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MONDAY
February 14, 2000
Volume 106 ~ Issue 90
12 pages
l XiUk’l ;wr:3 • I tiJZI k T i ^; w i
GONG XI FA CAI (Happy New Year)!
SALLIE TURNER/Tih Bai iai ion
Yintong Zhang, a six-year-old College Station resident, performs a traditional Chi
nese dance at the opening of Chinese New Year celebration Saturday night. The cel
ebration, sponsored by the China Club, was postponed one week due to scheduling
conflicts. This year is the "Year of the Dragon."
Prairie View tragedy
Campus, students mourns after 4 die, 6 injured
in van accident carrying the men’s track team
BY APRIL YOUNG
The Battalion
A cloud of darkness came over the Texas A&M University-
Prairie View campus Friday as thousands gathered for a memorial
service to mourn the loss of four members of the university’s men’s
track team killed in a ear accident Thursday night.
Former President George Bush and Texas A&M President Dr.
Ray M. Bowen attended the memorial service.
The team was en route to a track meet at the University of
Arkansas-Pine Bluff the night of tlie accident. The accident occurred
in Marshall, Texas.
Tito Escobar, a long distance runner and a sophomore electrical
engineering major at Prairie View, would have driven the van to
Arkansas, but did not attend the meet because of an injury received
in an earlier meet.
Escobar said that he was told that 21-year-old driver Houston
Watson was overcome by a blind spot on the top of a hill.
“The car in front slowed down to turn into a grocery store, but
they didn’t see the car slowing in front since they were going over
the hill,” Escobar said. “They swerved to avoid hitting the car in
front of them and lost control of the van causing it to flip over.”
According to police investigators, the van Watson was driving did
not come into contact with
another vehicle during the ac
cident, but may have swerved
to avoid hitting an oncoming
vehicle. Authorities said that
although there have been re
ports that another vehicle was
involved, they are still con
ducting an investigation to
determine if that is a fact.
Escobar lost four team
mates in the accident: fresh
man Vernon James 11, from
Vallejo California; sopho
more Jerome Jackson, from
Dallas; senior Houston Wat
son, from Greenville; and
sophomore Samuel Stern,
from Jasper.
Six others were injured,
including the team’s coach.
Hoover Wright.
As of Sunday, Wright’s
condition was upgraded to
good, and he was moved out
of intensive care at Marshall Regional Medical Center.
Lewis Edmonson also was upgraded to good condition at Good
Shepherd Medical Center in nearby Longview.
Rashad Shelton’s condition has been upgraded from critical to
* ** <4 3
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serious condition at Louisiana State University Medical Center in
Shreveport.
Larry Raah, vice president for university operations at Prairie
View A&M, compared the fatal accident to the 1999 Aggie Bon
fire collapse.
“This tragedy is similar to that which happened at A&M in that
anytime a large population of young people passes, it is a very sober
ing experience,” Raah said. “This is a small campus where most
kids know many others and quite a few athletes were very well
known, so it’s like it happened to a family member.”
Escobar considers the strained calf muscle that prevented him
from attending the meet a blessing in disguise.
“I was supposed to be driving the van for that meet, but since
I was hurt, I didn’t go,” Escobar said. “When I first heard about
it, it was hard for me since I was supposed to be driving, but af
ter talking to my family, I take it as a blessing. I guess 1 got hurt
for a reason.”
Escobar said the athletic department at Prairie View is relative
ly small and cannot afford charters, so it was typical for students to
drive the van to track meets.
There has been an outpouring of support for the university fol
lowing the tragedy.
A moment of silence was held prior to the singing of the “Star
Spangled Banner” be
fore the A&M men’s
basket ball game Sat
urday.
Lt. Gov. Rick Perry
issued the following
statement in a press re
lease: “It is profoundly
sad when individuals
representing the future
of our state are unable
to live out their hopes
and dreams of a better
tomorrow.My thoughts
and prayers are with all
those impacted by this
tragedy. May they be
sustained and strength
ened during this time
of loss.”
The team spent the
weekend reflecting on
their fallen teammates.
“We have just been
reminiscing about the
people that died and the people that are hurt and some of the things
we are going to miss about them,” Escobar said. “It’s going to he
hard [without them] because these are people we would see at least
six times a week.”
CODY WAGES/Tin Batiai.ion
Flowers cover the track field at Prairie View A&M Sunday in.memorial of
the four track students who lost their lives in van accident Friday.
: Former Corps of Cadets commandant, Army colonel dies at 93
Tennis tai
irnhuskei
;as A&M men’s It
pen its dual mate!
at 6 p.m. again!
of Nebraska in Lin|
h-ranked Aggies
lampaign, III. fora
.th-ranked UniverS
iday at 1p.m.
jes are the these]
ked team in theBi
No. 12 Baylor Urti'* #
rainer
BY BRANDIE LIFFICK
The Battalion
Col. Joe E. Davis, commandant of the
jlorps of Cadets from 1952 to 1964, died Sat-
- day morning at the age of 93.
Davis, an Army colonel before taking his
Josition as the faculty head of the Corps,
[Vas being treated for complications of
Jieumoniaat Harris Methodist Hospital in
|tephenville, Texas.
Davis served at the helm of the Corps of Cadets during the
ars in which Texas A&M College became Texas A&M Uni
versity (1963), when the Corps be
came non-compulsory (1954) and
when women were first admitted to
A&M on a full-time basis (1963).
Texas A&M President Ray M.
Bowen was a member of the Corps
of Cadets when Col. Davis served
as commandant.
“He was a very decisive man,
yet gentle and kind,” Bowen said.
“You always knew that he was the
boss.”
“Colonel Davis served during a
“I remember him as a very in
spirational and wonderful
role model. He was a wonder
ful leader who taught us skill
and responsibility.”
— Gen. Ted Hopgood
current Corps of Cadets commandant
period of great tension on
campus. He was here when
they were first experiment
ing with the Corps being
optional,” Bowen said. “He
and his people did a great
job handling the changes.”
Gen. Ted Hopgood,
current Corps comman
dant, was also a member of
the Corps when Davis
served.
“1 remember him as a
very inspirational and wonderful role model,” Hopgood
said. “He was a wonderful leader who taught us skill and
responsibility.”
“Colonel Davis was a great commandant and a wonderful
Aggie who made the changes occurring at the University at the
time an easier transition,” Hopgood said.
Services for Davis will be held Tuesday, Feb. 15 at Gardens
of Memory Cemetery in Stephenville, Texas.
“We always have to remember the great people that con
tributed to this University, who strive to make it better,” said For
rest Lane, Corps commander and senior political science major.
“We need to be thankful for the time that we had Colonel
Davis here.”
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(PG13)
0:16 12:40
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) 20 12:35
: (PG)
30 9:35
BY SARA PROFFITT
The Battalion
Anya, an eight-month-old German
lepherd, was returning from a trip to
'al-Mart with her trainer, Melissa
ullivan, when she escaped and was
it by a maroon sport utility vehicle.
Tie car never stopped.
She was left with a broken rear left foot, injured jaw,
asal trauma and a cracked cheekbone.
Anya is not just any German shepherd — she is a
aide dog in training being raised by Sullivan, a junior
primal science major, as part of the non-profit group
£gie Guide Dog and Service Dogs.
Soon after the accident, Sullivan found a clause in
Ter training contract that held her, as a trainer, finan-
BEiNGjoHNM»|cial|y responsible for Anya’s medical bills.
-^fl “Two thousand dollars isn’t something I can easily
0 j -JOtne up with,” Sullivan said.
-f But Sullivan has not been left alone with the burden,
fhe animal clinic which treated Anya discounted ser-
puYmofltf P ces ’ an anonymous donor paid the first medical bill,
mda local cafe in Bryan donated $1000.
the green ^ Apublic fund, called the Anya Relief Fund, was es-
i2°5 4oc ^ ablished by the Aggie Guide Dog and Service Dogs to
Rec center fees may rise
for the Fall 2000 semester
INSIDE
raomiD
EYE OF THE
1220 240 510
GIRL INTERRI
1:10 4:10 7®*
the talentedi e lp a id in Anya’s medical bills, which are still in-
12:50 3 5065flf i:
rj Teasing from repeated visits to the animal clinic.
THE TEXAS FILM FE? c , „ XI • /- m ta a
morrow night: thewhoie* Shelly Novotny, president of Aggie Guide Dog and
ervice Dogs, said that at the time of the accident, Anya
MELISSA SACKETT/The Battalion
Aggie guide dog, Anya, gets personal attention from her trainer,
Melissa Sullivan, a junior animal science major.
was the club’s best prospect to next be placed with a na
tional organization, placing her estimated value at
$2,500. As a fully trained guide dog, Anya would fetch
$10,000.
Novotny said her primary concern is if Anya will be
able to finish her formal training.
“We’re willing to invest a lot now in order to make
her more profitable for someone later,” she said.
Novotny believes a possible fear of cars could be a
major hindrance to Anya’s training.
“As long as she doesn’t have any fear of cars, she
should be great,” Novotny said. “I don’t think she has
any clue what hit her.”
Any donations to the Anya Relief Fund beyond the
cost of Anya’s medical bills will be used for unexpect
ed future incidents with other guide dogs. Donations
can be made at the Student Center in the Koldus Build
ing, cubicle nine.
Novotny says the club’s purpose is to educate the
See Guide Dog on Page 2.
BY DANA JAMUS
The Battalion
Playing a game of racquetball or hitting the
weightroom at the Student Recreation Center
may cost a few extra dollars next semester if
a proposed fee increase is
approved.
The Rec Center is
proposing a net $7 increase
in fees to enable the center
to cover costs without re
ducing the amount or quali
ty of services currently of
fered, said Dennis
Corrington, director of
Recreational Sports.
The increase will appear
as a $27 increase in the fee
statement, said Will Hurd,
student body president and
senior computer science
major. However, the net in
crease will be only $7.
The $20 set aside for
the Rec Center under the Student Services fee
will now be added to the current Rec Center
fee of $50.
Approximately three of the seven addition
al dollars to be collected from students will be
devoted to covering the Rec Center’s current
costs, Corrington said.
Corrington said increases in minimum wage
have meant an increase in the costs of student
RUBEN DELUNA/Tm: B
labor, and the Rec Center utility costs have risen
approximately $300,000, he said.
The remaining $4 will go toward building
renewal and modification and equipment de
preciation, he said.
This amount will cover the long-term main
tenance of the center.
This proposal is still in its
initial stages and will be
brought up for consideration by
the Student Senate this
Wednesday.
If it is approved, the student
body will then vote on whether to
adopt the new fees. After follow
ing all the procedures, a final de
cision should be reached by
March 28 or 29, Corrington said.
Hurd believes that this pro
posal is a “great plan,” because
it allows the gradual buildup of
funds to maintain the Rec Cen
ter instead of having to drasti
cally raise prices when the need
arises.
This plan distributes the costs of long-term
building and equipment maintenance across all
the students and over the life of the facilities,
Hurd said.
He applauds the Rec Center’s desire to man
age their costs responsibly and thinks other de
partments in the University should follow suit.
“[The center is] looking out for the best
long-term interest of students,” he said.
INCftSAtLP COST Of
tfumor labor amp
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woute tuNP
MAfNYWANCf Of THf
REC CSNTLR £QUfS>MLNT
ANS »UtU?!NCii
• Straight
from the
heart
Be consider
ate to the op-
| posite sex
• McCain fights for the
Right
He is using beer, pizza to
[entice voters. Page 11
• King of the
Court
King has
]record-set-
ing day in
Colorado
/in.
• Listen to KAMU-FM
90.9 at 1:57 p.m. for de
tails on the Dallas Morn
ing News'\\be\ lawsuit.
H h laBSESDSB^t^'1
• Check out The Battalion
online at
battaiion.tamu.edu.