2 SECTIONS • 16 PAGES
HURSDAYNOVEMBER 15, 2001
Texas A&M University — Celebrating 125 Years
SERVING THE TEXAS A&M COMMUNITY S
Volume 108 • Issue 59
College Station, Texas
\ • THE BATTAIIO!
2sday. Membersr
Center.
s on Lake Travis
NEWS IN BRIEF
ITaliban releases
eght aid workers
■SLAMABAD, Pakistan
(AP) — Eight foreign aid
workers, including two
lericans, were airlifted by
U.S. military helicopters to
fkedom in Pakistan
ursday after three months
■ Taliban captivity for
eaching Christianity.
[The two Americans, two
stralians and four Germans
jnded at Chaklali air base on
Je outskirts of the Pakistani
capital of Islamabad, said
ark Wentworth, a U.S.
ibassy spokesman.
The Taliban militia had
to release the aid
Jorkers but instead left
em behind in the flight
flom advancing northern
fiance rebels, a senior U.S.
ifficials said.
■The aid workers were flown
ft Pakistan and some were
rd to remain steii
U.S. military,
sailors and aimer
the American pee
he American pt:
percent," Perrys*
Rock sat in a
s they listened
jlickly reunited with waiting
mily members. All
bpeared to be in good
ealth, officials said.
The Taliban had agreed to
irn over the aid workers
trough the International
ommittee of the Red Cross,
vo senior administration
fficials said. The Red Cross
support our cou# 15 g° in g to g et them into
re hands of U.S. troops. But
efore the exchange could be
ccomplished, the anti-
ata northern alliance
wra, Ghazni, prompting
v? Taliban and the workers’
iwds to flee.
PUBLIC EYE
you are
whose T-shirt
Number of parking
tickets voided for
September and
October
2,609
TODAY
Page 3A
Behind
the scenes
• What Aggies think
about the Texas A&M
Greek System
Squad
will not
cheer
for Ags
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
Only weeks after its creation.
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie
Competition Cheer Squad was
asked by Texas A&M's Department
of Student Activities to exclude the
word “Aggie" from its name
The name change was request
ed after several alumni complained
to University officials, saying
other schools would confuse the
squad with the Aggie yell leaders.
Some alumni told the Houston
Chronicle this weekend that as
long as A&M has a cheer squad,
they would intentionally withhold
money from the University.
A&M officials decided the
squad cannot use the Aggie name
or logo in their organization
name, competition uniforms or
equipment.
The group’s organizers say its
new name — Texas Ag Elite —
will represent students at A&M
and Blinn College, but not A&M
as an institution.
“I’m upset about the name
change, but we want to cheer, so
we are trying to meet [Student
Activities! halfway,” said
Shannan Johnson, the squad’s
founder and a sophomore journal
ism major.
The competition squad’s uni
forms will be maroon, white and
gray and will display the Texas
Ag Elite name.
“It is totally unfair, but A&M
does not want people to think we
are the major spirit group at
A&M,” Johnson said. “I feel the
alumni’s threat to not support
their alma mater just because of a
cheer squad, rather then their love
for Texas A&M, is only skin deep.
They [the alumni] do not really
bleed maroon.
“I feel that they need to realize
that things do change and this is
See Cheer on page 5B.
Benefiting hunger
STUART VILLANUEVA • THE BATTALION
Dawn Putnam, a senior mechanical engineering major, and Gared Chastain, a junior computer
engineering major, get a taste of hunger during a hunger banquet* at the Koldus Building
Wednesday. Banquet participants were divided randomly into upper, middle and lower classes
to simulate the real world. Upper class members were served a four-course meal while members
of the lower class were required to eat rice with their hands.
Bonfire 2002 resolution
voided, approved again
By Elizabeth Raines
THE BATTALION
Student senators approved again
Wednesday a resolution supporting Bonfire
2002 after the Student Government
Association Judicial Court rescinded the
original resolution passed at the senate’s
Oct. 3 1 meeting.
The court ruled that senate rules were
violated in bringing the resolution to the
floor. Senate bylaws require that when a res
olution is submitted less than four class days
prior to the senate meeting, as the Bonfire
resolution was, a majority of senate officers
must approve its placement on the agenda.
However, the Bonfire resolution was
approved by only three of the six officers on
the internal affairs committee.
Daniel Pearson, a senate officer and sen
ior political science major, said the speaker
pro-tempore of the senate has traditionally
presided over meetings of the committee but
could not vote, and so it was widely under
stood that three constituted a majority.
Paul Jackman, a senator and senior aero
space engineering major, filed the complaint
See Senate on page 3B.
N C E 18 9 3
www.thebatt.com
Drill
advisers
chosen
Corps pledges
no more hazing
By Lateashia Jackson
THE BATTALION
The student and staff advisers
of the reinstated Corps of Cadets
Fish Drill Team say new rules are
in place to prevent hazing.
“This drill team is going to be
a good representation of Texas
A&M University,” said Michelle
Peters, a senior adviser for the
group and a junior interdiscipli
nary studies major.
Peters, along with Jerry
Aymond, a junior history major,
were named senior advisers earli
er this month.
The drill team was disbanded
in 1997 after a complaint from a
freshman who said upperclass
man advisers were physically
assaulting him. Further com
plaints resulted in the suspen
sion of nine upperclassmen from
the Corps.
New procedures designed to
prevent hazing will be enforced
when the drill team regroups next
semester.
“The drill team activities will
be limited to two-hour practice
sessions and public performanc
es,” said Major Doc Mills,
spokesman for the Office of the
Commandant.
Also, at least one University
staff adviser is required to attend
all team activities. Mills said.
Team activities will take place
in the immediate area of the
Corps residence halls and team
members will not have off-cam
pus or after-hours team activities.
“The Corps of Cadets and the
organization associated with the
Corps do not believe in, nor do
they tolerate, acts of hazing,”
said Trevor Voelkel, Corps pub
lic relations officer and a senior
finance major.
The regulations that are to
govern the drill team are still
being developed and will be com
plete by the end of the semester.
“These rules, with regard to
See Drill on page 5B.
Lobby
-3:00-9:0(
)0
Ags roll
over Kansas
A&M volleyball claims
third consecutive win
OPINION
Page 7B
T-sippers
or tortilla-
throwers
• Aggies should
consider Tech
another school rival
WEATHER
TODAY
40%
HIGH
78° F
LOW
60° F
HIGH
78° F -
LOW
61° F
FORECASTS COURTESY OF
www.weathermanted.com
TOMORROW
30%
A&M enrollment ranks fifth in nation
By Noni Sridhara
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M ranks fifth in the nation in
enrollment figures, with a record 44,618 stu
dents attending classes for Fall 2001.
The data, compiled by A&M’s Office of
Institutional Studies and Planning, reflects
the total number of undergraduate, gradu
ate and professional students in the nation’s
schools and has increased by approximate
ly 600 students since Fall 2000.
The University of Texas-Austin holds the
No. I spot with 50,616 students enrolled.
The number of A&M masters students
has grown by 6 percent over last year, said
Frank Ashley, director of admissions.
“A lot of colleges are really emphasiz
ing their graduate programs,” he said.
The 1-percent increase in undergradu
ate enrollment is mostly because of the
TEAM Blinn program that allows students
who were on A&M’s waiting lists to be
admitted to Blinn College and eventually
transfer fulltime to A&M, Ashley said.
Ashley said the University is working
on a state plan called “Closing the Gap”
with which A&M will cap enrollment at
45,000 by the year 2015. He said any
enrollment much above 45,000 would
strain the University’s resources.
Texas A&M President Dr. Ray M. Bowen
said that, as a result, there are no plans to
increase the undergraduate enrollment.
“Bigger is not always better,” Bowen
said. “What is important is to be able to pro
vide a high-quality academic and student
experience. Too many students can mean
large classes and a deterioration of services.”
Bowen said that, if possible, he would
like to increase certain graduate pro
grams for which the University has suffi
cient resources.
Other schools ranking above A&M in
enrollment include Ohio State with 48,477
students, the University of Florida with
46,515 students and Arizona State with
45,693 students.
2. OHIO STATt (*8,477)
3. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (46,515)
d. ARIZONA STATE (45,693)
5. TEXAS A&M (44,618)
6. MICHIGAN STATE: (44,227)
7. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CEHES (45,721)
8. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON (41 ,S It)
9. PENN STATE (40,828)
10. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ANN ARBOR (38,248)
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ADRIAN CALCANEO • THE BATTALION
TAKE A
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SAME OF
CAR BUYING
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ADRIAN CALCANEO • THE BATTALION
Low interest makes new cars attractive
By Christina Hoffman
THE BATTALION
With car dealerships offer
ing zero-percent financing and
commercials urging Americans
to spend money, students may
be looking to make some big
purchases, including buying a
new car.
Manufacturers, economists
and President George W. Bush
agree: now is the time to buy.
Students should
shop cautiously
But during a time when
dealers are eager to sell more
cars, students should beware of
mediocre offers and negotia
tions, said officials from the
Better Business Bureau (BBB).
For many college students,
buying a car is a first-time
experience. Car dealerships
can persuade students into a
purchase that may not be
good for them, said Larry
Lightfoot, president of the
Bryan BBB. Students need to
know how to play the game of
car buying and learn the art of
negotiation, he said.
“We don’t think car dealer
ships are being deceptive —
it’s just a competitive mar
ket,” Lightfoot said. “Try to
See Cars on page 7A.