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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1997)
llitefc Texas A & M University W si\ W J^YEAR* ISSUE 180* 18 PACES 'Mtmm lie Soccer Team set to It season in first home [itgame. See Page 13 t-web.tamu.edu j)k up with state, lional and world news ough the AP Wire, a [hour Internet news Ivice. By Rachel George Staff Writer College Station can add a virtual shopping center to its list of attractions. Holly Hess, a WebRight Inc. sales represen tative and Class of ’97, helped create a website featuring such Northgate businesses as the Dixie Chicken and CD Warehouse. Browsers can choose from one of the four categories on the site: “Night Life,” “Commu nity,” “Shopping” and “Eating.” These links offer drink and lunch specials, sales at Northgate and special events in the community. Each category has other links that browsers can visit. Other features on the site include “Aggie Trivia,” a “T-Sip Joke of the Day” and an elec tronic post office where browsers can send postcards via e-mail. There is also a coupon Getting it together 96 96 TODAY TOMORROW COLLEGE STATION* IX See extended forecast. Page 2. FRIDAY • AUGUST 29 • 1997 Northgate offers Internet shopping page and a registration center for prizes from the businesses. The site also is equipped with a map of the area, with highlighted areas designating avail able parking spaces. Hess said the website will highlight all as pects of the Northgate area, not just the nightlife. "After I left A&M and began working for We bRight, an idea came up for a virtual shopping center, and I thought of Northgate,” she said. “Northgate is an important part of the College Station community, and unfortunately the dif ferent shops, except for the bars, are often overlooked.” The Northgate Merchants Association, along with WebRight Inc., is responsible for contacting shop owners and soliciting their business. WebRight Inc. charges the business es an advertising fee. Todd McDaniel, the Northgate Coordina tor, said that the site will improve business along Northgate. “It is a commercial activity, but at the same time, from a public standpoint, it introduces newcomers to the area,” he said. Juanita Galindo, manager of Campus Pho to, said she hopes the site will be beneficial to the store. “Our main expectation [of the site] was to let students know where we are located,” she said. “We want students to keep coming back to us, and it looks like everyone has access to the ‘net.” The address for the virtual shopping center is www.aggieland.com. Browsers can post their opinions and sug gestions on the site. The site has 15 businesses on it. Mer chants who are interested in adding their business to the site can contact WebRight at (713) 461-3919. BRIEFS e destroys cant building fire engulfed an unoccupied ilus building behind the Texas I Veterinary School Wednesday moon. he College Station Fire Depart- itarrived at the fire around 4 p.m. the fire was under control within ninutes. i the cause of the fire has been confirmed, the fire depart- Hsaid the blaze may have start- asa grass fire. jries were reported and ; are unknown. ■University officials said a 911 call rniade, but fire fighters had trou- locating the area because the ;did not have a phone or an ress. Officials said the University Hiking with 911 to help prevent problem in the future, he building was one of four in a (age to be sold for salvage next k by Texas A&M. heCSFD is investigating the fire, ultswill be known later next week. udents attend igie 1-Camp rooming international students ned about Texas A&M and its tra ms at the 4th annual Internation- amp Aug. 23 in the MSC. tore than 150 students from the East, Europe, Mexico, Asia South America attended the fenuela Vasquez-Ani, an 1-Camp aselorand a senior international lies major, said that for some stu- ts 1-Camp is their first experience )e United States. This was the first time to [come [fierica for most,” Vasquez-Ani L“But since most countries teach languages, many of the students [akand understand English.” iandra Medina, the communica- 'S coordinator for the A&M De ment of Multicultural Services, ffhe camp helps international tents adjust to A&M’s unique tire. Any student new to A&M from ther country must adjust not to the United States, but to our ipus as well,” she said. “That is International Camp is so irri tant." lie Traditions Council introduced tents to Aggie traditions such as er Taps, Midnight Yell, Aggie iter and A&M senior rings. ogram receives adership award lie Association of Leadership Ed- tors awarded the Texas A&M fihower Leadership Development [ram the Outstanding Leadership [ram Award. Tie program received the award its accomplishments in helping tents to develop leadership and tern-solving skills. Tie Eisenhower program was es- tehed by Congress in 1992 and is 'Ported Ateie Colleges of Liberal Arts, Busi- S 'Agriculture and Engineering. JW ■ 'i v 4^ i * —mi iiii—i;££.;.: it ; ,A - .''.v ?<.vvv<i. w | , -vj. I-... ■ n i r . I . ' v " ■ • V ' ' BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion Ttacy Younggren (left) and Andy Wheeler, junior biomedical science majors, construct a loft Thursday adternoon for their dorm room in A-Battery of the corps. A&M employees begin charity campaign By Marissa Alanis Staff writer Texas A&M and Texas A&M University Sys tem employees kicked off the 4th annual State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) Tues day morning at a breakfast in the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center with expectations to exceed last year’s contributions of$178,373. During the campaign, which runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, employees can make contri butions to one of 276 charitable agencies that address issues such as the environment, the sick and needy, animal welfare, world hunger and spiritual needs. Texas A&M and System employees want to raise about $300,000 in pledges. Bob Fleischer, local SECC campaign man ager and executive director of the United Way, said this year’s donations should surpass last year’s campaign totals. “I’ve seen some real enthusiasm [for the campaign) that I think will be contagious as well,” Fleischer said. In the past, United Way, along with the 20 agencies affiliated with it, received about two- thirds of the money contributed to the cam paign, making it the largest recipient group of the campaign. Fleischer said the United Way receives such a large part of the contribution because most people identify closely with the 20 agencies under the United Way umbrella in the Bryan- College Station area. “The logic of it is that most people prefer that their contribution be kept at home,” he said. Contributions can be made by cash, check, bank draft or the payroll deduction method. “I think the real competition is how well we can support agencies that provide human services.” BOB FLEISCHER LOCAL SE0C CAMPAIGN MANAGER Jan Winniford, associate vice president for student affairs, said there has been an increase in participation and money since the intro duction of the payroll deduction method a few years ago. Mary Miller, associate vice president for ad ministration and the SECC employee commit tee chair for Bryan-College Station, said the payroll deduction method makes it easier to give money to the campaign. “You can have as little as $2 a month de ducted,” Miller said. “But over a year, that translates to $24, which is a nice gift to give.” During last year’s SECC campaign, Texas Tech and its Health Center combined to raise the highest amount of pledges, totaling $306,299. A&M and the System, along with pledges received from the Association of For mer Students, the 12th Man Foundation and the Texas A&M Foundation, followed closely with $239,772 in pledges raised. Fleischer said higher campaign participa tion could allow A&M to surpass Texas Tech’s totals, but that SECC should not become a competitive race between institutions. “It’s not a competitive situation at all,” Fleis cher said. “I think the real competition is how well we can support agencies that provide hu man services. That’s the bottom line.” Winniford said there is a value of care and enhanced awareness for fellow human beings in the A&M community, which help explain the success of the campaign. “I like to think there’s something special about A&M that brings out the willingness in people to give back to our communities to those who are less fortunate,” she said. Thousands march in protest of Proposition 209 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of people protesting Proposi tion 209 marched across the Golden Gate Bridge today as the anti-af firmative action initiative took effect in California. “I don’t think we’ve undone the negative effects of slavery,” said Jean Mont-Eton, 68, who had to ask her daughter for “the day off” from baby sitting two grandchildren so she could march. “I still think we need af firmative action.” Earl Annecston, a 72-year-old official with the San Mateo Central La bor Council, agreed. “I don’t think we’re ready to get rid of affirmative action,” he said. “I don’t like the ‘good old boys’ network.” The demonstrators, led by Mayor Willie Brown, marched four and five abreast along a walkway on the bridge. The march was peaceful and traffic on the bridge wasn’t affected. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who organized the march, appeared at the bridge after the march began. Proposition 209, which passed with 54 percent of the vote last No vember, bans race or gender preferences in public hiring, contracting and education. The measure had been tied up in the courts. But on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to further block implementation of the measure while it is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. “I feel like we as black people will not have representation,” said Etna Goshay, 56, who traveled all night with a church group from Moreno Val ley in Southern California. “I feel like nothing has been accomplished.” Proposition 209 has no legal effect in the private sector, so businesses can continue to recruit and train minorities and women. BRAD GRAEBER/The Battalion Scientists grow hybrid bluebonnet By Joey Jeanette Schlueter Staff writer To some Texans, the bluebonnet is the beloved state flower that grows wild in the spring along highways and in backyards. But Texans may see it a little differently now. The Texas Agriculture Experiment Station (TAES) created a long stemmed bluebonnet that was patent ed July 15. The flower, nicknamed “Texas Sap phire,” was displayed this week at a U.S. Patent Office news conference to commemorate the issuance of the 10,000th plant patent. Dr. Tim Davis and Dr. Wayne Mack- ay, the TAES horticulturists who creat ed the flower, said they thought of the idea for the long-stemmed bluebon net when they saw large bluebonnets in the Big Bend area several years ago. Mackay said experiments with the state flower include producing longer stems and changing its color. TAES sci entists have developed long-stemmed white bonnets called “Texas Ice” and long-stemmed pink bonnets called “Texas Sunsets.” “There is no telling what will hap pen next,” Mackay said. “These flow ers are just the beginning.” Davis said the bluebonnets offer a special variety of flowers that can be commercialized. “These bluebonnets have florist quality,” Davis said, “because there are practically no blue flowers available in the cut-flower market.” The horticulturists used seeds col lected from large bluebonnets found in the Big Bend area and bred them with a variety of other flower seeds to produce a long-stemmed version for commercial use that can withstand shipping and handling. The University System began li censing nurseries for greenhouse pro duction of the flowers so the long stemmed flowers can be made available to florists. A trial collection of the bonnets was displayed at the 1997 Rose Bowl Pa rade. Davis, the director of the A&M Re search and Extension Center in Dallas, said he hopes Texas bluebonnets will become popular beyond the state’s boundaries. “As the flower gains some accep tance, it will pick up in markets in many other places, especially the blue, because it is unique,” he said. Texas Land Commissioner Gary Mauro said at a July news conference in Austin that the long-stemmed blue bonnet was a new venture for the Texas floral market. “The flower itself represents the very spirit of Texas,” Mauro said. “It was developed in this state, promoted in this state and will certainly flourish in this state.” Kathleen Davis, a communications specialist in A&M’s Department of Agriculture, said, “Move over, yellow rose — the way to a Texas heart may soon be a bouquet of long-stemmed bluebonnets.” The University System will grant non-exclusive licenses to Texas nurs eries for greenhouse production. Roy alties to Texas A&M will be based on the number of flowers sold. The System wants to control the movement of the bluebonnet seeds to protect the flowers from international competition.