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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1995)
iday • May 5, 1995 QTATE T OCAL The Battalion • Page 5 icials say hazing law not being used IP he anti-hazing law was en- cted after the 1 986 alcohol- oisoning death of a University f Texas fraternity pledge. AUSTIN (AP) — The state’s anti-hazing tw- enacted after the 1986 alcohol-poison- ig death of a University of Texas fraternity ledge, has seldom, if ever, been used to ring a case to trial, the Austin American- tatesman reported Thursday. ‘jl am not aware of anytime it’s been sed,” said Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D- ustin, who wrote the law in 1987. Hi think in spite of the law, some people are lying boys will be boys,” said Barrientos, who atches hazing cases around the state. In Travis County, several fraternities nd individual members have entered plea argains in hazing cases, but none has one to trial. Saturday’s drowning death of Gabriel enjamin “Gabe” Higgins, a pledge of the What’s Up Texas Cowboys at UT, has drawn hints that it might be hazing related. Higgins, 19, of Idaho, was attending a Cow boys’ “picnic,” an initiation ceremony for “new- men” or pledges, when he drowned while swimming in the Colorado River. The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Depart ment, Texas Rangers, Texas Alcoholic Bev erage Commission and UT are investigating. Toxicology test results showed no drugs in Higgins’ system. “No drugs, no abuse, no marijuana, nothing other than alcohol,” said Travis County Medical Examiner Robert Bayardo. Higgins’ blood-alcohol level was 0.21, or twice the legal level for driving, at the time of his death. Witnesses told Bastrop County authorities that Higgins, who was too young to buy or drink alcohol, drank about six beers the morning he drowned. Forced alcohol consumption is considered hazing under state law, as is any type of physical activity that subjects a person to unreasonable risk of harm. Barrientos said he doesn’t know whether hazing was involved in Higgins’ death. But he says he has been angry for years at the lack of prosecution under the law he passed after the death of Mark Seeberger, 18, a Phi Kappa Psi pledge at UT. “It’s disgusting to me that we put up with this,” he said. E.G. Morris, a lawyer who represented the Seeberger family, said he never thought passage of the law would end haz ing. “Passing a law doesn’t stop an act. It just criminalizes it.” In Travis County, home of five colleges and universities, three UT fraternities — Tau Kappa Epsilon, Phi Gamma Delta and Pi Kappa Alpha — and four Sigma Nu fra ternity members have entered plea bargains under the hazing law, said Assistant County Attorney Kate Kelley. But no hazing case has gone to trial in the county, she said, adding that hazing cases can be difficult to crack and prosecute. “They have the best closed-mouth sys tem I’ve ever seen,” she said, referring to fraternities. Friday Study Abroad Programs 'ffice: An informational meet- ig concerning Junior Fulbright b 10 a.m. in 251 Bizzell West, anior Fulbright helps graduate -udents and graduating seniors mduct research abroad. This teeting is open to all students icluding undergraduates who ~e not graduating but are inter- }ted in information. For more formation call 845-0544. Baha’i Club: Discussion on |tfikie[ Unity of Mankind at 6:30 Hip. Dinner will be served, ^^■all Kipper at 847-7466 for ch KiSi-oro information. hance Aggie he na: haracii r mov n can cast i genre, y towai does of \re so! alow v nent 3r, bn 3dies audie: een ng ne? Food Roundup: Sponsored by Baptist Student Union. Food drop-off boxes will be located in Residence Halls and at Rudder Fountain through Wednesday, May 10. Proceeds benefit Brazos Food Bank and Brazos Church Pantry. Non per ishable food items only. For more information call Cody Rogers at 696-3306. Saturday Rio Brazos Audubon Field Trip: Blue Heron Rookery, Oys ter Reefs. A forester from Champion International Corpo ration will guide us through East Texas forest in Trinity county. The rookery and reefs cover 415 acres of private land. Expect to see large numbers of nesting egrets and herons. For more information call Bert Frenz at 846-9042 or 693-3214. A.R.M.Y: We are having an end of the year meeting/banquet at 1 p.m. at Mr. Gatti’s. All members who wear A.R.M.Y shirts receive free lunch. We will also be honoring point get ters. For more information call Aaron Metcalf at 847-7584. Sunday Grads and More: Gay, Les bian, bisexual students and staff and faculty ar invited to discuss articles in the latest issue of the Advocate. Meeting at Sweet Eu gene’s at 4 p.m. Monday Rio Brazos Audubon Field Trip: May 27 th, we’ll board a 65ft charter boat and head 50 nautical miles off the coast of Port O’Connor to get beyond the Continental Shelf. For addition al information call Bert Frenz at 846-9042 (wk) or 693-3214 (hm). What’s Up is a Battalion ser vice that lists non-profit stu dent and faculty events and ac tivities. Items should be sub mitted no later than three days in advance of the desired run date. Application deadlines and notices are not events and will not be run in What’s Up. If you have any questions, please call the newsroom at 845-3313. an extraordinary bookstore Every Book ON SALE, Every Day?] Save up to THE RAINMAKER JOHN GRISHAM N.Y. Times Best Seller! % SOofF PUBLISHERS LIST PRICE $25.95 HARDCOVER VALID THRU 5/7/95 Mr. DISK PLATINUM SERIES Computer Shareware 3 S 10 °o OFF PUBLISHERS ORIGINAL PRICES Pocket Size PAPERBACKS Hundreds of Titles OR $2 EACH Giant 1,000 Page WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY & ROGET'S THESAURUS ORIGINALLY $39.95 NEW WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY , ROGET’S HJK.SAl IH s PLUS gel a FREE Pocket Paperback Dictionary! The Multimedia Superstore with Over 100,000 Discount Books! DUNCE PARTY r SOC WELL, WINE, DRfiFT 8 to lO p.m. 1 NO COVER CHARGE EVER Howdy Ags! Drivers Unlimited provides special transportation service for airport trips to Austin & Houston. •Faculty!staff!student entertainment •Ring Dance •Tours & bus trips Call for information (409) 779-1 81 9 or I -800-567-1819 Western Union. The fastest way to send money worldwide. WESTERN MONEY UNION TRANSFER Available at: A Rapid Income Tax 3602 S. Texas at Dunn • Bryan (next to Auto Zone) 846-9748 * Se habla Espanol Send Money To Over 100 Countries WESTERN MONEY UNION TRANSFER The fastest tv ay to send money tvorldtvide. GRADUATE SUMMER SCHOOL IN MATHEMATICS Graduate Students: Are you looking for a mathematics course to take during the summer? Take a look at these summer offerings. MATH 664-200 Seminar in Applied Mathematics: This course will be a graduate level introduction to wavelets with applications, which is a recently discovered mathematical tool used in sig nal processing, statistical mechanics and other technical applications. Should appeal to graduate students in math, physics and engineering. Taught second summer session. Instructor: Guy Battle MATH 689-300 Elements of Mathematics: This is a graduate level mathematics course designed for graduate students interested in mathematics education. This introductory graduate level class is designed to prepare students to take further mathematics courses in the Departments new Masters Program for Mathematics Teaching. Offered as a 10 week class. Instructors: Carl Maxson and Dan Lewis. MAT H 689-101. 102 AB and BC Track Calculus: These courses are two week intensive courses that target instructors of high school advanced placement calculus courses. Particular emphasis will be given to the use of the graphing calculator in the teaching of cal culus. Offered June 5-16. Instructors: Al Boggess and Mike Stecher. For more information contact Mike Stecher at 845-3269.