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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1998)
TARD FROM L dence hall readies for aljourney through terror lloween. jlELIFE, PAGE 3 MEDICINE OR MISDEMEANOR? • Marijuana’s pros and cons offer constant source of debate. OPINION, PAGE 9 CHECK OUT THE BATTALION ONLINE http://battalion.tamu.edu WEDNESDAY October 28, 1998 Volume 105 • Issue 44 • 10 Pages irom iturdoys xereducfo stausen'W fTOt.rwt/.jf lenn, A&M team up in space ns iver 999 mt our /'in ackage Jan. 1 r Spring Bra Hiking $[» el 5Y DRUNAY COLLINS The Battalion hen Sen. John Glenn re- to space Thursday he will uct cancer chemotherapy iments in conjunction Texas A&M’s College of inary Medicine, iwn Boothe, an associate ssor in the College of inary Medicine, said n will begin work on the riments shortly after he is the nine-day flight, ilenn will begin to con- these experiments with- efirst 24 hours of orbit,” he said. “He will perform tperiments. Each will last Dximately two hours.” uring the experiments, n will formulate micros pheres, tiny hollow bubbles made of oil and water-like substances. The microspheres are only formed in zero-grav ity conditions but remain in tact once formed. At Texas A&M, researchers will inject drugs into these mi crospheres and place them di rectly into a cancerous tumor. This procedure, unlike cur rent measures, allows re searchers to increase the dosage of chemotherapy drugs while decreasing the side effects. Once microspheres are re leased into the body, they lodge in the arteries and block a tu mor’s blood supply, preventing further cancer-cell growth. Boothe said because mi crospheres block blood flow. researchers must be certain microspheres will not harm healthy tissues. Boothe and her research team will use catheters to in ject microspheres into rabbit kidneys, then use CAT scans to see if the microspheres move to other tissues al though she said in past ex periments microspheres have seemed to stay in their target locations. Boothe said although mi crospheres may not revolu tionize cancer treatment, the research is a step in the right direction. “I think they will certain ly improve the treatment of certain types of cancer in both animals and humans,” she said. 1-60-60 bill aims to change Q-drops BY JOE SCHUMACHER The Battalion that would extend the Q-drop deadline he amount of Q-drops available to students ethe focus of a meeting today between mem- of the Academic Operations Committee, te 60-60-60 Q-drop bill would extend the Q- deadline to the 60th class day and provide stu- umth two Q-drops during their first 60 hours wo Q-drops during their second 60 hours, yan Minyard, executive vice president of ad- stration for Student Government and a se- biochemistry and political science major, here are several advantages to the bill. Min- said by extending the Q-drop deadline, stu- will have a better feel for what their grade e and have the opportunity to improve it. je said limiting the number of Q-drops dur- student’s first 60 hours will encourage re- Isible Q-drop use. He said two Q-drops in the |nd 60 hours will provide students the same ntage as transfer students . Indents who have attended A&M their first two years may have used up their Q-drops,” Min yard said. “A transfer student is given an advan tage by being able to use all three of their Q- drops for their upper-level work.” Some criticisms of the bill include faculty members who believe an additional Q-drop may cheapen education at the University, and an ad ditional Q-drop will create “academic inflation,” where a student’s grade-point ratio is higher than it should be, because all lower grades have been Q-dropped and retaken for a higher grade. The 60-60-60 bill was the result of a compro mise between Student Senate and AOC after Stu dent Senate passed a bill to extend the Q-drop deadline last semester. AOC then proposed the 60-60-60 compromise. Minyard said there are no guarantees the bill will be passed, but said he is optimistic going into today’s meeting. If the bill is approved by the Academic Programs Council, it could go into effect as early as the next academic year. “I think the meeting is going to go well,” Min yard said. “The positive effects of this bill far out weigh the negatives.” nderage drinkers pee tougher laws 12818 gmire 3159 = Quick W Durchas®' 9-/ CHRIS HUFFINES The Battalion September 1997, the s State Legislature ed a law stiffening the Ities for Minor in Pos- lon offenses, and is A&M officials are ing for ways to im- 'e alcohol education, he new law increases punishment for a first- i offense to a maximum $500 fine, a mandatory hol-education course, to 12 hours of com- lity service and a 30-day er’s license suspension, lakhi Roy, graduate as- int in the Department itudent Life’s Alcohol Drug Education Pro- tis (ADEP) and an Edu- sn Administration grad- ' student, said ADEP is ing fliers around cam- especially in Resi- ce Halls, to increase ireness of the changes, by said she hopes the will help students use >hol responsibly, but there are better ways leter drinking. We feel that education he answer, not fines,” said. Hike “Hoy” Haughey, hdent of the Residence 1 Association and a se- mechanical engineer- major, said although new law may hurt stu- ts financially, it will 'vide for a safer attitude ards drinking. “It’s bad for the pocket- book, but it hopefully en courages students to drink more safely,” he said. Bob Wiatt, director of the University Police De partment, said although the maximum penalty has increased, it is not a deter rent. Wiatt said the judge presiding over an offend er’s case may not assess the maximum fine, reducing its effectiveness as a deterrent. During 1997, Wiatt said UPD issued 219 MIP cita tions, with an additional 111 citations this year. Of the 219,46 were at Bonfire. Wiatt said UPD will have plain-clothes and uniformed officers as well as horse and bicycle pa trols at Bonfire. Wiatt said UPD has adopted a no-al cohol policy for Bonfire in order to improve the repu tation of the tradition and broaden its appeal. “Bonfire is becoming a family affair,” he said. An additional change in the law is a zero-tolerance policy for underage con sumption of alcohol while driving. Underage drivers found with a blood-alcohol level greater than zero in their system will face a penalty of 20 to 40 hours of community service, a 60- day driver’s license sus pension, a 30-day ineligi bility for an occupational license, a maximum fine of $500 and an alcohol- awareness course. BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion Student body president Laurie Nickel presents her state of the University ad dress “You Oughta Know” Tuesday after noon in the MSC flagroom. Night terrors ROBERT MCKAY/The Battalion Matthew Widmer, a junior management information systems major, frightens visitors at Kappa Sigma Wicked Woods Tuesday night. Nickel discusses ‘slacker bill’ BY MEGAN WRIGHT The Battalion Student Body President Laurie Nick el hosted the first “You Oughta Know” program in the MSC Flagroom yesterday to provide students with information re garding the state of the University. Nickel said progress had been made on the overcrowding of on-campus housing, which now has only 30 female rooms overassigned. Nickel also discussed issues that were implemented this summer such as the 170-hour cap on hours students can take at in-state tuition prices. The bill states that after 170 hours, an in-state resident will no longer be able to pay in-state tuition but must pay the more expensive out-of-state tuition. Cur rently, in-state undergraduates taking 15 hours would pay $1,178 in tuition. Af ter 170 attempted hours, their tuition would rise to $4,388. “We are working on aiding the stu dents in recognizing that they are in dan ger of reaching the 170 [hour] point,” Nickel said. “Things we are working to wards are increased media coverage of the bill, a special Bonfire [computer sys tem] screen when checking your status through the A&M computer system, as well as sending a letter at about 150 hours to both the in-town address and the permanent home address.” Other issues implemented this sum mer include the top-ten-percent rule, which allows students in the top 10 per cent of their graduating high-school class to be automatically accepted to Texas public universities. “One of the problems we are facing with this rule is the fact that it doesn’t require high- school students to take college-track courses,” Nickel said. see Railroad on Page 10. Student Senate to host Constituency Day BY MEGAN WRIGHT The Battalion The Student Senate will host Con stituency Day today at several campus locations. Amy Magee, speaker of the Student Sen ate and a senior psychology major, said the purpose of the event is to provide a higher level of communication between the sena tors and students. "This is a chance for senators to communicate and retrieve concerns from the constituents,” Magee said. “We will take back the information in the form of surveys and present them to administrators. It is also a great way for the senators to make contacts with the student body.” Magee said past constituency days have proved successful. “These [days] have proved extremely helpful,” Magee said. “We take in a lot of information, and it is seen by leaders on campus. It has really helped the past two years since we have had multiple loca tions on campus. It makes the senators more accessible. ” Senators will be located at the Academ ic building, Kleberg Animal and Food Sci ences Center, Wehner Business Adminis tration Building, Richardson Petroleum Engineering Building and the Commons from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sbisa Dining Hall will also feature senators from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Off-campus senators will be at each location throughout the day. A Munson Avenue petition authored by College Station resident Kayla Glover will be featured at each of the locations. Students who wish to sign the petition, which calls for the removal of the barri cades on Munson Avenue, will be asked to provide a valid voter registration number for College Station. Those not registered will have the opportunity to register at tables provided. If 1,010 valid signatures are collected, the petition will be presented to the city coun cil. At that point, the city council may opt to either permanently remove the barricades or put the issue on a ballot to be voted on by College Station residents on Jan. 16. “Originally, I wrote the petition be cause the barricades cut off the most di rect emergency vehicle route to my neighborhood,” Glover said. “After they implemented the 911 gate, I spoke to my neighbors and found that keeping the barricade was a major inconvenience. It has made a terrible physical and emo tional division in our neighborhood.” Applications for open Student Senate seats for the College of Business, College of Education and Southside residence area will be available during the day and will be accepted until 5 p.m Friday in the Student Government Office in the John J. Koldus Building. NEWS IN BRIEF Shirts show support of awareness month Over 300 T-shirts were sold to sororities during the past month to be worn today to raise awareness of breast cancer. Lisa Heflin, project organizer, member of Alpha Phi sorority and a senior community health major, said if the event prompts one woman to have a breast exam, the effort will be a success. “The purpose of this is to pro mote the fact that breast cancer can affect anyone at any time,” Heflin said. “As women in the Panhellenic sororities, we are very visible on campus. We can promote a sort of awareness, and maybe one person will realize that she needs a mam mogram or [will go] to see a doctor.” Heflin began planning the event over a month ago. “It has been mainly me out pro moting the shirts,” Heflin said, “so, I didn’t get to get as many shirts sold as I wanted to the different or ganizations, but we’ve got next year to work on that.” Heflin said if the event were to be made into an annual effort, she would like to see it move beyond Greek women to all female students. “I really think this T-shirt day would do well as an annual event,” Heflin said. Sororities participating include Alpha Phi, Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Zeta, Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Zeta Tau Alpha. Proceeds from the T-shirt sales will be donated to breast cancer re search foundations. Bush plans campaign stop at A&M BY AMANDA SMITH The Battalion Gov. George W. Bush and other Republican candidates will speak to members of the Texas A&M commu nity today as the final week before the Nov. 3 election draws to a close. Aggies for Bush is hosting the event at 12:30 p.m. in the archery room of the Student Recreation Center as part of its final meeting before the elections. Bush will introduce other candi dates including Republicans Susan Combs, who is running for Agri cultural Commis sioner, Sen. Steve Ogden and Con gressman Kevin Brady. Elizabeth McK ee, a student ad viser to the TAMU College Republi- BUSH cans and Aggies for Bush and a senior animal science major, said she hopes students will come and meet some of the Republi can candidates. “I would like to make sure the stu dents can view the candidates,” Mc Kee said. “It provides an opportunity to meet the governor. The governor puts Texas youth first and has spoken on many campuses around Texas. He is very excited to return to Ag- gieland.” McKee said Bush is scheduled to visit Stephen F. Austin University and Baylor University on Wednesday. “The governor has hit almost every major campus in Texas,” she said. “I am hoping that it will lower voter apathy and [students] will get more involved.” McKee said she expects between 500 to 800 students and faculty to at tend the event today and suggested students park in the Reed Arena lot across from the Recreation Center.