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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1999)
The FRIDAY April 9, 1999 Volume 105 • Issue 125 • 10 Pages College Station, Texas 105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY aggielife • Ninth annual Chilifest in Snook to feature The Charlie DanieVs Band and other treats. PAGES today’s issue Toons 2 Opinion 9 Battalion Radio Tune in at 1:57p.m. to KAMU- FM90.9for details on Bryans first “Dad’s Academy.” sports • Texas A&M Softball Team looks to avenge no hitter at Saturday's game against the University of Texas. PAGES ill Power urd claims victory as voter turnout breaks records iWElWNERT-: BY EMILY SNOOKS AND NONI SRtDHARA The Battalion tyBatwll.a': Srhe new Student Body Presi- 'heClassoli&'detu, Will Hurd, was elected into issot 2000^office by a 57.8 percent majority in a record-breaking run-off elec tion turnout. a sen ' or computer sci- Ull yfU^-gnee an( j international studies IKor, said it is an incredible feel- board of regt ing to be elected by his peers to a idea, theur lKh a prestigious position, bidding rules, | idem Patrim ' “I am excited about continuing the excellence of Texas A&M Uni versity and striving towards one campus-one vision,” Hurd Dawn McGill, election com missioner, said the previous record for voter turnout was 6,700 students. This year’s elec tion brought 8,200 students to the polls. Hurd said he was thrilled to be elected by such a high voter turnout. “1 think the turnout really shows that the students know what they want and care about A&M,” he said. McGill said the results are not valid until 48 hours after the offi cial count. This time is allotted for reviewing candidate expendi tures and allows time for the can didates to contest the results. Brandon Neff, head yell leader and Hurd’s opponent, said the campaigning process taught him much more about the Aggie spir it and he made a lot of new friendships. “It is amazing to see how peo- STUDENT ELECTIONS RESULTS Student Body President: Will Hurd Class of 2002 Social Secretary: Katie Gilstrap Class of 2001 President: Collin Poage Class of 2001: Vice-President Courtney Lindsey Junior Yell Leader: Ricky Wood pie come together,” he said. “It just wasn’t God’s will.” Ricky Wood, took 51.6 percent of the votes for junior yell leader. McGill said although Wood is not the first, it is rare for a non-corps member to be elected to the ju nior yell position. Lta re JEOPARDY! • reshman takes home grand prize in online competition, awarded Sony equipment e and Lifek;7 etennarv' BY AMANDA STIRPE The Battalion e and Life tof eterinan Met' B If Texas A&M can improve their College JEOP- ' Online score from 24th to 1st, a live tap- ,Mp of the game show “JEOPARDY!” with Alex e and Lifeki: ■frebek will be taped on campus and the contes- e and Life Scifl tafns will be chosen from only A&M students. ■ The Online game started Feb. 8 and will end Biochf M r 24 wit * 1 a new S ame starting each semester. Biomedical Sc; Last semester Jason McClellan, a freshman gen eral studies major at A&M, competed for the Col- ch Commuik Biocher.- leg c « JEOPARDY! Online game and was flown to Biocher Los Angeles where he won the grand prize a Biocheir5 ro om full of Sony equipment. McClellan said he sterted competing Online because his friends Were already competing. “We figured the more people who were play ing the more chances there were to win,” Mc Clellan said. “1 did not think I had a chance to Win." B McClellan started playing the College JEOP ARDY! Online and soon became one of 500 semi finalists. He then became one of three finalists to 13. Furman — lie K. Garcia ~Mi. Gaudreau M P. Geneliempo «-:helle Goldman ■r—aey E. Harris c—d M. Housemafi JJuett -adeeswaran L. Jonnala Kaguta-Gatira® L. Kawas ''^S. Konow Kresta i J. Lobo ~ D. McKown -~a P. Meegan N. Morgan Nantoume = j L. Newkirk . Nolle c—)ssiya n J. Reardon — . Reichel vi W. Robinson l D. Rodriquez Romanillos Y.H. Rosco* L. Santos ,. Shropshire Sieber W. Sinclair T. Smart! v L. Steele —J. Steiner M. Tellez-Gar* ^^erma L. Weaks White ly L. William* ZStural Educam Hllingham —' Science Ricke Je Major compete Online in Los Angeles, where he said he was shocked when he beat students that were older than him. “I was so much younger than the other con testants,” McClellan said. “There was this really smart senior from a small school in New York. I did not expect to beat a senior.” This semester College JEOPARDY! Online has been extended to a college tournament, with the grand prize being a live taping of the “Jeopardy! ” television show. The top player each day that breaks 50,000 points will win a Sony Walkman. A T-shirt will be given to all players that complete the 1,000th game. A Sony Discman will be awarded to the player with the highest cumulative score during Midnight Madness, which runs from 12 to 6 a.m. Currently, Georgia Institute of Technology is in first place with $389,953,823. The University of Virginia is in second place with $355,036,582 and the College of William and Mary is in third place with $302, 200 026. Currently Texas A&M is 24th place with $36,723,897. As the grand prize winner McClellan will TERRY ROBERSOn/T|[I: BATTALION Jason McClellan, a freshman general studies major, was flown to Los Angeles to compete in College JEOPARDY! Online. compete in the televised version of College JEOP ARDY! in Chicago, which will be taped April 10 and 11 and aired the first two weeks in May. “I used to always watch it this summer and my friends said I should be a contestant,” Mc Clellan said. “I tend to remember useless infor mation. I didn’t have to study.” Steven Yee, vice-president of Marketing for Sony Online Entertainment, said in a press re lease, “Over 100,000 students played College JEOPARDY! Online last semester and we’re ex cited to beat this number this spring. ” For more information on College JEOPARDY! Online go to www.station.sony.com. arines me in style BY LISA K. HILL AND ANDREA BROCKMAN The Battalion ■ At the Semper Fidelis Society’s annual Spring Dining-In last night, active duty Marines, Marine officer candidates and their guests dined in traditional Marine Cbrps style. ■ John Hunt, president of the Semper Fi delis Society, said this event served a good pfirpose. K “This is an excellent chance for Marines to get together at a formal occasion,” he Scjid. “Tonight Marines and interested can didates were able to experience the dis- tijpet protocol and etiquette of the tradi tional Marine Corps ‘Mess Night.’” ■ The evening began with a cocktail hour that led to a formal dinner. Toasts were made to honor retired Marines, fallen comrades and 19th century Marines. I Guest speaker, Lt. Col. Jerry Patterson, Aggie and state senator, spoke about tra ditions of the Marine Corps and today’s nfle models. I “One of my heroes is Audie Murphy, who was a former Marine,” he said. “He roes like him do not compare to some of todays heroes like Dennis Rodman and Marilyn Manson.” JR BEATO/The Battalion Tracey Johnson, Class of ‘98, and John Tebbet, a senior history major, are checked into the Spring Dinner by Randy Farris, a junior COSC major. Patterson spoke on instilling good val ues and explained how joining the Marines can be a motivating and respect ful experience. Captain Jeff Daniels, officer selection officer for the Marine Corps, said the evening was a success. “Tonight’s main objective was to have fun, and I felt we did that,” he said. “We built camaraderie by carrying out cus toms, courtesies and traditions togeth er.” Patterson said 80 percent of the atten dants were already enlisted in the Marine Corps officer programs. These individuals will be attending Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va., to train to become offi cers. Approximately 120 individuals attend ed the dinner including Jeanette Lawson, former Marine during World War II. Law- son grew up in College Station and joined the Marines in 1944. New program presented to city council BY CARRIE BENNETT The Battalion Mike Mullen, the City of College Station volunteer co ordinator, presented the new City Municipal Volunteer Program to the College Station City Council last night. The Municipal Volunteer Program has been in devel opment since December when Mullen was hired as the part-time volunteer coordinator in charge of creating the program. The objective of the program is to increase citizen in volvement in the local government. Mullen said he began by researching other cities and their volunteer programs to see how they were organized and what their success rate has been. He then looked into the history of volunteering in the Brazos Valley and what departments in the city of College Station would be in terested in utilizing volunteers. “Now we are ready to go,” Mullen said. “We are be ginning to recruit volunteers and fill positions. ” Volunteers can choose from a variety of time com mitments which can vary from a few hours to a few days to more involved projects that last at least three months. Internships are also available for students seeking work experience while earning credit hours. Mullen said volunteers make a difference in their own lives and the community. “Volunteering is not a one-way street,” Mullen said. “Volunteers can explore new career paths, learn new skills and help others.” Mullen said anyone can volunteer and make a differ- see Program on Page 2. MIKE RJENTES/l lIL BATTALION Will Hurd, a senior computer science and international studies major, celebrates after being elected student body president by a 57.8 pere- cent majority. Blacksmith demonstration TERRY ROBERSON/Thk Battalion Dave Koenig, of Tudor Forge in Houston, is heating up a latch for a belt buckle in front of Rudder Fountain. He is participating in a Blacksmith Demonstration sponsored by University Art Collectors. Gay awareness week aims to dispel myths BY SAM EH FAHMY The Battalion A former member of the Associ ation of Fraternity Advisors, an or ganization composed of profession al Greek affairs advisors, said last night fraternities and sororities need to create a more supportive envi ronment for homosexual members. The speaker. Dr. Charles Good man, a lecturer in the department of management and a fraternity alum nus, spoke to more than 30 people as part of Gay Awareness Week, de signed to dispel myths about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. Goodman said every fraternity and sorority at Texas A&M has a gay member in its chapter and that ho mophobic rhetoric hurts these members. “Fraternities need to educate themselves and recognize that by being homophobic, they are losing the heart and soul of many people in their organization,” he said. Goodman cited a statistic from the book Oat on Fraternity Row: A Personal Account of Being Gay in College Fraternities. The book said 5 percent of fraternity and sorority members are homosexuals. Goodman said gay fraternity members often have a tremendous fear of coming out because they feel they will be not be supported by their fraternity brothers. “Few of us can appreciate the strength of fear as an emotion that paralyzes us to complete inaction,” he said. Goodman said being gay is not contradictory to the principles of fra ternities. “Fraternities are based on the concept of brotherhood,” he said. “It’s becoming more and more of an accepting environment.” Goodman pointed out that few, if any, Greeks attended the event and said this could be because people may find it intimidating to discuss sensitive subjects when they think they are in the minority.