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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1997)
I “ Texas A&M University m Today Tomorrow See extended forecast, Page 2. lume 103 • Issue 175 • 6 Pages College Station, TX Monday, August 4, 1997 EWS | l : li; Briefs ysicist to serve as ety program head hristopher M. Meyer, a certified th physicist, has been named I of the Department of Environ- tal Health and Safety, effective ediately. leyer, who has served as interim lofm I since September 1996, gradu- pspi from Texas A&M in 1980 with a jidm lelor’s degree in nuclear engi- ing. He also completed a mas- |pair.|degree in nuclear engineering at Jniversity and is pursuing a doc- degree in health physics, ne Environmental Health and Safe ty spartment manages health and LC ty programs for the University. iM kinesiology mes new head 3ck H. Wilmore, the Margie Gur- ieay Centennial Professor at the ersity of Texas, has been named 1 of the Department of Health ■Kinesiology at Texas A&M. /ilmore, the former chair of kine- igyand health education at UT, is ident-elect of the American Acad- of Kinesiology and Physical Edu- in. He has written more than 14 sand contributed more than 53 )ters to other publications on Its training and medicine. ^ilmore replaces Robert A. Amo ng, distinguished professor and lerofthe Omar Smith endowed t in Health and Physical Educa- Armstrong is returning to a full- [3teaching and research position. Science will ove to West Campus . TheTexas A&M Department of Po- kalScience is moving to the Acade- Mtfhg-West in the George Bush sidential Library Center Aug. 15. The political science department oBolton Hall but will be closed on 15. The undergraduate advising :ewill be in Blocker Building Rm. 3 on that day. ties to observe ational Night Out' he cities of Bryan and College are participating in “National e25|itOut" Aug. 4-5. he Bryan, College Station and 'ersity Police Departments and Brazos County Sheriff’s Office will lithe kick-off event at Post Oak from 4 to 8:30 p.m today. The saiartments will have displays ex- roulfiing ways for to secure homes possessions from burglars. In Aug. 5, community members asked to turn on their lights, their homes and have a block tlwfy with neighbors as a message riminalsthat neighborhoods are crime. v I SPORTS bney: After the recent loss he Oilers, Astros fans mid be a little more loyal. See Page 3. toons: Miss America geant adds to society’s e rest in bellybuttons. See Page 5. ONLINE W/bat-web. tamu.edu Nk out 6 Wire, s 24-hour toe news S vic e. University renames use fee By Jenara Kocks The Battalion Texas A&M renamed the General Use Fee as University Authorized TUition, which increases from $24 to $34 per credit hour this Tall. Senate Bill 1907, passed by the state legisla ture earlier this year, requires that state tuition and the former General Use Fee (GUF) both be billed as tuition. State tuition will be called State Minimum Tu ition on students’ billing statements. The tuition law also requires that univer sities hold public hearings to discuss any in crease in tuition. Dr. William B. Krumm, vice president for fi nance and controller, said that a public hearing Friday at the MSG explaining the increase in UAT was a “technicality.” “This hearing was held to explain the change in words,” Krumm said. Krumm said the University held three public Public hearing held to clarijy change hearings in the past two years about the $10 in crease in the former GUF. The increase was ap proved in January by the Board of Regents and will be effective September 1. By law, universities may not raise the former GUF higher than state tuition. State tuition is also $34 per credit hour. “If you put tuition and tuition on the bill, par ents will think they have been billed twice,” Krumm said. He said the tuition law does not change the purpose of the former GUF. The money is used to finance capital projects, operating costs and faculty and staff salaries. Krumm said A&M sought input on the name change from Student Body President Curtis Childers and other student govern ment members. “We were interested in clearly identifying this for students,” Krumm said. “Students are the ones who will read it [on their bills].” Brandi Mohler, a senior microbiology major, said she did not know about the increase in UAT until she saw her bill for the fall. “I noticed the fees were substantially larger than last semester on my bill,” Mohler said. She said the hearing helped her understand why UAT had increased and liked that the name “UAT” distinguishes between state tuition and what used to be the GUF Krumm said that every student bill will have an insert that explains the change to stu dents and parents who did not attend the meeting or see the notices about the name change on A&M’s Web site. Adam Rudy, a senior industrial distribution major, said he thinks the new name for the GUF will confuse people. “The University often sends a lot of literature with the fee statement,” Rudy said. “I think peo ple will look at the fee statement, but they won’t read the extra literature.” Keith Kunkel, a senior animal science major, questioned how students who work on campus and pay their own tuition will be able to afford an increase in UAT. “Shouldn't they increase wages or give financial aid to students who work on campus and pay their own tuition?” Kunkel said. “Otherwise, these stu dents have to use loans and graduate with debt.” More money has been provided this year in A&M’s budget for faculty salaries, Krumm said. He said pay increases for student workers would be up to individual colleges and departments. Krumm also said that minimum wage will in crease September 1. Krumm said the tuition law and the law that defined the GUF states that universities have the option to raise the UAT $2 every year along with state tuition until the year 2002. Second Look Photograph: Rony Ankgriwan Nicole Piper, a senior environmental design major, studies slides for a modern architecture test Sunday. Study: Economic upswing triggers influx of immigrants, U.S. workers DALLAS (AP) — Texas is attracting equal numbers of foreign immigrants and people from other states, a new study of census fig ures shows. For almost every foreigner who moved to Texas since 1990, a U.S. resident has moved to Texas from another state, The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday. “Most of the rest of the country is not at tracting both groups,” said William Frey, de mographer at the University of Michigan Population Studies Center, which produced the report. From 1990 to 1996, Texas had a net gain of 474,376 foreign immigrants and 426,696 do mestic transplants, the report shows. Nevada leads the nation in the rate of relo cating Americans, but only added one foreign immigrant for every 10 ‘“domestic migrants.” California, which leads the country in the rate of new foreigners, lost one American for each foreign immigrant. “ (Texas) gets a mix of the skilled migrants who make up the domestic migrant streams as well as... people who are unskilled (who) tend to be immigrants,” Frey said. The migration patterns are indicative of Texas’ economic upswing, said Steve Mur dock of the Texas State Data Center at Texas A&M University. The Dallas-Fort Worth area is the most bal anced major metropolitan area in the nation in bringing in equal numbers of migrants. In the last six years, DFWhad a net gain of 115,000 people from other states and a 110,000 net gain of people from other countries. The eight counties in the DFW area had a net gain of both types of migrants of 224,000. That was more than any other area in the state. Most of the rest of the country is not attracting both groups. William Frey Demographer The jobs luring migrants to the area are in health care, telecommunications, and convention tourism, said Bernard Wein stein, director of the Center for Economic Development and Research at the Universi ty of North Texas. Well-educated workers gravitate to the health care and high-tech industries, while less-skilled employees can find work in the tourism industry. Please see Texas on Page 2. Cadets remember fallen Gulf War servicemen By Robert Smith The Battalion The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets honored three Aggies who died in the Persian Gulf War at a service Saturday night at Fish Pond. The deceased Aggies commemorated were Maj. Richard M. Price, Class of ’74; Lt. Daniel V. Hull, Class of ’81 and Capt. Thomas C. Bland, Class of ’86. The service included a wreath laying, a prayer by a cadet chaplain and the play ing of taps. Steve Pryor, a Gold 4 veteran of the U. S. Navy and member of the Corps, planned the service. “Being a patriot does not mean you have to wear a uniform,” Pryor said, “it’s just that we have to remember who sacrificed for us.” Pryor said the Persian Gulf War proved freedom cannot be taken for granted. “These three demonstrated that freedom has a price and all should take note,” he said. Saturday, Aug. 2, marked the seventh anniversary of the start of Operation Desert Shield. A plaque memorializing their sacrifice is at Fish Pond. Activists push for resolution of unsolved gay serial killings SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Andrew Cuna- nan’s suicide halted one of the nation’s most lurid cases of serial murder. But from New Jersey to Virginia to Texas, the slayings of as many as 30 gay men or transvestites, which activists believe are the work of five serial killers, remain unsolved. In soYne cases, investigators have been hindered by lack of resources and, some al lege, lack of interest. “What’s the difference between my son and Versace? Money and notoriety. If you’ve got money and fame, it’s going to get solved,” says Donna Smith, whose 18-year- old son’s strangled body was found 10 years ago in Chesapeake, Va. Smith, who now lives in Cocoa, Fla., does not believe her son, Charles, was homosex ual, although he frequented the gay scene, as did most of the 11 victims who followed him in death. She watched the Cunanan chase in south Florida with fascination — and with anger that the Virginia serial killer has not been sought with the same fervor as the man sus pected in the murders of fashion designer Gi anni Versace and four other men. “All the victims were seen as expend able,” Smith says of the murders linked to her son’s slaying. “They labeled them as gays and druggies, so nobody cared.” Activists who track violent crimes against gay men and lesbians acknowledge some police departments, even the FBI, are beginning to reach out to the gay commu nity to build trust and understanding. “On the local level, many of us have seen day-and-night changes in the last five to 10 TEXAS SERIAL KILLINGS In 1994, Larry David Allen, 38, Larry Leggett, 43, and Leopoldo Quintanilla Jr., 29, were stabbed to death in Irving. Police believe all were homosexual and fre quented the same bars in largely gay Dallas neighborhood. years,” says Jeffrey Montgomery, a spokesman for the Michigan Anti-Violence Project. “In Detroit, for example, there’s been a 180-degree change in the way they handle cases, from very, very, very badly to extremely efficient and good.” Other activists, however, remain frus trated and say it still takes pushing to get many officers to take seriously any crimes involving homosexual victims, even homicides. “Gay-related cases aren’t popular cases. And whether it’s ignorance or homophobia, it’s a big problem,” asserts Bea Hanson, di rector of client services for the Anti-Vio lence Project in New York. The possible serial killings include the 1994 stabbing deaths of three homosexu al men in Irving, Texas; the shooting deaths, from 1987 to 1992, of six Atlanta men dressed in women's clothing; and the 1992 stabbing deaths of four men who were last seen in Denver gay bars, accord ing to Anti-Violence Project statistics and newspaper accounts. Critics of increased tobacco tax doubt it will curb teen smoking Money to help pay for new children's health program WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is raising the tobacco tax this year, in part to keep teens from lighting up. But 15- year-old Suzanne Kane, hanging out with friends on a summer evening, laughs it off. “Whether you’re smoking to be cool or you’re chain smoking, 15 cents is not go ing to make a difference,” says the Wash ington teen-ager, reflecting skepticism not only among her peers but among law makers who wanted a higher tax but were forced to compromise. The balanced budget plan President Clinton will sign Tuesday increases ciga rette taxes by 10 cents in the year 2000 and another nickel in 2002 — much less than the 43 cents backers originally sought. The money will help pay for a new chil dren’s health program. But the effort’s twin goal — to reduce teen-age smoking by raising prices — may not fare as well. “Part of the goal was to increase the tobacco tax so significantly that kids would stop buying cigarettes, and we didn’t get that this year,” said Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., who sponsored the tax in the House. But Johnson argues that getting any cigarette tax increase through Congress was an important first step nevertheless. “We’ve broken through a barrier on this issue,” she said. “When we need more money, that’s where we’re going.” Teen smoking has edged up in recent years after falling during the 1980s. Now, one in five teen-agers smokes and 3,000 teens pick up the habit each day. About nine in 10 adult smokers began smoking as teen-agers. Please see Tax on Page 2.