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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1998)
3.95 pager airtime Aerial phones sold here Discount Paging System ‘Service ‘Free Activation ‘Accessories 15th Annual Healthy Heart Run benefiting the American Heart Association presented by the A&M College of Medicine 10k, 5k, and 1 mile walk on February 28 at 9 a.m. Location: Reynolds Medical Building Registration forms at Barnes &C Noble, Copy Korner or online at hsc.tamu.edu/admis/funrun.html Rudder Auditorium • 7 p.m. $ 8 Pre-sale / S 12 at the door L V »CORVAcj March 31- April 4 845-1234 CMsc 0PAS Opera & Performing Arts Society sBattauon Tiffany Inbody, Editor in Chief Helen Clancy, Copy Chief Brad Graeber, Visual Arts Editor Robert Smith, City Editor Jeremy Furtick, Sports Editor James Francis, Aggielife Editor Mandy Cater, Opinion Editor Ryan Rogers, Photo Editor Chris Huffines, Radio Producer Sarah Goldston, Radio Producer Dusty Moer, Web Editor Aaron Meier, Night News Editor News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647; E- mail: batt@unix.tamu.edu; Website: http://battalion.tamu.edu Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-2678. Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy offbe Battalion. Mail subscrip- tions are $60 per school year, $30 for the fall or spring semester and $17.50 for the summer. To charge by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express, call 845-2611. The Battauon (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam peri ods) at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Battalion, 015 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station,TX 77843-1111. Illk Ilf T he Battalion Nation Wednesday • February 25, What's Up Wednesday ATM Womens Rugby: Come join! No experience need ed. Practices are from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the pitch on the corner of Texas Avenue and University Drive. Call Nik ki at 694-0084 for information. Aggie Habitat for Humanity: A meeting will be held at 8:30 p.m. in 229 MSC. Call Rosalyn at 268-1067 for de tails. Aggies For Life: There will be a speaker from the Hope Crisis Pregnancy Center at 5:45 p.m. in Rudder 401. Reformed University Fellowship: There will be a large group Bible study in MSC 292B from 8:30 to 9:45 p.m. For details call Jud at 695-0675. TAMU Snow Ski Club: A meeting will be held at 8:30 p.m. in Rudder 410. Call Chuck at 694-2726 for details. Catholic Students Association: “Hot Topics” discussion session from 6 to 7 p.m. in St. Mary’s Student Center Library, followed by Newman Mass at 7:15 and a Bible Month Continued from Page 1 the biracial democracy, which was briefly brought to power in Texas by black political ac tivism in the late 1860s and early 1870s.” Gaines was removed from the Senate after a questionable conviction for bigamy. The Texas Supreme Court reversed the charges, but a spe cial committee of the Senate ruled him ineligi ble for re-election because of his criminal past. In a state widely discontent with the end of slavery, such events were a regular occurrence. The “carpetbagger” myth tarnished the reputa tions of the black lawmakers of the day. Bivin Howell, director of marketing for the Black Awareness Committee and a senior busi ness analysis major, said Gaines made an im pact in education that crosses racial lines. “Gaines’ contributions are important to all people,” Howell said. “He was an important study in Rudder Tower. TAMU Anthropological Society: There will be a general meeting and guest lecture tonight at 7 p.m. in Room 130 Anthropology Building. Dr. Lee Cronk will discuss “Daugh ter Favoritism Among the Mukogodo”. Call Judy at 693- 7870. Study Abroad Programs Office: An informational meet ing to promote the Italy Spring '99 program will be held from 9:30 to 10 a.m. in Room 154, 161 Bizzell Hall West. Canterbury Episcopal Student Center: Meets every Wednesday night at 6:15 p.m. at 902 George Bush Dri ve. There will be Holy Eucharist followed by a dinner. Call Fr. Mark Crawford at 696-0774 for details. What’s Up is a Battalion service that lists non-profit student and faculty events and activities. Items should be submitted no later than three days In advance of the desired run date. Application deadlines and notices are not events and will not be run in What’s Up. If you have any questions, please call the newsroom at 845- 3313. part of A&M’s history. Although he may have not been there to start traditions, he and others had the idea of the University.” Howell said the struggle for equality during those times proved difficult on Gaines and oth er black legislators. “Gaines and other legislators initiated the movement for a public institution but they were still degraded,” Howell said. “Others attacked their credibility and reputation, which was a struggle within itself. It is important for people to recognize that because of their dreams, we now have this university.” Vergel Gay, former architect in Facilities Planning and Construction for the A&M sys tem, worked on a project to recognize Gaines’ contributions to the University. “Gaines was one of the leaders that started public education in the state,” Gay said. “He was an outspoken and committed person that im pacted this state in a great way. Because of his leadership, Texas A&M is here today.” Lights, camera, action JAKE SCHRICKUNG/TheBt Dave Fulton, an assistant electrician for A Chorus Line, adjusts the lights forTuesdaj night’s show. Clinton pummels public education WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi dent Clinton Tuesday decried high school seniors’ poor performance on an international math and sci ence test as a larger failure by the generation of adults responsible for educating them. “There is no ex cuse for this,” he said. In a speech before the National Council of Jewish Woman, Clinton said America’s showing among the lowest of 21 nations on the Third In ternational Mathematics and Sci ence Study is “a leading indicator” of the real problems with public ed ucation, and Congress must act quickly to correct them. “I am hoping and praying that we can put aside partisan politics when it comes to education,” Clin ton said. “It is so important to our future.” Clinton rejected arguments that some students did not perform well because they come from poor fam ilies or are troubled by social prob lems. He said the “sophisticated conversations” about water quality that he had with inner-city kids dur ing a recent visit to a Baltimore ma rine life program proved that is not true. “But it is true that too many peo ple are not learning,” Clinton said. “There is something wrong with the system, and it is our generation’s re sponsibility to fix it. You cannot blame the schoolchildren. There is no excuse for this.” Education Secretary Richard Ri ley also decried the test results, which showed that even top high school seniors taking the toughest math and science courses per formed far worse than similar stu dents in most other countries. Test your knowledge American high-schoolers’ math and science scores are well below those of their counterparts in Western countries. Some blame teaching methods. A few sample questions: Mechanical 2. The figure shows a common plastic bottle filled with water (1L) with three holes in it, so that the water runs out of the holes. Explain what is wrong with the figure: j—i U.S. average: 41% International average: 70% 1. A jar of oxygen and a jar of hydrogen gas are at the same temperature. Which of the following has the same value for the molecules of both gases: a. The average velocity b. The average momentum c. The average force d. The average kinetic energy U.S. average: 49% International average: 41% 3. Stu wants to wrap some ribbon around a box as shown below and have 25 centimeters left to tie a bow. How long a piece does he need? wnswers: 1. d 2. The pressure will increase with depth due paths. 3. e 8 cm U.S. average: 32% International average: 45% to water above, so the water jets will have other Source: Third International Mathematics and Science Study, 1994-95 “This is unacceptable,” Riley said. Not only did typical American seniors do poorly, but those who took physics and advanced math courses such as calculus and ana lytical geometry also performed at or near the bottom when compared with students in other countries who took similar courses. “Our best students in math ematics and science are simply not ’world class,”’ said William H. Schmidt, a Michigan State Univer sity professor and national research coordinator for the federally sup ported project. “Even the very small percentage of students taking Ad vanced Placement courses are not among the world’s best.” Riley and others blamed a dearth of qualified teachers and easy graduation requirements. About half of physics teachers lack a major or minor in that subject. Likewise, about half of college- bound seniors have not taken four years of science. Baptist church excommunicated DALLAS (AP) —The Baptist General Convention o(Texasonlus expelled an Austin church that actively supports practicing homos als and has a gay deacon. The convention’s 180-member executive board, assembled in ditorium, supported a motion to disassociate itself from thellmts Baptist Church. The motion asks the church to remove any claim of affiliation! I r e| the convention from its literature and Internet site. The conventioni 1 will no longer accept money donated from the church for mission I programs. |] Tuesday’s vote was sparked when top group officials leamedii month that the University Baptist Web site mentions its affiliation ' |iot| the convention. "We cannot approve of churches endorsing homosexual pracwfta| biblically legitimate,” said Ft. Worth pastor Charles Davenport,head the committee that drafted the motion. The church has had a tenuous relationship with the conventions* ; ( j| it ordained an openly gay deacon, Hans Venable, in 1994. The cltf i 0 also sponsors and invites homosexuals to participate in Open Circle a ] ministry for gays and lesbians. ff Executive board members insisted their vote was not a condemn tion of the church’s acceptance of homosexuals into its ministry andco gregation. L “We commend the church for their ministry, and we feel tliatchutti es should minister (to homosexuals),” Davenport said. “But ntinisteii to is different than an affirmation of, and we interpret (the church’s*' tivities) to be an affirmation of.” University Baptist Pastor Larry Bethune said he doesn’t under# the distinction. “I don’t feel very commended as a church lor our ministry to gaysj lesbians today,” Bethune said after the vote. “The convention has an# way of showing it.” In his speech to the assembled board, Bethune said the conven made only perfunctory efforts to contact him and discuss the disag ment. He and others in the audience questioned the wisdom of expel' a church because it has unorthodox views. “Asserting pressure on the autonomy of a local church by threalfjj ing disconnection is not Baptist,” Bethune said. The moderate-controlled Texas convention and more conser Southern Baptist Convention have long butted heads over the la?] Convention’s tendency toward expelling churches. Hurry! Last Chance ! SixidY Spanish in nTexieo Summer Session 1 - Nurnrnei- Session l at tTniversirfad de las Americas fn #*uel>| a erecttt for SVAwtS 7.7.T/20T SPACN 7.7.7./T.O Limited Spaces ! Applications available with: U>r. Guadalupe Cortina 202 D. .Academic Bide. Office Hours: T/TTi 2-3 Phone 845-1773 cortinafafunix. tarnu. edu Texas A&M Study Abroad Program Office 161 Bizzell Hall West Phone: 845-0544 studyab(gfstudyabroad, tamu. edu PROFITABLE NUMBER! 845-0569 The Battalion Classified Advertising available now! ...this ain’t your high school’s talent show! show off your talent at msc variety show held parent’s weekend, april 17 .. applications now available in the msc student programs office for questions or more info call Stacy at 845^1515 /[SvwL Presented by: V\TM1 d ^^applications due February 27—THIS FRIDAY!**