Te x a s A &[ M University
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104™ YEAR • ISSUE 6*12 PACES
COLLEGE STATION • TX
See extended forecast. Page 12.
MONDAY • SEPTEMBER 8 • 1997
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Organizations gather for Open House
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By Amanda Smith
Staff writer
■ MSC Open House offered students the opportunity to
lirn about different organizations at A&M yesterday.
■ MSC Public Relations sponsored the event from 2 p.m.
o 6 p.m.
■ Eddie Hoover, public relations director of the MSC and a
fenior journalism major, coordinated the event, which in-
’juded over 250 organizations. The event usually draws over
10,000 students, he said.
l“Open House is probably the only time that so many 6r-
■lizations are gathered in one place,” he said. “It’s really great
freshmen.”
■ Shiju Raju, a freshman aerospace engineering major, said
ie hoped to find organizations relating to his major and eth
ic background.
I “I am planning to go visit the Indian Student Associa-
idn,” Raju said. “I am also trying to find an organization for
jngineers.”
■ Gina Miori, vice president for external marketing for the
djSC and a junior speech communications major, said Open
$>use features a number of ways to become involved in or-
miizations both inside and outside the academic realm.
■ “One of the special opportunities that Texas A&M offers is
he other education’,” Miori said. “It gives you an opportuni-
yto learn more than what you learn sitting behind a desk.”
■Although Open House draws many freshmen looking for
tjvay to become involved at Texas A&M, the event also at-
rat ts upperclassmen.
■Yong Guan, a computer science graduate student from Bei-
iity, said he wanted to find an organization to help ease his
transition to the English language and American culture.
“I hope that I can find a group to help me better commu
nicate with people,” Guan said.
Open House also helps transfer students find on-campus
organizations to join.
Janie Sams, a transfer student and a sophomore history
major, said she wanted to find extracurricular activities to par
ticipate in at the Open House.
“I am interested in getting involved in community-service
organizations and academic organizations,” she said.
Representatives from on-campus organizations gave stu
dents pamphlets and showed pictures and videos to inform
students about their organizations.
Katie DuFour, a committee chair for Replant, said she
hoped to better inform students interested in replenishing the
tree supply used to build Bonfire.
“We hope to inform people about Replant,” she said. “We
hope to acquire some freshmen so that we can keep them in
volved a while.”
Felicia Scott, an assistant to the vice president of student
affairs, said she informed students of ways to access Dr. J. Mal-
on Southerland, the vice president of student affairs.
“We are primarily trying to get students to see that our vice
president is available to students,” Scott said.
Entertainment also was provided by different organiza
tions at Open House.
Tye Botting, president of the TAMU Kubg Fu Club and a
nuclear chemistry graduate student, assisted in a visual
demonstration in the MSC Flagroom during Open House.
“We want to let people know that we are here,” Botting said.
“We want to show them how fun Chinese martial arts is.”
Other on-campus organizations that gave performances
RYAN ROGERSAhe Battalion
Richard Nolison, a senior biomedical science and business
major, distributes information about the Aggie United Way Pact.
included Fade to Black, TAMU Jump Rope Club, TAMU Mod
ern Amis Club, Aggie Wranglers, Freudian Slip, Singing
Cadets, Ballet Folklorico and the TAMU Fencing Club.
Nellson Burns, the MSC president and a senior internation
al studies major, said that Open House provides an opportuni
ty for any student to become involved in campus life at A&M.
“There is a whole lot of information,” Burns said. “I would
suggest that students find one service organization related to
their major and one additional organization.”
In addition to the MSC Open House, the MSC also will hold
Informational Night Sept. 8 in MSC 224.
Mew council involves Rush activities wrap up
older’ A&M seniors
By Daniel Thevis
Staff writer
The “Dead Zip” Council was established this semester to give 5th-
Jar and older seniors the opportunity to stay involved at Texas A&M.
The council is open to any undergraduate classified as a senior with
jfeore than 8 semesters and to all 5th-year and older seniors.
1 Andrea Ivers, council president and a senior agricultural systems man-
igement major, said she had talked to some older seniors who had been
nvolved in glass councils, Student Senate or the Corps of Cadets during
Jeir first four years at A&M.
She said she started the Dead Zip Council to give these students an
|?enue for campus participation.
Please see Council on Page 12.
By Rachel George
Staff writer
Interfraternity Council Fall
Rush ended Friday with “Bid Day,”
as rushees ran down the stairs of
the Systems Administration Build
ing to join their fraternities.
More than 400 Texas A&M stu
dents participated in the Rush Week
events, which kicked off Aug. 31
with an informal meeting at the
MSC.
Eric Vroonland, IFC president
and a senior finance major, said this
year’s Rush was successful.
“It (Rush) went very smoothly
for us, considering it was a transi
tional year,” he said.
Rush was held earlier in the se
mester this year than in past years
to help rushees and fraternity
members get settled into their fra
ternities before classes and school
work began.
Also, Dave Deangelous took the
position of IFC adviser in August.
Vroonland said Deangelous will
be beneficial to IFC.
“He’s done really well in his tran
sition here to Texas A&M,” he said.
“We are really excited about his
positive outlook and attitude.”
During the week, rushees partic
ipated in differeht Rush events,
such as date parties, to learn more
about their individual fraternities.
Vroonland said the gatherings
provided a relaxed atmosphere
for rushees to meet fraternity
members and each other and to
ask questions.
Beau Reyenga, a Phi Sigma
Kappa pledge and a freshman
general studies major, said he en
joyed Rush.
“I wasn’t planning on rushing
when I arrived here, but the nice
people I met changed my mind,”
Reyenga said. “I’m very happy I
did because I made a lot of close
friends.”
Vroonland said although the
death of the Louisiana State Univer
sity fraternity member in August
gave fraternities across the United
States a negative image, the death
did not deter A&M students from
rushing, as more men participated in
Rush this year than last year.
TOUCHDOWN!
j Aggies open with win
over Sam Houston, 59-6
T he huge sigh of relief you heard late
Saturday afternoon came courtesy
of Dante Hall.
Just as the Aggie natives began to rum
ble ‘here we go again,’ the sophomore tail
back scored from five yards out to break
open a 7-6 game and the Texas A&M Foot
ball Team never looked back, cruising to a
59-6 victory over Sam Houston State Uni
versity Saturday at Kyle Field.
Story by
Chris Ferrell
Photography by
Dave House
Top:
Sophomore tailback Dante Hall had 221
yards of total offense including 169 yards
rushing on 11 carries and two touchdowns.
Junior tailback Sirr Parker added three
touchdowns on the day. Aggie backs rushed
for eight touchdowns.
Center:
A&M quarterbacks Branndon Stewart and
Randy McCown split time. Stewart was eight
of 12 for 110 yards and McCown was seven of
14 for 148 yards. Neither was intercepted.
Bottom:
The Wrecking Crew took form after the first
quarter and limited the Bearkats to 238 yards
on the day. Sophomore linebacker Sean
Coryatt led the Aggies with 13 tackles and
sophomore cornerback Sedrick Curry inter
cepted a pass and recovered a fumble.
Texas ranks third
in benefit cuts
DALLAS (AP) — Texas is among
the three states with the highest
percentage of children being cut
from disability benefits, according
to figures from the Social Security
Administration.
More than 6,000 children al
ready have been cut. The rate of
rejection in the Texas cases being
reviewed is averaging about 78
percent.
Supporters of the tighter guide
lines, established under the 1996
welfare law, said they are de
signed to curtail fraud and abuse.
They said the savings from the
new federal Supplemental Security
Income guidelines could be as
high as $8 billion over the next
five years. Also, families denied
benefits have the right to appeal.
“We have done everything in
our power to lessen the impact of
the new law on children with dis
abilities," said Philip Gambino, a
spokesperson for the Social Secu
rity Administration.
Banks refuse tax
payment play
WASHINGTON (AP) — The $152
billion tax cut bill was supposed to
make life easier by allowing taxpay
ers to use credit cards to pay their
federal taxes. Credit card junkies
rubbed their hands at the prospect
of racking up frequent flier miles by
paying the IRS with plastic.
But, alas, the fine print of the tax
bill poses a major obstacle.
Major credit card companies —
Visa, MasterCard and American
Express — say their member banks
aren’t expected to do business with
the IRS because the tax bill —- now
law — does not allow the federal
government to pay the banks the
typical merchant fees for credit card
transactions.
Citizens debate
future of tunnel
HOUSTON (AP) — Artificial-reef
fans were excited: The closed Bay-
town Tunnel was going to be floated
into the Gulf of Mexico and sunk as a
fish preserve. Now they are bitter,
because the state transportation de
partment instead has hired a com
pany that plans to crush the 36-foot
diameter, concrete passageway.
“All the Department of Trans
portation can say is, we’re saving
you money,” said Jim Morrison,
chairman of the state's Artificial
Reef Advisory Committee.
“It’s our tunnel, the people’s tun
nel. ... Texans would have had an
opportunity to create something
that nobody else could do,” he said.
Earlier this year, the transporta
tion department had planned to re
move the tunnel, float it down the
Houston Ship Channel and sink it
30 miles south of Galveston.
Under a 1953 contract with the
Army Corps of Engineers, the tunnel
was to be removed when it no
longer carried traffic.
JL
I
Wrestlemania:
Professional
wrestling may
be staged, but
still provides
entertainment.
See Page 4.
m
Buffin: Branndon Stewart
lived up to last pre-season’s
billing in Aggie victory.
See Page 7
opinion
Clancy: Professors should
spend less time on trivial mat
ters and focus on teaching.
See Page 11
online
http://bat-web.tamu.edu
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