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The Battalion
ume 103 • Issue 19 • 18 Pages
Thursday, September 26, 1996
The Batt Online: http://bat-web.tamu.edu
prmer employee
Pleased on bond
ilion encourages letei
s must be 300 wort! nj
the author's name, a*
er.
on editor reserves
for length, style, and s
be submitted in pets"
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13 Reed McDonald
xas A&M University
ax: (409) 845-2647
B<i tt ® tamvmltam,.K
tils on letter policy, p(&
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I Brandon Hausenfluck
The Battalion
Kormer employee of Texas
I surrendered to the Universi-
llice Department Wednesday
[llegedly embezzling over
from the Center for Con-
Doiiege station,rx Btjon Education in the Depart-
77843-1111 | of Civil Engineering
campus Maiitjuii je offense is a third-degree
[y punishable by two to ten
in prison and a $10,000 fine,
nthia J. McNeill, 36, of Col-
Station, admitted taking
ral checks instead of do
ing them in a bank account
he Center. Allegedly, she
put the checks into ac
ts she had opened under
Center’s name with she as
uthorized signatory,
jring a routine audit, Son-
feyer, a Texas A&M Univer-
lystem auditor, found a dis-
ancy in the Center’s
dal records. On August 15,
notified University police
use she had discovered a
ible embezzlement,
eyer was unavailable for
ment.
An investigation of McNeill’s
bank records indicates she de
posited two checks into her
checking account in December
1994, and one in April 1995. Three
checks were also deposited into a
savings account — one in June
1995 and two in September 1995.
The sum of the checks is
about $30,500.
Detective/Sgt. Jim Lindholm
of UPD made the arrest and
took a signed oral statement
from McNeill, in which she ad
mitted to depositing the checks
into her accounts.
Lindholm said the case is still
being investigated.
“As of right now, the investiga
tion is still underway,” Lindholm
said. “We have confirmed the
$30,000, but we’re looking to make
sure no additional moneys have
been taken.”
McNeill was released on $5,000
bond set by Justice of the Peace
Carolyn Hensarling.
Dr. Walter Moore, director of
the Center for Construction Ed
ucation and a professor of civil
See Employee, Page 8
Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion
Corner |0OCketl ^ stewart Loftis, a fifth year English major, plays pool at the MSC Wednesday afternoon during his
lunch break. He plays pool at least three times a week.
r o graduate, or not to graduate
Other education’ delays graduation
By Wesley Poston
The Battalion
Only about one-fourth of the
' Texas Aggie Class of 1994 ac-
ally graduated that year. By 1995,
otal of 58 percent graduated.
Don Carter, Texas A&M registrar,
id non-academic activities are the
ison students are here longer than
traditional four years..
A large percentage of students
rk,” he said. “And many of them
involved in ‘the other education,’
which is important.”
Students take lighter course
loads, Carter said, because of their
extra activities. The average student
takes between 13 and 14 hours each
semester. But many degree plans re
quire students to take heavier course
loads to graduate in four years.
Carter said a greater focus on grade-
point ratio also keeps students from
taking heavy course loads.
“There’s more concentration on
the classes they’re taking,” Carter-
said.
Sallie Sheppard, the associate
provost for undergraduate programs
and academic services, said work
and activities often hinder ‘on time’
graduation.
“A lot of students are involved,”
she said. “They’re enjoying experi
encing leadership development in
their organizations.”
Carter said the pre-med and ath
letic programs are also responsible
for some delays in graduation.
Many pre-med students spend
three years in professional school,
one year in medical school, and
then to finish their degree, he said.
Some athletes sign professional
contracts without finishing their
degrees, but later return to earn
their bachelor’s.
Vanessa English, a senior secre
tary for the undergraduate programs
office in the college of business ad
ministration, said some of the de
gree programs make an extra year
necessary.
See Undergraduate, Page 8
A&M athletes graduate at
higher rate than average
By Marissa Alanis
The Battalion
Texas A&M’s athlete gradua
tion rate surpassed the Nation
al Collegiate Athletic Associa
tion’s graduation average by 4.5
percentage points.
Wally Groff, A&M athletic
director, said he is glad to be
above the NCAA average but
he would still like to see the
graduation rate climb.
A&M’s athlete graduation
rate is above the NCAA’s aver
age of 53.5 percent, but the
overall graduation rate for
A&M students is 68 percent.
“Our goal is to equal or beat
the graduation rate of the A&M
student body,” Groff said.
In contrast to the men’s ath
lete graduation rate of 52 per
cent, the women athletes had a
higher rate of 68 percent.
Lynn Hickey, A&M senior
associate athletic director,
said several factors con
tribute to the higher gradua
tion rate among female stu
dent athletes.
In particular, Hickey said,
women grow up with pressure
to academically excel.
The fourth annual NCAA re
port compiled information on
athletes who enrolled as fresh
men at institutions in Fall 1989.
The NCAA obtains its
graduation percentage by
calculating the number of
freshmen who entered col
lege and earned a degree
within six years.
A school’s athlete gradua
tion rate is lowered by col
lege athletes who opt for
professional careers before
receiving a degree.
See Athletes, Page 8
Regents amend
renovation plans
By Melissa Nunnery
The Battalion
Admission standards for the 1997-1998
school year will be adopted in a session that
starts today by the Texas A&M University
System Board of Regents.
The Board will hear recommendations re
garding admission standards and enrollment
management plans today and Friday at a
session in the Memorial Student Center.
Terri Parker, director of communications
for the System, said the recommendations
pertain to policy revisions in the Board’s pol
icy manual.
“The change is that enrollment manage
ment plans and admission standards would
be submitted to the Board for approval in
stead of just information,” Parker said.
Regents are also expected to grant autho
rization to enter into a settlement agreement
with Tenneco Power Generation Co. The
Board originally set a settlement deadline of
Oct. 1 at its July meeting. But the new agree
ment would extend the deadline to Nov. 30.
The Board will also vote for the approval
of $2 million from the Permanent University
Fund for classroom renovations on the Col
lege Station campus.
The University has already budgeted
$650,000 from the general use fee for renova
tions, and administrators anticipate the fee
will generate another $425,000.
Parker said the Board will also hear re
ports on campus activities from A&M stu
dents and A&M President Ray Bowen.
In other business, the Board is expected to:
•Grant academic tenure to two A&M pro
fessors.
•Hear recommendations for naming the
College of Business Administration and the
Graduate School of Business for L. Lowry
Mays, Class of ’57, who pledged a $15 million
endowment to A&M.
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Aggielife, Page 3
e Opening
Oth-rankedA&M
v'ball Team swept
ATIONS llexas in three
vay Square fes in Big 12 opener.
,D 9 rtoe St Sports, Page 13
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Opinion, Page 17
Car chase concludes with capture
Morales stresses diversity,
opposes Affirmative Action
By Brent Montgomery
Special to The Battalion
A carjacking Wednesday
morning left an A&M stu
dent with a few minor in
juries, a suspect in jail and
two damaged College Sta
tion Police cars.
Timothy David Cooper, a
20-year-old Bryan resident,
has been arrested and
charged in the carjacking.
Mandy Lewis, a sopho
more animal science major,
said she had just gotten into
her 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser
in the Post Oak Mall parking
lot when a man approached
her and tried to enter her car.
Lewis said the car door
was open and her first reac
tion was not to let him in.
“At first I didn’t see the
knife and said ‘no,’” she said.
“And then he showed it (the
knife) to me. So I got over.”
Lewis said the intruder
forced her into the passen
ger’s seat.
The perpetrator then
asked for instructions on how
to drive the standard-trans
mission vehicle, Lewis said.
“He kept asking me how
to work it (the vehicle),”
she said. “I just said ‘OK,
that’s first, second, third.’”
She said the carjacker
asked her for directions to
Bryan, so she assumed he
was not familiar with the area
and decided to mislead him.
Lewis said she told him to
go straight down Holleman
Road. Her intent was to lead
him by Vikings Apartments at
1500 Holleman, she said.
“I know the people in the
office, so I just made him
come straight here,” she said.
After driving for several
miles, Lewis jumped out of
the moving vehicle.
“I jumped out when he
was trying to slow down,
coming around the corner,”
she said.
She escaped with a few
minor cuts and scratches to
her face, arms and legs.
Lt. Scott McCollum of the
College Station Police De
partment, said the perpetra
tor then led several of their
vehicles on a chase through
College Station and the Texas
A&M campus.
The police said they caught
up with the driver at the 2400
block of Texas Avenue.
When officers attempted
to stop the vehicle, Cooper
allegedly fled north on Texas
Avenue and then crossed
over and drove against traffic.
After cutting through a
parking lot at the corner of
George Bush Drive and Texas
Avenue, the suspect allegedly
drove through the A&M cam
pus on Bizzell Street, McCol
lum said.
After leaving the A&M
campus, Cooper allegedly
drove straight for a motorcy
cle officer. The officer, believ
ing his life was in danger,
fired shots at the carjacker.
McCollum said officers
were able to corner the ve
hicle in a vacant parking
lot, but the suspect escaped
in the car.
The suspect was appre
hended on Villa Maria
Road, police say, after an
officer shot out one of the
vehicle’s tires.
By Carla Renea Marsh
The Battalion
Poor weather conditions
did not stop community
Pat James, The Battalion
Dan Morales spoke to a
crowd at the Grove.
members and Texas A&M
students from gathering at
the Grove to hear Attorney
Geheral Dan Morales ad
dress affirmative action
Wednesday night.
As a guest speaker for
the Aggie Democrats,
Morales was invited to
speak on current political
issues from a democratic
standpoint.
But Morales said he is op
posed to affirmative action.
“On a personal basis, I
support diversity and in
clusion, but I oppose gov
ernment-enforced discrim
ination,” Morales said.
“An individual ought to
be evaluated on individual
merit. Schools should look
at subjective factors. It’s
unfair to set higher stan
dards for one group and
lower standards for anoth
er group.”
Rosalind Winn, a junior
English major, said affir
mative action is not a quo
ta, it is an effort to make
things fair.
“Affirmative action is
about opportunities,” Winn
said. “It’s a chance to give
the same things to people
that others are given.”
The Aggie Democrats of
ficers provided the crowd
with information on mem
bership, dues and voting be
fore Morales arrived.
Kristina Perez, president
of Aggie Democrats and an
educational psychology
graduate student, said the
purpose of Aggie Democ
rats is to promote the De
mocratic Party and en
courage citizens to vote.
Visitors were offered
campaign buttons, T-shirts,
fliers, voter registration
cards and refreshments.
See Morales, Page 8