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Texas A & M University
TODAY
TOMORROW
TH
YEAR • ISSUE 29 • 16 PACES
COLLEGE STATION • TX
See extended forecast. Page 2.
THURSDAY •OCTOBER 9 • 1997
investigates
sexual assault case
lersr he College Station Police De-
ortment is investigating an at-
SSS^empted sexual assault that oc-
■el Scta !Ured Tuesda y n 'g ht -
■The victim reported at 9:12 that
r colurar 1 ; ^ nan assaulte d her about 20 min-
I , ites after she was involved in a mi-
16 -lorcar accident with him on the
liripre ' : .|00 block of Southwest Parkway.
. . , Blhe victim said she pulled into
'' 1! j tiap '! |larking lot to speak to the man
le, but( mc j [- |er he was g 0 j n g iq
V10le " ce iall the police.
People"’ The police said she said he re-
is practiti|, rneC j angry, threatening to kill her
keeping jnci saying he was going to sexually
idles u$;:j Ssau |t p er _
r. Hovvev: ••|The police said the victim said
le isconsiife was able to spray mace in the
I, inbotlryian’s face and escaped,
heNewlfBNo medical attention was re-
ry clearly |ui red.
mosexual
(V5CE places 2nd
nessageoiL . _ _ „ „ _ j.;*- „
echooselt competition
loveand:;|The Texas A&M chapter of the
ng we do American Society of Civil Engineers
■ believinyren second place in the Regional
itionfor|4el Bridge Building competition
ofGod.wW. 4 in Arlington,
ray from* Seven universities from Texas
rdingtoi^nd Mexico competed in the event
dudehonJlich requires civil engineering
ncludeslRodents to design, fabricate and
g and ha® 1 s t ruc t a steel bridge.
■re is noelI Texas A&M’s bridge won first
le, butthiil ace in the “aesthetics” category
nt within®! a l so earne d the chance to com
ically bar^ 6 a tthe national competition in
Kimberm^
' c ! v 'l engineering
students have been working on
the design and assembly of the
steel bridge since January 1997.
assembly team which consist-
■ of Martin Maingot, Rene Gon
zalez, David Williams and Brian
Rjiodes, led by Dr. Gary Fry, were
ned while they put the bridge to-
vans Library to
ost Fun Run
The fifth annual Friends of the
erling C. Evans Library Fun Run is
iturday, Oct. 11 at 8 a.m. at the
<as A&M Research Park near the
ean Drilling Program Building.
The Texas A&M Roadrunners will
sistwith the 5K run and one mile
less walk.
The run is open to different age
>ups. Participants will receive T-
irts,fanny packs and Koozies atthe
Money raised from the event will
onvicted serial
iller executed
HUNTSVILLE (AP) — A convicted
rial killer tied to four murders in
as and suspected of at least
ht more deaths was executed
dnesday for a sexual mutilation
lying almost 11 years ago.
Ricky Lee Green, 36, was pro-
lunced dead at 6:31 p.m.
ie ‘Jeopardy!’ fans: Here’s the answer
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
Staff writer
Texas A&M students who love to
watch “Jeopardy!” and can answer
in the form of a question can now
play College Jeopardy! Online to
win prizes including a 1998 Pontiac.
During the 1997-98 school year
students can play and help Texas
A&M win the title of College Jeop
ardy Online champion.
The tournament features hun
dreds of colleges across the country
Game show offers students chance to become online champ
competing for the title. The top 100
students, the top 100 colleges and
the top 15 campus rivalries will be
tracked online to keep record of the
performance of each school.
Lynda Keeler, public relations
officer for Columbia TriStar Inter
active, said the online game is
identical to the television show
“Jeopardy!”
She said students representing
more than 200 universities are
ready to begin competition.
“This game is about promoting
Internet access and getting college
students involved in competition
for ‘Jeopardy,’” Keeler said.
Any full-time student with ac
cess to the Internet can log on and
play to win prizes each week. They
must play three games a week, and
each week’s ten highest scores will
qualify for semi-final competition.
The semi-final round will result
in 50 players left, and they will play
until three players are left for finals.
All semi-finalists will receive a Pon
tiac jacket and other prizes.
Keeler said finalists will play for
the grand prize, a 1998 Pontiac Sun-
fire, Grand Am or Grand Prix.
Sony Corp. also is providing oth
er prizes. Those include Sprint
products, compact discs, Sony
Walkmans, Sony Discmans and
other Sony merchandise.
The contest takes place on The
Station@sony.com (www.sta-
tion.sony.com), which is spon
sored by Sprint, Pontiac and Sony.
Richard Glosser, producer of
Jeopardy Online, said he knew the
online game would be a success.
He said 3,000 students have signed
up to play.
“We hope that students will re
cruit their friends to join in the
game and win for their school,”
Glosser said.
Please see Online on Page 7.
Class of’01
elects new
president
By Erica Roy
City editor
The Class of ’01 elected Ben Joseph Ar
menia, an elementary education major,
as the freshman class president with 61
percent of the vote.
More than 1,200 students voted in the
run-off elections yesterday.
David Kessler won Class of ’99 vice
president.
Armenia said winning the election was
overwhelming.
“I feel confident and I feel that all
the candidates that were elected will
make the Class of’01 have a successful
year,” he said. “I’m proud to be in this
position.”
Armenia said his main goal this year as
class president is to work on the relation
ship between the Northside, Southside
and the Corps of Cadets and unite differ
ent groups at A&M.
Other results:
• Class of ’01 yice president is Brian J.
Youngblood.
• Class of’01 treasurer is Brandon Schlaffer.
• Class of ’01 secretary is LeaAnne Heath.
• Class of ’01 social secretary is Brian
Schlaffer.
• Class of ’01 historian is Elizabeth Boyd.
Freshman senators are Reagan O’Reil
ly, Cory Whitaker, Trey Herndon, James
Benham, Leana Divine, Peter Underwood
and Kevin Weeks.
From the outside looking in
BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion
Kevin Kastl of Mid Continental sprays off the windows of the Administration Building Wednesday morning.
Former German POW reflects on personal chaflenges
By Erica Roy
City editor
A former German prisoner of war said
Wednesday night that difficulties and chal
lenges help make life a worthwhile experi
ence.
Fritz Haus, a Baptist minister, said his four
years as a POW in Camp Hearne during World
War II provided him with the opportunity to
improve himself and preach to others.
“I believe the best things in life are given
to us and that they fall into our lap — like this
Texas thing,” he said. “I didn’t plan it. I didn’t
know about it.”
In 1943, Haus was captured with thou
sands of other German soldiers in North
“To be satisfied behind barbed wire
in Hearne, it takes more than a
good disposition. It takes faith.”
FRITZ HAUS
BAPTIST MINISTER
Africa and transferred to Texas where more
than 4,500 POW’s were kept in Hearne.
Haus said his belief and trust in God
helped him survive the experience and keep
a purpose in his life.
“To be satisfied behind barbed wire in Hearne,
it takes more than a good disposition,” he said. “It
takes faith.”
Haus said this attitude has helped him
through his life.
“I see all along that if you are able to ap
preciate it and if you feel there is a reason you
are on Earth and alive and you accept your
self, you’ll have no problems,” he said.
Although he was a POW, Haus said U.S.
citizens treated him with kindness.
Throughout the war, he met American mil
itary personnel who did not abuse German
POW’s.
“American people have been so good and so
wonderful to us that I and other German pris
oners can never repay you,” he said. “What you
have done makes us humbly grateful and I’m
so glad I spent four years as a prisoner of war in
America.”
Haus said the four years he spent as a
POW made him a better person.
“To have heartache and hardships and to
work through them and pray through them,
it’s worth the battle,” he said.
Please see POW on Page 7.
lifestyles
FestiFall brings
out-of-town and
local bands to
downtown
Bryan.
See Page 3
sports
M welcomes Dick Vitale
Aggieland for Bogey with
rone festivities.
See Page 11
opinion
-allaway: Students should
apen their eyes to lack of
snjoyment alcohol provides.
See Page 15
§
E3E
h ftp ://b a t-web. tamu .e d u
Ipok up with state and
national news through The
Wire, AP’s 24-hour online
news service.
Brazos Beautiful project
awaits city council vote
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
Staff writer
With the approval by the College Station
City Council tonight, visitors to the George
Bush Presidential Library and Museum will
enjoy a Brazos Beautiful project.
The city council will decide on a pro
posed budget that will provide a $50,000
grant to Brazos Beautiful for the use of land
scaping along Texas Highway 60 and FM
2818 to beautify the entryway to the city in
conjunction with the George Bush Presi
dential Library.
Highway 60 (Raymond Stoltzer Parkway)
and FM 2818 both are routes to the library
and museum.
Peggy Calliham, public relations officer
for College Station , said the money will go
toward enhancing the pathways to the Bush
Library.
Enhancements include planting crepe
myrtles along the highways leading to the li
brary’s entrance. Brazos Beautiful may also
plant 60 dogwood trees along the route.
Grass and curbs along the route also will be
considered.
John Delaney, project designer, said at
tractive signs stating directions to the library
are needed.
“The library itself is breathtaking,” De
laney said.
“So the path leading to it should be as
well. This project is just the beginning to im
proving the environment and making the
Brazos Valley a beautiful place to be.”
The crepe myrtles and dogwood trees will
bear white blossoms along the stretch. De
laney said crepe myrtles were chosen be
cause Bryan-College Station is the crepe
myrtle capital of the state.
He said dogwood trees may be used to
symbolize strength and beauty.
The City Council has studied the plans
and will make a decision tonight at the
meeting.
Please see Bush on Page 7
Muslim leader: Growth of
Islam does not pose threat
By Robert Smith
Senior staff writer
Siraj Wahaj, a Muslim imam (leader of
prayers), said Wednesday night that Is
lam is not a threat to the United States
and it can help the United States.
“If you knew who a Muslim was and
the life he lived you would want to have
a Muslim as your neigh
bor,” he said. “If the
Muslims come and rep
resent what they should
be, they can only add
safety to a neighbor
hood.”
Wahaj spoke at Rud
der Theater in honor of
Islamic Awareness Week.
Wahaj said drugs are a
problem in America that
Muslims are fighting.
“Muslims do not want
drugs in their neighbor
hood,” he said. “Islam could help soci
ety and clean up the society.”
The former Christian said he con
verted to Islam in 1969 after reading the
works of Muhammed.
Wahaj said people who say Islam is a
threat to the nation must prove it.
“If you knew who a
Muslim was and the life
he lived you would
want to have a Muslim
as your neighbor.”
SIRAJ WAHAJ
MUSLIM IMAM
“If you say Islam is a threat, you must
bring evidence,” he said. “You are inno
cent until proven guilty.”
Wahaj said Muslims should be aware
of their enemies.
“An enemy can make your friend ap
pear to be an enemy and your enemy
appear to be a friend,” he said.
“Every prophet had enemies. Even
though a prophet does
good, the enemy will put
a negative on it.”
The continuous
growth of Islam could af
fect government policy
through elections, which
may threaten some peo
ple, he said.
Wahaj encouraged
non-Muslims to learn
the principles of Islam.
“I think you owe it to
yourself to learn Islamic
literature,” he said. “If in fact we are a
threat, learn about it.”
Wahaj also urged Muslims in the au
dience to inform others about the reli
gion.
“Please continue not only to study
and to grow, but share it with your
neighbors,” he said.