The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, January 30, 1998, Image 1
Texas A & M University ,e* f - TODAY 66 Pj|65 43 BHss TOMORROW ITH YEAR • ISSUE 80 • 8 PAGES COLLEGE STATION • TX FRIDAY • JANUARY 30 • 1998 ampus disturbance prompts meeting By Lyndsay Nantz Staff writer i response to the fighting that broke out ;>isa Dining Hall late last Saturday night, tent leaders, administrators and repre- ^ves from the National Pan-Hellenic Incii (NPHC) will meet today to discuss PS to prevent future disruptions. |he lighting started in Sbisa around \ 0 p.m. at a dance sponsored by the Pan- enic Council, the board that governs black sororities and fraternities. Bob Wiatt, a University Police director, said no one knows why the fighting started. “There was a large crowd in Sbisa and most of them were dancing. I think people just got jostled around and then the fights started,” he said. Wiatt said some people began running toward the fights, and some were running away, causing chaos. The University Police Department was called to the scene and closed down the dance. “We arrived at Sbisa but the crowd was so large that we had to call in other officers from the Bryan Police Department and the College Station Police Department to help disperse people from the scene,” he said. The same evening the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference held a dance in G. Rollie White. Wiatt said when the UPD asked everyone to leave Sbisa, some people started going to the SBSLC dance and tried to get in. Sandra Madina, advisor for the SBSLC, said there was not any fighting at G. Rollie. “When PanHell closed down, people came over and got mad because the SBSLC would not let them inside,” she said. Wiatt said people from Sbisa went as far as breaking a lock off a door to get in and since the SBSLC dance was almost over, UPD helped them close it down. David DeAngelis, a student affairs advi sor, said problems arise with the guests who attend the functions. “None of the problems have been with A&M students,” he said. “The main issue is the guests that come to the functions.” The meeting today will focus on ways to accommodate as many people as possible at PanHellenic events, while still keeping it safe, he said. “Hopefully, administrators and students will throw in ideas on how to improve our situation,” he said. “A guest list is a possi bility of how to keep the numbers down.” All members from the NPHC are invited to the meeting today at 10 a.m. in Koldus. I ing high 4 A? 'v:,. ■mi mm 'mgkrn wmlM ... I ■ . • 1 1• STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/The Battalion Irott Borgard, a freshman business major, jumps off of a railing near the Engineering/Physics building Thursday afternoon. Parking changes spark debate between A&M students, PTTS By Stacey Becks Staff writer The Parking,Transportation and Traffic Services (PTTS) officials Thursday defend ed changes in campus parking lot assign ments, but Texas A&M students said the changes increased parking problems for students living off-campus. Tom Williams, director of PTTS, said there were minor changes made over the holidays. “We lost 350 spaces due to the ex pansion of playing fields for athletics,” he said. “We made a portion of lot 48 a red lot. It’s only a small change, not a major deal.” PTTS closed the red lot by the UPD office and sent the on-campus stu dents to the off-campus lot beside Kyle Field during the winter break. Students were not notified of the changes until after they returned from the break. Wesley Deagen, a senior finance major, said on-campus students’ cars are crowd ing the Kyle Field lot when the West Cam pus red lot has spaces available. “In the red lot on West Campus, one-third of the spaces aren’t even filled up,” he said. “They (PTTS) know it’s a problem because they have PTTS officers walking around giving tickets to people with blue tags who park in the empty spaces.” Williams, however, said there are only a few empty spots in the lot. “There are times of the day when it is relatively full,” he said. “It’s not half empty though.” “Numbers show it is full, but if it con tinues to have spaces, we’ll fill it up.” Williams said students can find a parking space even at peak times. “I play student on Monday through Friday and there’s always a space at 11 a.m.,” he said. “You’ll be able to find a space if you know where to look.” Erika Brewer, a freshman biomedical science major, said she can never find a parking spot on campus. “Parking is a problem because there are no empty spaces,” she said, “so you have to be late to your class or get a tick et for parking illegally.” Off-campus students can no longer buy parking passes this semester. Williams said that students who did not receive a parking tag or who cannot find a parking space should get a bus pass. “They’ve got to buy a bus pass,” he said. “It may be inconvenient, but it’s the only choice.” Williams said this will change after a 1500-space off-campus parking lot is completed. Joe Estill, manager of construction for Facilities, Planning and Construc tion, said the parking lot, which will be located next to Reed Arena, will be fin ished by April 1. MEDALS returns to Aggieland Conference exposes minority high-school students to education-options By Jennifer Wilson Staff writer Minority high school students from Texas will be encouraged to extend their education this weekend at the ninth an nual Minority Enrichment and Devel opment through Academic and Leader ship Skills (MEDALS) Conference. Over 900 students, parents and counselors will attend the two day col lege preparatory conference held in the MSG, whose aim is to “Educate Your Mind and Conquer the World.” Omar Bell, executive director of MEDALS and a senior industrial engi neering major, said the conference expos es students to colleges, technical schools and armed forces and helps them realize they do have options after high school. Bell said the conference targets stu dents who are unsure about college or a higher education. “MEDALS makes a difference and you can see it,” he said. “We want stu dents to realize nothing is impossible. If you want it, you can do it.” With the aid of 160 peer advisors, the students will attend informational workshops on Saturday. The workshops will help students prepare for the SAT, the college admissions process, filing fi- We want students to realize nothing is im possible. If you want it, you can do it. Omar Bell Executive director MEDALS nancial aid and expose them to the “oth er education.” The students will hear motivational speakers and gain exposure to post-sec ondary education options. Shantera Woodley, director of public relations for MEDALS and senior busi ness analysis major, said she aims to in spire the young students to consider furthering their education. “I want them to come out of the conference having learned something new about what they want to do,” Woodley said. Bell said the recruitment rates re flect the impact the conference has on students. “We have had students come to A&M who otherwise would not have because they attended this conference,” he said. “The rate is about 67 percent for stu dents who decide to continue their ed ucation through MEDALS,” Bell said. Three $1,000 and two $250 scholar ships are sponsored by MEDALS and its main sponsor, SBC Communications. The scholarships are awarded based on essays written by the students about the confer ence and will be presented Saturday. Please see MEDALS on Page 2. fLifi In 'Da House: Series wraps up with a look into the less obvious roles of the bathroom. See Page 3 Conference to reunite former campus leaders as A&M Swimming and ing Teams face Texas istian University Saturday. See Page 5 opinion lett: New Information 3 offers new possibilities, : also new threats. See Page 7 tp: / /battalion.tamu.edu ok up with state and :ional news through The re, AP’s 24-hour online vs service. By Lyndsay Nantz Staffwriter Texas A&M University student body leaders of the past, present and future will share ideas about integrity, time management and leadership de velopment in the workplace at the Former Student Leadership Confer ence today and Saturday. Former student body presi dents, MSG presidents, head yell leaders, and corps commanders will lead discussion panels with student leaders. The conference is divided into four workshops and students may voice their opinions and hear how they can apply their skills to the real world. The 150 students attending the conference have the opportunity to attend a banquet and a lun cheon, giving them the opportuni ty to interact with former students on a professional level. Network ing, making contacts and gaining educational experience are goals of the FSLC. Summer Rotter, director of Uni versity Relations for Student Gov ernment, said the conference is a chance for students to see how for mer students who once held the same student leadership positions have succeeded in life. “The former students give tips on succeeding in the future and how to improve on what they have done,” Rotter said. Katie Hanselka, class of ’00 sec retary, said the former students at last year’s conference described their past mistakes and gave advice on carrying leadership styles into their careers. “The panel of former students told us how important it is that our leadership involvement here carries to the community and future jobs,” she said. “By learning these charac teristics now, influencing others and shaping values in the family and in work will become habit.” Frank M. Muller Jr., class of ’65 and senior vice president of Coastal Corporation in Houston, said the FSLC helps make Aggies the best leaders in the workplace. “Having student leaders return and share current experiences in life with present and future stu dent leaders of Texas A&M is an explosive dynamic opportunity to make Aggieland leaders the best in the world.” Bombing of abortion clinic kills guard, injures nurse BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A powerful bomb exploded at an abortion clinic Thursday morning, killing an off-duty police officer who had just arrived for his moon lighting shift as a security guard and critically injuring a nurse. It was the nation’s first fatal bombing at an abortion clinic. The blast, which blew a crater in the ground and shattered win dows and shook walls a block away, came just a week after the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe vs. Wade legalizing abortion. “It felt like lightning had hit the building,” said Lindsey Thomp son, who was at a University of Al abama at Birmingham dormitory when she heard the blast. Nearby dorms and a day care center were evacuated for fear of a second, delayed bomb blast. A year ago, two bombs went off an hour apart at a clinic in Atlanta, injuring seven in the second blast. That bombing is still unsolved. Hours after the explosion in Birm ingham, the surrounding area re mained sealed off while bomb ex perts in masks and heavy protec tive gear combed it over. “We still have a hot scene. We’re being very cautious because ofwhat happened in Atlanta,” said Brian Lett of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The bomb went off about 7:30 a.m. at the New Woman All Women Health Care clinic, rocking nearby buildings at the university and leaving a crater outside the clinic’s blackened, wrecked entryway. The explosion occurred as clinic em ployees were arriving but about 30 minutes before doors normally open to patients. “We were shaking. We were 30 seconds away from being in that parking lot,” said Terry Hermes, who was taking his wife, Lisa, to her counseling job at the clinic. “This is a tragic and terrible day,” said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y, one of Congress’ most vocal abor tion rights advocates. “This reign of terror threatens the rights of all Americans and it must stop now.” Witnesses said the off-duty po lice officer appeared to have been killed instantly, while the nurse lay injured in the yard as the smoke rose from the blast. Her charred clothes were partly tom away. Neither victim was immedi ately identified. The police officer “had got ten off work and he had just got ten there,” Police Chief Mike Coppage said. The blast shook a second abor tion clinic a block away, the Sum mit Women’s Clinic, knocking things off the wall. Michele Wilson, a volunteer at the Summit Women’s Clinic, said the Summit has not re ceived any threats or unusual communications in the last few , days. The New Woman clinic did receive a written threat recently, she said, but it was a letter from someone officials there had heard from before and they were not overly concerned. Investigators said that a num ber of witnesses were being ques tioned but that there were no im mediate suspects.