N THE STACKS
Campus Library
~~~^rings learning resources
^business, agriculture
||Knfs.
GGIELIFE, PAGE 4
HORNS HAND IT
TO AGGIES
• Sykora ties school match
record for digs in losing ef
fort.
SPORTS, PAGE 7
CHECK OUT
THE BATTALION
ONLINE
http://battalion, tamu.edu
THURSDAY
October 1, 1998
Volume 105 • Issue 25 • 10 Pages
105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Committee debates student rights in College Station
s at the
iMunson Avenue, formerly used as a north-
i>uth passage through a section of College
Station, runs parallel to Texas Avenue
^rough College Hills neighborhood.
Currently, it has speed humps, stop
signs and large barricades restricting
tlru traffic.
• The barricades were erected June 15 in
response to complaints made by residents
of the College Hills neighborhood.
}*(! j • The barricades, along with speed humps
land periodic stop signs, are the last ele-
,iie rt Iments in a series of attempts to restrict traf-
1 8 era rr CI -fic on Munson Avenue.
.sen. To'BT
• Before these measures were taken, a par-
inorny. t' al barricade was erected at the intersec-
mists, ition of Lincoln Drive and Munson Avenue,
ly’s de:j
ral fid
It 5.5 pd
epreser]
mndfo
i as reu
^ towai;
atfon.
J) aid flood victims
BY BETH MILLER
The Battalion
The Munson Avenue Traffic
Committee will meet tonight at
7 at the College Station City Hall
to continue discussion about
the barriers on Munson Avenue
and possible alternatives to
blocking the entrance at Do-
minik Drive.
The barriers, erected June 15
in response to complaints made
by College Hills residents of ex
cessive traffic and disorderly be
havior, have been a topic of de
bate in College Station.
A committee was formed to
present a resolution to the situ
ation to the College Station City
Council, and the first meeting
was held July 30.
One committee member said
more than 100 residents volun
teered for positions on the com
mittee. Twenty-eight people
were selected to serve on the
committee, each representing a
street in the area.
Sharron Knutson, a former
committee member who recent
ly resigned, said there have been
a series of attempts prior to the
barricades to control traffic on
Munson Avenue. These includ
ed a partial closure at the inter
section of Lincoln Drive and
Munson Avenue and the addi
tion of speed humps and stop
signs along Munson Avenue.
The unidentified committee
member said the committee has
made little progress. The mem
ber said the committee has
practiced ranking methods, in
which the members express
their opinions about different
suggestions, but no official res
olutions have been made.
The member said the major
ity of the group has declared re
moval of the barricades as its
primary vision for the city, and
the group has passed a motion
twice recommending that the
barricades should be removed.
“Anything you do
to any one street
is going to affect
another street/'
— Sharron Knutson
Former committee member
However, the member said
the recommendation has not
been made to the city council
because Bruce Norton, inde
pendent facilitator of the com
mittee, did not consider the
committee’s 63 percent and 62
percent approvals a total con
sensus on the issue.
The member said some of
the debate has concerned stu
dents’ roles in the issue. The
member said a small percentage
of the committee believes stu
dents should not be involved in
the discussions because they
are not permanent residents and
do not officially pay taxes for
College Station. However, the
member believes students do
essentially pay taxes through
rent payments.
Knutson said some committee
members believe students do not
hold the same values as the resi
dents in their definition of what
constitutes a quality neighbor
hood. She said she disagrees with
this generalization and believes
anyone who decides to live in the
area holds the same ideals.
Knutson said she would like
to see the committee members
with differing opinions come to
a compromise.
“I would not object to stop
signs or traffic lights to slow
down and regulate the flow of
traffic. Anything you do to any
one street is going to affect an
other street,” Knutson said.
Both Knutson and the
unidentified committee member
said they believe the barricades
will ultimately have to be re
moved. The unidentified mem
ber said the issue is not just
about the Munson Avenue bar
ricades. The member’s belief is
the issue is also a reflection of
the residents’ concern about
turning Munson into a major
north-south passage through the
city, in addition to the existing
Texas Avenue, Texas Highway 6,
FM 2818 and Wellborn Road.
Knutson said she would not
be opposed to the suggestion of
constructing Munson Avenue
into another major street for
traffic through College Station.
“You have to be realistic. If
you are going to be a growing
community, you have to grow,”
Knutson said.
ndraiser brings
Student*, from Texas A&M’s
—■—'ina Club, the Chinese Stu-
IAssociation and the A&M
Rolidated High School Or-
Itra danced and made mu-
far flood relief last night at
dder Theater.
jie program of Chinese
isic, dance and demonstra-
fls and western music rasied
Jiey for a Yangtze Flood Re-
|Fund.
te Fund was set up to help
Jims of the worst floods in
a in more than 40 years.
y ly have affected more than
|0 million people, killing al-
3,000.
he Chinese students and
Ity were joined at the con-
by Wenjie Mu, the Consul
ducation from the Repub-
|)f China’s Consulate Gen-
office in Houston, who
ked those present for their
nerosity in supporting the
Id victims.
lirector for the evening’s
program was Jiang Cao, presi
dent of the China Club.
“All of these things hap
pened thousands of miles from
College Station, but everyone
here tonight showed their kind
ness, compassion and support
for the flood victims,” Cao said.
“I can only say thank you.”
The A&M Consolidated
High School Varsity Orchestra,
which is itself raising funds to
perform in China during a 10-
day trip to Beijing and Shang
hai next summer, played
American folk music and clas
sical works by Handel and
Borodin.
Children from the Chinese
School in College Station
danced and played instru
ments. Chinese college stu
dents performed a variety of
vocal and instrumental pieces.
The program also included a
fashion show of traditional Chi
nese women’s clothes and two
martial arts demonstrations.
Head of the Class
Freshmen cast ballots for
class officers; Weems,
Babcock ready for run off.
GREG MCREYNOLDS/Thk Battalion
Worden Babcock, a political science
major, will compete in the runoff.
BY AARON MEIER
The Battalion
With friends and family looking
on, the officer and Student Senate
candidates for the Class of ’02 gath
ered around Lawrence Sullivan
Ross statue last night to hear the re
sults of the election.
Election Commissioner Chris
Chase, a senior history and English
major, said around 2,000 freshman
cast their ballots, and he hopes a
high number will turns out for the
runoff elections to be held Tuesday,
Oct. 6 and Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Each candidate for class council
must win a majority of the votes to
be elected. For Student Senate, the
five candidates receiving the most
votes are elected.
A runoff will be held for class
president between Worden Babcock,
a political science major, and Beth
Weems, a biomedical science major.
Weems said if elected she hopes
to unify the freshman class through
various events.
“We are a really large class,”
Weems said. “I hope to be able to in
crease the unity of the freshman
class.”
Babcock, responding to a speech
Student Body President Laurie Nick
el made during the freshman cam
paign process, said the relationships
he has formed during the campaign
have contributed to his candidacy.
“Win or lose,” Babcock said.
“I’ve had a wonderful experience
and have high expectations for the
freshman class.”
All other Class Council positions
also will go into runoff elections.
The candidates for the freshman
class vice-presidency are Jessica
Miller and Jay Moore.
Kristi Austin and Jennifer Wise
will face off for the position of class
secretary.
Class of ’02 social secretary can
didates are Bobby Wright and Nik
ki Ogan.
For the position of freshman
class treasurer, Kory Hamman and
Ryan Plesko will go into the runoff.
For the final class council posi
tion, Melissa Magdelena and Jen
ny Martin will compete for class
historian.
The freshman class senators are
Trent Collier, Lindsey Garrett, Sun-
GREG MCREYNOLDS/The Battalion
Beth Weems, a biomedical science
major, will also compete in the runoff.
nye Owens, Chad Wagner and Jen
nifer Wise.
The number of freshman sena
tors has been reapportioned, de
creasing the number of senatorial
seats for the freshman class. Last
year, the Class of ’01 elected seven
senators, compared to five this year.
This year’s election had 15 can
didates for the freshman class pres
ident and 23 candidates for for the
Student Senate positions.
The results of the runoff election
will be announced Wednesday, Oct.
7 at Lawrence Sullivan Ross statue.
\opulation of wild cats
ills A&M campus home
BY ANDREA BROCKMAN
The Battalion
I colony of feral cats has been
Ig and reproducing on the Texas
kl campus for 15 to 20 years,
pr. Alice M. Wolf, a professor in
[Department of Small Animal
icine and Surgery, said there
d be approximately 300 semi-
| cats living on campus.
However, this is only an esti-
|e,” she said, “we do not know
Jiure.”
Volf said a breeding female
Id potentially have six to eight
pns per litter, and in this cli-
e, three to four litters per year.
—Their population would ex-
ie if it were not for frequent
ths from malnutrition, disease
[loss of kittens,” she said. “It is
|ty sad to have all these sick,
[ering and dying cats. ”
jTeral cats are very secretive and
lally only come out at night to
ige the dumpsters for food. Dur-
the days they live under build-
5and wander in drain pipes.”
Wolf said one source of the cats
students who abandon their pets,
fit is very important for students
5^B)e responsible pet owners, and
GREG MCREYNOLDS/The Battalion
Estimates suggest up to as many
as 300 semi-wild or feral cats are
living on the A&M campus.
if they cannot keep them, at least
find them good homes or turn
them over to the animal shelter.
The cats didn’t just drift in here,
somebody dumped them.”
Dawn Fradkin, a veterinary
medicine graduate student, found
ed the Aggie Feral Cat Alliance and
began implementation of the
TTVAR (Tfap, Test, Vaccinate, Alter
and Release) two months ago.
see Feral on Page 2.
CSPD investigates Northgate assault
BY JOE SCHUMACHER
The Battalion
A graduate student and resident
of the Northgate area was assault
ed and robbed at approximately
12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 600
block of Church Street.
Ruan Young Hong, a chemical
engineering graduate student, was
struck from behind by a red, four-
door car while riding his bicycle.
According to College Station Police
reports, after he was knocked to
the ground four white, male sus
pects got out of the car and struck
Hong repeatedly. They then took
his wallet and fled the scene.
Hong was taken to the hospital
with a swollen face and lacera
tions, and was later released.
Sgt. Charles Fleeger of the CSPD
said there is no indication this was
a racially-motivated attack.
“Right now we are investigat
ing it as a robbery,” Fleeger said.
“He (Hong) has not reported any
thing that would indicate that this
was racially motivated.
“We usually wait a day or two
before questioning a person that
has been assaulted. Their recol
lection may not be at 100 percent
after the trauma.”
Sgt. Donnie Andreski of the
CSPD said the assault is not cur
rently being treated like a hate
crime.
“There has to be more than a
race-on-race crime,” Andreski
said. “If something was said about
the person’s race or sex during the
action or the victim was targeted
due to his race, then it would be
considered a hate crime.”
A&M will not pursue further Pradhan
7tBY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
An administrative hearing will
be held Oct. 6 to consider the cir
cumstances under which Texas
A&M University professor Dhiraj
Pradhan was placed on a year-long
administrative leave in August
1997, said Jim Ashlock, executive
director of University Relations.
The six-member committee pre
siding over the hearing will not
consider further mandatory ad
ministrative leave for the comput
er science professor.
The hearing was initially re
quested by Pradhan, a native of In
dia, after he filed a civil suit against
the University in which he claimed
Texas A&M had discriminated
against him and violated his First
Amendment rights.
Gaines West, Pradhan’s attorney,
said they no longer plan to attend
the administrative hearing because
it cannot compensate Pradhan.
“They cannot restore the year
he lost,” West said. “They cannot
replace what he lost. This is not a
hearing to determine further sus
pension of Pradhan.”
Ashlock said the committee of
University professors plans to hold
the administrative hearing, despite
Pradhan’s request for withdrawal.
“If anything, the hearing will
be to determine whether the
University acted properly,”
Ashlock said. “It would be a pre
sentation of the University’s
case. The prospect of putting
him on administrative leave is
not an option. By withdrawing
his request for the hearing, he is
essentially withdrawing his ap
peal with the University.”
A University audit accused Prad-
NEWS IN BRIEF
Yell practice set
for Overland hotel
Midnight yell practice for the
Texas A&M-University of Kansas
football game will be held Friday
at the Marriott Overland Park in
Overland Park, Kan.
The hotel is located on In
terstate 435 at Metcalf (Exit
169).
On-campus yell practice will
be held tonight at 7 at the arch
es in front of the Corps of
Cadets’ Quadrangle.
suspension
han of misusing more than $100,000
in University funds for benefit of his
two personal businesses.
In a separate investigation,
Pradhan is scheduled to go to tri
al Dec. 3 after a grand jury indict
ment on charges of misusing gov
ernment property valued at more
than $25,000 and less than
$100,000. Pradhan could face two
to 10 years in prison and a fine of
up to a $10,000.
The University hearing will be
held at 6 p.m. It has not been de
termined if the hearing will be
closed to the public.