The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 30, 1999, Image 1

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The
105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
TUESDAY
March 30, 1999
Volume 105 • Issue 118 • 8 Pages
College Station, Texas
aggielife
• Architecture professors
display artwork at J.
Wayne Stark University
Galleries.
PAGE 3
today’s issue
Toons 2
Opinion 7
Battalion Radio
Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at
1:57 p. m. for details on the new
depression pill for dogs.
sports
• A&M Womens Tennis
Team defeats Texas Tech
University 8-1 at
Monday’s game.
TURNER'Is 9-
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3t the Brotaf
BY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
More than 16,000 prospective students have
11 ! I td W 'Plied to Texas A&M for Fall 1999, but less than
LLLLUl' P will enroll, according to a report from the Of
fice of Admissions and Records.
I A record 16,158 prospective freshmen applied
■ A&M, exceeding the 1996 record of 15,973 ap
plicants for Fall 1996 and representing a 19-per-
■nt increase from the 13,534 applicants for the
111 1997.
I Gary Engelgau, the executive director of the
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Office of Admissions and Records, said the in
crease may be attributed to the new common ap
plication for all public universities in Texas and to
the installation of the application on the Internet.
Electronic applications accounted for 42-per
cent of the applications submitted by the March
1 deadline for admissions.
“We are continuing our recruitment efforts,”
Engelgau said. “We hope and presume there are
growing expectations for Texas A&M.”
Engelgau said the University will offer admis
sion to between 10,000 and 11,000 freshman ap
plicants in hopes of generating 6,300 new stu
dents. The largest categorical increase came from
the students who checked “other” or left the
race/ethnicity slot blank on the application.
According to the report, the number of male
and female applicants increased, in addition to
race and ethnic categories, excluding interna
tional students.
The number of applicants in the top 10-percent
of their high school graduating classes increased,
with an increase in the applicants to all colleges.
Engelgau said more students than anticipated
accepted their admissions for Fall 1998, leading
to a freshman class enrollment of 7,354.
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salary increases
BY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
►
L Professors at Texas A&M
and other higher education in-
f|titutions across the state may
earn more in the upcoming
academic year if the 76th
^Kxas Legislature approves a
bill to raise their salaries.
I Senate Bill 466, sponsored
by Sen. Tom Haywood, a for-
|Mer college professor, is under
^■view by the Senate Subcom-
^■ittee on Higher Education.
I Tom Hoffman, the presi
dent of the Texas Association
of College Teachers (TACT)
and an English professor at
^■idwestern State University,
^ftid he expects a 7.5 to 9-per-
|Bnt increase in professors’
silanes if the bill is passed.
I “We urged [Haywood] to in-
■oduce the bill,” Hoffman
^ftid, in a press release. “We’re
^■eing a shortage in teachers
for certain disciplines. We have
a shortage in Midwestern
Slate University’s education
department that has remained
kiln filled for two years.”
I An average A&M salary was
^■ported to be 92 percent of
Hie overall average Texas
^Mary for fiscal year 1998,
compared to 92 percent of the
state average in 1994 and 95
pjercent in 1990.
Hoffman said increasing
professor salaries could poten-
■ally attract more qualified
Kucators to Texas higher edu
cation institutions.
“We want the salary in
crease for professors so we can
attract good people — the stu
dents of Texas deserve the best
teachers we can get them,”
Hoffman said in the press re
lease.
In a measure affecting
higher education institutions
within the Texas A&M Univer
sity System, the Texas A&M
Board of Regents approved Fri
day an increase of $4 per se
mester credit hour in the Uni
versity Authorized Tuition
(UAT).
The revenue gained from
the UAT increase, beginning in
Fall 1999, will go to increase
professors’ salaries at A&M.
A Texas A&M professor
earns an average salary of
$73,000, compared to $82,000
at the University of Texas, ac
cording to a report from the
Office of Institutional Studies
and Planning.
An A&M associate profes
sor earns $52,000, compared
to $53,700 at the University of
Texas.
An A&M assistant professor
earns $45,800, compared to
$49,700, at the University of
Texas.
In addition to the professor
salary increases, Hoffman said
TACT has urged legislators to
consider increased funding
and grants for student schol
arships and grants based on
need and merit.
Cooling construction
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MIKE FUENTES/Tm Battalion
Construction workers from Garrett Mechanical work Monday afternoon
on a new cooling tower for the physical plant. The 55-year-old cooling
tower, which should be finished by August, is being replaced at the
corner of Ross St. and Ashbury St.
PAGES
■'-'.I' ’’
Til
ecord-breaking 16,158
rospective students apply
Verbal altercation
over banner ends
in citation issuance
BY SAMEH FAHMY
The Battalion
A Texas A&M student was cited
for misdemeanor assault by con
tact Wednesday after an altercation
in front of the Academic Building
where evangelist Tom Short was
speaking.
Armando Roberto Chavez, a
sophomore computer science ma
jor, was given the citation, which
carries a fine of up to $500.
Bob Wiatt, director of Universi
ty Police Department, said Amy
Hinze, a sophomore political sci
ence major, was holding a pro-
choice banner when Chavez ap
proached her and began a verbal
altercation. Wiatt said Chavez
grabbed the banner and destroyed
it and, in doing so, intentionally
and knowingly caused physical
contact by bumping Hinze’s right
shoulder.
Wiatt said no injuries were re
ported as a result of the incident.
Chavez said he never touched
Hinze and that he is remorseful for
his actions.
“I was very immature,” he said.
“I’ve tried to apologize but haven’t
got a response. I hope she forgives
me. I hope this doesn’t carry on
further.”
“Expressing pro-choice beliefs is
one thing, but devaluating God,
you’re looking for trouble,” he said.
“I didn’t have to be trouble. I was
immature.”
Hinze said Short ridiculed her
after she began crying. Attempts
were made to contact Short, but
they were unsuccessful.
“I do not believe Tom Short had
the right to personally insult me or
demean my choice to call the po
lice,” she said.
Hinze said Short also ridiculed
her the day after the incident.
“I support free speech, but
when it creates an atmosphere of
hate and violence, I think it’s gone
too far,” she said.
Ben Welch, director of student
activities, said he does not foresee
any implications for A&M Christian
Fellowship (AMCF), the organiza
tion that sponsored Short’s visit.
“The only way a student orga
nization is involved is if [the as
saulting person] is a member of
that organization,” he said.
Penny Appleton, president of
AMCF and a junior animal science
major, said Chavez is not a mem
ber of the group and that the inci
dent will not affect any future plans
to sponsor Short on campus.
see Citation on Page 2.
Res Week unites Aggies
BY AMANDA STIRPE
The Battalion
Resurrection Week 1999 started
Sunday at the Armory in Bryan
with a live swing band and free
swing lessons.
Since Spring 1993, Resurrection
Week has united thousands of stu
dents and between 30 and 40 Ag
gie Christian organizations for a
week of worship prior to Easter;
what started with Bobby Dean,
Corps of Cadets chaplain in 1993,
planning prayer events before East
er has grown to a large-scale event.
Monday, Dr. Walter Bradley, a
professor of mechanical engineer
ing, talked about his book. Scien
tific Evidence of the Existence of
God, attracting a standing-room-
only crowd in Rudder Auditorium.
Tonight, Breakaway, which at
tracts 3,000 students per week and
is the largest college Bible study in
the nation, will be in Rudder Audi
torium at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
A corporate praise will be at
Rudder Auditorium at 7 p.m.
Wednesday. A live satellite down
link will connect 40 Resurrection
Week groups at colleges across the
nation on a movie-theater-sized
screen. In addition, Caedmon’s
Call, a band from Houston, will be
broadcast during various parts of
the evening and will play songs
from its new CD, which will be re
leased April 13. Louis Giglio,
founder of the Passion Conference,
will speak via satellite. Praise songs
and prayers will be broadcast along
with seven campus ministers live
at Rudder Auditorium throughout
the evening. Also, By The Tree, a
band from Fort Worth, will lead
praise songs live throughout the
evening.
The week will be rounded out
with a Crucifixion drama at Rudder
see Celebrate on Page 2.
eminist lectures
gainst abortion
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BY APRIL YOUNG
The Battalion
Working together to eliminate
jte reasons women seek abortion
fas the solution offered by Serrin
pster during her lecture last night
Rudder Tower, “Feminist Case
Jgainst Abortion.”
Foster, executive director of
?minists for Life of America, said
jiere are a number of things peo-
le can do to help make abortion
Ire.
“We can systematically elimi-
ate abortion by empowering
[omen with knowledge, funding
regnancy crisis centers and mak-
hg businesses and colleges sup-
brtive of pregnancy,” Foster said.
No woman should have to
choose between her education
and her child.”
Lauren Donohue, director of
Brazos Valley Coalition for Life,
said abortion is not justified under
any circumstances.
“A life is a life at every stage
and in any situation,” Donohue
said.
Donohue said the pro-choice
rally Saturday made the forum
timely.
“Since [National Organization
for Women] had their pro-choice
rally on Saturday and we have
Feminists For Life here today, I
think the forum is extremely time
ly,” Donohue said. “We are talk
ing about similar, almost identical
problems, and we are both trying
to provide women with the best
Candidates propose safety measures
MIKE FUENTES/Tm Battalion
Serrin Foster, executive director
of Feminists for Life of America,
spoke Monday night in Rudder.
solutions for their situation.”
Foster encourages women
who are considering abortion to
think the process out fully.
“Women considering abortion
need to consider all their choices
and slow down to really think it
through,” Foster said. “Give your-
see Foster on Page 2.
Editor’s Note: With the upcoming stu
dent body elections, the editorial board
of The Battalion has selected three top
ics which it feels are among the biggest
issues facing the Texas A&M campus.
The seven candidates for student body
president as identified by the election
commission were asked about diversi
ty, student safety and fee increases.
Each day, an article will be dedicated to
one of these issues and Wednesday,
each candidate will discuss their top
platform priority. This is the second of
four installments.
Stud i
Ele<
BY EMILY SNOOKS
AND NON! SRIDHARA
The Battalion
Student body president candi
dates say the keys to alleviating
drug and hazing problems among
Texas A&M students and ensuring
the safety of students is education
and enhanced safety programs.
The candidates discussed stu
dent safety, including hazing,
racial crimes and alcohol- and
drug-related accidents.
Jason Royster said substance
abuse is a big problem because
alcohol is influential at A&M.
Royster said he knows hazing
exists in some organizations, in
cluding Greek groups and the
Corps of Cadets. He said whether
it is a freshman getting books for
an upperclassmen from the MSG
or a more violent act, the organi
zations should find new tradi
tions.
“We are all Aggies, and I don’t
think anyone should be punished
to become a part of an organiza
tion,” he said.
Royster said some people say
the actions of the organizations
help build character, but that
there are other ways to build
character, including community
service and fundraisers.
Brandon Clarke said educating
students about the hazards of
abusing alcohol and drugs is they
best way to curb the ongoing prob
lem. Clarke said getting students
involved in campus programs, giv
ing students alternatives to drink
ing, displaying wrecked automo
biles and increasing punishments
see Safety on Page 2.