FRIDAY
September 29, 2000
Volume 107 ~ Issue 26
10 pages
(•}*'< AI ^ ;W i i’
awyers ask Bowen to drop Napster program
'Stephen Metcalf
> Battalion
“Dr. Dre, Metallica; meet Dr. Bowen.”
“Dr. Bowen; meet Dr. Dre and Metallica.”
Such pleasantries were omitted when rep-
bsentatives of hard-rock group Metallica and
lip-hop performer Dr. Dre contacted Texas
President Dr. Ray M. Bowen earlier in
ne month and called on the University’s sense
Jf reason, as well as “a moral, ethical and le-
lul obligation” to stop “rampant copyright in-
jingements” on the University's network.
Howard E. King of King, Purtick,
lolmes, Paterno & Berliner, LLP, the law
firm representing the two recording artists in
a suit against the Internet site Napster, mailed
a package to Bowen that included a copy of
a preliminary injunction against Napster and
a copy of Metallica’s complaint to a U.S. Dis
trict Court, in addition to a letter requesting
that A&M ban University access. The 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed enforce
ment of the injunction, pending an appeal to
be heard this October.
The suit against Napster stems from what
the Internet site refers to as “file sharing.”
Napster software, when installed on individ
ual computers, allows users to access a di
rectory of millions of MP3 files, many of
which are copyrighted compositions and
sound recordings. Napster enables the trans
fer of MP3 files between users without the
consent of copyright owners.
Originally, three universities were named
as defendants in the suit against Napster. The
University of Southern California, Yale Uni
versity and Indiana University were subse
quently dropped from the suit after banning
Napster on their networks.
King said he has sent letters to 25 other
universities.
“In many cases, the universities are say
ing, ‘We are aware of and respect intellectu
al property laws, but we don't feel we have a
legal obligation to restrict the usage of Nap
ster on our network,' ” King said.
King went on to say that there are two con
siderations for the University concerning Nap
ster— the legal and ethical responsibilities of
the University and the use of bandwidth on
University networks. The latter consideration
stems from the vast popularity of Napster
among college students, who routinely clog
university networks with downloads.
Dr. Thomas Putnam, director of Com
puting Information Services at A&M, said
that use of Napster at A&M has, at times,
occupied more than 20 percent of network
bandwidth.
King said he is challenging some of the as
sumptions universities are making.
“I think that universities are dead-on with
knowledge that network users tire using Nap
ster and using it to steal copyrighted materi
al, and I think it is grossly immoral to allow
users to continue doing it,” King said.
Bowen said the matter has been referred
to A&M’s legal council.
See Napster on Page 6.
ec Sports
o celebrate
5-year run
Stephen Metcalf
be Battalion
Far removed from koalas, kangaroos and the gaze of
Ihe world, Texas A&M is hosting its own sports celebra-
|ion this Saturday as the Department of Recreational
Sports marks its 75th anniversary.
Saturday’s festivities will begin in front of the Student
Recreation Center two hours before the A&M-Texas Tech
football game. In celebration of Rec Sports’ achieve
ments, admission to the Rec Center will be free to every-
[)ne, and food and music will be provided.
From its humble beginnings in 1926 as an intramural
Program for members of the Corps of Cadets, Rec Sports
tas vaulted itself to the forefront of student life, boasting
$9.2 million budget and roughly 40,000 members.
Much of the change has been attributed to the work of
1Y.L. “Penny” Penberthy, whose 40-year stewardship of
I the program earned him the name “Father of Intramurals.”
I Under Penberthy’s tenure, countless intramural foot-
lall fields, tennis courts, softball fields and volleyball
jourts were built. Today, Penberthy Intramural Sports
tenter and Penberthy Driving Range stand in honor of
jiis efforts.
The second half of Rec Sports’ existence has seen rapid
[hanges.
“A lot of the change was a mirror image of the change
i the University itself,” said Dennis Corrington, director
bf Rec Sports. “In the late '60s, we had about 90 teams
for the major sports and then independent leagues and
pon-reg leagues started to appear. I came here in 1973,*
which was shortly after women were admitted to the Uni
versity, so we began adding women’s and co-rec sports.”
As University enrollment has grown, so has intra-
tural participation.
“We now have 400-500 teams for the major sports,”
Corrington said, adding that a large part of the increase in
participation was the creation of different skill levels.
I'That really opened up intramural competition to a wide
Variety of skill levels. The intramurals actually became
fomething that everyone could be involved in.”
Eric Sutherland, a senior information and operations
management major, said he agrees that intramurals play
large role in A&M student life. “It keeps students in
Each day, students take advantage of the facilities
that the Student Recreation Center has to offer.
shape and involved in activities,” Sutherland said. “It’s
also a great way to meet friends.”
Rec Sports’ most recent enhancement is the 286,000-
square-foot Rec Center. Completed in 1995, the Rec Cen
ter increased participation in Rec Sports five-fold, Cor
rington said.
DeAun Woosley, fitness director for the Department
of Recreational Sports, said that the Rec Center was vis
ited 1,183,109 times in the past year alone.
PATRIC SCHNEIDER/The Battalion
The Department of Recreational Sports has offered
intramural sports since 1929.
“We also have about 14,000 participants in intramur
al and 100 fitness programs that involve 5,000 partici
pants,” Woosley said. “Our sport clubs have 1,600 stu
dents in 28 sports.”
Corrington said Rec Sports is in the process of
working on its plan for the next five years. Changes be
ing discussed include adding more intramural fields,
adding onto the Rec Center and moving the driving
range.
Sigma Nu
suspended
By Brady Creel
TBe Battalion
Sigma Nu fraternity is expected to file an ap
peal today in response to a two-year suspension
at Texas A&M due to allegations of hazing and
alcohol abuse last year.
On Sept. 22, the University Greek Judicial
Board found the fraternity in violation of
A&M student rules at 12 fraternity events and
ordered the A&M chapter of Sigma Nu on a
two-year hiatus.
The Greek Judicial Board consists of uni
versity faculty, staff and students.
A document issued by Dr. Brent Paterson,
dean of Student Life, said allegations by
three students initiated an investigation in
Spring 2000.
“The investigation confirmed the allegations
in the complaints and resulted in new informa
tion concerning other incidents that might in
volve violations of [Texas A&M] Student Rules
and Interfraternity Council policies,” the docu
ment stated.
Sigma Nn is a member of the Interfrpterni-
ty Council (IFC), a national conference of 18
fraternities.
The document itemized the following vio
lations of A&M student rules, IFC policies and
FIPG, Inc. Risk Management Policy:
• seven incidents of furnishing alcohol to
minors
• two incidents of permitting, tolerating or
encouraging drinking games
• six incidents of hazing
• one incident of harassment and retaliation
Paterson said the charges were issued Aug.
14 but a hearing was not held until Sept. 22 be
cause the fraternity wanted its adviser present.
Under the guidelines of the suspension,
Sigma Nu is prohibited from using Universi
ty facilities and participating in IFC and A&M
activities.
“A request for recolonization may be sub
mitted to the Office of Greek Life no earlier than
Spring 2002, with actual recolonization to take
place no earlier than Spring 2003,” the docu
ment mandated. “Sigma Nu fraternity must
meet all conditions established by the Office of
See Fraternity on Page 6.
ootball season calls for parking, game etiquette
Went parking designated for gameday
crowds, ticketing and towing to be enforced
By Richard Bray
The Battalion
With an expected attendance of more than
Kyle Field’s regular capacity of 80,650, finding
parking spot will be a concern for fans.
To keep the streets clear for
emergency vehicles during
lome football games, the city
)f College Station and the Col-
ege Station Fire Department
lave designated special event
larking, allowing drivers to
lark on designated roadsides.
Roadsides not available for
larking will be marked with
signs indicating restrictions.
The game-day parking
irogram, encompassing the
irea bordered by George
Bush Drive, Park Place and
Holleman Drive, Timber
Street and Dexter Drive, and
Vellborn Road, allows park
ing on one side of the street.
[. “The area for special
vent parking is [in] the old-.
r section of town,” said Bart
Humphreys, public informa
tion officer for the College
Station Fire Department.
“The streets are narrower. We’ve had to call them
a substandard width and, as vehicles park on both
sides of the street, then emergency apparatus
can't get down the street if we have a call during
the times when the parking is the heaviest.”
Humphreys said the special event parking has
“The streets are
narrower. We've
had to call them a
substandard width
and ... then emer
gency apparatus
can't get down the
street if we have a
call during the
times when the
parking is the
heaviest”
— Bart Humphreys
College Station Fire Department
public information officer
been implemented only for
home football games and Ag
gie Bonfire.
Kelley Cole, public com
munications and marketing
manager for the city df Col
lege Station, said the signs
have been placed on the
roads permanently, but only
the College Station logo is
visible during most of the
week, because the sign can
be folded to show either the
logo or the “no parking” sign.
Humphreys said drivers
who violate parking ordi
nances will receive a $20
ticket, but the vehicle will
also be towed, so the total
cost can run about $125, af
ter storage cost is added.
Enforcement will begin
four hours before each game
begins.
Thompson and Wood advise
students on Kyle Field behavior
By Brady Creel
The Battalion
The question finally has been an
swered: Stand on the row in front.
Confusion has sumounded the tradi
tion of the 12th Man as students debated
whether standing “on the wood” meant
their row or the row in front of them.
Ricky Wood, head yell leader and a se
nior theater arts major, said students
should catch the game from the row of
seats in front of the row they sit on.
“You stand for the whole game in
12th Man tradition,” Wood said.
Penny King, senior associate athletic
director for business operations, said al
though standing on the row in front of
them is correct, she encourages students
to stand on the concrete.
“Stomping and jumping up and down
damages aluminum bleachers,” she said,
citing that the Athletic Department
spends money replacing aluminum
bleachers after each home game.
Midnight Yell Practice
Despite popular misconception, ex
pletives and “vulgar passbacks” are not
appropriate at Midnight Yell Practices or
football games.
Rusty Thompson, adviser to the yell
leaders, said Aggies always have been
able to intimidate opposing teams with
noise, not hateful signs and throwing
things at people.
Despite not having an Aggie Bonfire
this year, Wood said, many residence
halls are continuing to do “grode” yells
and are “aggressive in their nature.”
For example, Walton Hall has its
own take on one yell in particular. Dur
ing the military yell, a group of Walton
residents precedes “load, ready, aim,
fire, boom!” with “Walton!” — a refer
ence to the hall’s former duties during
Bonfire cut.
“Some of the dorms have been doing
their own thing,” said Wood, a resident
of Hart Hall. “I don’t think Kyle Field or
Midnight Yell Practice is a place for that.
I think there are other avenues for creat
ing dorm unity.”
Wood said it is unlikely that residents
would be more unified iFthey “go out
and cuss a lot and offend a bunch of peo
ple at Yell Practice.”
“You have to look at what positives
are coming out of it,” Wood said. “If the
negatives outweigh the positives, then
why do it?”
Inappropriate student behavior hinders
See Football on Page 8.
Don't Go There
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BRANDON HENDERSON/The Battalion .
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