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
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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.