Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1999)
Page 6 • Monday, May 31,1999 News Astronauts begin repair job Discovery crew members to spend three days on space station NATO plans Kosovo CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — In the second-longest spacewalk ever. Dis covery’s astronauts rigged cranes and other tools to the international space station Sunday then turned to the big ger work inside. The crew of seven planned to enter the space station Sunday night for three days of repairs and deliveries. Among the jobs awaiting them in side the station, which has been vacant the last six months: pulling up the floor to replace electrical meters on Russian batteries that are not charging proper ly; trying to fix a broken U.S. commu nication system; and installing mufflers to reduce the noise inside the Russian- built module. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration downplayed the multi tude of problems so soon after the space station’s launch. “In high-tech like this, you’re going to have that (problems) happen,” Mis sion Control’s Milt Heflin said. The shuttle astronauts have until Thursday to unload 3,600 pounds of spare parts, computers, water and clothes for the men who are scheduled to move in next March. During Saturday night’s spacewalk, Tamara Jernigan and Dr. Daniel Barry lugged 700 pounds of gear from the shuttle to the station. A pair of 5-foot cranes took up most of the load. Even though they spent eight hours outside the seven-story-plus complex — 11/2 hours longer than planned — the excursion ended too soon for their taste. “In high-tech like this, you're going to have that (problems) happen." — Milt Heflin NASA Mission Control “You can’t be telling me we’re al most done?” Barry said when it came time to go back in Sunday morning. His next word summed it all up: “Wow. ” Their spacewalk was just 34 minutes shy of NASA’s all-time record, an 8 1 /2- hour walk in 1992 during which three astronauts grabbed a runaway satellite. Barry and Jernigan fell behind when they had to struggle with tight screws holding down the Russian-built crane in Discovery’s cargo bay. Then a cam era jammed while they were pho tographing the space station and they had to get a spare. Once the pair were finally back in Discovery’s repressurizing air lock, Jernigan had trouble connecting her lifeline to the shuttle. Despite the snags, Barry and Jerni gan accomplished all their major chores. About the only thing left un done was a test of NASA’s newly in stalled crane, which eventually will be used to haul large items around the or biting outpost. “There simply wasn’t enough time,” Mike Hess, who managed the space- walk from Mission Control, said. “We’re going to have to rely on the fact that we did extensive ground testing be fore launch.” Because only two pieces of the Russ ian crane were installed, a test on that unit was not needed. The remaining parts, which weren’t ready for Discov ery’s flight, will go up on the next shut tle visit in December. This was the fourth spacewalk on the international space station since it was launched in pieces late last year. WASHINGTON (AP) — The 50,000 peace keepers NATO plans for Kosovo after the bomb ing ends would include heavily armed soldiers to protect returning refugees and hard-hat engi neers to rebuild the roads, airports and utilities battered by the allies. The peacekeeping force is only a theoretical army, for now, with no timetable to stop the airstrikes against the forces of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. That has not prevented the United States and other NATO allies from planning the force’s makeup and duties. NATO military leaders are ex pected to meet this week to be gin dividing responsibility for the force, although a Pentagon spokesperson said Saturday there is no schedule for the actual posi tioning of troops along Yugoslavia’s borders. The alliance has said little about the force oth er than that it will resemble the NATO-led peace keeping team that entered Bosnia, once part of the former Yugoslav federation, after the civil war’s end in 1995. MILOSEVIC “Bosnia is the model,” Pentagon spoil son Kenneth Bacon said last week About 6,200 U.S. troops are serving in ; J as a part of the 32,000-strong multinatiou tingent. At its height, the peace mission in 60,000 troops, including about 20,000 Amt In Kosovo, the United States intendsio mit about 7,000 soldiers at the start. “It’s the U.S. feeling that we haveb«i jor participant in the air campaign, and propriate for Europe to play a major rolt peacekeeping force,” Bacon said. Like the Bosnia force, the new force wo elude engineers, road crews, mine-clearing water purification experts and police troop The Bosnia force repaired more than cent of the country’s roads, rebuilt on more than 60 bridges, opened airports built schools and hospitals. The force eluded lawyers, educators, agricultural and even veterinarians. As in the Bosnia force, the U.S. comi Kosovo would be almost all Army tn most coming from bases nearby in Army officer who helped plan and part the Bosnia peacekeeping operation said Id Euro Firings to follow security le; Study sheds new light on gang violence SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A study of Mexican-American gangs has found their teen-age members are not au tomatically prone to violence, and re searchers believe they could be turned away from a life of crime. “A lot of people think the most vi cious kids are in gangs, but it’s not true,” Avelardo Valdez, who led the study, told the San Antonio Express- News. The study, which has yet to be published, was conducted by the Hispanic Research Center at the Uni versity of Texas-San Antonio. Researchers said they gave psy chological tests to 50 gang mem bers, looking for signs of shame, guilt and remorse which usually are missing in people with antisocial personalities. As a control group, the researchers also tested 25 non gang members who had committed similar crimes. The researchers concluded only two of the gang members appeared antisocial — none of the non-gang members appeared antisocial. Valdez said intervention and com munity services could help gang members. “Psychopaths don’t respond well to treatment,” he said. The study “says these kids have hope. They shouldn’t be locked up and thrown in jail forever.” Researchers also said gang mem bers had about the same incidence of physical, sexual and emotional abuse as others, but they were more likely to have suffered physical ne glect — for example, a lack of food, clean clothes or access to medical care. Valdez said the study suggests members might have joined gangs for material gain, not a desire to be long to a group. WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson on Sunday said he would fire department officials for failing to act on signs China was stealing secrets from a U.S. nu clear weapons lab. Dismissals and demotions could come as early as this week, after Richardson re ceives an inter nal report on security lapses at the Los Alamos lab in New Mexico that may have contributed to China’s thefts of U.S. nuclear secrets. “There were communications breakdowns. There were incom petent acts, security was not con- RICHARDSON sidered important,” Richardson said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” On “Fox News Sunday,” he cit ed “individuals at the Department of Energy and the labs that, in my judgment, did not do their jobs.” Meantime, the fallout contin ued from last week’s release of a House committee’s report on Chi na's 20-year campaign to steal America’s nuclear technology. The Energy Department’s counterintelligence chief said Congress responded slowly to FBI warnings China was stealing U.S. nuclear secrets from federal labs. The Senate intelligence com mittee chair, Sen. Richard Shelby, said the remarks were “out of bounds” and said Congress acted appropriately. A Democratic col league said “a game of blame” ac complished little. Edward Curran, a veteran FBI official who direc Department’s counte office, said the FBI “very, very significant [ with 26 recommenda proving security at thel I never heard anythii Curran, on AE Week,” said the depar adopted those recom but “it would have I have a head start.” Shelby, appearing late same show, said Currans of bounds in some area Shelby said that Senate intelligence then under Sen. ArlenS Pa., did respond to coin gence problems at the! provided additional mom by, R-Ala., said the Ene partment ignored the advice. m mmgmmgm lexas / Monda turns Infram urals nes s/W nes Job Opportunities Photographers—Photograph Rec Sports events and activities for use in marketing publications, plan for and set up Rec Sports photo opportunities and some studio work. Applications are available in room 202 of the Student Rec Center. For more information call Angela Stanton- Anderson at 845-1001. Facility/Receptionist—Applications for fall employment are being accepted in room 202 of the Student Rec Center. Personal Trainers—Applications are available in room 202 of the Student Rec Center. Aquatics Basic S.C.U.B.A. Event Date July 5-8 & 12-15 Registration June 1 5- July 1 4?ic SPORTS For Information call 845-7826 or Visit our Homepage http://recsports.tamu.edu Check out our flyers for more details on our pro grams. For Information call 845-7826 s Aquatics Golf Course Intramurals Registration 3 on 3 Basketball May 31 -June 7 Slow Pitch Softball May 31 -June 7 Sand Volleyball May 31-June 7 Indoor Soccer (Half Court) May 31-June 7 Racquetball May 31-June 7 Golf May 31-June 8 Tennis May 31-June 8 TAMU Outdoors Event Date Registration Rafting Day Trip June 12 May 3l-June 9 Intro to Rock Climbing June 19 May 31-June 16 Canoeing Day Trip June 19 May 31 -June 16 Kayak Roll Clinic June 22 May 3l-June 21 Snorkeling Day Trip June 26 May 3l-|une 22 Kayak Workshop June 26-27 May 31-June 22 Kayak Roll Clinic June 29 May 3l-June 28 Kayak Practice Session June 29 May 3l-June 28 TAMU Outdoors Sport Clu August 1999 Trip Event Date Recistra Sail and Dive the Bahamas Aug. 21- NOW- 27, 1999 June' 1 Fitness/Wellness Program • Yoga June 14 to July 14, Mon. and Wed. Level 1: to 7pm and Level 1: 7pm to 8pm. Register May 31 un| first day of class or classes fill. Contact DeAun Woosley at 862-3995 for more informal • Massages—$35 for Rec Members and $45 for non ! Members. Appointments can be made at the Rec Cen Member Services Desk. Contact Paula Opal at 845-3076 for more informal' Recistra NOW- g June 9 lf es se Kietion fithe n t, sai sm h chitect f he T lizatic itdents JThe Bice f idens Irrigan It grov ^tpers I t on T 'ieal on 1 s an Golf Course Green Charges Weekdays Weekends Cart Rentals PenbERthy Driving Range Large bucket: Small bucket: students $9 $12 $11 for 9 holes Affiliated $5 $3 JU Jpy fre ^limni < J We i |eyv bui ie jghbo a? Hagf pil Will BThe F Byton f Houst vs an (Senior ■a $12 Bjlhe T “The 1
