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THURSDAY
February 1,2001
Volume 107 ~ Issue 85
Section A - 8 pages
Section B - 6 pages
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A &M correcting safety issues
■ Rolando Garcia
Th< Battalion
jlBResidence halls at Texas A&M are
h with potential fire hazards and
! 'in code violations, a recent investi-
■ gation found.
116 '• J 1 " a comprehensive safety inspection
ias twoco! fyducted last year of all residence halls
im tuitio injexas public universities, the state fire
i/d lima rshal reported that all schools’ housing
tion torlfacililies fall below fire-safety standards,
its pay3“No university came out with a
Imininiu sterling record,” said Wayne Smith, di
lution. I rector of safety inspections with the
on is S-state fire marshal’s office.
■ During an inspection from June 5-9,
tonly si;officials found a variety of violations in
versitytaB Northside residence halls, including
wouldtiiw’h chutes without fire sprinklers and
multistory buildings with only one exit
rot te and lack of emergency lighting. In
the event of a fire, students in those halls
would have to travel through smoke to
■■ access fire-escape ladders.
ipunlRh, |pj re doors intended to block the ad
vance of flames through corridors were
)ut the prfcpped open. Also, doors to individual
ip[)ortufl((m ms are not fire-safety rated because
n said they are hoWow and not composed of
let sdii solid wood. Smith said.
In the Southside residence halls,
doors lack self-closing devices and are
not fire rated, stairwell doors were
propped open and exit corridors were not
subdivided into smoke compartments.
Inspections of corridor-style halls
found similar violations, including
stairwells not enclosed with firewalls
and doors.
The report also identified key fire
hazards in the University-owned apart
ments, including no fire alarm systems
and inoperable smoke detectors.
All residence halls had penetrations
in firewalls that were not sealed
against heat and smoke. Smith said
holes were drilled to install cables and
wires, but the gaps in the firewalls
were never closed.
In a subsequent inspection in Octo
ber, officials reported that all corrections
had been made to the Corps dorms, but
minimal progress was being made in
other residence halls.
“The universities have been very vig
orous in working to fix these problems,”
Smith said.
Chris Meyer, director of the A&M
Department of Environmental Health
and Safety, said the November 1998
fire in Corps Dorm 9 prompt
ed the University to make fix
ing the aging corridor-style
dorms a priority. Only one
room was destroyed, but a ma
jority of the building suffered
smoke damage.
Investigators could not de
termine the cause of the fife,
but reported several deficien
cies in the hall’s fire-safety
measures that failed to prevent
the spread of flames. In partic
ular, the report faulted exposed
stairwells and doors without
closing devices.
“Unless the stairwells are en
closed, they act like chimneys
and allow heat and smoke to
travel throughout the building,”
Meyer said.
The University is gradually
working to correct the long list
See Fire on Page 2A.
10 mi A < 1't KIRI Vi 7;W«i'
www.lhebaitt.com
Hoops for charity
BERNARDO GARZA/Tm Battai ion
Roderick Guerra, a freshman electrical engineering major, men's service organization, on campus Wednesday after
takes a shot at a basketball hoop set up by One Army, a noon. One Army is raising money for United Way.
Meningitis vaccines scarce
By Brady Creel
The Battalion
The recent outbreak of bacter
ial meningitis in communities sur
rounding Houston has increased
demand for vaccinations, which
was evident Wednesday afternoon
when students crowded into the
A.P. Beutel Health Center.
Students studied, worked
crossword puzzles together and
visited quietly during the hour-
long wait. Only 50 students were
lucky enough to receive a dose.
Dr. Ann Reed, a head of clini
cal services at Beutel, said 100
doses of the vaccination had been
ordered, but only 50 were re
ceived Wednesday.
“We got them at noon, and we
were out at 3 p.m.,” Reed said.
Dorothy McGee, a registered
nurse at the Brazos County De
partment of Health, said there
have been no reported cases of
meningitis in Brazos County since
the late 1980s or early 1990s.
“As far as any high risk in this
area, no, we haven't had anything
like that,” McGee said.
She said she does not antici
pate any kind of epidemic in the
Brazos Valley.
Many of the students waiting
for vaccinations Wednesday real
ized they shared something in
common — they were from the
suburbs north of Houston.
Reed said that, although the
Houston area has not been classi
fied as an epidemic, students
whose hometowns are affected
might be more concerned about
being exposed to the infection.
Reed added that there have
been no reported episodes of
meningitis at A&M.
McGee said the vaccine must
be taken as a preventative.
“For people who have been
exposed to [meningitis], the vac
cine won’t do them any good,”
she said.
Reed said the vaccine is limited
because manufacturers do not
make large quantities unless it is
needed, and they must then attempt
to keep pace with the demand.
“The companies can only
See Meningitis on Page 2A.
BACTEMAl MENINGITIS
- an infectioin of the
the fluid sunrounding
the spinal cccrd and
brain.
Vaccination protects'
against Type A and C
bacterial rrrenincitis.
- -— - -
SELSO GARCIA/The Battalion
Business college considers minors
and loci'
n’t get W
aid.
y to stop' t;
o the S&j
e Texas . ! -
1 WaS .!vB ARATI Bhattacharya
anl . e: \^fhe Battalion
Cd ^ llk* ie Lowr y Mays College of
uiie s^11 business is considering allowing
uvlien^ us ^ ness stu dents to select mi-
' lors in addition to their major.
' " ' ■Chad Wagner, speaker of the
itudent Senate and a junior po-'
il science and history major,
there has been a concern
ut why business students can-
have minors when Aggies in
lifter academic colleges can.
|T think all students try to
Tximize their opportunities
|urmg the short time they are
s at A&M,” Wagner said,
e students see this as an op-
tunity to further enhance
education.”
he business minor was
passed in Fall 1999 as a Student
Senate bill, then certified by
last year’s Student Body Presi
dent Will Hurd and then-
Speaker of the Student Senate
Bryan Minyard.
“Now that the bill has been
passed through the Senate with
our endorsement, we plan to
support any initiatives that
would be successful,” Wagner
said. “This must be done via
negotiation and cooperation
with Faculty Senate and Acad
emic Operations Committee.”
Lara Pringle, a member of
the Academic Affairs Sub
committee for Student Senate
and a sophomore business ad
ministration major, said the
legislation holds a good
chance of being passed.
“So far, we’ve passed it
through the Student Senate and
a
I think all
students try to
maximize their
opportunities
during the short
time they are
here at A&M.”
— Chad Wagner
speaker of Student Senate
Faculty Senate,” Pringle said.
“Now we’ve moved into the
business school — there was
actually a point where it was al
most implemented.”
Pringle said that business
students are supportive of the
minor program and that the
process of declaring a minor
will be easier if the College of
Business cooperates.
“Students definitely want it
on their resumes because it helps
so much,” Pringle said. “Essen
tially, business students are tak
ing enough hours to have one.”
Pringle said the business
college has always considered
an emphasis in certain areas
the equivalent to a minor, but
it is not.
“I think a minor would be
very beneficial to every, busi
ness student’s education,” said
Barry Hammond, a sophomore
business administration major.
Wagner is confident the pro
gram is feasible.
“I think it’s very possible to
implement a minor into the busi
ness curriculum,” Wagner said.
“Of course, nothing will happen
overnight, and it will take a lot
of cooperation and effort, but
everyone wants what’s best for
A&M. If we can prove that it’s
in the best interest for the busi
ness school and A&M, then it
will probably go through.”
Hammond said a minor will
be beneficial to business stu
dents who are interested in ar
eas other than business.
See Minor on Page 2A.
5
EXAS A&M BLACK
FORMER STUDENTS
tEUNION,
lARAMBEE 2001
ding!
iponsored by
African Studenl
Association & MSC Black
Awareness Comittee
ntact MSC Student Progn
fice for more infomati
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battai ion
By Risha Bryan
The Battalion
In honor of Black History Month,
Texas A&M will host events throughout
February to celebrate the history and
significant contributions of African-
Americans.
National recognition of Black His
tory Month began in 1976. The her
itage and pride continues as some stu
dent organizations celebrate the
richness and diversity of African-
American culture.
“Black Awareness Month is a sig
nificant tribute to all African-Ameri
cans who made accomplishments
throughout the nation and the world,”
said Everett Brouffard, president of Phi
Beta Sigma and a senior economics ma
jor. “February is a time for unity be
tween all African-Americans and a time
for all to learn more about our heritage.”
' A formal reception at the Texas
A&M Cushing Memorial Library, “In
fulfillment of a Dream: African Amerri
cans at Texas A&M University, 1876-
2000,” will open the 2001 Black Former
Students Reunion.
The reunion will take place Feb. 2-
4 and will feature speakers such as
Casey Daniels, an anchor for CNN
Headline News, and Donavan Wheat-
fall, owner of Computer Innovation
Services in Dallas. Daniels and Wheat-
fall are both A&M graduates.
Texas A&M President Dr. Ray M.
Bowen will begin Saturday’s event
with a welcome to a continental break
fast at the George Bush Presidential
Conference Center and a round-table
discussion. The reunion will host a ban
quet Saturday evening and a Sunday
morning prayer breakfast.
Harambee 2001, an event celebrating
the unity and diversity of African-Amer
icans, is slated to begin Feb. 5 in Rudder
Theater. The event includes guest speak
er the Rev. Robert Muhammad, a south
west representative of Islam, who will
lecture on the importance of remember
ing African-American heritage.
Harambee will showcase a wide ar
ray of African-American poetry and per
forming talent. “Harambee 2001 is a cel
ebration of unity and diversity on
campus, and we expect a large turnout
from around the community, “ said Wil-
metria Simpson, MSC Black Awareness
See History on Page 2A.
UNT suspends
Kappa Alpha
Order’s chapter
( AP) — I kindreds of University of North TexasriJN I )
students rallied Wednesday to support the temporary sus
pension of a fraternity accused of chanting racial slurs and
waving a Confederate battle flag at football recruits.
Members of Kappa Alpha Order’s UNTchaplerare ac
cused of confronting about 35 mostly black football re
cruits who were touring the Denton campus with their par
ents over the weekend.
University officials have suspended the chapter while
they investigate.
LaToya Royal, a member oft he tour-leading Eagle An
gels. said about 20 men wearing their Greek letters ran
down the stairs with a dog wearing a Confederate battle
flag bandana and “stopped about 20 feet away and began
chanting and singing.”
“I heard them say, 'No race from Africa or any other
land shall stand against us,’ ” Royal said.
The Angels' vice president, UNT junior Colleen Mur
phy. said Kappa Alpha members also chanted Saturday,
"Let’s march them back to the Southern cotton fields and
“Blacks don't belong here.”
In a statement released Monday, Kappa Alpha presi
dent Matt Spellman said: “Kappa Alpha is a Southern
fraternity, not a Confederate fraternity. We celebrate the
South as a melting pot of many different and interesting
cultures. The members of Kappa Alpha are a very cul
turally diverse group."
Spellman said the person responsible lor taking the
Confederate flag to the event has been dismissed from the
organization.
One mother who was on the tour told her son he would
not attend the university, said Eagle Angels President Adri
enne Williams.
"Racism is totally inconsistent with UNT's mission.”
Non al Pohl. university president, said in a prepared state
ment. He promised swift, strong action if the investiga
tion confirms impermissible behavior.