N
e.
FRIDAY
January 22, 1999
Volume 105 • Issue 77 • 12 Pages
College Station, Texas
sports
Jdmissions
ippoints
new director
BY MELISSA JORDAN
The Battalion
Joseph Estrada, who has served
Hegistrar and director of admis-
ions at Texas A&M University-
ingsville since 1993, has been ap-
ointed director of admissions at
exas A&M University effective
eb. 1.
H)r. Ron Douglas, executive vice
resident and provost, said Estra-
a’s knowledge of recruiting, ex-
erjence and ability to work with
ejpple make him a desirable addi-
on to the admissions department.
■His leadership qualifications
re evident,” Douglas said. “I think
/e’re very fortunate to have his ex-
erience and leadership capabili-
ies.”
Rstrada said his understanding
'f pate and national issues and
tow they affect student admissions
3%ii asset he will bring to the po-
ition.
Hi am hopeful that becomes
jerk’ficial to the University,” he
aid.
Hstrada said he knows the staff
fcthe admissions department, but
le needs to spend time learning
iow the department works and its
ision in helping students.
■Tm really anxious to sit and
alk with people about the admis-
ions process and what, if any-
hing, we can do to better that
TOcess,” Estrada said.
Hvhile employed by A&M, Estra-
,a will continue working toward a
octorate in higher education ad-
ninistration.
Hstrada said “Aggie spirit”
ilayed a large role in his accep-
ance of the position.
■‘Aggies are renown for their spir-
tand liveliness,” Estrada said. “I’m
eally excited about not only moving
o College Station, but becoming an
&gral part of the University.”
• Mens and women's
hoops look to improve
Big 12 records over
weekend.
PAGE 7
today’s issue
News 10
Opinion 11
reminder
Today is the last day for students
to drop courses with no record;
adding new courses ends Monday.
aggielife
• World Championship Wrestling
brings no-holds-barred action
to Aggieland Sunday.
PAGE 4
Fire
causes
traffic
delays
• The smoke from
morning blaze closes
parts of George
Bush Drive.
BY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
A fire at 101 Pershing Drive in Col
lege Station yesterday caused exten
sive damage to the two-story house at
the location but resulted in no in
juries, a report from the College Sta
tion Fire Department said.
Thomas Goehl, fire chief for the
College Station Fire Department, said
the department received a call at
10:49 a.m. from a neighbor of the
house’s owners.
Goehl said it took one hour for fire
fighters to extinguish the fire. He said
the residents were not at the house
when the fire started, and the de
partment suspects the incident was
caused by a malfunction in the water-
heater closet.
Gary Jackson, director of Bus Op
erations, said smoke emerging onto
the street and diffusing throughout
the area resulted in closure of the
southbound lane on George Bush Dri
ve. Jackson said the closure slowed
four of the off-campus bus routes for
two hours.
Sallie Turner/The Battalion
Greg Janda, a College Station firefighter, works to water down the roof of a home that caught
fire off of George Bush Drive Thursday morning.
New
election
head
named
BY EMILY R. SNOOKS
The Battalion
Dawn McGill, a senior finance
major, has been appointed to the po
sition of Student Senate election com
missioner for the spring semester.
McGill was appointed after the
resignation of Chris Chase. Chase
served as election commissioner
last Fall but resigned because of an
injury requiring surgery.
At the first Student Senate meet
ing of the semester. Student Body
President Laurie Nickel comment
ed on Chase.
“Chris did a great job for us last
semester,” she said.
McGill has served on the Stu
dent Senate for three years — two
years as a senator and one year as
the recording secretary. In 1998,
she served as a sub-chair on the
Rules and Regulations committee.
McGill is also the vice president for
the Class of 1999.
McGill said she gained experi
ence in the Senate and is prepared
for her new role.
“Serving on Rules and Regula
tions gave me the most experience
for this job,” she said.
McGill was a candidate for
election commissioner last fall
when Chase was elected to the
position.
She said she wanted to run for
election commissioner because
she saw a few occurrences of un
fairness last year.
“I got interested last year be
cause I would see some things that
I thought were unfair,” she said.
see Commissioner on Page 10.
’ask force to rid
CAMPUS ACCESS AND PARKING TASK
FORCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
A&M to host 11th SBSLC
Sprint Store At
iioShack
tkl on Sprint
parking woes
BY MEREDITH HIGHT
The Battalion
bm Williams, director of Parking Traffic and TTans-
)ortation Services, and Dr. Jerry Gaston, vice president
or administration, have appointed 23 faculty, staff, stu-
lents and members of the community to serve on the
lampus Access and Parking Master Plan Task Force, a
nmmittee designed to eliminate parking problems on
:ampus.
■Gaston said the problems have increased as the cam-
ms has grown.
■“The growth of the campus in the past decade con-
inues to create difficulties for mobility into and around
:ampus,” he said. “We want to do everything possible
o improve it.”
JGaston said the task force wants advice and coun-
iel from a wide range of people and interests on cam-
ms.
■ Mary Miller, co-chair of the task force and associate
nee president for administration, said the task force
vas assembled with a broad range of interests in mind.
■ “It was established to see if we can take a look at
where we are with campus access for all constituents,
whether it’s emergency vehicles or vendors,” she said.
‘It’s anybody who needs access to, from or around
Btnpus.”
■ Robert Kimmel, an undergraduate representative on
he committee and vice president of student services
■icy for Student Government, said the task force is at-
Impting to implement lasting improvements to the
king situation.
think the big focus is trying to get an overall di-
tion for transportation and access instead of the
pCSP i lodgepodge system we have now,” he said. “Basically
nay not Spill 51
with » lo« ;/ d .Sp'
ight now we fix one problem at a time as it comes up. ”
aii n^i't's rese^'iiWThc committee members are putting aside the inter-
*si > of the departments and groups they represent to
• RICK FLOYD, DIVISION OF FINANCE
• DICK FORESTER, CAMPUS VISITOR
• JOHN HERRERA, UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEE
• ROYCE HICKMAN, CAMPUS VISITOR
• GARY JACKSON, PTTS
• ROBERT KIMMEL, UNDERGRADUATE
• PENNY KING, ATHLETICS
• ALVIN LARKE, FACULTY
• JAMES MASSEY, FACILITIES COORDINATION
• KATHIE MATHIS, PTTS
• MARY MILLER, MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE
• ANNEUESE REINEMEYER, GRADUATE STUDENT
• KAREN ROGERS, ZONE ADMINISTRATION
• WYNN ROSSER, DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
• JANE SCHNEIDER, DIVISION OF ADM.
• PETER SCHULLE, PTTS
• JONATHAN SMITH, FACULTY SENATE
• TOM TAYLOR, DIVISION OF FINANCE
• JULIE VILLAREAL, PTTS
• DOUG WILLIAMS, PTTS
• SHERRY WINE, PTTS
• DEBORAH WRIGHT, GIS
reach the common goal of improving campus access.
Jonathan Smith, chair of the planning committee
for the Faculty Senate and an associate professor of
geology, said the task force is trying to come up with
better methods of dealing with campus access.
“Part of our charge is to envision a solution before
we try to understand the problem,” he said. “They
want us to think more creatively, instead of just say
ing we need more buses or parking spaces.”
Miller said one thing the task force has identified
as part of the solution is better communication.
“We’re going to use surveys, focus groups and a
lot of different methods for contacting different cus
tomers to get input,” she said.
BY NONI SRIDHARA
The Battalion
Texas A&M is hosting the 11th
annual Southwestern Black Stu
dent Leadership Conference (SB
SLC) where 1,050 young black
collegians from around the na
tion have gathered to enhance
their leadership skills.
The theme for this year’s con
ference is “Renewing the Mind,
Body, and Soul to Meet the Chal
lenges of the New Millennium.”
Christina Aguilar, director of
public relations for the SBSLC,
said one of the goals of the con
ference is to provide students
with leadership opportunities.
“We want to empower them
with abilities to be productive
leaders in every aspect of their
lives in the new Millennium,”
she said.
Aguilar said the workshops
will cover topics including rela
tionships, investment banking
and money making.
Students will also have a
chance to participate in a career
fair featuring 25 corporations, in
cluding Sears, Roebuck and Co.
and Neiman Marcus, and more
than 27 graduate schools.
Aguilar said the fair will pro
vide students with valuable net
working opportunities.
Keynote speakers for this con
ference are Jewel Diamond Tay
lor, author and motivational
speaker; Dennis Kimbro, public
speaker and business consultant;
and Claudette Sims, talk show
host and author.
Aguilar said the main foci of
the speeches will be success and
leadership.
Black Entertainment Televi
sion’s Jay Lament and Montana
Taylor will appear in a comedy
performance.
Theressa Cooper, director of
programs for the SBSLC and a
sophomore agricultural develop
ment major, said the conference
will also feature an oratorical
contest in which students pre
sent speeches relating to the
theme of the conference. Cooper
said there are currently 16 con
testants and the first place win
ner will receive a $500 scholar
ship.
“My main hope for this year is
for those students coming out of
the conference to gain a better un
derstanding of themselves and re
new themselves so they can look
towards a better future,” Cooper
said.
Stephanie Erwin, conference
chair and a graduate accounting
student, said the staff has high
expectations for the conference
this year.
“Our goal is to prepare college
leaders for the problems that are
associated with the turn of the
century,” Erwin said.
Aguilar said the the career fair,
comedy night and speech by
Kimbro are open to the public.
Prof to speak
at conference
BY AMANDA STIRPE
The Battalion
Dr. Dennis Kimbro, a profes
sor at Clark University in Atlanta,
Ga., will discuss methods for
achieving success at 7 p.m. in
Rudder Auditorium.
Kimbro’s speech will be one
of the events scheduled for the
Southwestern Black Student
Leadership Conference, an an
nual event sponsored by the
MSC and the Black Awareness
Committee (BAC).
Kimbro has interviewed suc
cessful CEO’s from various com
panies to gain insight for his
three books titled Think and
Grow Rich: A Black Choice, What
Makes the Great Great and Daily
Motivations for the African
American.
Joel Garrett, chair of BAC and
a senior management major, said
Kimbro is an energetic and pow
erful speaker who personifies his
beliefs.
“Kimbro speaks about work
ethic, attitude and importance of
reading, knowledge and ser
vice,” Garrett said. “He believes
in what he speaks.”
see Kimbro on Page 10.