i
ilume 103 • Issue 133 • 8 Pages
The Batt Online: http:// bat-web.tamu.edu
too workers injured in
ilevator shaft accident
loth men still are hospitalized
ifter falling 35 feet
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
The Battalion
wo men were seriously injured after
|ng 35 feet down an elevator shaft in the
s A&M Nuclear Science Center near East-
ood Airport Friday morning,
public official for the nuclear facility said the
were conducting routine maintenance
n the accident occurred at 10:45 a.m.
ryan Fire Chief James Bland said the in
vestigation into the cause of the accident
should take a few days.
The College Station Fire Department was
called to the site. Paramedics were lowered
down the elevator shaft to the men and stabi
lized them for transport.
The Bryan Fire Department high-angle
search and rescue team was called in to re
move the men from the elevator shaft.
Fire Chief James Bland said the rescue
team had to do a one-point vertical raise to
get the injured men out.
“The team had to literally lift them vertical
ly on a hoist in a standing position,” Bland said.
Larry Krisanits, a senior health physics su
pervisor, was one of the men injured in the
fall. Krisanits was taken to Columbia Medical
Center for treatment where he is recovering.
Maxine Greek, a Columbia Medical
Center administrator, said Friday, Krisan
its was in stable condition. Columbia rep
resentatives would not comment on his
condition Sunday.
Michael Spellman, an electronics tech
nician, also was injured in the fall. Spell
man was transported to Columbia Friday,
but was transferred to Herman Hospital in
Houston. Herman representatives also
would not comment on Spellman’s
condition.
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Rony Angkirwan, The Battalion
Leonel Flores, a member of the silent drill platoon, practices a rifle maneuver. The group performed on
Kyle Field Sunday as part of Parents' Weekend.
ropane vehicle ready for competition
By Laura Oliveira
The Battalion
r. Ray M. Bowen turned the igni-
ofamodified 1995 Dodge Dako-
ickup truck at a dedication cere-
iy Friday afternoon. The truck
converted by a team of 20 Texas
1 University mechanical engi-
ing students to run on propane
will be entered into the Propane
icle Challenge in May.
he three-part competition is
gned to build vehicles that pro-
elow emissions, yet maintain
xceed the range, drivability and
» performance characteristics
tebase gasoline-fueled vehicle,
had Johnson, student project
lager for the Propane Vehicle
llenge and a senior mechani-
engineering major, said the
dedicated long hours to pre
fer the competition. He said
ceremony allowed adminis-
ors and observers to witness
the team’s advancements and ex
plain the project.
“We knew it (the truck) was go
ing to start up,” he said. “But there
is that moment when the president
of the University cranks the key and
your heart skips a beat.”
Johnson said converting gaso
line-run cars to propane has not
been the biggest obstacle, but
rather making technological ad
vances to develop vehicles designed
only for propane use.
“Right now there are cars on this
university that run on propane, but
they are duel fueled,” he said.
The research done during com
petition is handed over to compa
nies such as Chrysler to help devel
op dedicated propane vehicles.
Johnson said the alternative
propane fuel is not accessible now,
but if adopted, it will help clean
the environment.
“It (propane) is a cleaner burning
fuel,” he said. “It does not exude as
“If we get everybody
in the United States
to use propane, that
will significantly
reduce the pollu
tant fuels in the air.”
Brad Johnson
student project manager
much carbon monoxide... and other
polluting chemicals into the air,” he
said. “If we get everybody in the Unit
ed States to use propane, that will sig-
nificandy reduce the pollutant fuels
in the air.”
Johnson said the unavailability
of the fuel is the only drawback of
using propane.
“People don’t want to go on a
long rode trip and be stranded on
the side of the road with their three
kids and not be able to fill up their
car because their is no propane
available,” he said.
Courtney Haydon, manage
ment support team leader and a
senior management major, said
companies soon will jump on the
propane bandwagon.
“As we become more environ
mentally conscience, companies
are going to have to start making
environmentally conscience vehi
cles,” she said.
Last year’s team placed first,
winning Best Overall and Lowest
Emissions awards with their 1996
Dodge minivan.
Haydon said the team is confi
dent they will repeat those wins at
this year’s competition.
“They work well together and I
think they are ready to succeed and
make the school proud,” she said.
ewish community observes Passover
By Graham Harvey
The Battalion
eople of the Jewish faith will celebrate
3000 year-old festival of Passover tonight
undown.
tabbi Peter Tarlow of the Hillel Founda-
the Jewish student center for Texas A&M,
there will be several Passover services
Highout the week. There will be two cere-
Oies Passover night at 8 and Tuesday night
as well as a special service Friday at 8.
Passover is the story of liberation, from
r ery to freedom and from degradatioh to
Uan dignity,” Tarlow said.
All national liberation movements are
ed on the Passover. The whole American
olution was based on the Passover.”
fhe Book of Exodus explains the origin of
festival.
ft the beginning, God’s plagues on Egypt did
compel Pharaoh to free the Hebrew slaves, so
>ent one final plague — death. Exodus 12:6-
f-13 quotes God’s commandments to Moses
[he last night of Hebrew slavery in Egypt.
The congregation of Israel shall kill their
James Palmer, The Battalion
lambs in the evening. Then they shall take some
of the blood and put it on the two doorposts... of
the houses in which they eat them ... It is the
Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land
of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first
born ... and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgments; I am the Lord. The blood shall be a
sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and
when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no
plague shall fall upon you... when I smite the land
of Egypt."
The next day, Exodus says, Pharaoh freed
the Hebrew slaves, and Moses led the new na
tion of Israel out of Egypt. Jews celebrate this
liberation every spring during Passover, a sev
en-day observance.
The book Passover, edited by Mordell
Klein and distributed by the Philadelphia-
based Jewish Publication Society of Amer
ica, outlines the customs associated with
the week.
“Families congregate around a festive table
on the first night of Passover, and in the
course of a picturesque ceremony called the
seder, parents perform the religious duty of
telling their children the story of the national
beginnings of their people ... The Bible vivid
ly portrays how Israel was chosen by God
from all the nations, and acquired by Him ...
by the act of the redemption from Egypt ...
They were to be God’s torchbearers, ‘a light to
the nations.’”
Deborah Benich, a Hillel Foundation
member and a freshman poultry science ma
jor, said Passover is a time of personal reflec
tion for her.
“It is an occasion for us to remember what
happened to us, 3,000 years ago,” Benich said.
“It is a joyous time and a fun learning
experience.”
Monday, April 21, 1997
Ceremony honors
deceased Aaaies
► H.B. Zachry Jr. will
be the guest speaker
for tonight's Muster
at G. Rollie White.
By Erica Roy
The Battalion
Aggies who have died in the
past year will be honored by A&M
students and former students
during the Muster ceremony in G.
Rollie White Coliseum at 7 p.m.
today and at 400 other cere
monies around the world.
A roll call for the deceased Aggies
will be read as students and former
students answer, “Here.” A candle
will be lit as each name is called.
Amy Vandaveer, Muster chair
and a senior English and speech
communications major, said every
student should attend the ceremo
ny, because it is a tradition that in
cludes every A&M student.
“It (Muster) unites all Aggies, no
matter who they are and where they
come from,” Vandaveer said. “It’s
the one tradition that binds us and
doesn’t separate us.”
David Hofmann, a Muster pro
gram sub-chair and a senior histo
ry major, said students’ attendance
supports the families of the de
ceased, because every Aggie will be
called to Muster at some time.
“It’s a person’s responsibility [to
attend Muster], because whenever
they pass away someone will be
there to answer for them,” Hof
mann said.
Tonight’s Muster speaker will be
H.B Zachry Jr, Class of ’54 and CEO of
H.B Zachry Company in SanAntonio.
Vandaveer said Zachry has had a
successful career, since graduating
from A&M.
“I think he (Zachry) can offer [to
students] how A&M is a basis for the
success you can build in your life,”
Vandaveer said, “and how you al
ways remember where you come
from, because he has continually
given back to A&M.”
Christina Horz, a Muster pro
gram sub-chair and a senior mar
keting major, said Zachry is an ex
ample to students of a person who
has kept the Aggie Spirit after grad
uating from A&M.
“I think he really can pass on to
them (students) that the Aggie Spir
it is alive and well,” Horz said. “This
(Muster) is a tradition you can have
forever, whether you are in College
Station or not.”
A camaraderie barbecue will
be held at the Academic Plaza
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are
$5. Entertainment, such as the
Aggie Wranglers and Highway 6,
will be provided.
See Muster, Page 2
Award recognizes
contributions to
community service
Three students were presented the
Margaret Rudder Service Award
By Marissa Alanis
The Battalion
For three A&M students, devot
ing time to activities such as cook
ing for a camp of 600 high school
students or playing with children at
Kemp Gym in Bryan has allowed
them to make an impact on the lives
of others and be recognized.
The contributions of Rebecca
Wood, Brooks Henry and Cassie
Suitt earned them the first Margaret
Rudder Community Service Award
at the All-University Awards Cere
mony yesterday.
The award recognizes students
who help serve aspects of the com
munity such as the elderly, public
safety, the environment and children.
Wood, a senior sociology and
psychology major, received the
grand prize $500 cash award. Hen
ry, a sophomore biochemistry and
genetics major, and Suitt, a sopho
more management major, each re
ceived a $250 cash award.
In Colorado last summer, Suitt
volunteered as a baker at Frontier
Ranch, a nondenominational
Christian youth camp. Wood de
votes her time helping keep Bryan-
College Station children out of trou
ble at Kemp Gym in Bryan and is a
member of Alpha Phi Omega, a co
educational community service fra
ternity. Henry is active with agen
cies such as the Brazos Food Bank
and Phoebe’s Home.
Shelley Howell, founding chair of
the award and a senior finance and
marketing major, said the award de
veloped as a way to honor students
for community service and help
create an incentive for others to
serve the community.
“It’s created to recognize those
who significantly impact their
community and who themselves
are impacted by that contribu
tion,” Howell said.
Originally, the award was known
as the Outstanding Service Award
when it was given for the first time
last year.
However, coordinators of the
award said they felt it needed to be
associated with someone unique,
similar to other honors such as the
BuckWeirus Spirit Award. Margaret
Rudder was chosen because of her
commitment to volunteer efforts.
Rudder, who now volunteers her
time at the Crestview Nursing Home in
Bryan, is the widow of the former Uni
versity president, James Earl Rudder.
Howell said they chose to name
the award after Rudder because of
her motivation and reputation for
helping others in the A&M and the
surrounding communities.
“We felt it would be very appro
priate to associate her name with
the award because of her lifelong
dedication to service,” Howell said.
In addition to the award being
renamed, it will be presented
every year at the All-University
Awards Ceremony and recog
nized as a permanent committee
of Student Government.
Wood, who received the $250
award last year, said the added
bonus of receiving the honor this
year is having Rudder’s name asso
ciated with the award and having it
presented at the All-University
Award Ceremony.
“Now the University is finally
putting community service up there
with everything else,” Wood said. “It
sends a message that they think this
is important.”
Wood said community service is
something that should be done
more than once a semester.
See Award, Page 2
The Battalion
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Aggielife, Page 3
Toons Page 2
Sports ........ Page 6
Opinion Page 7