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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1997)
1251 The Battalion ume 103 • Issue 138 • 14 Pages The Batt Online: http:// bat-web.tamu.edu Tuesday, April 29, 1997 theli fD: Blame it on the rain nclement weather prompts eroute of March to the Brazos By Erica Roy The Battalion Ihunderstorms prevented the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets from heading to the Brazos River for the March to the ■ra/.ns Saturday, so cadets marched to the - f polo fields instead. I Steve Foster, Corps commander and a se- S^Bior political science major, said cadet lead- tf^B-smade the decision not to go to the Brazos Bver Saturday morning. March to the Brazos is the Corps’ annual ' Iftind-raising campaign for the March of Bimes. Cadets usually march 14 miles to and Bom the Brazos River. This year the cadets «HjBised over $50,000 from the Bryan-College Station community and their hometowns. I March to the Brazos is also an informal ■assing-down of leadership positions in the ■orps from the senior cadets to the junior, jsophomore and freshman cadets. I Foster said cold weather, the possibility of ciatwhtning storms and hazardous road condi- Jlions influenced the decision to keep the te-piarch on campus. Cindi Ericson, deputy Corps commander and 'io 3' fl a senior interna- “We were all cold enough and wet enough to realize we’d done the right thing.” Danny Feather Corps commander- designate BM mBamsmm tional studies and political sci ence major, said these factors could have en dangered the cadets. “The main intent of chang ing March to the Brazos from the Brazos River to the polo fields was to en sure the safety of the 2,200 cadets participating,” Ericson said. Danny Feather, Corps commander-desig- (ate and a junior economics major, said the ladet leaders did not want any of the cadets lib get sick from the rain before final exams. \/TFe said he realized the wisest decision had Been made after the march was over. “We were all cold enough and wet enough to ealize we’d done the right thing,” Feather said. The cadets went on a traditional Corps in around the A&M campus at 8 a.m. and then ran around the polo fields. The seniors passed their positions to the ju nior cadets at the polo fields. The juniors then |ed the Corps to Duncan Field where they Tassed their positions down to the sophomores (indfreshmen. The march ended at 11 a.m. Ericson said the march was successful, Idespite the changes. “It (the march) was not as elaborate as it las been in the past,” she said, “but the ba le mission was accomplished.” Feather said although he was disappoint- ;d the Corps could not march to the Brazos, he spirit of the march remained the same. “It was an emotional time because of the lassing down of the positions,” Feather said. Ericson said the spirit of the march was tot affected because the spirit is not based in where the march goes. Tfs contained within the motivation and U Faculty Senate ■ WwKmmm. Rogge Heflin, The Battalion Armondo Banch, a sophomore business analysis major, performs physical training leg lifts at the polo fields during March to the Brazos Saturday. Rogge Heflin, The Battaijon The Aggie Band runs from the Quad for March to the Brazos Saturday. the desire for these classes to take on their brass for the next year,” she said. Foster said the cadets seemed to have the same amount of enthusiasm about passing down the positions as if they had marched to the river. “I didn’t see too many people holding back the spirit,” Foster said. Mark Maltsberger, March to the Brazos com mittee chair and a senior speech communica tions major, said the destination of the march does not affect the amount of money raised. “I think it (the march) was still success ful,” Maltsberger said. “We still accom plished everything we wanted to. We still passed down positions.” Ericson said it was an indescribable feeling to watch the junior, sophomore and freshman classes take over leadership in the Corps after being in their position a year before. “I felt very confident in stepping aside,” she said. Foster said the march was successful, de spite the changes because of the amount of money raised for the March of Dimes. “We still raised a lot of money for the char ity,” Foster said, “and that is one of the main reasons for March to the Brazos.” Meeting focuses on minority recruitment By Kathleen Strickland The Battalion The Texas A&M Faculty Senate resumed discussion on the report and recommendations of the Fac ulty Senate Minority Conditions Subcommittee at a special meet ing Monday. The Senate held the meeting to continue business from its last meeting, which was delayed be cause too few senators were present to vote. Dan Robertson, director of grad uate studies, commented on the minority graduate student enroll ment data in the report. “In my opinion, we failed to ac knowledge something that I believe reflects achievement by several of the people that are in this room — faculty ... as well as staff members and some of our current graduate students,” Robertson said. “If you look at the numbers of African- American or Hispanic graduate stu dents, the numbers that were en rolled last fall have never in the history of Texas A&M University been larger.” Diane Kaplan, chair of the mi nority conditions subcommittee and a visiting assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, clarified the purpose of the report and recommendations to the Fac ulty Senate. “On the minority conditions committee, we absolutely acknowl edge that there have been a number of individuals, a number of individ ual departments, a number of indi vidual faculty, staff [and] students who have done an incredible job to increase minority representation on campus, and we applaud their efforts,” she said. “When we come together and look at this report, we end up look ing at the broad survey of every thing that has gone on, and that is what our recommendations are based on.” The Senate approved the sub committee’s recommendations, calling for the development of a new three-year plan to recruit and retain minority and women pro fessors. The recommendations suggest the University provide $3 million a year for minority recruit ment and retention and $1 million a year for recruitment and reten tion of women. In other business, the Faculty Sen ate approved the proposed changes to the University Statement on Aca demic Freedom, Responsibility, Tenure and Promotion. Students take part in rodeo despite delay By Melissa Nunnery The Battalion Barrel racing, steer wrestling, calf riding and bull roping all were part of the Texas A&M University National Intercollegiate Rodeo this weekend. The rodeo was postponed Friday be cause of rain and lightning, but com petition began Saturday. About 30 A&M students partic ipated in the rodeo, where competi tors tried to qualify for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s College National Finals. Saturday’s rodeo at the Brazos County Arena on Tabor Road in Bryan was the last of the season for the Southern region. Richie Harris, a steer wresder and a senior agricultural economics ma jor, competed for the last time on the college level this weekend and placed fourth in steer wresding. “I made a pretty good run at it and came up a little short,” he said. “That’s the way it goes.” The men’s events included rough/stock saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, steer wresding, calf rop ing and team roping. Women com peted in events such as barrel racing, break-away calf roping and goat ty ing. The top two competitors and top two teams in each event go on to the College National Finals. No individual competitors or teams from A&M advanced to the finals. Keri Card, president of the A&M Rodeo Club and a junior biochem istry and genetics major, said the teams managed to do well, despite the rain delay. “We ran one round on Thursday, when it was dry, [so] those people had an advantage,” Card said. “It (the rain) was distracting, of course, [but] I’d say it was about even.” Card said most people who par ticipated in the rodeo are probably experienced enough to have com peted successfully in the rain. “Rodeo is something you’ve done all your life,” she said. “It’s not some thing you just decide to do your freshman year in college.” Harris said some schools offer scholarships for rodeo, but A&M stu dents must pay their own way. “We pretty much do it on our own,” Harris said. “We earn our own money and that kind of stuff.” He said most students who rodeo at A&M put education first and par ticipate in rodeos on the side. “We’re athletes and we’re proud of that fact,” he said, “but we’re here to get a good education and that comes first, second to none.” Fina Separatists trade hostages for jailed member m Friday, MW 5:45 - 7 or later MWF 8 - 8:50 TR 9:35 -10:50 TR 11:10 -12:25 7:30 - 9:30 10-12 12:30 - 2:30 3-5 Monday, May 5 MWF 9:10 -10:00 MWF 12:40 -1:30 TR 8:00 - 9:15 MW 4:10 - 5:25 8-10 10:30 -12:30 1-3 3:30 - 5:30 # 1 Tuesday, May 6 MWF 10:20 -11:10 8 -10 MWF 3 - 3:50 10:30 -12:30 TR 3:55 MWF 1:50 5:10 2:40 1-3 3:30 - 5:30 TR 12:45 - 2:00 MWF 11:30 -12:20 TR 2:20 - 3:35 TR 5:30 - 6:45 or later ednesday, May 7 8-10 10:30 -12:30 1-3 3:30 - 5:30 £he Baiiaijon 'Nsidetoday A 9gielife Page 3 “P°rts Page? ^ arn Pus Page 12 0 P ir >i°n Page 13 NO MERCY: Conspira tors held without bond after officials discover bombing plot. State, Page 5 FORT DAVIS (AP) — Armed members of a group demanding a referendum on Texas indepen dence were locked in a standoff with authorities Monday after free ing two hostages in exchange for a jailed comrade. State and federal officers ringed the mountainous Davis Mountains Resort Community and more were on the way. Authorities were negotiating with Richard McLaren, self- f styled “ambassador” of one faction of the separatist group called the Republic of Texas. McLaren said in a news release that dis cussions were taking place at his “embassy,” a trailer in the devel opment. “He continues to invoke the laws of the Republic of Texas. He wants the United Nations,” said Mike Cox, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Safety. Republic members have told negotiators that “they will de fend their sovereign soil.” It was not known exactly where the group was holed up or how many members were there, or what type of weapons they have. Authorities urged other resi- “He (McLaren) continues to invoke the laws of the Republic ofTexas.” Mike Cox Spokesperson, Dept, of Public Safety dents of the sprawling, remote community to leave the area. But “No one else is considered in harm’s way,” Cox said. The confrontation started Sun day when two men and a woman wearing military-style fatigues fired assault rifles at the front door of community residents Joe and Margaret Ann Rowe and took them hostage. They were held for 12 hours while their captors demanded the re lease of two follow ers who had been ar rested. Early Monday, they ex changed the Rowes for Robert Jonathan Scheidt, identified as “captain of the embassy guard” of the Republic of Texas. It was unclear who authorized the ■■■■■*■ release of Scheidt, who was arrested Sunday on weapons charges. Rowe said she and her husband believed the attackers were willing to kill them. “It wasn’t an empty threat. If somebody will come shooting in your door, they mean it,” Mrs. Rowe said at a medical center in Alpine, where her husband was in stable condition with shrapnel wounds to Separatist group digs in after hostage trade Law enforcers are continuing to treat the standoff with the Republic of Texas as a hostage situation because between 90 and 150 residents of the resort area are unable to leave their homes. OF The Republic ^ of Texas q—g* 1 The group contends that " the annexation of Texas as a state in 1845 was illegal, that Texas should be an independent nation and that the group’s leaders constitute the legitimate government of Texas. Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845. Davis Mountains Resort 5 miles l™ --1,l,, ' 5 km McDonald Observatory >L Davis Mountains State Park Fort Davis f P 1 X 200 miles MEXICO 200 km Gulf of Mexico his shoulder. Scheidt joined the three people who took the Rowes hostage. After the exchange, the armed group left the Rowes' home and au thorities did not know where they were within the forested, moun tainous development of widely sep arated homes. Reporters were being kept several miles from the en trance to the community, about 175 miles southeast of El Paso. The attack followed months of conflict between Rowe, head of the remote community’s property own ers’ association, and McLaren. See Separatists, Page 5