sday • January 28,
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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