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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2002)
b attaliJ Sports: Mondesi trade hurts baseball • Page 3 Opinion: Buying airline tickets by the pound • Page 5 THE BATTALION quit Pinodif 't he can't J 'Ith. PinodJ ar th ritis, tij: 1 leasts j Volume 108 • Issue 161 • 6 pages 108 Years Serving Texas A&M University www.thebatt.com Wednesday, July 3, 2002 >mgs andf )ea th," a mirl political pJ iwer in isufe ddle of |J : old and dal him say nl' h his oppj. exaggerate: ?tes. 3r >, Pinodie neof hislm] well as r| ge will co- ich as Ce- ing involve: the allege: n" sent li.| ie north. New Health Center designs RANDAL FORD • THE BATTALION Junior environmental design majors Brett Davis and Chien Wong discuss one of the new designs for the health center in the MSC By Courtney McDonald THE BATTALION The Memorial Student Center drew a large crowd Tuesday for the showcase of projects designed by 20 architecture students for a new stu dent health center. After working with Student Health Services, the architecture stu dents designed their renditions of improvements to the existing Beutal Health Center in correlation with goals for the Vision 2020 plan. “This project is a catalyst to begin asking questions about student health services at A&M,” said Dr. George Mann, AIA, the Ronald L. Skaggs Endowed Professor of Health Facilities Design and project director. “A&M can’t be [a top 10 university] without the best health facilities.” All the projects were different and embodied differing approaches to mental and physical options for health services. Students built their models in a variety of locations, depending upon what they thought was best for all students. “We considered keeping Beutal as a main site for health services while also creating a West Campus site for the convenience of students,” said senior architecture major Julie Pumphrey. “Sooner or later. West Campus might become the center of attract attention campus, and Beutal has already out grown its size.” Not only was the location of the new building(s) important, but stu dents took into account the physical appearance of the center. “West Campus buildings haven’t been significant aesthetically as of yet, so it is an important aspect to create an inviting building [for the west side of campus],” said senior architecture major Cassandra Cormier. Students only had a month to complete their projects, and most put in five to nine hours of work daily with their partners. “It was a great assignment and a little difficult at times having to com promise with my partner,” Cormier said. “It was a very successful presenta tion,” said Dr. Linda Lekawski, D.O. and Director of Student Health Services. “These buildings were born in students’ minds for A&M, and it would be great if the University built one of them.” There has been no request for a new health services building in response to the Vision 2020 plan. “This isn’t going to happen tomorrow, but it can enhance the reputation of A&M for its health services [if a new building is con structed],” Mann said. „ — -1 :d tnler riing r n ®j A I « I I I / 1. ver Plane collides with jet over Germany UEBERLINGEN, Gennany — A Russian pilot ferrying children to Spain for a beach vacation had less than a minute to get out of the way of an oncoming cargo jet, but the planes rammed into one another after both apparently took the same evasive action at the same moment. The col lision claimed 71 lives. Fifty-two Russian children were on the Bashkirian Airlines charter heading for a resort near Barcelona to celebrate the beginning of the sum mer holiday. Their chartered Tupolev 154 collided at 35,000 feet over southern Germany with a Boeing 757 cargo jet operated by DHL International. There were no casualties on the ground, although burning wreckage fell onto roads and into yards in the rolling, forested hills around Lake Constance, shared by Germany, Switzerland and Italy. There was immediate controversy over how the collision happened, with Swiss authorities — whose con trol system was directing both flights — initially claiming the Russian pilot responded only after three warnings, the first coming two minutes before the crash. It was subsequently learned that only one Swiss con troller was on duty at the time of the collision. After the Swiss offered their ini tial version of the moments leading up the accident, German aviation and police officials said the Russian pilot had only 50 seconds warning and responded after a second call from air traffic control approximately 25 sec onds before the collision. The Swiss then revised their account. Anton Maag, chief of the Zurich control tower, said the 50-second warning given the Russian pilot “wasn’t irresponsible but fairly tight.” A representative of the German airline pilots' union disagreed. “Normally we count on five to 10 minutes for two planes heading for a planned crossing of their flight paths to be separated,” Georg Fongern told ZDF television. “Of course we must ask why the two planes were not brought apart earlier.” The pilot of the DHL jet apparent ly sent the plane into a dive after the Boeing’s automated crash avoidance warning system alerted him to the danger of the collision about 25 sec onds beforehand. The Russian airline blamed the tragedy on air traffic controllers, and defended its pilot, saying he was an experienced aviator, spoke English — the language of international avia tion — well and was a regular on international routes. Peddicord finds national recognition in classroom By Lauren Bauml THE BATTALION Dr. Kenneth L. Peddicord, a tenured nuclear engineering professor at Texas A&M, said simply being part of A&M and the community is the greatest tool which has brought much success to his career. Peddicord said his good fortune comes from being part of a very successful institution with tremendous students and excellent colleagues. “I very much enjoy inter acting with students here at A&M,” he said. Peddicord recently received the Glenn Murphey Award in Montreal, Canada. This award is given in recognition of extraordinary contributions to the educa tion of nuclear engineering students by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Peddicord has received numerous other awards throughout the years but said he is not really an “award person.” He chooses not to talk about his collection of awards, nor does he list them in his professor biography. He said his past 20 years at A&M have been tremen dous. “[Peddicord] is truly at home in the classroom, both deriving energy from his stu dents and, in turn, firing them up,” said Dr. Alan Waltar, head of A&M’s Department of Nuclear Engineering. “He is, without a doubt, the most creative and enthusiastic edu cator I have ever had the priv ilege to work with.” Peddicord is currently a registered professional engi neer in Texas and a member of several professional soci eties, including the American Nuclear Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineering and the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists. He was persistently asked to teach at A&M before he arrived. When he finally chose to come, he said he found the thought appalling and originally planned to teach at A&M for only six See Peddicord on page 2 Dr. Glenn Peddicord, nuclear engineering professor, received the Glenn Murphey Award for extraordinary con tributions to the education of nuclear engineering students. Officials urge residents to be safe, obey laws for July 4 u ways ses-m* vm cow xjkmm * mm tFKOi** wxx,MmM. * ONLY MSJVS.TS8 Ft.KSWOa.SCS OUTOQOI** s&mxi: vkmmm r tmiMv at a time mmm'wmaam mmmomesi at AAiort-LEj*: m&ssm • wmm mmm wKmiw&mz&m on* RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION By Jessi Watkins THE BATTALION As the Fourth of July draws closer. Aggies are looking forward to a day off from school to celebrate with friends and family. As with any major holiday, July Fourth also brings an increase in concern for people’s safety. In order to prepare for the expected increase in alcohol consumption, the Bryan Police Department (BPD) will dedicate extra officers to driving while intoxicated (DWI) patrol. Sgt. Ben Smith of the BPD Traffic Safety Unit said it will be out doing night-time DWI enforcement Thursday and Friday, a job usually left solely to the patrol division. “It will probably mean a few more arrests, but hopefully it will decrease the number of alcohol-related traffic accidents,” Smith said. “During major holidays, like Independence Day, there are more [intoxicated people] out there than we would like to think.” The July Fourth holiday also brings the risk of injury from fireworks. Bart Humphreys, public information officer for the College Station Fire Department, said fireworks are illegal inside the city limits as well as in a 5,000 foot enforcement zone around the city limits. Fireworks stands are located outside the enforcement zone, he said. “City ordinance states possession, use or transportation of fireworks with in the city limits is a Class C misde meanor and punishable by a fine of up to $2,000,” Humphreys said. Humphreys also said fireworks include anything that will have to be lit on fire, including smoke bombs and snakes. Officials urge people to be safe in choosing to set off fireworks and obey the laws concerning fireworks, as well as when and where they are allowed. He said each year more than 11,000 people in the United States are injured from fireworks and most of these are children between the ages of five and 14. The majority of injuries occur because of misuse rather than poor manufacturing, he said. Firecrackers caused 32 percent of fireworks related injuries in 2000, sky rockets caused 15 percent and sparklers caused 10 percent, Humphreys said. Fireworks safety ranges from always following labeled directions, buying from a reliable fireworks seller and never carrying fireworks in a pock et, he said. Fourth of July festivities to be held at George Bush Library By Ruth Ihde THE BATTALION The George Bush Presidential Library will be hosting the College Station Noon Lion’s Club annual July Fourth celebration, called “I Love America,” on Thursday. Brian Blake, public relations director for the George Bush Presidential Library, said this is the 42nd annual July Fourth cel ebration for the College Station Noon Lion’s Club and third con secutive year it has been hosted by the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The museum will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. to visi tors for the regular admission price. All Texas A&M and Blinn students will have free admission. During open hours, costumed characters such as George and Martha Washington, Abe Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin will be present for photographs and to answer questions about their lives and careers. Concession stands open at 5:30 p.m. and the Lion’s Club will give out free watermelon. The entertainment will include a live petting zoo and games for children. Blake said this year the head lining act will be Karan Chaviz, and there will also be a live entertainment stage featuring local bands and vocalists. Beginning at 9:30 p.m., there will be a brass ensemble playing patriotic music. In addition, passports for “be a tourist in your own back yard” will be available at the George Bush Library that include discounts on certain events and services courtesy of the City of Bryan and College Station Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The Fourth of July fireworks will begin around 9:45 p.m. and will be choreographed with music broadcasted by local radio station. Mix 104.7. “The George Bush Library is the perfect backdrop for the fire works display,” Blake said. Admission to the fireworks display is free and the George Bush Library will have parking spaces available for those need ing handicapped parking. Free parking will also be available to the public in Research Park. Blake emphasized that Barbara Bush Drive will be closed all day, requiring all traf fic for the celebration to enter through Research Drive or Discovery Drive. Parts of George Bush Drive around the library will also be closed during the fireworks dis play for safety precautions. “As always, security will be taken seriously,” Blake said. He said there will not be more security this year compared to past years, but awareness of safe ty and security will be greater. There will be internal securi ty for the library and museum, and the University Police Department and bike patrol will be present during the festivities, he said. TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION
