The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 27, 1998, Image 1

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    Texas A & M University
i™ YEAR • ISSUE 115 • 8 PAGES
COLLEGE STATION • TX
TODAY TOMORROW
FRIDAY • MARCH 27 • 1998
EWS
Briefs
[key awarded for
✓ice, dedication
p Texas A&M University System
of Regents recognized Texas
|faculty physician Dr. Nancy W.
’ for her service to medicine and
university.
K Boa'd approved a resolution
1 their meeting Thursday in Col-
itation recognizing her “leader-
ind vision in advancing the goals
bjectives of medical education
: achieving nationwide recognition
| commitment to the medical pro-
n.”
:key is an associate professor in
xas A&M University Health Sci-
^enter College of Medicine’s De-
lent of Family and Community
line.
was elected to the American
lal Association’s Board of
|es in 1989 and became its chair
)5. She was elected president-
3f the AMA in June 1997 and will
ie president of the organization
1998.
will be the first women presi-
fn the 150-year history of the
pember organization.
[sidency, press
>e discussed
inst the backdrop of media
surrounding President Clin-
Fexas A&M’s Journalism De-
jient will present an afternoon
Tlitics, the Press and the Pres-
|y” featuring reporters who
jeen in the thick of it.
program, which is open to the
is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
day in Room 158 of the Blocker
ng-
DeFrank, who covers Washing-
r the New York Daily News; Peter
Ipel, a former press aid to Presi-
t Bush: and George Edwards, di-
of the Center for Presidential
?s at Texas A&M, will discuss cur-
)ast and future relations between
ress and the presidency at the
■table discussion.
Jr more information, contact the
halism Department online at
J://www.journalism.tamu.edu>
lessor to give
Iress in Kowloon
&orge J. Mann, the Ronald L. Sk-
lEndpwed Professor of Health Fa-
Design in the College of Archi-
re, will present two slide
bntations to the Hong Kong Hos-
'kUthority in Kowloon,
ann’s first lecture, on Saturday, will
fititled “Lessons From Abroad —
fiopsis of Designs for Ambulatory,
and Extended Care.”
i Tuesday, Mann will speak to 250
taff members of the hospital au-
at the Hong Kong Health Care
|n Symposium 1998.
tie theme of the symposium will be
^ting the Challenges of Creating a
^omoting Environment.”
N S I D E
uggielife
torth
SyjTpr^hgjite
lie festival en-
Iits two-day run
^ents, with
-mic perfor-
ices and
ds at Northgate venues.
See Page 2
£ie Baseball Team plays
t of three weekend
nes against KSU today.
See Page 4
opinion
rtin: Twenty-first century
market demands
ativity for success.
See Page 7
tp: / / battalion.tamu.edu
ok up with state and na-
nal news through The
re, AP’s 24-hour online
»vs service.
Senate proposes class-time change
By Stacey Becks
Staffwriter
The Student Senate Wednesday
night agreed to propose a revision of
the class schedule at the Bush Aca
demic Building to give students
coming from the main campus
more time to get to class.
Rachel Ferguson, a senator and
senior elementary education major,
said this could help students who
are having a hard time getting to
class on time when they commute
from main campus to Bush school.
“I think it would be very benefi
cial to students taking classes at the
Poster pizazz
Bush Complex to have staggered
schedules,” she said. “It would pre
vent students from being late to
class and the professors won’t have
student interruptions constantly.”
The bill would allow for a 35
minute time-gap between classes at
the Bush Library and classes at
main and west campuses. The class
es at Bush on Monday, Wednesday
and Friday would start at 8:35 a.m.
and Tuesday and Thursday classes
would start at 8:45 a.m. Classes on
all campuses start at 8:00 a.m. now.
Peter Schulte, a senator and a
sophomore meteorology major,
said the time classes start could hurt
some students with afternoon jobs.
“For students who need classes
to be over by noon for jobs, this is
not a good idea,” he said. “I am not
against the bill, but the proper
weight wasn’t given to each idea.
The main input was taken from stu
dents who are currently taking
classes at Bush.”
Schulte said the downside of the
bill is that students taking classes at
the Bush Library will not be able to
take the next class on the main cam
pus because the classes will coin
cide. It could put pressure on all of
West Campus to make the time gap
35 minutes, he said.
Carl Richard, academic business
administrator for the political sci
ence department, said not includ
ing the entire West Campus would
be a problem.
“A small group of political sci
ence faculty met with the depart
ment head and all of the faculty
members thought it would be better
to have all of West Campus on the
time zone and not just Bush.”
In other business, the Student
Senate:
•Passed a bill that requires ap
pointments made by the Executive
Branch requiring Senate confirma
tion to go before the Appointment
Recommendations Board.
•Passed a bill that requires adver
tisements from all Student Govern
ment Association groups to contain
the SGA logo and slogan.
•Passed a bill that changes the
number of votes necessary to call a
recall vote from ten percent of a sen
ator’s constituency to 300 students
in the constituency.
•Passed a bill that allows the Stu
dent Body President, the Speaker of
the Senate and a petition of 1/3 of
the Senate to call special sessions.
•Passed a bill that defines an
“abstain” vote as “present and not
counting.”
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Former South African
president visits A&M
\;
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ROBERT MCKAY/The Battalion
Students answer questions about their research in Rudder Exhibit Hall Thursday after
noon. The research poster competition was sponsored by Graduate Student Council.
Texas A&M professor
indicted by grand jury
By Amanda Smith
Staffwriter
Nobel Peace Prize winner F.W. de Klerk will
discuss the new Africa tonight at 8:00 p.m. in
Rudder Auditorium. The former president of
South Africa will join other panelists with ex
pertise in areas related to Sub-Saharan Africa
to discuss Africa’s future.
Other panelists will include Alan Gelb,
chief economist of Africa for the World Bank;
Muna Ndulo, a former public prosecutor for
the Zambian government and retired U.S. Air
Force General; and Charles Boyd, a former
deputy commander in chief of the U.S. Euro
pean Command.
Tony Bassham, a student director of the
MSC Wiley Lecture Series and a senior inter
national studies major, said the program will
offer insight into the future of Africa.
“As an important political figure and a for
mer president of South Africa, de Klerk is an
expert on South African economic, political
and social issues,” Bassham said. “Students
have in de Klerk the opportunity to hear both
a living historical figure and a political expert
talk about an exciting topic.”
The panel discussion coincides with Pres
ident Clinton’s travels to Africa. The president
opened the 12-day tour on March 23 to rec
ognize the changes in Africa’s government
and open doors to a possible trade market.
Bassham said President Clinton’s trip
marks potential for changes in U. S. relations
with Africa.
“What I believe Clinton’s visit demonstrates
is that American foreign policy is ready to con
sider the economic and political potential of
Sub-Saharan Africa as an important issue,”
Bassham said. “The president’s trip paves the
way for a new focus on opportunity in Africa,
not just crisis management. Whether students
are motivated by humanitarian concerns for
their fellow man, economic opportunity or the
intricacies of politics and history, Africa is a top
ic of amazing potential.”
Rahul Patel, the programming director of
the MSC Wiley Lecture Series, said Africa of
fers opportunity with abundant human and
natural resources.
"We are interested in looking at Africa and
what it could mean to America in the future,”
Patel said. “The resources are immense there.
As we grow into a global economy, Clinton
“As an important political
figure and a former presi
dent of South Africa, de
Klerk is an expert on South
African economic, political
and social issues.”
Tony Bassham
MSC Wiley Lecture Series
and others have realized that Africa is a glob
al economy.”
More than half of the 48 nations of Sub-Sa
haran Africa have elected governments today.
Patel said many of the countries in Africa need
political, economic and social stability.
“You have an emergence of democratic
countries and governments,” Patel said. “This
is a very important step on the road to stabil
ity. We do not want to emphasize the past his
tory of Africa but focus on the future.”
Although de Klerk received the Nobel
Peace Prize after ending the apartheid system
in South Africa, Patel said he will focus on the
development of today’s Africa.
Tickets are on sale for $12 for students and
$18 fq£ others at the box office in Rudder Au
ditorium.
By Amanda Smith
Staffwriter
A tenured Texas A&M University
professor was indicted yesterday by a
grand jury for theft by a public servant
of property valued over $750 and under
$20,000.
Dhiraj Pradhan, formerly the high
est-paid computer science professor at
A&M, could face between two and 20
years in the state penitentiary, if con
victed of the second-degree felony.
Pradhan was indicted Feb. 26 on two
felony counts that char ge him with mis
appropriating state money for person
al profit. Those counts could earn pun
ishment of up to five years probation.
In a fax to The Battalion, Pradhan
said the law under which he has been
indicted is continuously altered and
could be challenged.
“The law under which I have been
indicted belies an ever-changing cli
mate, born out in the DA’s office, one
which not only is very vague but is a
convenient catch-all,” Pradhan said.
“This very recent law obviously
could benefit from a court challenge
to better define its parameters. It
would be a dubious distinction
should mine have to become its first
test-case.”
Pradhan did not testify in the grand
jury hearing yesterday.
District attorney Bill Turner con
firmed yesterday’s grand jury indict
ment, but was not available for com
ment following the hearing.
Pradhan filed a civil suit against
Texas A&M on March 25 at the district
clerk’s office in Austin after being sus
pended without pay since Aug. 1997
and in response to the conclusion of
mediation by the A&M tenure media
tion committee.
Guy Battle, the co-chair of the tenure
mediation committee, said Pradhan
was unable to reach an agreement with
the University through the mediation.
“It became clear than an agreement
could not be reached,” Battle said. “We
tried to get the two sides to reach an
agreement and we were unsuccessful.”
Gaines West and Charles Orsburn,
two members of Pradhan’s defense
team, represented Pradhan at the
March 17 meeting of the tenure medi
ation committee. West represented
Pradhan at the March 23 meeting.
Batde said the allegations concern
ing Pradhan will move on to consider
ation by President Dr. Ray Bowen.
Mary Jo Powell, associate director of
University Relations, declined to com
ment on the status of Pradhan because
of a University policy that prohibits of
ficials from commenting.
Pradhan said he accepted his posi
tion as the College of Engineering En
dowed Chair in Computer Science in
1991 with the understanding that he
would have complete discretion over
the spending of a University endowed
fund for the department.
Pradhan, a native of India, said Texas
A&M University officials have discrim
inated against him because of his race
and his outspoken comments on the
tenure mediation policy.
Bush School graduate students
to present 'Project Bookmark'
By Katy Lineberger
Staff writer
The inaugural class of the George Bush School of
Government and Public Service will host a day-long
celebration of reading tomorrow.
The festival, “Project Bookmark: Making Your
Mark on Literacy,” will take place at the Bush School
Plaza from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Laura Bush, the first lady
of Texas, will kick off the event with a book reading.
Jason Gray, Project Bookmark’s vice-chair and a
graduate student in government and public service,
“We want kids to recognize
that reading outside of class
ill can ■ii-liihAi
Israel Hernandez
Event chair
said the festival is geared toward children in the
Bryan-College Station area. Over 3,000 are expected
to attend, he said.
“Our goal is to celebrate the enjoyment of read
ing and identify sources available in the Brazos Val
ley about reading and literacy,” he said. “We want to
heighten awareness of the positive aspects of read
ing— entertainment, enjoyment and education.”
Several children’s authors will read and auto
graph their books, including Angela Shelf
Medearis, Helen Ketteman, Diane Gonzales and
Cynthia Ann Boettcher.
Event chair Israel Hernandez, a graduate student
in government and public service, said literary per
formers will also act out books.
“We want kids to recognize that reading outside
of class can be fun,” he said.
Hernandez said vendors, exhibitors and pub
lishers will showcase different ways for parents and
teachers to interest children in reading. In addition,
1,300 books will be given away. All the day’s events
are free to the public.
Gray said the festival was born out of the desire
to “give something back” to the local community. He
noted the “public service” half of the degree name
for the 19-member Bush School class.
“We want to practice what we’re preaching,” he
said.
Hernandez said the festival aims to comple
ment what the community is already doing to
promote literacy.
“With the authors talking about why they wrote
their books, and the theatrical sense,” Hernandez
said, "hopefully we can strike an interest for kids to
read more.”
Dr. Don Seaman, director of the Texas Center for
Adult Literacy, said there is a great need in Texas to
promote literacy in children and adults.
“Literacy is survival,” he said. “We’re moving
into a more technological society, and literacy
skills are going to be required more and at higher
levels. It’s critical that we have an educated popu
lation that can increase their standard of living and
be better parents.”
Seaman said a number of volunteer efforts have
helped make progress in fighting illiteracy.
“Anything people can do to promote literacy is a
worthwhile endeavor,” he said. “We’re making good
strides to meet the needs, but we’re a long way from
complete. I’m encouraged by wliat I’ve seen with
things like Project Bookmark.”