HEAVY HITTERS
The Aggie baseball team bash
es the Bearkats, 1 2-4.
Sports, Page 8
EVALUATING ELDERS
Hayman: The former U.S. Surgeon General pre
scribed the true remedies for our "ailing society."
Opinion, Page 9
GOSPEL
Texas A&M Century Singers and Voices
of Praise unite for their spring concert.
AggieUfe, Page 3
THE
Vol. 101, No. 127 (10 pages)
.
“Serving Texas AdrMsince 1893”
Friday • April 7, 1995
Boenig elected student body president in runoff
□ Boenig won with 52
percent of the vote
and the largest runoff
election turnout ever
at A&M.
By Kasie Byers
The Battalion
Students elected Toby Boenig
as the upcoming student body
president in the largest run-off
election turnout at Texas A&M.
The race was close, with
Boenig winning 52 percent of
the vote.
Four thousand students, ten
percent of the student body,
voted in Thursday’s election, an
increase of eight percent from
last year.
A teary-eyed and over
whelmed Boenig said after the
results were announced that
his shock and surprise were
greater than from last week’s
announcement.
“It fedls so good that the stu
dent body trusts me enough to
take over such an important po
sition,” he said.
Boenig said that his main fo
cal point for the upcoming year
will be to make sure students
were heard.
“I want to ensure that the
constituency has a voice in their
student government,” he said.
“That was a major problem we
faced in Student Senate this
past year.”
“It is important that this
campus is comfortable to all
that attend and come to visit
our university.”
The Student Senate also vot
ed on the speaker, speaker pro
tempore, and rules and regula
tions chair Thursday.
Becky Silloway won the
speaker position and is the first
woman in A&M history to be
elected to the highest chair of
the senate.
Silloway said that she was
glad to set a precedent, but that
wasn’t her main reason for run
ning for the position.
“I’m very proud to be the first
woman speaker,’’she said. “But
right now I’m mainly focusing on
leading the Senate to their best
year ever.”
Silloway said that in the up
coming year the Senate has many
issues they must face head on.
“We are going to be busy,
busy, busy,” she said. “We really
need to concentrate on working
on internals, but we can’t lose
sight of our main focus, and
that’s improving the quality
of student life.”
Chris Reed was elected
speaker pro tempore and
Matt Mayfield was elected
rules and regulations chair.
Class officer and Resi
dence Hall Association run
offs were also voted on by the
student body Thursday.
Class of ’96 treasurer
went to Kristen Smith.
Class of ’97 president
was won by Matt Chilek,
and vice president by Court
ney Lyons.
The Class of ’98 voted in
Mike Pontiff as their new
historian.
RHA president went to
Suzanne Lyons, and RHA
vice president for opera
tions to Jesse Sanchez.
An elated Toby Boenig is congratulated by friends after he was elected
student body president in Thursday’s runoff election.
Nick Rodnicki/THE Battalion
Freestylin'
Joshua Bembenek, a sophomore molecular biology student, practices his freestyling on
Thursday afternoon and hops his mountain bike up onto the edge of Rudder fountain.
Rep. Ogden swears in new Regents
□ The three new Regents, Allen, Mc
Clure, and Powell, were sworn in on
Thursday.
By Lisa Messer
The Battalion
Rep. Steve Ogden swore in Regents Robert H.
Allen, Frederick D. McClure and Donald E. Powell
before a regular Board meeting Thursday.
“Congratulations and on behalf of the Texas Legis
lature, we’ll do our best to do our part and we’re
counting on you,” Ogden said.
The three Texas A&M University System gradu
ates replace Regents Raul Fernandez, vice chairman
of the Board, Bill Clayton and Gerald J. Ford, all who
were appointed by Republican Gov. Bill Clements.
Allen, McClure and Powell will serve six-year
terms that expire Feb. 1, 2001.
Board committees considered agenda items Thurs
day that may be presented to the full Board today.
Committees will recommend that the Board:
• grant easements, or land rights, to the Texas
Department of Transportation for the widening of
Texas Avenue.
•increase application, late registration and
parking fees.
• approve architecture equipment and geo
sciences access fees.
Robert Appleton, advanced planning engineer for
the Bryan division of TxDoT, said the Board’s granti
ng a five-foot permanent easement and temporary
construction easement will allow TxDoT to widen
Texas Avenue to six lanes and add raised medians
and a pedestrian walkway.
“This project affects the entire east side of the Uni
versity along the front of A&M,” Appleton said. “The
project has been in the planning stage for about 10
years now and this move would allow the work to
commence this fall.
“It would take approximately two years to con
struct, but our construction schedule will take into
account special weekend events that occur with the
University, especially football games.”
The Finance and Audit Committee considered
increasing three fees and approving two new fees, but
postponed consideration of a student library fee.
Barry Thompson, chancellor of the System, said
the library fee was deferred because of legalities but
will come back before the Board at a later meeting.
Thompson said the University has to increase fees
when the budget does not cover costs.
“Budget shortfalls cause students to pay more, but
the budget has to balance,” Thompson said.
Regent T. Michael O’Connor said the Board needs
to consider by how much and how often it raises fees.
“Eventually, we could price ourselves out of the
business,” he said.
The Board is considering raising the application
fee from $25 to $35 beginning in Fall 1995 because of
the increased cost of processing, printing and postage.
The Board is considering raising the penalty for
late registration from $10 to $100 for students who
register on or after the first day of class; $200 for stu
dents who register after the official reporting day;
and $50 for students who add a course after the offi
cial reporting day.
The increases would take effect in Spring 1996.
The Board is considering raising parking fees from
$55 to $75 for day permits; $135 to $200 for faculty
permits; $15 to $35 for night permits; $20 to $55 for
summer permits; $150 to $180 for rooftop garage per
mits; $225 to $270 for priority garage permits; $225
to $270 for Zachry basement permits; $200 to $240
for inside garage permits; and 50 cents to 60 cents for
visitor spaces.
The Board is considering adding a $60 fee in Fall
1995 for students taking any of 92 architecture-relat
ed courses. A maximum of three course access fees
would be allowed.
The Board is considering adding a $50 geosciences
access fee for students taking any of 80 geosciences-
related courses. A maximum of three course access
fees would be allowed.
Tim Moog/THE Battalion
State Rep. Steve Ogden swears in the new Regents
Frederick McClure, with his wife Harriet, Robert
Allen, with his wife Judy, and Donald Powell, with
his wife Twanna, on Thursday.
Elders, Sullivan to address issues
affecting todays American families
□ MSC Great Issues and MSC Po
litical Forum sponsor "Prescrip
tions for an Ailing Society."
By Tracy Smith
The Battalion
The former U.S. Surgeon General and for
mer U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Ser
vices will discuss their views on the value
crises within the American family Friday.
The program will cover a broad range of is
sues including the structure of the American
family, teenage pregnancy, violence and its
impact on society, the welfare system and ed
ucation.
Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Sur
geon General, and Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, who
has served as the Secretary of Health and Hu
man Services, will speak on “Prescriptions for
an Ailing Society.”
Elders, a pediatric endocrinologist, was
sworn in as the first African-American Sur
geon General on Sept. 8, 1993.
Elders, who is also a three-star admiral, di
rected 6,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and
scientists, all of whom are responsible for the
nation’s health.
Currently, she divides her time between the
classroom and the clinic at the University of
Arkansas Medical School.
Dr. Louis Sullivan served as the Secretary
of Health and Human Services for four years,
beginning Jan. 20, 1989.
Sullivan, the longest serving head of the
HHS, was responsible for major programs in
health, welfare, food and drug safety, medical
research and income security.
He has returned to the position of President
of the Morehouse School of Medicine in At
lanta, Georgia. The school is the nation’s first
African-American medical school established
this century.
Jason Brown, chair of MSC Great Issues,
said students should attend this program be
cause not only will it cover a number of social
issues important to the American public, but
will also give the point-of-view of two people
who have worked face-to-face with the respec
tive topics.
“We’ve seen a heightened interest with the
problems associated with the family and also
the increased anxiety dealing with this issue,”
Brown said. “Tomorrow night, Texas A&M
students and faculty will get the chance to
hear two extremely qualified speakers discuss
what the future holds for the American family
and many social policy issues.”
The program will begin at 7 p.m. in Rudder
Auditorium. Free tickets may be picked up at
the Rudder Box Office.
Third annual Whoopstock festival celebrates unity
□ The festival will be
held Saturday from noon
to 6 p.m.
By Lynn Cook
The Battalion
Bands, dance troops and food
top the list of attractions for the
third annual Whoopstock Unity
Fest, Saturday, April 8 from noon
to 6 p.m.
The theme for this year’s
Whoopstock is “Unity: Today Our
Campus, Tomorrow Our World.”
Sheri Schmidt, adviser to
Whoopstock, said Whoopstock be
gan three years ago in response to
a Ku Klux Klan rally held in town.
“We held the first Whoopstock
on the same day and at the same
time as the rally as an alterna
tive,” Schmidt said.
That year, approximately 13 stu
dent leaders organized the event.
For the past two years, the fes
tival has had a turnout of about
500 people.
Schmidt said that since more
activities have been added, she
hopes more people will take part in
the festivities.
Twelve bands and dance
groups will perform throughout
the afternoon.
The musical acts include Lewis,
The Boxcar Poets, Voices of F*raise,
Three-Amigos Guitar Club, Bobby
Hall’s Ice Cold Blues Band, Chris
Well’s and the Texas Edge and the
International Music Club.
The dance groups include the
Aggie Wranglers, Fade to Black,
Prime Time Posse, Ballet Folklori-
co Celestial and Kappa Alpha Psi.
Heather Mahoney, a member of
the Whoopstock entertainment
committee, said there was a large
response to the invitations the
committee sent out to local and
student entertainment acts.
“We tried to get as many diverse
acts as we could,” Mahoney said.
“There has been a lot more interest
this year. A lot of people came
last year and decided to get in
volved this year.”
In addition to the entertain
ment, student groups will sell food
and drinks ranging from fajitas
and pizza to Chinese food and non
alcoholic cocktails.
Texas A&M Recreational Sports
and Evian will host Spike Fest, a
volleyball tournament. One court
will feature preselected teams and
the other two will open for pick-up
games in which students may par
ticipate.
Toshiba, Mademoiselle, Evian
and other large companies will be
giving away prizes. Local busi
nesses and restaurants have also
donated items for the door prizes.
The Center for Drug Prevention
and Education will hold drawings
throughout the day for a hot-air bal
loon ride. To enter the drawing,
students must submit a possible
theme for next year’s CDPE poster.
Schmidt said about 75 students
will be selected for the balloon ride.
Abby Cook, chair of the Whoop
stock Council, said a children’s sec
tion with face paintings, sand box
es and kid’s games will be hosted
by the F*rime Time Posse.
“This isn’t just a campus thing,”
Cook said. “Parents can bring
their kids too.”
Whoopstock is about having
fun, Schmidt said, but it can also
be used as a tool to bring people
together.
“We hope this is a way for peo
ple to get together and have a good
time, but also to learn something
about one another,” she said. “We
hope they see something, hear
something or meet someone they
didn’t know about before.”