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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1996)
Pagel October 10,15 tinue thatwayfoi e. to ask myself,win son insist oncelfj ttively unimporti The Battalion a answer this qus ist look at Hi is columns. Henderson's re all had a c ig them: blai Fupac Shakurmur : people, she daii if him. so importantthatig, en outnumbemii )ni he tells us' ) be inclusive to: olume 103 • Issue 30 • 8 Pages Friday, October 11, 1996 The Batt Online: http://bat-web.tamu.edu ■tonfire leaders crack down on safety By Erica Roy The Battalion * ns university, it's white people, orate CEOs or the jets, everythingi h the worldcanh onfire leaders are taking a d against Texas A&M students i arrive at cut site in the beds of iup trucks. Although anyone over age 12 legally ride in truck beds, lyone arriving at cut site in bed of a truck will be asked Hentta on i. hem. ever see the middle ofSbis ; the tops of her guilty of stereoti: i as ignorant, in- utish swine, and ong!" es the image that actually taking oi ,vhich they’re not) s a great thingfoi volved (which it I. ty, no single gei exas A&M d females are tret i, in an environm spect n encourages letters I nust be 300 words or i author's name, class editor reserves the $ length, style, and acca submitted in person si l with a valid student Of e mailed to: attalion - Mall Call Reed McDonald s A&M University lege Station, TX 77843-1111 npus Mall: 1111 (409) 845-2647 itt@tamvmltantii.e* on letter policy, pleased Hrect your question W leave. R.E. Hopkins, head stack and senior agricultural develop- snt major, said someone will itor the vehicles entering (Heaving cut site, if you show up and you’re in back of a vehicle, we’re go- gto ask you to go home,” ipkins said. We’re educating people, stress- to them the importance of ac- “llly riding in the cabs of vehicles and buckling up,” Hopkins said. “We don’t want people coming out there in the back of trucks. We just discourage it.” Hopkins said cut will begin later and end earlier each day so students will not be on the road after dark. A locked gate at the entrance to cut site will not be unlocked until 7:30 a.m. on cut days, and the “last log” is being called earlier. Despite the new restrictions on cut hours, Hopkins said, Bonfire cut is still on schedule. Hopkins said the dates and times A&M students will travel to and from cut site have been issued to area police departments. Bonfire leaders have asked law officials to increase the monitoring of main roads stu dents travel to cut site. Lieutenant Brian Kyle, of the Bryan Police Department, said of ficers will do what they can to avoid traffic problems. “We are making an effort to in crease patrol as they are available,” Kyle said. Free drinks and snacks are of fered by Women’s Bonfire Com mittee at a rest stop two miles south of Hearne. “They (students) can stop there and get drinks and get out and walk around,” Hopkins said. The redpots meet with yellow pots and butt pots weekly to dis cuss the positive and negative as pects of the previous cut. “We stress to them the impor tance of being safe and riding in the cabs of vehicles, because we can’t afford to have something like this happen again,” Hopkins said. The changes have been made in response to a Sept. 22 accident involving 10 A&M students return ing to College Station from the cut site. Eight students were riding in the bed of a pickup truck when it flipped over twice. One student was killed and the nine others were injured. Dr. Richard Strickland, the fa ther of a girl injured in the acci dent and former A&M student and teacher, said the response to the accident is an example of what it means to be an Aggie. “I’ve been gone (from A&M) since ’82,” Strickland said. “You for get what it means to be an Aggie. What happened after my daugh ter’s accident brought it back. “The show of support from crew chiefs to the administration showed one of concern to every one involved,” Strickland said. Strickland said the display of Aggie Spirit after the accident is unique to A&M. “You don’t see that kind of atti tude across the United States, that level of family that manifests at A&M,” Strickland said. Hopkins said the tragic acci dent united people involved in Bonfire. “It’s horrible that it’s happen ing like this, but people have re ally stepped up and really sup ported us,” Hopkins said. “We appreciate it.” Strickland said the accident is not a reason to stop Bonfire at A&M. “Continue the tradition of Bon fire, absolutely,” Strickland said. Hopkins said Bonfire will con tinue, especially given the out pouring of support. “These are real hard times,” Hopkins said. “But, we’ll sur vive it.” Tim Moog, The Battalion Brian Murrell gets drinks at a bonfire safety rest stop. i and Northside ter, McDonald's se Village, DoubleTi 'ond tone )od, Willowick, ridge) Notes VJ lass Art Dave House, The Battalion Sabrina Wineteer, a staff member of the human resources department, checks to make sure the edges of her stained glass piece are smooth after grinding it to fit the window. Bush fellowships to be awarded Bill calls for $3 million appropriation to start program By Marika Cook The Battalion U.S. Congress has passed a $3 million appropriation creating the George Bush Fel lowships to be awarded to a selected group of students in the new Bush School of Gov ernment and Public Service. The bill, which must be signed by President Bill Clin ton, will jump-start a perma nent endowment for the Bush School. Charles Hermann, Bush School director, said it is highly likely the bill will be signed. “The money will be an in credible shot in the arm to get our program started,” Hermann said. The fellowships are a memorial to former Presi dent George Bush. “I think it’s more fitting than a statue or other monu ment,” Hermann said. The federal money will be a one-time appropriation. The Bush School will develop a private campaign to sup plement the $3 million and create an extended program for Bush Fellowships. “It’s a way to attract the most talented people with an orientation to public service and leadership to this pro gram,” Hermann said. The Bush School, an academic extension of the Bush Presidential Library currently under construc tion, will be a two-year masters program through the College of Liberal Arts. Woodrow Jones Jr., dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said plans for the school be gan in 1991. “We are deeply committed to building an excellent school to be a part of a vi brant education and research enterprise,” Jones said. “For mer President Bush has often emphasized that a life devot ed to public service is more than a profession; it is a call ing, a commitment to the greater good. It is this em phasis which will resonate through the curriculum of the Bush School.” Hermann said President Bush is excited about the fel lowships and wants to be in close contact with the chosen Bush Fellows. “We believe the Bush Fel lowships will draw President and Mrs. Bush to the school more often,” Hermann said, “President Bush will make guest appearances in vari ous classes.” The Presidential Library and Bush School, scheduled to open in the fall of 1997, will maintain an office and apart ment for President Bush. Gary Halter, a political science professor, said the faculty at the Bush School will be diverse. “The faculty will be com posed of professors from management, economics, political science, architec ture, sociology, and philoso phy, among other depart ments,” Halter said. All students who apply and are accepted to the Bush School will be eligible to re ceive a Bush Fellowship. The selection is based on commitment to public ser vice, scholarship, leader ship, and entrepreneurship. The deadline for application is Jan. 31. Ogden recommends fee overhaul By Marika Cook The Battalion A complete overhaul of fees at Texas universities is being recom mended by Rep. Steve Ogden’s Higher Education Subcommittee. Ogden said the recommendation is in response to a need for closer scrutiny of student fees. “The subcommittee is calling for a simplification and consolidation of fees,” Ogden said. “The present system is confusing too many people, students, their families, and the legislature.” Because fees at all universities can be altered without a majority student vote, the recommendation calls for greater scrutiny of their types and uses. Under the recommendation, three standardized fees would be tied to the number of hours in which a stu dent is enrolled. Texas A&M President Ray Bowen said the recommendation will not necessarily decrease fees. “We will simply be reclassifying ex isting fees under three categories,” Bowen said. The fees are tuition, set by the Legislature; an Essential Student Ed ucation Fee, set by the Board of Re gents covering services directly relat ed to the quality of the University and its academics; and a Student Ser vices Fee. The Student Services Fee, set by student referendum, covers services not related to the maintenance of the University’s accreditation or quality. “If the Student Services Fee is not changed yearly,” Ogden said, “it should be ratified once every four years. Consumers, students, have to have information in order to make the market work well.” Not only are the fees confusing to many A&M students, they are fre quently raised without student input. Leo Sayavedra, deputy chancellor for academic institutions and agen cies, said fees at A&M have been dras tically altered in recent years. “Tuition, over the past ten years, has increased 100%,” he said. “Other fees, such as the General Use Fee, have increased 400%.” The recommendation also suggests that universities be given the right to charge discretionary fees for goods pro vided for students’ convenience. Most Texas public universities have similar guidelines and uses for fees. However, one aspect setting A&M and the University of Texas apart from other state universities, is A&M and UT do not use student fees to fund their athletic programs. “We should be commended for our self-supporting athletic program,” Bowen said. Ogden said the Legislature needs more information to determine the allotment of state funds. “The big question the Legislature wants to know is what is an adequate level of funding for state universities,” Ogden said, “My challenge, as a state representative, is to translate this proposal into good legislation.” 3ne Apts (he Battalion Corps), Commons' -0 Maroon route TODAY all of Fame nintry music singer iris Wall is bringing Trashy Women” to Be Theatre tonight. Aggie life, Page 3 »le at 2ta Lan# of the Bad' day, Oct. lOtli loot Cantina bus anywhere^ t to the red b« : round Zero M’s third-ranked sh defense faces a test in Troy Davis d Iowa State. Sports, Page 5 lueless eretlD^ nor: In the ’50s it is Rebel Without a nse. Now it’s Rebel thout a Clue. Opinion, Page 7 Architecture students propose new Sbisa design By Meredith Stewart n The Battalion A semester-long project for students in Dr. Valerian Miranda’s Architecture 405 class may turn into plans for re modeling Sbisa Dining Hall. Miranda, an assistant professor of architecture, volunteered his class last spring to help the Food Services De partment redesign the interior of the 84-year old dining hall. “They (students) are studying ex isting problems in Sbisa, and propos ing new designs for the interior,” Mi randa said. Ronald L. Beard, Food Services direc tor, said the age and importance of the building make it necessary to remodel. He said he wants to turn Sbisa into a state-of-the-art dining hall instead of the “mess hall” it was originally built as. “Being an important structure and an important part of A&M, we wanted to take this 1912 building and completely redesign the interior,” Beard said. Andy Cronk, Food Services facilities manager, said only the inside of Sbisa is being redesigned. “The outside of the building — I would call its architecture timeless,” Cronk said. The 15 seniors in Miranda’s class recently met with Food Servides and received an introduction to the pro ject. They were given a tour of the building and advice on beginning their research. The students met their mentors “Being an important structure and an im portant part of A&M, we wanted to take this 1912 building and completely redesign the interior.” Ronald L. Beard Food Services director from Corgan and Associates, an archi tectural firm in Dallas. The mentors will provide design improvement assis tance to the students whenever need ed throughout the semester. Thomas Gunter, a senior environ mental design major, said he is look ing forward to receiving help from the mentors. “We’ll be able to receive construc tive criticism from a professional,” Gunter said. “It should be a really big factor in our work.” Students will communicate their ideas to Food Services, their mentors and others interested in the project via personal web pages. The class will use a 3-D computer ized digital model of Sbisa to make changes and communication of ideas faster and easier. Students will propose their re modeling ideas to Food Services and the Sbisa management at the end of the semester. Cronk said there is no limit to how many of the students’ ideas will actual ly be used in remodeling Sbisa. “It depends on the ideas,” Cronk said. “We may use all of them.” Gunter said the project is different from other class projects because his ideas may actually be carried out. “It’s a real project,” Gunter said. “Anything I do might actually be con sidered for what may be built.” Food Services has set no dates con cerning the actual renovation. Additional information, including student web pages, can be found at http://wwweds.tamu.edu. Dave House, The Battalion Jerry Caperton, a senior in the Architecture 405 class, works on designs for Sbisa Dining Hall.