TUESDAY
June 29, 1999
Volume 105 • Issue 160 • 8 Pages
College Station, Texas
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• Texas A&M Study Abroad
Programs offer students
cultural experiences.
PAGE 3
today’s issue
Nation 6
Battalion Radio
Listen to 90.9 KAMU-FM at
1:57 p.m. for information on
Japanese professor Yasushi
Nagasawa’s visit to Texas A&M.
on pnzf
ed inc.'
The
ier ducks
aich one
lements to become
honors-only housing
BY CARRIE BENNETT
The Battalion
Clements Hall, a Northside co-ed
lodular residence hall, will begin its
ansition to an exclusively honor-stu-
ent residence hall in Fall 2000.
See Related Editorial on Page 7.
Sue Foster, assistant director of resi-
ence education, said the process is still
eing discussed, and no students will be
^■aced because Clements Hall will
radually change to a honors students’
all.
Leclmer Hall, a Northside residence
tall, is currently the only hall exclusively
ccupied by honors students and recipients
if maior scholarships, such as National
iderit Scholars. Lechner residents are all
freshmen except for 11 sophomore advis
ers and one junior adviser.
Foster said a large number of former
Lechner Hall residents move into
Clements Hall after their freshman year.
“We are addressing the interest of res
idents of Lechner who want to continue
to live in an honors residence hall after
their freshman year,” she said.
Susanna Finnell, director of the hon
ors program, said the transition will be a
long-term transition in which students
and faculty will work together to reach
an arrangement.
Jim Heath, former resident of Lechn
er Hall, said having two honors halls on
campus is a good idea.
But Clements may not be the best
choice for the honors hall. Heath said
other male students who would like to
live on the Northside in a modular-style
hall would not be able to do so because
Clements is the only one of that kind in
the area.
“I would have thought the Southside
would be a better location for another
honors residence hall, because it would
spread the honors students more equal
ly across campus,” he said.
Finnell said Lechner Hall currently
provides students with a supportive
academic environment and helps stu
dents to assume meaningful leadership
roles.
She said she hopes Clements Hall will
do the same for upperclassmen.
“This is an experiment in residence
halls,’’Finnell said. “We hope that
Clements will assume it’s own character
and spirit as all residence halls do.”
opinion
•10 Commandments bill is
taking the wrong approach
to solving society's problems.
PAGE 7
JP BEAnynu Battalion
Clements Hall on Northside will begin the transition to an all-honors residence hall starting
Fall 2000.
i RJ. Bohac (foreground) installs reinforcement bars into the existing sidewalk while Billy Stone guides
Bit into pl^ce Monday. The two University Physical Plant workers are installing a new walkway by the
Beast gate of Kyle Field to keep people from walking on the surrounding grass while waiting to enter
7.0$ |the field.
Sun problems minor, officer says
BY KRISTIN STOCKTON
The Battalion
■tudents and faculty members
lot Id be relieved to know that
bxbs A&M has a very minor gun
Dnirol problem, according to
erpeant Allan Baron of the Uni-
ers ty Police Department.
■)uring the 1998-99 school year,
j n filly two weapons offenses were
s ^ported; one in the fall and one in
-j eS e ie spring, Sgt. Betty Lemay, a Cer-
fiied Crime Prevention Specialist
-T the Crime Prevention Unit of
PD, said.
Baron said most of the cases in
volving firearms at A&M involve
students who leave shotguns or ri
fles in their cars after they have
been hunting.
“During hunting season, we
tend to see more shotguns and ri
fles show up in pick-up trucks and
suburbans, but normally we don’t
come across a tremendous amount
of firearms,” he said
While it is a felony to carry any
kind of firearm on a university
campus, Baron said the repercus
sions vary from situation to situa
tion. The consequences are differ
ent for a student carrying a pistol
on campus and a student driving
through campus with a rifle in his
truck.
The difference lies in the gun
laws. In the city, it is legal to carry
a rifle or a shotgun, but it is illegal
to carry a handgun without a con
cealed handgun permit. Since
A&M is an institution of higher
learning, it is illegal to possess any
firearms on campus.
“The officers have to use discre
tion in determining what action to
see Guns on Page 2.
New director takes reins
of University Relations
BY STUART HUTSON
The Battalion
After two weeks on the job, the new director of
University Relations at Texas A&M, Cynthia Lawson,
is coming to grips with her new responsibilities and
loving every second of it.
Lawson said although she will miss seeing the
Ozark foothills and Arkansas River she once passed
en route to her former job as execu
tive director of the Public Relations
Office for the University of
Arkansas, she jumped at the oppor
tunity to become the director of Uni
versity Relations at A&M because of
the reputation and perception she
has had of the University since she
was a child.
“When I was a little girl living in lawson
California, living literally in the
shadows of Stanford, the only university I knew ex
isted was A&M because my mother was a such a big
Aggies fan,” she said.
University President Dr. Ray M. Bowen said Law-
son competed with many other qualified applicants
from across the country for the position.
“It was our opinion that her experience and her
vision for the A&M job made her the most qualified,”
Bowen said.
Lawson has spent the last couple of weeks meet
ing with groups and individuals, both on and off
campus in order to help her develop a strategic com
munications plan so the University may further rela
tions not only with organizations and businesses off
campus but also between organizations within the
Texas A&M University System.
She said she is excited about the future because
of the combination of excellent research at the Uni
versity mixed with the rich traditions that bind the
University, and its students and faculty. She said
she did not find that mixture at other universities,
including Michigan State University, her alma
mater.
“I spent some time walking around town and
campus asking people what they thought about the
University,” she said. “[And] the answer was almost
always T love it.’”
Lawson said the only really difficult task she has
had to tackle thus far was the announcement of the
death of Reveille V Friday.
“It was clear from discussing the passing of
Reveille V with students and faculty, exactly how
much she meant to the University and what a great
loss this is,” she said.
Lawson said she would have a difficult time fill
ing the shoes of her predecessor, James R. Ashlock,
who did much to further University Relations in his
years at A&M.
“He had really big feet, and I’m only a size nine,”
she joked.
Bowen said he expects Lawson will excel at her
job, just as Ashlock did.
“Mr. Ashlock did a great job, and we expect a sim
ilar performance from Ms. Lawson,” he said.
Northgate lot raises concerns
CODY WAGES/Thr Baitalion
Some Northgate business owners say the Promenade paid parking lot
has made it harder for their establishments to attract customers.
BY RYAN WEST
The Battalion
After a year, students and busi
nesses are experiencing effects from
the Promenade parking lot, the pay
parking lot behind Northgate.
See Related Column on Page 7.
Ahmad Moady, manager of The
Cow Hop, said although he is
pleased the area is fixed-up, he is
not happy with the lot.
Moady said the issue with cus
tomers is not so much the dollar
that people pay to park, but the fact
they have to pay at all.
He said they now have to work
harder and offer more specials to
maintain the business.
“At night, people don’t mind
paying to have fun and go out
drinking,” Moady said. “But during
the day, people aren’t interested in
paying money to park and eat.”
Bernie Gessner, owner of Aggie
Cleaners, said the parking lot puts
his store at a competitive disad
vantage as a commercial district.
“During the lunch rush, people
want to come in and drop their
clothes off, but because we’re fight
ing against the restaurants, it’s dif
ficult for our customers to get a
parking place anywhere other than
in paid parking,” he said.
Gessner said the paid parking
dilutes the enforcement of time
limitations on the street as well. He
said during the day, there are usu
ally between 10 and 12 cars parked
in paid spots
“We tried to petition [College
Station] City Council to lower the
rate to 50 cents during the day, but
see Parking on Page 2.