The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 06, 1995, Image 1

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THE FUN OF IT
i^pllPral
‘ Jl-.,
Redshirt freshman linebacker
Dat Nguyen plays for the
dove of the game.
Let’s wager
Clark: The Batt and Tech's
paper make an interesting
bet on the game.
Movie culture
With a shrinking number of
theaters, bringing artistic
films requires an extra effort.
PliH
Sports, Page 7
Opinion, Page 9
Aggielife, Page 3
B AT TALI O
AWAS5~&)ES«-e
Vol. 102, No. 30 (10 pages)
Established in 1893
Friday • October 6, 1993
Kyle Field expansion up for Regents’ approval
□ A&M's football field
could be converted to
natural grass by the
time A&M officially
joins the Big 12
Conference next fall.
By James Bernsen
The Battalion
Texas A&M Athletic Depart
ment officials are planning an
addition to Kyle Field that
would increase the seating ca
pacity by 10,000 seats and con
vert the turf field to grass.
Wally Groff, A&M athletic di
rector, said the only change that
could happen before next year
would be the replacement of the
artificial turf on Kyle Field with
natural grass.
“The project consists of sev
eral phases,” Groff said. “The
first phase would be the conver
sion to grass.”
See related EDITORIAL, Page 9
Groff said nothing is definite
yet, but with approval by the
Board of Regents, the field could
be converted by the time A&M
officially joins the Big 12 Confer
ence in Fall 1996.
The main reason for the
change is the perception that
natural grass is safer for the
players, Groff said.
“There’s no scientific data that
proves one way or another, but
the players and their parents
think grass is better,” he said. “To
be honest, we put in AstroTurf in
1969 for recruiting purposes, and
we’re putting in grass in 1996 for
recruiting purposes.”
The increase in seating would
come from demolition of the cur
rent “horseshoe” section that
seats 12,000. The section would
be replaced with a new double
decked section closer to the field
that could hold 22,000.
The plans also call for an en
closed section between the two
decks, much like what exists be
tween the second and third decks
of the press-box side of the field.
“The main reason for this is
we’re a top-notch football pro
gram, but we don’t sell out,”
Groff said. “The end zone seats
don’t allow a good view for our
customers.”
H.B. “Buddy” Payne, 12th Man
Foundation president, said the
current seats do not sell because
they are too far from the action.
“In our experience traveling
around and looking at other
stadiums, we find end zone
seating is real popular if you
can make them more comfort
able,” Payne said. “We would
like to try to develop a type of
seating where people would be
able to enjoy the game.”
The new deck can also be 40
to 45 feet closer to the field be
cause the track that circles the
field has not been used by A&M
since the mid 1980s.
Groff said that if approved
soon, the grass could be in place
by next year, but the renovations
See FIELD, Page 6
Amy Browning, The Battalion
The "horseshoe" section of Kyle Field may be replaced by a double
decked section.
Stew Milne, The Battalion
Born to be wild
Hall Parrote's '94 Harley Davidson Road King, a limited edition, stands next to many other street bikes as part of the
A&M Motorcycle Club's display at Rudder Fountain Thursday.
Caliente marks end of
Hispanic Heritage Month
□ The carnival will provide
musical entertainment, food
and games.
By Melissa Keerins
The Battalion
The sixth annual Caliente, a carnival of
games, food and music sponsored by the
Hispanic Business Student Association,
will take place Saturday at the LULAC
Recreation Center.
Jose Rios, HBSA presi
dent and a senior busi
ness major, said he is ex
cited about Caliente,
which has expanded to in
clude the Bryan-College
Station community.
“Caliente is usually
for students, but we
moved off campus this
year so the community
could be more involved,”
Rios said. “It should be a
lot of fun, and we are ex
pecting a lot of people.”
Rios said many groups are involved in
helping out with the event.
“Tampico and Goyas 1910 will be pro
viding authentic Mexican food, and Pan-
cho’s will be providing Tex-Mex,” he said.
The Spanish Seniors from Bryan High
School will also be cooking food, Rios said.
“It should be really neat,” he said. “I
don’t know of any other group that does
anything like this with as many organiza
tions involved.”
During the day, musical entertainment
will be provided by the radio station. La Fab-
ulosa 99.5 FM, who will be there with a live
remote. A mariachi band will also perform.
Nubia Rodriguez, a senior business ma
jor and Caliente chairperson for HBSA, said
many student groups will be involved, and
they are expecting a large crowd.
“Eleven minority groups will be in
volved along with some local merchants,”
Rodriguez said. “Last
year it rained, so there
were only around 150
people there. The weath
er looks like it will be
great this weekend, so
we are expecting a lot
more people.”
Admission is free from
12-6 p.m. During this
time there will be game
booths and authentic
Mexican food. The games
will be free, but local
restaurants will charge
for food.
There will be a break in the celebration
from 6 p.m., and the event will resume at
9 p.m. Admission will be S12.50 with pre
purchased tickets and $15.00 at the gate
for the evening musical performances.
“Evening entertainment will be provided
See Caliente, Page 6
Prof presents program to
study racial segregation
o Dr. Mark Fossett said resi
dential segregation is not
necessarily caused by active
discrimination.
By Lori Young
The Battalion
Dr. Mark Fossett, associate professor of
sociology, presented Iris new computer pro
gram and research theories Thursday to
explore “Racial Preferences, Inequality and
Louis Craig, The Battalion
Dr. Mark Fossett spoke to a group Thurs
day about his research theories in race
and ethnic relations.
Demographic Structure: Consequences for
Racial Fiesidential Segregation.”
Fossett, an expert in the areas of race
and ethnic relations, stratification and
inequality and race and ethnic relations,
began working formally on his new com
puter program about five years ago.
Dr. Samuel Cohn, associate professor
of sociology, introduced Fossett as mak
ing important progress in the field of
residential segregation.
“This is a historic occasion because
now the story can be told,” Cohn said.
Fossett said his, initial intention was
to show his undergraduate students how
the accepted sociological theories on res
idential segregation work. He found that
the theories did not prove entirely true
when subjected to computer simulations.
“The way the literature currently
stands, [it] very strongly assumes that if
you observe high levels of segregation,
the only possible explanation for it is in
stitutionalized discrimination,” he said.
Fossett said he believes residential
segregation is not necessarily caused by
conscious or active discrimination.
“Preferences in group affiliation,
whether it be male/female, young/old or
black/white, combined with demographic
structure, make it hard for everyone to
realize their preferences,” he said.
The traditionally accepted sociologi
cal factors that influence residential
See Segregation, Page 2
Sharing Aggie spirit
Cadets lend helping hand
Louis Craig, The Battalion
Bebe Hancock holds her daughter Connor with
Kyle Robinson. A-1 commanding officer and Bo
Arnold, first sergeant for A-1. The cadets have
been helping out her family since the death of her
husband, a former cadet.
□ Unit A-1 cadets have
been assisting a former
cadet's family since his
death in April.
By Courtney Walker
The Battalion
Corps of Cadets unit A-1
members may act like blood rel
atives of 3-year-old Morgan
Hancock. However, the cadets
have only known Morgan’s fami
ly since April after her father, a
former A-1 cadet, died.
The cadets regularly visit
Morgan’s mother, Bebe, to help
with daily tasks and care for
two other children.
After the death of her hus
band, Mike Hancock, Class of
’86, Bebe was left with two chil
dren to raise and a third child
on the way.
Mike was killed in an auto
mobile accident last October in
Saudi Arabia, where he was liv
ing with Bebe and their chil
dren. He was in a coma for 11
days before passing away.
After Mike’s death, Bebe and
her children left Saudi Arabia and
moved back to College Station.
to family
Bebe has a two-month-old
daughter, Connor; a three-year-
old daughter, Morgan; and a six
year-old son, Justin.
“I wanted to be near Mike’s
grave, and there are a lot of fa
miliarities here,” Bebe said. “It
is a safe place and a good area
to raise children.”
When she moved to College
Station, Bebe was pregnant
with Connor and needed help
keeping up her yard and land
scaping her new house. Unit A-1
was asked to help, and the
cadets accepted.
Laura Arth, Corps academic
adviser, contacted the unit’s
commanding officer about Be-
be’s situation, and A-1 began
helping by landscaping her
house. Bebe said 14 cadets
showed up on the first day
ready to help.
“At first I thought it would
be difficult because of all the
memories, but it has turned
out to be the best decision,”
Bebe said. “I don’t think you
can find college students who
care about a pregnant widow
and two other kids they don’t
even know in a large town.”
See Cadets, Page 5