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WEDNESDAYMARCH 27. 2002
VOLUME 108 * ISSUE 118
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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
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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
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.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