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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1997)
Texas A81M University §!|,; Today Tomorrow See extended forecast, Page 2. ie 103 • Issue 169 • 6 Pages College Station, TX Wednesday, July 23, 1997 Regents to accept admissions change iWS Briefs ■ 1 names Ethnic lies Institute head iMitchell F. Rice, a professor Jisiana State University, was director of the Texas A&M }nd Ethnic Is Institute |y- also will faculty of Jorge Bush 1 of Govern- 3nd Public ; on Sept 1. has lesearch in person- ban and social policy, and he blished several books, bibli- ies and articles. Institute, founded in 1991, s information to policymakers race, ethnicity, gender and so- |ass in education, economics, ivironment and health. Rice -Mart announces [derH's store closings ; since leaccei |nt itai rec.:" NTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Wal- Stores Inc. said Tuesday it will of its 61 Bud’s Discount tores, including five in Texas, use the no-frills outlets fell tof expectations, le closings will reduce second er earnings at the nation's No. ailerby $40 million to $50 mil- But Wal-Mart said it remains iortable with projected earnings ie quarter ending July 31. le weren’t meeting the long-term mance objective that we had in as far as growth potential and ' said Jay Allen, Wal-Mart isperson. le first Bud’s store, named af- Sam Walton’s brother and co der of Wal-Mart, opened in 3. Most Bud’s stores are locat- buildings left vacant when Wal- stores relocated to larger fa tes in a community. mor kills 10 in nth Africa mine OHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) minor earthquake set off an un round rock slide, killing 10 people leaving eight missing Tuesday in a li African gold mine, he 3.7-magnitude tremor rattled Hartebeestfontein gold mine, miles southwest of Johannes- , Monday night, said Julian im, spokesman for mine oper- Avgold Limited. lirty miners were taken to a lo- lospital and another 46 were ed for minor injuries at a mine ca! station, Gwillim said. Rescue operations are continu- nd will not cease until all the ingmen have been located,” he Tuesday. SPORTS ler Aggie basketball ch Shelby Metcalf reflects fiis tenure at A&M. See Page 3. OPINION ncis: Termites, other cts deserve more respect America public. See Page 5. W/bat-web.tamu.edu Mor v ious talion ri 'es in a rchives. Jenara Kocks The Battalion The Board of Regents will give Texas A&M officials the authority to revise admission requirements for Fall 1998 and hold public meetings to discuss tuition in creases Thursday and Friday at West Texas A&M in Canyon. Texas House Bill 588 says that state universities must give auto matic admission to high-school students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and Texas Senate Bill 1997 states that any time a university raises tuition above the base state tuition amount, it must hold a public hearing. Both bills were passed by the 75th Texas Legislature. The Board’s vote will serve as a formality in as suring that the laws are enforced by the University. A&M President Dr. Ray Bowen said the University is concerned about the new admissions require ments because about 17,000 high- school students graduate in the top 10 percent of their class every year. He said that theoretically, if all these students applied to A&M, the University would have to ad mit all of them. The University can only accept about 6,300 freshmen every fall. Bowen said all students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes in Texas will probably not apply to Texas A&M. However, he said the Univer sity turns down a couple of hun dred applicants from the top 10 percent of their class every year. "Under this legislation, we have to admit all of those students [who are rejected],” he said. Bowen said that now some stu dents in the lower 90 percent of high school classes will not be accepted Bowen by A&M. Ronald G. Douglas, provost and executive vice president, said he does not know exactly how these new admissions requirements will affect the University, but he said the legislation was designed to in crease minority enrollment at Texas universities. "We know the goal in passing this bill was to increase diversity of students in Texas universities,” Douglas said, "and we hope this is the consequence here.” Stephenie Rhodes, adviser of the Black Awareness Committee, said the new admissions require ment should be positive for mi nority students. “I guess this is legislature’s only way to offset the Hopwood case,” Rhodes said. Ana Olmedo, an executive offi cer for MSC Committee for the Awareness of Mexican American Culture, said the admissions re quirements are detrimental to minority admissions. Olmedo said the requirements will prevent the University from considering leadership qualities or talents of an applicant. “Some minority students who are not in the top 10 percent quali fy (for admission to A&M) just as well as those who are,” she said. Please see Regents on Page 2. Researchers grow organs for animals Technique may be used to correct birth defects BOSTON (AP) — Scientists have grown re placement organs for sheep, rats and rabbits using the animals’ own cells and lab molds to help the tissue take shape—a technique that could be used someday to make spare parts for people. While scientists have already found ways to grow skin and cartilage, two Harvard re searchers claim to be the first to have grown animal tissue from a variety of organs, in cluding the heart, kidneys and bladder. “As surgeons, that’s what we dream about — having a shelf full of body parts,” said Dr. Anthony Atala, who pioneered the technique with Dario Fauza. Their new method — to be presented to day at a conference of the British Association of Pediatric Surgeons in Istanbul, Turkey — has already been used to build bladders and windpipes for sheep, a kidney for a rat, and leg muscles for a rabbit. The spare organs were built with tissue taken from both grown and fetal animals. The two doctors said the greatest hope for the technique could be in correcting com mon birth defects. They have developed a method for growing replacement organs for newborns while they are still in the womb. For example, if a fetus has a malformed trachea, surgeons could extract some of those cells from the womb, grow the new windpipe in the lab and have it ready to be transplanted when the baby is born. “This can save lives,” Fauza said. Fetal tests on humans are set to begin within a year, and the researchers hope to get approval from the Food and Drug Adminis tration for routine use within five years. Cornell University researcher Thomas Mc Donald, who studies the development of sheep fetuses, said the method appears to be a way around the biggest obstacle to organ trans plants — the body’s rejection of foreign parts. Normally, surgeons have been forced to use mismatched tissues to repair defects, like a piece of intestine to patch a hole in the bladder. “It sounds like a wonderful technique and it sounds very doable,” McDonald said. “It’s just that nobody has tried it until now.” ■ .I'M * Greenspan positive on inflation, economy WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling the econ omy “exceptional,” Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan indicated there is no cur rent need to boost inter est rates to fight infla tion. That was all Wall Street needed to hear to send stocks and bonds soaring. The Dow Jones indus trial average jumped 154.93 points to a record high of 8,061.65. The ever-cautious Greenspan sought Tues day to strike a balance in delivering his midyear report to Congress. He said while he im, Greenspan saw no evidence of increased inflation, the central bank was on the alert for faster-than- expected economic growth that could re quire the brake of rate hikes down the road. But analysts and investors viewed Greenspan’s overall views about the econ omy as upbeat, especially because he gave no signal that any interest rate increase was imminent. “The fear of Fed tightening has been re moved at least for the foreseeable future, and that means the financial market hors es can run free and unrestrained,” said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at Nor- west Corp. in Minneapolis. Please see Economy on Page 2. Puddle Break Photograph: Tim Moog “Harlay” takes a break and cools off in a puddle outside G. Rollie White Colesium Tuesday while owner Nicki Smith, a sophomore general studies major, looks on. Former student announces candidacy Holzheauser will run for railroad commissioner By Robert Smith The Battalion State representative and former Texas A&M student Steve Holzheauser, R-Victo ria, announced his candidacy for the Re publican nomination for Texas Railroad Commissioner Tuesday afternoon at East- erwood Airport. “I am in this campaign to win,” Holzheauser said. “I believe I am the best candidate for the job.” Holzheauser, who is the only candidate for the position, said the railroad commis sioner should support the energy industry and ensure that state laws are fair for citizens. “The next railroad commissioner for the state must be dedicated to promoting the energy industry — but not just be there as a regulator — and to be there to loudly ar ticulate what the state needs not only lo cally but also at the federal level,” he said. Holzheauser said he favors limited gov ernment involvement in business. “The government needs to set fair rules for everyone to play by, and once we’ve done that we need to get out of the way,” Holzheauser said. “Our businesses will flourish whenever they can make the deci sions based on what is best for them and not based on what government tells them is best for them.” Holzheauser spoke for about 14 minutes and concentrated on his credentials in the Texas Legislature. “As chairman of the House Energy Re source Committees, I have years of experi ence in dealing with issues that have to do with energy,” he said. Holzheauser said his experience in the Texas Legislature makes him a qualified candidate. “[Texans] want candidates who have the courage and integrity to discuss real issues,” he said. “I believe that I have a legislative background and the leader ship to make sure the Railroad Commis sion is handled properly.” He said he showed commitment to pro tecting tax income as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. “I passed an amendment last session that makes it harder for local taxing districts to raise taxes just by raising the appraisal value,” he said. Holzheauser said the energy industry is vital to Texas. “One out of every nine jobs in Texas comes directly or indirectly from the ener gy industry,” he said. Photograph: Shannon Castle Steve Holzheauser announced his can didacy for Texas Railroad Commissioner Tuesday at Easterwood Airport. Holzheauser said the nation also needs a new energy policy that does not rely heav ily on foreign oil. “The Clinton administration is basical ly AWOL’ when it comes to a national ener gy policy,” he said. “They have made no ef forts to establish a cohesive group of recommendations that will allow us to achieve energy independence.” Holzheauser received a doctorate of vet erinary medicine from A&M. Celebrities mourn Versace in Milan MILAN, Italy (AP) — A mournful rendition of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” performed by Sting and Elton John brought celebrities'and other mourners to tears Tuesday at a memorial Mass for Gianni Versace. More than 2,000 people gathered in Milan’s gothic cathedral to honor the fashion designer, who was gunned down July 15 in front of his mansion in Miami Beach, Lla. The celebrity-filled service might have resembled a night at the Oscars, except there was no glitz, only grief. Many wept openly. The mourners included Princess Diana; Carolyn Bes sette-Kennedy, wife of John Kennedy Jr.; supermodels Naomi Campbell and Eva Herzigova; designers Giorgio Armani and Valentino; choreographer Maurice Bejart and Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue America. “We are gathered here this evening not for a show, but for an act of faith,” the Rev. Angelo Majo, chief priest of the cathedral, said. Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to Versace was the turnout of so many of his fashion colleagues, despite past rivalries on and off the runway. Carla Lendi, Karl Lagerfeld, Gianfranco Lerre, Valenti no, the Missonis, and archrival Armani sat in a row be hind the family. They were united in mourning the loss of one of the main contributors to the success of the “Made in Italy” label.