■W”* 1 ^ The Battalion
Debriefing
Hang On
Ryan Rogers, The Battalion
Brian Moeller, a senior aerospace engineering major, demonstrates a flight simulator in the basement of the H.R. Bright
Building. The simulator is a recent addition to the aerospace engineering department and will aid in research and testing.
► State
Marchers demand
tougher crime laws
AUSTIN (AP) — A crowd of nearly
5,000 marched to the Capitol on Sun
day to demand stronger laws against
hate crimes.
The marchers urged state legisla
tors to approve a bill by Sen. Rodney
Ellis, D-Houston, that would raise
penalties for people convicted of hate
crimes and add more specific defini
tions of the victims of hate crimes to
the current law.
More than 1,600 hate crimes
were reported to the Texas Depart
ment of Public Safety between 1992
and 1995.
The new law would define hate
crimes as those committed because
of bias against the “race, color, dis
ability, religion, national origin or an
cestry or sexual orientation of the per
son against whom the crime was
committed."
It is patterned after Wisconsin law
that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme
Court in 1993.
“The bill closes the door to any
constitutional challenge,” said Rick
Svatora, an aide to Ellis.
Senate votes to repeal
motorcycle helmet law
AUSTIN (AP) — A repeal of the
state's mandatory helmet law for
motorcyclists who are at least 21
and carry insurance was approved
by the Texas Senate on Monday.
Sen. Jerry Patterson, R-Pasade-
na, the sponsor of the bill, praised
the Texas Motorcycle Rights Asso
ciation for working diligently to help
pass the measure, which will now
go to the House for consideration.
The bill was approved on a voice
vote after receiving vocal opposi
tion from Sen. Bill Ratliff, R-Mount
Pleasant.
Ratliff was successfullastij
in amending the bill, prevenfr;|
metless riders who suffer!®
juries in wrecks from gettings
rehabilitation fund moneytolt
their recovery.
An estimated 500 fewermJ
clists were injured in thefirstyea
ter the helmet law was enadj
1989, Ratliff said.
► Nation
Windows upgradj
might face delay]
SEATTLE (AP) — MicrosoftC
stock dropped as much as 7pel
Monday on news that the nexta
ation of its Windows 95 opw
system may not be on the mariq
til next year.
A delay until next year will
cnosoft's competitors such as Netd
Sun, IBM and Oracle moretimetf
mote a Java-based platform that j
threaten Windows hegemony.
‘If Microsoft could have ship
next generation by midyearthisyej
would have generated a lot of ate
and kept a lot of people in the Wim
camp," said Dwight Davis, editor
rector of the “Windows
newsletter in Redmond.
A test version of the Micro
grade, code-named Memphis, 1
ready in July, but the date
release will depend on feedback
how long it takes to make chap
the software.
Last month, Microsoft beganli
personal-computer makers sutfl
Compaq, Dell and Gateway w(
new software would not be rear
preloading into machines beforej
Christmas shopping season.
The Windows upgrade will
improvements that would leti
see files in the same formatasV
Wide Web pages, Roberts said.l
also include a browser upgrade.I
► This day in History
Today is Tuesday, March 25, the 84th day of 1997.
There are 281 days left in the year.
On March 25,1965, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led
25,000 marchers to the state capitol in Montgomery, Ala.,
to protest the denial of voting rights to blacks.
In 1634, Maryland was founded by English colonists
sent by the second Lord Baltimore.
In 1911,146 immigrant workers were killed when fire
broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York.
In 1918, French composer Claude Debussy died in Paris.
In 1957, the Treaty of Rome established the European
Economic Community.
In 1990, 87 people, most of them Honduran and Do
minican immigrants, were killed when fire raced through
an illegal social club in New York City.
Ten years ago: The Supreme Court ruled employers
may sometimes favor women and members of minority
groups over men and whites in hiring and promoting in or-
► Weather
der to achieve better balance in the work force.
Five years ago, Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi
backed away from an offer to turn over two suspects in
the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 to the Arab League.
One year ago, Brave heart won Academy Awards for
Best Picture and Best Director Mel Gibson; Nicolas Cage
won Best Actor for Leaving Las Vegas, Susan Sarandon
Best Actress for Dead Man Walking. The redesigned $100
bill went into circulation.
► Today's birthdays
Today’s Birthdays: Former astronaut Jim Lovell is 69.
Feminist author Gloria Steinem is 63. Singer Anita Bryant
is 57. Singer Aretha Franklin is 55. Actor Paul Michael
Glaser is 54. Singer Elton John is 50. Actor James Mc
Daniel is 39. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is 32. Olympic
bronze medal figure skater Debi Thomas is 30.
Today
Tonight
Tomorrow
A chance of showers
and thunderstorms.
Winds shifting from the
north at 15-20 mph.
Cloudy and cool with a
chance of heavy
rainfall.
Possible early showers
becoming partly cloudy.
Light north winds.
r
Reach 8,000 Aggies all
year long with one ad
in the '97-98 All-University Calendar
We're now offering discount rates for on-campus
advertisers. Call Lisa Bryan at 862-4724 for
more information. Direct off-campus inquiries to
Kristin Griffith at the same phone number.
%
MSC L.T. Jordan Institute for
International Awareness Fellows Program
presents:
Bonnie Ponwith
Tropical Rainforest Ecology
a case study from Costa Rica
Rachel Preston
Italian Architecture:
Bridging the Gap Between Renaissance
and Baroque
Wednesday, March 26th, 7:00pm
MSC Room 223J
For more information call 845-8770
or e-mail: ji-fellows@msc.tamu.edu
Persons with disabilities please call 845-8770
to inform us of your special needs.
Highs & Lows
Today’s Expected Hi:
68°F
Tonight’s Expected l
46°F
Tomorrow’s E^"’
H#
63^
Tomorrow
Expected Low
45°F
Information courtesy of TAMP'
GOLDEN KEY N.D
General Meeting
Wednesday, March 26
7:00 p.m. • Rudder 502
Guest Speaker: A Representative
from the Career Center
Topic: Preparation For Job Search
The Battalion
Rachel Barry, Editor in Chief
Tiffany Moore, Managing Editor
Kristina Buffin, Sports Editor Wesley Poston, City Editor
Stew Milne, Visual Arts Editor Alex Walters, Opinion Editoh
John LeBas, Aggieufe Editor Chris Stevens, Web Editor
Jody Holley, Night News Editor Tim Moog, Photo Editor
Helen Clancy, Night News Editor Brad Graeber, Cartoon EdiW
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division 1
Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDons
Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647; E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu; Internet
dress: http://bat-web.tamu.edu.
Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion^
campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-
0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mond®
through Friday. Fax: 845-2678.
Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single
copy of The Battalion. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50pe f ■
year. To charge by Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express, call 845-2611.
The Batolion (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and sprieP
mesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays
exam periods) at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 778401-
master: Send address changes to The Battalion, 015 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M UnivG
College Station,TX 77843-1111.
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