olume 10 5 • Issue* 76 • 10 Pages The Batt Online: Bill weh.lamu.eclu Wedneschiy, jiiniitiry 22, 1997
i the Flagio
wore alibi;
jection to
ive action;
andidates address voters at forum
/oice,
:o fight for;
:o fight fob
ation/'WIn
ivenessofi
oittheNAlf
By Jackie Vratil
The Battalion
Candidates for a Jan. 28 special election
rticipated in a political forum Monday at
rolling the^MU-TV station.
The purpose of the forum, sponsored
the League of Women Voters of Bra-
County, the Bryan-College Station
gle and The Battalion, was to inform
ters of the issues pertaining to the
ie said,aiK|coming election,
analsoalit The candidates running for the Texas
State Senate are Republican Steve Ogden
and Democrat Mary Moore. Running for
the vacant seat in the House of Repre
sentatives are Republicans Richard
Smith and Dr. William Roman. Senate
candidate Moore was the only candidate
not in attendance.
Each candidate stated his views on is
sues involving both the community and the
Texas A&M campus.
Ogden said costs to attend higher
learning institutions continue to in
crease, but he will try to ensure educa-
“ ...wewillbe proud of the
returns we get when we put
money into education.^
Steve Ogden
State Senate candidate
tion remains affordable.
“The state does not have a huge pot of
money,” he said, “but we will be proud of
the returns we get when we put money
into education.”
When confronted with the question of
rising costs in education, Smith said he
would, with the cooperation of others, de
centralize funding.
“Handling the rising costs will take a
cooperative effort by the faculty, the stu
dents and the administration,” Smith said.
“The legislators will look out for any prob
lems that may occur.”
Smith said he would offer college stu
dents in the Bryan-College Station area his
experience of living in the area and attend
ing the University.
"I can empathize with their (students’)
problems,” he said, “and I have worked with
the Student Government.”
Roman held a medical practice in Col
lege Station for 40 years, and at one time
taught at the University. He thinks, there
fore, that his background of working with
students gives him experience in knowing
what students want.
“They want somebody to talk to,” Ro
man said. “I will listen.”
ingly...
:e traditkffi
► Pan-Hellenic
i, he said,
lisplayoiii
ireabouthij
i in traditio:
ber, the
in Texas u:
is to meres
1. "Onevoi;
elybehearc
f the reap
dignified 0!
AS.
iroups emphasize
lose relationships
noted KiE
Id treat "ai!
Tore theta
md of i
tist
By Marissa Alanis
The Battalion
The eight historically black fraternities and
jrorities that make up the Texas A&M Pan-
ellenic Council strive to represent brother-
ftfriccin-fimerkan
nted to bet ood and sisterhood.
ipond. i n the 1930’s, the National Pan-Hellenic
duncil was established, and four fraternities
ress so t:||nd four sororities were introduced.
Jason Brewer, the A&M Pan-Hellenic advi-
irers of tiit|or, said the National Pan-Hellenic
Council was devised so black Greeks could share
in of tlieho!Teas and aim to better their own communities.
“Alot of issues weren’t being addressed that
oncerned the well-being of their specific or-
[anization, i.e. rush,” Brewer said.
The Pan-Hellenic rush procedures differ
ur Amenta from other Greek organizations in that po-
build om ential applicants must undergo a selective
eview process. Grades, good standing with
he University and extracurricular activities
tre taken into consideration. If a student
performed neets these requirements, they may fill out
he a membership application,
ate Mk First-semester freshmen are not allowed to
naJ poe rush Pan-Hellenic organizations because they
The poeflo not have a grade point average: -
past an
After the national and regional headquar
ters of a chapter review an application, a vote
is taken by the Pan-Hellenic organization the
applicant wants to join.
One of the characteristics of Pan-Hellenic
organizations is close-knit relationships
among members because of the small mem
bership classes each one holds.
Marcus Gardner, Alpha Phi Alpha vice-
president and a senior civil engineering ma
jor, said he observed other non Pan-Hellenic
fraternities with large membership classes did
not seem to know their own brothers, even
when they were wearing the same shirts.
See Pan-Hellenic, Page 5
Pat james, The Battalion
Grin and Bear It
Randall Walton, a senior zoology major, grimaces while Mimi Sicilio, a physical
therapist at A.P. Beutel Health Center, stretches his hamstring.
Scams may cost callers big bucks
ylor deli ^
ylor deli
and sing
: Resum;
; ceremoi
Banner.
C 0017 |
By Jackie Vratil
The Battalion
At one time dialing outside the United
ates was a hassle. However it is now as easy
dialing outside the state of Texas, and many
w telemarketing scams are capitalizing on
e improvement.
Ward Tisdale at the Attorney General’s
ess Office said the telemarketers’ ploy starts
en they leave a message on an answering
achine explaining to the listener that a
oblem may exist or a prize of some sort
eds to be claimed.
“Oftentimes a message is left on an answer-
g machine making the point clear that you
ust call back for a prize or some great oppor-
nity,” Tisdale said.
The telemarketers emphasize the fact that re-
ing the phone call at the number given is a
cessity; this is where the scam is pulled. The
lemarketers may tell the listener everything
out the problem or the prize, but neglect to ex-
ain the returning phone call may cost the lis-
nerup to $100.
The scam is pulled by giving the listener
phone number beginning with the area
de 809. When dialed, this area code can
nnect the listener with most of the
ribbean nations.
“Because those numbers lead to off-shore
ams international laws are in effect and that is
hat makes it so hard to follow-up and catch the
scams,” Tisdale said.
By dialing the 809 area code,
U.S. telephone regulations are
bypassed and prices for the long
distance calls can be as high as
$25 a minute.
U.S. telephone regulations en
sure the caller knows exactly how
much each minute will cost and ap
proximately how long a caller can ex
pect to spend on the line.
In a news release sent to
Texas papers, Attorney General
Dan Morales said phone scams
have innovated other ways of
attracting victims.
“The answering machine is
not the only source of these phone num
bers,” Morales said. “All too often, people
looking for jobs are targeted.”
The ads encourage the reader to call a lo
cal number for more information. Once on
the line, a recording comes on explaining the
legitimacy of the company and tells the lis
tener to call another number to speak with
someone who can give more details about
the job.
The other number begins with the area code
809. The listener is told he will have to pay for the
call, but not how much or how long he will be on
hold or listen to a long recording.
Another way the scam works is by tying
up a beeper. A number comes up on the
“Please deposit
$3.99 for the
next three
minutes
TT
screen of the beeper with the area code 809.
A return phone call is made and the scam
triumphs again.
Other area codes used for the scams are 268,
242, 246, 345, 441, 664, 670, 767, 758, 787, 868,
869, and 876.
Tisdale said protecting oneself by knowing
who and where one is calling is the best way to
avoid being a victim.
Morales’ advice is to take an additional
minute to find out exactly where the area code
is from, and why the call needs to be made.
“Don’t know anyone from a Caribbean na
tion? Don’t call back,” he said. “And beware of ads
touting ‘mystery shopper’ jobs or unknown over
seas opportunities.”
j|
Man in sketch no help
[in Cosby investigation
LOS ANGELES (AP) —The goateed man depicted in
ipolice sketch as another possible witness to the En-
iis Cosby slaying was candid and cooperative, police
said Tuesday, but unable to give them any help in
[finding the killer.
I “He did not have any additional information of substance
[to offer,” said police Cmdr. Tim McBride.
Meanwhile, CBS reported Tuesday night that it had
received a threatening fax, purportedly from the same
voman police arrested in New York over the weekend
jfor allegedly trying to extort $40 million from the vic-
ftim's father.
Authorities said she claimed to be entertainer Bill
|Cosby’s illegitimate daughter.
The elder Cosby has denied being related to the
Jwoman, identified as Autumn Jackson. Police say
jthey don’t believe the extortion case is connected to
{the killing.
CBS said the fax it received threatened the network with
(extortion if a woman identified as Autumn Jackson Cosby
“doesn’t receive a fair settlement.” The network carries the
[entertainer’s show Cosby.
See Cosby, Page 5
Blinn continues expansion
Kevin Cummings
The Battalion
The new Blinn campus on Villa Maria
may seem like a huge parking lot and a
small building, but the current building
is just phase one of a four-phase con
struction plan. The plan will accommo -
date Blinn’s expected future enrollment
of almost 15,000 students within the
next 15 years.
Currently, 7,000 students are enrolled
at Blinn. That figure is expected to in
crease to 9,000 within the next year.
The increased enrollment has
brought an increase in traffic and a
subsequent need for more parking.
Parking for Blinn has been expanded
from 700 spaces at the old campus to
2,500 at the new location.
The increased congestion around
the new campus is causing the city of
Bryan to make some changes on Villa
Maria. The city reached a settlement
with a neighborhood organization, Cit
izens United for a Responsible Bryan,
to expand Villa Maria to four lanes and
monitor near-by intersections to de
termine if traffic lights are needed.
With 8,000 more cars expected on
Villa Maria daily, commercial develop
ers have already begun moving into the
area. Dan Wilkerson, director of utili
ties in Bryan, said the campus is ex
pected to increase local revenue.
“That was one of the main reasons for
building the college — to stimulate com
mercial development,” Wilkerson said.
Plans for the area include a Col
lege Park Center, a strip shopping
center to be built west of Shulman 6
Theaters, a major grocery store and
dorm-style living and retail shops on
the south side of campus.
To service the considerable per
centage of Blinn students co-en-
rolled at Texas A&M, bus operations
currently runs the Reveille route past
the new campus with three buses on
a 36-minute loop. The bus route is
capable of shuttling about 60 stu
dents to and from the Blinn campus
every 12 minutes, and is not yet be
ing used to capacity.
Muslim students
observe Ramadan
By Benjamin Cheng
The Battalion
Muslims at Texas A&M and
around the world continue to ob
serve the Islamic month of fasting
known as Ramadan, which began
Jan. 10 an runs through Feb. 8.
Muslims refrain from food, drink
and sexual relations with their
spouse from sunrise until sunset
throughout the period. Fasting was
prescribed by the prophet Mo
hammed in the Quran, the Islamic
holy book, and is one of the five pil
lars of Islam.
Zillur Rahim, president of the Is
lamic Community of Bryan-College
Station, describes the objective of
fasting as an attempt to be more sub
missive to the commands of God.
“It is one way to prove that we are
following the commands of God,”
Rahim said.
Younoos Latheef, president of
the Muslim Student Association
and a senior computer science ma
jor, describes fasting as an attempt
to attain God-consciousness.
“During this month, you in
crease your devotion to God
through prayers and sacrificing
your desires,” Latheef said. “At the
end of the month, you should re
new the devotion to your Creator.”
The Muslim Student Association
is the lone campus organization for
Muslims at Texas A&M. MSA has
about 100 members, Latheef said.
Brad Neal, a graduate environ
mental engineering major, said Ra
madan is not only about fasting.
“Someone can observe all of the
tenants of Ramadan,” Neal said,
“yet if they don’t increase their rela
tionship with God, they’ve wasted a
good opportunity.”
Rahim said fasting could be dif
ficult for new Muslims.
“It’s a matter of practice,” Rahim
said. “But the faith overcomes all of
that. If you know that you are doing
it for God, if you know that this is
something that has been made an
obligation upon you, then it be
comes a source of pleasure.”
Exemptions from fasting are
made for the sick, the elderly, chil
dren, pregnant women and nursing
mothers, Rahim said. The fasting
can be made up by fasting at a later
date or providing charity for the
poor, he said.
When non-Muslims learn of
his fasting, Latheef said their re
action is often to consider it im
possible to accomplish.
“When people ask of Ramadan,
they’re kind of amazed and awed that
I can go throughout the day without
food and drink,” Latheef said.
Rahim finds his colleagues respect
his faith and his practice of fasting.
“In general, the people whom I
work with are understanding be
cause College Station is a commu
nity of knowledge and education,”
Rahim said.
Neal said many non-Muslims are
unaware of his fasting.
"It’s a transparent thing,” Neal
said. “People are not really obser
vant of it.”
Ramadan, an Arabic word, is the
ninth month of the lunar calendar.
Ramadan changes from year to
year when measured against the
Christian calendar used by Western
civilization. Last year, Ramadan be
gan Jan. 21 and ended Feb. 18.
The Battalion
INSIDETODAY
The Pressure: The Texas A8M Men’s Basketball Team
travels to Lawrence to battle the nation’s top-ranked team.
Sports, Page 7
Aggielife Page 3
What's Up Page 6
Opinion Page 9