t
JEI
By
E YoO poiiEi
hcr Ml
ter
4 th YEAR‘ISSUE 15
/•by scheduled
Satuday’s game
our Air Force F-15 fighters will fly
Kyle Field tomorrow during half-
of the football game between
A&M and the University of
hwest Louisiana.
ie fly-by is in honor of American
iers who are missing in action or
risoners of war.
he fighters will fly in the "Missing
formation as a wreath-laying
mony is conducted on the field,
ngel Flight-Silver Wings and
>ld Air Society are sponsoring
svents.
dets to become
ies for a Day’
[pproximately 2,100 Junior ROIC
ts from 50 Texas high schools
isit Texas A&M Saturday as part
ie Corps of Cadets’ “Aggie For a
program.
ie visiting students will tour the
s housing area and the Sam
ston Sanders Corps Center, at-
a Corps presentation in Rudder
torium and the Texas A&M-Uni-
ity of Southwest Louisiana foot-
game.
he program is intended to moti-
high-school students to attend
ige and to give them a glimpse of
a the Corps.
ise Restaura
bbersentenced
33-year term
ROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A
nsville man has been sen-
d to 33 years in prison for
ing half a million dollars in a
of bank heists.
federal judge sentenced Rafael
a Guerrero Wednesday. He was
icted in June on six counts of
d robbery of three banks in April
flvlay 1994 and January 1995.
osecutors alleged Gracia was
of a sophisticated crew of rob-
that made off with $531,982
Rio Grande Valley banks. No
CandleliteDm suspects have been arrested.
Gourmet Fare
ons - 364-2868
Holiday Reservarioi
b &
t Oak Mall ^
KKY
MDSON
tic rock at rolll
9 pm • Mo Cova
our NEW
1, GET I
sistant U.S. Attorney Mervyn
Dacker lauded the long prison
saying this kind of crime “de-
s a harsh penalty.”
dit critical of
alth Commision
USTIN (AP) — The Texas Health
Human Services Commission
done little to provide leadership
guidance in serving Texans in
, according to a state audit,
the report, released Wednes-
auditors said Health and Hu-
Services Commissioner Mike
inney had failed to lead the six-
old agency in planning and bud-
ig for the state’s health and hu-
services needs,
he state’s expectations for the
ased effectiveness and effi-
y of service delivery in health
human services programs and
ities are yet to be realized,” the
tsaid.
hous
artments
inager’s Special
on in town,
ss!
Lab
rking
campus, take
h Across the
First left.
196-5707
III
The Party Never
Ends: Country
musician,
Robert Earl
Keen to perform
at Aggie Kickoff.
See Page 3
j.net/treehoiii Jies seeking revenge
** linst USL after last
son’s disappointing loss.
See Page 7
IGE PARK 6 THEAlS
AST 29TH STREET
I, TX
TIME GUIDE
FORMATION IS VALIDj
DAY SEPT. 15-18J !
7:15 9:55
7:00 10:00
7:05 9:40
7:30 9:45
7:10 9:50
7:20 9:35
opinion
s: ‘Generation X’ label
ittles student population
implying laziness.
See Page 9
WSM
http://bat-web.tamu.edu
ok up with state and na-
nal news through The
re, AP’s 24-hour online
s service.
• 10 PAGES COLLEGE STATION • TX
FRIDAY‘SEPTEMBER 19 *1997
A&M minority enrollment decreases
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
Staff writer
The effect of the Hopwood decision on
minority enrollment at Texas A&M is evident
in enrollment figures for the 1997 fall se
mester, A&M President Dr. Ray M. Bowen
said yesterday.
The enrollment for Texas A&M’s main
campus is 41,461 students. Last year, A&M
had an enrollment of 41,892 students.
Freshman enrollment is 6,233 students, a
2-percent drop from last year’s 6,387 students.
Of the freshman class, 178 are African-
American and 607 are Hispanic, a drop of 23
percent and 15 percent respectively from last
year (230 and 713). In August, the University
estimated this decline.
The number of white freshmen dropped as
well, from 5,136 students last year to 5,015 this
year, a two-percent decrease.
Bowen said the Hopwood decision played
a role in the decrease of minority freshmen
at A&M.
“The anticipated impact of the Hopwood
decision on new freshmen is evident in the
percentage decrease of both African-Ameri
cans and Hispanics enrolled at the College
Station campus this fall,” he said.
Enrollment figures for A&M have de
creased for all ethnicities except Native Amer
icans and International students, who saw a
slight increase.
A&M’s minority enrollment, which in
cludes black, Hispanic, Asian and Native
American students, makes up 16 percent of
the student body,.
African-Americans make up three percent
of the student body with 1,252 enrolled, com
pared to lastyear’s 1,320 (a5-percent decrease).
Hispanics make up 10 percent with 3,972
students, as compared to last year’s 4,052 stu
dents (a 2-percent decrease).
White students make up 77 percent with
31,735 students, as compared to last year’s
32,241 students.
Bowen said the figures are what the Uni
versity expected for this year.
“Enrollment this fall on the main campus at
College Station is only one percent below the
41,892 of a year ago and right on target with our
controlled-enrollment plan,” he said.
ih nicify
1997
1096
I) if fere
Native American
2 C >
24
21%
Asian
224
177
27%.
Black
m
250
-23%
Hispanic
607
715
-15%
While
5015
5136
International
50
45
tr
Other/Blank
150
62
110%
Please see Enrollment on Page 5.
BRAD GRAEBER/The Battalion
Chalk it up
ROBERT McKAY/The Battalion
Gilbert Saldivar, a junior sociology major, lines up a shot in the basement of the MSC Thursday afternoon.
AIDS victim delivers
motivational speech
By Karie Fehler
Staff writer
A Christian speaker with AIDS
said last night that most circum
stances people encounter in life are
beyond their control, but they allow
the circumstances to control their
behavior.
The Texas A&M Campus Cru
sade for Christ hosted speaker Steve
Sawyer last night in Rudder Theater.
Sawyer, who has hemophilia,
contracted HFV, Hepatitis B and He
patitis C from blood transfusions to
treat his condition when he was
eight years old.
Sawyer was diagnosed with HIV
in 1990, when he was a sophomore
in high school.
Sawyer said he learned early in
life to deal with situations out of his
control.
He said he coped with his pain by
punching walls and doors, and was
in denial of his condition.
“I would look at myself in the
mirror and say, 1 don’t look sick. 1
don’t look like I’m dying,’” he said.
Sawyer said he allowed these cir
cumstances to control his behavior
and attitudes. He denied his condi
tion until his senior year in high
school, when he became ill.
“When I looked in the mirror, I
no longer saw someone who was
healthy,” he said. “I now saw some
one who looked like they were dy
ing.”
Sawyer lost 40 pounds, and his
white blood count dropped to
near the level of full-blown AIDS.
The doctors gave Sawyer one year
to live.
Please see Speech on Page 5.
Senate celebrates
50th anniversary
By Brandye Brown
Staff writer
The Texas A&M Student Senate
and former senators will celebrate
the 50th anniversary of the Senate
this weekend..
More than 500 former senators
have been invited to A&M, includ
ing officers who served on the first
Senate in 1947.
Mandy Gomez, external affairs
chair and a junior political science
and speech communications ma
jor, said she is excited to meet for
mer senators and learn from their
experiences.
“This is important for the Sen
ate, because we plan on drilling
the former senators with ques
tions,” she said. “They went
through so many important
changes here at A&M. Just to hear
what they have to say will be im
portant as students continue on
for 50 more years of success.”
The Senate will have a special
session tonight at 7 p.m. in the MSC
Flag Room. After the session, the
group will watch a presentation in
the Koldus Building on the history
of the past 50 years of the Student
Senate. Also, the senators will at
tend MidnightYell.
On Saturday, senators will tour
the campus and attend the football
game between A&M and the Uni
versity of Southwest Louisiana.
After the game, a senator from
1947 will speak, and then senators
will divide into smaller groups for
discussion.
The weekend will conclude Sun
day morning with a breakfast and a
presentation at the Sam Houston
Sanders Corps Center.
Please see Senate on Page 5.
’97 Yell Leaders maintain
Aggie traditions, spirit
By Rachel Dawley
StaffWriter
Got a little story for you, Ags....
It started back in 1910, when Aggieland was differ
ent than it is today. Seniors in the Corps of Cadets want
ed to impress their dates, who seemed bored with the
Aggie football games.
Freshmen were /ent to the sidelines to entertain
spectators. Soon, the freshmen began coming up with
sayings to yell at the audience and were so entertain
ing that the seniors often found their dates in the arms
of these “yell leaders.” When the seniors pulled them
off the field and took their place, the tradition of Yell
Leaders began.
Three seniors and two juniors are elected by the stu
dent body each year to carry on this tradition.
This year’s Yell Leaders are Tim Duffy, Brandon
Meche, Kyle Sparkman, Sam Bluntzer and Brandon
Neff.
Duffy, head Yell Leader and a senior marketing ma
jor, said the Yell Leaders’ focus is to ensure the 12th Man
is excited about A&M athletics and traditions.
“We act as a liaison between the athletic teams and the
students,” he said. “It is an honor and privilege to repre
sent the student body as a member of the 12th Man.”
Kyle Sparkman, a senior yell leader and a biomed
ical science major, said Yell Leaders are working to im
prove interaction between student leaders and ath
letes. The Yell Leaders gave freshmen athletes tours of
the campus and attended the A&M soccer game last
Sunday.
“Athletes need to know that we are there for them,”
Sparkman said. “If we didn’t have them, then there
would be no Yell Leaders. Our goal is to make a differ
ence and be the best five Yell Leaders.”
The five Yell Leaders attend athletic events and var
ious speaking engagements during the year. They
speak on behalf of Texas A&M athletics and traditions
at Aggie Moms’ Clubs, Freshmen Orientation Week and
Fish Camp.
Jill Newman, chair of the Traditions Council and a
senior journalism major, saidYell Leaders are the basis
for many Aggie traditions, including MidnightYell, the
12th Man, Elephant Walk and Fish Pond.
“The Yell Leaders are such a wonderful representa
tion of the student body,” she said. “Yell Leaders sym
bolize our heritage as Aggies. Their origins hail back to
OF Army days, and they set us apart from other
schools.”
Because Texas A&M is the only school with Yell Lead
ers, rivals are confused but amazed by the position and
the unity of the 12th Man, Duffy said.
Rick Perry, Texas commissioner of agriculture and
Class of '72, served as a Yell Leader. The Yell Leaders are
a focal point of the spirit of Texas A&M, Perry said.
Please see Leaders on Page 5.
Plans announced for
Northside remodeling
By Courtney See
Staffwriter
The Residence Hall Association
(RHA) was informed Wednesday
about the Department of Resi
dence Life’s plans to remodel
some Northside residence halls.
Dan Mizer, assistant director of
the Department of Residence Life,
presented renovation plans for
Fowler, Hughes, Keathley, Mcln-
nis, and Schuhmacher Halls.
Mizer said the halls were built
in the mid-1960’s and are in need
of repair.
“The renovation work needs to
be lasting,” he said. “We’re looking
to the future.”
Mizer said one idea is to knock
out walls in the residence hall
rooms and convert the rooms into
apartment-style living areas with
kitchens, living rooms and sleep
ing quarters. Other improvements
being considered include parking
areas, TV/ study lounges and com
puter rooms.
Mizer said a survey will be con
ducted to give students an oppor
tunity to voice their opinion.
“A student survey is coming
out, asking students’ opinions on
the residence hall styles,” he said.
“We want to gain student input to
make sure the student voice is
heard on the type of facility they’d
like to see in renovation.”
Eric Williams, president of RHA
and a senior biomedical science
major, said he is skeptical of resi
dent reaction to the project.
“One concern I feel students
may have is about the loss of low-
income housing,” he said. “One
fear that many residents will have,
if there are major renovations, is
the loss of the five halls. Low-in
come halls house many people.
Over 1,000 spaces of low-income
housing will be lost. It would be
nice to see new buildings, but at
the expense of current paid-for
buildings? That would be a hard
Please see Plans on Page 5.