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Texas A St M University
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TODAY
TOMORROW
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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
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Wire, AP’s 24-hour online
news service.