Celebrate Easter 2002 March 31 REED ARENA lOA.M. Free Admission Free Parking Casuai Dress Hosted by your friends at Central Baptist Church 8 Monday, March 25, 2002 NATION the battalion Harvard study shows binge AGGIELAND VISITOR CENTER Student Worker/Tour Guide Positions Available at the Aggieland Visitor Center First Floor, Rudder Tower Applications are available and accepted March 19-April 12, 2002 For more details, call 845-5851 Looking for Formal Wear, Gowns, Shoes, Handbags? < ^Jhe I^e5a,ie WJearlto ude for Ladies and Children 3800 S. Texas Ave. Bryan, TX 77802 (979) 846-3679 I for Men 3808-B S. Texas Ave. Bryan, TX 77802 (979) 846-4868 www.area-wide.com Store hours: 10am - 6:00pm Monday - Friday 10 am - 5:00 pm Saturday Major credit cards accepted - Layaway available - . srrLJoiBW'r < jov iiM rs: vj 12rsrr js «S o c: i .A.*r i o TKXrVv*» l.'?■>!» VHKJWI f V 'ErJL'JBCTTIOChfi COWfOtfISSI&fAC * * ! 0 0 0 ! I z Tiresday, TVlarclr 26, 2002 BtisH Lit>rary at 2:00 p.m. TvISC CIW reception, following the debate BOSTON (AP) — More col lege students are living in sub stance-free residence halls, and fewer recall drinking to excess while in high school. Yet binge drinking on college campuses is still as common as it was in the early 1990s, a new Harvard study shows. The survey by the Harvard School of Public Health found 44 percent of college students admitted binge drinking within the previous two weeks — the same percentage found in a 1993 study. “It’s part of the American college culture,” Nicholas Pasquale, 20, a sophomore at Boston University, said Sunday. “I don’t know of any college where a large part of the student body isn’t drinking on weekends.” Flier Continued from page 1 interest of student government or class councils,” Sarandis said. All candidates must submit their cam paign materials to the commission for approval. Dubberly alleged the practice is a blatant violation of candidates’ free speech rights, and refused to take down his flyers. “They (election commission) knew what they were doing was unlawful,” Dubberly said. Sarandis declined to discuss why she reversed her decision, but said she was sat isfied with Dubberly’s explanation of why the flier's content was not inappropriate. “Its an ongoing process,” Sarandis said. “If candidates feel that certain fines were unfair, they can always come talk to me and we’ll work through it.” More than 30 of the 125 candidates in the student election have submitted cam paign material with inappropriate content, Sarandis said. Dubberly is the only candi date to have fines dropped and previously censored campaign material approved However, the survey also found that universities had made efforts over the past decade to change that culture. About 65 percent more col lege students said they were liv ing in substance-free residence halls and being exposed to alco hol awareness education. Also, fewer students said they were members of fraternities and sororities, where reported binge drinking rates have been the highest. A growing number of students said they abstain from drinking altogether — 19.3 per cent, up from 16.4 percent eight years ago. Kelilah Miller, 19, a Boston University freshman, said she does not hang around with peo ple who drink and questioned how much of a public health issue binge drinking is. “What’s society’s responsi bility to protect people from themselves?” she asked. The Harvard survey ques tioned 10,000 students at 119 four-year colleges, and defined binge drinking as four or more drinks in a row for women, or five or more for men. Out of the traditional col lege students who drink — 18- to 23-year-olds not living with their parents — seven out of 10 said they had met that defini tion of binge drinking in the past 30 days. “That’s a staggering num ber,” said Henry Wechsler, director of College Alcohol Studies at Harvard School of Public Health and lead investi gator on the study. “Before, we didn’t see posi tive trends at the same time as the continuation of the be? rate,” Wechsler said Frii “We didn’t see this kind ill' >gical presence of trend 1 ;!: should lead to lower rates aril continuing high rate.” “This, to us, indicates strong forces are continuing! ! hi*. L v H lit .Innkingl campus,” he said. "Thosef tors need to be addressed! policies that colleges take." The University of Vermo Burlington, one of 10 colit taking part in an Ameri Medical Association-led in live to curb binge drinki found when it joined the gram in 1997 that 65 percer all students admitted drinking, said Anii Flewelling, director of thei versity’s program. That nun is now at 64 percent. inter without having to revise the flier's content, Sarandis said. The leaflet in question contains the text “Who’s your daddy? Me. And I make damn cool t-shirts. Pimpin’ for the best damn u I hope other candidates stand up against this censorship and that they change this rule for future Aggies. — Shannon Dubberly 2004 Vice President candidate class...fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2004.” Sarandis said that at the outset of the campaign candidates were informed that curse words, including “damn” and “hell” would be censored, along with sexual innu endo and trademark violations. Election rules adopted by the student senate do not include any guidelines for censoring cam paign materials, leaving the election coni] missioner with complete discretion determine what is appropriate. Dubberly said the commission’s deci j sion underscores the unfairness and trary nature of the campaign rules. Medii attention and public pressure forced ikj commission to do the right thins Dubberly said, but the commission contin j ues to violate the free speech rights other candidates. “I hope other candidates stand up* against this censorship and that they change this rule for future Aggies,” Dubberly said Dubberly said he had been contacted h the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLUi lawyers who offered to file an injunction in federal court to prevent the election commis sion from disqualifying him, and added tta the ACLU stood ready to defend other candi dates who wanted to challenge the election | commission’s censorship. The issues raised by this controvers) may prompt the student senate to examine anti consider revising the election rules, Sarandis said. Student elections will be held Marcl] 27-28. Redefine World Peace Corps is a 2-year program with opportunities in more than 70 nations. Talk to Recruiter and Former Volunteer Dr. Nelson Jacob at Texas A&M University Career Center Library • 209 Koldus Bldg. Mondays 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays 2 to 4 p.m. To set up an appointment, call 979-777-8075 or e-mail him at peacecorps@tamu.edu. Health Business Education Agriculture Construction Environment Information Technology Community Development All Majors Welcome www.peacecorps.gov • 1-800-424-8580 Bonfire Continued from page 1 of the student body as possible when finding something the students will accept, she said. She hopes to give students a chance to speak at forums and have representatives on a com mittee to work with student leaders in finding an activity that will build leadership. “Bonfire has definitely left a hole on our campus, and it’s important to fill that, not with another tradition, but with activities that can build leader ship and provide the meaning that was behind Bonfire,” Pringle said. SBP candidate Zac Coventry plans to do whatever he can to work actively for the safe return of the tradition to Texas A&M. He said he under stands from experience what Bonfire was and what it repre sented from working on the stack. “I am absolutely passionate about the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Bonfire,” Coventry said. “It rep resents the undying spirit that all Aggies have for Texas A&M.” The possible initial return of Bonfire may not be exactly what students remember or are hoping for, but Coventry believes that the process will be one of give-and-take, mak ing a reference to playing dominoes. You don’t win in one hand, he said, you get a little bit at a time. The best opportunity bring back Bonfire will be start with a clean slate and remake the tradition, said Coventry, a senior agricultural development major. He hones to to to involve a greater number of students from throughout the A&M student body. Although students and stu dent government working together will be essential in reviving the tradition, the new University president, along with the administration, will play a key role in the future of Bonfire, Coventry said. “I think we need to wait and see who the new administration is and then adapt to that and decide our approach,” he said. Coventry is excited about the possibility of Bonfire’s return in 2003 and has collabo rated with current and former students about ways to reduce the risk factor by using safer methods. For 2002, however, he has come up with a compe tition he calls the “Old Army Rnnfitv* QVillo — - ” biased p Wponse to THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY STUDENT MEDIA BOARD IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR The Battalion — Including radio and online editions — Summer 2002 (The summer editor will serve May 27 through Aug. 12, 2002) Fall 2002 (The fall editor will serve Aug. 19 through Dec. 13, 2002) Qualifications for editor in chief of The Battalion are: • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); • Have at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point ratio (3.00 if a graduate student) and at least a 2.00 grade point ratio (3.00 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for that semester; • Have completed JOUR 301 (Mass Communication, Law and Society), or equivalent; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible editorial position on The Battalion or comparable daily college newspaper, -OR- Have at least one year editorial experience on a commercial newspaper, -OR- Have completed at least 12 hours journalism, including JOUR 203 and 303 (Media Writing I and II), and JOUR 304 (Editing for the Mass Media), or equivalent. Aggieland 2003 Qualifications for editor in chief of the Aggieland yearbook are: • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); • Have at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point ratio (3.00 if a graduate student) and at least a 2.00 grade point ratio (3.00 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for that semester; • Have completed JOUR 210 (Graphics) and JOUR 301 (Mass Communication, Law and Society), or equivalent; • Have demonstrated ability in writing through university coursework or equivalent experience; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible position on the Aggieland or comparable college yearbook. “Around the time we wo have Bonfire, when we t.u., (we could) have a camp wide competition of all skills related to Bonfii^ Coventry said. Intended to fill some of* void left by Bonfire’s absent the event would be a comp' tion between student groups! campus in events such asj carrying, tug-of-war and men’s carry. Coventry expressed hisetf cern with students intendins build off-campus bonfires,a; ing that doing so would sf# lack of unity among the si* latn no ^ an ^ dents of A&M. Though Mmy dggfgg 0 understands the frustration si We is unmatc dents have with BonW dared the Mu absence, he believes that slid of t>jg 0 t ing together is more import Wsy and p He would not support ofL 1 - 15 article is pus bonfires. R J °, CC E of a USA Tc ilto meet his i ""gso, bring . Eternal stri Jfng to unit of diversity. 1,6 depiction I" 6 ’racist, bigo pas true of IV l a cowboy or ge Jpcans. p res f stan tly warne |'J st terrorism ) sts ' n ot Islam . sub i e ct and L ICe and ha t Nnca i s ’e?h America n s by internal 1 SSUre ’ am t’ a s well £ e : ent - Gall I Newport, w states tl r w helming| y 1 ^tes as ‘ conceited, t ked ’ and bi, ^icle, they Application forms should be picked up and returned to Francia Cagle, Student Media business coordinator, in Room 014A Reed McDonald Buildina Dpndlinp fnr ~ I- v , A/ j j , April 3, 2002. Applicant, will be interviewed during the Student Media Board Meeting beginning at 2 p.m. Friday, April 5, 20W,TMrF^SSandd 9 appllC0 " 0n: n00 " WednKd °>'' An Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer Committed to Diversity k K appalle d | b country ? n rd for Ame ? § the ^ n Su bcontin