&M System happened, we were
assured that the name change
would not be part of the practice."
But Clayton said although indi
viduals may have made promises,
the Board as a whole never
promised anything about the
name changes.
Mobley: no separate
grad student gov't
Only 132 days ^ill Bonfire
By J.FRANK HERNANDEZ
The Battalion
Texas A&M President William H. Mobley decided Tuesday to keep
Student Government the only representative body for all full-time and
part-time students amidst disagreement from Graduate Student Coun-
til leaders.
Mobley approved all recommendations for 1993-94 Texas A&M Uni
versity Regulations from the June 14 Faculty Senate meeting except pro
posed sections 76 and 77 which establish a Graduate Student Government
asseparate from the existing undergraduate Student Government.
Student body president Brian Walker said he was was satisfied with
Mobley's decision and is prepared to bring the two bodies together.
"I think he recognizes the body should stay together as one," Walker
said Wednesday.
But Bonita McMullen, executive coordinator of the National Associa
tion of Graduate Students and past council president, said she was dis
appointed but not discouraged by Mobley's decision.
"I don't see it as a set back for the Graduate Student Council," Mc-
Mlen said. "I see it as a set back for the University."
The University's strategic goals include improving graduate educa
tion and increasing graduate enrollment, she said.
A Graduate Student Government makes that possible by giving the
graduate students recognition and showing that graduate students are
important, she said.
Walker met with Mobley to discuss the recommendations Friday, af
ter presenting a proposal to the Graduate Student Council July 6.
Walker's proposal includes graduate senator seats elected by the
Graduate Student Council. The council would also recommend gradu
ate students for all University committees, an action currently handled
jl)y Student Government.
Eric Laine, Graduate Student Council president, said the council has
never been a subset of Student Government and should remain separate.
; They have remained separate because of Student Government's in
ability to attract graduate students, he said.
"Student Government has had years to figure out a way to deal with
graduate students," Laine said. "They have failed."
Laine said graduate students differ from undergraduates in many
ways including curriculum, independent research and teaching. He
doesn't think Walker's proposal is necessary.
"The membership of the two groups are different," Laine said.
"They have different views and objectives."
Walker said, "We need to unite and come together to work as one."
- - x :.v ■
NICOLE ROHRMAN/The Battalion
Redpot John Barr, a junior accounting major from Fairfax, Va., puts says he will be painting for the rest of the week because each pot
the first layer of paint on a redpot hard hat for David Zuehlke. Barr takes about three cans of paint.
Puppy research paves way to save infants' lives
By LISA ELLIOTT
The Battalion
Medical researchers at Texas A&M's Col
lege of Veterinary Medicine and at Texas
Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medi
cine in Houston have found a way to treat a
heart defect found in puppies and hope to
use that knowledge in the future when treat
ing humans.
Many puppies are born with a potentially
fatal heart defect called patent ductus arterio
sus (PDA) that is also common in human in
fants. The defect occurs when an infant is born
with an extra blood vessel near the heart. The
blood vessel is common in developing fetuses
of both humans and canines and allows circu
lating blood to bypass the lungs, yet the vessel
is supposed to close by itself before birth.
In the case of PDA it does not close and the
lungs become filled with blood. The results
can be crippling or, in some cases, fatal.
The new device, a pea-sized nylon sac, is
threaded through a blood vessel in the pup
py's legs to the PDA site neat the heart. The
surgeon then feeds a very thin spring-like wire
into the sac which coils up and expands the
sac and blocks the blood vessel. Tissue will
eventually form around the sac and will block
the PDA indefinitely.
Dr. Matt Miller, cardiologist and assistant,
professor in the department of veterinary med
icine and small animal care, said the new de
vice is still in its preliminary stages right now
and may not be available for human infants in
the very near future.
Miller said the procedure has been done
very successfully on one dog so far.
"He (the dog) is doing well now and is liv
ing happily with his adopted owners," he said.
Miller said they hope to continue testing and
eventually extend the tests to human infants.
He said the defect is the most common de
fect found in dogs and one of the most com
mon in humans.
"Less than a tenth of a percent of dogs are
bom with it, and 60 percent of those die within
the first year if they are not treated," he said.
The occurrence is less common in human
infants but potentially as fatal. Miller said.
According to a press release, the disorder is
currently being treated surgically but the pro
cedure is painful, can have complications and
requires a longer hospital stay.
Miller said they are not teaching students
about the new device yet.
"It's not readily available and we have too
much to teach them already," he said.
Miller said the device is also very expensive
at this time and will take a while before it be
comes a main stream practice.
See Research/Page 6
Special cessation clinic helps
smokers comply with ban
By LISA ELLIOTT
Inside
Clinton surveys flood damage
Sports
•A&M’s racewalker finishes
eighth at World Univ. games
•Preview: Summer Seven
rugby tournament
Page 3
dggielife
•Barney: Local parents,
children enjoy purple wonder
•Review: A&M employee
releases fantasy novel
Page 4
Weather
•Thursday: partly cloudy,
clearing by afternoon,
high or 93.
•Forecast for Friday:
morning cloudiness, highs
near 100. Hot!!
Texas Lotto
•Wednesday’s winning
lottery numbers:
1,4,7, 10, 47, 50
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DES MOINES, Iowa — President Clinton brought encouraging
words, a symbolic hand with sandbags and the promise of at least
$2.48 billion in disaster relief to the flooded Midwest on Wednesday.
"Hang in there," he told residents lining up for drinking water.
Clinton viewed the flood damage from the presidential helicopter,
offered support at a long water line, answered questions about help on
a radio call-in program and even filled a few sandbags.
Clinton said, "I have seen whole towns flooded, I have seen massive
amounts of farmland flooded, but I've never seen anything on this
scale before."
The president chose Des Moines for his second Midwest inspection
tour in 10 days because the area has been particularly hard hit.
A quarter of a million people were still without safe drinking water
after flood waters overwhelmed the city's water purification facilities.
Clinton announced that he had forwarded to Congress on Wednes
day a request for $2.48 billion in emergency spending in the current
The Battalion
Smokers at Texas A&M have a chance to kick the habit thanks to a
special smoking cessation clinic conducted by the human resources de
partment which started last week.
The clinic is a direct result of University President Dr. William Mob
ley's order banning smoking in all buildings on campus.
The order, which took effect June 1, forbids smoking in all Universi
ty facilities and vehicles and also extends to outdoor arenas such as
Kyle Field and Olsen Field.
Enforcement of the policy was left up to the building proctors and
individual supervisors.
Bonnie Corbett, program coordinator for the health promotion cen
ter, said the clinic has been well-received by the participants.
Out of the 25 available seats, 15 are filled, she said.
"At one time we had a full schedule but when it came down to actu
ally attending we had a lot drop out," she said. "They realized they
just weren't ready to quit."
Corbett said the clinics consist of seven sessions, and so far two have
been held. She said the response to the clinic has been good during the
first two sessions.
According to the Texas A&M Health Promotion Program, the clinic
consists of two parts, "quitting" and "staying quit."
Quitting uses a group support approach and focuses on the bene
fits of controlling one's life through behavior management tech
niques, positive affirmations and encouragement. Staying quit fo
cuses on lifestyle changes for the participants. It involves stress
management, nutrition, weight control and exercise education.
Robert Smith, vice president of
finance and administration, said
they have heard nothing but posi
tive comments since the smoking
ban has been endorsed.
"I haven't heard of any com
plaints," he said. "We feel the Uni
versity has assumed the right posi
tion and most people understand
why we did it."
Smith said strict enforcement of
the rule hasn't been necessary, so no
one has been appointed as an offi
cial enforcer.
See Clinton/Page 6
ANGEL KAN/The Battalion