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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1997)
sday • January 28, Spo Bm The Battalion Brown nam e of the We olume 103 • Issue 81 • 10 Pages The Batt Online: http:// bat-web.tamu.edu Wednesday, January 29, 1997 an Jerald Brown,a as A&M Men’s Basl a named Rookie c e Big 12 )pened the weeH; d five )qden defeats Moore By Kathleen Strickland The Battalion State Brown points isists, I shots and two stei his three-point or-ten performance. In a special election "Tuesday, :ers chose two new leaders for as. In the 5th senatorial district, ublican Steve Ogden received percent of the vote, defeating mocrat Mary Moore, who re ed 45 percent. Republican Dr. Roman won the race for house trict 14 with 52 percent of the e, defeating Republican Richard ith, who received 48 percent. This special election became |cessary when Jim Turner re- ned from his state Senate seat to ept his new position in the U.S. aco headf n S ress * n November. The va- * , ncy left in the Texas Senate will o Oakland! w be filled by Ogden, who re- ped from the Texas 1 louse, leav- D, Calif. (AP) - ji-jjg seat 0 p en Roman will now /ho combined wil 3 form Oakland's! the late 1980s, is 1 the Athletics, m called an aftc rence and was expt :e the much-disc.: the Boston Red Sc e colorful and some: il outfielder, to get starting pitcte; Turn. Wasdin, a sinks was Oakland's first/! the 1993 amateurc 1 1 a 5.96 ERA last seas II of them starts, will pick up part >4.5 million salary. occupy that seat. Ogden braved the cold wind Tuesday afternoon as he visited with students at the A&M campus. He encouraged them to vote and shared his goals for his new office. “There’s two things that I want to focus on,” said Ogden. “ I want to cut the property taxes in Texas per manently, and fully fund our col leges and universities.” Ogden also discussed his change from the House to the Senate. “I’m going to miss being in the House, but I’m looking forward to being in the Senate,” he said. “I have been thrilled to represent Bryan- College Station and the Texas A&M campus in the Texas House since 1990. Hopefully, I’ll win and contin ue to do that in the Senate.” Moore was pleased with how the election was progressing, but expressed concern about getting enough voters to the polls. “The race has been really up beat,” she said. “It’s been a really short campaign and everyone has had to work very hard. We just hope die voters turn out.” Ensuring the children of today have education for tomorrow is paramount, Moore said. “I would like to see every three- and four-year-old be able to attend school,” she said. “And make it to where they (students) will eventu ally be able to attend college or technical school.” Moore said she is also con cerned with student fees. “What I would look into is your (A&M students’) fees and make sure that those are really fair,” she said. “You need to know what your fees are going for.” /I Pat James, The Battalion Helping Hand Chris Hydak, a sophomore computer engineering major, hangs a banner for the MSC OPAS production of “Singing in the Rain," with the help of Rhandi Selde, a sophomore bioengineering major. Administrators request $1.45 billion from state By Meussa Nunnery The Battalion The Texas Legislature heard testi mony this week on why the Texas A&M University System needs a $1.45 billion budget for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. University President Ray M. Bowen said he wants to maintain A&M’s high-quality education while using more money from the state, as opposed to more money from students. Bowen said the University’s goal is to gain state funding for academic excellence. “A&M articulated a need for funding for the academic infrastruc ture,” Bowen said. Library resources and faculty and staff salaries are ar eas which need improve ment, he said. Kathy Harris, A&M Sys tem Communications Specialist, said adminis trators are testifying be fore the Legislature to ex plain how they are using the state’s money now and how they plan to use it in the future. She said the $1.45 billion budget is for the entire A&M System, not just Texas A&M University. The proposed budget would help support the system’s 10 universities, eight state agencies and approxi- Bowen mately 22,600 full-time employees, Harris said. System Chancellor Bar ry B. Thompson testified before the legislature about the need for the state to invest more money in higher education. “We proclaim our selves to be one of the bellwether states, and yet we have 6.15 million people who are function ally illiterate and read at the sixth-grade level or less,” Thompson said in an Asso ciated Press story. See State, Page 6 Echo Taps honors Challenger victims Corps squadron holds memorial 11 years after tragedy By Laura Oliveira The Baiiaiion Corps of Cadets Squadron 17 hon ored the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion with an Echo Taps ceremo ny commemorating the 11th anniver sary of the accident. The memorial began at 11 p.m. Tuesday on the Quadrangle. How ever, members of the squadron are reminded of the tragedy more than once a year. In 1992, two squadrons, Aggres sor 17 and Challenger 7, combined to form Challenger 17, named after the space shuttle. Shawn Cones, commanding officer of Challenger 17 and.a senior mechan ical engineering major, said bearing the name of the shuttle is an honor. "We take a lot of pride in represent ing the Challenger astronauts,” he said. “We strive to be as good as they were.” Cones said the brief ceremony was a symbolic expression of respect stu dents could pay. "The whole reason it is done is to pay our re spects,” he said. “They gave the ultimate sacri fice. We can give a little time out of our day to honor them.” Andy Cuellar, execu tive officer of Chal lenger 17 and a senior health major, said the memory of the explo sion is one most A&M students share. a™™™—™ “I think almost every student was at least in ele mentary [school] when it hap pened,” he*said. “And I think this brings us together.” The explosion took place after a fail- “ We take a lot of pride in representing the Challenger astronauts.” Shawn Cones Commanding officer, Challenger 17 ure in the joint between the two lower segments of the right solid rocket mo tor. Among the crew members killed was Christa McAuliffe, a school teacher chosen for the mission. Cuellar said the death of a teacher hit close to home for many. “I think it made it even more personal,” he said. Thousands of stu dents watched as the blaze from the explo sion zoomed across the television screen. Cuellar said the vi sion is embedded in his mind. “I was in the library watching it with my classmates,” he said. “It was horrify ing to see an explosion.” See Challenger, Page 6 Artsfair aims to attract students By Joey Jeanette Schlueter The Battalion The MSC Opera and Performing Aits Society is spon soring the second annual Artsfair today in the MSC main hallway from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Artsfair will showcase community arts organiza tions on campus and offer them the opportunity to reach out to Texas A&M students. Artsfair’s purpose is to give organizations the oppor tunity to attract student involvement by advertising in the heart of campus. Approximately 17 community arts organizations, in cluding the Brazos Valley Art League, Brazos Valley Chap ter of the American Guild of Organists, Brazos Writers and Brazos Valley Chorale, will attend the fair. Other partici pants include Inkshed Press, the English Club, MSC OPAS, MSC Film Society, Imagination Station, A&M Women’s Chorus and J. Wayne Stark Galleries. Students are invited to come and talk with the repre sentatives of these and other organizations. Jeffrey Cranor, director of audience education and devel opment for MSC OPAS and a senior journalism major and, said the fair will be beneficial to the attending organizations. “Students are a part of the community just like the peo ple who live here all year long,” Cranor said. “They should be involved in, or at least aware of, the arts organizations and what they do for our community.” Last year, the Artsfair brought over 200 students closer to community arts organizations, Cranor said. A major dif ference this year is the participation of more diverse orga nizations, ranging in focus from singing to creative writing. A new attraction this year is the Brazos Valley Jugglers. Cranor said he feels this adds to the variety of arts in the fair. “They are going to be really fun to watch,” he said. “I think a lot of students are going to enjoy them.” The Artsfair was held in the MSC Flagroom last year. It was moved to the MSC main hallway this year because the Artsfair committee thought the move would attract more students to the fair. Amanda Masino, co-manager of the Artsfair and a junior zoology major, said she hopes for a large stu dent turnout. “Last year was pretty successful. We are trying to con tinue that this year,” Masino said. “MSC OPAS would like to make Artsfair a tradition every year.” niversity Plus offers classes entered on creative activity lus By BeNjamin Cheng The Battalion The Memorial Student Center University program offers Texas A&M students the portunity to broaden their education with n-curricular classes. Classes offered by University Plus include: aft, dance, language, first aid, guitar, pot ty, self defense and defensive driving. No ades or examinations are taken. Classes ually meet for one hour in the evening. Dave “Poppy” Capehart, Class of ’75 and SC Program Manager, said University Plus ovides students with an inexpensive op- )rtunity to expand their creativity. “They can take a break from their normal d-lot mt. -9 p.m.), 0 p.m.), The Battalion INSIDETODAY DEPRESSION: Students feeling flcome. worthless and having sleeping . rflOl' troubles may have this disease. CP 017, ^ Aggielife, Page 3 What's Up Sports Opinion Page 5 Page 7 Page 9 routine to learn something they wouldn’t or dinarily learn and meet new people,” Cape- hart said. Classes that fill up quickly include pot tery, dance, woodworking, language and self defense. New classes this semester are bil liards, bowling, Windows ‘95, combat Hap- kido, black & white photography and web page design. Around 2,000 people per se mester attend University Plus classes, Cape- hart said. The University Plus office has a wood working facility that provides students with the opportunity to take classes and have ac cess to lumber and instruction. “It’s the only one of its kind [in Bryan-Col- lege Station],” Capehart said. Classes are available to everyone, al though University Plus caters primarily to A&M students. “We cater to students,” he said. “To their prices, their interest level, and their rela tional needs. They can get out and be a part of something other than classes.” Most University Plus instructors work on a part-time basis. University Plus is in need of instructors to teach woodworking and pottery. Capeheart said the program is also open to prospective instructors with ideas for new classes. In the future, he hopes to add a comput er center and more computer and typing classes. See Classes, Page 6 Cadet saves mom from drowning ► Flooding waters swept Jacob Landry and his mom into a creek on New Year's Day. By JoAnne Whittemore The Battalion ATexas A&M student started off his new year making sure someone else would be able to start hers. Jacob Landry, a junior an imal science major, saved his mother from drowning on New Year's Day. Landry, a member of the Corps of Cadets Company D-l, was at his family’s ranch near the Stillwater River in Colum bus, Mont, when the incident occurred. The weather had been unusually warm three or four days prior to the incident, he said, causing snow to melt and flow into the river. “Basically, the rivers were flooding... the warm weather and all the water caused the ice jam to break, and it moved it down be low our ranch,” he said. “All the water that was trapped flooded our ranch.” Landry said the water overran the riverbanks and ran into the creek next to his house. He and his mother, Jamie Landry, had been preparing to cross a bridge over the creek to feed animals in their barn, but be fore they could reach the bridge, the water reached them. “I looked up and saw this big wall of wa ter and ice coming at us,” he said. Landry said his mother was swept into the water. He jumped in after her and grabbed her, but both were hit by blocks of ice, separating them. Landry rolled onto a wooden gate floating past, caught hold of his mother, and pulled her onto the wood en gate with him. Mother and son traveled 30 feet before being pushed into shallower waters. Landry said they started walking toward a corral area, but were constantly knocked down by ice floes. He said his mother was having trouble walking, so he helped her. “She was wearing insulated overalls and they got wet and heavy, so she couldn’t walk or stand up,” he said. “There was an other wall of water coming at us and she couldn’t get up, so I picked her up and dragged us both to the corrals.” Landry said they had picked a lucky spot to wait because the corrals in the sur rounding area had been torn down by the ice and water. His father, Clay Landry, Class of‘69, had seen them floating on the wooden gate and called the sheriff. Three hours later, they were rescued. Tommy Templer, a senior agricultural development major and member of Com pany D-l, said Landry always puts other people’s needs before his own. “Jake is a real outgoing guy,” he said. “He’s the kind of guy that would do any thing for anybody.” Landry was a member of Fish Drill Dave House, The Battalion Jacob Landry, a junior animal science major, rescued his mother at his family's ranch in Columbus, Mont. Te^m and the Equestrian Team, has made the Commandant’s Honor Roll and is on Army contract. In high school, he played football and was a member of the drama team but, un til New Year’s Day, he had never saved a life, nor had his life saved. See Drowning, Page 6