The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, January 30, 1998, Image 1

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    Texas A & M University
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TODAY
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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.
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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.