VOLUME 108 • ISSUE 80
TUI7 1* ATT AT inXI
1 rlli oAl 1AL1UJN
WOI
THE BATTAt
war’
ii tended the
ut. "We will no^
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•om Hamas and(
tab movement.
\ commander,
by Israeli force
icals and a large
m the near futurt
ance
ich other for thefe
J after several \
nave died on the _
HorethanSbmillioii may go toward
urchase of 24 new shuttle buses, if
^^Foved b\ theA&M System Board of
'events at their meeting today in
HHyon at West Texas A&M.
!®'he proposal falls in line with
I tBM’s ongoing effort to improve the
BMversity's shuttle services. Funds will
JANUARY 25, 2002
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
of regents to focus on Bus Ops
By Emily Peters
THE BATTALION
ilestlnlan
tel
come from the student-approved $50
Transportation Fee, implemented in Fall
2001. which has already been used to
purchase new buses, make minor repairs
to old ones and eliminate bus passes for
off-campus riders.
Bus Operations’ ultimate goal is to
“obtain a fleet consisting of modern
transit buses and a small number of
over the road charter buses,” accord
ing to the proposal.
The board will also consider an
Academy for Performing and Visual
Arts. The academy would support stu
dent organizations that focus on music
or performing arts, community groups,
A&M’s art collections and arts academ
ic programs in three A&M colleges.
Eventually, the University will need
to consider building an on-campus arts
center, the proposal states.
If approved, a $250,000 start-up
fund for the academy will be met with
funds dedicated by the Sterling C.
Evans Library to build an arts library
collection.
The board will also consider reports
from the chancellor on the status of the
Union Pacific Railroad relocation pro
posal and updates on campus construc
tion projects, and two possible research
centers.
The Center for the Study of First
Americans would be the only one in
the world investigating the initial pop
ulations of the Americas, at least
12,000 years before Columbus.
The Center for Dynamic Systems
and Control at the Texas Engineering
Experiment Station would be the only
in Texas that will bring technology
into research methods on all levels of
engineering, focusing on complex
integrated systems.
' Ags support
—i&M with
ipillslicense plates
muni and ox)
•phcn Middle
the complex
or mine wor
imentalists foi
By Anna Chaloupka
THE BATTALION
^■exas A&M was outscored last November
oniiBng the Thanksgiving showdown with the
populateddcs'Irnversity of Texas-Austin, but when it
ler which the Be“oiies to displaying school spirit on their
Id be released! chicles. Aggies more than double the score,
iastate minesm|*)f the total 16,367 license plates display-
/e been 24 other Jig collegiate logos on Texas roadways,
w hich were I Vggie fans have purchased 8,049 of them,
lid. All (hespi aid Roger Poison, public information officer
public. nlthe Vehicle, Titles and Registration
)i|ision of the Texas Department of
IP!HBt^BB^ rails P ortat ' on (TxDOT).
^longhorn supporters had purchased 3,147
i^w<flnse plates, and Texas Tech supporters
[ale in third with 3,035 license plates pur-
B chased, Poison said.
H^Few license plates have been very success-
Poison said. “The Aggies have bought
W^ > ai. () f the total sold. That is significant."
^^^^^^^Bpecial collegiate license plates are pur-
ha ed through TxDOT’s Special Plates
lilsion and cost $30 per year in addition to
he regular registration fee.
■'he state withholds $5 to administer the
•roj ram and sends the other $25 to the
IfflCfleslective university for a scholarship fund
O'. *4 or low-income students.
They like the plate, and they like the eause,"
e5 ' '***" -‘olson said. “It's a combination of both.”
onnle JOflSS Trey Kopecky, a senior agriculture and
S@tamu.ed if e sciences major, said the plates allow him
3 show his A&M pride, and supporting
cholarships is an added benefit.
jBThe scholarship is a good idea,” Kopecky
said “It’s a small fee to support the University.
HiP Vh r not buy one?”
■L—•..
^Krthur Carr, Class of 1988, said he has
urehased the plates for eight years, but
^ever knew part of the money went to a
cholarship fund.
ET SERVIQ “I had no idea,” Carr said. “I’m amazed
Tat when I pay $30, $25 goes to helping
oifceone who needs it. That’s excellent.”
iRSpecial collegiate license plates display
'Oth the logo and the name of the university
can be personalized for an extra $40,
■ Wolson
■^H’Xpplicalions for special collegiate license
j H| BBlates are available at all participating insti-
1 fflBations, local tax offices or can be down-
from TxDOT’s Website.
fJI
ynh 1
Z- L'U,
information
PfogrdrirfO!
A/©st
Nothing but net
STUART VILLANUEVA • THE BATTALION
Junior nutrition major Sarah Brannan and other members of the Penberthy Intramural Fields on Thursday. The team's season is set to
women's lacrosse team take the field during an afternoon practice at begin this weekend against Baylor University in Waco.
A
Stout to retire as dean of faculties
$
By Christina Hoffman
THE BATTALION
Dr. Janis P. Stout, Texas A&M’s first woman
to serve as dean of faculties and associate
provost, is retiring next Thursday. Stout joined
the faculty at A&M 14 years ago and was
appointed dean of faculties in 1998.
Through her position, Stout was recognized
for helping A&M diversify its faculty members
and curriculum. As dean of faculties and associ
ate provost. Stout wears two hats: one as an
advocate for the faculty voice and one as a cen
tral administrator. She has also been a proponent
in implementing the University’s goals for
Vision 2020, a project designed to position the
University as a top 10 public institute.
“Diversity is my number one passion,” she said.
Stout received her bache
lor's degree from Lamar
University in 1966 and later
received her master’s in 1968.
In 1973, after teaching at
Lamar University, she received
a doctorate from Rice
University. Before coming to
A&M, she taught part time as
an associate professor at stout
Haverford College and lectured at Rice
University.
She was recruited to A&M in 1987, serving as
associate dean of liberal arts and as an associate
professor of English.
After 14 years of being an integral part of
A&M, Stout said she will miss some aspects of
the A&M community.
“I have always found a huge sense of possibil
ity here, a great optimism and a lot of energy in
all sorts of ways, among faculty and students
both,” she said. “This is really a great university,
See Stout on page 2
Andersen blames Duncan for document shredding
Spaced
Usage ^
ftware ^
/ Price ^
IWASHINGTON (AP) — Fired auditor David
Duncan was solely responsible for the massive
pestruction of Enron documents, officials of the
Energy company’s accounting firm told skeptical
jaw-makers Thursday. Duncan refused to answer
”stions, invoking the Fifth Amendment.
Lawmakers denounced the rushed paper shred-
at Arthur Andersen and the complex business
jetices at Enron as Congress delved into the
;est bankruptcy in U.S. history. The compa-
"lyls collapse cost investors billions of dollars,
viped out the retirement savings of thousands of
miployees and raised questions about the compa-
iy|s extensive political connections.
Nancy Temple, a lawyer for Andersen, said she
reminded auditors about the firm’s policy for
retaining documents but didn’t order their preser
vation or destruction after learning of a federal
investigation of Enron.
“I was unaware of any shredding activity,” she
insisted under intense questioning by members of
the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s
investigative panel.
Lawmakers demanded to know why it took
Temple so long — from the Securities and
Exchange Commission’s first informal inquiry
into Enron on Oct. 17 until the day after the SEC’s
subpoena to Andersen for documents on Nov. 8 —
to direct auditors to keep the documents.
“This guidance never went out when it should
have gone out,” declared Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La.,
chairman of the full committee.
Tauzin wanted to know why “scores and
scores” of Andersen employees worked overtime
to destroy records if the firm’s policy favored
preservation, as its officials said. Preserving the
documents would only have taken a few hours of
locking them up, he suggested.
Lawmakers disclosed that the Andersen attor
neys had hired an outside law firm on Oct. 9, in
anticipation of possibly being sued over Enron
accounting. That showed Temple and other
Andersen officials had an early indication of trou
ble and should have ordered all Enron-related
documents to be saved, the House members said.
“I knew there was a possibility of litigation but
we did not discuss it,” Temple testified.
As Congress’ sprawling inquiry into Enron’s
collapse stepped up, Senate Governmental
Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman
said he will ask that panel to issue subpoenas for
Enron’s and Andersen’s documents regarding
their contacts with the White House and several
federal agencies on regulations affecting the
See Shredding on page 2
Food services speaks to Student Senate
By C.E. Walters
THE BATTALION
On Wednesday night, the Student
. x J , .Senate spoke with representatives of
- complete dm , • . G. „
opd services in their first session ot
o 7 3 he year.
Ill JgBpie Department of Food Services
" •« ^olc senators of a proposal to place a
. ll iJ-nifpp house on West Campus,
lebsite for completeoe'Oe] lending on student preference, the
coffee shop could be at the West
Campus Library as a coffee bar simi
lar to the Blocker Espresso Bar or a
larger coffee house located in the
Medical Sciences Library.
Food services also addressed
common student complaints,
explaining that the department must
generate its own funding. Senators
suggested the price of meals be
raised so that students can purchase
their meal plans annually, rather
than by semester.
The Senate also touched on a
number of other issues.
Currently there are 12 vacant
senate seats.
Senator Kevin Capps addressed
the upcoming local elections, and
said senators should put their weight
See Senate on page 2
INSIDE-
AggieLife Pg. 3
Take it to the house
MSC Open House returns for
the spring semester
Opinion Pg. 9
Military tribunals
are just
Circumstances similar to WWII
tribunals