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105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
TUESDAY
June 15, 1999
Volume 105 • Issue 152 • 8 Pages
College Station, Texas
ri w
aggielife
• Austin Powers sequel beats
out Star Wars in the battle
of summer blockbusters.
PAGE 3
today's issue
Toons 2
Nation 6
Battalion Radio
Listen to 90.9 KAMU-FM at
1:57 p.m. to learn how to
participate in a College Station
group’s medical research.
opinion
• The U.S. treatment of Cuba,
China shows inconsistencies
in American foreign policy.
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MIKE FUENTES/Thk Battalion
Sophomore catcher Lisa Klam (near building) of the Texas A&M Softball Team works with a group of junior-high campers Monday at the
Aggie Softball Complex. Several members of the team are working with the softball-camp participants on campus this week.
Committee
offers report
on diversity
BY CARRIE BENNETT
The Battalion
A Faculty Senate committee on
minority conditions at Texas A&M
presented its annual report on mi
nority representation and recruit
ment of faculty and students with
recommendations for improvement
to the Faculty Senate yesterday.
The committee’s recommenda
tions will be sent to A&M President
Dr. Ray M. Bowen.
Robert H. Strawser, co-chair of
the committee and an accounting
professor, said the report shows
A&M has made some progress when
it comes to diversity, but steps still
need to be taken.
According to the report, in 1988
A&M faculty was 89.4 percent white,
1.8 percent African-American, 2.6
percent Hispanic, 3.2 percent Asian-
American and .4 percent Native
American. In 1998, the faculty was
86.2 percent white, 2 percent
African-American, 4 percent His
panic, 7.4 percent Asian-American
and .3 percent Native American.
Ruth Schaffer, a 20-year member
of the committee on minority condi
tions and a professor emeritus of so-
Committee Recommendations
•Increase Challenge Scholarships
and the Development Foundation
awards
• Establish a new position in the Ad
missions Office to develop formal
alliances with community colleges
• Gain community support in terms
of tolerance and diversity
•Determine factors which may en
hance the retention and recruit
ment of additional minorities and
women faculty
•Review Campus Climate Study for
implications for the recruitment
and retention of minority students
and faculty
•Establish program to improve re
tention rate of minority students
and faculty by 25 percent annually
ciology, said fhe reports pfovfde'a
clear history of the attempts A&M
has made to improve student and
faculty diversity.
“Every year, we have progressed
even if it’s not in the area we hoped
for,” Schaffer said. “The report each
year helps us trace the historical
change. ”
see Diversity on Page 2.
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yupdati The Texas Alliance for Science, Technology and
dayse Mathematics Education at Texas A&M, the National
ies to Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of
jbylvir.Agriculture (USDA)/Agricultural Research Service
I have joined forces to create the First Step program, a
elected project with the goal of bringing local, cutting-edge
its da scientific research into middle schools of Texas and
y jnfec surrounding states.
eralbig ’ Each year, the program selects 30 science teachers
[’,Boeirfrom grades five through nine to participate with a re-
micros search scientist from a USDA laboratory within a 75-
tnile radius from the teachers’ schools. Each teacher
and scientist pair develops a mini-research program
e First Step
Program brings research to schools in Texas, surrounding states
BY STUART HUTSON
The Battalion
for the students based on the scientist’s own studies.
Craig Wilson, First Step coordinator, said the goal
of this program is to give middle school students first
hand experience with the specific subject being stud
ied in their local communities. Students and teachers
in Beaumont are conducting research into rice where
as in the Texas Valley they learn about bees.
“Instead of science being words in a book, it be
comes something practical and tangible, “ he said.
“They learn it is not always so cut-and-dry.”
Robert James, director of the Texas Alliance and a sci
ence education professor at A&M, said this program is
a step in making USDA laboratories integral parts of the
communities which will be affected by their research.
see First Step on Page 2.
Campaign to raise money for Corps
5 H
JP BEATO/The Battalion
Sul Ross Scholarships are awarded
o high-school seniors who have
excelled both in academics and in
Extracurricular activities.
BY KRISTIN STOCKTON
The Battalion
Joyce and Dick Birdwell of Col
lege Station gave a $25,000 gift to
the Corps of Cadets for the Ensur
ing the Future Campaign, a three-
year campaign started in an effort
to raise $25 million for the Corps
to be used towards scholarships,
academics, recruitment and other
programs.
This is the Birdwells’ fourth
$25,000 donation to the Corps in
support of its Ensuring the Future
Campaign.
Richard Biondi, director of de
velopment for the Student Affairs
Development Foundation, said the
campaign has been successful so
far.
“There are two and a half
months left in the campaign, and
the Corps has raised $31 million,”
Biondi said.
Forrest Lane, corps commander
and a senior political science and
economics major, said the cam
paign is important to the cadets in
that it provides them with a link to
former cadets.
“This is a chance for us to get
former members of the Corps in
volved and for them to play a role
in today’s Corps of Cadets,” Lane
said. “We only receive so much
money from the University, which
is understandable, and this is a way
for us to find the means to make
things better. ”
Dick Birdwell, Class of ’53, was
a member of the Ross Volunteers
and the Engineering Student
Council. Birdwell is now a con
sulting engineer.
The Birdwells’ gift will establish
the Joyce and Dick Birdwell Sul
Ross Scholarship.
Other donors who contribute
$25,000 will have a Sul Ross Schol
arship designated in their name.
Sul Ross Scholarships are awarded
to high school seniors who are
planning to enter the Corps and
who have excelled both in acade
mics and extracurricular activities.
see Donors on Page 2.
SALLIE TURNER/The Battalion
Aggie senior first baseman John Scheschuk takes a swing during the Texas A&M Baseball Team’s game
against Florida State University Saturday. Scheschuk went l-for-3 Monday against Cal-State Fullerton.
Ags end year in Omaha
BY REECE FLOOD
The Battalion
Texas A&M found itself in the
losers’ bracket once again Monday
night, facing off against Cal State-
Fullerton (50-13) in Omaha, Neb.
The Aggies fought their way
back through the losers’ bracket to
win their Regional and Super Re
gional but were unable to repeat the
magic in the 1999 College World Se
ries.
The Aggie bats were fired up
with 10 hits and two runs in the
game, but so were the Fullerton
bats.
Matt Ward started for the Aggies,
pitching 6 and 2/3 innings. Ward
gave up six times in four innings for
two runs, one coming on a David
Bacani homerun in the third.
But reminiscent of Saturday,
A&M’s troubles started in the fifth.
Bacani started off the inning
with a double out to right field.
Reed Johnson then bunted down
the left foul line, advancing Bacani
to third base.
After failing to properly call for
time, Aggie senior first baseman
John Scheschuk began walking to
wards home plate with the ball in
his hand. With no one covering sec
ond base, Johnson was able to take
second as the Aggies could do noth
ing but watch, giving Fullerton a
man on second and third with no
outs.
The next batter, Spencer Oborn
came up to the plate and hit a dou
ble, scoring two runs and giving Cal
State a 4-2 lead.
Aggie reliever Chris Russ came
into the game pitching 2 1/3 in
nings, giving up only one hit and
no runs.
A&M’s last chance for a come-
from-behind victory came in the
bottom of the ninth inning.
With one out, second baseman
Sean Heaney hit a single to left field.
Designated hitter Greg Porter fol
lowed with a double to left center
field. Following an out by junior
third baseman Dell Lindsey, junior
leftfielder Chad Hudson came to the
plate as the potential go-ahead run,
but Fullerton reliever Kirk Saarloos
struck Hudson out swinging.