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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2002)
NATIOS HE BATTAUii WEDNESDAYMARCH 27. 2002 VOLUME 108 * ISSUE 118 ei Yeh is a resident of | DOS. candidate Jk > Website 'yell.com. Fire in the hole m y-m n Second Lieutenant Hunter Bland provides cover with his rifle as Second Lieutenant Onni Hynninen demonstrates a grenade throw to a group of Army ROTC cadets on Duncan STUART VILLANUEVA - THE BATTALION Drill Field Tuesday. Cadets made their way through the grenade course in pairs by ducking behind bunkers and throwing grenades at target dummies. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Herman to focus on legislative interaction Panel looks at insensitivity By Christina Hoffman THE BATTALION A&M presidential candidate Dr. Richard Henuan said if offered the post, he will help A&M focus on aca demic excellence and developing a working relationship within the state legislature. “It is important to pay attention to the many publics: the state, the legis lature, the agriculture community, the corporate sector; and it is up to the next president to figure out how to uti lize resources,” Hennan said. He said he would continue President Dr. Ray M. Bowen’s efforts in addressing issues concerning the possible return of Aggie Bonfire. “It's the biggest issue on this cam pus; it needs to be addressed” Herman said. “But I need to look at it in depth before responding.” Herman also addressed diversity issues. “Diversity is an issue all universities are facing. The problems are shared, but the solutions are local,” he said. Additionally, Herman said he will proceed with Bowen’s Vision 2020 plan. “It’s up to all to help take the next In reaction to diversity cultural issues that > e affected Texas A&M semester. The Battalion Wfed a pane! of student eaders to convene to dis- racial and cultural 'sues at Texas A&M. The result is a three-part Mies on diversity and cul- lre at A&M from students pth diverse points of view, !l who all agree they are ,r °ud to he Aggies. Part one focused on the past racial and cultural issues at A&M. Part two covers present issues affecting the campus and part three will cover the future. By Anna Chaloupka THE BATTALION While many Texas A&M students responded with anger to a Battalion cartoon that many called racist, student leaders at A&M said they are more concerned about why the majority of students react ed with either insensitivity or indifference to the issues sur rounding the cartoon. “I’m not worried about the people who didn’t know about the cartoon,” said Barry Hammond, Memorial Student Center executive vice president of develop ment. “But I’m worried about the people who did pick up The Battalion and saw the cartoon, and said, ‘Who cares?’” Student leaders came together in a recent panel discussion to discuss a num ber of issues relating to diversity that have captivated the campus this semester. Minorities feel unwelcome Panelists said a large number of minority students get accepted to A&M but choose not to attend because of the perception of it being See Panel on page 4A step, which is to work together as a body to reach Vision 2020,” Herman said. Herman is the first of three pub licly announced candidates to visit campus. A reception was held in the J. Wayne Stark Gallery Tuesday, giving him an opportunity to meet with stu dents and faculty and experience the atmosphere on campus. Herman has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign since 1998. He has exten sive credentials and experience in sci ence, mathematics and education poli cies, serving on many advisory com mittees at varying universities. He received a bachelor’s degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology and a doctorate in mathe matics from the University of Maryland. During the reception, Herman wel comed guests and answered questions from faculty and advisory committee members. Dr. John Junkins, chair of the Presidential Advisory Committee, spoke briefly and introduced Herman. Herman commented on the See Herman on page 2A Dr. Richard Herman, provost and vice chan cellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign and one of three candidates named for the position of Texas A&M president, meets with visitors and the media in the Stark Gallery Tuesday. Other candidates will visit the University Thursday and next Tuesday to meet with students. STUART VILIANUEVA • THE BATTALION isive ng i a Line)! h Coupon) Inc. C0928 eduction sen '90 Tutoring 4746) are Math masters offered online department’s Web program gives students options By C.E. Walters THE BATTALION - The Texas A&M mathematics |?T artmen t will now offer graduate Indents around the world the option to | ea nj,their mas ter’s degree online. I The program will be mainly for IPtople who are full-time teachers, | aitl professor of mathematics G. Pnakl Allen. Graduate students will "'t likely take three classes a year, . f hing the program within three or liin J ears ’ * le Sa i < -1- Classes offered lieK 6 the history of math, math chnology a n( j linear algebra. People [j 0 ? s . the world are already making Iwh' U v? es t ^ le Program, Allen said, L lc h was approved by the Board of W March 22. “[This is the| only online mas ter’s of mathematics program in the country,” Allen said. The program, which is the 1 1th distance-delivered degree program offered by A&M, will offer students the same courses as those offered on campus, Allen said. Most online courses are a blend of online components and interac tive video, with professors relying on email, chat rooms, bulletin boards and campus labs, said Dr. Elizabeth Tebeaux, director of the Office of Distance Education. Papers are sent via email, and test ing is primarily done through a 3 1 School Testing Consortium, where students can attend a local univer sity to take their exam. “It’s a real convenient fonnat for the working adult,” Tebeaux said. Currently, the majority of the cur- riculums offered for the degree are through the educational psychology department, but the entire program, which will offer a range of math courses, Tebeaux said, should be fin ished in less than two years. The base price for one three-hour course is approximately $580, but this price excludes the Instructional Enhancement Fee, the cost of which is the department’s discretion. Additionally, there is a Distance Education Fee of $40 a semester. These courses, Tebeaux said, can also benefit a professor, makings lec tures on campus more focused and granting them a chance to work with students they might not otherwise connect with. New program enhances Corps leadership training U.S. forces watch eastern Afghanistan n ‘23.00 & “P ! »r Cred' 1 IN up. | cjvkwrm TM CD nsalons.com liKOtC. n**- se Station 1-5555 :k Prairie Kd. . renter ung nresj^K .Washington (AP) — American forces are eiy watching volatile eastern Afghanistan but have Talih 61 figured out exactly how many al-Qaida and H P f an are hiding there and what they’re up to, se officials said Tuesday. W v? P* a y e d down a report by Afghans that there bin | b ^ en re cent sightings of al-Qaida leader Osama nearti en ant * to P a id e Ayman al-Zawahri in the area a ^ e city of Khost. d anp e Khost area is a tense situation. ... It remains a JohnWij PJ ace ’” sa id Pentagon briefer Brig. Gen. be D - Kosa Jr. at a news conference. “I think it would se e i n ^ a fi |re to start trying to characterize what we’re Am ■ osa to ld a news conference. ne an u er n Car ! forces have long focused on the region or a).n. a ^' stana border and believe pockets of Taliban "'hat s h 3 a ^ e boJed up there. But perceptions of intellic, a fiP enan § shifts as the enemy moves and new Thp v'u 6 ' s received, defense officials said, the ea j 0st area J s a major land route into Pakistan to ducted . an , d borders where U.S.-led troops just con- oldcam e - ar § est land assault staged in the five-month- in Paign against Taliban and al-Qaida forces. See Forces on page 2 By Marianne Hudson THE BATTALION In Fall 2002, a new leadership pro gram will be in place within the Corp of Cadets to teach cadets how to work with associates in the business world, said Richard Cummins, one of the program’s organizers. The Corp Leadership Excellence Program will formalize leadership-devel opment training in the Corps and serve as a prototype for other campus organiza tions to follow, Cummins said. All corps members are eligible to enroll in the course, Cummins said. Cadets are currently required to take a one hour class in leadership training. He said cadets will examine different leader ship methodology during class time and then link the models to activities within their outfits. “This program will connect [the cadets’] knowledge and skills with the environment they are in,” Cummins said. “It will show them the leadership capa bilities they have.” Cummins said guest speakers from area businesses would expose cadets to differ ent leadership requirements they might encounter and teach techniques to use in various situations in the business world, such as how to lead employees and how to deal with supervisors. Planning for this program, Cummins said, began in 1993 with the Association of Former Students, who formed the Blue Ribbon Committee to examine the strengths of the Corps. They hoped to u This program should help cadets sharpen their skills in leadership. ” — Joe Dickerson Corps Commander establish a more formalized training in leadership to add to the Corps, he said. Corps Commander Joe Dickerson, a senior geography major, said the program will be an example for other organiza tions in leadership training. “Most people recognize that the Corps is a leadership laboratory,” Dickerson See Leadership on page 2A KRT CAMPUS Commander Michael Vizcarra gets a hug from children Nicholas and Victoria as he and the air wing from the USS Roosevelt return to the Oceana Naval Air Station Tuesday. IWfeUH WLAHiL-U Sports Pg. 1B Aggies sweep doubleheader Slataper, Rippee lead A&M to victory over N western St. Opinion Pg. 7B American Proud? Patrioticism has lost its importance 40° F THURSDAY