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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1996)
gap The Best of Barone and more in the Year in Sports. SPORTS, PAGE 13 The , No. 140 (18 pages) Nolen: Margraves proves that mistrust of those in power is justified. OPINION, PAGE 17 The Aggie Final End-of-the-semester concert gives students a time to celebrate. AGGIELIFE, PAGE 3 Battalion Serving Texas AdrM University Since 1893 Friday • May 3, 1996 low forming eanor Colvin Iattalion _ !ar ]y 4,000 students next will share in one the most pated Texas A&M traditions Nation — in one of four •encement ceremonies, remonies for undergraduate jaduate degree candidates jin G. Rollie White Colise- i2p.m. and 7:30 p.m. May j at 9 a.m. May 11. -iduation exercises for those rjigthe Doctor of Veterinary aie degree will be at 10 a.m. !0in Rudder Auditorium, jdents receiving Medical or degrees will be recog nized June 1. Donald Gardner, associate reg istrar, said the Saturday morning commencement is usually the largest, but about 1,100 students are honored at each ceremony. Gardner said it is too soon to speculate how many of the esti mated 3,925 candidates for gradu ation will actually participate in the ceremonies. He said almost 3,200 of the 3,800 May 1995 can didates were in attendance. This year’s graduation speak ers are Antonio Garza Jr., Texas secretary of state, Katherine J. Harless, GTE regional president for Texas and New Mexico, and Mary Lowe Good, undersecretary in G. Rollie White Coliseum of technology for the U.S. Depart ment of Commerce. Sheran Riley, an assistant to the University president, said staff members from the Offices of the President and Vice Presi dent and other campus officials generate a pool of about 20 to 30 speakers for graduation sev eral months in advance. Some speakers are invited two or three times, she said, be fore they are able to accept the invitation. “Sometimes we invite people more than once,” she said, “be cause it’s hard to control all scheduling factors with the cal iber of people we strive to invite.” Riley said that when select ing speakers, the committee tries to keep in mind diversity issues and often tries to match speakers with their particular disciplines. “Most of the speakers we choose from have such a span of experience and background that they cross over into many fields,” she said. “That’s why we try to plan far in advance, so we can pursue well-known speakers as well as people of different backgrounds and women.” Garza will address graduates of the colleges of agriculture and life sciences and business admin istration, as well as the Graduate School of Business and the Col lege of Medicine (excluding med ical doctors). Garza said graduation speech es should be short and should fo cus on and celebrate students’ ac complishments. His speech will address the importance of embracing tech nology as students advance into the work force. “I want them to realize there is a new world awaiting them,” he said, “because today technol ogy has made their opportuni ties limitless. “But there are other things equally important that they should be thinking about, such as value and respect. Because re gardless of where technology takes us, it is ultimately the peo ple that guide us.” Harless will speak at the cer emony for students in the col leges of architecture, geo sciences and maritime studies, veterinary medicine and engineering. Good will be the speaker for degree candidates of the col leges of education, liberal arts and science. There is a commissioning cere mony May 11 for members of the Corps of Cadets receiving com missions in the armed services. largraves trial set tformer regent could go to jail if convicted sa Johnson Battalion rmer Texas A&M University System iof Regent Ross Margraves will go to for allegations of misuse of govern- iproperty. allegations involve the use of the ! plane to make a personal trip to Ba- ■juge, La., in August 1993. Margraves ’dieted April 30 in Brazos County by ad jury. ‘charges against Margraves are the :ofa 1995 state audit that revealed as types of mismanagement at the ‘rsity, including the funding of the expensive power plant project in the city’s history, done without the the iof Regents’ approval, e actions of several other A&M of- swere also scrutinized as a result, e audit. ivid Berg, a Houston attorney repre- sg Margraves, could not be reached Jmment. But Bill Turner, Brazos district attorney, said that if Mar- sis convicted of official misconduct, aalty could range from probation to a prison term and fine. “His punishment could be between two years probation to 10 years in the penitentiary and a $10,000 fine,” he said. “Official misconduct is considered a third- degree felony.” Terri Parker, spokeswoman for the A&M System, said the district attorney’s office has subpoenaed documents relating to the matter. She could not indicate whether the documents had been used in the indict ment or if they would be used in the up coming trial. “I really am not sure of the details,” she said. “All we are aware of is that the dis trict attorney’s office did subpoena some documents relating to air travel for Mr. Margraves.” Turner said Margraves’ indictment is in no w?y an indication of guilt: it simply in dicates that enough evidence has been found to conduct a frail. “In this country, everyone is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said. Judge J.D. Langley has yet to set a date for the trial to begin. enate says ‘No’ pvood decision not supported by students father Pace itfTALION fa Texas A&M Student Senate ssday recommended that because of "■ial negative effects of the Hop wood % of Texas ruling the University take action to increase minority tent. Ste related EDITORIAL, Page 17 f resolution takes a stance against the 'lod decision, which made using eth- ias an admissions criterion illegal. The %i also states the Senate’s full sup- tthe stay of the decision, which was jtd pending deliberation of the case by 8. Supreme Court. fn Slaughter, an off-campus senator iophomore industrial distribution said that with this resolution, the is simply asserting its commit- to diversity. e’re not saying that affirmative action f Slaughter said. “ I think that we’re hhis University would suffer without ion’t think there is currently a better ^ensure a diverse university.” r the most part, senators who voted 4 the resolution either agree with the ; ood decision or feel the Senate needed a stronger stance. ivid Brown, a Northside senator and r political science major, did not sup- ; ie resolution because he supports the ’’ood ruling. lopwood is about preferential treat- based on the petty criterion of skin Brown said. “The real question is fowe still believe in preferential treat- orhave we come far enough in race re- ‘■s to institutionalize colorblindness?” Some students said the resolution is cru cial because the administration must con tinue to support diversity. Curtis Watson, chair of the Senate Judi cial Board and senior economics major, said the administration’s support would out weigh the effects of the Hop wood case. “If the TAMU administration is truly de termined to increase diversity on campus,” Watson said, “I feel the goal of diversity will be achieved.” A major purpose of the recommendation is to change the perception that A&M does not try to attract minorities. Drew Howard, a senator and junior mathematics major, said discrimination has occurred at A&M in the past, but those inci dents do not reflect A&lVTs current attitude about diversity. “We want to disassemble the perception that A&M doesn’t care about minorities,” Howard said. In other business, the Senate revised the procedures for the Student Service Fee Allo cation Board, which has faced problems be cause of high turnover and criticism for its research methods. The SSFAB is responsible for determin ing the distribution of student organization funding. The bill changed the setup of the Board. It now will consist of 16 members, eight of whom will be selected each year to serve for two years. The bill decreased the number of people on the SSFAB by 12. Jill Hayes, a College of Science sena tor and freshman mathematics major, said the reorganization will increase SS- FAB’s impact. “It has become a more centralized and or ganized committee,” Hayes said, “with more focus and greater input than ever before.” ollow-up for audit begins -be State Auditor’s Office has begun a °w-up of a Texas A&M management 'rols aud’t report that was released in %y 1995. •be follow-up will include a review of % taken by the University to address hi fiscal policy improvements recom- fided in the report. It will focus on hgement controls in areas such as hu man resources, information systems, grants and contracts administration, pur chasing and fixed assets. The auditors will be at A&M during May and June. If anyone has information relevant to the study they are encouraged by the A&M Internal Audit Department to call 1-800-892-8348. The telephone call is electronically answered and anonymous. Amy Browning, The Battalion TIME FOR A BREAK Carisa Leerkamp, a junior education major, takes a break from studying for finals to fly a kite near southside residence halls on Thursday afternoon. Student dies on train tracks By Lily Aguilar The Battalion A Texas A&M senior manage ment major was killed Tuesday night when he has hit by a south bound train on the railroad tracks near the Recreational Student Cen ter and Wellborn Road. Go Shibata’s body was found by another A&M student shortly after 7:15 p.m. The student then alerted a police officer who was stopped at the intersection of George Bush Drive and Wellborn Road. Shibata, 23, was pronounced dead at the site by University medics. University Police Department offi cials are uncertain about the circum stances surrounding Shibata’s death. Shibata was admitted to A&M’s branch campus in Koriyama, Japan, in 1992, and he enrolled at the Col lege Station campus during Summer 1994. Funeral arrangements are being made by Shibata’s family. A&M Japanese students are in vited to meet with representatives of A&M’s Office of International Stu dent Services for counseling and other assistance concerning Shi bata’s death. Editors prepare for summer, fall By Kendra S. Rasmussen The Battalion With this semester’s final issue of the Texas A&M stu dent newspaper. The Battal ion, complete. Sterling Hay- man, editor in chief, will hand his duties over to long time friend, Stacy Stanton. Stanton, a senior English major, was chosen by the Student Publications Board to serve as editor in chief of The Battalion this summer. Following her tenure, Michael Landauer, a junior journalism major, will serve as the Fall 1996 editor in chief. Hayman, a graduating senior, is leaving his posi tion to Stanton, who will be working without Hayman for the first time in years. “When I think about Ster ling leaving this semester and my moving into his posi tion, I am both sad and over joyed at the same time,” she said. Hayman and Stanton met as freshmen at Madis- onville High School, where they started their school newspaper together their se nior year. Stanton said she and Hayman applied together to work at The Battalion at the end of their freshman year at A&M. “When I came to A&M I needed to find my niche,” See Editors, Page 12 Shane Elkins, The Battalion Michael Landauer, fall 1996 editor in chief, and Stacy Stanton, summer 1996 editor in chief, look over The Battalion as they prepare for summer and fall.