Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 2000)
Friday, May 5. Men's tennis rrAgg rabs •rested r spyin .AMAiiAD, Pakistan (API ah arrested in Afghanistan si lited States recruited him to I alleged terrorist Osama , and his Taliban captors said! other prisoner “were spying ca and Israel.” elevision reporter interview a prisoners at a secret hern Afghanistan. The Ax •ess viewed the taped intent ■sday in Islamabad. ie netter battles pponents, heat in CM Championships Page 3 • Listen to KAMI! 90.9FM at 1:57 p.m. details on an update on this year's hurricane season. • Check out The Battalion online at battalion.tamu.edu. Weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 95 and a low of 71. MONDAY May 29, 2000 Volume 106 ~ Issue 141 6 pages k it** m i =*:f; ifti e have arrested two Arabs, and an Iraqi, who werespyi rerica and Israel,” TalibanFj vlinister Wakil Ahmed Me I told the AP on Wednesd; mnd six documents on themlli they were spying.” ittawakil refused, however, n or deny the statement of® .T that the Taliban were all i an American as an alleged? camera, the Syrian said, "hi the Taliban that thev have: an American.” Washington, State Departme Is said they were aware of it hat an American had been but had been unable to confir lorts independently. The U ;sy in Islamabad and the a in Peshawar are investigate icials said. : reporter and his camerami ewed by the AP upon their it Islamabad this week, work Arab IFmirates Television,A1 Channel, in the UAE’scapin :y interviewed the Taliban'sit: vledged prisoners the nigl 25. The Syrian, Abdul Ri 22, tidgeted in his chair askl •ed questions, uring my interrogation, 1 tot iow I was recruited, what to! 1 me to do and who I was to® th my information,” he si ARPOOL services on summer hiatus Anna Bishop The Battalion Students staying in the Bryan-College Station rea will be forced to rely on other means of re- iponsible travel this summer since CARPOOL Caring Aggies R Protecting Over .Our Lives) vill be out of commission for the summer. "Because CARPOOL is in its first-year tage, volunteer resources will not be avail- ible to function this summer," said CAR- ’OOL adviser Angela Winkler. Since its services began in September 1999, he group has provided 6,343 rides in the B- ZSarea. Winkler said CARPOOL's mission to pro vide students with a free, non-judgmental, no- ^uestions-asked alternative to drunken dri ving contributed to the organization's first- year success. CARPOOL founder Jeff Schiefelbein, a se nior management major, said the organiza tion's summer hiatus will give CARPOOL time to analyze operating strategies and as sess pros and cons of its first year. "CARPOOL, like many new organiza tions, must take some time off in the begin ning stages to tie up loose ends, regroup and train new volunteers, and that is just what we are doing this summer," Schiefelbein said. "This will provide a benchmark for CAR- POOL to go by, and eventually move above and beyond when we start again this fall," he said. Schiefelbein said no one thought the stu dent-run organization would be so popular and successful. CARPOOL's impact on the student body and the community alike is immeasur able. It can change one person's life.” — Jeff Schiefelbein CARPOOL founder "CARPOOL's impact on the student body and the community alike is immeasurable. It can change one person's life," Schiefelbein said. Schiefelbein started CARPOOL, after re ceiving a DW1, by committing eight months to studying and researching operating tech niques before starting the organization last year. Recently traveling to the University of Georgia and the University of North Caroli- na-Wilmington, Schiefelbein is currently helping other universities establish services, much like CARPOOL. Operating on a $70,000 budget, CAR- POOL obtains money directly from donations and fundraising. . Richard Banning, owner of of Duddley's Draw on University Drive, said B-CS busi nesses such as Duddley's, will continue to reel in the crowds this summer, with or with out CARPOOL. "The summer scene at Duddley's will con tinue as it always has, even if CARPOOL is not up and running," Banning said. '"This is CARPOOL's first year, and it's still trying to get volunteer and financial support to make it a feasible year-round organization." CARPOOL director Jody Vance, a junior management information systems major, said CARPOOL is working toward being able to provide services to the community for the summer of 2001. "As far as safety concerns this summer, just be responsible. A taxi cab service number is on CARPOOL's answering machine," she said. "Paying for a taxi is a small price com pared to paying for a life lost." CARPOOL will recommence the first weekend after classes begin this fall. Parents await Lockwood trial Stuart Hutson Ut of 1 4 4 > s '4 s i at The Battalion One month after the arrest of the man ho confessed to kidnapping and mur- deringherson, Lucille Kujawa hopes for ^ speedy end to legal proceedings which determine the fate of Kenny Wayne ockwood. "My husband and I just want the tri als to end quickly and for swift justice to be served," she said. "Right now, 1 just eep waking up in the morning and ex- ecting Kerry to.be in his room getting ady to go to his summer job." Kerry Kujawa, who would have een three hours from aching senior status t the end of the spring emester, was found lead on a ranch 20 niles outside of Austin »n April 19,12 days af- er leaving to meet wi th girl named "Kelly" ivhom he had gotten to know via an Internet Bhat room. | According to the inays County Sheriff's Department, "Kelly" — ivho was supposed to ^e a petite brunette at tending Texas A&M University's Pre law program — was actually Lock- |vood, a six-foot-two, 31-year-old San Vntonio man. Lockwood was arrested April 27, Jnd soon after, he confessed to acci dentally shooting Kujawa in the back |f the head after pretending to be "Kel- h s" younger brother. I The Hays County Sheriff's Depart- jnent has yet to release the date of My husband and I just want the trials to end quickly and for swift justice to be served” — Lucille Kujawa Kerry Kujawa's mother Lockwood's scheduled appearance be fore a grand jury. "I just can't even really let myself think about that man," Mrs. Kujawa said. "I don't understand how he could do that to Kerry, especially after he had gotten to know him through the chat room." Bob Wiatt, director of the Texas A&M University Police Department (UPD), said that while Lockwood had attempt ed to contact other Aggies while in the guise of "Kelly," the University has turned all matters of the case over to the Hays County Sheriff's Department. "That is where the body was found, and, so that is where the case will be handled," Wiatt said. Mrs. Kujawa said that although being an Aggie may have made Kerry Kujawa the tar get of a killer, she and her husband will nev er regret his atten dance at A&M. "My husband and I are grateful for those two years that A&M made Kerry so hap py," Mrs. Kujawa said. "We would just like to thank everyone at A&M who has kept us in their thoughts and prayers." Mrs. Kujawa said her family has re ceived an influx of letters of support, as well as many donations to the memorial scholarship fund which was set up at a lo cal elementary school in her son's name. "It is really amazing to realize how many lives that Kerry touched, even at his young age," Mrs. Kujawa said. Ride ‘em cowboy Rodeo bullrider Hector Torres rides his bull at the third annual Lane Jarrot Memorial Weekend Bull Riding Event held at the Tabor Road Arena in Bryan on Sunday. The event was presented by Cowboys With a Cause, an organization created to aid Brazos Valley families with their medical emergencies. B-CS rated least expensive community The University Center :s. campuses. art May 12. FACULTY SENATE • Oijsouijsjsinig views on the future of Bonfire DATE • Monday, May 29, 2000 PLACE - Rudder BO1 •3:15 p.m Kim Trifilio The Battalion Residents in the Bryan-College Station area have reason to brag, according to the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association ,which recently ranked B-CS as the state's least ex pensive community. Economic developer for the B-CS Economic Development Corporation Robert Worley said the recent ranking says favorable things about the community. "This is definitely positive news. It is great news because it means B-CS has been maintaining a healthy economy, especially for the past four or five years," Worley said. "This puts us in a good posi tion with businesses." The cost of living index is conducted by survey ing costs in different consumer areas such as gro cery items, housing, transportation, utilities and other goods and services like pizzas, movies and haircuts. Using 100 percent as the average cost of living for the 311 surveyed cities, B-CS rated 86.0 percent. Economic developer for the B-CS Econom ic Development Corporation Frank Murphy says they try to keep the survey as honest as possible. "In this study, they measure specific things. They may ask for the price of a can of Folgers cof fee or a five-pound bag of potatoes," Murphy said. "Every year B-CS has ranked very well." Dr. Richard Anderson, Texas A&M economics professor, said the cost of living in B-CS is difficult to compare with other cities. For example, he said B-CS has many restaurant and clothing store chains that have the same prices regardless of location. "I have daughters who are very 'high mainte- 1 999 fl.C.C.R. COST OF LIVING — 1\IH\ 30 CITIES SURVEYED IX TEXAS i Composite Index - /00 r /r jj 1 • Bryan-College Station 86.0 l • Ulaco 91.6 5 • Houston 95.1 • Austin 105.0 311 CITIES SURVEYED IX THE IJ.S. • Bryan-College Station, TX 86.0 • Boston, IllA 136.9 • Los Angeles, CA 123.0 • Aew VorK City, AV 240.1 nance,' and it is just as easy for them to find some thing reasonable at the Galleria in Houston as it is to shop at Post Oak Mall," Anderson said. Ronnie Higgs, a junior economics major, said he thought the cities analyzed in the survey may not have been accurately compared. "I really don't believe B-CS could be the least ex pensive place to live," Higgs said. "I come from Waco, and even gas is cheaper there." This survey is used by the B-CS Economic De velopment Corporation as part of its industry re cruiting. This ranking is one reason why business es are seeking to expand to communi ties like B-CS. "The cost of living is just one asset of this com munity," Murphy said. "1 don't think there is any one that wants to come to B-CS just because of the cost of living, but rather because they want a good job. It is just a good place to live." Dr. Dan Robertson, Texas A&M marketing pro fessor, said this new ranking will also be a market ing tool for the Texas A&M University community. "The cost of living is a very important factor to some graduate students. It is my belief that by hav ing a iow cost of living, it will attract more stu dents," Robertson said. "A&M is blessed with a low graduate tuition, but that is only part of the cost the grad students look at. Graduate students look at the total cost, not just tuition. They look at the cost of food, utility, and taxes. This gives us a strong, healthy and competitive edge."