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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1998)
OUTDOOR EDUCATION Outdoors offers an ^pensive route to extreme fcise. SIELIFE, PAGE 4 BITE OUT OF CRIME • Tyson’s reentry to pro boxing displays dark moment for sport. OPINION, PAGE 7 CHECK OUT THE BATTALION ONLINE http://battalion, tamu.edu FRIDAY October 23, 1998 Volume 105 • Issue 41 • 8 Pages $ 'estia envisk Lawmal seasthi 105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY prmer prime minister visits A&M tlMfe weeks, i; i so, Seri had to i ■rGOPls e House t was til hat was; theinah; eeepitsf (esand: m theSe; Pleader Da osedthec ight there; it way. M elminglya oritbyK endingfon kingofti BY AMANDA SMITH The Battalion ee Kuan Yew, former prime min- of Singapore, answered ques- is from Texas A&M students and ity Thursday in the George Bush idential Conference Center. Jew, now the senior minister of lepublic of Singapore discussed outheast Asian nation, its place ie world economy, its evolution the information age and the eco- ic crisis in Asia. ormer President George Bush [oduced Yew, who resigned in 0 after serving eight terms as Singapore’s prime minister. “Lee Kuan Yew is known, not only to Asia, but across to the whole world as one of the bright est statesman to come along in a long, long time,” Bush said. “His country is small but his reach, in terms of respect and experience, is long.” Un Tat Chan, president of the Singapore Students Association and a senior finance major, said Yew brought stability to Singapore and gained a positive reputation for his relations with other Asian countries. “Sometimes people think of Yew as the Henry Kissinger of Asia,” Chan said. “He is still influential in Asia. He brought Singapore where it is today. He had a vision of what Sin gapore would be like in the future. ” Yew became prime minister in 1959 at the age of 35, and was the first prime minister elected when Singapore gained its independence from Malaysia. T.H. Kwa, a graduate professor of international business studies, said Yew has been influential in opening Singapore’s doors to trade and technology. see Singapore on Page 2. fas: s resound and hull orps teadies r review BY PATRICK PEABODY The Battalion The Corps of Cadets will Id its Fall Military Review to- ^ at 5 p.m. at Gen. Ormond ^Simpson Drill Field. Maj. Gen. M. T. “Ted” Hop- d will be the reviewing officer. Gen. Donald Johnson, uty commandant of the rps pf Cadets, said the review mportant for the cadets as a rt of their military training. Tase Bailey, Corps comman- |f, said the review is an op- rtunity for members of the rps of Cadets to be evaluat- and rewarded for their Ihievements. “It is one of the only times get the entire Corps togeth- ” Bailey said. “It also allows to have our form and disci- ne reviewed, as a group. It o allows us the opportunity present awards to different its and cadets. ” The J.J. Sanchez Award will presented to the unit with highest recruiting and re- tion rates. The award was med for Sanchez, who died an automobile accident, nchez’s family will be in at- dance at Fall Review. The Wofford Cain Boots and her Awards will be present- at the review. Cash awards 11 be presented to outstand- ! juniors and seniors to be ed toward the purchase of eir boots and sabers. An ard will also be presented to unit with the highest acad- ic average. Bailey said it is good to have e review on a home football me weekend. “We always try to plan the re- [ew on a home football-game ekend,” Bailey said. “I think |at review can help attract new embers to the Corps. Families me to the game and usually me and watch the review also. ” Corps honors four former cadets BY KRISTIN STOCKTON The Battalion The lifetime achievements of four former cadets will be recognized Sat urday as Texas A&M inducts them into the Corps Hall of Honor. The commemoration will be held at 9 a.m. in the Sam Houston Sanders Corps Center on campus. The late John Hill Jr., Class of ’44; the late Kenneth R. Huddleston, Class of ’50; Clayton W. Williams, Class of ’54; and Edward C. “Pete” Aldridge, Class of ’60 will be honored. Each year a committee meets with Maj. Gen. M.T. “Ted” Hopgood, commandant of the Corps of Cadets, to select four former cadets to be in ducted into the Corps Hall of Honor. Lt. Col. Keith Stephens, director of the Corps of Cadets Center, said the committee selects people based on the examples they have set and con tributions they have made to A&M. “Each individual’s life and ca reer exemplifies the high standards Earth satellite station comes to campus BY MEGAN WRIGHT The Battalion Equipment from New Orleans arrived on campus yesterday for the construction of a satellite earth station. The company PetroCom donat ed the equipment to be used by the Department of Engineering tech nology as a laboratory for its stu dents. The satellite equipment was installed at the southwest corner of the Thompson Building. Pierre Catala, a senior lecturer in engineering technology and indus trial distribution, was on site during the installation. “This is the first earth station on a campus, that I know of, that is used only for the students and classroom procedures,” Catala said. “It is strictly educational.” and qualities we emphasize in the Corps of Cadets,” he said. The Corps Hall of Honor, which was established in 1994, currently has 24 members. Hopgood said in a press release, “Induction into the Hall of Honor is the highest tribute we in the Corps of Cadets can pay to our graduates. These individuals demonstrate to to day’s cadets just how far the values we teach can take someone. ” Hill graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in civil engineering. He worked for Gifford-Hill & Co. of Dallas for more than 40 years. He was selected as a Texas A&M Dis tinguished Alumnus in 1994. Huddleston obtained his degree in petroleum engineering and later became the senior vice president of Pennzoil and the president of Proven Properties Inc. He also served as the vice chair for the Corps Development Council. see Honors on Page 2. Story hour BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion Barbara Bush, reads Is Your Mamma a Llama? by Deborah Glari- no to a group of children Thursday afternoon at the Texas A&M University Children’s Center. Oratorical contest aims to find enrollment solution JAKE SCHRICKLING/The Battalion Mike Taylor, a senior telecommunica tions engineering technology major, sands the new satellite earth station that is being mounted between Thompson and Fermier Halls. The estimated value of the equip ment is $115,000, and Catala said co ordinators of the effort have been working since early February to ac quire the satellite. see Satelute on Page 2. BY NONI SRIDHARA The Battalion The Committee for the Aware ness of Mexican-American Cul ture and the MSG Black Aware ness Committee held the “What’s the Word” oratorical contest last night, which dealt with finding a way to increase minority enroll ment at Texas A&M. Minority en rollment has dropped as a result of the Hopwood decision. Kristal Stovall, a sophomore journalism major, presented a poem titled “Hopwood” preceding her speech. The poem began “A word that evokes anger and dissension yet a topic that deserves and desires our attention. It isn’t something we should be afraid to mention, but instead we discuss working on retention.” The contest featured eight con testants who presented a variety of platforms to develop new recruit ing techniques to enhance minor ity enrollment. The students were judged by content and delivery of their speeches. The first, second and third place winners were awarded scholarships of $1,000, $500 and $250 respectively. Tamara James, third place winner and a senior biology ma jor, presented a platform titled “Operation: Enhancing Diversi ty.” James divided her platform into recruiting techniques and majority-minority relations. James said as far as recruiting is concerned, minority students should recruit from their high schools and surrounding areas. “We also need to give present students some kind of incentive to get involved in such recruiting ef forts,” James said. “For example, if a current student recruits 20 stu dents, they will be given a $500 book stipend, [if] they recruit 60 students they increase that to a $1,000 scholarship, and so on.” James said there should be a mandate for all student organi zations to go through a course addressing cultural sensitivity. The second place winner was Anthony Edwards, a biomedical science major. Edwards presented a platform called “ Project Matric ulation: Attracting Black and His panic Students.” see Contest on Page 2. ‘resident opens doors for student concerns BY MEGAN WRIGHT The Battalion Approximately 60 people stopped by s A&M University President Dr. M. Bowen’s office in Rudder Tow- Wednesday during an open house 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to discuss con- is, ideas or to introduce themselves Bowen. Bowen said students who stopped in not bring much negative criticism. “For the most part, people aren’t hging complaints,” Bowen said. “A of topics are coming through here to- Und these students just want to dis- ssthem. Issues like the racial climate. the recent Hopwood discussions and even the construction of Kyle Field.” Bowen said his office likes to host open houses. Along with events sirhilar to this, Bowen said he sees students through out the year when they have questions or concerns. “I have an open-door policy,” Bowen said. “If somebody needs to talk to me, I am here. I don’t think that stu dents realize this.” Bowen also uses e-mail to keep in contact with the student body. “I get a lot of e-mail from students, and I spend time responding to them throughout the day,” Bowen said. “For me the best part of these func tions is that I get meet various stu dents,” Bowen said. “I work everyday with the student leaders and don’t get many chances to interact with a broad spectrum of students.” Afinju Oja McDowell, sophomore manufacturing engineering technology major, said he enjoyed meeting Bowen. “I wanted an opportunity to meet Dr. Bowen,” McDowell said. “He is good representative of school leader ship with events like this. It really boosts Jiiis irpage as more than just an unknown administrator; he is a men tor to the students when he is avail able like this.” JAKE SCHRICKLING/The Battalion Dr. Ray Bowen discusses campus topics with Afinju Oja McDowell, a sophomore manufacturing engineering tech nology major, during Bowen’s open house Thursday. NEWS IN BRIEF Southerland: survey offers helpful hints The results of a racial climate sur vey were presented yesterday to Dr. J. Malon Southerland, vice president of the Department of Student Affairs. Southerland met with Dr. Sylvia Hurtado of the University of Michi gan, chief investigator for the sur vey, to discuss the results. “We have received it (the survey) and had an excellent conversation with Dr. Hurtado,” he said. “We’re very pleased with the work that she’s done and look for ward to using it to help us with stu dent affairs.” Southerland said the document will be ready for general distribution within two to three weeks. Souther land said he is “pretty confident” the executive summary of the sur vey will be displayed on the World Wide Web. College of Ed hosts open house The College of Education will host its first open house this week end to allow students to meet fac ulty and find out about opportuni ties within the college. The open house will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Harrington Education Center and will be open to the public. In addition to the open house at Harrington, representa tives from the Health and Kinesiol ogy Department will be available at Steed Research and Conditioning Laboratory to answer students’ questions about health education. Resource tables, demonstra tions of distance learning, which in cludes classes offered over the In ternet and teleconferencing, and a poster presentation of graduate student research will be available at the open house. The Staff Advising Council will also host “Dunk the Deans,” a fundraising event, from 10 a.m. to noon. Carr said associate deans and department heads will partici pate in the dunking booth, and the event will provide an opportunity for students to get to know faculty in a casual environment. Lunch honors outstanding alumni The Outstanding Alumni Awards Dinner, hosted by the Lowry Mays College of Business and Graduate School, honored former students Randy Matson, Steve Letbetter and Jerry Cox for their outstanding busi ness achievements Thursday night. Pam Wiley, communications offi cer for the College of Business, said the awards dinner is an annual event to recognize accomplish ments in alumni’s careers. “It’s for people who have really made some major accomplish ments in their professional ca reers,” Wiley said. She said honorees are chosen every year through a nominations process. The dinner was held at the Peb ble Creek Country Club. Women’s chorus preps for concert The Texas A&M Women’s Cho rus, in celebration of its 20th an niversary, is performing a benefit concert Saturday. The chorus performs regularly throughout the academic year, but this will be the first benefit concert it wil host. All proceeds will go to Phoebe’s Home, a shel ter that provides services to abused women and children in the Brazos Valley. The concert will be at 12:30 p.m. in the MSC Board of Regents Courtyard. Tickets are $7, and the cost includes a barbecue lunch.