THURSDAY
Aprils, 1999
Volume 105 • Issue 123 • 14 Pages
College Station, Texas
105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
aggielife
• The popularity of cigars
among college students
increases despite the
health hazards they pose.
PAGE 3
today’s issue
Toons 2
Opinion 13
Reminder:
Today is the last day to vote in
the student representatives' run
off elections.
sports
• Multi-talented
freshman athlete has
found niche as javelin
thrower for Texas A&M.
PAGE 7
Railroad study approved
BY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
fclk of double-tracking the rail line
latlparallels Wellborn Road prompted
^Bryan-College Station Metropolitan
lam ing Organization (BCSMPO) poli-
jommittee to approve research on
iiejailroad Wednesday.
The first part of the study would
ave the BCSMPO, in conjunction with
i«exas Transportation Institute (TTI),
^search methods for providing local
latching funds to coordinate with a
;deral grant program to fund the pos-
ible relocation of the tracks along
Vellborn Road.
pVlichael Parks, BCSMPO director,
aid coordination with TTI will provide
artln r insight into the economic feasi-
ilitv of the project.
| “it is paramount that we understand
ow it affects the community econom-
:a|y, socially and aesthetically,” Parks
aid “If the costs far outweigh the ben
efits, then we stop, pack up our tent and
go home.”
The BCSMPO, composed of the cities
of Bryan and College Station, Texas
A&M and Brazos County, began re
viewing the current status of the Union
Pacific Railroad line in February 1998.
Union Pacific Railroad has commit
ted $100,000 to TTI for the study.
The BCSMPO policy committee ap
proved the creation of a rail advisory
committee, which will include seven
citizens living in Brazos County, repre
senting Bryan, College Station and
A&M.
Dr. Jerry Gaston, the vice president
for administration of A&M, said the
committee will provide an outlet for cit
izen feedback.
“The responsibility of this group is to
make sure we turn over any and all le
gal options to get the money we can for
this community,” Gaston said. “We
wouldn’t be doing our duty if we didn’t
do that.”
Today, 24 trains travel along the rail
road that parallels Wellborn Road.
Thains traveling along the Union Pacific
line average 20 mph, in comparison to
some trains traveling at an average of 60
mph along rural routes.
At the BCSMPO meeting last month,
Eddy Handley, the assistant vice presi
dent of Union Pacific Railroad, said the
Bryan-College Station community is
likely to see an increase in train traffic
within the next five years.
In response to more train, car and
pedestrian traffic along Wellborn Road,
the Texas A&M Board of Regents ap
proved development of an underground
pedestrian passageway. The proposed
crossing would run under the Wellborn
Road/Union Pacific Railroad Corridor
connecting main campus and West
Campus.
The crossing would be integrated
into the new Kyle Field entry plaza
and the new West Campus Parking
Garage, which was approved by the
JP BEATO/The Battalion
Board of Regents in March.
Students interested in applying for a
position on the rail advisory committee
can contact the BCSMPO at 260-5298 or
online at www.bcsmpo.org. Applica
tions must be submitted to the BCSM
PO, located at 4001 E. 29th, by April 14
at 5 p.m.
EO cites secrets
CARINO CA51S
e grandfeof'
epeare fes > BY RACHEL HOLLAND
The Battalion
he CEO of Equilon Transportation
sail in an MSC Executive Series lecture
i last night that people with visions and
Clares* anc ^ w * 10 ta ^ e act ' on distinguish
hemselves as successful people.
L -Hi Dr - Mark Williams, who negotiated
US nOll» oinin S Oil Company, Texa-
v :o Inc. and Saudi Refining Inc. to form
J.S. Equilon Enterprises, said these fea-
on Belgrai ures are important to reaching any de-
nd said tin iniijon of success,
ild agreetoa: “vision, ideas and action are distin-
1 troops enii juishing features of people who are go-
alone wek Qgko move on in life,” he said.
“Any peaff I Williams said the most ambitious vi-
eful,” spoke j ons 0 f contributing talents and re-
ikin quoted ouices to society will take people the
in as saying, arthest.
refugee front wHaving a vision is the power to ask
at hers rushed ptirself the question, ‘Am I doing
y forthe400iterything that I can do at every mo-
who havetr (tent to contribute?”’ he said,
wo and intopif Williams said successful people vi-
es _ ualize simple ideas,
of aid workeisBThe best ideas are crisp and true,”
t row uponr. fi said. “They can usually be written
ind latrines»he back of a napkin.”
aid fligfc^P 6 f* 16 political strategies of
jndudi;Resident Clinton, Nelson Mandela and
i , r^nitalott Gates are examples of simple and
' H were on )0Wer f u l ideas.
ors ,. t j onSii: J' Williams said action orientation is a
conC ^difficult but important concept to mas-
lett mu er j n a t j me w j ien people are warned
ea - (Minst making errors,
ns were , .W‘A bias toward action distinguishes
enclaveu 111 luccessful people,” he said. “You can
n border,"*®
ve died.
/bile
rods
MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion
Dr. Mark Williams, CEO of Equilon
Transportation speaks Wednesday
as part of the MSC Executive Series.
have a vision and an idea, but if you
can’t make something happen, you are
dead in the water. ”
In a question-and-answer session af
ter the lecture, Williams said he defines
his own personal success in two ways:
being an adequate father and being a
positive force for change in the business
world.
It’s a 'bout’ time
MIKE FUENTES/The Battahon
Boxers clash Wednesday night at Rodeo 2000 at Kappa Sigma Fraternity’s
third annual Fight Night. Proceeds benefitted the American Parkinson’s Dis
ease Association.
Staff spaces
in garage
in jeopardy
BY MEGAN E. WRIGHT
The Battalion
The Student Senate passed a bill last night call
ing for the removal of 70 staff parking spaces from
the Southside Parking Garage.
The the bill proposed that the staff spaces should
be relocated to Parking Area 25, also known as
Adam’s Band Hall Lot, which is currently a student
resident lot.
Sen. Peter Schulte, a junior business major, said
the bill will add 70 spaces for student use in the
garage.
“The purpose of this legislation is to make sure
that parking spaces in the garage are utilized 24
hours a day and that 30-minute parking spaces be
added where they are desperately needed,” Schulte
said.
If the bill is approved by Parking, Traffic and
Transportation Services(PTTS), PA 25 would become
a staff parking lot, and 10 to 15 spaces in that lot
would become 30-minute spaces in Fall 1999.
“This would add 70 spaces for students because
the staff who use the parking garage utilize it from
8 [a.m.j to 5 [p.m.] during the week, leaving those
spaces empty after hours,” Schulte said. “This al
lows for night and weekend parking for Southside
residence hall students.”
In other business, a bill was passed recommend
ing that graduate classes after 3 p.m. be canceled on
April 21 in observance of Muster. Currently, it is rec
ommended that undergraduate classes after 3 p.m.
be canceled on the day of Muster.
David Byrd, chair of the External Affairs Com
mittee and an agricultural education graduate stu
dent, authored the bill and said professors should
observe traditions such as Muster.
“Professors need to realize that the tradition of
Muster applies to all students of A&M, regardless of
see Parking on Page 2.
tere
I Ruh-off cphdida
{fbqp^f 0m
Leiskau and Riel.
Todd and Collin pc
Courtney Lind?
2001 vice pros
Tiller for Class of;
Voting, loc^boi
MSC, Sterling C. I
Wehner, Zachry; Si
ttjfe&fudentTtecn
Bpb,Schopt of (|c
Apple
Turd and Bran-
fount, James
leader, Amy
ur
ssj.
:jin Mjse^pr Class of
d Katy Gitstrap and James
1002 historian.
Commons Lobby, the
fihmrv. Blocker, Kleberg,.:
■ ican Dining Halls,;:
| arid the George
nment and Public Service.
^fociologist discusses
ate crime in the U.S.
BY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
’Sociologist Gary Norman of the
Montrose Counseling Center of
Houston said Wednesday that the
late crimes committed against in-
viduals of minority groups with-
Jthe United States resemble the
thnic cleansing occurring in
Osovo and the violence commit-
ed during the Holocaust.
BrThe Holocaust was in essence
hate crime committed against
people based on their ethnicity
their religion,” Norman said.
‘Ethnic cleansing is trying to
-rise a whole group of people. If
leople were assaulted and ha
rassed every day, that would be
ie beginning of cleansing. They
are. If we go back to the Holo
caust, it (ethnic cleansing) was
happening subtly. To some de
gree, that is what is happening
here, and it’s building an atmos
phere of intolerance.”
Norman addressed the Texas
A&M community as part of a dis
cussion sponsored by Gender Issues
Education Services in conjunction
with Gay Awareness Week.
In defining hate crimes, Nor
man cited the FBI’s revised 1997
definition: “crime motivated by
bias based on race, ethnicity, reli
gion or sexual orientation.”
“It is not fun to talk about,”
Norman said. “We have this sense
of security and safety we feel the
need to carry around with us all
the time.”
Community prepares for vote
to determine fate of Munson
Terry Roberson/The Battalion
Gary Norman, of the Montrose
Counseling Center, speaks about
hate crimes Wednesday night.
When Norman questioned the
audience, students mentioned in
cidents of discrimination against
ethnic minorities and women in
addition to incidents of violence
committed against homosexuals.
In 1993, a group of students and
see Hate Crime on Page 6.
BY CARRIE BENNETT
The Battalion
Campaigning will soon begin for
both sides on the issue of the Mun
son Avenue barricades for the May
1 special election.
Kayla Glover, resident of the Col
lege Hills neighborhood through
which Munson Avenue runs, leads
Friends of Our Community, an or
ganization supporting the perma
nent removal of the barricades.
Glover said the members of the
group have been planning their
campaign at meetings during the
past few months.
“Saturday morning we will put
500 signs out all over town for the
‘Open Munson Campaign,’”
Glover said.
She said the members of Friends
of Our Community will call people
and get permission to place signs in
yards around the area.
“Signs and mailers will be the
majority of our advertising,” she
said. “We will try to do some tele
vision ads, but we need more funds
first.”
Glover said the main objective
of the campaign is to encourage
people to vote.
Shawn Carlson, a College Hills
resident and a member of Citizens
for Neighborhood Integrity, the or
ganization in favor of barricading
Munson Avenue, said she hopes to
show voters that blocking streets
and zoning to preserve neighbor
hoods is not a new idea.
“Next week sometime, we will
begin with mailers and signs in or
der to convey our message,” Carl
son said.
She said the traffic congestion
on Munson Avenue can be danger
ous to small children and the el
derly, who may not have fast re
flexes. The congestion will cause
property values to decrease, which
will disrupt the tax base of the city,
she said.
Sharron Knutson, a member of
Friends of Our Community, said
she thinks controversy over the
Munson Avenue issue will contin
ue regardless of the outcome of the
election.
“This is an on-going struggle,”
she said, “and I don’t think the elec
tion will be the end of this issue.”
Knutson said campaign plans
include phone calls and providing
transportation for voters to the
polls May 1.