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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1993)
Vol.92 No. 159 (6 pages) The Battalion 1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993 Thursday, June 17,1993 Pentagon hints at increased involvement in Somalia THE ASSOCIATED PRESS President affirms commitment to relief efforts, may send Marines WASHINGTON — President Clinton declared his commitment to Somali relief Wednesday despite renewed violence. Pentagon officials said a four-ship Ma rine contingent could be off to Somalia by Saturday. "The fundamental mission of the Unit ed Nations in Somalia has not changed and I still believe it's a very important one," Clinton said. He added that it was not for him "to exonerate or to condemn" Pakistani members of a U.N. peacekeeping force who shot and killed Somali civilians on Sunday, one week after Pakistanis were killed in an ambush. White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers declined to comment on whether the United States was about to escalate its military involvement. Asked if more U.S.-led air strikes were planned against a warlord accused of set ting the recent round of violence in mo tion, Myers said, "I think we certainly re serve the right to do that." At the Pentagon, officials said troops on ships had been ordered south from the Persian Gulf area but had not been told to go to Somalia. Their movement was a precautionary measure, giving Clinton the choice of sending them on to Somalia or pulling them back, said the officials, commenting only on condition of anonymity. The group, known as an amphibious ready group, is led by the USS Wasp and has 4,200 sailors and Marines aboard. The 2,200 Marines contained in that number went ashore in Somalia in March. The unit was participating in a military exercise in Kuwait, which was cut short several days ago when the sailors and Marines were recalled to their ships. There was quick, negative reaction from House Republican Whip Newt Gin grich of Georgia, who said the president was "drifting in a way which increases the risk to Americans." "It's going to get us involved to a point where you can already see it coming," he said. "I just think it's very dangerous." President Bush first dispatched U.S. troops to civil war-torn Somalia in De cember to help restore order and allow the delivery of food and other aid to the starving and helpless. The U.S. military presence peaked at 25,000 in January but has dropped to 4,000 since the United Nations assumed control of the relief effort. The humanitarian image of the U.N. mission in Somalia has been tarnished by a recent wave of unrest that drew peace keeping troops into the violence and forced the closure of food distribution sites for 10 straight days. Fourteen Somali demonstrators were killed Sunday when Pakistani peacekeep ers opened fire in Mogadishu. The Pak istanis contended they had come under fire from nearby rooftops and saw armed men hiding behind women and children who led the marches. A week earlier, 23 Pakistani peace keepers were killed in an ambush blamed on a Somali warlord. U.S. planes and heli copters have been pounding the positions of Mohamed Farrah Aidid in retaliation. IH UK Closed dining halls irk students By LAURA HALEY The Battalion The decision by the Texas /\&M Food Services Department :o save money by closing dining acilities on the north side of cam pus for the summer has many iormitory residents complaining ibout the inconvenience. Mary Laura Scruggs, a junior ;ducation major and Northside esident, said not having eating acilities on Northside is inconve nient for students who live there. "They ignore the needs of Northside students," she said. However, Lloyd Smith, direc- or of food services, said Sbisa Dining Hall and other Northside markets had to be closed because nf the high cost of keeping them npen during the summer. Last year, all summer residents were forced to live on Southside, which was much easier for food services, he said. But Chareny Putney, student development specialist for Stu dent Affairs, said this year resi dents were allowed to choose north or south side residence halls because of summer renovations and student feedback. In a survey conducted by the Housing Office last summer, 61 percent of 276 students ques tioned said they preferred living on Northside. "My impression when reading the survey was that students thought Sbisa and other facilities would be open," Putney said. Smith said Food Services tried to keep Bernie's open two years ago for Northside residents but there was not enough business, and they ended up losing money. "There is only enough business to keep one [eating facility] open," he said. Putney said another factor de termining which facility to keep open is the area where the majori ty of students live. This summer, the majority of students reside in Southside halls. Another reason Food Services decided to keep the Commons open instead of Sbisa this sum mer was because Student Affairs preferred to keep the Southside facilities open for conferences, said Smith. Ron Sasse, director of Student Affairs, said keeping facilities open where the student confer ences are held seems to work best. "We try to make the best deci sion we can,"he said. "We can't please everyone." But Smith said he realizes it is a problem for Northside residents. "I don't know what we can do about it this summer, but we will try to work on it in the future," he said. Fish Camp changes mark 40th anniversary By JANET HOLDER The Battalion Texas A&M Fish Camp celebrates its 40th an niversary this summer by adding new options to the program and becoming more aware of other cul tures. Fish Camp, according to the Fish Camp Constitu tion, is a program to help incoming A&M freshmen adjust to the academic, social and emotional changes that may occur in their transition from high school to college. Thus year Fish Camp is giving freshmen the op tion of using a game room instead of going to the nightly mixers. Kristy Tripode, director of Fish Camp, said, "We started this new option because we noticed there were tons of freshmen who were embarrassed to dance. They would just stand by the side and watch." Fish Camp has also added optional sessions on subjects such as spirituality, integrity and emotional poise. The camp brings in professionally trained people to talk about these subjects. Organizers have also tried to include multicultur- alism into the programs Fish Camp offers. Anne Pfrimmer, associate director of Fish Camp, said, "This fall we have really worked with Multicultural Services to help recruit more diverse counselors but also to be able to relate to the different groups." She said Fish Camp recruiters have also had to be come more accepting of people. See Fish Camp/Page 2 it*# Lpri Hwy 6 frontage roads undergo construction By MICHELE BRINKMANN The Battalion Every Aggie knows "Highway 6 runs both ways," and it still will, but with a few major changes coming this fall. Former Texas A&M quarter back Bucky Richardson is urging Bryan-College Station motorists to be cautious while the frontage roads along Highway 6 are con verted to one-way traffic begin ning Sept. 1. Public service announcements recorded by Richardson began running Tuesday on KBTX-TV and local radio stations. "It's a really positive sign for the community because it means we've experienced so much pros perity and growth that we can't operate like a rural community anymore," said Pat Williams, area engineer of the Texas De partment of Transportation. When the frontage roads were constructed in 1972, "Temporary Two-Way Traffic" signs were placed along both frontage roads in anticipation of the conversion. Williams said the high amount of traffic now in the Bryan-College Station area war rants a change. Once the project is started in September, it should be complet ed in approximately two weeks. The construction will be divided into three phases. Highway 6 frontage road construction x \ SECTION 1 SOUTHWEST ’KW' - FM 2818 (EMERA'. D PKWY5 ROCK PRAIRiE /section 3 From FM 60 to Rock Prairie Road Source: Texas Department of Transportation X 6 ' ANGEL KAN/The Battalion Researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute expect a 20 percent reduction in the acci dent rate and a cost benefit of $558,000 because of the elimina tion of property damage, lost work time and medical costs. Denise Fischer, local public affairs officer for the DOT, said her office expects the change to one-way to cause only a two- minute delay along the route, even in peak traffic time. The conversion coincides with the opening of newly designed exit and entrance ramps of the East Bypass. Two new interchanges at Emerald Parkway and Southwest Parkway in College Station and two new ramps at Woodville Road and Martin Luther King St. in Bryan will also be constructed this summer to help facilitate the conversion to one-way frontage roads. Another planned project will improve the surface of the west side of the frontage road on Highway 6. The $2 million pro ject will begin at the end of 1993. "Right now some sections of the frontage roads are carrying almost 16,000 vehicles per day, and research recommends switching to one-way at five or six thousand vehicles a day in ar eas like ours," Williams said. The entire 14-mile length of each frontage road must have new signs installed, and must also be re-striped. All traffic sig nals must also be changed. Durable Specialities, Inc. of Dallas was awarded the $665,059 contract to complete the conversion. "The state saves money by getting a private contractor to bid tor the job," Fischer said. "We designed the work and the Dallas company will simply perform the work." Campus blood drive continues Chris Moehring, a senior computer science major drive continues today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The from San Antonio, relaxes as he donates blood to blood collection vehicle will be parked at Rudder the Wadley Blood Center Wednesday . The blood Fountain. Former students relive college days AggieHostel program brings Old Ags back to campus By CARRIE MIURA The Battalion Former Texas A&M students will have a chance to relive their college days this summer and ex perience a taste of what it is like to be a college student at A&M in the '90s. AggieHostel '93 is a program designed to provide Aggies over the age of 65 and their spouses six days of planned activities in Ag- gieland. AggieHostel participants will at tend A&M classes such as South western Literature and Global Eco nomics, and will go to Ring Dance and the Dixie Chicken. This year the AggieHostlers will stay in Appelt Hall on cam pus and eat in the Commons Din ing Hall. The AggieHostel program fol lows the structure of the Elder- Hostel programs held nationwide at different college campuses. Clarine Tucker will be attend ing AggieHostel for the first time this year with her husband, for mer A&M student Huel Tucker, Class of '53. "It will be nice going to the se nior ring dance, because we are ballroom dancers and enjoy danc ing," Tucker said. Over 13,000 former students are over the age of 65, but the pro gram only has room for the first 40 couples who register. Johnny Yartz, Class of '43, and his wife Louise have attended the AggieHostel program four times and are participating again this year. "We are treated so eloquently, and it is a lot of fun," Yartz said. "It is a well-organized program, but what impresses us the most are the hosts and hostesses." Porter Garner III, associate ex ecutive director for alumni pro grams and former committee chair for AggieHostel, said the committee designed the program with the intention of having for mer students connect with the stu dents who attend A&M now. "The student hosts and host esses benefit in this program by learning from the old Ags," he said. Out of 45 applicants, only 20 current A&M students were se lected through an interview and application process to be Ag gieHostel hosts and hostesses. Wynn Rosser, director of cam pus programs and the chair of the planning committee for Ag gieHostel, said the students are the key to the program. "People want to come back to A&M and find out what it's like to be a student again," he said. Seniors Cheryl and Shirley Watson are twin sisters who are acting as hostesses in the Ag gieHostel program for their sec ond year. "This is the best thing that I've done," said Cheryl, an industrial engineering major. "I get a chance to meet with old Ags and have a lot of fun hearing their sto ries and hanging out with them." Shirley, a journalism major, said the program provides a link between the past and the present. "It forms a bond between the old generation and young genera tion of Aggies. A&M is some thing that we all share and have in common." Sports •Volleyball: Lady Aggies welcome coaching duo •Baseball: Cleveland Indian scouts search Travis Park Page 3 Aggie life •Local children participate in national youth sports program •Reviews: Jurassic Park, Neil Young's "Unplugged" Page 4