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Aggielife: Summer sports fix • Page 3
Opinion: Golf course unnecessary • Page 9
THE BATTALION
Volume 108 • Issue 169 • 10 pages
108 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Thursday, July 18, 2002
Suicide attack in Tel Aviv kills 3, wounds 40
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Two sui-
Icide bombers blew themselves up sec
onds apart in downtown Tel Aviv
Wednesday night, killing three civil
ians and wounding more than 40,
police and witnesses said.
The attack took place between a cafe
and a theater in a rundown neighbor-
Ihood where many foreign workers live,
and Israel Radio said most of the casu
alties were workers from abroad.
The group Islamic Jihad claimed
responsibility for the bombings,
according to the A1 ManarTV station in
Lebanon. Israel blamed the Palestinian
Authority, led by Yasser Arafat.
The suicide bombers were standing
only 15 to 20 yards from each other
when they set off the explosions in an
area crowded with small shops and
stalls, police said.
They said three civilians and the two
bombers died and more than 40 people
were wounded. Police earlier said the
death toll was higher.
Dutzu Raduyan, a worker from
Romania, said he heard an explosion,
and the lights in his nearby apartment
went out.
“Moments later we heard the second
explosion. I went down” to the street, he
said. “It was horrible, dead people were
everywhere and the injured were
screaming. I’ve never seen such a thing
in my life.” Shaken, he said he would
take his family back to Romania.
About 300,000 foreigners work in
Israel, replacing to a large extent the
Palestinian laborers who have been
barred from entering since the out
break of fighting
With Israel’s economy in a slump,
employers welcome the cheap migrant
workers, most of whom are in the coun
try illegally and are willing to work long
hours for less than minimum wage.
Earlier Wednesday evening, an Israeli
warplane bombed a metal workshop in
the Gaza Strip, while in the West Bank,
Israeli forces swept through Palestinian
areas, arresting a senior Hamas militant
and killing three Palestinians.
In the Amari refugee camp next to
Ramallah in the West Bank, two
Palestinian boys, ages 6 and 14, were
killed in an explosion. Palestinian secu
rity officials said they picked up an
explosive and it went off.
Near Qalqiliya, Israeli soldiers
spotted two Palestinians trying to
infiltrate into Israel. They shot and
killed one of the Palestinians and
started searching for the other, Israeli
military sources said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
Welch well known for
motivational attitiude
1 THE BATTAUON
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BRIAN RUFF • THE BATTALION
Dr. Ben Welch, director of the Center for Executive Development in the Lowry
Mays College and Graduate School of Business and senior lecturer in the man
agement department, is known for his enthusiastic attitude and lively classrooom.
By Christina Hoffman
THE BATTALION
Many students across the Texas A&M cam
pus either know or have heard about Dr. Ben
Welch for his enthusiastic, caring attitude and
his lively classroom atmosphere.
Welch is the director of the Center for
Executive Development in the Lowry Mays
College and Graduate School of Business and a
senior lecturer in the Department of
Management.
Welch said his students and family motivate him
through his busy daily schedule, and most people
always will see him with a smile on his face.
“My greatest passion is in teaching,” Welch
said. “My greatest intrinsic satisfaction is know
ing that I’ve touched a student’s life. That’s my
goal every time I stand in front of a classroom.”
Welch is definitely known for his focus on
student achievement. He received his doctorate
from A&M in 1990, in which his interest and
studies focused on effective teaching methods,
student motivation and achievement. Before
coming to A&M, he received his bachelor’s
degree from the University of Dayton in 1981
and his master’s from Houston Baptist
University in 1986.
Welch said his favorite class to teach is
MGMT 105, an introduction to business.
Through this class, Welch has the opportunity to
introduce new students to A&M and reach his
goal of touching the lives of A&M students.
When the class began it was offered to
See Welch on page 2
Regents approve
Langford expansion
By Kelln Zimmer
THE BATTALION
The Langford Architecture
Center will receive a $5 million
expansion from a plan
approved by the Texas A&M
Board of Regents.
The expansion proposal,
approved in March, identified
that the current facilities hous
ing the College of Architecture
are inadequate and aging. The
facilities date back to 1963 and
1977 and have experienced
overcrowding with the college’s
current size.
Over 2,000 students are
enrolled in the college, which
includes the departments of
architecture, construction sci
ence, landscape architecture and
urban planning.
This expansion is designed to
address specific needs the col
lege is experiencing to better
serve students.
“Much of the college’s cur
rent buildings are generic and
easy to adapt to fulfill the needs
of the students,” said Mark
Clayton, associate dean of the
College of Architecture. “But,
the new addition will be a high-
quality space designed for spe
cific uses and purposes, like the
customized digital classrooms.”
One of the most pressing
needs addressed by the expan
sion is the construction of a
4,700 square foot lecture theater
that will accommodate more
than 300 students.
“This facility will enable us to
offer considerably more seats in
core classes that are a require
ment for the visual and perform
ing arts requirements of students’
degree plans,” Clayton said.
The plan will also include a
distance education digital class
room to enhance off-campus
and international programs and
research initiatives, six new
seminar/meeting rooms for con
ferences, committee meetings
and seminars and appropriate
supplementary spaces including
rest rooms, mechanical rooms,
telecommunications closets and
custodial spaces.
See Langford on page 2
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Former student crowned Miss Texas 2002
Groups criticize
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By Molly McCullough
THE BATTALION
Lisa Dalzell, a December 2001 graduate
from Texas A&M, has been crowned Miss
Texas 2002.
The Miss Texas Pageant qualifies Dalzell
to compete in the Miss America Pageant in
2003.
If she is not crowned Miss America,
Dalzell will begin her statewide speaking
tour, which will fill her time with over 400
engagements speaking to young Texans on
the importance of giving back to others.
Dalzell has organized a program. Hands
On Texas, aimed at helping Texas young
sters find ways to involve themselves in
their communities.
Many of Dalzell’s speaking appearances
will promote her program. She said she has
already had the experience of speaking to 500
elementary students on the the topic.
“Miss Texas’ day usually consists of wak
ing up at around 4 or 5 a.m., only to drive
three to four hours away, give two to three
school programs, and then turn around and
drive home,” Dalzell said. “It is stressful that
being Miss Texas is a full-time job.”
Dalzell was previously crowned Miss
Humble in 1998, Miss Walker County in
1999, Miss River Oaks in 2000, Miss
Kingwood in 2001 and Miss Lake O’ The
Pines in 2002.
Besides the title, all
Miss Texas winners
receive scholarships to
further their education.
Dalzell plans to use her
scholarship money to
pay for law school,
which she wants to
attend in the fall.
Another benefit of com
peting in pageants is
meeting new people, Dalzell said.
“Some of my very best friends I have met
through competing in pageants,” she said.
“When you are thrown into that situation
with girls for an entire week, you can’t help
but become close.”
One of Dalzell’s closest friends, Lindsay
Kellum, Miss White Settlement 2002, said
she supported Dalzell though she did not
make it into the top five finalists.
DALZELL
“I felt like I was living through Lisa
when I watched her win the title,” Kellum
said. “I was so happy for her.”
Dalzell said she would like to change
certain things about the Miss America
organization, including not overlooking
the community service platform of the
contestants.
“The contestants’ platforms are a very
important part of a title holder’s year of
service,” Dalzell said. “Our commitment to
the community is something that the media
really should emphasize, instead of focusing
on the superficial stereotypes that are often
connoted with the word ‘pageant.’”
Despite glittering lights, crowns and
scholarship money, Dalzell has not forgot
ten A&M.
“The Association of Former Students and
the 12th Man Foundation were incredibly
supportive in my endeavor,” Dalzell said.
The last Aggie to win the title of Miss
Texas in the Miss America organization
was Sherri Ryman, Miss Texas 1981.
Kandace Krueger, also an Aggie, won the
Miss Texas USA and Miss USA Pageants
last year.
By Mariano Castillo
THE BATTALION
The annual Urban Mobility
Report by The Texas
Transportation Institute (TTI) at
Texas A&M is considered the
authoritative source on traffic
congestion in U.S. cities, but
was criticized this year by sever
al organizations.
The three major findings in
the report show a trend of
increasing traffic congestion
since the first report in 1982.
Specifically, the time penalty for
making rush hour trips is
greater, the period of time when
travelers might encounter traffic
congestion is longer and the
number of streets and freeways
that are congested is higher.
TTI assumes when traffic
increases on a certain road but
capacity does not, this equals
increased congestion.
Critics say this is not as accu
rate as possible because the
implementation of technology
such as electronic monitoring
and ramp controls in many cities
make it possible to increase
capacity on roads without
adding congestion.
The Washington Department
of Transportation (WSDOT),
one of the report’s sponsors,
pulled its support from the
study, saying that “limitations in
the TTI methodology and in the
data available nationally have
prevented TTI from reporting on
the effectiveness of many of the
congestion relief measures
being undertaken around the
country.”
According to a statement
from WSDOT, the TTI method
ology for estimating traffic con
gestion in areas is flawed
because it estimates traffic
speeds, by feeding daily traffic
volumes into a math formula
instead of using actual measured
speeds or other “real” measures
of congestion.
Tim Lomax, TTI research
See TTI on page 2
Short, cook-off classic highlight first yell weekend festivities
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
Actor and comedian Martin Short will
headline the 2002 First Yell scheduled for
Sept. 20 at Reed Arena, the night before
the second home football game.
“Every year we attempt to find a big
name comedian because comedy is so
different compared to music groups,”
Sa id Rusty Thompson, assistant direc-
tor of the Memorial Student Center
(MSC). “We want someone who
appeals to the current generation of
Aggies as well as former students, but
w ho is also clean and not rated R or X.’
Thompson said Short met all the cri
teria and was available, making him the
best choice.
Short is widely known for his come
dy on “Saturday Night Live,” as well as
starring in several movies including
Three Amigos, with Steve Martin and
Chevy Chase and in Captain Ron with
Kurt Russell.
Opening for Short will be Mark
Curry, who has performed stand-up
comedy all over the country and is best
known for his starring role in the televi
sion sitcom “Hanging with Mr. Cooper.”
Three student groups will also per
form prior to Curry and Short. They
include the A&M Singing Cadets,
Kappa Alpha Psi and Percussion Studio.
Kicking things off Friday afternoon
will be a weekend warm-up lunch with
free food, games and a live band,
Thompson said.
The weekend will also include the
Cook-off Classic BBQ on Saturday,
which will feature former and current stu
dents who will cook brisket and sausage
all night in preparation for the event.
“There is going to be lots of barbe
cue out there, and it will be all you can
eat before we go and beat the hell outta
See First Yell on page 2
First Yell 2002
•Friday, September 20
-Weekend warm-up lunch, Rudder Plaza
M a.m.- 1:30p.m.
-Martin Short, Reed Arena
8p.m.
-Midnight Yell
•Saturday, September 21
-"Cook-off Classic BBQ," Rudder Plaza
11a.m.-1p.m.
-Texas A&M vs. Virginia Tech, Kyle Field
2:30p.m.
FXTO'i">V KALRyU ITT I! • THE BATTALION