president we
must all help him,amil:
of us,” he said earlyI'fSj
a news conference, “I|
pie voted for change
As Menem prepaid;
quish power on Dec, 1,
gentine economy is®
deep recession, witlnm
ment topping 14 pert®
Corruption is wide
sidered rampantand(
on the rise.
*!
'vfi
\
■
1999
>ber 27
jom and Hallway
ALTH SCREENING
• ENTERTAINMEM
HIV TESTING
[ew Millennium
:h Education
tudent Affairs
TTITT
1 OIL
106 YEARS AT TEXAS A&NrUN IVERSTTY
Inesday • October 27, 1999
College Station, Texas
Volume 106 • Issue 43 • 14 Pages
isagreement leads to delay
60-60-60 Q-drop bill’s fate
BY STUART HUTSON
The Battalion
tudents who may have expected their number
Hotted Q-drops to jump from three to four
etime this academic school year may just have
mil longer due to a disagreement between the
ps A&M Faculty Senate and the Academic Op-
ions Committee (AOC) regarding the 60-60-60
bill.
he bill calls for administrators to allow two Q-
s for the first 60 hours of classes and another
for the student’s following 60 hours. The bill
calls for the extension of the Q-drop deadline
a the 50th class day to the 60th.
InOct. 1998, former executive vice president of
ninistration for the Student Government Asso-
ion, Bryan Minyard, said he hoped the bill
jldbe instituted as early as this academic year,
he bill was originally passed by the Student
ate in November of 1998, and was passed by
Faculty Senate the following January with a
[vision that the Q-drop deadline would remain
pe 50th class day.
Brent Spencer, chair of academic affairs for Stu-
Senate and a senior microbiology major, said
Current Q-Drop System Proposed 60-60-60 Bill
Number of Q-Drops given to each student
- 3 0-Drops given
to each student
-2Q-Dropsgiven per
each 60 hours of
students' degree plan
Deadline for students to use Q-Drop
50 days into the
school year
60 days into the
school year
ROBERT HYNECEK/Thk Battalion
the bill returned to the Faculty Senate, who then
accepted the deadline extension. He said the bill
was sent to A&M President Dr. Ray M. Bowen,
who sent it to the AOC for approval and possible
implementation.
„ “This is just the way that academic committee’s
at A&M work,” Spencer said. “There may have
been some people that expected the bill to be im
plemented quickly, but it was never really a truth.”
Executive vice president and provost, Dr.
Ronald Douglas said the delay of the bill was
caused by a disagreement between the AOC and
the Faculty Senate about certain aspects of the bill.
“There has been a log-jam here because of a dif
ference of beliefs about what is best,” Douglas said.
“We have tried to get the issue resolved as
quickly as possible, but it has dragged out, espe
cially over the summer.”
Douglas said a committee has been formed to
resolve the differences.
Dr. Mark Weichold, associate provost for un
dergraduate programs and academic services, said
the committee’s member selection, which was fi
nalized last Wednesday, will be composed of three
members of the-AOC, three members of the Fac
ulty Senate and three students.
“The goal of the committee is to look at the bill
and Q-drops as a whole to try to work out some pro
visions in the bill put in by the Faculty and Student
senates that would be difficult to implement,” he said.
Weichold said the problems include items such
as what courses will be included in students’ 60
hours and if the deadline can be pushed back.
Weichold said that after the AOC committee re
views the bill, it will probably return to the Stu
dent and Faculty senates to be passed in its mod
ified forms.
Aggie architects
to help design
Dallas hospital
BY ERIKA DOERR
The Battalion
Keeping the needs and wants of children suffering from ill
nesses in mind, faculty and students in the College of Archi
tecture are working on a 700,000-square-foot addition to the
Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.
J. Thomas Regan, dean of the College of Architecture, said
the project will help the medical center address its changing
clinical and parking needs, and fulfill its aim of becoming a
world-class research facility for pediatric medicine.
“A project of this magnitude raises students’ level of under
standing to form concrete proposals,” Regan said. “Texas A&M
has the largest college of architecture in the country.”
Regan said he is enthusiastic about the project and be
lieves A&M faculty, students and former students will bene
fit from the effort.
lealth fair offers Engine inspection
ree screenings
ntertainment
BY DIANE XAVIER
The Battalion
Health Fair 1999, “Step into
!th ior the New Millenni-
|,” is today from 10 a.m. to 2
in the MSC Flagroom, hall-
and Rudder Fountain area,
ealth Fair, coordinated an-
lly by Student Health Ser
ies’ health education, will
ture various campus and
nmunity health organiza-
ts promoting awareness of
rent health events and of-
ng free testing.
Margaret Griffith, A.P. Beu-
Helath Center health edu-
ion coordinator, said more
n 40 campus and commu-
y organizations will partic
le in the event.
“This fair is for everyone in
! Bryan-College Station
nmunities to find out the
ources available for them
and off campus,” Griffith
d. “It is really neat and im-
rtant for people to learn
out different services and
[alth topics they have never
tight about.”
Free health screenings in-
ding HIV testing, choles-
ol, glucose and blood pres-
|re checks will be available.
In addition, free-flu-shot
upons will be distributed to
|efirst 400 students who vis-
INSIDE
Health Fair Activities
Free health screenings
- HIV testing
- cholesterol
- glucose
- blood pressure checks
Free flu shot coupons
- to first 400 students
Performers
• Aggie Wranglers
- Texas Aggie Dance Team
• Century Singers
ROBERT HYNECEK/The Battalion
it and register at the Student
Health Services table.
“The flu shot service will
be really helpful, and students
should take advantage of it be
cause flu season is just around
the corner,” Griffith said.
Festivities include live en
tertainment by the Texas Aggie
Dance Team, Aggie Wranglers
and Century Singers.
“This event is well attend
ed every year, and students re
ally enjoy it,” Griffith said.
“This will also help students
become aware of the different
organizations on campus. We
just want students to have a
good time.”
Throughout the day, partic
ipants can register to win from
the 40 door prizes provided by
area businesses and agencies.
KIMBER HUFFAThk Battalion
Nathan Osterman (left), a senior marketing major, and Cassidy Moore (right),
a freshman biomedical sciences major, examine the engine of a Hummer as
Bryan Masters (center), looks on. Osterman and Masters were recruiting for
the Texas Army National Guard outside the MSC Tuesday.
This is a real leap forward for the
entire [College of] Architecture."
— Jeremy Tilley
junior environmental design major
“The College of Architecture has a great opportunity to work
with two Texas firms - HKS Architects.and Centex Construc
tion Group,” he said. “The payoffs for the students, those of
learning and confidence, are immeasurable.”
Thomas Smith, a junior environmental design major, said
nine teams, each consisting of approximately two construction
science students, two mechanical students, two designers, one
architecture graduate and one construction science graduate
are working on designs for landscape and buildings for the med
ical center addition.
Smith said the College of Architecture has worked alongside
several architectural firms, gaining life experience in real-world
situations.
“The student and faculty teams will present their designs
and results at the Children’s Medical Center on Dec. 8 to HKS
Architects and Centex Construction Group,” he said. “Each
team will have a 20-minute presentation period followed by a
10-minute question-and-answer period.”
A jury, consisting of the owner of the Children’s Medical
Center of Dallas, HKS Architects, Centex and an electrical-me
chanical contractor will pick the top three designs, he said.
Jeremy Tilley, a junior environmental design major, said this
project gives the Children’s Medical Center architects fresh
ideas and inspirations for designs.
“This is a real leap forward for the entire [College of] Archi
tecture,” he said. “This project incorporates departments from
landscape, Hvac [heating and cooling systems], construction
science and design teams.”
Dr. John Bryant, assistant professor of construction science, said
the five disciplines essential to the project are cost controls, design,
architecture, mechanical-electrical and landscape architecture.
“Everything essentially revolves around the delivery sched
ule, when and how long the construction will take and the cost
of building,” he said.
Bryant said the architecture students are the sellers of their
product; they must be able to solve the problems of parking and
entrance access, while keeping in mind the needs of the chil
dren with illnesses.
“Around 320,000 square-feet will be used for outpatient, clin
ical and research facilities,” he said. “Not only are the students
and faculty working together to find the most cost-effective
ways to build the addition to the hospital, but we are keeping
the needs of the children in mind, as well.”
George J. Mann, the project’s co-director and the Ronald L.
Skaggs Endowed Professor of Health Facilities Design, said the
college’s students have worked on major architecture projects
like this one in the past.
“We have worked with the Children’s Medical Center of Dal
las before, in 1994,” Mann said.
see Architecture on Page 2.
Aggielife
Software Shanghi
[rating computer
'Oftware has
lecome the latest
irm of victim less crime.
Page 3
Sports
•Ags look to rebound
he A&M Football Team will
off against Oklahoma
fate University Saturday.
Page 9
Opinion
•Should sanctions be
sanctioned?
a* "^'Columnists
lj_* : 'debate the
merits of
sanctions in
Iraq.
Page 13
Batt Radio
Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at
1:57 p.m. for details on new
leads in a kidnapping case.
Scavenger hunt
A&M Prof studies habits of Texas' vultures
BY BRADY CREEL
The Battalion
As the winter months ap
proach, birds are often seen fly
ing south in pursuit of a warmer
climate in which they can endure
the cold season, but one type of
bird is likely to remain in Texas
year-round—the buzzard.
Dr. David Phalen, a professor
in the College of Veterinary
Medicine, said buzzards are mi
gratory birds, but those living in
Texas can usually ride through
the winter here.
“Their population is limited
only by their food supply,” he said.
Keith Randall, a senior media
communications specialist for
the Office of University Relations,
said most people do not realize
the nature of these scavengers. In
fact, “buzzard” is not even the
correct term to use when refer
ring to them — they are vultures.
The turkey vulture and black vul
ture are two types commonly
found in North America.
“Most people don’t under
stand buzzards, and even take
them for granted,” he said.
The birds are commonplace
among ranches throughout
Texas. Climate and other factors
claim the lives of thousands of
animals each year, and buzzards
prey upon their carcasses. They
are often seen on farms eating
dead cattle, sheep, goats, pigs,
and other farm animals, not to
mention wildlife and roadkill.
Phalen said vultures are nec
essary for the environment be
cause of their ability to clean up
by scavenging.
“They clean up the country
side in a natural way, and in do
ing so, they provide a valuable
service,” he said.
The bird’s digestive system is
a product of evolution. Phalen
said vultures are capable of eat
ing almost anything, and they
are not sensitive to botulism tox
ins, found in one- day old car
casses, which could kill humans.
“By eating what they have
for thousands of years, they
have the ability to break down
A.K.A.
jvmJuSk
OFTEN SEEN EATING DEAD CATTLE.
SHEEP, GOATS, PiGS AND ROADKILL
•CAPABLE OF EATING ALMOST
ANYTHING AND ARE NOT SENSITIVE
TO BOTULISM TOXINS
A LOCAL GROUP OF BUZZARDS
CONSISTING OF CLOSE T0100
BIRDS LIVES NEAR EASTERWOOD
AIRPORT
Arkansas governor to speak
on rhectoric’s role in politics
JEFF SMITH/The Battalion
just about anything inside their
stomach,” he said.
Vultures locate their food
through their acute senses of
sight and smell. The birds will
glide along by riding on warm
air currents rising off the
ground, which enables them to
spend hours in the air with little
effort. Although one might see a
lone buzzard circling above,
others more than likely are cir
cling close by.
“They can glide around and
scout out what’s down below on
land, and when one vulture sees
another riding, others will ride
too,” he said.
see Vultures on Page 2.
BY CHRIS CARTER
The Battalion
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will
speak about the future of rhetoric and
presidential leadership tonight at 7:30
in Rudder Auditorium as a part of the
George Bush School of Government
and Public Service’s Program in Pres
idential Rhetoric.
The title of Huckabee’s speech,
“Republicans From Backstreet to
Mainstreet,” will examine the devel
opment of the Republican Party in the
southern United States.
Dr. Kurt Ritter, a faculty member of
the Program in Presidential Rhetoric
and a speech communication profes
sor, said Huckabee’s appearance is
valuable because he is part of the fu
ture of political rhetoric.
“Because Gov. Huckabee is the
youngest governor in the country, we
are getting the perspective of the future
of politics and rhetoric, as opposed to
having someone who is at the end of
their political career,” he said. “It is in
teresting that Huckabee is one of sev
eral emerging political figures who do
not have a background in law. I think
this may be a trend that could grow
into the future.”
The Program in Presidential
Rhetoric is the research unit of the
Center for Presidential Studies at
Texas A&M which brought numerous
dignitaries to the A&M campus for
discussions on political topics affect
ing various facets of the presidential-
political process.
Dr. Leroy G. Dorsey, a faculty
member of the Program in Presiden
tial Rhetoric and a speech communi
cation associate professor, said the
lecture is part of a continuing effort
to educate A&M students on being a
leader in a democratic society in the
21st century.
“The Governor’s visit continues the
tradition of this program of bringing
great speakers from academia, the me
dia, advocacy groups and government
to the Texas A&M campus to educate
future democratic leaders,” he said.
“This is a public service to the stu
dents of this university so they may
learn what it means to be a leader in a
society such as ours.”
see Arkansas on Page 2.