Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1998)
JAIL ‘I from Pag,; iefense ; ince the firs' linebacker Di 3 nd had gotten it. *ld them to [3 That’s a « ?se.” said he agree: tense playedoi]i illiams “They ee the nation, FRENCH CONNECTION •AekM students set their sights Wmternational business with Paris bicycle tour company. ^GGIELIFE, PAGE 4 BASKETBALL DIARIES •3-1 Aggies look to improve record with win against University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide. SPORTS, PAGE 7 CHECK OUT THE BATTALION ONLINE http’.//battalion, tamu.edu TUESDAY December 1, 1998 Volume 105 • Issue 66 • 12 Pages 105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY &M professor faces probation, restitution Rec Center to host World Cup swim meet BY AMANDA SMITH The Battalion Long- efense their ds allowed fn 1 their pas: 268.3 to 206.5 Dcess, UT’s pped from ' exas A&M computer science pro offense fin HM'Dhiraj Pradhan called the dis- in the game H? attorney’s case against him rhp crnrphrur fsoinething of a witch hunt” investi- flon, in a fax sent to The Battalion. is able to drill radhan pleaded guilty last week defense ' to abase of official capacity, includ- d "oal ;ing23 acts of misapplication of gov- dn't oet an\tiH llient P ro P ert y ' n a confession i said^'We unc l tir o 31 * 1 - a,rter m °re than a year ofdenying the accusations lodged tired defm® ns '“ m ' ■’radhan was not available for ■iment Tuesday but said the dis trict attorney would likely have _ued the maximum sentencing [had he been found guilty. ■We had indications that the DA . was going to pursue maximum n ' ° cU - ^ sentencing should the trial had lore against me,” Pradhan said, “iy decision to plea was, then, in an effort to be done with the entire, sordid morass: watching their side madly scramble to make obtuse charges stick wasn’t to my taste.” After pleading guilty, Pradhan faces a punish ment of five years deferred adjudication pro bation, a $5,000 fine and restitu tion of $38,000. Pradhan could face up to 10 years in prison if,, he violates the terms of his probation. District Attorney Bill TUmer said. Travis Bryan, Pradhan’s attor ney representing him in the civil lawsuit he filed against Texas A&M, said the deferred adjudication will allow Pradhan the chance to avoid conviction of any charges if he serves out his period of probation. In the criminal trial, Pradhan PRADHAN pled guilty to using state funds for: • Lodging, transportation and meals for the short courses bene fiting his private businesses. • Compensation to state em ployees of the Texas A&M Uni versity System for work on short courses sold by his personal businesses. In a separate investigation, a 1997 System audit accused Prad han of misappropriating more than $100,000 in University funds for his personal benefit. Pradhan was placed on paid leave in August 1997 and returned to the University a year later, pend ing the hearing of the Committee on Academic Freedom, Responsi bility, Tenure, Review and Promo tion (CAFRT). In the audit report released in 1997, University officials said Pradhan: • Used University funds for per sonal travel and lodging expenses associated with three private com panies he owns. • Made graduate students per form work exclusively for his pri vate companies. • Threatened not to sign a mas ter’s thesis for Gavin Holland un less Holland publicly presented a paper to benefit one of Pradhan’s private companies. Holland, ac cording to the report, said he agreed to present the paper for fear he would not get his master’s the sis approved. Pradhan, a native of India, filed a law suit against Texas A&M in August, claiming he has been the subject of discrimina tion and First Amendment rights violations. Pradhan said he has felt discrim ination since he came to Texas A&M. see Pradhan on Page 2. Students displaced in dorm flooding >grafl> c. 4th BY JENNIFER JONES The Battalion Residents of Wells and Ep- pright residence halls were displaced from their rooms last night when toilets and showers backed up, flooding the first floors. The first floor resident ad viser of Wells Hall said what may have been sewage water aegan to flood the residence tall early in the evening. “The flooding started be- ween 5 and 5:30 p.m.,” he laid. “Water started coming up from the toilets and show- :rs. At its peak, the water cached one or two inches in the hall].” Residents of Wells Hall used trash cans to scoop the water from the floor, while Eppright Hall residents used mops and brooms to sweep the water out of the hall. Mike Krenz, area coordi nator for residence halls, said students in seven rooms in Eppright Hall and 22 stu dents from Wells Hall planned to relocate as a re sult of the flooded rooms. Dr. Jan Winniford, associ ate vice president for Student Affairs, said students who live on the first floor of Ep pright and Wells halls were moved for the night. “Staff has been trying to relocate students,” she said. “The students, from what I understand, have been very understanding about the sit uation. Students who choose to remain on campus will be relocated for the night in study carrels which were used for overassignments earlier in the semester. ” Krenz said the cause of the flooding is unknown. “As far as what caused it, we are still investigating that,” he said. “What we do know for sure was that they were working on the water [system] earlier in the day, but whether that caused the flooding we don’t know. It’s all speculation at this point.” Winniford said residence hall staff have been working to take care of the excess water. “The staff has been trying as best it can to to alleviate the situation,” she said. “A staff of 12 custodial workers has been in the dorms working with wet vacs and disinfectants. ” Winniford said Physical Plant representatives plan to meet with the Environmental Health and Safety Depart ment tomorrow to make sure there are no health risks for students living in the dorms. see Flood on Page 12. BRANDON BOLLOMAThi Battalion David Leeftnki, a junior agricultural economics major, mops up water af ter a flood in Eppright Hall Monday night. MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion Ryo Imai, a junior international student from Japan and a history major at the University of California, practices Monday night for the FINA Swim ming World Cup. The World Cup is being held through Dec. 2 at the Stu dent Recreation Center. It will feature swim teams from all over the world. International students to serve as interpreters, assist in opening ceremony BY BETH MILLER AND JENNIFER JONES The Battalion Texas A&M Athletic Depart ment, Student Recreation Center and the Brazos Valley Sports Foun dation are hosting the FINA Swim ming World Cup at the Student Recreation Center today and Wednesday, and volunteers from A&M’s International Student As sociation will assist with the open ing ceremony and serve as lan guage interpreters for participants in the event. The competitors of the World Cup, a traveling competition or ganization, make 12 stops around the world each year. This is the first year one of the stops will be in the United States, and College Station will be the only U.S. stop the tour will make in 1998. Other stops for this year are Brazil, Canada, China, Australia, Scot land, Sweden, France, Germany and Italy. ISA volunteers will perform an opening ceremony and a parade in traditional dress. Tatsuki Ohasi, president of ISA and a senior international studies major, said ISA will provide 30 vol unteers, each student representing one country during the ceremony by holding a flag. The volunteers will also help the hosts with trans lations, since countries from around the world will be present. “This is a world-wide competi tion,” Ohasi said, “so many people may not be able to speak English. We will be doing translations.” Lynn Hickey, senior associate athletic director, said hosting the World Cup is significant because A&M has nationalities from around the world represented in its student body. “World Cup is an international event,” Hickey said. “Over 30 dif ferent countries will be participat ing, so we called the International Student Association to assist with interpretation.” Ohasi said having the World Cup at A&M is positive for the University. “It’s a kind of international awareness,” he said. “Only a few of them will be hosted in the Unit ed States. Fortunately one of them is at A&M. We are glad to help them make this a success.” Judy Crockett, executive assis tant with the 12th Man Founda tion, said the 12th Man Student Foundation will also provide vol unteers for the event. “ [The coordination between ISA and the 12th Man Foundation] was an easy way to pull in a lot of vol unteers,” she said. “It takes a lot of people to help out with an event as big as this.” She said the volunteers from both organizations helped orga nize the entertainment for the event, which will include perfor mances by Bryan High School and A&M Consolidated High School musical groups. speech to discuss principles of holiday Bowen, Groff apologize for speech A A M. •/ y CTAPC ANin WIRP RPRHRTQ 3c nr»t ran rannrnnrirato nl ar-o anH timn tn BY NONI SRIDHARA The Battalion The MSC Black Awareness Commit- e(BAC) will be hosting Dr. Maulana arenga, professor and chair of the de partment of Black Studies at California Slate University at Long Beach and cre- lor of Kwanzaa ad Nguzo Saba, % 'ho will discuss ie principles and fflti bctices of Kwan- || ] ia at 7 p.m. in j adder Theater. The celebration llwyjP f Kwanzaa is an ttierican holiday which begins on Dec. Sand ends on Jan. 1. Each of the seven ays in Kwanzaa represent a different jinciple. These include “Umoja” mean- igunity, “Kujichagulia” representing self- termination, “Ujima” which is collective ^rkand responsibility, “Ujamaa” which ^cooperative economics, “Nia” meaning purpose, “Kuumba” or creativity and “Imani” which is .faith. Joel Garrett, chair of the BAG and a se nior management major, said Kwanzaa is a time to reflect. “Kwanzaa is an American holiday to reaffirm our African-American roots,” Garrett said. Garrett said one of Karenga’s main purposes in creating Kwanzaa is re membering, reassessing, recommitting, and rejoicing the African-American’s cultural roots. “Kwanzaa really focuses on the gath ering of people and commemorating our past and present cultural values,” he said. Tammy Henry, director of programs for the BAC and a sophomore political science major, said preceding the lec ture Karenga will sign copies of his book, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Com munity, and Culture. Henry said this book and other general books about Kwanzaa will be on sale at the signing. Henry said following the presentation there will be a reception in Rudder Exhibit Hall. Henry said the group Alke- bulan Liberation from Prairie View A&M will be perform ing some African dances and there will ■ Please see Related Story on Page 2. also be a group of drummers. Henry said the African Students Association will also provide some African ethnic foods. STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Following comments made at Bonfire by Texas A&M football player Dan Campbell that implied negative stereotypes of gays and les bians, University President Dr. Ray M. Bowen and Wally Groff, A&M athletic director, have issued apologies to the public. “Fm glad to go to a school where men like women and women like men,” Campbell said at the Nov. 24 Bonfire. Prior to introducing Campbell at Bonfire, A&M head coach R.C. Slocum jokingly said Campbell had been warned to not use pro fanity during his speech at Bonfire. In a prepared statement, Bowen said the views expressed by Campbell were his per sonal views and were not the views of the University. “Our university is one where criticism — real, implied or unintended — of people for their differences is unacceptable,” Bowen said. Groff, in a prepared statement, said Camp bell had been briefed on the inappropriate na ture of the comments. “The student has been made aware that it was not an appropriate place and time to voice his views and has expressed regret,” Groff said. Bowen said the University is open to all people and that the incident at Bonfire should be used as a learning experience. “Our university is one where criticism ...of people for their differ ences is unacceptable.” - DR. RAY M. BOWEN PRESIDENT, TEXAS A&M “I call on all members of the University community to make real the often-stated goal of the University to welcome all people,” Bowen said. “We should use the unfortunate occurrence at the Bonfire yell practice to cause a renewal of our commitment to the principles of inclu sion at Texas A&M University.”
