The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 21, 1997, Image 1

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 21, 1997, Image 1

Newspaper Page Text$ i % j 20. wa»» Texas A & M University i r^a 1 fe 16 ®! H s "cdio ;S? Ia qis," J -"liiikyi: ri'” jjKwr.'i ' r jf' S. I TODAY TOMORROW Cofc 104 th YEAR • ISSUE 60 • 10 PAGES COLLEGE STATION • TX See extended forecast, Page 2. FRIDAY • NOVEMBER 21 • 1997 legents sign new ;hancellor contract Texas A&M Board of Regents f ioted to execute a new employment a cement with Dr. Barry Thomp- age i ■on, the chancellor of the Texas ■^Hburs eni{ l&M University System. H'fo.V Thr»mncr»n’c r^ricfinal u l ; isities P L ° ctoi % L ls lln cleai h. <)n ^do L'^ycM "'host [^."DavidG | ^ssistanif /System, said the Board wanted to hr> 0 ixtend his contract and increase^ j^ucation, I'" 1 invests Thompson’s original contract mds Aug. 31, 1998. The new igreement will end Aug. 31, .999. His salary also will in- rease with the agreement. Terri Parker, director of communi- ations for the Texas A&M Universi- "lf he's out there sell ing hate, we should be able to have our own opinions." BRIAN HAMMER senior finance major iH iigli Students react to preacher's message "He [Short] sparks a lot of controversy, but it is a positive message." MIKE BERRY junior business analysis major Short’s presence prompts gathering of friends, foes iis salary because the regents ilestudei]!' ,ere P |easecl wi f h his performance. j*£3$ donations pour in or parents of 7 CARLISLE (AP) — They rolled out pal years ‘k'ials.afi? pan a doc phoolw&s I 16 new van Thursday with seven new Ts thatind ,ames brightly stenciled on the side, aduatel* Seven car seats will follow. And ipple juice for 16 years. By then, candid# 11 almost be time for those seven | :ollege scholarships, found soi 0 h - and don 't forget the seven stateschn ' ears °f f ree cable. It will be looked up, of course, in a new irs before] touse - designed to accommodate 14 little feet. Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey ook their place in medical history Wednesday when they became par ents of septuplets, four boys and three girls. By Thursday, it seemed as if they had won the lottery, seven times over. Corporations across America of ModeJ stum bled over each other to be the ges at leas f |rstt0 show their generosity, pledg- hmyclasse ^everything from free groceries I to newni | s Mb|l' Ht Jturc, inii' [the requia [rate to i ' the acoa |n’t surpri: chthereai year, a lifetime supply of dia- class stjpers (that’s about 31,500), toys, a rasher and dryer, lumber, steel, asrecendphti windows and other materials needed to give the McCaugheys a new roof over their heads. MA tests free man eld rape charge wascaJ AUSTIN (AP) — For the second of Mick fe this year, Gov. George W. Bush tas pardoned a man convicted of orethijrape after DNA evidence proved he "as innocent. ImanyB Bush announced a formal par- late veil ton for Austin resident Ben Salazar ^ramtlif Thursday after a Travis County judge of thoipiewed DNA evidence and ruled Salazar innocent. [he rivai The governor was criticized earli- ly’shonii er this year after delaying a formal By Robert Smith Senior staff writer Some Texas A&M students protested Tom Short, a college campus preacher, Thursday in front of the Academic Building. Short, who is employed by the Greater Commission Ministry, voiced his take on the Bible this week on campus. Also, Short has been passing out an essay titled, “What the Bible says about God.” Brian Hammer, a senior fi nance major, led a protest against Short. "If he’s out here selling hate, we should be able to have our own opinion,” he said. Short, who tours college cam puses in the United States, said he does not deliver hate messages. “My message is that God loves us, and Jesus Christ is the savior of the world,” he said. Hammer and two other protesters put up a poster that read “Sell Your Soul to Satan” about 20 yards from where Short spoke yesterday. Hammer said the poster was not intended to be serious, and that he was exercising his freedom of speech. “I don’t care so much that he believes something,” he said. “I just don’t like the way he shoves it down your throat.” Short spoke in front of the Academic Building for four to five hours each day this week to crowds ranging in size from 20 to 250 people. Short said he did not shout “queer” while speaking Monday, as a student said in a mail call in Tuesday’s Battalion. “That was just the worst twist ing of words,” he said “You won’t find me calling people queer — you’ll find me giving homosexu als hope.” Short has preached on more than 70 college campuses in 22 states and in Canada. Mike Berry, a junior business analysis major, said Short’s speaking style and ideas fuel student reaction. “He sparks a lot of controver sy, but it is a positive message,” Berry said. “He may rub some people the wrong way.” Bob Carr, a senior history ma jor, attended Short’s sermons Tuesday and Wednesday. RONY ANGKRIWAN/The Battalion Brian Hammer, a senior finance major (in green dress), and Jessie Mehtberg, of College Station, encourage students to ‘sell’ their souls to Satan as a protest against Tom Short’s preaching. They claim to have the same right as Tom Short to preach freely at the university. “Tom Short’s god looks a lot like Tom Short,” Carr said. “He is good about answering questions, and it is interesting to hear what he says because you never know what he is going to say.” Short’s appearance at A&M wrapped up a five-week universi ty tour that included stops at North Carolina State University, the University of Maryland and the University of Florida. Bowen, leaders stage forum via live television ion or) Ini/sur- Pardon for Houstonite Kevin Byrd. Bush said as DNA evidence be- By Jenara Kocks Staff writer Texas A&M President Dr. Ray M. Bowen and several members of the administration answered questions from A&M students, fac ulty, staff and Bryan-College Station residents last night. The question-and-answer show was tele vised by KAMU-TV and people could ask questions by telephone. Anthony Edwards, a sophomore biomed ical science major, said he has seen Confed erate flags around the A&M campus that have made him uncomfortable, and he asked the panelists what they were doing to ensure mi nority students have a comfortable environ ment at the University. Bowen said University officials can ask stu dents who are a part of a University organiza tion not to display the symbol, but said they do not have control over individual students. “I think a lot of people should know we do not endorse that symbol that someone else wants to display,” Bowen said. Dr. J. Malon Southerland, vice president for student affairs, said the University has ad dressed University organizations who have displayed offensive material. He said this semester some Bonfire work ers were asked to remove profane words from their “pots,” and Bonfire leaders will not let students work who wear pots with profanity on them. One female student asked if the Dial-a- Ride bus service was operating, and she voiced concern about walking to her car alone at night. Mary Miller, associate vice president for administration, said Dial-a-Ride was discon tinued because Bus Operations was looking for alternatives that would better meet the needs of students. Bowen said students should use the Corps of Cadets escort service when walking alone at night. Miller, who also is chair of the child care center, said the University recently accepted a construction bid for the center, which should open Fall 1998. “We will have a mini-ground breaking be hind the University apartments on Hensel Drive Dec. 1,” she said. Miller said the center can be used by Texas A&M students, faculty and staff and will be supported by student tuition. comes more widely used, a proce- luiresi tore for evaluating its credibility must be established. [stood! “I feel strongly that the courts 5:32pi dust review legal issues, including [ichigii chain of custody and the validity of [ith3,Sl ev ldence, before I act,” the gover- rjyalfor said. Salazar, 31, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1991. He served five years of that sen tence before DNA evidence estab lished he could not have commit- I the crime. lifestyles Student Senate rejects bill to end run-off elections SGA sponsors program to ‘brighten’ winter holidays at campus entrances teop M p Ithoi ; an! onai ‘Yo Vanilla Rap star Vanilla Ice talks about last night’s performance at Aggie Retro Night. See Page 4 sports Texas A&M Men’s Basketball earn set to open season against Stephen F. Austin. See Page 7 opinion Winter Spirit of Aggieland’ Project inspires debate over true meaning of season. See Page 9 online IT |ttp: //batta lion, tamu. edu ifHook up with state and National news through The Fire, AP’s 24-hour online Nws service. By Brandye Brown Staffwriter The Texas A&M Student Senate Wednesday night rejected the Can didate Ranking System Bill that would have eliminated run-off elec tions in student-body elections. With the ranking system, stu dents would choose a first-choice candidate in the general election, then rank the remaining candi dates by preference. In the system used now for elections, the two candidates with the most votes proceed to a run off election. Abby Mudroch, an off-campus senator and a senior history ma jor, said she voted against the ranking system because alterna tive voting systems had not been thoroughly explored. “I would hate to think that [the ranking system] might deter people from voting,” she said. “Especially considering the time it takes to vote, if it takes 20 minutes to explain the new system to the guy in front of you and 10 minutes to fill out the form— who has the time to vote? Presently, not even one-fourth of the students vote, and it saddens me to think that even less might turn out because of a different system.” Leana Divine, a freshman sen ator and an international studies major, said when she cam paigned this fall, the freshman re sponse to the ranking system was positive because it provided more voting options. “The freshmen are the only ones who have experienced the ranking system,” she said. "Overall, everyone I’ve talked to among freshmen are for this system.” Mark Floyd, an off-campus sen ator and a senior speech communi cations major, said the ranking sys tem was not the best way to shorten the election process, and the sys tem should be tested more before it is implemented. “We have not had the opportu- By Leslie Stebbins Staffwriter The Student Government Asso ciation will brighten the Texas A&M campus this December with holi day decorations as part of the first Winter Spirit of Aggieland program. After the Thanksgiving holidays, wreaths will decorate three of the cam pus entrances, and maroon and white ribbons will be tied to light posts. The large evergreen tree on the lawn of the Systems Building will have lights and maroon ribbons and will be the site of the official lighting Dec. 1. Suzanne Smith, chair of Winter Spirit of Aggieland and a senior agri cultural development major, said die committee chose to use maroon and white to promote Aggie spirit rather than the traditional Christ mas colors of red and green. “It (decorations) gives the stu dents something to look forward to and will help keep their spirits up during finals,” she said. Most of the 72 trees along New Main Drive were sold to Bryan-Col lege Station businesses, A&M clubs, sororities, fraternities or anyone wanting to buy a tree. The base of the trees will be decorated with lights, and the people who bought the trees will be able to decorate them. Alan Martin, president of the agriculture council and a senior animal science major said the Win ter Spirit of Aggieland committee approached the council to buy a tree, and the council thought it would be a good way to show sup port for the program. Please see Holidays on Page 6. Toy and book drive to benefit children’s shelter nity to evaluate this system on its own merits, because we never used it during this session,” he said. “We don’t have all the facts, and we haven't seen that it will work.” Drew Howard, an off-campus senator and a senior math major, said the ranking system would have been a positive step for Texas A&M. “One election, without run-offs, is easier for the constituency, and it cre ates a greater number of students that have a say in the final round between the last two candidates than run offs,” he said. “A run-off system is not entirely fair, because the top two vote getters move on, but what about in close elections where the third person loses by a few votes?” The bill cannot be reintro duced to the 50th session of the Student Senate. Please see Senate on Page 6. By Colleen Kavanagh Staffwriter A toy and book drive to benefit children at Phoebe’s Home, a center for victims of domestic violence, will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the Target parking lot on Texas Avenue. The toys and books will be used by children ages five to 18. Trisha Einkauf, program director of Phoebe’s Home, said the number of battered women and children who are helped this holiday season in the Bryan-College Sta tion area depends on the the support the community gives Phoebe’s Home. “We start helping the women and children who come to us in November and December, and work our way back through the months of the year from the peo ple who have come to us most recently,” she said. Einkauf said 19 children are in the shelter, but more than 200 children in the Brazos Valley need help from Phoebe’s Home. “Many of these children have stayed with their fam ily but left everything else behind,” she said. “Others will be spending Christmas with us. We want to give them toys and books for Christmas.” Einkauf said Phoebe’s Home also needs monetary do nations to purchase coats and blankets for the children. The toy and book drive started in a case-studies public-relations class at Texas A&M. Jessamyn Boultinghouse, a member of the project gr oup and a senior journalism major, said the class had to do a mock public-relations campaign for the course. “We chose Phoebe’s Home because a girl in the group had worked with them before,” she said. “We came up with a logo, flyers, press releases and public service announcements, and we wanted to help so it turned into a real project.” J.W Washington, a member of the group and a se nior agricultural development major, said after work ing on the project, the group members realized they could make the campaign a reality. “Many have said that we should try to make this an annual event,” he said. “That gives us hope that the event will be a success because others think it’s a wor thy cause.” Boultinghouse said other organizations are helping with the project. Hastings Books Music & Video is donating children’s books, and Bonfire crews are box ing up toys and books Saturday. “We don’t really know what the turnout will be on Saturday,” she said. "All we know is that it has turned out to be bigger than we ever expected.” Washington said he thinks the turnout will be good. “If we get 10 dollars or 10 books,” he said, “that is 10 more than we had when we started.”

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 21, 1997, Image 1

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