, THURSDAYMARCH 28, 2002
VOLUME 108 • ISSUE 119
Diversity among students leaves hope for the future
In reaction to diversity and cultural
ssues that have affected Texas A&M
his semester. The Battalion invited a
\anel of student leaders to convene to
liscuss racial and cultural issues at
'exas A&M.
The result is a three-part series
in diversity and culture at A&M
vm students with diverse points of
iew, hut who all agree they are
oud to be Aggies.
Port one focused on the past
acial and cultural issues at A&M.
TWF RATTAT
JL 1 ILd Oil. X X iiJ_v
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Part two covered present issues
affecting the campus and part three
covers the future.
By Emily Peters
THE BATTALION
Recent events surrounding diver
sity issues at A&M have perked the
nation's ears in this direction. A
glaring media spotlight has revealed
questionable political cartoons, the
proposal of a revolutionary top-20
plan to defer Hopwood restrictions
and a major discrepancy between
University and state minority ratios.
Student leaders realize the moment
has come to look to the future of
diversifying A&M, especially in a
state whose population will be less
than half white in three years.
Through a panel hosted by The
Battalion, student leaders came up with
innovative concepts for forming
A&M’s future in diversity.
Minority recruitment, adminis
trative involvement
Panelists agreed that although the
1996 Hopwood decision prevents
acceptance based on race, minority
recruitment should be allowed.
“We should be able to talk to diversi
ty clubs at high schools,” said Battalion
Editor in Chief Mariano Castillo. “When
we need athletes, we recruit athletes.
When we need scholars, we recruit
scholars. I can’t see why there is a differ
ence with minority recruitment as long
they are not admitted based on race.”
Student Government Association
Director of Diversity Issues Pablo
Rodriguez said University administra
tion should create a vice president posi
tion devoted solely to campus diversity
initiatives.
Samecia Bloomfield, MSC Executive
Director of Cultural Programs
Coordination, agreed and said she would
like to see more administrators involved
See Panel on page 6A
fl CL C r
JOHN LIVAS • THE BATTALION
Rabbi Peter Tarlow dips his finger in a cup of Foundation began the Jewish holiday
wine during the naming of the 10 plagues. Passover at the Hillel Center. The celebration
Tarlow and other members of the Hillel will continue for an additional seven days.
Suicide bomber in
Israel leaves 15 dead
NETANYA, Israel (AP) —
A suicide bomber burst into a
hotel dining room and blew
himself up Wednesday just as
Israelis dressed in their holiday
best were sitting down to a
Seder meal celebrating the
Jewish Passover. At least 15
people were killed and more
than 100 were wounded.
The explosion tore through
the ground floor of the Park
Hotel in the northern coastal
resort, blowing out walls and
windows and overturning
tables and chairs. Bits of rubble
and wires dangled from the
ceiling. In the chaos, one table
remained standing, covered by
a white cloth and with the elab
orate Seder place settings still
in place.
The Islamic militant group
Hamas claimed responsibility
for what Israeli government
spokesperson Gideon Meir
called a “Passover massacre.”
The bombing in Netanya
threatened to derail the latest
U.S. truce mission, just hours
after President Bush said his
envoy to the region had made
some progress.
Bush urged Yasser Arafat
and his Palestinian Authority
“to do everything in their
power” to try to stop the killing.
“This callous, this cold-blood
ed killing, it must stop,” Bush
said. “I condemn it in the most
strongest of terms.”
Israel, which had reluctantly
accepted the latest U.S. cease
fire proposals, said it would
have to reassess its policy and
held Arafat responsible for the
bombing. Police Minister Uzi
Landau called for retaliation,
saying the Palestinian
Authority must be destroyed.
The Palestinian leadership
said in a statement it “strongly
condemned” the attack. A
Palestinian security official,
speaking on condition of
See Bomber on page 2A
Pilot program opens rooms
for freshmen in Hobby Hall
By Araceli V. Garcia
- THE BATTALION
Hobby Hall, a modular residence hall usually
reserved for upperclassmen, will hold 25 percent
of its rooms this fall for incoming freshmen.
The measure to open Hobby to a group of
students traditionally absent in the hall’s co-ed
rooms is part of a year-long pilot program that
was approved at the Residence Hall
Association’s general assembly last week.
Residents of Hobby hope more freshmen will
increase hall unity.
Hobby currently houses 7 freshmen out of
the 250 students who reside in the hall.
The goal of the pilot program is to lower the
turnover rate in the residence hall, which loses
upperclassmen in droves each year as they move
off campus, said Chris Mahaffey, a RHA dele
gate from Hobby Hall.
Delegates from other residence halls said
opening Hobby to more freshmen could drain
first-year students from the less-expensive
mostly-freshmen halls.
Mahaffey said allowing more freshmen into
Hobby should not affect the number of freshmen
willing to live in other halls.
“The freshmen will come from elsewhere,
not from other dorms,” Mahaffey said.
The number of reserved spots for freshmen
will not be known until all “Decision 2002” con
tracts for Fall on-campus housing have been
submitted. Once the number of returning resi
dents is calculated, the remaining spots will be
held for incoming freshmen, Mahaffey said.
Triathlete, mentor receives award
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
Take one look around Jose Grimaldo’s office and it
ISno secret what his passion is. Pinned to the walls are
| evera l paper numbers he wore while competing in
, at h!ons and marathons, along with a sign that reads:
an Hard, Live Easy.”
Ghmaldo, who grew up in Bryan-College Station
'^currently serves as funding opportunities coordi-
" at0r for Texas A&M's Research Services office, is a
tonally-ranked triathlete who has participated in
^ marathons. He was named A&M ’s 2001 Mentor
of the Year.
1 am a mentor for students here who want to com
pete in triathlons and marathons. I
coach them on the ins and outs, and
we are currently preparing for the
SWT Collegiate Championship (a
triathlon),” Grimaldo said.
A 1986 A&M graduate,
Grimaldo earned a bachelor’s
degree in landscape architecture
and has worked in the field for
eight years.
His most exciting project was helping design the
Moody Gardens in Galveston.
“I not to design plans, approve construction and
provide documents,” he said. “I love going back with
my kids and showing them what I worked on.”
GRIMALDO
After deciding to start a family with his wife, Lisa,
also an A&M graduate, Grimaldo switched his career
and arrived at A&M in 1991.
“I was an unofficial mentor at the beginning
because I didn’t join the program until last year. I was
stunned and in shock when I was chosen as Mentor of
the Year,” he said. “It was very heartfelt and quite
humbling.”
When not at work, Grimaldo likes to spend time
with his family, which he said he always puts first and
for whom he gave up his dream career.
“I bought my two girls each a guitar .for Christmas
and they like to bang on it. They get real frustrated
See Mentor on page 2A
ctio
Today is the last day to vote
Vote online at vote.tamu.edu
Vote on campus in the MSC, Evans, Blocker,
the Commons and the Rec Center
Polling locations are open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
f % 4 4 -4 fll-fllUJ i*IfTaanr^fflsn'lnInlH
CHAD MALLAM • THE BATTALION
www.thebatt.com for tonights election results
Aggie pleads not
guilty to child porn
By Sommer Bunce
THE BATTALION
Stephen Michael Johnston,
a senior psychology major
and member of the Corps of
Cadets, pleaded not guilty
Wednesday to charges of con
spiracy to distribute child
pornography on the Internet.
Johnston, 21, was arrested
March 19 as part of
Operation Candyman, a
national FBI operation that
left seven other Texas men
and 81 others in jail. He
pleaded not guilty before a
Houston judge.
He was still in a jail in
Houston Wednesday after
being denied bond in a hearing
earlier this week.
Johnston’s personal com-
See Plea on page 2A
r ■:
i r:
IDE
AggieLife Pg. 3B
Swing, brother,
swing
Aggie Wranglers take their
talent to campus and
beyond
■
Ilf