/
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.