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.