UESDAYOCTOBER 16, 2001
1 SECTION • 12 PAGES
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Easterwood opens
passenger entry
Easterwood Airport has
eopened the lower level ter-
ninal entrance for passen-
ierpick-up and drop-off. The
amp has been closed since
iational Guardsmen report-
id to duty at Easterwood this
with because of the Sept,
attacks in New York City
ind Washington, D.C.
Because of increased
ecurity, drivers are urged
follow all traffic signs,
iehicles and baggage must
ie attended at all times
in the drop off area,
officials said.
UT student dies
after fight at party
AUSTIN (AP) — A University
ofTexas-Austin freshman has
after a fight with anoth
er student at a party.
Assault charges against the
other student could be upgrad-
since Terrance McArdle,
18, died Saturday after spend
ing days in critical condition at
Brackenridge Hospital.
McArdle was injured on
Oct. 7 while attending a
party, according to Tracy
Karol, sheriff’s department
spokeswoman.
University of Texas-San
Antonio student Brandon
Threet, 19, was charged
with aggravated assault
causing serious bodily
injury, Karol said.
Witnesses say the two teens
had challenged each other to
begin hitting one another but
in a joking manner.
McArdle was kicked in the
head, Karol said.
PUBLIC EYE
Events held at
Reed Arena
last year totaling
383,384 people
297
ivriHiUi
Page 3
Feel the
burn
• Rec Center offers
personal trainers, tips
on working out for
health benefits
Ags melt
down in
third quarter
' A&M’s second half
spelled disaster
Page 11
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in college
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FORECASTS COURTESY OF
Www.weathermanted.com
Texas A&M University — Celebrating 125 Years
THE BATTALION
SERVING
THE
TEXAS
A&M COMMUN
1 T Y
S 1
1 N C E
18 9 3
Volume 108 • Issue 37
College Station, Texas
www.thebatt.com
DTD pledge fell
asleep at wheel
By Sommer Bunge
THE BATTALION
The driver of the Toyota SUV that crashed
into a tree early Sunday morning fell asleep
at the wheel, a Department of Public Safety
(DPS) official said.
The crash killed the vehicle’s two passen
gers. both students at Texas A&M and
pledges in Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Jonathan Steed, a sophomore political sci
ence major, fell asleep at the wheel of his vehi
cle three miles north of Giddings in Lee
County on U.S. Highway 77. The SUV veered
off the road to the right and struck a tree head
on, said DPS Trooper Bruce Opperman.
Passengers Antonio Torres II. 18, a fresh
man business administration major from
Mission, and 20-year-old Xavier Monge
Ortega, a freshman agricultural economics
major from Guayaquil, Ecuador, were killed.
Steed, from Amarillo, was transported to
Brackenridge Hospital in Austin for treat
ment of minor injuries, and released.
There was no evidence of alcohol in the
driver, and Torres and Monge Ortega were
not tested, Opperman said. Torres and Monge
Ortega were not wearing seatbelts, he said.
“This was a massive collision — it totaled
out the vehicle,” Opperman said. “By the
time I arrived, EMS and Giddings Fire
Department vehicles were already there.”
Steed, also a Delta Tau Delta pledge, was
at home with family in Amarillo on Monday,
said Ann Goodman, associate director of stu
dent life at A&M.
The fraternity hosted a “chapter brother
hood retreat” on a ranch in Sealy Saturday, and
Steed, Torres and Monge Ortega attended,
Goodman said. The three chose to leave early
Sunday morning, and that was the last the fra
ternity heard from them, she said.
Visitation services for
Antonio Torres II will be held
atthe Virgil Memorial Chapel
in Mission today from
1 to 5 p.m.
A funeral mass will be held
tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Our Lady
of Guadalupe Church, also
in Mission.
ADRIAN CALCANEO • THE BATTALION
“All members were present, and the
advisers were aware of the retreat,”
Goodman said. “These gentlemen chose to
leave earlier than the rest; maybe they want
ed to get back to campus, do laundry and get
ready for another week of classes.
See WRECK on page 10.
Walking the line
STUART VILLANUEVA • THE BATTALION
Emily Granath, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, makes her way through an obstacle high above the ground as her classmates wait
below during a beginning venture dynamics class at the high rope challenge course Monday. Students are required to use teamwork to make
it through the obstacles in a set amount of time.
VPS A
clarifies
flag ban
decision
By Rolando Garcia
THE BATTALION
In the wake of a public fer
vor, University officials reversed
course Monday and announced
that students living on campus
will be allowed to hang
American flags outside resi
dence halls.
“There was a misinterpreta
tion about the (Department of)
Residence Life policy addressing
safety,” said Vice President for
Student Affairs Dr. J. Malon
Southerland. “I want to make it
clear that there is no prohibition
against flying the American flag.”
Residence Life rules prohibit
students from hanging any
objects from their windows
because of concerns that stu
dents may injure themselves
leaning out of upper level win
dows, but Southerland said he
felt compelled to issue a “clarifi
cation” because of the wide
spread misunderstanding that the
rule applies to the American flag.
“The American flag was the
only object at issue, and Tm
saying the American flag can
be flown, but the policy still
applies to all other objects,”
Southerland said.
Students hanging American
flags from their windows must do
so in a safe manner, Southerland
said, and University personnel
are available to assist them.
Southerland declined to com
ment further on his decision or
how safety would be ensured.
“That’s (safety) between
Residence Life staff and stu
dents,” Southerland said.
The fkig controversy erupted
after the Residence Hall
Association (RHA), which repre
sents on-campus residents, voted
against a resolution at its Oct. 10
meeting requesting Residence
Life make an exception and
allow students to hang American
flags from their windows. The
resolution was derailed after
opponents said it would be dis
criminatory to make an exception
for the U.S. flag.
Chris Bernard, the RHA del
egate who proposed the resolu-
See Flags on page 10.
StuAct recognizes competitive cheer squad
30 members, 4 alternatives chosen Saturday
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M introduced a new student
organization this year: the Fightin' Texas
Aggie Competition Cheer Squad, found
ed by sophomore journalism major
Shannan Johnson.
“I organized this even though there
were already yell leaders because there
are a lot of women and men on A&M’s
campus who want to show their Aggie
spirit the best way they know how —
through competition cheerleading,”
Johnson said.
Preliminary tryouts for the 2001-2002
squad were held Oct. 13. Thirty squad
members and four alternates were chosen.
Johnson said several people have
voiced concerns that the squad wants to
take the place of the yell leaders.
“I know that there are certain people on
the campus who are upset about the squad
because they feel like we are a threat to the
yell leaders,” Johnson said. “We both have
our own territory and neither of our paths
will ever cross unless they want it to. Yell
leaders don’t jump, tumble, dance or
cheer; hence the name yell leader.”
Johnson said the Competition Cheer
Squad had no intention of taking the yell
leaders’ places.
“They were here first, and they are part
of the tradition of Texas A&M,” she said.
The squad will represent Texas A&M
at collegiate cheerleading competitions
across the nation. They will compete in
the National Cheerleading Association
(NCA) competition and the American
See CHEER on page 10.
FHK residents
By C.E. Walters
THE BATTALION
More than 400 students will be looking for
housing after Hughes and Keathley Halls are closed
in December for renovations. Department of
Residence Life officials said.
Residents were informed before moving
into the halls that they would be required to
leave after Fall 2001. said Mack Thomas,
assistant director of Housing Assignments and
Conference Services. While Hughes and
Keathley residents are not guaranteed housing
on campus in the spring, Thomas said he
expects to find rooms for almost 300 of the
residents.
Hughes and Keathley Halls, both part of the
to be displaced
FHK complex that was built in 1964 will be
closed in December to undergo renovations that
include replacing the air-handling systems in the
halls, adding new first-floor study lounges and
TV rooms, painting rooms, retiling floors and
bathrooms, and new mattresses.
The renovations are “not something you can do
with people around,” Thomas said.
Fowler Hall will receive similar repairs in the
Spring 2003 semester and will close its doors dur
ing the renovation period.
The majority of the students who will be dis
placed are freshmen, said Joseph Medina, FHK
president and a sophomore business administra
tion major.
“[Hallj representation will change because in
See FHK on page 10.
Child of ABC News
employee infected
NEW YORK (AP) — The 7-month-old son of an ABC News
producer has developed the skin form of anthrax after recently
spending time in the newsroom, authorities and network officials
said Monday.
The boy, the youngest of the four Americans diagnosed with
the disease this month, is responding to antibiotics and is expect
ed to recover, ABC News President David Westin said.
“The prognosis is excellent,” he said.
ABC is the second major news organization in New York to
report an anthrax case in the past three days. Authorities are also
investigating a letter that apparently infected an NBC employee
with the same form of anthrax last week. Like the boy, she is also
expected to recover.
See Anthrax on page 2.