Wednesday, March 1J
THURSDAY
March 2, 2000
Volume 106-Issue 103
14 pages
mrns
s chid
HitWi m t dMx&xmvum =< rw i
Commission needs $1 million hike
but pcin )thi
:ials said. The vehicle eras)*
m tree on the side of therm
ic has been arrested an
f the killing is unknown,
losses and potential suspai
erviewed Sunday,
suspects, said state Atto«
I nan Manuel Salazar,
lone is the secondTijia
ief killed in six years,
olice chief in a border dp
be killed in awed.
[) Juan Angel Cat
era Leal, the
chief in Reynosa.it
shot to death last In
STAFF AND WIRE
The investigation into the 1999 Aggie Bon-
^ fire collapse will cost Texas A&M an
^additional $1 million and will take an-
ier month to complete.
A letter sent by the Special Com
mission on the 1999 Aggie Bonfire to
ihe Texas A&M Board of Regents and
A&M President Ray Bowen March 1
wtlines the need for additional funding and an
ixtension.
The commission originally planned to re
lease its report on the cause of the collapse
arch 31. The commission now expects a final
'
report May 1, a month later than Bowen’s pro
posed date for the report to be released.
Jon Zagrodsky, a liason between the com-
AGGIE
mission and the consulting firms, said the entire
$2 million might not be necessary.
At the commission’s last meeting Feb. 22,
commission chairperson Leo Linbeck Jr. com
mented on the status of the four engineering and
consulting firms conducting the investigation.
“Our team has been quite frugal in their ap
proach to this when you look at the complexity
of the task,” he said. “We all wish
this investigation could be com-
■ 1 HI pleted faster. But our goal is to find
ill , * K ' trut * 1 what happened, and we
111 cannot jump to conclusions.”
■■■■■■■ In the letter detailing the re
quest, Linbeck again commented
on the commission’s work.
“We understand the importance and sensi
tivity of our investigation. We will continue to
maintain careful stewardship of the resources
you make available to us and complete our work
. . the A&M system
remains dedicated to
supporting the com
mission's work at
the direction of our
regents."
— Howard Graves
Texas A&M System Chancellor
as expeditiously as possible. We thank you for
your continued support of our endeavor.”
Chairperson for the Board of Regents Don
Powell said the board will address the commis
sion’s requests within the next two weeks.
A&M System Chancellor Howard Graves re
sponded to the request in a written statement re
leased Wednesday.
“As the Special Commission on the 1999 Bon
fire requests additional funding... the A&M system
remains dedicated to supporting the commission’s
work at the direction of our regents,” Graves said.
The commission will meet again March 14.
If the request for more funds and time is grant
ed, a formal public meeting will be held May 1
to present the commission’s findings.
ke
eva
ard
>rre
day. Reynosa is fo
McAllen, Tesi
across the border
Enrique Tellaec!
spokesperson fort
Baja California sc
attorney general'sr
lice, said the kill
was “obviously
to organized crime,
hut said it was to
whether it was connected!
ma-based drug organizain
he Arrellano-Felix broiler
notorious tor its gansli
*
J.S. Drug Enforcement &
ion considers the organizaiii
ie most powerful and viola
fficking groups. Oneofi
Ramon Eduardo, is onii
most-wanted list.
mic Ian
uid to the w aning power oil on the services they “
provide,” said Brian
Mmyatd, speaker of
ule was instituted last year
predominantly Christiamt
ioth Aba and Owerri Ircdllhe Student Senate
and senior biochem-
is overwhelmingly Mush stry and political
Nigeria’s military and wie ;cience major,
ing the 15 years of army ni David Kessler,
off-campus senator
officially went into affeefand a senior English
irthern Nigeria,
duna, which began durin!
st sharia, left large swathes “I have spoken
mndreds of buildings bun* with a number of
constituents who
feel that they will be
vomen.
ourts have settled civil cast
iheritances, among Muslim
creates courts with thepo«i
instians.
Senators support
student fee raises
BY JEANETTE SIMPSON
The Battalion
The Student Senate approved two pieces of
legislation Wednesday to create a student ref
erendum for the upcoming spring elections.
The Recreational Sports Center Fee Referen-
Bill supports the increase in the current
fee, making it $78 per year. The amount in
cluded in the Student Services fee — about
would be allocated in the Rec Cen-
ler fee. The actual Rec Center fee increase
ils about $7.
Since the fee is an increase of more than 10
percent in a single year, it requires a majority
vote by the student body.
“Without the approval of this bill, the Rec
Center will be strained financially and be
forced to cut back
major, voted against
le fleeing in fear,
its such things as drinking
arate schools and publictr«aying a high fee for something that they do
not get use out of,” Kessler said.
Dennis Corrington, director of recreation
al sports, said if this fee is not implemented
lyFall 2001, the Rec Center will be operat-
Without the approval
of this bill, the Rec Cen
ter will be strained fi
nancially and be forced
to cut back on the ser
vices they provide"
— Brian Minyard
Speaker of the Student Senate and senior
biochemistry and political science major
/olving Muslims and mete® 1 ing in deficit,
tly. Student Senate also approved the Interna-
rid the laws would onlyapf! tional Education Fee Increase Bill. This bill in
is for sharia have angered® 1 creases the International Education fee to $4 in
order to provide more money for scholarships
forstudents wishing to study abroad. This bill
E ^jvillalso be voted on by the student body in the
^Hf^Hspring elections.
A jjj^H Two new bills also concerning fee increas-
were approved for revision by committee.
Computer Access/ Instructional Technol
ogy Fee Disapproval Bill calls for the Texas
A&M Board of Regents to disapprove the
$1.25 per credit hour fee increase. The bill
also disapproves the broadening of the defin
ition of the Computer Access fee by changing
the title to the Computer Access/ Instruction
al Technology Fee.
Kessler, author of the bill, said that if the ti
tle of the fee changes, students will see fewer
direct benefits, because the University will be
able to use the money for things other than
maintaining the computer equipment and fa
cilities used by the students.
The second bill, the Proposed Fee Increase
for 200 Approval Bill, approves the increase
of the International Student Fee, the Univer
sity Authorized Tuition and the Equipment
Access Fee.
A bill enabling the Student Senate to call
themselves into
special session was
also approved for
revision by com
mittee.
Justin Strick
land, student ser
vices chair and ju
nior political
science major, said
this bill is impor
tant because it
grants the Senate
control over them
selves.
“The reason
this bill is crucial
is because it allows the Student Senate to rep
resent the student body at all times, such as in
emergency cases,” Strickland said. “For in
stance, if a fee increase is coming before the
Board of Regents prior to the next Student
Senate meeting, the only way for the voice of
the student body to be heard is if the Senate
has the power to call themselves into session,
and express the students’ opinion.”
Under the Student Government Associa
tion’s constitution governing the Student Sen
ate, only the student body president can call the
Senate into a special session.
The Improved Lighting Bill, which calls for
better lighting between the Beasley Labs and
the Floriculture Growing Facility, was also ap
proved by the Student Senate.
Shack-a-delic
BRADLEY ATCHISON I n I!
John Cataway, member of Squadron 16 and a freshman journalism major, inspects a support beam on their (Squadron
16’s) shack for Wednesday’s Shack-a-Thon. The event raised money for Habitat for Humanity.
IREL
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ME. & WALTON DRIVE
0:30 am - 5:30 pm
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in • College Static 11
1:30-5:30
Luv Lines creates forum
to discuss sexual issues
BY KIMBERLY OLSON
The Battalion
[ Texas A&M hosted its own version
ofMTV’s Love Line Wednesday.
f Aggie Luv Lines, part of Sexual
Responsibility Week 2000, was held
lo give students the opportunity to
openly inquire about sexual issues and
relationship problems and receive
honest answers from knowledgeable
sources.
“Dr. Buzz” Pruitt, professor of hu
man sexuality, and “Maggie the Ag
gie” Margaret Griffith, health educa
tion coordinator and Student Health
Services, gave professional advice re
lating to sexual health.
A student panel included Will
Hurd, student body president and a se
nior computer science major; Dusty
Batsell, senior yell leader and a senior
construction science major; Jeff
Schielfelbein, creator of CARPOOL
and a senior management major and
Courtney Pickens, chair of Aggie Rep
resentatives Educating About College
Health (REACH) and a senior bio
medical science major.
The student panel heard questions
Rom the audience on a variety of
topics, from Internet relationships to
safe sex.
Griffith stressed to the audience
that the only way to stay away from
sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
and pregnancy is to abstain from sex.
“Safe sex is abstinence. Anything
less is safer sex,” Griffith said.
Many questions were about health
concerns related to sexual activity.
Griffith strongly encourages stu
dents with concerns to visit A.P. Beu-
tel Health Center on campus.
“GotoBeutel. It does not cost any
thing — except lab cost — and is com
pletely confidential,” she said.
Schielfelbein expressed the need
for everyone to be open with their
questions, because that is the only way
to become educated.
“Going to Aggie Luv Lines and lis
tening to the questions and answers
was an event that educated me and re
minded me abstinence is the only
way,” said Corey Carothers, a sopho
more biology major.
Sexual Responsibility Week 2000
continues with “Don’t Let the Bed
Bugs Bite.” The event, addressing
STIs, will be held Thursday in 510
Rudder from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
A&M sees donation increase
Foundation receives money for organizations, schobrships
BY DANA JAMOUS
The Battalion
The bond that ties Aggies together after they leave to pur
sue their careers seems to continue to grow along with their
donations to the University.
The Texas A&M Foundation collected $77.3 million in
1999 in the form of gifts donated to the University, a raise
of $22 million from 1998.
The increase is attributed to “a strong fundraising year as
well as good returns on investments,” said Rose Ann McFad-
den, communications manager of the Texas A&M Foundation.
Donors usually choose which programs they want their
gifts to benefit, she said. Some even decide that their gifts
1999: A&M Foundation collected $77.3
million in form of gifts donated to
the University (1998: $55.3 million)
• 1/3 of gifts to foundation are from
individual contributions
• 1/3 from corporations
• 1/3 from private organizations and
foundations
Foundation gave $8 million in scholarships
Total assets of foundation: $537.9 million
JEFF SMITH/Thf. B/vttauon
should become permanent funds to produce long-term in
come for A&M.
When gifts are unrestricted, the University president or
college deans decide how these funds should be allocated,
McFadden said.
Approximately one-third of the gifts given to the foun
dation are from individuals’ contributions. Another third
comes from corporations and the final third from private or
ganizations and foundations, she said.
The foundation gave $8 million in student scholarships
between Sept. 1, 1998, and Aug. 31, 1999, McFadden said.
A scholarship for minorities was created by the founda
tion and received $1 million in support from 12 corporate
and charitable organizations.
The foundation is now offering 144 four-year scholar
ships to minority groups, said Eddie J. Davis, the founda
tion’s president.
. “Former students play a huge part,” McFadden said, by
either donating the gifts themselves or influencing their com
panies to do so.
“Even graduates from the decades of the 1980s and 1990s
are making major gifts,” she said. However, most endow
ment-level gifts are contributed by older Aggies.
Willy F. Bohlmann Jr., Class of ’50, and his wife, Mil
dred, have been contributing to the Texas A&M Foundation
since the late ’70s, Mrs. Bohlmann said.
The family contributes to the foundation as a form of
gratitude to the University for what it has helped them be
come, she said.
Bohlmann said she thinks people want to thank the Uni
versity for helping them succeed, and the foundation has
been very professional in the way it has raised and distrib
uted money.
INSIDE
High and dry
ubstance-free housing
option limits students'
freedom, college experience
Page 1 3
• Forget the Alamo
The 'River City' has night life,
haunted sites — not just home of
historic fight.
Page 3
• Aggies fall
Sooners, 77-
A&M freshman
guard Bernard
King scores 15
points in loss.
• Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9
at 1:57 p.m. for details on
Washington on the Brazos.
• Check out The Battalion
online at
battalion.tamu.edu.