They
WEDNESDAY
March 3, 1999
Volume 105 • Issue 104 • 10 Pages
College Station, Texas
105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
aggielife
• Explore the history of
the ancient Eastern art
of henna, or mehndi, an
alternative to tattoos.
PAGE 3
today’s issue
Toons 2
Opinion 9
Thursday’s issue
Flag waving controversy still
wages on over the dubious
history of the stars and bars.
sports
• New coaches, new arena
mark 1998-1999A&M mens
and womens basketball
seasons.
PAGE 7
rossroads
elocution of tracks to be reviewed
BY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
The Bryan-College Station
etropolitan Planning Organiza-
n (BCSMPO) will consider a
oposal to relocate the railroad
cks which travels through Col-
e Station 24 times daily paral-
ing Wellborn Road and divid-
fe:: the Texas A&M campus at
■day’s meeting.
■ BCSMPO, an organization es-
■blished independently of the
Municipal governments commu-
ties, will meet at 10:30 a.m. at
e Brazos Center in Bryan.
Michael Parks, BCSMPO di-
rector, said the relocation of the
Rcks is tentative and contingent
> uj on the needs of the commu
nity and Union Pacific Railroad.
I “I am for whatever the com
munity wants,” Parks said. “If
the community decides it does
ni t want to relocate the tracks,
then I do not think we should re
locate the tracks. A study needs
(tc be done, but we need local
commitment to conduct a
study. ”
I Funding for the study would
me from one of two matching
ants which must be matched
local funds.
Parks said Union Pacific has
already committed $100,000 to
the Texas Transportation Insti
tute, the organization expected to
conduct the initial part of the
study.
Union Pacific has planned to
double the railroad tracks run
ning through Bryan-College Sta
tion, increasing traffic from 24 to
45 trains per day.
Doug Williams, an associate
director of Parking, Traffic and
Transportation Services (PTTS),
said the Texas A&M community
advocates the relocation of the
railroad tracks paralleling Well
born Road.
“From a University perspec
tive, we definitely want to see the
tracks relocated,” Williams said.
“[Additional tracks] would have
a detrimental impact on the
Texas A&M community.”
Williams said the anticipated
increase in bus, vehicular and
pedestrian traffic in the West
Campus area is not conducive to
Union Pacific Railroad’s antici
pated expansion of its College
Station railroad.
Eddy Handley, assistant vice
president of Union Pacific Rail
road, was not available for com
ment on the company’s plans.
Garage fire
CARINO CASAS/Tm- Ba'ITAUON
Officer Lee Elkins of University Police Department and Lt. Rodney Zalbony of the College Station
Fire Department inspect the vehicle next to a burned truck for damage. The unattended truck was
parked on the first level of the Northside Parking Garage and caught fire after 2 p.m. Tuesday. The
cause of the fire is not known.
Saving the word
r.COO' 7
t
CARINO CASAS/Thi Battalion
(L to R) Blair Whitakerr, a freshman general studies major, Kristin McCune, a fresh
man business major, Ann Dodson, a freshman business major, Leah Muriel, a sopho
more business major and Lynsey Alford, a junior elementary education major, greet
unidentified students as part of Howdy Week. All this week students in the Howdy
Ags organization will walk across campus to promote the use of A&M’s traditional
greeting.
COSGA addresses
alcohol policies
BY AMANDA PALM
The Battalion
Texas A&M delegates for the 19th an
nual Conference On Student Government
Association (COSGA) exchanged ideas
about student apathy and campus alcohol
policies with delegates from 111 schools
throughout the nation.
Jill Wenger, director for COSGA and a
senior business management major, said
members of COSGA at A&M organized
the conference and facilitated the round
table discussions.
Todd Strosnider, a member of COSGA
and a senior speech communication ma
jor, served as a facilitator and said dis
cussion of various universities’ alcohol
policies was a major issue.
Jeremy Harman, programming execu
tive for COSGA and a junior finance ma
jor, said the alcohol policy was a concern
of all universities at the conference.
“There has been so much national at
tention given to binge drinking recently,
so the conference wanted to be sure to
take the issue seriously,” Harman said.
“This was a big issue for all schools. We
even made a point to have a variety of
nighttime activities for delegates so there
wouldn’t be a focus on drinking at the
conference. ”
Harman said there were 16 workshops
during the conference, 13 of which were
presented by visiting schools and profes
sional organizations.
“The point was not to
show off A&M’s
student government; it
was to exchange
ideas.”
— Jeremy Harman
Programming executive for COSGA
“I think everyone learned a lot at the
conference,” he said. “The point was not
to show off A&M’s student government;
it was to exchange ideas and learn how
other schools deal with the similar is
sues.”
Wenger has been involved with COS
GA for four years and said this conference
was the most successful one she has par
ticipated in.
“The speakers were dynamic, and the
synergy in the group was unreal,” she
said. “The conference was a fantastic suc
cess.”
Buffet
to offer
world’s
foods
• Banquet will
feature cuisine
from 30 campus
organizations.
BY EMILY R. SNOOKS
The Battalion
Students will have an opportu
nity to taste cuisine from through
out the world at the International
Week International Buffet tonight
from 7 to 10 on the second floor of
the MSG.
Sharia Albright, senior secretary
of International Programs for Stu
dents, said the International Buffet
is the most widely attended event
of International Week. Internation
al students from 30 campus orga
nizations will have booths set up
offering cuisine from their native
countries. The food is homemade
by students using original recipes
from their native countries. Enter
tainment will be provided by chil
dren, who will perform cultural
dances, and three cultural bands
who will perform.
Derrick Weingartner, interna
tional student adviser, said Inter
national Week was not always a
five-day event. The first celebra
tion, International Day, was 20
years ago. In one day, internation
al students presented a cultural dis
play, a talent show and the inter
national buffet.
Weingartner said the Interna
tional Buffet is unique because it al
lows students a chance to share as
pects of their cultures with others.
“The purpose is to give our in
ternational Aggies a chance to
share different areas of the world
with fellow Ags who haven’t had
an opportunity to experience other
cultures of the world,” he said. “It’s
also so unique because one can
taste food they would eat if they
went to an international student’s
home in their native country.”
Albright said the buffet will be
an experience everyone can enjoy.
“It’s fantastic cuisine and de
lightful entertainment,” she said.
Tickets for the International Buf
fet are available at the door and at
the MSG box office for $8.
SEE RELATED STORY ON PAGE 6.
Aggies to experience homelessness
BY AMANDA PALM
The Battalion
Aggie Habitat for Humanity will
give students an opportunity to expe
rience homelessness by hosting Shack-
a-Thon March 3-5.
Shack-a-Thon begins today with
shack construction near Rudder Foun
tain. Participants will spend two nights
in the shacks and will tear them down
Friday afternoon.
The Residence Hall Association
(RHA), Alpha Phi Omega (APO), rep
resentatives of the Class of 2000, Fresh
man Leaders In Progress (FLIP) and
the Conference On Freshman Leader
ship Organizations (COFLO) will par
ticipate in the event.
MSG Town Hall, which hosts con
certs and other entertainment, will pro
vide music during the two-day Shack-
a-Thon.
Stephen Fisher, Shack-a-Thon chair
and a management information sys
tems major, said organizations bid to
participate in the event because it is a
fund-raiser.
“Each organization is responsible
for building its own shack and can use
any materials they can drag to cam
pus,” Fisher said.
Participants are not required to stay
in the shacks for the entire two days.
Students can sign up for shifts and
come and go throughout the event.
see Habitat on Page 2.
habitat
. for
humanity
Organizations participating
in the Shack-a-Thon
• Residence Hall Association
• Alpha Phi Omega
• Class of 2000
• Freshman Leaders In Progress
• Conference On Freshman
Leadership Organizations
JP BEATO/The Battalion