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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1998)
/ University nday • April ( ;ainst^ YEAR • ISSUE 122 • 12 PACES of Kansas COLLEGE STATION • TX TODAY TUESDAY • APRIL 7 • 1998 sh lecture focuses on responsible Texans MIKE RJEY lawk runne a me twobv By Sarah Goldston Staff writer emor George W. Bush said Monday [should be more responsible for tions. a and everyone of us are respon- for ourselves, our neighbors and Ichjildren that we bring into this Id,I he said. said Texans must step up to the erjge of tackling social problems, got something to say,” said Bush, ill be our legacy? Today’s chal- esllie not outside our borders but incur souls.” tisLi spoke at the George Bush Pres- tial Library and Museum as part of Iwanna M. Powell Lecture Series. Powell Lecture Series is a program failings leaders and experts on pub- ssiles about or related to Texas to the campus. Bush was chosen as the first speaker for the lecture series. Bush related his parents’ Cold War-era generation to the audience and said a new challenge faces the present generation. “Our parents worked to establish dig nity," he said. “The difference in the generations speaks volumes. Children are no longer afraid of an unseen enemy, but they are afraid of be ing shot by their classmates.” Bush also addressed the topic of juve nile justice laws. He said juveniles should be held accountable for their actions. “These are Texas’ and America’s prob lems that touch everyone from every eth nicity and culture,” he said. “Cultures change one act of compassion at a time. The legacy of our sons and daughters is one of renewal and hope.” Bush also emphasized his belief in small government. “Part of our legacy should be to re store government to its proper role and scope: smaller government and individ ual rights guiding the philosophy of our nation,” he said. A&M President Ray M. Bowen said it was an honor to have Bush on campus. “The governor is special to all Aggies,” he said. “In his speech, he addressed im portant issues to Texas.” Dannah Wheeler, a sophomore speech communications and political science major, said she was proud to see a leader committed to making change in society. “It was motivating to hear Governor Bush speak,” she said. “It is important for future leaders to have the opportunity to see such a genuine, responsible and moral leader speak about the changes he has in mind for our society.” RYAN ROGERS/The Battalion Gov. George W. Bush speaks at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. iWS her ruble, Briefs ing lot closed e to overuse arlng in Rudder Circle will be lIBed by the end of this week, ac- ng o PITS director Tom Williams, arling, Traffic, Transportation jMs (PITS) will post signs at the )f this week to alert people of the ga. Rudder Circle parking will be ^Bted as a passenger loading unloading zone. Unattended ve- | Inay be ticketed. /illpms said the circle has be- '..■a no man’s land” due to the gjSig in front of the Rudder en- ae caused by overuse of the park- area llaijdicapped parking currently in del Circle will be relocated to the torb Center Parking garage be- ftfe Koldus building. lications for ALS available lority Enrichment and Devel- It through Academic and i ers hip Skills (MEDALS) is ac- §11 Jpg applications for the 1999 I autive Staff. 1EDALS is an annual confer- Ulll por high-school students, coun- lllli. m and parents. Attendees of Mm* inference participate in a two- yippi program which includes work- ||||jp. ps. interaction with college re- guest speakers and Igife; ftiinment geared to encourage p- attendance. HHfflPpplications can be picked up at ^^^®Mpartment of Multicultural Ser- 1(cated in MSC 137. The dead- H Monday, April 13 and inter- Mvill be held April 13-17. H further information, contact jip Taylor at 847-2170 or via e- lat howling@tamu.edu. N S I D E gs A&M University Press |s campus a chance to a look at published ks by Aggies, Texans. See Page 3 ington’s Bob Bender and Is Rick Majerus named 6p Texas candidates. See Page 7 1 opinion *—-— k ■itV Schumacher: \x% Recent increase in price at ! pay phones leaves heads ringing. See Page :/ / battalion.tamu.edu |k up with state and na- news through The AP’s 24-hour online service. Debate to showcase platforms By Rachel Dawley Staffwriter Student body president runoff candidates Joe Forman and Laurie Nickel will discuss campus is sues in a debate tonight at 8:30 in 292B MSC. Runoff elections will be held Wednesday and Thursday. Nickel, a senior business.analysis major, and For man, a senior economics major, qualified for the runoff elections last Thursday night, earning the two largest percentages of votes among the six student body president candidates. The candidates will discuss several topics and answer questions from the audience during the debate, which is sponsored by MSC Political Fo rum and the Student Government Association Election Commission. Aaron Bigbee, director of special programs for Political Forum and a sophomore mathematics ma jor, said the debate will allow students to hear each candidate’s ideas and stances on issues. “Primarily, the goal of the debate is to increase the student body’s awareness of the candidates for pres ident,” Bigbee said. “It will be an opportunity to learn about the policy issues affecting the Universi ty and some of the work the Student Government Association is currently doing.” Joy Brennan, a member of Political Forum and a sophomore political science major, said, “The debate is a way for students to differentiate between the plat forms of candidates,” Brennan said. “It is an oppor tunity to see a more objective view of each candidate, rather than their normal campaign literature.” This week’s runoff elections will decide the stu dent body president, one senior yell leader position, both junior yell leaders, the Class of ’99 vice presi dent, the Class of ’00 social secretary and the Class of’01 vice president. Murray Van Eman, the election commissioner and a senior animal science major, said students should vote in the runoff elections because they are electing their leaders. “In the past, there has been a lower turnout for runoff elections,” Van Eman said. “The debate is an opportunity to compare candidates.” There are 10 polling locations for the runoff elec tion. Students can vote at the Commons, Zachry, Sterling C. Evans Library, Blocker, the MSC, Wehn- er, Kleberg, the Student Recreation Center, Sbisa Dining Hall and Duncan Dining Hall. Every student’s dream GREG MCREYNOLDS/The Battalion Dr. Carl Maxson, a professor of mathematics, gets a pie in the face from April Ray, a senior mathematics major, Monday afternoon in front of Blocker. The “Pie A Prof” event was held to raise money for the mathematics society. Juvenile crime targeted in bill AUSTIN (AP) — Children as young as 11 could be sentenced to death for capital mur der under a proposal by a state lawmaker whose own son is just that age. “I frnpe my child is a Beaver Cleaver.... I think there are 11-year-olds out there that would be capable of premeditated murder,” said Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, pointing to the recent school yard shootings in Arkansas. Pitts outlined his proposals to increase penalties available against juveniles who commit violent crimes Monday, the same day death-penalty opponents including Amnesty International USA announced new efforts to restrict Texas executions. “This idea of killing 11-year-olds, or hav ing them charged as adults, does not answer a principal issue in this society: How do we get the best out of our human resources? “It certainly won’t be to kill the young,” said Samuel Jordan, director of the Program to Abolish the Death Penalty of Amnesty In ternational USA. “I don’t think it has a great deal of chances for success if the people of Texas urge their representatives to enact laws that have morality,” he added. Pitts, who plans to introduce the juvenile crime package when lawmakers meets in regular session in January, said his proposals would give greater leeway to local district at torneys and courts. “I am not saying that every 11-year-old who commits a crime should be tried as an adult. I want to give an option to a district attorney, if they feel like they have enough evidence and the right kid,” Pitts said. His proposals include lowering from 17 to 11 the age at which a youngster is eligible to be charged with capital murder, and low ering from 14 to 10 the age at which a child can be certified and tried in the adult crim inal justice system. Under the proposal, someone as young as 11 who is convicted of capital murder could face either life without parole or the death penalty. Pitts’ aide, Rusty Ballard, said life without parole also would be an option in non-capital murders, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Capital murders have an enhancing factor, such as being committed during a robbery. Tonight’s ceremony marks tradition’s 100th anniversary, memorializes deaths of two students By Kelly Hackworth Staffwriter Tonight’s Silver Taps cere mony marks 100 years of the Texas A&M tradition which honors deceased students. Tonight’s ceremony will honor Deborah A. Goodall and John L. Keeler. Goodall, of College Station, served as a research assistant in veterinary anatomy and was enrolled as a nutritional sciences graduate student. Keeler, a senior account ing major from Austin, died while interning in Dallas. Patrick Williams, Class of ‘92 and campus programs di rector for the Association of Former Students, said the first Silver Taps honored Lawrence Sullivan Ross, who served eight years as presi dent of Texas A&M, then called the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. "The tradition allows me to speak about the ceremony freely and comfortably.” Kristin Sayre Associate director of student life Ross, a former Texas gov ernor, led A&M College through some of its turbulent early years, Williams said. Early ceremonies took place the day of the de ceased students’ funeral or as close to that day as possi ble. The day was changed in the mid-1980s due to the large increase in students, Williams said. Another change occurred in 1984 with the dedication of the Albritton Tower, a 49-bell carillon, donated by Ford D. Albritton, Class of ’42. Kristin Sayre, Associate Director of Student Life, is re sponsible for preparing for the ceremony by contacting the families, and ensuring that all campus flags are low ered on the day of Silver Taps. Sayre also meets with the families before the ceremony to ensure they understand the Silver Taps tradition. Please see Taps on Page 2. UT reports recruits finding better deals at other schools AUSTIN (AP) — In the high-stakes compe tition to attract the country’s smartest gradu ate students, the University of Texas is losing to top public and pi fWI^S^hcmls that offer big ger financial awards and fr^^ton, accord ing to a newspaper report. “It’s killing us,” Larry Gilbert, mairman of UT’s zoology department, told the Austin '\mer- ican-Statesman. “The overall deal that graduate students get elsewhere is so much better.” Sf§§ UT science faculty said half to two-thirds of the graduate students they tried to recruit this year turned them down. Campus wide, nearly 60 percent of the grad* uate students who were offered premier schol arships went elsewhere, a problem so worri some that incoming President Larry Faulkner says it is one of his highest priorities. Faulkner, who takes office April 13, said the issue goes beyond compensating gradu ate students. “I see UT as having major problems with compensation for staff, faculty and (graduate) students," he said. “I think this will be the most important issue I will be addressing in the ear ly stages of my tenure.” Although graduate students get little pub lic notice, a research university can’t function without them. They help teach undergraduates, grade pa pers, proctor exams, do research and lure bright faculty. The better they are, the better the school, faculty and deans said. Teresa Sullivan, vice president and dean of graduate studies, said. “Without good graduate students you don’t have good research and you don’t have a good faculty.” fl Until 1995, about 60 percent of the top grad uate students who were offered premier UT ^scholarships, or fellowships, enrolled, said John DoUard, associate dean of graduate studies. That dropped to 50 percent in 1995 and 1996 and then plunged to 41 percent this school year — UT’s worst. UT still attracts many high-caliber gradu ate students, Sullivan said, but she and others said the typical UT graduate student is finding it increasingly difficult to cover the minimum $2,460 in-state tuition and fees while buying groceries and paying rent on the salaries they earn as teaching assistants, research assistants and assistant instructors.