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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1998)
GHASTLY GHOULS Wappa Sigma whips up jjjftts, charitable donations \ annual presentation of \ked Woods. tlELIFE, PAGE 3 THE HEAT IS ON • Global warming poses legitimate ecological threat; should not be taken lightly. OPINION, PAGE 11 CHECK OUT THE BATTALION ONLINE h ttp://ba ttalion. tamu. edu THURSDAY October 29 y 1998 Volume 105 • Issue 45 • 12 Pages mm sad 105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY lush targets better education Photos by ICKA» Ives instri ngscu! jiving pa rFi acquit BY AMANDA SMITH The Battalion lov. George W. Bush asked libers of the Texas A&M munity Wednesday for r votes. The main reason to send me cto Austin is because 1 have nore to do for the great state lexas,” Bush said to a crowd {students and community [members. “I want your vote. Ididates can’t win unless It fellow citizens stand along iide of them and fight for what ight for the state of Texas. ” ggies for Bush invited Bush I other Republican candi es to their final meeting be- f the Nov. 3 elections. Bush he appreciated the support he TAMU College Republi- |sand Aggies for Bush during campaign but said there is e to do. !‘We cannot win without jtii help,” Bush said. “That is |y 1 am traveling the state of las. I see a better Texas, and ant your help to achieve at dream.” ush said one of his contin uing priorities will be improving education in Texas. “My priority has, is, and will be the education of the children of the great state of Texas,” Bush said. “There are some children who get shuffled through the system. Last year, 40,000 stu dents couldn’t pass the third- grade reading test, couldn’t pass a simple, comprehensive read ing test. Guess what happened to them — they got moved to the fourth grade.” Bush said he wants to help students who need special as sistance. “I have got a plan that says that any child that needs extra help, the state of Texas will make sure he or she gets it, so that no child in the state of Texas ever gets left behind,” Bush said. “I have got a plan to make sure that our teachers get paid fairly and the class rooms meet the growing de mands of Texas students. I have got a plan that privatizes Texas education.” In a press conference after the event. Bush said he sup ports returning more control to school districts and removing some of the power the state gov ernment possesses. Bush said he hopes to con tinue efforts to reduce juvenile crime by increasing the number of officers patrolling the streets in high-crime areas. “We have the lowest parole rate in recorded history,” he said. “I see a safer, more prosperous, educated state, and I want to help achieve that dream.” Bush said he wants to im plement a $2.7 billion proper ty tax cut for Texas residents and moving Texans off of wel fare will allow greater returns to the taxpayers. “We have moved nearly 300,000 folks from welfare to work,” Bush said. “But there is more to do. Government can write the check, but it can’t put optimism in the hearts of Texans. ” Other Republican candidates in attendance included Susan Combs who is running for Agri cultural Commissioner, Sen. Steve Ogden, Representative- elect Fred Brown and C.B. Jones, who is running for state representative for District 13. ERIC NEWNAM Right: Gov. George W. Bush fields questions from the press after his speech Wednesday. Below: Bush poses with Hannah Hardy, a young supporter, at his campaign rally. iave ret rsi by M mil# univetf ors, BOWEN 'anel readies for student uestions BY MELISSA JORDAN The Battalion tudents and faculty will present questions p concerns to Texas A&M University Presi- jit Dr. Ray M. Bowen p the University’s ex- tive team tonight on K television program ;the President.” |A panel of University idpinistrators includ- I Bowen and Univer ity vice presidents Dr. aid Douglas, Dr. Jer- Gaston, William mm and Dr. J. Malon Southerland will wer questions from students, faculty and munity members. Rick Rigsby, a senior turer in the Department of Speech Com- ■inication and Theater Arts will serve as moderator for the program. Tura King, media communications spe- list for University Relations, said the pro- m is an opportunity for students to ask jestions of the University president. “A lot of times students may have ques ts they aren’t exactly sure who can an swer,” King said. ‘“Ask the President’ gives them the opportunity to go straight to top ichstt^ University administrators to find answers to lichic-fieir questions.” Bowen said the question-and-answer 'gram gives administrators and students are opportunity to share concerns at such arge university. "We just really like to find out what’s on ople’s minds,” Bowen said. Southerland said the program gives stu nts the opportunity to have direct contact With top University officials. "It’s an impact mechanism to hear what ople are talking about and thinking out,” Southerland said. King said the program gives students and Iculty the chance to get acquainted with the |niversity president and vice presidents. “This is a good opportunity for everyone get to know the [University] president d his administrative staff,” King said. “I ink it’s a real effort on the part of the Uni- 'tsity administrators to communicate with udents, faculty and staff. ” Bowen said the session will be opened to questions from the live audience as g _ fell as those telephoned in from the tele- 1 ision audience. “Ask the President” will be televised y 'om 7 to 8 p.m. on KAMU-TV. Callers may 5,a Iso present questions after the program has ij one off the air and leave their phone num bers or e-mail addresses so they can receive Responses to their questions. Rape survivor addresses sexual assault awareness BY DRUNAY COLLINS AND JENNIFER JONES The Battalion Gender Issues Education Services, MSG Great Issues Society and Aggies Working for A Rape-free Environment will present “He Said/She Said,” a sexual assault awareness and prevention program tonight at 7 p.m. in Rudder Theater. Keynote speaker Katie Koestner, who was raped while an undergraduate at the College of William and Mary, will speak about her experience and how she survived date rape. Becki Elkins-Nesheim, coordinator of GIES, said Koestner’s speech is particularly relevant to college students. “Her story really relates to college stu dents because she was sexually assaulted as a freshman,” she said. “She is one of the few people willing to come out and talk about it.” Tricia Draughn, a graduate assistant in GIES, said the program is important for both men and women. She said sexual violence is a serious issue for many college students, especially women, because one out of every four women become victims of rape. Draughn said the program is geared to ward both women and men because both are affected by sexual assault. After the keynote address, co-presenter Attorney Brett A. Sokolow will direct a dis cussion on sexual assault from a male per spective, including aspects of the law and things men can do to prevent sexual assault. Audience members will then break into separate groups of men and women. In workshops, participants will analyze sce narios, and discuss the responsibilities in volved when dating and examine how men and women should address the issue of date and acquaintance rape. Elkins-Nesheim said the purpose of separating the audience into groups is to allow for a free expression of perspectives about rape. “We break up into smaller groups to cre ate a safer environment without having to worry about members of the opposite sex’s reaction [to ideas expressed],” she said. Draughn said freshmen are particularly encouraged to attend the presentation be cause they can be especially vulnerable to sexual assault. “The first semester of college can be the time of most risks for women,” she said. Elkins-Nesheim said the program will make people aware that sexual assault is not limited to stranger-rape scenarios. “I think it will help raise the awareness level that date and acquaintance rape are as big a problem at Texas A&M as at any uni versity,” she said. Bowen to dedicate Computing Center BY NONI SRIDHARA The Battalion The dedication of the Student Computing Center today at 11:30 a.m. marks the end of two years of construction. The event will take place outside of the computing center, which is adjacent to Sterling C. Evans Li brary. In the case of rain, the cere mony will be moved to the second floor of the computing center. Events will include a brief open ing ceremony, where Texas A&M University President Dr. Ray M. Bowen will be present for the official dedication. Dr. John J. Dinkel, for mer associate provost, will speak. Student Body President Laurie Nick el and Graduate Student Council President Anneliese Reinemeyer will also provide opening remarks. Rose Sauser, special events co ordinator for University Relations, said the ceremony will be followed by tours of the building and a live on-site broadcast of “Gigabytes.” ‘“Gigabytes’ is a radio program broadcast every Thursday at noon which deals with various aspects of computing as well as current news,” Sauser said. The idea for a new computing center was conceived in October 1990by Edward Munoz, Thomas Taffinder and Steven Weber, who were special assistants to the stu dent government association. Thomas Putnam, director of Computing Information Services, said these students wanted a 24- hour facility which would also be able to accommodate a larger num ber of students. “The center cur rently has 540 of the newest com puters on campus available for student use,” Putnam said Putnam said construction of the center began in 1996, which was about the same time construction be gan on the Library Annex and the Central parking garage. see Computing on Page 2. RHA examines student feeling with substance-free housing survey ,s. eralapP BY AMANDA STIRPE The Battalion Residence Hall Association members dressed in costume at Wednesday’s meeting to promote “RHA-lloween,” which will be Saturday for children in the Bryan-College Station area. RHA-lloween will start at 5 p.m. with var ious game tables hosted by Legett, McFad- den, Lechner, Spence/Briggs, Mclnnis, Mosher and Moses halls along with Fresh man Leaders in Progress and the National Residence Hall Honorary. RHA is looking for escorts to lead groups of children to the halls involved in trick-or-treating. Volunteers should arrive at 5:45 p.m. in front of Rudder Fountain. The first 50 escorts who volunteer will re ceive a T-shirt. The children will visit the residence halls from 6 to 8 p.m. Underwood, Haas, Krueger, Mosher, Rudder, Spence/Briggs, Clements, Davis- Gary, FHK complex, Lechner, Legett, Mc- Fadden, Mclnnis, Moore, Neeley and Hob by halls will receive trick-or-treaters. A substance-free housing survey will be distributed by RHA to the residence halls, because of the increased underage drinking problems on campus and because only 1,000 of the 8,000 students living on-cam- pus are over 21 years old. The survey will determine if A&M students would support a substance-free campus, which includes options for substance-free housing that would prohibit the use of alcohol, tobacco. illegal drugs or illegal use of prescription drugs, or a dry campus. A proposal will fol low when the information is compiled. A report on alcohol use at A&M written by the University’s Alcohol Task Force said, “Forty-four percent of students at A&M binge drink as compared to 38 per cent nationally. Forty percent of A&M stu dents say they get behind the wheel of a car and drive compared to 33 percent na tionally. Seventy-five percent of A&M stu dents say they believe that the atmosphere on campus promotes alcohol use.” The report also said, “During the ’97-’98 academic year, the following cases were re ported: 196 cases of MIP (Minors in Posses sion] , public intoxication, and DUIs (Driving Under the Influence), and 44 cases of alcohol- related disorderly conduct and property de struction, not including those occuning in the residence halls. The assumption is that there were many more that were not reported. ” see RHA on Page 2. Display represents students views NEWS IN BRIEF 1 BY JOE SCHUMACHER The Battalion Aggies Working for A Rape-free Environ ment and Gender Issues Education Services are presenting the Clothesline Project, a visu al display to raise awareness about domestic violence, Thursday and Friday in the MSG Flagroom. The display consists of T-shirts designed by students and staff expressing views about re lationship violence. Isai Gopalakrishnan, president of AWARE and a junior biology major, said students and members of GIES have been working on the project all month, in coordination with other Domestic Violence Awareness Month activi ties. Supplies for the T-shirts were donated by various businesses throughout the Bryan-Col lege Station area. She said the display was designed to be a memorial to victims of domestic violence and raise awareness about violence against women. Gopalakrishnan said the project was a great success, and 80 T-shirts will be displayed. She said the shirt she designed served as an emo tional outlet for her feelings about domestic violence. “Emotionally, it was a hard project to com plete,” Gopalakrishnan said. “Anger, confu sion and fear were hard emotions to visually express.” Information from Phoebe’s Home, The Bra- Phillips continues support of Texas Phillips Petroleum Company has continued its long-term support of Texas A&M with a recent $55,000 award to the Dwight Look College of Engineering. Presenting the check on behalf of Phillips Petroleum was Tom Mor ris, Class of ’62 and senior vice president and chief financial officer for the company. In all, Phillips has contributed more than $2.65 million to Texas A&M since 1965, marking 33 consecutive years of educational funding. The recent gift was part of an overall $77,000 gift to A&M that brought Phillips’ contributions to the University to $153,285 for the 1997-98 academic year. Department honors outstanding faculty The Department of Mechanical En gineering has honored four faculty and staff members for outstanding service. Associate professors Dr. Reza Langari and Dr. Luis San Andres were honored for teaching, as was graduate student Steven Tillman. Senior academic advisor Cathy Sperry was recognized with the Out standing Support Staff Award.