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• Listen to KAMU 90.9 FM at 1:57 p.m.
for details on the death of three
Madisonville children.
• Check out The Battalion online at
battalion.tamu.edu.
• Body SI-aTm
WCW brings professional
wrestling to A&M
Page 4A
Weather:
Partly cloudy with a high
of 91 and a low of 68.
THURSDAY
September 7, 2000
Volume 107 ~ issue 10
2 Sections
Section A - 10 pages
Section B - 8 pages
Bowen reinstates sexual-orientation clause
By Rolando Garcia
The Hamilton
Reversing his deferred implementation
of the 2000-2001 student rules. Texas A&M
President Dr. Ray M. Bowen restored a new
clause that prohibits discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation.
New rules w'ere posted Aug. 15 on the
student rules Website, which is maintained
by the Department of Student Life, listing
sexual orientation as one of the protected cat
egories covered by anti-discrimination —
but within 24 hours, the new clause was re
moved and the previous wording, which did
not list protected groups, was reinserted.
In a statement released at the time,
Bowen said he deferred the new wording
because there were widespread misconcep
tions of what the clarification meant, and he
emphasized that the University’s basic pol
icy had not changed.
“Dr. Bowen wanted a University dialogue
about the intent of the change, and he is now
satisfied with the proper level of understand
ing there is,” said Brent Paterson, director of
the Department of Student Life. “I've met
with some concerned students, staff, faculty
and GLBTA (Gay, Lesbian. Bisexual, and
Transgendered Aggies.»to bring about some
understanding as to wlyat Bowen intended.”
The University Statement on Harass
ment and Discrimination now reads: “Texas
A&M University, in Accordance with ap
plicable federal and slate laws, prohibits
discrimination, including harassment, on
the basis of race, color , national or ethnic
origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual ori
entation or veteran status.”
Associate Vice President for Student Af-
“The University doesn't
tolerate harassment of
any student for any
reason, including
sexual orientation”
— Dr. Bill Kibler
associate vice president for
Student Affairs
fairs Dr. Bill Kibler said the new clause is
not a change in policy, but simply a re
wording of an existing rule meant to clari
fy that University rules do protect gay stu
dents from harassment.
“The University doesn’t tolerate ha
rassment of any student for any reason, in
cluding sexual orientation,” Kibler said.
“For example, if a student in a residence
hall is harassed because he’s gay, the Uni
versity will take specific action. We want
gay students to know that they, too, are pro
tected, and that if they bring forth reports of
harassment, we can do something about it.”
In Fall 1999, Bowen vetoed a proposal
passed by the Student Senate and Faculty
Senate to specifically prohibit discrimina
tion on the basis of sexual orientation, cit
ing the legal liability that would be placed
on the University if it extended anti-dis
crimination protection to categories not
covered by state and federal law.
In a statement announcing the change,
Bowen stated “in accordance with applicable
federal and state law," which ensures that the
rewritten rule does not contradict his original
position by extending legal protections that
would create legal liability for the University.
None of this, however, dampened the en
thusiasm of gay student activists upon hear
ing of Bowen's decision.
“I think it’s a very progressive step for the
University to acknowledge gay and lesbian
students and explicitly say that harassing and
See Policy on Page 8A.
Senate
approves
fee bill
By Jeanette Simpson
The Battalion
The 53rd Session of the Texas
A&M Student Senate opened Wednes-
»day approving the Student Center
Complex Fee Referendum Bill in
emergency legislation — which means
the bill was debated and voted on dur
ing the meeting. The bill approves
holding a referendum during the Fall
2000 student elections.
“This referendum, if approved by
the students, allows for a $ 10-one-time
increase in the Student Center Com
plex Fee,” said Dennis Busche, Uni
versity Center manager.
The Student Center Complex Fee
provides for free meeting rooms, fur
niture, audiovisual equipment and the
maintenance of student programs and
facilities in the Memorial Student
Center, John J. Koldus Building, Earl
Rudder Tower, Auditorium and The
ater complex.
“The approval of this referendum
would also demonstrate student rec
ommendation and support towards the
See Senate on Page 8A.
Med School
interim dean
appointed
By Kristin Rostran
The Battalion
Dr. Nancy Wilson Dickey, former
president of the American Medical
Association, was named interim dean
of the College of Medicine.
Dickey also has served as program
director of the Family Practice Resi
dency of the Brazos Valley and acting
dean of medicine and professor of
family and community medicine at
Texas A&M University System Health
Science Center College of Medicine.
She will act as dean until Sept. 2,2001.
Currently, she serves as editor in
chief of Medem, an Internet-based
patient education company, and on
the editorial board of Archives of
Family Medicine. The editor position
allows her to view the newest materi
als circulating in the medical world.
One of Dickey’s main goals is to
the smooth transition once a new in
terim president of the System Health
Science Center is appointed. Acting
president Dr. Jay Noren’s resignation
will be effective Sept. 30.
“It is extraordinarily exciting be
cause it has been a very busy 90.days,”
Dickey said. “We’ve completed the af
filiation agreement, but now what may
be the tougher job is implementing the
agreement. There are going to be some
See Dickey on Page 9A.
If you paint it...
ANDY HANCOCK/The Battalion
Patrick Tate paints the endzonq lettering in the North endzone at Kyle
Field Wednesday. This year, the endzone features a new block lettering
of 'Texas A&M," which matches the front of the team's jerseys. The
paint used on the field is diluted one to one with water for better cov
erage, and it does not harm the grass. Approximately 250 gallons of
paint are used for the initial painting, which takes two-and-a-half days.
Lane discusses plans
to strengthen Texas A&M
By Courtney Stelzel
The Battalion
Forrest Lane, student body
president and a senior political
science major, told Texas A&M
that physical, procedural and
spiritual changes are in order
this year.
Lane addressed the upcom
ing anniversary of the Bonfire
collapse. He said the world’s
eyes will be on the University,
watching to see what its next
move will be.
“The student body needs to
move forward, without forget
ting the past,” Lane said.
He said people need to take
this opportunity to create seri
ous, positive change by pro
moting the school-sanctioned
Bonfire in 2002.
In keeping with this spirit of
change. Lane has worked with
Vice President for Student Affairs,
Dr. J. Malon Southerland, and a
task force to begin setting up risk-
management training for all orga
nizations on campus. Within the
next year, all organizations on
campus will be required to go
through a training program to pre
vent tragedies such as the Bonfire
collapse from reoccurring.
Lane emphasized that the stu
dent body needs to work with the
Student Government Association
(SGA) to achieve its goals.
He said students should voice
their opinions through the SGA’s
open-door policy, which he has
promoted since the beginning of
his term in office. He said he
wants students to feel free to ex
press their concerns and ideas.
“Students shouldn't feel that
they have to come to a consen
sus to advocate on a subject
which they feel strongly about,
but they need to step forward so
that their opinion can be heard
and voiced to the administration
and faculty,” Lane said.
In order to see that the stu
dent opinion is brought to the
attention of the Senate, Lane
said he has decided to send sur
veys to the student body that
will help to determine their
needs and concerns.
“Many other
issues will de
serve a commit
ment to the ex
change of ideas by
our student body
in the coming
year,” Lane said.
Lane hopes
that during the
legislative ses
sion, held in the
spring, the Stu
dent Senate will
conclude all de
bates on the 60-
day Q-drop
which has been
on the table for
several years. He
said he wants to move onto more
pressing issues, such as institut
ing higher fee caps for faculty
salaries and funding renovations
for the Memorial Student Center
and Student Recreation Center.
Lane expressed his concerns for
the condition of these buildings,
since they are used so often and
in such high demand by students.
Lane said he considers Park
ing, Traffic, & Transportation
Servie£tL support and guidance
in dealing with the growing
number of Bryan-College Sta
tion residents vital to ensuring
the safety and smooth operation
of campus transportation.
He said he does, however,
hope to see 24-hour parking
spots opened up to students be
tween 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. to help
alleviate the crowded parking
lots on campus.
Lane ended his speech with
an emphasis on working toward
his goal of seeing all students in
volved on campus. In order to
achieve this goal. Lane said the
leaders of today need to , make
better leaders of their successors.
I
MELISSA BARNES/The Battalion
Student Body President Forrest Lane deliv
ers his State of the University address in the
Forsyth Center Galleries.
' v itk 1 •
%
University upgrades water system to meet demand
By Arati Bhattacharya
The Battalion
A $4.3 million water
approved by, the Board
been instituted to opti
mize Texas A&M’s
water system effi-
■g ciency and strength-
en utility perfor
mance.
“The interesting ;
thing about this new
system is that it did
n't increase water
production,” said
Tom Hagge, associ
ate director for utili
ties in the Physical
Plant. “It will, how
ever, increase the life
of the system and the
systems project
of Regents has
“The immense
changes in the wa
ter-storage facili
ties and waterlines
will lend to addi
tional efficiency
and capacity”
— Mike Goldwater
associate director for grounds
maintenance
performance of the new pipes, as well as
multiply on the ability to endure flow
peaks by having more ground storage.”
The project, titled “Domestic Water
System Improve
ment,” has three
main components.
First, a three-million
gallon water tank
will be added to
A&M’s water utili
ties system in No
vember for under
ground storage, in
addition to the two
two-million gallon
tanks already sup
porting the Universi
ty’s population. Sec
ond, plans were
made to upsize the
This is part
about the
impact can
water distribution
pipes to draw more
water to 10 different
locations. The cen
tral, third, part of the m
project was the addition of cathodic pro
tection to water transmission lines,
which will prevent corrosion of the pipes
and increase safety. An 18- and 24-inch
diameter pipe currently runs in the sys
tem for seven miles from the well fields
to F&B Road. Under the new plan, holes
were dug every 40 feet to inject low-met
al currents to prevent corrosion.
Hagge said that A&M’s water flow is
inconsistent; it is slow at night and peaks
during the day. Another goal of the sys
tem is to effectively store water in case
an interruption occurs and capitalize on
the system’s reliability.
The heavy groundwork is not expect-
four of a five-part water series
ongoing drought and how its
be felt locally and regionally.
ed to inconvenience students in any way.
“If anything, the inconvenience is
now, with the brown grass patches on
the golf fields since we are lacking in ir
rigation,” Hagge said.
“The immense changes in the water-
storage facilities and waterlines will lend
to additional efficiency and capacity,”
said Mike Goldwater, associate director
for grounds maintenance. “The current
water shortage has forced us to curtail
landscape irrigation. The new system will
definitely lend itself to supplying us with
an adequate amount of water.”
See Water on Page 8A.