Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1999)
’'situation^ M worker id. ss, hananli( ^**: t-irr^ ^ -f f\£Z W'lZ Jk D C! *T* TTCV^ Jk €2 A 0L IUI I liyiT%#E7DdT a V N V Awl# ■ C#1 H.J3p #% R R RS.<^k#%2# #HSRLl w B 1#R^RJLR» URm.ISRJL R lay'October 15, 1999 College Station, Texas Volume 106 • Issue 35 • 10 Pages wittoSnli; ’“'oved tlm “I and other] wed the ^ 'streets attii tuf a primeg “Sly unpot j Mmyandlj I'lwlopptfflj An open invitation irchitecture, Geology, Geophysics, Multicultural Services departments host events ueart ANTABC! »McMu statio" 180 ' a medivii being floi ntarcncot edMato vhtch ra BY JEANETTE SIMPSON The Battalion The Texas A&M College of Ar- hitecture will open its doors to morrow to welcome parents, stu- ents and former students to the angford Architecture Center for nopen house at 8 a.m. Because of the scheduled time jhange for the &M vs. Kansas ootball game, he open house starting earlier han planned. The sched- iled barbecue as been re laced by a reakfast at :30 a.m. following an address by Shomas Regan, dean of the Col- ege of Architecture. Cathilee Bird, communica- ions assistant for College of Ar- hitecture, said the primary goal laf- station,H >1 this event is to give visitors a Is of Niefc hance to get to know the col- ege’s faculty and the specific irograms. "The focus is to familiarize parents and students with how he programs are run, and give hem the chance to meet and talk with faculty and staff that are be hind the academics of the College of Architecture,” she said. Dr. George Rogers, interim de partment head of Landscape Ar chitecture, will represent his de partment. “The idea is to open up the building so that parents can see what their students have been doing and what is going on throughout the college,” he said. “This way, when students go home and talking about things they are doing, the par ents have a bet ter understand ing of the college, and the programs their children are in volved with.” Visitors will be able to observe student artwork displayed through out the center’s first four floors. Fac ulty art work also will be on display in the gallery. “This gives the parents a chance to see their and other stu dents’ artwork, and it gives the students and idea of what to ex pect as they go through their prospective degree plans,” Rogers said. Ill B \ I l AUON BY RICHARD BRAY The Battalion The Texas A&M Department of Geology and Geophysics will host an open house tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Halbouty Geosciences Building. The open house will feature tours of the Halbouty Geosciences Building Complex, give visitors the op portunity to talk to faculty and help stu dents learn about ca reer opportunities. Also, free rock cores will be given away. Andrew Hajash, head of the Depart ment of Geology and Geophysics, said the goal of the open house is to increase public awareness of earth science. “We hope to make metre people aware of the wide variety of career opportunities available in earth sci ence,” he said. “We also hope to raise public awareness that earth science is all around us. “This open house will also allow people to get a glimpse of what we do and how exciting studying the earth can be. ” Jane Killingsworth, a junior geophysics major, said the open house is a great opportunity for 111! luii i j iimii !> ,t iii la 12 p.m. althe M.iHuMity Gaascipttces Builtlhm students to learn what geophysi cists do and to learn about a pos sible career choice. “It will be a great opportunity for people to come out and see what geosciences is,” she said. “People will come out and learn from it and know what we do.” Leslie Randolph, Department of Geology and Geophysics information representative, said the open house was or ganized to be held in con junction with National Earth Science Week. “We would like people to become aware that National Earth Science Week does exist,” she said. “The Earth sciences are a very important part of society.” Randolph said the open house will offer a variety of activities avail able demonstrating some of the things geophysicists do. “We will be having building tours [and] demonstrations of com puter hardware,” she said. “We have a stream table [and] a wave tank we will be doing demos on. We will have the drilling rig set up out front,and we will be giving away pieces of rock core. ” ROBERT HYNECEK/T he BATTALION BY MATT LOFTIS The Battalion Kim Cosla Chambers, a senior marketing major at Texas A&M, said she originally became involved with the Texas A&M Department of Mul ticultural Services through aware ness ventures similar to today’s open house, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in MSG 026, 137 and 147. Chambers has been on the de partment’s staff for two years, and has also been in volved with the Southwest Black Student Leader ship Conference. She said stu dents who attend events like this can learn how to help out and see a different side to A&M. Sandra Medina, communica tions and outreach coordinator for the Department of Multicul tural Services, said the purpose of the open house is to publicize the department by inviting the cam pus community to learn more about its programs. She said this year the depart ment will showcase its multicultur- alism and diversity library, which contains books, videos and other re sources available to students. “I think it’s just very important for students to come to the Multicultur al Center open house so they can di versify themselves and see another side of Texas A&M, and the world for that matter,” Chambers said. Medina said the open house is meant not only to offer students the opportunity to become in volved in the department and learn about its resources but also to meet and get. to know other students who want to get involved. Katiuska Quintero, execu tive director of Minority Enrich ment and Devel opment through Academic and Leadership Skills (MEDALS) and a senior bilingual ed ucation major, said helping partici pants get involved with other stu dents is one of the main purposes of the department. “I think it’s [the department] very important, especially for minority students, because it gives them a chance to meet others like them selves, and it’s also a way to reach out to minority students,” Quintero said. “For even students who are not minorities, it gives them a chance to meet others and promote diversity. ” Friday’s open house also will have free gifts and a cakewalk. ATTALION i H News in Brief id Regents to discuss System, litigation ■ ffwfexas A&M University Board ptegents is holding a special meet- today at 2:30 p.m. in the MSC. File board will provide an update the Texas A&M University Sys- and its institutions to former Imbers of the board. [Possible action to settle a litiga- matter and an authorization to ter an employment contract with ancellor Emeritus Barry B. ompson at Tarleton State Uni- r sity will be considered. Other >ics include the appointment of Jeputy chancellor, a vice chan- llorfor planning and system in- iration and a vice chancellor for iademic affairs, for the system. &M participates i mail call program Texas A&M’s service organiza- in Circle K joined other organiza- nsand individuals in a continua- in of a Vietnam Mail Call program, fiends of Our Troops.” Murray Milford, a Circle K advis- and a professor and associate partment head of soil and crop Fences, said the organization con- butes service to other events like ibitat for Humanity, the Big Event the Boys and Girls Clubs of erica. Aggielife Preventing and curing a killer disease Student discusses his- nother’s struggle vith breast ancer. Page 3 Sports •No.13 Aggies set to take on Jay hawks A&M readies for Saturday. Page 7 Opinion The Bill of the /***-1 Lefts ““ Bradley’s campaign iCould overtake Gore’s bid for party’s nomination. Page 9 Baft Radio listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at 1:57 p.m. for details on a Prison escape. Marble marvel Robert Olsen, a resident of Bryan, creates a marble from glass out side the MSC Thursday afternoon. It takes Olsen anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and a half to finish a piece. The marble mak ing demonstration was presented in conjunction with University Center galleries. Oratory contest focuses on source of stereotypes BY ROLANDO GARCIA The Battalion Bias in the media was the topic at the “What’s the Word” Black Awareness Committee (BAG) ora torical contest last night, and the consensus among contestants was that the media is to blame for per petuating stereotypes. Alexis Crittenden, first place winner of $1,500 and a freshman speech communication major, said bias in the media emphasizes stereotypes. “All African-Americans are criminals and drug dealers. All Caucasians are serial killers, and all homosexuals are campy and ef feminate,” she said.“How do I know this? The media told me.” Bill Anderson, a contest judge, MSC Council president and a senior mechanical engineering major, said Crittenden won because of the con tent and delivery of her speech. “Her opening grabbed the audi ence,” he said. “Her poise and en thusiasm for the subject really came through.” Crittenden began her speech with a poem decrying stereotypes and the prejudice that result, but ended by urging her audience not to accept media-induced stereotypes. “Acceptance plus understand ing plus change, equals a better world,” she said. Crittenden said she chose to be gin her speech with an emotional ly-delivered poem to capture the audience’s attention. “I’ve been doing oratory since middle school, and I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic,” she said. She said the prize money will help pay for tuition and textbooks next semester. Gerald Sarpy, second place win ner of $1,000 and a senior journal ism major, said he used his speech to focus on the print media and their role in creating racial stereotypes. “Fair reporting is being ex changed for sensationalism,” Sarpy said. Sarpy ended his speech by en couraging newspaper readers to contact editors when they allow stereotypes to creep into stories, and then asked the audience to stand and join him in chanting “I will not be a victim.” Chris Gaines, a senior civil en gineering major and third place winner of $750, discussed how the corporate dominance of media al lows stereotypes to continue. “We are fed what the corpora tions want us to hear,” Gaines CHAD ADAMS/Tin: Battalion Alexis Crittenden, delivers her first-place winning speech last night as part of the Black Aware ness Committee’s “What’s the Word” oratorical contest. said. “They want to produce a so ciety where everyone has the same view of the world, because that makes it easier to mass-mar ket their products.” The judging panel included Anderson, Student Body Presi dent Will Hurd, Rodney McClen don, coordinator for Student Re tention and Development at the Multicultural Services Depart ment, and Becky Petit, the coor dinator for diversity education at Multicultural Services. Luncheon to celebrate Bosses’ Day BY DIANE XAVIER The Battalion $ The Texas A&M University Associa tion of Professional Support Staff (TAPSS) is hosting the ninth annual Bosses’ Day Luncheon today from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in MSC 212 through 224 to celebrate National Bosses’ Day. Lois Mercatoris, TAPSS president, said National Bosses’ Day gives employees the opportunity to thank their bosses for the direction and help they offer. “It’s a day to honor our bosses,” she said. “We usually find the faults of our boss es instead of the good qualities of them.” TAPSS will award a boss its Member of the Year award for the second year. /Bosses’ Day\ I Luncheon Who: The Texas A&M Association of Professional Support Staff When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: MSC 212 through 224 This award honors bosses at A&M who support their staffs. Sharlene Ewald, chair of awards com mittee, said the award will be given to one of the nine nominees. “We had nine outstanding candidates that were very supportive of their staffs and their professional development,” she said. “I think this day is equally [as] important as Secretary’s Day. This gives employees the opportunity to really con sider what kind of boss they have.” Ewald said the working environment demands mutual respect between em ployers. and employees. see Bosses on Page 2. Texas Transportation Institute to get $1 million in federal funds BY CHRIS CARTER The Battalion The Texas A&M University System and U.S. Rep. Tom De- Lay, R-Texas, have collaborated to obtain $1 million in federal funding for the Texas Trans portation Institute (TTI) to sup port present research and to im plement its results. Bernie Fette, TTI spokesper son, said the funding will be dedicated to the Transporta tion Research Implementation Consortium for Operations and Management (TRICOM). A portion of the funding will go toward TTI’s ongoing re search in intelligent trans portation systems. TTI has been a part of the A&M System since its inception in 1950 and will receive the funding in addition to its annu al budget of $28 million. The in stitute, based in College Station, employs over 600 people statewide. It has become the largest University-based trans portation-research organization in the United States. Herb Richardson, TTI direc tor, said the funding would not have been possible without the efforts of DeLay. “We commend Congress man DeLay for his foresight,” he said. “He has always worked diligently to ensure the safest and most efficient transporta tion for his nation, and mo torists everywhere are the ben eficiaries of his vision.” During the official an nouncement of the $1 million, DeLay said A&M researchers have made tremendous progress in applying current technologies to solve trans portation problems and im prove our nation’s mobility. “This funding will enable them to continue their impor tant work, helping to make travel safer, more efficient and less costly for motorists every where,” he said. TTI is one of three agencies that compose the A&M Sys tem Engineering Program along with two other agen cies, the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and the Texas Engineering Experi ment Station.