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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1998)
a ll ,, Cll 3' i I m Texas A St M University rwn TODAY TOMORROW ITH YEAR‘ISSUE 98 *10 PACES COLLEGE STATION • TX WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 25 • 1998 tudents find Outbound Dining helpful By Kaiy Lineberger Staffwriter ItiatAe Department of Food Services |Bna take-out meal program, “Out- pi id Dining,” is gaining populari- long Aggies on the go. cfaj t’sbeen a big success,” said Deb- fol Ropp, facility manager at Sbisa QgHall. “We’re glad students are lywith it.” 3ppsaid over 1,100 students per ;are taking advantage of the ser- which started this semester at |ieiai land the Commons. )a4 son Day, a sophomore geog- y major, said the service is penient for students who live Jampus. If you have a late class or you have to go somewhere, you can pop in and grab something to eat,” he said. “It’s really easy.” Christa Ballard, a freshman in ternational studies major, said she gets take-out meals from Sbisa when she is in a hurry. “It’s the only way I’ve been able to use all the meals in my meal plan," she said. Ropp said the service is targeted to meal plan customers, but cash and Aggie Bucks are also accepted. Amanda Arriaga, a freshman business major, said the program helps students with meal plans use their meals. “It’s more economical than using Aggie Bucks to buy food at the Un derground,” she said. Customers can choose from four meal options: soup and salad, entree dessert and a drink. “I think it’s good they have diverse “Its the only way IVe been able to use all the meals in my meal plan. Christa Ballard freshman international studies major 3) salad, ham or turkey sandwich or one of the day’s four entrees, Ropp said. Meals also include side dishes, stuff,” Day said. “More or less what ever you can get in the sit-down din ing you can get here.” Ropp said the program originated from student requests for an alterna tive to cafeteria-style meals. “We knew that we wanted to do something to accommodate stu dents,” Ropp said. Ropp said a committee was formed that researched the cost effectiveness and menu items for the service. Construction was nec essary at Sbisa to create an outside entry and separate area for the take-out meals, while no changes were required at the Commons, she said. “I think everything in this world is more mobile,” she said. “With stu dents traveling around between main and West campus, it’s more convenient, particularly at lunch.” Ropp said very few problems have arisen with the take-out meals, only a few requests for more menu variety and substitutions. She said the de partment encourages student re sponses through comment cards. A committee will be formed this summer to address student concerns and research possible menu changes and their cost effectiveness, she said. Outbound Dining is available weekdays for lunch and dinner at the same hours of operation as the cafe terias. The Sbisa entrance is located by Bernie’s Pizza, and take-out at the Commons uses the same facility as the cafeteria. There, students leave their ID cards, go get their food and return to pick up their IDs, Ropp said. inchors away A&M remembers Texas legislator RYAN ROGERS/The Battalion j>in Lang, visiting from Ohio, studies the USS San Jacinto exhibit at the George Bush Presidential Library. Bush was stationed on the USS San Jacinto uring World War II. I.N. inspectors ready for return to Iraq WASHINGTON (AP) —Weapons experts, not omats, will take charge of deciding where when to hunt for hidden Iraqi biological and mical arms, Secretary of State Madeleine Al- ht told uneasy senators Tuesday, ihe promised to work with the U.N. inspec- is commission to clear up “ambiguities” in deal U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ck with President Saddam Hussein and “to eany possible loopholes." 'rejecting caution about the accord, the ad- listration said it would insist on a “quick test” of Saddam’s promise to expose all sites, some of which have never been opened, to U.N. inspec tors. “We have to be watching very closely,” Presi dent Clinton said. Bill Richardson, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, returned from New York Tues day and joined Clinton’s other national security advisers at the White House to go over the Iraq agreement. White House spokesperson Mike McCurry said it was “largely a technical discus sion.” The president was to be briefed about the meeting afterward. At the Pentagon, officials announced that Clinton had signed an order authorizing the call up of 500 members of the National Guard and Reserve in support of the Gulf deployments. Defense Secretary William Cohen an nounced Sunday he requested the move, which makes available for up to 270 days specialists such as Navy harbor surveillance troops, Coast Guard port security forces, Army chemical de tection forces and Air Force Special Operations C-130 air crews. By Rachel Dawley Staffwriter Texas A&M archives often high light historical figures like Earl Rud der, Sul Ross and E. King Gill. There is another, less famous man, whose ef forts helped bring about the creation of the University. Matthew Gaines rose from a life of slavery to become a prominent member of the 12 th Texas Senate. He faced constant challenges as one of Texas’ first black legislators and was eventually removed from Congress. Before these political challenges ended his career in the legislature, Gaines supported the Morrill Land- Grant College Act, establishing the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas more than 120 years ago. Gaines was born into slavery in August of 1840 in Louisiana. His ha tred of slavery led him to become a minister to other slaves. He attempt ed to escape from slavery numerous times but was always returned. After emancipation, Gaines re turned to the Brazos River Valley where he was once a slave of Christo pher Columbus Hearne. He soon es tablished himself as a preacher and a politician. In 1869, Gaines was elected to the Texas Senate, earning a reputation for protecting the newly-won rights of black Texans. He addressed the is sues of public education, prison re form and protection of black voters. Dr. Dale Baum, an associate pro fessor of history and author of sever al articles concerning Gaines and the 12th legislature, said Gaines sup ported the legislation to meet the deadline for the federal Morrill Land- Grant College Act. Before the Civil War, most South erners were opposed to the idea of using the proceeds from the sales of federal land to establish “agricultur al and mechanical arts” colleges. The land-grant proposals were de nounced because of the racist mind set of many Southerners of the time and their feared loss of the black la bor force. The work of black lawmakers in the 12th Legislature prompted the Senate to establish the first state pub lic institution of higher learning, Baum said. “During this period, the [Edmund J.j Davis Administration and the Texas legislature did more for public education than any governor or leg islature that had preceded them,” he said. “Gaines, along with all the black members of the legislature, had a majestic reverence for education, viewing it as a key to the advance ment of their race.” tudy: antidepressants lot linked to defects CHICAGO (AP) —Three widely used antidepressants — Prozac, Pax- md Zoloft — do not appear to cause birth defects, a study found. The findings, based on data from nine medical centers in the Unit- States and Canada, agree with research in animals and with previ- is studies of Prozac among pregnant women. An expert not associated with the research said the findings are reas- ftig, but because the study looked at only 267 expectant mothers, it was too small to establish that the drugs are safe during pregnancy. Because it is unethical to test drugs on pregnant women, Prozac 5nt on the market in 1988, Zoloft in 1991 and Paxil in 1992 without lyone knowing their effects on unborn babies. The latest study was published in Wednesday’s Journal of the Amer- m Medical Association. "Because more than half of all pregnancies are unplanned and an timated 8 percent to 20 percent of all women suffer from depression, 31 safety is a primary concern,” wrote the researchers, led by Nathalie Kulin of the University of Toronto. The drugs also are used to treat panic disorder, obsessive-compul- e disorder and bulimia. The researchers studied 267 women who had been taking one of ethree drugs when they learned of their pregnancies, and 267 preg- mt women who were not exposed to anything known to cause birth fects. In the antidepressant group, 222 live births occurred and nine ba te had major physical defects, a rate of 4.1 percent. In the compari- n group, 235 live births occurred and nine babies had major defects, ra rate of 3.8 percent. The difference in rates was so small that it could Ye been caused by chance, the researchers said. Future dim for Florida rescuers The 1871 bill to establish the Agri culture and Mechanical College of Texas allowed state officials to segre gate white and black students, but obligated them to establish another federally supported land-grant school for blacks. A&M’s sister school, Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College, was formed. “Gaines’ progressive and egalitar ian investment in 1871 in the future of education laid the essential foun dations for the building of the mod ern-day Texas A&M University, which we proudly hail today as the first state institution of higher leam- inginTexas,” Baum said. “Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M are today the only two tangible achievements of Please see Month on Page 2. INSIDE KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers with dogs searched the piney woods near a tornado-devastated campground Tuesday for the bodies of people blown away when a swarm of tornadoes strafed central Florida. At least 38 people were killed and hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed Monday. Seven people were still missing Tuesday, some from the Pon- derosa Park Campground. As hope of finding more survivors faded, searchers began yelling to the two dogs, “Go find Fred! ’’ — the sig nal for the black Labrador and Weimaraner to find bod ies hidden in the underbrush surrounding the camp ground. “Search!” — the command to find survivors—could no longer be heard. “There’s nothing in there,” said Lt. Mark Bogush of the Tampa Fire-Rescue Canine Unit. “They don’t want to shut that door of hope, but this is basically a cleanup.” Rescuers picked through the mass of twisted metal, shattered glass and splintered lumber the day after six to 10 El Nino-driven twisters tore through central Flori da from the Gulf of Mexico. Monday’s tornadoes, pack ing 260 mph winds, were the state’s deadliest on record, killing more than Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The weather service issued warnings 20 to 30 min utes before the tornadoes hit, but it did little good. “When people are sleeping there’s no way of getting the message out,” said Terry Faber, University of Miami me teorology researcher. Divers combing the creek behind a home in Sanford found the body of 21-year-old Penny Louise Hall. Also killed when the twisters hit their house were her par ents, Debra and Edward Hall, and her fiance, 23-year- Recent storms in Florida The state has been hard hit by Mother Nature in the 1990s, as shown by this ranking of insured losses from storms. Storm Hurricane Andrew Hurricane Opal (Unnamed storm) Orlando-Jacksonville hail storm Hurricane Erin Windstorm (unnamed) New Smyrna Beach tornado Year Insured loss 1992 $16-biltion 1995 $1.3-billion 1993 $620-million 1992 $613-million 1995 $350-million 1995 $75-million 1997 $35-miilion Source: Florida Insurance Council, industry estimates aggie life MSC Visual Arts Gallery displays William Farr’s work. See Page 3 St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times via AP old Kevin Taylor. Only her 5-year-old daughter, Ashley, survived. She was hospitalized with serious injuries. Elsewhere in Sanford, 40 miles north of Orlando, the putrid stench of a rotting pig carcass alongside a drive way hung heavily in the air over a 10-acre farm. Chick ens, pigs, a horse and a cow with a broken leg wandered about in a daze. Freddie Padgett of the town of Geneva near Daytona Beach recounted wearing a life jacket to bed—his habit whenever storms approach. sports A&M Women’s Basketball Team faces Kansas State in last home game at G. Rollie White Coliseum See Page 5 opinion Huffines: Humans must band together to stop robot armageddon. See Page 9 online http://battalion.tamu.edu Hook up with state and na tional news through The Wire, AP’s 24-hour online news service.