State & Local
thunderstorms, flash flooding continues to threaten
Itheast Texas.
Page 2
Opinion
MICHAEL LANDAUER: So much of history dies with
the people who lived it, and many valuable lessons
are never passed on to the next generation.
Page 7
Sports
Lady Aggie Soccer changing the
attack, but still experiencing
success.
Page 5
WEDNESDAY
October 19, 1994
Vol. 101, No. 38 (8 pages)
“Serving Texas A&M since 1893 ”
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! AA Investigation of
plane crash concluded
IlFederal investigators have
completed their investigations into
Saturday’s airplane crash near
[Easterwood Airport, which killed one
[man and injured four other people.
■ The Federal Aviation
Administration and the National
Ifety Board will not release the
findings of the investigation for
iveral more weeks, however.
•Billy Wayne Shannon, 64 of San
itonio, died in the crash. Shannon's
fe, Frances, 58, was still in serious
it stable condition Tuesday and was
ansferred on Monday from Brazos
alley Medical Center to Northeast
aptist Hospital in San Antonio.
Paula Jo Warneke, 39, of Val
arde remains in critical condition at
St Joseph’s Hospital and Health
inter. James H. Uptmore, 63, and
le pilot 44-year-old Ed Ebrom, were
iated and released.
lAdministrators meet
rith minority leaders
I Leaders from minority student
Ipiganizations will meet with A&M
resident, Dr. Ray Bowen, Vice
[resident for Student Affairs, Dr. J.
lalon Southerland and other A&M
iculty and administrators today at
:30 to discuss making minority
udents feel more welcome at Texas
M University.
David Washington, president of
cha Phi Alpha, said that fliers
posted by the College Republicans
offended some minority students and
t rampled the meeting.
The fliers are just a symptom of a
reater problem," he said. “We want
to address this greater problem.”
| The student group plans to ask the
administration to sponsor racial
r otation workshops.
[ They also plan to discuss domestic
il education, which is a more
localized form of multicultural
location.
priests to discuss
nisconduct policy
I SAN ANGELO (AP) — Priests
from throughout the 29-county
Catholic Diocese of San Angelo
have been summoned to a special
meeting to discuss a policy on
lexual misconduct.
The policy was enacted by Bishop
Michael Pfeifer who said sexual abuse,
larticularly among priests, is a
hideous crime."
The priests were to meet in San
Angelo today to listen to Pfeifer outline
the policy. Nuns, deacons, employees
ind volunteer workers in the diocese
be briefed later, he said.
The policy was not issued in
sponse to any local cases, the bishop
the San Angelo Standard-Times,
uthe said there have been allegations
of sexual misconduct in the diocese
Since he arrived in 1985.
They’ve all been handled in a
roper manner by the church, and
me have grown into a legal case,” he
laid. The new statement represents the
ict that “the whole church is trying to
ake more leadership on this issue,”
feifer said.
Kerrigan says no to
Harding showdown
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NEW YORK (AP) — Promoters
j/ere on their knees this year begging
[fancy Kerrigan for another skating
howdown against Tonya Harding.
. But the Olympic silver medalist
turned down all offers.
I 'They were serious offers, in
writing, for multimillions,” said
(errigan’s agent, Jerry Solomon.
Kerrigan withdrew from the
Spotlight soon after the Olympics
Mere she last faced Harding. She re-
Smerged Monday for CBS’
Announcement of ‘‘Ice Wars: The
JSA vs. The World,” a team
lompetition involving Kerrigan and
>ther skaters.
Kerrigan was clubbed on the knee
n January while practicing at the U.S.
Jiampionships. Harding is serving
hree years’ probation after pleading
luilty to conspiracy to hinder
irosecution, but has claimed all along
hat she wasn’t in on the plot to knock
luther rival.
Today's
Batt
Classified
6
Opinion
7
Sports
5
r oons
4
i/Veather
4
that's Up
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3
Band member leaves St. Joseph
after recovering from heart attack
By Jan Higginbotham
The Battalion
Jack Jernigan, the Aggie Band mem
ber who collapsed on Kyle Field during
the band’s 100th anniversary celebra
tion Sept. 24, was released from the hos
pital Tuesday.
Jernigan, Class of ’56, had been hospi
talized at St. Joseph Hospital and Health
Center since he suffered a heart attack
during halftime of the Texas A&M-South
ern Mississippi game.
“This is indeed a special day for us,”
Jernigan and his wife Marilyn said.
“While we are obviously pleased to be
leaving the hospital, we will miss the
many people who have taken such good
care of us here.”
The Jernigans said they were grateful
for the support they have received from
the media, Bryan-College Station citizens
and A&M former and current students
since his attack.
“We are so grateful for the care and
concern you have shown us,” the Jemi-
gans said. “This is a true example of the
Aggie spirit at work.
“We also want to thank the excellent
and caring staff here at the hospital and
the wonderful medical team led by Dr.
James Rohack (Jernigan’s cardiologist).
We don’t know what we would have done
without them.”
The Jernigans are planning to remain
in Bryan-College Station for the next few
weeks while he continues to undergo car
diac rehabilitation.
“We look forward to being a part of
your community in the days and weeks
ahead,” they said. “We then plan to re
turn to Champaign, Ill., sometime
in November.”
Don Powell, president of the Aggie
Band Association who is also a member of
the Class of ’56, said he is pleased that
Jernigan was released.
“Of course, I was very concerned when
he collapsed on Kyle Field,” Powell said.
“I’m very pleased that only three weeks
later, he is able to leave the hospital.”
Powell said the Aggie Band Associa
tion has been active trying to keep mem
bers up-to-date on Jernigan’s condition.
“We’ve gotten calls and letters from all
over the country,” he said. “The remark
able thing is that members of the Class of
’55 are just as concerned as members of
the Class of ’56. I told him (Jack) they’re
trying to make up for all the things they
did to us in school.”
A&M educational
center in Mexico City
making strong bridge
across Rio Grande
By Kari Whitley
The Battalion
The Office of Mexican and Latin American
Programs, MeLAP, continues to succeed in
making Texas A&M University’s presence
known across the Rio Grande Valley.
Since its opening in September, 1993, the
Texas A&M University Center in Mexico City
remains consistent with the educational, re
search and service missions of this University.
Dr. Gabriel Carranza, director of MeLAP,
said Texas A&M has a great responsibility, be
ing the largest university influence in Mexico.
“The challenge of A&M is to produce gradu
ates with international sensitivity so that they
can successfully work in the global economy,”
Carranza said.
Dr. Emily Ashwort, assistant provost for in
ternational programs, said Mexico is an impor
tant partner with the United States and Texas,
and it enhances the University to be involved
in the partnership.
“It is important to remember the facility is
the result of a donation from a former student,”
Ashworth said.
Texas A&M former student Pablo Marvin,
Class of ‘66, donated money for the center’s es
tablishment. The center offers services and
programs for students and faculty and is fund
ed through donations and fees for its use.
“The center works to create a better under
standing between the people of Texas and Mex
ico while promoting business relationships,”
Carranza said. “The center also assists in de
veloping academic and research links with
Mexican universities, industries and govern
mental agencies.”
During the center’s first year, several new
programs were established.
“Our programs have included a faculty
abroad seminar, a student leadership
See Mexico/Page 8
Nick Rodnicki/TuE Battalion
Rain, rain, go away
Environmental design majors junior Rebecca Weis and ton Tower during a break in the rainy weather on Tues-
sophomore Jeff Hall work on their renderings of Albrit- day afternoon.
A&M officials research NAFTA transportation on 1-35
By Stephanie Dube
The Battalion
Texas A&M’s Texas Transportation In
stitute is studying the effects the North
American Free Trade Agreement(NAF-
TAV will have on highway transportation
along Interstate 35 which has been
dubbed the “NAFTA Highway.”
“In the last couple of years, the federal
government and the Texas Department of
Transportation have placed more atten
tion on the transportation system in
South Texas,” said Bernie Fette, media
coordinator for TTI. “Much is directly re
lated to NAFTA, and the increase in
trade in the region. We are pursuing sev
eral research efforts.”
Over 80 percent of the NAFTA trade
will go through Texas, Fette said. Most
of this transportation will be via highway
transportation.
The majority of research the institute
is conducting is related to the actual in
frastructure or roads being affected and
the policy related to these transportation
issues, Fette said.
“We will make recommendations on
the best way to maintain the highway
system in light of the NAFTA traffic in
crease,” Fette said. “We will focus on how
to make sure the mobility is insured,
manage the increased traffic and keep
the traffic moving.”
The annual Transportation Conference
for the Texas Department of Transporta
tion, which was held Monday through to
day, has focused on NAFTA and border
issues, Fette said.
“The border transportation issues and
NAFTA are prominent in the Texas De
partment of Transportation’s agenda for
the conference,” Fette said.
John Adams, Class of ‘73 and interna
tional manager of the Union National
Bank of Texas in Laredo, said 1-35 is a nat
ural designation for the NAFTA highway.
“More international trade funnels from
1-35 to Mexico than any other highway in
the world,” Adams said. “Here we call I-
35 the ‘Gateway to Mexico,’ so 1-35 is a
natural designation.”
Over 2,500 trucks with finished Ameri
can goods move south on 1-35 into Mexico
and Latin America each day, he said.
In addition, 1-35 is the only major high
way that touches the border, Adams said.
Texas A&M Offshore Technology Research Center making waves
By Kari Whitley
The Battalion
Research hits the waves at the Offshore Tech
nology Research Center where Texas A&M is
unique in having the only model wave basin in
the nation.
OTRC is one of 15 research centers sponsored
by the National Science Foundation. In addition,
30 to 40 oil and oil support companies fund the
wave tank. The OTRC program receives direc
tion from the National Science Foundation and
offshore industry.
The OTRC program was established in 1988
as a joint project between A&M and The Univer
sity of Texas at Austin. There are 60 students
and 30 professors currently in the program.
Arun Duggal, engineering research associate,
said through the use of the wave tank many stu
dents get exposed to new learning experiences.
“The wave tank is a very important tool in our
research program,” Duggal said.
The wave tank measures 150 feet long and 150
feet wide with a depth of nineteen feet and a cen
ter pit of fifty-five feet.
The waves are produced by a series of 48 wave
paddles that are 12 feet long.
“Through the use of computers, researchers
are able to determine what kinds of waves these
paddles will produce,” he said.
At the other end of the tank is a series of per
forated panels that serve as a beach absorbing 98
percent of the energy created by the waves. The
tank is also equipped with a system capable of
generating winds up to 30 miles an hour.
“The wave tank is used primarily to help de
sign and confirm models for production platforms
which are subject to extreme loads from wind,
waves and currents,” Duggal said.
The OTRC also sponsors many commercial
basin testing projects.
John van de Lindt, a graduate student in
structural engineering, said many students could
not have achieved their master’s or doctorate in
engineering without the data they used from the
wave tank.
“It is imperative to have experimental data to
validate your model,” van de Lindt said.
The Offshore Technology Research Center in Research Park tests
wave stresses on scale model of an ocean platform.