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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1999)
lesday • December 7, 1999 ARPOOL aids service or semester BY BROOKE HODGES The Battalion Caring Aggies ‘R’ Protecting Over Our Lives [CARPOOL) stopped providing service this se mester Saturday night, but the organization’s [access has guaranteed its return next semester. The organization will resume services Ian. 20. Jeff Shiefelbein, founder and chair of ZARPOOL and a senior management major, bid the organization decided to stop ser vices during finals week to give student vol- jnteers time to study. “We need to make sure our people get [heir grades,” he said. “It is something we meed to do for ourselves.” JP 8EAT0W slorth Carolina dti nee Is Friday niglt the Aggies, it wi' on for the fours ?d their last ho® e White. ? the last gaiue[! 'Maybe we cot) so we can plat itrickland said.’l e to us. We’vete said playing cous crowd wat .1 her career atio] g our Twer: i want to mafei] 4owes said hat meant the 4 ust w anted to satl fans.” We need to make sure our people get their grades. It is something we need to do for ourselves” —Jeff Shiefelbein founder and chair of CARPOOL esign ra.. oking foryot I INCLUDE: e position(s) for nte rested. If you as ore than one.nufl 1 ’ ler of preference ur top choice. echnology iter ent Writer rter Shiefelbein said the spring schedule will remain the same, Thursday through Satur day 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Shiefelbein said in its first semester of op eration, CARPOOL gave 2,389 people rides home and had to bring one person to the hospital. “We had a girl [who] was showing the .signsof severe alcohol poisoning,” he said. I “Wetook her to the hospital [which] was the best move that could have been made.” Brooke Mauritzen, a CARPOOL volunteer and a sophomore biomedical science major, said she enjoyed working with the organiza- Ition because it was fulfilling to help others. “1 like driving; you get to see some inter esting people and get some funny stories to tell,” she said. “Like last night, we picked up a group of guys we give rides to frequently, and they like to give hugs — so every time we would stop, they would get out and give us hugs.” Mauritzen said CARPOOL was frequently [called to pick up students at Northgate and Hurricane Harry’s, and over the past semes- |ter she gave about 60 people rides home. Shiefelbein said throughout the semester, [CARPOOL had some run-ins with Bryan-Col- lege Station taxi companies. In order to co- loperate with the cab companies, Shiefelbein said the group has put the phone number for jAdvantage Taxi on the CARPOOL answering machine. “We put the phone number on there in case [people call on Wednesday and we aren’t [there,” he said. “We also give people the [taxi] number if they call and ask us to bring them to a party or bar since we can’t do that.” Shiefelbein said spring-volunteer applica tions are available in the J. Koldus Building and are due Friday. “We want as many people as possible to apply,” he said. 106 AT fCVHC AJbM HMTVFR4STTV College Station, Texas Volume 106 • Issue 69*16 Pages Aggies to present designs for pediatric-care center BY ROLANDO GARCIA The Battalion On Sept. 17 more than 70 Texas A&M architecture stu dents were given a daunting task; design a $100 million, 720,000 square foot addition to the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas to help put the center on the forefront of pediatric medicine. Lauren Elford, a junior environmental design major, said to prepare for the project, the-students toured the site and met with architects and hospital officials. “They told us the criteria we had to meet, and it was overwhelming,” she said. “It’s been intense, non-stop work since then.” The students, who worked in nine teams, will return to Dallas tomorrow to present their final drawings, mod els and cost estimates. George Mann, director of the project and an architec ture professor, said each team consisted of design, con struction science and landscape architecture students. Mann said the top three designs will be recognized. He predicted that the Children’s Medical Center will in corporate the best ideas from each presentation into the final design. Elford said the project began by choosing basic de signs using clay models, but translating a general idea into a detailed schematic drawings was a real challenge. “There’s lots of clinical requirements you have to deal with, like exam rooms, play rooms, separate patient and public restrooms,” she said. “And in addition to the medical facilities, you also have to accommodate office space as well. It’s a lot different from building just a reg ular residential or commercial structure. ” Elford said taking over the project was more work than she imagined. She said it consumed nearly 30 hours a week, but designing the medical complex is an invaluable opportunity. “I’ve really learned a lot,” Elford said. “Designing health care facilities is a whole different realm, and I’m glad I have that experience under my belt.” PATRIC SCHNEIDER/The Battalion Johnathan Ragsdale, a freshman landscape architec ture major, shows his class project to professor John J. Fairy, while Jacob Pawlak, a freshman landscape engi neering major looks on. Ronald Skaggs, CEO of HKS Architects and Class of ’65, assisted the project and said designing a real structure has given the students valuable real-world experience. “Architecture students worked closely with con struction students and they got a practical look at the teamwork that goes into building a complex structure like this,” Skaggs said. O Christmas tree CODY WAGES/Thf B ATI align Jenna Davis, a resident of College Station, shops for a Christmas tree at The Farm Patch in Bryan. Former prof dies at age 82 BY CARRIE BENNETT The Battalion Many Aggies only hear stories about the beginning of Texas A&M traditions, but Col. Charles E. Gregory, a re tired air science professor and Class of ’38, was a student and faculty member at A&M when many traditions and school alterations were just beginning. On Nov. 16 A&M lost a friend. Gregory died at the age of 82. In 1958, he began teaching air science at A&M and served as temporary acting commandant when Commandant Joe Davis was away taking care of personal matters. He worked under A&M President James Earl Rudder. During his time as a professor, A&M’s status changed from college to university. Also, the requirement previ ously required all students to serve at least two years in the Corps of Cadets changed to admit students who were not going to join the Corps. Gregory graduated from A&M with a bachelor’s of sci ence degree and a certificate for appointment as a lieu tenant in the Calvary Reserve at the age of 20. Gregory “frogged in” or joined the Corps of Cadets when he was a sophomore. When Gregory joined the Corps, he was in the infantry, but joined the Calvary Re serve after his first semester. Gregory was a member of the Army Air Signal Corps, which was the air arm of the armed forces before Congress established the Army Air Force in 1941. see Gregory on Page 2. The 'hinese Happy I : ' : TTree Texas 4 C. 1/ biologists are studying the Chinese Happy fm- producer o f an anti- cancer compound. BRANDON HENDERSON/The Battalion Biologists research tree, seek cure for cancer BY STASIA RAINES The Battalion Texas A&M biologists, biology professor Craig Nessler and associate biology profes sor Thomas McKnight, are working togeth er to find a cure for cancer from the Chinese Happy Tree plan, which is native to south ern China. For 10 years, the two scientists have been studying the tree with the hopes of under standing exactly why and how it produces the anti-cancer compound Camptothecin (CPT). “There are a lot of drugs available with this plant that we don’t understand,” Nessler said. “We want to know, how this is done so we can learn how to produce more, thus in creasing the availability of these drugs.” McKnight, an associate biology professor, said this will be done by isolating and char acterizing the genes that are involved in the biosythensis of CPT. McKnight said the anti-cancer properties of CPT were discovered in the ’60s by a sci entist Dr. Monroe Wall. However, the drug, in its pure form, is too toxic to the human body to be an effective treatment. Recently Nessler and McKnight discov ered that young leaves and seedlings of the tree actually contain high concentrations of a water soluble form of CPT solution, which is not toxic to the human body. The researchers emphasized that the find ings are steps leading to their goal of dis covering the biochemical pathway by which the Chinese Happy Tree produces CPT. The Chinese Happy Tree is native to southern China and is not found in the Unit ed States. McKnight said at this time, the tree is not endangered, but when the demand for the tree increases, there is a possibility of en- dangerment. According to statistics from the American Cancer Society, this year alone, about 563,100 Americans are expected to die of cancer, which is more than 1,500 a day. In the United States, one of four deaths is re lated to cancer. er :ist , work in a nev# aith the latest make new fried; gietlfe •All night cram Students learn benefits of last- minute studying. Page 3 Sports •Volleyball team to take on Rainbow Wahine Aggies to travel to Honolulu to face Hawai’i in third round of NCAA tournament. Page 11 •Not enough nooks and cran nies Libraries are fi with too man distractions. Page 15 Wi 1 \v Britt Rcl Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at 1:57 p.m. for details on a deadly shooting in Cameron. Bonfire collapse victims to be honored at ceremony BY MATT LOFTIS The Battalion Tonight’s Silver Taps ceremony will be carried out as normal, but the list of names will be longer and will include the students who were killed in the Bonfire collapse. As usual, students will gather at the plaza in front of the Academic Building, the Ross Volunteers will perform a 21-gun salute and the bu glers will play from atop the Acade mic Building. In addition to the 11 students killed in the collapse, tonight’s cere mony will honor a student who died in a car accident Oct. 2, but by re quest of his parents, the ceremony was postponed until now so they could attend. Dr. Andy Smith, associate direc tor of counseling at Student Coun seling Service (SCS), said in lieu of so many students being honored and the magnitude of the grief the cam pus is still dealing with, SCS will pro vide free counseling at the All Faith’s Chapel from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. He said the session is a joint ef fort between SCS and the Campus Ministerial Association (CMA) aimed at helping anyone experienc ing difficulty dealing with the Bon fire collapse or Silver Taps. “It’s not something that’s nor mally done during Silver Taps,” Smith said. “We just want to go out of our way to make counselors and ministers available to the students.” Kristin Harper, senior associate director of Student Life, said some members of the community con cerned with the proceedings and showing support to the student body have inquired of Student Life whether attending Silver Taps was a good idea. Harper said those who are not members of the student body were instructed through private replies to privately hold memorials or prayer offerings because it would provide the best opportunity for students to attend. A memo from the Texas A&M Tra ditions Council, authored by Brooke Crum, a junior history major, and see Silver Taps on Page 2. Miranda Denise Adams (Freshman Biomedical Science major) Robert Hart Daniel (Freshman Computer Engineering major) Michael Stephen Ebanks (Freshman Aerospace Engineering major) Jeremy Richard Frampton (Senior Psychology major) j Jamie Lynn Hand (Freshman Environmental Design major) Chrisopher Lee Heard (Freshman Engineering major) Timothy Doran Kerlee (Freshman Mechanical Engineering major) Lucas John Kimmel (Freshman Biomedical Science major) Bryan Allan McClain (Freshman Agronomy major) Chad Anthony Powell (Sophomore Co (Sophomore Engineering Technology major) Nathan Scott West (Sophomore Ocean Engineering major) ROBERT HYNECEK/The Battalion New organization focuses on leadership training, unity BY ERIKA DOERR The Battalion A new all-male leadership or ganization, One Army Texas Aggie Men United (One Army TAMU) organization, was formed this se mester to provide leadership train ing to the members. Patrick Brensinger, president of One Army TAMU and a junior management information systems and accounting major, said the fo cus of the organization is leader ship training, secondary service and unity. “One Army TAMU offers expe riences for learning, such a ropes course at Camp Allen, workshops to improve communication skills and leadership speakers at the meetings,” he said. Brensinger said the organiza tion teaches the members lessons for life and leadership skills. “One such speaker invited to talk with the organization is Mr. [Stephen] Gonzales, the Serbian prisoner of war,” he said. “There are many freshmen-oriented lead ership organizations, but not as many offered for a range of ages. We have different people from dif ferent backgrounds in this group, each having their own perspec tives and values, coming together to form an organization which will help define the motto ‘One School, One Spirit, One Army.’” Geoff Spahr, admissions officer for One Army TAMU and a junior marketing major, said the organi zation is forming a firm founda tion in its first semester of recog nition. “We will be having three to four leadership activities, service and social activities — such as mixers and crush parties — in the upcoming semester,” he said. Spahr said next semester the organization will have open mem bership and members must attend one meeting per week. “This organization offers a non- greek leadership environment for males only, and members pay dues of $65,” he said. see One Army on Page 2.