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- “
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\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.”