Colin it quits
Donte’s inferno
Littlefield: Colin Powell
wisely decided not to play
the game.
Opinion, Page 13
A&M wide receiver Donte
Hawkins is red hot on and
off Kyle Field.
Sports, Page 9
Established in 1893
Thursday • November 9, 1995
V
Powell bows out of race to White House
□ The retired general said he
would devote his energies to
restoring 'the spirit of
Lincoln' to the Republican
Party.
AP File Photo
WASHINGTON (AP) — After
months of “prayerful consideration”
that captivated the nation, Colin Powell
awkwardly embraced the Republican
Party on Wednesday but said he would
not run for president in 1996 because it
was “a calling that I do not yet hear.”
Ending an extraordinary political
mystery, Powell ruled out seeking any
elected office next year. Instead, he said
he would dedicate himself to restoring
“the spirit of Lincoln” to a Republican
Party he said was a lot more diverse
than many conservatives would admit.
“I’m sorry I disappointed you,” the
retired general said in a poignant trib
ute to the thousands of everyday Ameri
cans who had urged him to run.
To run for president, Powell said,
would demand “a passion and commit
ment that, despite my every effort, I do
not have for political life, because such
a life requires a calling that I do not
yet hear.”
“For me to pretend otherwise would
not be honest to myself; it would not be
honest to the American people.”
Powell also ruled out being the
OOP’s vice presidential nominee, but
said he might consider an appointed
government position. Many Republi
cans, even Powell critics, said the re
tired general still was almost certain to
be considered for the No. 2 spot on the
GOP ticket.
The decision left 10 major declared
Republican candidates and one GOP gi
ant still sitting on the fence: House
Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Students react to announcement
□ Texas A&M's NAAGP and
College Republicans views
differed on Powell's decision
not to run for president.
By Lisa Johnson
The Battalion
See Powell, Page 14
Texas A&M faculty members and
student leaders were split in their reac
tion to Gen. Colin Powell’s decision to
refrain from a run at the White House.
Powell announced Wednesday that
he will not seek the presidency in 1996,
nor will he be a candidate for vice presi
dent. He declared that he is a member
of the Republican party, but will not
commit his vote to the GOP nominee in
the next election.
Dr. Patricia Hurley, a political sci
ence professor, said Powell’s decision
not to run will lead the world of nation
al politics back to “business as usual.”
“I’m sure that all of the other Re
publicans in contention for the nomi
nation, as well as the White House,
are breathing big sighs of relief,”she
said. “Powell’s popularity could have
made things very difficult for the more
established politicians.”
Deputy White House chief of staff
Harold Ickes contradicted Hurley’s
opinion, however, when he told the As
sociated Press that there are no “sighs
of relief’ about Powell’s decision at the
White House.
“We were prepared to take our case
to the country no matter what Colin
Powell decided to do,” he said.
Powell’s decision to remain out of the
race was not surprising to Hurley, who
See Reaction, Page 14
Amy Browning, The Battalion
Practice pitching makes perfect
Juniors Marco Cordon, a business management major, Kenneth Cox, an exercise technical major, and Carlos Garza,
an agricultural engineering major, practice pitching a tent for a field exercise this weekend.
CenterpoMe erected todau
Bonfire Centerpole
□ Dr. Larry Crosse, head of the
construction science
department, is serving as a
practical adviser to those
working at Bonfire site.
By Lisa Johnson
The Battalion
Centerpole will be raised today with
new precautions to ensure this year’s
Bonfire will not suffer a repeat of last
year’s collapse.
Carl Baggett, a redpot and a senior ac
counting major, said construction of Bon
fire begins by splicing the two logs that
form centerpole. After the two logs are
spliced, they are bolted together and
wrapped with wire. Centerpole will then be
aligned and placed 15 feet into the ground
at 4:03 p.m.
“The place where the two poles are
joined together is actually the strongest
part of the centerpole,” Baggett said. “Last
year when centerpole broke, it broke above
and below, but not at the point of juncture.”
Andy Webb, head civilian redpot and a
junior agricultural development major, said
measures have been taken to make certain
the ground is more resistant to the shifting
that caused last year’s partial collapse.
“About a month ago, we covered the
ground out at site with fly ash,” Webb said.
“The ash causes the soil particles to bond
together so they don’t saturate with rain
water and become unstable like they did
last year.”
Fly ash is made up of fine carbon de
posits, much like the ash made by a coal-
burning stove, that serve as mild cement
ing agents to aggregate the soil.
This year, as in the past, logs are being
placed in the ground at a depth of 5 to 6
feet. These logs are being placed in strate
gic positions so they can be wired into the
stacks to hold the tiers of Bonfire in a more
stable structure than before.
To help in the construction of this year’s
Bonfire, Dr. Larry Grosse, head of the con
struction science department, has been
serving as a practical adviser to those do
ing the work.
“Basically, Dr. Grosse comes and checks
up on us to see how things are going,”
Webb said. “He knows the amount of work
that goes into this, and he knows how
things should be going out here.”
Thirteen students heading Bonfire
construction, including several redpots,
are taking one of Grosse’s classes that
Aggies address child lea
See Bonfire, Page 14
□ Students with children discussed the benefits of
having an on-campus day-care center Wednesday.
By Heather Pace
The Battalion
Lydia Stanaland, a land economics and real estate graduate stu
dent, balances nine hours and two jobs. Her husband quit his job to
take care of their infant because it was more cost efficient than pay
ing for day care.
The Child Care Issues Open Forum brought many students with
stories similar to Stanaland’s together Wednesday.
The forum was sponsored by the Department for Student Life, the
Division of Student Affairs and Students Over Traditional Age to
discuss bringing a day-care center to campus.
Sandi Osters, assistant to the vice president for student affairs,
said students would only pay about $.50 a semester through the stu
dent service fee to help pay for the center.
One member of the audience said, “Students have to know what it
is all about before they say they don’t want this.”
Some student parents are upset, though, that they have to pay for
other services they are unable to use.
Royce Renfrew, whose wife is a math graduate student, voiced his
concern that he pays for the use of the recreation center.
“We pay $50 to use the recreation center; we can’t use it because
they don’t have child care,” Renfrew said.
While the day-care center would require start-up funds, it would
eventually become self-sustaining and would compete with the
Bryan-College Station day-care centers to keep costs low.
Currently, the future location of the day-care center would be oh-
campus, near Research Park.
A&M student parents said on-campus day care is of primary im
portance to students who are reassured by the fact that their chil
dren would be nearby.
Aggie Yell
Afternoon Style
Yell practice for the today's A&M-Rice football
game will be in Houston at 5 p.m. Meet at the
southeast corner of the Rice stadium parking
lot adjacent to Cameron field
See Forum, Page 14
Tanya Woodington, a politica
attend the child care forum Wednesday night
Amy Browning, The Batt alion
science major, and her son, Hunter,
File Photo