argraves plans to appeal
Staff and Wire Reports
ormer Texas A&M Board of Regents
irman Ross Margraves plans to ap-
a felony conviction of misconduct
taking a state plane for a personal
in 1993.
Alee County jury sentenced Mar-
ives on Friday to four years proba-
iffi RELATED EDITORIAL, PAGE 9
nand a $3,000 fine. Margraves, a
uston attorney, could lose his law li-
iseas a result of the conviction.
Tim Moog, the tea Margraves declined to comment af-
the verdict was returned,
j Attorney David Berg of Houston
his client’s conviction was ‘‘dirty
iwrong” and he plans to appeal.
In 29 years (as a lawyer), I’ve never
:nsuch an unjust verdict,” Berg said,
ill be01111® Margraves could have been sen-'
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.* are individually arc
iced to 10 years in prison and a
fine. However, Brazos Coun
prosecutor Bill Turner said he
uld not seek prison time if Mar-
iveswas convicted.
Bill Clayton, a former regent, said he
was “astonished” by the verdict.
“I can’t see how he could have been
found guilty,” Clayton said. “I still don’t
think he did anything wrong.”
The charges stem from a round-trip
flight on a state plane Margraves and his
wife chartered to Baton
Rouge. The trip cost the
state $1,435.
Prosecutors said
Margraves took the
plane to see his son
graduate from Louisiana
State University.
After the verdict was
returned, Turner said
Margraves had abused
the public trust.
"Any time you have a breach of trust,
every citizen is the victim,” he said.
Friends and associates at the Dal
las-based law firm Winstead Sechrest
& Minick stood by Margraves, who is
the senior shareholder in the firm’s
Houston office.
Kent Caperton, a former senator
Margraves
from Bryan and a shareholder in the
firm’s Austin office, said the firm will
continue to support Margraves.
“We’re going to stand by him at
Winstead Sechrest, I hope. I am, cer
tainly,” he said. “This is a tragedy and
a travesty. I know Ross Margraves,
and he’s no criminal.”
Margraves testified Thursday that
he went to Louisiana for official
business, with plans to discuss the
status of Texas A&M athletics after
the demise of the Southwest Confer
ence with LSU Chancellor William
Davis.
Margraves said he and the
Chancellor discussed the possibili
ty of A&M joining LSU in the
Southeastern Conference.
“The future of the Southwest Con
ference was a raging issue,” Margraves
said while on the stand.
When asked by Berg if he had any
intent “to defraud the State of Texas,”
Margraves answered, “Absolutely not.”
See Margraves, Page 5
Clinton, Dole debate
major campaign issues
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — President
Clinton and Bob Dole clashed vigorously
over tax cuts, Medicare, education and the
economy Sunday night in a spirited prime
time debate over who should be trusted to
lead America into the 21st century.
“I think the best thing going for Bob
Dole is that Bob Dole keeps his word,” the
Republican challenger said in a 90-minute
debate critical to his hopes of launching
an October comeback.
“It is not midnight in America, senator:
We are better off than we were four years
ago,” Clinton said in making his case for a
second term.
The Democratic incumbent and his Re
publican challenger stood just a few feet
apart on a red-carpeted stage, challenging
each other again and again in a showdown
that ushered in the final month of the
White House campaign.
Clinton took credit for an economy that
had created more than 10 million jobs, for
cutting the deficit by 60 percent and for
vetoing Dole-backed Republican budgets
he asserted would have cut $270 billion
from Medicare and another $30 billion
from education.
Looking ahead, Clinton said his $100
billion in tax credits targeted to making
college more affordable were far more re
sponsible than Dole’s proposed “$550 bil
lion tax scheme.”
“We have the right approach for the fu
ture,” Clinton said.
See Debate, Page 6
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Pat James, The Battalion
icout Chris Gibson (left) and Section Sergeant Dan Dietze reload the cannon.
Parson^s Mounted Cavalry
Headquarters dedicated
to former horse soldier
By Wesley Poston
The Battalion
The new Parsons’ Mounted Cavalry
headquarters was named in honor of
the late Hughes “Buddy” Seewald, a
former horse soldier, at a dedication
ceremony Saturday.
Seewald, Class of ’42, and Wade H.
Cockburn, Class of ’75, donated the
funds to construct the administrative
office building.
Maj. Gen. M.T. “Ted” Hopgood Jr.,
Corps commandant, presided over
the dedication and said Seewald was
a loyal Aggie who spent much of his
time working with students, espe
cially cadets.
“His dream was for the Parsons’
Mounted Cavalry to achieve its great
est potential,” Hopgood said.
Seewald, a World War II cavalry of
ficer and Purple Heart medal recipi
ent, died in 1995 without seeing the
completion of the headquarters.
His widow and son attended the
dedication of his namesake building.
The cavalry was formed in 1973
and named after Col. Tom Parsons,
the Corps commandant at the time.
The “Cav” represents Texas A&M
in numerous parades and fires the
cannon during yell practice and at
home football games.
Paul Simone, PMC first sergeant
and a junior rangeland management
major, said the new headquarters is a
needed addition to the Cav’s 30-acre
site, Fiddler’s Green.
The headquarters building neigh
bors the two barns and tack building,
which house the horses’ equipment
and the cannon.
Simone said the 100-member cav
alry is made up of sophomores, ju
niors and seniors. Cadets are only ac
cepted to PMC during their
sophomore year.
Junior cavalry members feed the
horses every morning at 5:30 and
every afternoon, he said. All PMC
members practice Monday through
Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Simone said the sophomores are
the work force behind the PMC.
Their duties include cleaning the
tack, maintaining the saddles and
equipment, cleaning the
barn and the general up
keep of the horses.
Jeff Bearden, Class of ’76
and one of the first cavalry
executive officers, said the
PMC has undergone positive
changes since he graduated.
“There’s a heck of a lot
more facilities, but the spirit
and the camaraderie are still
there,” Bearden said.
He said the cavalry used
to be more of an extracur
ricular activity then a Uni
versity organization, and
was made up of only ju
niors and seniors.
“Only seniors rode,” he
said, “and the juniors
cleaned up.”
Bearden said the PMC
rode in the San Antonio,
Houston and Fort Worth
stock shows, and portrayed
the Confederate cavalry in a
Civil War reenactment.
Tall Ellison, Class of ’76
and a former commanding
officer of PMC, said the cav
alry began “out of a love for
fun and the University.”
“They talk about the keep
ers of the spirit,” Ellison said.
“We were the spirit.”
Ellison said the cavalry
connects the present with
the past for many members.
Bearden said at some pa
rades PMC members “see old Ags with
tears in their eyes.”
Ellison said he includes his PMC
training on job resumes because it
taught him so much.
“You don’t know leadership experi
ence until you try to get 45 seniors to
go anywhere,” he said. “It was proba
bly the finest training I’ve ever had.”
Pat James, The Battalion
Senior Chris Miner, Section Chief for the
Parson's Mounted Cavalry, wildcats after
firing the cannon during Saturday's game.
he Battalion
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Aggielife, Page 3
round Force
ieA&M offense rolled
432 rushing yards
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jla.Tech at Kyle Field.
Sports, Page 7
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Opinion, Page 9
Cadets assemble for Fall Review
Outfits evaluated on marching ability, unison and appearance
Campus leaders visit
elementary students
By Ann Marie Hauser
The Battalion
A military tradition dating
back to the Middle Ages man
ifested on Simpson Drill Field
Friday as the Texas A&M
Corps of Cadets marched in
for their annual Fall Review.
Military review originated
in the 17th century as a
means to communicate or
ders to armies before battle.
Jason Waligura, Corps
public relations officer and
a senior petroleum engi
neering major, said the
purpose of the Corps “in-
iine battalion mass forma
tion” review has evolved
from its original purpose.
“Now it’s a chance to
showcase the Corps to the
University,” Waligura said.
“It gives the Commandant
the chance to [look over] the
cadets and see the strength
of the Corps.”
Brig. Gen. Kenneth Hess
was the reviewing officer
along with Corps Comman
dant Maj. Gen. Ted Hop-
good and Dr. J. Malon
Southerland, vice president
for Student Affairs.
Hopgood said the cadets
have been working hard
and he was looking forward
to the Review.
“I have been very pleased
with the intensity of all the
cadets,” Hopgood said.
“Everything is going very well
and I’m impressed with the
spirit of the Class of ’00.”
Waligura said every
march-in and Review is
graded, which creates com
petition between outfits to
look the best.
“A lot of people take it seri
ously and practice during the
week,” Waligura said.
Lt.CoL Jim Harrison, a
grader and cadet adviser, said
the cadets are evaluated on
different aspects of their
marching ability.
Outfits are judged on their
unison, the appearance of
their uniforms and organiza
tion between lines.
Chris Jones, a freshman
business administration ma
jor, said the graders inspect
minute details like the angle
of cadets’ heads and the
swing of their arms.
Jones said his outfit
practiced three times be
fore the Review but he still
felt uncomfortable.
See Review, Page 5
By Wesley Poston
The Battalion
Members of Texas A&M
University Student Gov
ernment visited Pebble
Creek Elementary School
Friday afternoon to teach
third and fourth graders
about student council and
to encourage them to par
ticipate in their upcoming
elections.
The student officials pre
sented skits describing the
different council positions
to classrooms of 8-, 9- and
10-year-olds.
Carl Baggett, student
body president and a se
nior accounting major, said
the program differs from
other similar efforts with
school children.
“There’s a lot of mentor
programs,” he said, “ but
there’s not a lot of student
development.”
The program began by
introducing each Aggie and
teaching the elementary
students to say “howdy.”
Each Student Government
member described the
characteristics of their
elected position.
“Which one do you
think is the most impor
tant?” Baggett asked.
"They’re all equally impor
tant. It’s a team.”
Laurie Nickel, vice presi
dent of programs and stu
dent development and a ju
nior business analysis
major, said the A&M Stu
dent Government was look
ing for a way to give back to
the community.
“The reason we’re here is
the community has contin
ually given to the Universi
ty,” Nickel said. Communi
ty businesses have always
donated to such programs
as Muster.
See Students, Page 5
Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion
Awards are given out at Fall Review on Friday.