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104™ YEAR • ISSUE 1S8 • 6 PAGES
TEXAS ASM UNIVERSITY ■ COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
Tomorrow
Opinion:
University neglects liberal
arts program.
WEDNESDAY • JUNE 24 • 1998
Burn Ban
Over 150
acres were
lost to fire
at this site
outside of
College
Station on
Highway 60.
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Lack of rainfall, recent flames prompt area
stricter regulations regarding outdoor fires
Photo By Jake Schrickling/The Battalion
By Sarah Goldston
Staff Writer
The Brazos County Commission
ers Court established a more strin
gent fire ban Tuesday after 150 acres
of land burned outside of College
Station Monday
"It took us two hours to get the
fire under control," Joe Ondrasek,
fire chief for Brazos County
Precinct 4, said.
Ondrasek said firefighters arrived
on the scene at 2:55 p.m. and left the
scene at 11 p.m.
The fire was caused when the
property owner burned trash out
side, he said.
"The owner was issued a warn
ing, and the cause of the fire is still
under investigation. If it is deter
mined the owner was reckless, fur
ther action will be taken and the
person may be charged with a mis
demeanor," Ondrasek said.
Susan Gandy, administrative assis
tant for the county judge, said the new
ban is more specific about who can is
sue citations. It also specifies which
court the offenders will report to.
"Under the new ban, anyone who
lights a fire in a rural area will be
charged," Gandy said.
County Sheriff Chris Kirk said any
large fire in a rural area could be a po
tential wildfire. He said the new ban
will help.
"There were problems with the
statute in the burn-ban setup, but it
was remedied with the passing of the
new ban," Kirk said.
Under the new ban, officers can is
sue citations punishable by up to a
$1,000 fine, Ondrasek said.
"There should be no type of burn
ing at all in the county under the con
ditions we are experiencing," On
drasek said. "I would encourage
people to watch any discarded hot item
or sparks created by cutting with steel."
With the drought conditions over
most of Texas, Ondrasek said resi
dents of the Brazos Valley need to use
fireworks with caution on the Fourth
of July.
"Aerial fireworks are banned for
the Fourth. I want to remind those
who will use fireworks to use them
with a great deal of caution," On
drasek said. "They should stay away
from tall grass when igniting the fire
works and have a water supply and
a phone close by if a fire should oc
cur. The best thing would be to not
use fireworks at all, but if you do, use
them safely and appropriately."
Gandy said fireworks that have
fins or rudders are banned. Py
rotechnic devices, such as sky rock
ets, also are banned.
Regional Forester Ernie Smith
said due to extreme drought condi
tions in over 100 counties, burn bans
prohibit open burning of fireworks.
"Fire officials are encouraging cit
izens to attend community events to
enjoy fireworks displays provided by
professionals," Smith said.
Court upholds
parental consent rider
sider . Planned Parenthood loses battle over right of
™ minors to obtain prescription medications
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Amber Benson
City Editor
The Texas Supreme Court unan
imously upheld rider 14 of the state
appropriations bill Tuesday forbid
ding the use of state tax dollars to
dispense prescription drugs to mi
nors without parental consent.
Planned Parenthood of Hous
ton sued the state of Texas over
rider 14, authored by State Senator
Steve Ogden,
on the
grounds that
it conflicts
with federal
law and vio
lates the
Texas Consti
tution. State
District
Judge Scott
McCown de
clared rider 1 1
14 unconstitutional in a trial court
in Travis County.
The Texas Supreme Court vacat
ed Judge McCown's decision and
dismissed the case because Planned
Parenthood could not show that it
was injured by rider 14.
In a concurring opinion written
by Supreme Court Justice Raul Gon
zalez and joined by Justice Greg Ab
bot, the justices said Planned Par-
Planned Parenthood
is not the surrogate parent
of Texas’ minor children.”
— Raul Gonzalez and Greg Abbot
Texas Supreme Court Justices
enthood has no standing.
"Planned Parenthood lacks
standing either in it's own right or
on behalf of the minors of the State
of Texas," Gonzalez and Abbot
wrote in their opinion. "Planned
Parenthood is not the surrogate
parent of Texas' minor children."
Planned Parenthood argued
that it has standing to represent the
interests of the minors of the state.
Under Texas law, only the par
ents or guardians of a minor may
represent their le
gal interests in
court.
Senator Ogden
said he saw the
court decision as a
victory for parental
rights and the state
legislature.
"Parents have a
right to know what
their kids are do
ing," Ogden said, "and the legis
latures have the right to appropri
ate state tax dollars."
Although Ogden said he saw
the decision as favorable, he said it
would not surprise him to see the
case in court again.
"This case was decided on nar
row grounds," Ogden said. "It is
conceivable that it could go back
to court."
A&M names Janis Stout
new dean of faculties
Staff and Wire
Report
Janis P. Stout, pro
fessor of English, has
been named dean of
faculties and associ-
a te provost at Texas
A&M University.
The appointment
Was announced by
Ronald G. Douglas, ex
ecutive vice president
and provost, and will
be effective August 1.
Stout succeeds
william L. Perry, who
is now executive as-
s ociate provost.
Stout will play a
^jor role in repre
senting faculty needs
ar >d issues in the Divi-
sion of Academic Af-
ahs, Douglas said. He
said she has had previ
ous administrative ex
perience as an associ
ate dean in the College
of Liberal Arts.
A key responsibili
ty of the dean of facul
ties is to make certain
that open channels of
communication are
maintained among the
faculty and adminis
trators, Douglas said.
Stout holds B.A. and
M.A. degrees from
Lamar University and a
Ph.D. from Rice Univer
sity. She joined the A&M
faculty in 1987. Since
1994, Stout has concen
trated on teaching, writ
ing and working with
graduate students.
She is a nationally
known scholar on
early 20th century
women writers and is
the author of five
scholarly books, three
novels and a number
of journal articles.
She recently won a
national awatd for
her scholarship.
Stout currently is
working on a book
about Willa Gather.
Her most recent
book, published by
the University of Al
abama Press in April
1998, is Through the
Window, Out the Door:
Women's Narratives of
Departure, from Austin
and Gather to Tyler,
Morrison mid Didion.
Stout said that she
"looks forward to
working with mem
bers of the University
community from all
across the campus."
The Eagle has landed
STEPHANIE CORLEY/The Battalion
Francis Euel “Doc” Savage II, Class of ’67, better known as “Elijah,” attracts attention atop “The
Millennium Eagle,” a mobile camping unit he built which he hauls behind “The Chariot of Fire of
Elijah.” Savage soon will be using his mobile unit to market Israeli-and Texas-made goods to Texans.
News Briefs
More vehicles
hit by theft
After three burglaries the
day before, the area around
Spring Loop in College Station
was hit again yesterday.
Five more vehicles were bur
gled in the area, three of which
had stereo equipment taken
from them.
Spring Loop is located east
Staff and Wire Reports
of the College Station Hilton
and is home to many students.
Planning office
gets new name
The Office of Planning and In
stitutional Research at Texas A&M
has renamed the Office of Institu
tional Studies and Planning.
Ronald G. Douglas, execu
tive vice president and
provost, said the new name
is more reflective of the work
of the office and avoids any
confusion of identity, with
the Office of the Vice Presi
dent for Research.
The name change became
effective June 15. Telephone
numbers and the mail stop
remain the same for the of
fice, which is located in Room
302 Williams Building.
Program
offers head
start for new
engineering
majors
By Patrick Peabody
Staff Writer
This summer a few incoming stu
dents are participating in Phase One,
a program for engineering students
designed to ease the transition be
tween high school and college.
The program allows incoming en
gineering majors to adapt to campus
life while earning credit and improv
ing their mathematics, computer and
studying skills.
Jan Rinehart, Phase One coordi
nator, said the program builds
friendships and lets people find
study partners.
Since 1989, the Phase One pro
gram has given incoming students a
sense of belonging, as well as a boost
in confidence, Rinehart said.
The participating students take an
English or political science course.
They also take both math and engi
neering skills courses.
To attend this program, the stu
dents must send in an application, a
high school transcript and an essay
explaining why they are interested in
the program.
There only are 50 slots available
for the program, which takes place
July 6 through August 11.
The number of applications to the
program has increased over the past
two years.
The Phase One program costs
$1,300 for each student.
However, sponsorship by the
State Engineering and Science Re
cruitment Program, the Multi-Ethnic
Engineering Program of Texas A&M
and the National Science Foundation
brings the student fee down to $300.
The program is looking for stu
dents whose backgrounds might
cause them to have trouble adjusting
to college life. These students include
those who attended small high
schools or show promise despite av
erage grades.
Rinehart said she finds that stu
dents who attended Phase One have
a higher retention rate their first fall
semester and a higher overall GPR.
Rinehart also said that it is an
overall good experience for the
students.
"I think it's a neat opportunity,"
Rinehart said, "and I think college is
learning to take opportunities, and
that sometimes it's hard to know
which one to take, but I think the aca
demic opportunity is what grounds
you in your career choice, and makes
you successful."