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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1999)
FRIDAY January 29, 1999 Volume 105 • Issue 81 • 8 Pages College Station, Texas stores viob Arabia step up in the of State it said xploring military e to set- asovo. sports • Aggie basketball teams look to continue winning ways. fni Page 5 today’s issue Toons 2 Super Bowl 9 Reminder: Today is the last day for graduating seniors to apply for degrees. Deadline is 5p.m. in Heaton Hall. aggielife • Harlem Globetrotters bring their unique gaming skills to Reed Arena for Saturday evening performance. Page 3 mmstra- “ e aim is \sident Slobodr a ns in the Sr ^ their daily lii Milosevic wili weeks too • Albanians. ity Council honors fexas A&M football ves have beer BY ANDREA BROCKMAN The Battalion October, Miles A'ithdrawSe j n ]-, onor Q f their Big 12 Cham- mthepror ons |]ip season, the College Sta- 1 ‘ n '‘ttgosla ) n tity Council issued a procla- " an d police: a tion and presented Coach R. C. s ol ethnic : 0 cum and the Texas A&M Foot- e a >'e repon.' jU team a plaque Thursday. »rade refuse- Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney read the to work. -oclamation, which recognized tve been con: ie team’s second-straight perfect itioninKo- a me schedule, its ranking of 11th ght said at a: [the nation, its win against No. 2 before flung: niversity of Nebraska and the Ag- .es upset victory over No. 1 vorking totn ansas State University to win the on there and igl2 Conference Championship, me through' The proclamation also ac- i theuseolic nowledged Slocum as the win- cow, Albrigh ingest coach in A&M history with tion to NATO 94-27-2 record and the fifth-win- /ithout the l ingest active coach in the nation. But Foreign! The 1998 season also marked ?r in a statei ds fourth conference title during e for ethnic A: his 10-year career at A&M. The proclamation congratulat ed the 1998 senior class on a 35- 16-1 record during their four sea sons in Aggieland including two Big 12 South Division crowns and the first conference crown since 1993. Slocum, accompanied by Lom bardi winner Dat Nguyen, senior safety Rich Coady and senior safe ty Toya Jones were also present to accept the plaque. Mcllhaney said the 1998 season proved the organization, coaches, students and community showed a true team effort. “The Aggies are a team that demonstrates the winning spirit of College Station and the Brazos Val ley,” she said. Slocum, speaking on behalf of the team, said they could not have accomplished their success with out the support of the city. Black and Gold sistance to Li ?d for a dec eeting TW ? a clear wr a commitni Annual scholarship pageant o be held this weekend in Rudder BY APRIL YOUNG The Battalion ibute groumi?? operation fe ■ died. sandy Berger,;: Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity will , this week he ost its annual Miss Black and Clinton migli: iold Scholarship Pageant Saturday mlitical settle: t 7 p.m. in Rudder Theater. Kyemba McMillian, president of ,lpha Phi Alpha, said the pageant i a national event in which all """'hapters of Alpha Phi Alpha par- cipate. “The pageant was created to ive people an opportunity to par- ci|>ate and show their talents and Iso win needed money for school- ig," McMillian said. ■ageant contestants will be idged in four categories including itroduction, modeling, talent and luestion-and-answer session, he contestants will also partici- ate in an evening-gown session. p|ach of the 10 contestants will ave the chance to win a scholar- hip. A $1,000 scholarship will be iven to the pageant winner, and ie first and second runners-up will receive $500 and $300, re spectively. The first place winner will ad vance to the regional and state competitions and possibly com pete at the national level. Ebony Hodge, last year’s A&M winner and second runner-up in the state competition, said it was an honor being named Miss Black and Gold. She said the title includes a large amount of responsibility, giving contestants a chance to be a role model for other African-American women. “I realized that being a role model for others meant developing myself as well as helping others de velop themselves,” Hodge said. Evan Gentry, chair of the Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant, said it is important for the contestants to receive support dur ing the pageant. “This is a classy, elegant event allowing you an opportunity to fel lowship with other students and support your friends,” he said. SALLIE TURNER/The Battalion John Lenczowski, director of the Institute of World Politics, speaks on rhetoric ending the Cold War in the Soviet Union last night at the George Bush Presidential Conference Center. Lecture examines BY SALLIE TURNER The Battalion John Lenczowski, director of the In stitute of World Politics, told a group of faculty and students last night that Ronald Reagan played a critical role in the West’s victory over communism. Lenczowski’s speech, part of the Fall Lecture Series- sponsored by the Depart ment of Programs and Professional Rhetoric at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, focused on rhetoric’s power in ending the Cold War in the Soviet Union. Reagan’s rhetoric He said the Soviet Union government lied to its people in order to control them. “What Ronald Reagan did is tell the truth,” Lenczowski said. “Rhetoric is the soft instrument of power that he used to spread the truth about the conditions under communism.” Lenczowski said the use of Radio-Free Europe, unauthorized radio stations di rected toward people under communist rule, worked to reconnect the people. “Radio-Free Europe transmitted the truth instantaneously to the people,” he said. Board of Regents evaluates parking BY AMANDA STIRPE The Battalion The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents will consider the addition of 600 parking spaces in PA 50, near the Zachry Building, today in an attempt to alleviate student parking problems. If approved by the board, the parking lot is scheduled to undergo construction begin ning November 1999, be com pleted by Fall 2000 and add to the 1,125 parking spaces cur rently available in the lot. Dr. Jerry Gaston, vice pres ident for administration, said the need for additional park ing is evident. “I think the board will be enthusiastic,” Gaston said. “We can demonstrate the need for it. ” Sherry Wine, associate di rector for administration for Parking, Traffic and Trans portation Services, and Doug Williams, associate director for enforcement and facilities maintenance for PTTS, said the project has been under consideration by the board but delayed by the relocation of the lacrosse and archery fields. Wine and Williams said the parking lot extension will pro vide power for the Bonfire area (polo fields) by adding overhead wires. They said it will add securi ty cameras, additional illumi nation and emergency phones. Wine and Williams also said handicap parking will be added to the first row of the old parking lot. No handicap parking is cur rently available due to prob lems with placement of light ing poles and access aisles. The aesthetic value of the entrance to main campus will be enhanced by a manmade hill, which will block the view of the parking area from Texas Avenue and University Drive. Wine and Williams said improvement to parking is highly valued, but the on- and off-campus bus system will be affected by the additional parking area. “We try to take into consid eration any impact on the bus system,” Wine said. “More parking leads to more people. It should certain ly help, but it is not a cure all.” The Board of Regents will meet again in March and dis cuss a possible parking garage to replace PA 61 on West Cam pus. The parking garage would include a pedestrian under pass below the railroad tracks to allow easier access to main campus MEDALS offers glance into higher education BY MELISSA JORDAN The Battalion High-school students, parents and counselors from throughout the state will attend the Minority Enrichment and Development through Academic and Leader ship Skills (MEDALS) conference this weekend to gain information and prepare for higher education and other post-graduation oppor tunities. Ebony Hicks, director of public relations for MEDALS, said the fo cus of the conference is to inform high-school students about op tions after high-school gradua tion. She said MEDALS heightens students’ awareness of opportu nities, including junior college. universities and the armed forces. “It challenges them to do something constructive after they graduate,” Hicks said. Phillip Taylor, executive direc tor of MEDALS and a senior man agement major, said the confer ence gives minority high-school students a chance to see other mi nority students in leadership roles at Texas A&M. “I feel it gives a positive out look to A&M in regard to minori ty students,” Taylor said. Chandria Jones, director of housing for MEDALS and a senior biomedical science major, said the conference uses speakers, workshops, group activities and interaction with A&M students to encourage participants to pursue educational opportunities after high school. “The focus of the conference is to encourage students, especially minority students, to pursue some type of higher education af ter high school,” Jones said. Workshops will be covering is sues including SAT preparation, adjusting to college life, financial aid and relationships. “[The conference] prepares them to make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives,” Hicks said. Jones said participants are placed in groups of 10 to 12 with two peer advisers who serve as facilitators for the group’s activi ties. Jones, who previously served as a peer adviser and a parent ad viser at the conference, said the peer groups allow students to talk about future goals and plans. Parents and counselors at tending the conference will par ticipate in financial aid work shops, talk with a panel of A&M students and hear motivational speakers. Jones said MEDALS includes parents and counselors in the conference to prepare them for as sisting the students in continuing their education. “Basically, we are trying to en courage the parents and the coun selors,” Jones said. Taylor said MEDALS gives mi nority students a view of their fu ture options. “MEDALS shows them there are a lot of things you can do,” Taylor said. 'Jew Bus Ops managers propose, enact change BY RONDA COOK The Battalion Recent Bus Op Developments •2 buses (instead of 1) now run Bush route DR DATED 1Y. ) Finances, bus routes and bus schedules top the to-do list” of Bus Operations with the employment if two new assistant managers, Mark Satterwhite ind Bill Carter. Satterwhite said one concern of Bus Operations s the lack of funds needed to support new advances n the department. Over the past 10 years, bus pass sales have declined. Cathy Mathis, associate director of PTTS, said from 987 to 1989, 12,000 bus passes were sold annually. MThis year, Bus Operations sold 8,700 passes. She aid proposing a transportation fee for $35 a se- nester per student is an option for the future, girhe fee would allow all students to ride the bus- ;s without having to purchase a pass and allow hem transportation to events such as football ;ames and Fish Camp. It would adequately provide unds for Bus Operations. The new managers and Gary Jackson, shuttle bus nanager of transportation, spend four hours daily iding the bus routes to gain insight from students is to how the system could be more effective. H“We want to take what they are telling us and act m it,” Jackson said. §|“I would like us eventually to go to a color sys- em for the schedules: Excel Green or ‘Ol Sarge Or- • New signs added to back of buses, improving visibility of route name • Maps of routes and schedules posted inside the buses • New Web page will provide maps and times of bus routes ange,” Carter said. Bus operations currently employs 350 drivers and operates 65 vehicles daily. The managers said they want to be more helpful and available to students. Jackson said he wants to improve customer ser vice and satisfaction. “We will talk to anyone, anytime,” Jackson said. “We are way past time of keeping the student body in the dark.” Jackson said students are welcome to e-mail him with questions or complaints. “If someone is going to send me an e-mail, I am going to write them back,” he said. Former student takes SGA advisory position BY EMILY R. SNOOKS The Battalion Bobby TUcker, Class of ’79, will take the helm as new adviser for Stu dent Government Association (SGA). Tucker came back to A&M this fall to work toward a graduate de gree in student affairs administra tion and higher education. While working toward the de gree, he became interested in the va cant student government position. Tucker began work Jan. 4 but was officially introduced as the new Student Government Associ ation adviser at last week’s Stu dent Senate meeting. Amy Magee, student speaker of the senate and a senior psycholo gy major, said she is pleased with the new adviser. “Having Bobby Tucker will be a definite positive,” she said, “and I couldn’t be happier about the decision.” Tucker said he will serve as an adviser to individual committees in student government. “There are a lot of committees in student government and some of them already have advisers in place; those people will continue to serve,” he said. “I will work with the commit tees that don’t have an adviser, but primarily, I will work with the executive branch and the Student Senate.” Working in student govern ment is nothing new to TUcker. His junior year at A&M he served as speaker of Student Senate, and his senior year, he was student body president. Tucker assured everyone in Student Government Association that he did not come back to take over. “I told them I am not back to try to run student government again; I had my chance for doing that,” he said. “I’m just here to serve as an adviser and to work with them.” Student Body President Laurie Nickel said she is excited about working with Tucker and said he will serve as a tremendous asset to Student Government Association. JP Beato/The Battalion Bobby Tucker, Class of ’79, is the new adviser for SGA. Tucker, who came back to A&M to pursue a graduate degree, took over the position Jan. 4 “An adviser is something SGA has needed for a long time,” she said. “Bobby’s experience and knowledge is exceptional and in valuable. He is 100-percent gen uine and couldn’t be more pas sionate about what he does.”