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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1997)
04 th YEAR • ISSUE 18 • 10 PACES COLLEGE STATION • TX r ■ TOMORROW 76 65 TODAY See extended forecast. Page 2. WEDNESDAY* SEPTEMBER 24 • 1997 >t Icome. liable on only ssistant professor iceives award Dr. Karen Butler, an A&M assistant ifessor of electrical engineering, s recognized by the National Techni- Association as a Top Minority iman in Science and Engineering. Butler has been at A&M since 94 and is the assistant director the Power Systems Automation boratory in the electrical engi- ering department. When choosing minority women to lor, the NTA considers professional lievements and awards as well as nmunity service and leadership. mfessors honored >r research papers The American Institute of Chemi- Engineers (AlChe) South Texas ction awarded two Texas A&M ifessors with best paper awards. Rayford G. Anthony, senior fellow the Texas Engineering Experi- int Station and head of the chem- engineering department, won Best Fundamental Paper Award. Dr. D.B. Bukur, professor of emical engineering, won the Best plied Paper Award. Anthony’s paper was co-authored hSuracha Udomsak, a former ctoral candidate at A&M. Bukur’s co-authors were J.G. Daly, urmer doctoral candidate, and S.A. :el, a former postdoctoral fellow. iday yell practice be at Billy Bob’s Midnight yell practice will be at Billy )'s Texas on Main Street near the t Worth Stockyards Friday night. The football game between .as A&M and the University of rth Texas will be at 2:35 p.m. urday at Texas Stadium. ag order possible tobacco lawsuit AUSTIN (AP) — A federal judge exarkana is considering whether jrohibit tobacco industry officials I the Texas attorney general’s of- ifrom talking publicly about their :oming $14 billion court fight. Attorney General Dan Morales Tuesday released a two-page posed order to gag state and in- itry officials from talking with the vs media and public about the suit or any other litigation involv- the tobacco industry. Inti-DWI activists ush for standard DALLAS (AP) — Anti-drunken dri- activists say they will press igress to act where the Texas jslature did not: to tighten the ndards for legal intoxication. Bills pending in both houses of igress would set a national stan- d for driving intoxication at .08 per- t of alcohol in the bloodstream, it would be 20 percent more strin- itthan the .10 now used by many ;es, including Texas. lifestyles Student tells horror sto ries of learn ing to use a computer. aments See Page 3 sports nior left guard Steve Kinney has stepped up a team leader for A&M. See Page 7 opinion e) 1 Iter: Marv Albert should ■ treated as any other Ison would be under law. See Page 9 L5 ■ online ———— PF ihtt p:// b a f-vv e b. t a m u. e d u 885.00) j i Sok up with state and s [tional news through The re,AP’s 24-hour online Ws service. Author defends book against ban By Rachel George Staff writer Author Leslea Newman said her children’s book Heather Has Two Mommies should not be banned be cause children of homosexual couples need to be represented in literature. Newman said last night at Rudder- Theater that censorship still exists in the United States. “It is important to realize that cen sorship is happening all over the coun try, all the time,” she said. “We can’t take for granted the freedom of ex pression.” The MSG Literary Arts committee sponsored the forum as part of Banned Books Week. Peggy Philpot, MSG Literary Arts committee adviser, said the goal of the forum was to educate A&M students about banned books. “We want to help the campus ad dress the issue of challenging books, not stir up contreversy,” she said. “We want the students to come and hear the information and then form their “We want to help the campus address the issue of challenging books, not stir up controversy. ,, PEGGY PHILPOT MSC LITERARY ARTS COMMITTEE ADVISER own opinions. We are striving to create a very neutral view.” Newman’s book is about a girl who 1 ives with her mother and her mother’s lesbian companion. The book adress- es the issue of children raised in ho mosexual households. Newman, a lesbian, said the book tries to teach the important thing about a fam ily is the love in it. Newman wrote the book in re sponse to a woman in Massachusetts who stopped her one day on the street. The woman said a book should be written about lesbian couples raising children together. Newman said she decided to write the book because as a child, her fam ily’s beliefs were not represented in books. “I never read a book about a Jewish family in New York,” she said. “I was se duced by the media to believe that my family was different because we did not celebrate Christmas and Easter, so, I knew how it felt to never see myself represented in a story.” Please see Author on Page 2. RYAN ROGERS/The Battalion Author Leslea Newman addresses issues surrounding the banning of books. Her book, Heather Has Two Mommies, was banned be cause of its promotion of homosexual themes. Under cover DEREK DEMERE/The Battalion Students attempt to keep dry as they leave the Chemistry building during one of Tuesday’s showers. Speaker addresses role model mythology By Mandy Cater Staff writer Women in higher education facedifficul- ties because of the practice of heroine wor ship, an A&M professor said during the Fal lon-Marshall lecture last night at the Clayton Williams Alumni Center. Pam Matthews, director of Texas A&M’s Wdnten Studies program, said women in American institutions of higher education are having difficulty in academia due to empha sis on the excep tionality of successful women and mythological female figures. Matthews, who also is an associate Eng lish professor, said women who succeed in academia are seen as exceptions to the rule and role models for women which often are impossible to emulate. Matthews used Texas A&M’s man-to- woman faculty ratios to illustrate the dispro portion of genders in academics. Fall 1995 figures show 20 percent of in structional faculty at A&M are women, and 4 percent of full professors are women. Please see Heroism on Page 2. UPD ranks theft top campus crime By Karie Fehler Staff writer The University Police Depart ment reported theft is the most widespread crime at Texas A&M, with thousands of dollars in prop erty stolen each year. Sgt. Allan Baron of the UPD Crime Prevention Unit said some A&M students’ items are stolen because the students are too trusting. “A big part of the problem is that students are not locking up their stuff — they leave their hous es unlocked and their backpacks, keys and wallets laying around,” he said. “These are all great targets for thieves.” During the 1995-1996 fiscal year, more than $400,000 in stu dent and University property was reported stolen. More than 30 percent of the property was re covered. UPD reported a decline in property loss and an increase in the recovery rate forthel996-1997 fiscal year. The Student Recreation Center reported losses of $349,000 in stu dent and University property. 40 percent of the stolen property was recovered. From October 1996 to Septem ber 1997, 48 cases of theft, worth $7,400, have been reported. Rick Hall, associate director of Rec Sports, said the Student Recre ation Center has made improve ments to help curtail theft. “We’ve really focused on edu cating students that theft is real and that everyone needs to secure their stuff,” he said. “We posted signs in the locker rooms and re designed the free locker system meticulously.” Hall said the Rec Center hopes students will not continue to abuse the free locker system by storing belongings indefinitely. “These lockers are free,” he said. “Students need to realize these lockers are provided for them to lock their things up. If everyone plays by the rules, theft can be reduced.” Lt. Bert Kretzschmar, supervi sor of the Crime Prevention Unit at UPD, said most on-campus theft is opportunity theft. “Students will leave their back packs sitting on the ground, walk away for an hour and expect their stuff to be there when they get back,” he said. “Many times that’s not the case.” Kretzschmar also said Texas A&M is an open campus, which contributes to theft because any one can enter orleave campus at .any time. He said students and faculty must stay alert during the day. “Most people think theft hap pens during the night, but the ma jority of theft occurs in broad day light,” Kretzschmar said. “A person wanting to steal something can come onto campus and blend in very inconspicuously with the 40,000 others.” Baron said students can help to deter theft by participating in a UPD program called “Operation ID.” Please see Theft on Page 2. Early edition Costumed cadets deliver The Battalion to upperclassmen DEREK DEMERE/The Battalion Disguised freshman cadets from Company L-l capture Battalions from the enemy for upperclassmen. They have adopted their own version of “Battfish,” dressing up in leotards and tutus. By Colleen Kavanagh Staff writer D espite performances by Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney as Batman, Texas A&M has created its own version of the caped crusader. Freshman members of the Corps of Cadets dress up as “Bat tfish” and his sidekick Robin to deliver copies of The Battalion to upperclassman cadets. Battfish and Robin run through the Quadrangle singing the theme from ’60s Batman TV show while collecting newspapers. Ross Bown, a junior finance major in Company L-l, said al though Corps outfits have differ ent versions of Battfish, it is a freshman duty to deliver The Bat talion to upperclassmen. “Our Battfish has nothing to do with Batman,” he said. “When we were fish, our upperclassmen bought a bunch of stuff, like span- dex and masks, for us to wear.” Will Weardon, a freshman me chanical engineering major in L- 1, said the freshmen in his outfit look like drag queens in their Bat tfish costumes. “Dressing up in tutus and leo tards to nan down the Quad makes you look stupid,” he said, “but it definitely builds character.” Jennie Whitman, a junior his tory major, said she remembers seeing Battfish and Robin when she lived in Spence Hall. “I’d see them running up and down the Quad singing the Batman theme, and they were hilarious,” she said. “The most creative one I saw had a freshman in a shopping cart.” Freshmen in Squadron 8 con verted a shopping cart into the Battmobile last year. Corey Crowder, a junior busi ness analysis major in Squadron 8, said the freshmen add to the tradition of Battfish every year. “Our Battmobile was painted black with a pull-down top, head lights and fins on the side,” he said. “But each year the next freshman class improves it, and our fish are planning Battfish right now.” Former Battfish said dressing up helped make the freshman duty more enjoyable. Brian McDavid, a junior indus trial distribution major in Squadron 1, said when he was a freshman, Battfish were given permission to dress up however they wanted. “The duty of delivering The Battalion every morning was an noying, but dressing up and singing made it fun,” he said. Company F-2 has disco Bat tfish. Matt Blackwell, a freshman business management major in F-2, said the disco-style costumes provide A&M students with early- morning entertainment. “I’ve seen people smile and laugh when they see us coming,” he said. “If we can add some en ergy and spirit to their day, Bat tfish is worth it.”