■ Weather — J
I m fr B af’B E? Aggiehfe ... soo Page 3
Today 1
■ n > 1 U opinion ... see Page S
Tomorrow
Sports:
All-time A&M kicking leader,
Kyle Bryant, heads to the
playoffs with the Houston
Thunderbears of the Arena
Football League.
104 th YEAB • ISSUE 181 • 6 PAGES
—
TEXAS flaM UNIVERSITY ■ COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
TUESDAY • AUGUST 4 • 1998
iim Boot
wagonml
aours hi:l
Kup 01:
Sunday cl
'ompeiiij
t the
'reemar..-.}
Oath of Commitment
As I embark upon the study of medicine at
The Texas A&M University System Health
Science Center College of Medicine, I will:
1. enter into a relationship of mutual respect with my teachers
and my colleagues to enhance the learning environment and
gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a good physician;
.
2. accept responsibility
competent, maintain
never take advantage
3. respect the patient’s right !
4. value the knowledge and wi
have preceded me and en
5. recognize my weaknesses and stir
those qualities that will cam the i
colleagues, my family and myaelf
nets for which I am
of a physician and
or relationship;
the physicians who
contribute to this tradition;
is and strive to develop
pect of my patients, ray
6. continue this learning throughout all the days of my life.
4
College of Medicine honors medical school
inductees with ‘White Coat Ceremony’
By Rod Machen
City Editor
Incoming medical students took part in
a new tradition being established by the
College of Medicine.
The students received their white coats
in a ceremony that marked the beginning of
their medical education yesterday.
Janine Edwards, associate dean for stu
dent affairs and admissions, said the cere
mony has been around for five years and 90
medical schools have adopted it.
"The concept of the white coat ceremony
has been fostered by the Arthur P. Gold
Foundation," Edwards said. The foundation
is a public, not-for-profit organization who’s
mission is to foster humanism in medicine.
Dr. Michael Fried land, dean of the College
of Medicine, said the white coat is an impor
tant symbol in the medical profession.
"The physician's white coat has been a
part of the medical profession since the
1700s," Friedland said. A shorter coat is
worn by students while a longer version is
used by residents and physicians.
"The white coat is the healer's mantle,"
Edwards said.
The ceremony's keynote speaker was Dr.
H. Tristam Engelhardt, Jr., professor of
medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and
professor of philosophy at Rice University.
Engelhardt impressed upon the students
how much change the medical profession
is going through currently.
"Medicine is becoming unclear about
what it is to be a physician," Engelhardt
said.
He compared the modern era to Greece
during the time of Hippocrates and the end
of the Middle Ages when many new sci
ences were being developed.
"Genetics will change how physicians
heal," Engelhardt said. "Hippocrates was
also writing at a time of significant change
in Greek society."
Engelhardt addressed five areas that will
help medicine to be a profession that serves
with concern and care.
He said medicine must have a firm com
mitment to patient welfare. Engelhardt also
stressed the importance of confidentiality,
or "medical secrets," during a time when
genetics can tell a doctor more about a pa
tient than the patient knows
"Keeping confidentiality will be much
more complicated," he said.
Both privacy and patient consent are im
portant because newer health care consid
erations such as insurance and health main
tenance organizations, Engelhardt said.
With the newer health care systems, he said
more people can come between a doctor
and a patient.
see Inductees on Page 2.
I News Briefs
lilt
from staff and wire reports
A&M health affairs VP
given honorary board seat
■Elvin E. Smith, associative vice president for the health
affairs in Texas A&M University's Health Science Center Col
lege of Medicine, was elected july 24 as an Honorary Life
Member of the American Heart Association Texas Affiliate
Board of Directors in recognition of 22 years of exception
al service.
Honorary life membership is limited to AHA volunteers
o have given outstanding service at the division and af-
late levels for at least 10 years.
Smith, who holds a doctoral degree in physiology, has
along history with the affiliate's board of directors. He
served as president of the AHA Texas Affiliate in 1 989-90,
the first non-physician to be elected to that position.
BHe also has served as the secretary, first vice president,
president-elect and vice president of the affiliate's East
|exas Council 7.
Smith, a cardiovascular physiologist, came to Texas
A&M in 1975 as head of the Medical Physiology Depart
ment after serving on the faculty of the University of Mis-
jsissippi School of Medicine. He is a frequent speaker on
the topic of heart and vascular disease.
K He currently serves as senior associate dean and profes
sor of medical physiology in Texas A&M's College of Med
icine. He also has served as interim dean, executive asso
ciate dean, associate dean for research and graduate
studies for the college.
$c
$
irector of A&M Office of
raduate Studies named
John Richard Ciardino is the new director of the Office
olGraduate Studies at Texas A&M University effective Au
gust 1. Robert A. Kennedy, vice president for research and
Issociative provost for graduate studies announced on Fri
day, july 31.
Ciardino Succeeds Dan H. Robertson, who has returned
to his full-time faculty position in the Lowry Mays College
^nd Graduate School of Business.
Kennedy noted that Ciardino earned his undergradu
ate at the University of Southern Colorado, a masters de
gree at Arizona State University, and a doctorate at the Uni-
|versity of Nebraska.
He has been on the faculty of the Departments of Ge
ography and Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M since
1984 and served as head of geography and director of the
Cartographies Center from 1989 until 1996.
He recently founded and organized the Texas Geomor-
Phology Symposium, serves on the board of directors of
fhe Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium and is past
chair of the Engineering Geology Division of the Geologi
cal Society of America. Giardino's numerous awards in
clude The Geological Society of America's 1 995 Meritori-
)us Service Award. He has written more than 100 scientific
papers and six books.
Shania Twain tour
makes stop at Reed Arena
On her first major tour in the United States, country
linger Shania Twain will stop in College Station at Reed
Irena on September 9 at 8 p.m. for one night only.
Tickets for Shania Twain go on sale Saturday at all Tick-
tmaster ticket centers or may be charged by phone at
109-268-0414.
I Reserved tickets range from $1 8.50 to $25.
Twain is one of only three women who have sold over
10 million records in North America recently.
She is a Grammy winner for Best Country Album, as well
is the recipient of Billboard honors, American Country Mu-
lic Awards and the Canadian JUNO award.
Twain's hits include, "Any Man of Mine," "If You're Not
nit for the Love — I'm Outta Here" and "You Win My
-ove," all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Fighting the flames
JAKE SCHRICKLING/The Battalion
The cause of a car fire, which blocked traf
fic on Asbury Street Monday afternoon, could
not be determined, the College Station Fire
Dept, reported.
Susan Bondurant, the driver of the '93 Ford
Mustang that caught fire, said the fire hap
pened before she knew it.
"I was driving, and my battery light came
on," Bondurant, a senior agricultural eco
nomics major, said. "I smelled smoke, so I
stopped."
The College Station Fire Department ar
rived at the scene of the fire across from the
A&M water tower at 3:55 p.m.
Lt. Bobby Rogers of the College Station Fire
Department said too much of the motor was
destroyed to determine its cause.
No one was hurt.
Director wanted
■ Kevin Jackson,
the third of six
candidates for the
position of Director of
Student Activities, was
interviewed by A&M
students and faculty in
Rudder Tower Monday.
By Andrea Brockman
Staff Writer
The final week of interviews for the director of
student activities has begun.
Kevin P. Jackson, the first of four candidates al
ready holding positions at A&M, addressed stu
dents and staff in an open forum Monday.
Jackson has 16 years of continuous service in
the field of student affairs and currently holds a
joint appointment as the senior associate director
of the MSC and special assistant to the vice pres
ident of student affairs working with distance ed
ucation programs and services.
Jackson received a bachelor of arts in journal
ism at North Texas State University, a master of
arts in higher education administration at the
University of Denver and is currently pursuing a
doctorate in educational human resource devel
opment at Texas A&M.
He said he wants to instill a sense of organiza
tion, purpose and vision in student activities.
"I aspire for Texas A&M to become the premier
department of student activities in the country,"
Jackson said.
"I believe this is possible with the resources
we have."
Jackson said we need to provide students with
the best educational experience possible.
"One way is to improve technology for infor
mation accessibility," he said.
"Students should be able to easily search a
database for organizations and activities that cor
respond to their interests and talents."
Jackson said his familiarity with A&M and the
student affairs division is an asset.
"I also have a lot of ideas and enthusiasm," he
said.
Jackson also said he will build support for es
tablishment of a student leadership retreat center.
"We need to educate people on what it is about
and find donors for the funding," he said.
Jackson said he is student-centered as well as
com mu nity-oriented.
"I want the individuals on this campus to feel
safe, respected and valued," he said.
He would like to create community partner
ships by creating a community service advisory
board.
"We need to utilize information technology to
connect the needy to those who can help," he said.
Jackson, the advisor for Bonfire for three years,
said he is collaborative and often uses the old
adage "we are stronger than me."
"In a team, sometimes the most bonding expe
riences comes from shared ordeals," he said.
Jackson said he is a person of character and can
be counted on to honor his commitments.
"I would represent the department with the ut
most professionalism," he said.
If chosen, Jackson said he is ready for the roller
coaster ride of the first few months of school.
"We will do the best we can, have fun, try new
things and talk about what's in the future," he
said.