The Battalion
jI. 102, No. 173 (6 pages)
Serving Texas AdrM University Since 1893 THE BATT ON-LINE: http://bat-web.tamu.edu
Tuesday • July 30, 1996
Ifnie Olympic
crience:
it*
IC1
Jig/its and
$ounds from
Adanta
up
[ had never planned
on going to At
lanta.
■The thought of stand-
in long lines, suffer-
"R through annoying se-
,Rity checks, and bat-
L r „Big the heat and humid-
B among thousands of
Rer loud and sweaty
[^spectators never really
Bpealed to me.
■Needless to say, when
jg-itwas time to apply for
vent tickets a year ago, I lacked the motiva-
Ition and desire to sign on the dotted line.
■ I realized my mistake over the next
few months when I thought about what
d’d be missing — something truly
unique and memorable.
II So last week when I was offered tickets
l||d a free place to stay in Georgia over the
llekend, I jumped at the opportunity.
Ip As we embarked on the 15-hour, 870-mile
"rental car trip to Atlanta this past Thurs-
my, I thought I knew what to expect upon
arrival. But as I soon found out, you can’t
irue piM.Rdict or describe the feeling until you actu-
lly experience it in person.
| And anyone who was there last weekend
"definitely got their money’s worth.
Ij It was the full-package deal — an emo-
3,” delissa tion-packed experience of joy, fright, disap-
.wuntment and history, all rolled up into two
lis whirlwind days.
I ft w a sn ’f jnst the Centennial Park bomb-
' ft 16 subsequent bomb threats and evacua-
i.- om °‘ : fens, or the Olympic events themselves,
d medal, “Bither, it was all the weekend’s occurrences
of eight COII |litii na ting into one singular experience.
f When we arrived in Atlanta at 4:30 a.m.
'Friday, all was calm. The freeways were
[empty and the streets deserted as the sum
mer flame burned brightly at Olympic Stadi-
j ctgcvln. I was taken back with how clean and
7 Victory ovJ stine the cit y was -
, } ( j"j jjJ Later, we experienced the full crush of hype
te . • nlid excitement engulfing the city. We battled
. sweeoiire souven ir-seeking crowds and visited the
v ' c ’ r , vo jj e j p]ympi c booths and other attractions.
| We saw the innumerable local TV reports
r-1 voUeV'IH specials covering the hoopla, and we
VoivmDitW ac ^ ^ sections devoted to Olympic cov
erage in the newspaper.
thn iQftl ^he mood was festive and all was good —
then the unthinkable happened.
,, yl Everything screeched to a halt as televi-
} rnnzf* an re P orts showed the sounds and images
the tragedy at Centennial Park. For over
' 15 Jfc 66 ft° urs ’ no one knew what to expect as
’' , the Games were left in limbo.
c ° n p But the Olympic Committee proudly
£ ace fumed the other cheek and refused to let the
S A' ' troic PsEcious actions of some misguided individ-
11 . S | ,■•[ Ua l rum an institution that has commenced
d ual every four years for a century.
The Games went on Saturday with a re
newed sense of vigor.
As of yet, no one knows what sick person
Fas behind the bombing, or what his mo-
pves were.
But one thing was apparent Saturday in
Tl ^tlanta — if this person was trying to damp-
|TS E
nqqg l n the international spirit of the Olympic
J “'ames, he failed miserably.
Instead of casting a dark gloom over the at
mosphere at the venues, the opposite oc-
d. The whole calamity seemed to bring
eople closer together in a celebration of the
iuman spirit and t* goodwill of the games.
Yes, there were p ^iods of paranoia and
Janie Saturday in the wake of the previous
light’s occurrence. I was unfortunate to be
n the Atlanta Underground District below
3 eachtree Street when a bomb threat sent
lundreds of people rampaging through the
shops, souvenir stands and food courts to
safety — scaring us to death in the process.
The whole fiasco led to a complete evacu
ation of the area and another black eye to
Atlanta’s image.
But overall, the city and Olympic organiz
es bounced back valiantly. Centennial Park
was closed down and flags at all venues
were flown at half-mast.
We stood and gave a moment of silence for
the victims Saturday morning prior to the
men’s volleyball ma tches at the Omni Coliseum.
I thought the Olympic spirit most visibly
prevailed that night at the baseball game at
Pulton County Stadium between the United
States and Australia.
Unlike attending professional or colle
giate athletic contests, there seemed to be a
larger sense of excitement and importance to
this Olympic contest.
There was electricity in the air as the
crowd was involved in every aspect of the
game beginning with the first pitch. The
Wave circulated around the stadium numer
ous times and the chant “U-S-A” was
screamed several times during the course of
the host team’s 15-5 victory.
Even more unique was the fact that there
Were no bitter rivalries on the field or in the
tc of
yuc-
4 /6 2 7163
See Day, Page 3
Redistricting maps submitted
HOUSTON (AP) — More than a
dozen maps redesigning Texas con
gressional districts were submitted
Monday to a three-judge federal
court panel working to ensure the
legality of new boundaries for three
districts that were found to be
racially gerrymandered.
Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock and House
Speaker Pete Laney submitted a pair
of plans to the federal district court
clerk’s office in Houston during a flur
ry of activity leading up to a 4 p.m.
deadline set by the judges.
Two others came from the plaintiffs
in the case and more plans arrived
from parties that included the Galve
ston County Republican Party, an
Hispanic civil rights organization,
some Houston city officials and U.S.
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, whose
30th District in Dallas was among the
three ruled unconstitutional by the
U.S. Supreme Court.
The three-judge panel also had
asked the parties to submit redrawn
boundaries for Houston’s 18th and
29th districts. Any redesign, however,
also could affect a number of other ad
jacent Texas congressional districts.
The judges could accept any of the
plans or draw their own boundaries.
Attorneys had indicated plans under
discussion between the two sides
ranged from changes in as few as 10 of
the state’s 30 districts to as many as 26.
The judicial panel, which includes
Appeals Court Judge Edith Jones and
U.S. District judges David Hittner and
Melinda Harmon, has indicated up to
14 districts may have to be redesigned
if they do the reconfiguration.
The new boundaries became neces
sary after Republican plaintiffs ar
gued successfully in a suit that racial
criteria improperly were used in de
signing the districts.
They want new lines this year, as do
GOP congressmen and party officials
eager to expand their presence. The De
mocrats hold an 18-12 advantage in the
Texas congressional delegation.
Democratic state officials and
House members, meanwhile, are sat
isfied with the status quo and want
the Texas Legislature to draw a new
map next year.
Of the maps submitted Monday,
one version of the Bullock-Laney plan
would affect nine districts and four
counties, with Dallas and Harris
counties seeing the most change. The
plan would eliminate fingers of the
30th District that reached into Tar
rant and Collin counties.
The map also would maintain mi
nority voting strength, the attorney
representing Bullock and Laney con
tends. For example, the population of
the 18th District, now 50.9 percent
black, would be 44.8 percent.
The second Bullock-Laney plan
would alter 12 districts and 10 coun
ties, with the major changes occurring
in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Parker,
Johnson, Ellis and Navarro counties.
Less extensive changes would be
made in Brazoria, Fort Bend and
Collin counties. Under that plan, the
18th District’s population would be
46.2 percent black.
The plaintiffs filed two new pro
posals, one changing 13 districts,
the other 17.
Regents discuss early
graduation incentives
By Melissa Nunnery
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Board of Regents and
administrators discussed incentives for stu
dents to graduate in four years on Thurs
day at the Board’s meeting in Stephenville.
Houston regent Robert Allen began the dis
cussion by asking whether students could
be required to take 15 hours instead of 12
to be considered full-time students.
“If the average (number of hours taken
by students) would increase by three hours,
we would see a favorable economic impact,”
Allen said. “Each year the number of hours
taken on average has gone down. A large
percentage of the student body takes five to
six years to graduate.”
Allen said the Board has a responsibility to
encourage students to graduate in four years.
“First and foremost we have a responsibil
ity to the parents who support us and a fiscal
responsibility to the System,” Allen said.
Dr. Ray Bowen, Texas A&M president,
said students need to graduate in four
years to make room for more students to at
tend A&M. He agreed with Allen’s sugges
tion of increasing the number of hours re
quired for full-time status.
“If we can make people take more hours,
we can admit more people,” Bowen said.
“Qualified students can’t get in because
there’s no room.”
Bowen was quoted in an article in the
Bryan-College Station Eagle as saying 67
percent of A&M students graduate in five
years while 10 percent graduate in six years.
“If we could get half the people who
graduate in five years to graduate in four
years, we would see a massive improve
ment,” Bowen said.
Bowen also suggested making summer
school mandatory and not applying the
General Use Fee to classes exceeding 12
hours as incentives for graduating on time.
Student Body President Carl Baggett
said he understands the need for students
to graduate on time, but he also said there
are many valuable leadership opportunities
students shouldn’t overlook.
“I see their point, but as academically
challenging as A&M is, it’s tough enough for
students without putting additional require
ments for hours on them,” Baggett said.
Allen said he knows extracurricular ac
tivities are important, but academics
should take precedence.
Cary Gotcher, a senior engineering tech
nology-electronics major, said the required
number of hours will have to be raised if
students are to graduate in four years, but
disagreed with the suggestion to increase
full-time status to 15 hours.
“They shouldn’t raise it per semester to
15 hours,” Gotcher said. “They can keep it
at 12 for the fall and spring semesters and
say you have to take 28 or 30 hours a year.
A lot of people work, so they don’t have time
to take 15 hours a semester. What they
need to do is require every freshman to take
a class that will explain every major so [stu
dents] will know what they want to do and
... don’t change their major three times,”
Gotcher said.
Bowen said other universities have been
unsuccessful in their attempts to get stu
dents to graduate sooner.
“It’s an issue of individuals expressing
how they want to spend their time,”
Bowen said.
TennecoA&M settlement gets push
By Amy Protas
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Board of Regents authorized
Chancellor Barry B. Thompson to move forward
with an agreement with Tenneco Power Generation
Co. Regents are hoping the agreement will prevent
a lawsuit by the oil company.
A&M’s discontinuing of negotiations to build a
cogeneration power plant on West Campus on
June 17, 1994, prompted Tenneco to pursue the
possibility of a lawsuit.
Fred McClure, a member of the Board, said Ten
neco received permission from the state legislature
to sue A&M in May 1995.
“If we reach a settlement agreement, they will
not sue,” McClure said. “You put together an agree
ment that prohibits that from happening. My in
volvement has only been in trying to get it settled.”
Don Powell, a member of the Board, said the re
gents want to bring closure to the settlement.
“It’s in the best interest of both parties to come
up with a conclusion,” Powell said. “After much con
sideration and deliberation, the people of the Sys
tem have come to that conclusion. The regents con
cur with that.”
System officials announced in 1994 they were
discontinuing negotiations.
Terri Parker, director of communications in the
chancellor’s office, said in a press release an agree
ment could not be reached in 1994.
“The University’s development agreement with
Tenneco required that an agreement regarding
back-up and excess power be reached by March
31,1994,” Parker said. “This was a key element to
the proposed project. Despite the University’s best
efforts, no agreement was reached.”
Kathy Harris, a communications specialist with
the System, said negotiations were halted because
of necessary research.
“They discontinued negotiations because of an in
dependent study,” Harris said. “The Board decided
to cancel the project until they could research it fur
ther. They were looking at a comprehensive study
to assess the future energy needs of the University.”
The study was conducted by Ernst & Young,
See Tenneco, Page 6
Parasites kill area
honeybee colonies
By Tauma Wiggins
The Battalion
The fact bees are not buzzing
as loudly as usual while grocery
prices are on the rise might not
mean much to the average stu
dent at Texas A&M.
This summer, Texas A&M
students haven’t paused to ob
serve bumblebees buzzing over
fragrant campus flowers — be
cause there aren’t any.
As of late, honeybees are be
ing killed off in droves.
The recent disappearance of
the honeybee can be attributed
to a parasite that escaped from
Asia; the Varroa mite, a reddish
brown, oval shaped parasite vis
ible to the naked eye. The para
site is now preying on innocent
honeybee colonies all over the
United States.
Robin Goodman, a senior
wildlife and fisheries science
major, said she was unaware of
the honeybee parasite and ex
plained a national law called
the Cites Act, which makes the
entrance of foreign bees illegal.
Though some A&M students
might assume a honeybee’s
main importance is producing
See Bees, Page 6
TUESDAY
JULY 30
09 a.m. - noon
Cycling-Men’s mountain bike final
Canoeing
Synchronized swimming
Tennis-Quarterfinals
6:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Gymnastics-Champions’ exhibition
Diving-Women’s springboard
Basketball-Men’s quarterfinal
Cycling-Women’s mountain bike final
Weightlifting-Super heavyweight final
11:41 a.m.-1:11 a.m.
Volleyball-Women’s quarterfinals
Boxing-Quarterfinals
Wrestling-Freestyle matches