THE
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MONDAY
April 10, 2000
Volume 106 ~ Issue 126
12 pages
OSHA reopens
bonfire inquiry
AUSTIN (AP) — The Occupational Safe
ty and Health Administration (OSHA) may re
open its investigation of the 1999 Aggie Bon
fire collapse.
The agency closed
its investigation of the
Nov. 18 accident on
Jan. 6, but OSHA offi
cials told the Austin
A merican-Statesman
they were unaware at
the time that a crane
may have hit the stack
days before the col
lapse.
John Miles, re
gional administrator of
OSHA, was quoted in
the newspaper Satur
day as saying it is a
“real good possibili
ty’’ the agency will re
turn to College Station
totonduct more inter
views after studying students’ statements to
campus police about a crane hitting the cross
ties four days before the collapse.
Statements made by students working
on the stack were released by campus po
lice in February. A commission appointed
See related article on pg. 2
by Texas A&M is still investigating the
cause of the accident, in which 12 people
were killed and 27 injured.
The commission is expected to release its
findings in May.
Miles said OSHA
can go back and reex
amine the incident.
Though it has no juris
diction over the Uni
versity, it was able to
investigate the site be
cause a crane operator
employed by H.B.
Zachry of San Antonio
was working there. For
years, Zachry has do
nated its services to the
bonfire.
It has not been re
vealed publicly who
was operating the
crane that hit the
stack. Two cranes
were working at the
time — one operated
by a Zachry employee and one operated by
a student.
“I felt a jolt, grabbed stack, but then real
ized nothing was going to happen,” Luigi An-
gelucci said in a Dec. 15 statement. “1 imme
diately looked to my left; that’s where the noise
t came from. 1 saw the end of the crane hitting
the cross-tie, and knocking off 3-5 inches of
wood off the end, and the crane moving away
from the cross-tie.”
" / saw the end of
the crane hitting
the cross-tie, and
knocking off 3-5
inches of wood off
the end, and the
crane moving away
from the cross-tie.
//
— Luigi Angelucci
freshman environmental design major
CODY WAGES, GUY ROGERS & JP BEATO/Tm Batialion
(Top) Pat Green (right) and Brendon Anthony, a senior political science at Texas A&M (left) perform Saturday at Chilifest 2000, held out
side of Snook, along with five other singer/songwriters. (Bottom left) Mark Chestnutt performs as the headliner. Chestnutt was also
filming a music video during his set. (Bottom center) Kristan Wendel samples chili at the Texas Cockleburrys booth; (Bottom right) Mandi
Toepperwein rides a mechanical bull. Bull riding was only one of the many attractions enjoyed by over 20,000 participants.
acuity Senate to discuss minorities
Marine aircraft
crashes in Arizona
)sive punk mck drums, haul? 88
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Milliouse
BY BRANDIE LIFFICK
The Battalion
A report on the low percentage of
aority students and faculty mem-
s at Texas A&M will be presented
he Faculty Senate at their monthly
eting Monday.
The annual report, compiled by the
nority Conditions Subcommittee of
the Faculty Senate, states that females,
African Americans, Hispanics and Na
tive Americans are all underrepresent
ed in faculty status positions and in the
student body.
■ While the report states that the
number of women faculty in public
learning institutions continues to grow.
of 896 full professors on the A&M
campus, only 6.6 percent, or 59 pro
fessors, are women. In 1999, of the
1,348 tenured faculty on the A&M
campus, 88.6 percent are Caucasians.
Nevertheless, the subcommittee
feels that a more balanced ratio of Cau
casians to non-Caucasian students and
faculty can be attained. According to
their report: “The Hopwood decision
and other legal developments have
clearly complicated minority graduate
student recruiting and retention efforts.
Nevertheless, our subcommittee be
lieves it is possible, albeit extremely
difficult, to accomplish our goal.”
The Hopwood vs. the State of
Texas case addressed the issues of re
verse discrimination in public learning
institutions. The courts ruled that,
within the state of Texas, affirmative
action policies are illegal.
As a result, A&M cannot use race
as a detennining factor when admitting
students or hiring faculty.
In other business, the faculty sen
ate will also review a report submitted
by the Core Curriculum Review Com
mittee (CCRC), addressing several
suggested changes for the mandated
core curriculum. The committee’s re
port suggests lowering the current 48
mandatory core credits to 42 credits.
The main discipline affected will be ki
nesiology, which the CCRC recom
mends reducing from four mandatory
credit hours to only one credit.
The committee’s recommenda
tion stated:
“This recommendation should in no
way be constructed as a criticism of this
program or its faculty. Nor should it be
interpreted as a reluctance of this Uni
versity to encourage a healthy lifestyle
among our students and graduates. The
Department of Health and Kinesiology
should be encouraged to pursue the
goals of inculcating a healthy lifestyle
in our students through mechanisms
outside the Core Curriculum.”
Both of these reports will be re
viewed by the Faculty Senate and, if
approved, will advance to Texas A&M
President Dr. Ray M. Bowen.
MARANA, Ariz. (AP) — A Marine
Corps aircraft attempting to land during a
nighttime training missioh crashed and burst
into flames, killing all 19 aboard and adding
to a checkered history for a new breed of hy
brid plane that can take off and land like a
helicopter.
The MV-22 tiltrotor Osprey, which looks
like a turboprop, is part of new generation of
aircraft scheduled to eventually replace all
of the Marines’ primary troop-transport he
licopters. The military began flying the air
craft six months ago.
A Pentagon spokesperson said the names
of the Marines killed in Saturday night’s crash
— 15 passengers and four crew members —
and the base where they were stationed would
not be released until their families were noti
fied, which could take until Monday.
On Sunday, investigators were reviewing
the crash site at Marana Northwest Region
al Airport west of Tucson. Few details were
released.
Military officials said the downed aircraft
had been attempting to land at the airport
when it crashed. It was one of two Ospreys
simulating the evacuation of civilians.
Firefighters said witnesses reported see-
Former student
among fatalities
Second Lt. Clayton J. Kennedy, Jr. was
a platoon commander from Clifton
Bosque, TX. Kennedy graduated from
Texas A&M in 1998. As a member of the
Corps of Cadets, Kennedy, a third gener
ation Aggie, was commander of the Aggie
Band his senior year and was named a
Ross Volunteer his junior year.
“Clay was a phenomenal guy, a natur
al leader that held himself to the highest
standard,” said Mark Macicek, a senior
business administration major and a close
friend of Kennedy’s through the Aggie
See Former student on Page 2.
ing the plane head straight down and become
engulfed in flames after it crashed.
“It’s an unfortunate situation. Our sym
pathies go out to the families of these
Marines,” said Marine Lt. Mark Carter, a
spokesman for the Marine Corps Air Station
in Yuma, where the flight originated.
See Crash on Page 2.
Lane ready for
SBP position
PHOTO COURTESY OFF
4 i I house is among Austin
BY ROLANDO GARCIA
The Battalion
a
j| IfForrest Lane has a mantra or a governing philosophy,
>t is “leadership”.
u Tie newly-elected student body president and fonner
m>rps of Cadets commander said his experience in orga-
fting and coordinating others will be a tremendous asset
■ten he assumes his new role.
I Tve worked with issues like team-building and dealt
with different circumstances that test your ability to be cool
and collected,” said Lane, a senior political science major.
I The leadership opportunities available to students is one
of the best things about Texas A&M, Lane said.
1 “The faculty and administration give students excellent op
portunities and put a lot of responsibility in their hands. Tliat’s
vt. the band has recently^ Biy we go out and become successful and represent the school
nd began touring out of P® WC,” Lane said. ’‘Academics is important, but we have to have
Formed when bassist Jonalli^ ^ os o skills that are beyond the books of learning.”
with singer/songwriterKace)^; Lane said one of his long-tenn goals for the University
y intended to be an acousinf is to maintain its status as a center for leadership develop-
ered songwriting and cl# lent. To that end, establishing a sophomore leadership or-
on. jganization was near the top of his campaign platfonn.
e the desired sound for# “At some point, we all have to lead others. We have to learn
corking with drummerAndf how to direct others to accomplish goals and make people
previously worked with # 1 jiware of the voice they have and the role they play,” Lane said.
Tessive rock band Mitzlepk ■ Lane said one of the most important components of lead-
■ Kacey Crowley band, Bo) 1 ' ership development is mentoring, and that he has come val-
I guitarist Mark del CasiiF ^ ^ relationship, having been both a pupil and a mentor,
e the name Milhouse.The“Sometimes you don’t know where it is you’re sup-
Zeoli on drums, who wasp- l)oscd to go, and it helps to come across quality \vho can
i project at the time, Hjide you, somebody who will take the time to mentor
has since recorded Us Lane said
I will perform at North ; p Lane said he has learned that good communication skills
stival at Fitzwilly s upstaif |
) p.m.
Bush, Panetta examine
federal budget process
INSIDE
JP BEATO/The Battalion
Student Body President-elect Forrest Lane said
one of his long-term goals is to maintain its sta
tus as a center for leadership development,
are the key to being an effective leader.
“It’s a big school, and we need to communicate effective
ly, and that means listening to students’ concerns,” Lane said.
With that in mind, Lane said one of his main tasks will be
to establish lines of communication with other student leaders.
“We need to build relationships with the new leaders on
this campus. Working together has to be our first priority,”
Lane said.
Though the campaign lasted only a few weeks, Lane
said he made the decision to run for student body president
in late November.
“I knew what I was getting into and the responsibility I
was undertaking, but after the experience we had, it pro
vided a unique opportunity to work with what this campus
is about—Aggies coming together,” Lane said.
Though his new job won’t leave him much free time.
Lane says you won’t find him complaining about the rig
ors of being student body president.
“It’s a great opportunity to be working for and with stu
dents, and that’s incredibly rewarding,” Lane said. “I won’t
be working from behind a desk. I’ll be out there at organi
zations’ meetings and social events; I’ll be doing what I en
joy most.”
JP BEATO/The Battalion
Former President George Bush
makes the opening remarks Friday at
a discussion on the federal budget.
BY BRANDIE LIFFICK
The Battalion
Former President George Bush was on
hand at the George Bush Presidential Li
brary center Friday afternoon for a discus
sion on the federal budget.
“In recent years, we moved from a pe
riod of deficit, to one of budget surplus, yet
we still have many of the same questions,”
Bush said.
Mediator Tom Scully, current lobbyist
for the federation of American Health Sys
tems, gave brief introductions for each pan
el member.
“We got three of the best budget people
in the country to talk about budget policy,”
Scully said. “It is unusual to have these three
together in Washington [D.C.J on any given
day, much less in College Station. This is a
great opportunity.”
Harvey Tucker, Texas A&M political
science professor, began the discussion
with a brief history of the federal budget in
which he discussed cause and effect, the
influence of the president and Congress on
the budget and the current size of the fed
eral budget surplus.
“The reason we are so excited is that, for
the first time in a long time, the federal gov
ernment is taking in more money than it is
spending,” Tucker said.
Leon Panetta, chief of staff under Presi
dent Clinton from 1994 to 1997, said there
is a need for change in the budget process,
despite the current estimated surplus of 176
billion dollars.
“The budget process, as much as we
know about it and as much as we work to
try to bring some stability to it, the reality is
that it oftentimes is very difficult to know
what direction we should take,” Panetta
said. “Members of Congress keep saying
that Tf I keep spending. I know I’ll get re
elected.’ And it’s very tough to sometimes
change those habits. But congressmen must
change; they must continue to w-ork towards
See Bush on Page 2.
•Homeless for a weekend.
Page 3
•Baby Bills
Even if split, Microsoft will
continue to dominate.
Page 11
• Oklahoma /
puts brooms
to Aggies
Page 7
•Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at
1:57 p.m. for details on vio
lence in B-CS schools
•Check out The Battalion
online at
battalion.tamu.edu