The Battalion
/olume 103 • Issue 75 • 12 Pages
The Batt Online: Bat-web@tamu.edu
Tuesday, January 21, 1997
linton kicks off second term
DFF
ducts.
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products.
JWASHINGTON (AP) — William Jefferson
Inton began his second term as president
pnday, promising a turn-of-the-century gov-
pment that “does more with less.” In a day of
augural fanfare and political reflection, he
Jged an end to Washington’s “petty bickering
Id extreme partisanship.”
|The nation’s 53rd inauguration stretched from
ousing morning prayer service to all-night rev-
fat 15 black-tie balls.
(Five minutes after noon, as a warming sun
lone down on the chilled Capitol audience,
linton put his left hand on the family Bible
lid by his wife and raised his right hand to re-
|te the 35 words spoken by every president
dee George Washington.
[ "Good luck,” Chief Justice William Rehnquist
lid when the president finished the oath.
] The crowd broke the silence with a roar of
jieers. The president turned and swept up Hillary
fcdham Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea, in a
jro-armed hug. Cannons fired a military salute.
Clinton will be the first president of the 21st
century and the approach of a new millennium
was very much on his mind at the rebirth of his
presidency. Clinton’s vision
of his second term was one
of practicality.
“As times change, so gov
ernment must change,” Clin
ton said. “We need a new gov
ernment for a new century.”
He said government cannot
solve everyone’s problems but
it should offer the tools for
people to help themselves.
In a 22-minute inaugural
address, he envisioned a gov
ernment that “is smaller, lives within its means
and does more with less.”
“Our land of new promise will be a nation that
meets its obligations, a nation that balances its
budget but never loses the balance of its values;
a nation where our grandparents have secure re
tirement and health care.”
In a capital city often torn by dark political
Clinton
division, it was a bright day of unity and recon
ciliation. Republicans and Democrats tipped
hats. Clinton was ushered to the podium by Re
publican nemeses, House Speaker Newt Gin
grich among them.
Sen. Connie Mack, R-Fla., praised the tone
and the substance of Clinton’s speech. “It was
clearly one given with an outreached hand, I be
lieve, to all of us to work together. I thought the
inaugural was very positive, almost spiritual...
and hopefully a healing event as well.”
In the spirit of the day, Gingrich presented
Clinton and Vice President A1 Gore with flags that
had flown over the capital that morning. At a
lunch in Statuary Hall, Gingrich said the flags
were a reminder that “while we may disagree
about some things, here you’re among friends.”
Gingrich would benefit from political recon
ciliation. On Tuesday, the House was to vote on
penalties for Gingrich over ethics violations.
Clinton’s first official act was to sign a procla
mation declaring Monday a national day of hope
and renewal.
President looks
to 21st century
By Graham Harvey
The Battalion
Yesterday at the U.S. Capitol,
President Bill Clinton began his
second term as the 42nd Presi
dent of the United States.
Under cold, cloudy skies,
thousands of visitors gathered in
Washington, D.C., between the
Washington Monument and the
Capitol building, to witness the
53rd Presidential Inauguration.
Sen. John Warner, chair of the
Senate Joint Inaugural Commit
tee, served as master of cere
monies, proclaiming the peace
ful event to be a “tribute to the
Providential vision of our
Founding Fathers.”
The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham de
livered the invocation, in which
he recognized Dr. Martin Luther
King’s birthday.
See Inauguration, Page 12
OFF
mdise.
IAVEH
partment fire kills student,
orces residents to relocate
)
FF
dise.
HESS
OFF
dise.
:e!
AARK
By Marissa Alanis
The Bait align
An early morning apart-
nent fire killed one Texas
l&M University student and
ijured two other residents of
Kensington Place Apartments
College Station Saturday.
Twenty-three students
vere forced to relocate to va
cant units for safety reasons
Hafter the blaze caused the
^electricity to be cut off in 10
'^apartments. One upper-level
ipartment unit was de
frayed, and two lower-level
inits received water damage.
PauiL. Meloeny, a sopho-
nore electrical engineering
major from Seabrook, Texas,
was found lying dead on his
bedroom floor.
His roommates, Alexan
der Clinton and Brandt Beal
survived by escaping through
a back-bedroom window
from the second floor.
Jon Mies, the College Sta
tion Fire Marshal, said the
preliminary autopsy per
formed on Meloeny ruled
cause of death as smoke in
halation and hot fire gases.
“It appears he was awak
ened,” Mies said. “He opened
his bedroom door, and he
was exposed to the fire.”
Clinton, a sophomore en
vironmental design major,
was transported from Co
lumbia Medical Center in
College Station to Hermann
Hospital in Houston.
Micheal Togliatti, a media
marketing specialist at Her
mann Hospital, said Clinton
suffered from first- and sec
ond-degree burns over 35
percent of his body.
Togliatti said Clinton is list
ed in stable condition, but that
it will be difficult to determine
when he will be released, since
his injuries are unique.
“With burns, you just
take it by a day-to-day ba
sis,” Togliatti said.
Beal, a sophomore elec
trical engineering major, re
ceived medical treatment
for smoke inhalation and
was released from Columbia
Medical Center.
Mies said the fire originat
ed in the proximity of the liv
ing-room sofa. Since the
damage is extensive, the
cause of the fire will never be
determined, he said.
“Due to the damages,
we’ve ruled out an electrical
malfunction,” Mies said.
The American Red Cross of
Brazos County provided beds,
toiletries, food and clothing for
the residents who had to evac
uate their units.
See Fire, Page 12
NAACP
Group promotes 'no fear' attitude
i%
nery and
:kers.
)NERS
By Erica Roy
The Battalion
The Texas A&M chapter of the NAACP
jpports the organization’s theme “no
ar of violence” through on-campus
nd community efforts as they continue
) protect personal rights.
Donavan Wheatfall, president of the
&M and state chapter of the National
ssociation of the Advancement of Col-
red People and a junior business analy-
s major, said the A&M chapter of the
ssociation endorses the theme of no
>ar of violence, crime, gangs or poverty.
“We’ve adopted that same philoso-
hy by giving back to the community,
ad helping younger people understand
ie choices they have,” Wheatfall said.
During the fall semester, the A&M
IAACP sponsored a canned food drive
irthe Brazos Food Bank.
This April, the University chapter will
old a local book drive during the
lAACP’s national book drive called
Books for Tots.” The book drive en-
ourages giving books, which last a life-
e, to children rather than toys.
The organization is raising funds to
erect a statue in honor of Matthew Gaines,
a Texas senator during the 12th legislature,
who helped obtain die land grant for
Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M.
A Bryan-College Station firefighter,
police officer, teacher, clergy member
and an outstanding student will be hon
ored at the NAACP Image Awards during
NAACP week in February.
Wheatfall said they are trying to es
tablish a civil-rights officer in the office
of the University President. This officer
would aid people who feel their person
al rights have been violated.
Wheatfall said the NAACP considers
itself the guardian of individual’s per
sonal rights, despite race or gender.
“What we have been fighting for is
not just for black people,.but the end of
a white, male-dominated society,” he
said. “Everybody plays a part.”
Wheatfall said the NAACP wants to
help anyone who has been discriminated
against, not just African-Americans. The
chapters want to change their image of
being primarily a black organization.
“Everybody has color, from flesh-tone
peach to mahogany brown,” Wheatfall said.
Kyana Herbert, a NAACP member
and freshman sociology member, said
the NAACP does not just focus on as
sisting African Americans.
“There are many things we are trying to
do,” she said, “not just for African-
Americans, but for the entire campus.”
Historically, the NAACP has respond
ed to perceived injustices by openly
questioning laws and politicians and
bringing crucial cases to court.
The A&M chapter has been involved
in protesting the decision of the Hop-
wood case, which does not allow Texas
universities to use race as criteria for
See NAACP, Page 12
Heads Up
Tim Moog, The Battalion
Christy Reinoehl, a sophomore biomedical science major,
throws a disc past Michael Haughey, a sophomore mechanical
engineering major, in an Ultimate Frisbee game Monday after
noon at Simpson Drill Field.
i brand
family.
y-
Gillian Williams speaks with several students who attended the Southwest
Hack Student Leadership Conference Saturday.
A total of 1,100 students, from as far as California, attended the conference at
exas A&M last weekend. Students attended luncheons, an oratorical contest, re-
gious services and workshops with guest speakers.
One of the highlights of the the weekend conference was the appearance of
iharon Pratt Kelly, the former mayor of Washington, D.C., who spoke Saturday
n Duncan Hall at the conference luncheon. The former mayor gave an inspira-
ional speech, applauding the conference for this year's theme, Unity of spirit to
.oar beyond an uncertain future. Kelly urged students to remain active in their
ommunities, and to be leaders of America in the next millennium.
Long weekend hurts Open House attendance
Laura Oliveira
The Battalion
MSC’s Spring Open House gave
9,500 Texas A&M students the op
portunity to find their niche at a uni
versity with over 900 organizations.
Sunday’s turnout was half that
of Fall Open House.
Laura Frnka, vice president of
MSC public relations and a senior
journalism major, said the decreased
attendance was not surprising.
“It was a lot less packed than the
fall,” she said. “The two ice days,
the three day weekend and the fact
that it is just smaller in the spring
all contributed to the low atten
dance. But considering those three
factors, all went well.”
Harvey Castro, president and
founder of American Medical Student
Association Premed and a senior bio
medical science major, said those in
attendance were fresh targets.
“The three-day weekend killed
us, but we are a new group,” he
said. “We are trying to recruit the
Amy Dunlap, The Battalion
Heather Johns performs with
the Singing Cadets at the MSC
Open House on Sunday.
people that are here and those
coming in from Howdy Camp.”
Matt Rosin, an active member of
Fledging Records Supports Local
Music and a sophomore philosophy
major, said their organization pur
sues students following local music.
“We help advertise and book lo
cal bands,” he said. “There is really
no one around that touches the lo
cal music scene. So we are here to
fill that niche.”
TAMU Judo Club enticed hesi
tant passers-by with a film that
showed kicks and punches from
judo competitors.
Jackie Bayard, an active member
of TAMU Judo Club and a freshman
psychology major, said this visual
brought many students to their table.
“Some people were not sure
about Judo Club,” she said. “They
did not know how organized it was.”
Business majors were able to
visit the Hispanic Business Stu
dent Association.
Velda Pena, vice president of the as
sociation and a junior management
major, said their organization is oblig
ated to many social events in the fall.
“Spring is directed toward profes-
sionad career development more so
than in the fall,” she said. “We are try
ing to maintain our current members
and recruit new members.”
Throughout the day, students
were entertained by Silver Spurs, Bal
let Folklorico and the Singing Cadets.
Kyle Gibson, a Singing Cadet
and a senior industrial distribution
major, said Open House gave them
an opportunity to entertain as well
as promote their organization.
“We love to sing for people, and
right now we are taking auditions,” he
said. “This is a perfect opportunity to
reach a lot of people.”
The Battalion
INSI DETODAY
FERGUSON: Clinton’s |
bridge to the 21st cen
tury is not quite long
enough.
Opinion,Page 111
What's Up Page 6
Sports Page 7
Aggielife Page 3