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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 1999)
—niiinni - •• „r^r~- -ix.-rzs- | ^ 106 YEA TEX A<S IVERSITY October 8, 1999 College Station, Texas Volume 106 • Issue 30 • 14 Pages :ial reporii ises in it 'e damage! was injurt Electrical : pled in Sf flooding' ithers, ma roads imp ighway 6 renamed ass dedicated in memory of Earl Rudder BY JEANETTE SIMPSON K' The Battalion alina said:|j| Eagayan p'i'Tlle Texas State Highway 6 bypass of College s north otitatiou was dedicated yesterday in honor of Maj. off as (litBlames Earl Rudder, Class of ’32, and former ched. piP ent °f Texas A&M. ?sidents Silvia, City of College Station council mem- , Rjver in rBp°^ e to a tnowd of Rudder’s family, friends were aiiB liem ^ ers t * ie Bryan-College Station com- iuni; / as a portion of Highway 6 bypass was des- the James Earl Rudder Memorial Highway. Jam so proud to be here today to honor our nit own hero with this dedication,” he said. “1 Jr that each time 1 drive by this sign I will think Rudder and all that he brought to the area.” ^idder changed A&M from a small all-male mil- college into a major research university. Dur- ludder’s tenure as president of the University, ■ 1959 to 1970, his administration was respon- | for doubling the school’s enrollment, initiat- $100 million building program and gaining versity status by offering graduate degrees. Judder also played a major role in changing Lp to a coed, non-regulation military school. i rday to mi ound afte: sed from m. )ods force iple in tow and Hoi nces to s, Moya In 1941, Rudder was working in Brady, as a coach and teacher and when he was called away to serve his country in World War II. Rudder led the 2nd Ranger Battalion atop the 100-foot cliffs at Point du Hoc, Normandy on D-Day. In 1944 Rudder and his 109th Infantry Regiment were credited with defeating of the last counter-offensive of the Germans at the Battle of the Bulge. Rudder received numerous awards .including the Silver Star, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Distinguished Service Cross. Before serving as A&M president, Rudder was Texas Land Commissioner from 1955 to 1958. Margaret Rudder, Rudder’s widow, was in at tendance of the dedication of the highway. She was given a replica of the new sign posted on the highway that is on both the north and south ends of the bypass in College Station. “I would like to express a word of thanks to the city and City Council for naming this freeway af ter my husband,” she said. “It is a great honor. Dif ferent magazines can rate their places to live, but for me the place to live is here. This is my family. ” ANTONY DISALVO/The Battalion Officials present Margaret Rudder with the new sign denoting the new name for Highway 6, Earl Rudder Freeway. Northgate chosen as site of new hall BY BROOKE HODGES The Battalion A new private residence hall to be named “Traditions at Northgate,” is in its initial stages and is sched uled to open in the fall 2001. Private residence halls can ac commodate those students wanting the experience of residence hall life, at an off-campus location. Tom Kirkland, developer, of Tra ditions at Northgate and Class of ’76, said the plans consist of twin five-story towers with a suspended walkway on the fifth floor.connect ing the two towers. The building will contain approximately 400 rooms. “Most rooms will [have] two bedrooms and a living room, with a refrigerator and a microwave,” he said. “Each room will have its own bathroom, not suite style, where two apartments share a bathroom.” Tom Brymer, College Station city manager, said the residence hall to be built where the A&M Presbyter ian Church now sits at the corner of Church Avenue and Boyett Street. Kirkland said A&M’s main rea son for deciding to building the res idence hall is because of its proxim ity to campus. “The location is fantastic — we are fortunate to have found the property,” he said. “The Presbyter ian Church, which has been there for 57 years, is merging with anoth er church and building a new facili ty. Brymer said agreements and ne gotiations regarding the residence hall are still being made. Kirkland said he expects con struction to begin this January, and he anticipates the hall to open in fall 2001. He said the residence hall will be privately funded. snce jmic acooec region*^ a* ear-related lants. It women’s ell-being BY MATT LOFTIS The Battalion niura plM ; on procednj )\l\& WACOM i visit wit! uthofs^ govern®' ■ Kristie Ross, a senior geog raphy major, is conducting re search on the effects of ■omen’s physical environ- |ents, exercise and eating i ^ tpbits, stress, religious beliefs ''f iller socialization (actors ' ■ ! " 1 1 1 that impact their bodies. Ross hosted a meeting to col- Vdrfa to facilitate her research 'ednesday night. Women were vited to attend and fill out ques- nnaires Ross put together to as |)asis for her studies. “Through ' answering these W jestions, I hope to find out how ■ferent factors impact physical fcl-being,” Ross said. “I believe B studying these things you can Bin a better understanding of |ur body. ” The study will focus on what a be done to take better care of a woman’s body by promoting Iwareness of the issue and devel oping healthy relationships. I She will conduct her research Using the Geographic Information System (GIS). Ea» Ross saicl ^ GIS generally is |sed in civil engineering or mar- studr Jeting to analyze the effects of items ;hool (24 m. awan i privaS advatf leographic location on business iecisions. Ross intends to be the |rst to use this resource for hu manities research. Her study will investigate the uwjBffects of global positioning, the Ain# Jocations of the earth, moon and Jtars, and environmental stimu- ■ pilot^ us on women’s emotional and hysical well-being. ■ FM appro. sctiool see Women on Page 2. jlNAL—- drum I 70° .19 5*4 INSIDE Aggielife ^•Gleaming the Cube The Grove will be the [site of “Progress ^through Music,” a ^skateboarding and tusic test. Page 3 Sports •Aggies try to regroup against Bears Weekend game gives team an opportunity to play with heart. Page 9 Opinion •Stuffing ballot boxes India’s voter participation should influence Americans. Page" 13 Batt Radio Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at 1:57 p.m. for details on plans fora new hockey rink. ‘Dean for a Day* winner selected BY STASIA RAINES The Battalion Chris Townsend, an associate professor for the Department of Agricultural Education, will take on the role of dean for the Col lege of Education one day next week. Jane Conoley, Dean of the College of Education, will take over Townsend’s teaching duties in turn for Townsend’s winning the “Dean for a Day” contest. Carol Wagner, senior academic adviser for the Department of Educational Psychology and chair for the program said the idea of this contest came from the staff advisory council. “The purpose of this contest is to secure the scholarship en dowment for the Peggy Ritchey scholarship, named after a long time employee of the College of Education,” she said. “This schol arship was created for the children and grandchildren of employees of this college.” Conoley said she is eager to support the staff in the work they have done to secure this endowment. “I am very delighted to help out the staff in raising money for the scholarship,” Conoley said. “It is very close to being at the endowed level due to the hard work of the staff — they are willing to pitch in and work.” Tickets for the contest were sold to faculty, staff and students during the month of September. Hundreds of students and facul ty bought tickets in hopes to get a chance to be a dean. But Townsend was not among the buyers. Townsend said she was pleasantly surprised when she won the contest, considering she never even entered herself. “Some unknown person entered me in the contest, so it was really a shock when I received a call saying 1 was going to be dean of the College of Education for a day,” she said. “1 think it will be great to actually go through a day like Dean Conoley would, going to meetings and answering questions. Dr. Conoley is excited and so am I.” This is the third annual Dean of a Day contest. Over the past two years, Conoley has experienced many different sides of Aggie life. “The first year’s winner was a student, and the dean did her homework, went to class and went to the library.” Wagner said. This year Conoley is particularly excited about the switch be cause she has the opportunity to teach in the area of agricultural Education. “I love to teach, but I never get the chance,” she said. “I am re ally excited about the chance to interact with the students in a classroom setting. It will be really fun thing.” Pomp and circumstance CHAD ADAMS/Thh Baitai.ion Janis P. Stout, dean of faculties and associate provost, leads a procession of faculty to Rudder Theatre for the Academic Convocation yesterday. Museum of Natural History to host open house; A&M faculty to help out BY BRADY CREEL The Battalion Texas A&M faculty members will be teaming with the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History this weekend to offer a scientific view of the lives of pre historic ancestors at the museum’s open house. Dr. David L. Carlson, head of the A&M Department of Anthropology, said there will be a variety of exhibits and activities taking place at the museum. A&M fac ulty will be on hand to answer questions. Carlson said one feature of the open house will be an Ice Age exhibit consisting of skeletons of prehis toric mammals and artifacts of the people who hunt ed them. “It will include examples of prehistoric animals, ar tifacts and artwork,” he said. Carlson said a flint knapper will also be on hand to give demonstrations on how stone tools were made. The flint knapper also will help identify stone tools and artifacts brought in by visitors of the museum. There also will be a demonstration in hide-working. Carlson said students in anthropology, biology and geosciences will particularly benefit from the exhibit since it deals with global climate change, extinct ani mal species and prehistory. “But any student who is interested in where we came from as a species and what kinds of challenges our ancestors faced will benefit from visiting the ex hibit,” he said. Another exhibit to be shown at the museum is ROBERT HYNECEK/The Battalion “Texas Cowboys,” a photographic exhibit presented by the American Quarter Horse Association. “It is a series of dramatic, color photographs of Texas cowboys at work,” Carlson said. Tom Lynch, curator of the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, said the museum will offer free ad mission Sunday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. as part of the open house. “We are very happy to be able to let people in for free, thanks to the Texas Historical Commission and Brazos Historical Commission,” he said, “There will be great stuff for families.” Carlson said the open house has been geared towards children in the past, but thinks this year will appeal see Museum on Page 2. News in Brief CEO to lecture on communications John Atterbury, president and CEO of SBC Broadband Services, will discuss his experiences in the international telecommunications field today at 2 p .m. in the World Room of the Presidential Confer ence Center. Atterbury’s lecture, “The Inter national Road to Success," is sponsored by the MSC L.T. Jordan Institute for International Aware ness and the Office for Latin Amer ican Programs. Foundation awards wildlife department The Women’s Sportfishing Foundation has awarded $2,500 to Texas A&M’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences to help provide scholastic scholar ships for wildlife and fisheries stu dents at the junior, senior and graduate levels. This year’s All-Girl Redfish Rodeo, a 104-woman bayfishing tournament, raised $13,000 through live and silent auctions. The organization donated $7,500 in scholarships and other pro gram funds. Professor founds collection of birds Sammy Ray, director of com munity and youth programs at Texas A&M-Galveston, has creat ed a collection of more than 100 mounted birds. The avian display is being moved from the Mississippi Delta Community College to the state natural science museum in Jackson, Miss. The birds were mounted as a Works Project Administration job in the 1930s. He later mounted birds from the South Pacific where he served as a Marine Corps hos pital medic. Geology open house scheduled Saturday Texas A&M University’s De partment of Geology and Geo physics will give visitors free rock- core samples, a look at how earth scientists use computers and a better understanding of their home planet during an open house next Saturday. The department’s open house, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Halbouty Geosciences Building, is in con junction with National Earth Sck ence Week.