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Aggielife: Safety in the sun • Page 3
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olume 108 • Issue 173 • 8 pages
&M, college officials granted immunity
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32 P ercenI i FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A
Hacks com federal judge has removed Texas
moving. H&m University and college officials
ense that lifeL s defendants in claims filed by vic-
to make tliiM ms 0 f the 1999 bonfire collapse,
dreams—rp jj.S. District Judge Samuel B.
| Rent, ruling that governmental immu-
.■ity applied in the cases, dismissed
• ne claims. He ruled that university
T| 1^/Officials were not “deliberately indif-
f iXlt jerent” to the dangers of bonfire.
(I But Kent said University officials
Opinion: PITS keeps students' best interests at heart • Page 7
I I I 1 f 1
108 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Thursday, July 25, 2002
could have prevented the deaths of 12
people and injuries to 27 others when
a 59-foot-high stack of logs toppled.
“The university officials were
aware of the dangers posed by the
bonfire,” Kent wrote in his 19-page
decision. “Consequently, it can be
argued that they may have acted neg
ligently, possibly even grossly so.”
The University and its employees
are still named in several lawsuits
filed in state court. Those cases will
be heard in Brazos County.
Attorneys for the 60 defendants
had asked that the cases be transferred
to Brazos County.
They argued state law requires the
trials take place where the accident
occurred. They also said trials in other
counties would be too inconvenient
for defendants who don’t live where
the cases were filed.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys in the probate
court cases have argued that the law
allows survivors to file suit in the
county of residence.
Darrell Keith, who represents sev
eral of the victims’ families, said his
clients can still request that the trials
be moved out of Brazos County.
All the lawsuits seek unspecified
amounts for damages.
There is no monetary limit on
wrongful death claims in federal
court. Texas’ Tort Claims Act caps
lawsuit damages against government
agencies and their employees at
$500,000.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys said they will
appeal Kent’s ruling to the 5th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals.
“We’re saddened by the court’s deci
sion because the judge does say they
were aware of the dangers,” Geno
Borchardt, who represents the Keller
family, whose son was among those
killed in the collapse, told the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram in Wednesday’s
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RANDAL FORD • THE BATTALION
Texas A&M men's tennis coach Tim Cass has set his sights on the national championship to close his chapter at A&M.
Cass writing his book
By Kevin Espenlaub
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M men’s tennis coach
Tim Cass said his father always told
him that life was a collection of chap
ters. After ending his playing days and
coaching for eight seasons at his alma
mater, the University of New Mexico,
Cass is in the process of writing what
he considers one of the most important
chapters so far.
He hopes his chapter with A&M ends
with an NCAA national championship.
“It’s not a secret to anyone on this
campus or anyone in the nation that
our goal here is to win a national
championship,” Cass said. “It’s diffi
cult for the most part because of tra
dition and the fact that we haven’t
won one yet.”
Since taking the head coaching
position at A&M in 1996, Cass has
led the Aggies to unprecedented suc
cess, including a top 20 finish this
season in which the Aggies made it to
the NCAA round of 16 for the third
consecutive season.
But, the world of tennis has
changed a lot since Cass began play
ing near his home in southern
California nearly 30 years ago.
“If you look at college tennis 25
years ago, it was far different than it is
now,” Cass said. “Back then the sport
was dominated by Americans, and now
if you look, probably 75 of the top 100
collegiate players are foreign.
“There’s probably only two or three
of us left coaching that are focused on
trying to develop young 17 and 18 year
old players from here instead of going
overseas where you can bring in a 20
or 21-year-old freshman who will have
a lot less growing pains than some of
our younger kids have.”
Cass’ recruiting style has landed
him praise around the world of college
tennis, crediting his upbringing for his
effort and his refusal to look for an
easy way out.
“Kids have changed a lot, even
since I started coaching 14 years ago,”
Cass said. “When I was growing up, if
I came home and told my dad that the
football coach made me run too much
in practice, he would just laugh in my
face ... I try to find the players to come
See Cass on page 2
Callaloo workshops come to A&M
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By Melissa McKeon
THE BATTALION
Callaloo, a well known African-
American and African literary journal
founded in 1976, is having its annual cre
ative writing workshop in the Blocker
Building July 20 through Aug. 4.
Callaloo publishes original works
and critical studies of black writers
Worldwide.
It was founded and is edited by
Texas A&M English professor Charles
H. Rowell.
“The Callaloo workshops are
designed to develop skills in creative
writing, poetry and fiction,” Rowell said.
The journal offers an assortment of
fiction, poetry, plays, essays, cultural
studies, interviews and art. Frequent
annotated bibliographies, special themat
ic issues and original art and photogra
phy are some attributes of the prominent
international journal, he said.
Co//a/oo'workshops invite writers
beginning their writing careers who
have a serious interest in writing for a
publication. The workshops provide
personal instruction in the writing of
fiction and poetry.
The two writers participating as fac
ulty this year are fiction writer Percival
Everett, chairman and professor in the
department of English at the University
See Callaloo on page 2
English professor dies of colon cancer
B Y Molly McCullough
the battalion
. Dr. Helen Barthelme, sen-
' 0r lecturer in the English
e Partment, passed away
u ne 28 of colon cancer,
olleagues are working
°§ether to establish a schol-
‘‘rship i n 1-^,- memory,
arthelme took time off from
^aching this spring in the
mdle of the semester due to
ac k problems and compli-
Cat >ons with the cancer.
I always think of her
smile,” said Maura Ives,
associate head of the English
department. “She always
had a wonderful smile when
ever I saw her.”
Ives is in charge of coordi
nating the scholarship to
honor Barthelme, which
could be awarded to an out
standing teaching assistant.
Barthelme frequently taught
large classes and worked
closely with a teaching assis-
tanf , ,
Ives knew how much she
appreciated the assistant s
help and thought this would
be a good gesture since there
is not an award specifically
dedicated to helping teaching
assistants.
However, if enough dona
tions come into the scholar
ship fund, additional awards
could be created that are not
limited to teaching assistants,
Ives said.
“Helen was a very dedi
cated teacher and wonderful
person,” Ives said. “We
would like to honor her in
this way.”
So far, faculty members,
colleagues, friends and for
mer students of Barthelme’s
have donated to the scholar
ship fund.
“The response around
here has been really posi
tive,” Ives said.
Barthelme taught mostly
American Literature and
writing courses at A&M.
Besides teaching classes,
Barthelme was an award
winning author. Her book
See Professor on page 2
Campus wireless
security lacking
By Kelln Zimmer
THE BATTALION
In a forum discussion Wednesday,
Willis Marti of the Computer
Information Services Network Group
at Texas A&M emphasized that cam
pus wireless lacks the performance of
wired access and security.
As access becomes widespread,
increased security measures must be
taken in order to minimize the risks
associated with wireless access, he
said.
“Our goal is not campus wireless,”
he said. “Wireless access is to be used
only as a supplement to the wired
access we already have.”
According to information listed on
the Tamulink website, wireless access'
is currently available through numer
ous ports on campus, including Evans
Library, the Harrington Education
Classroom Center, the Commons
Lobby, the West Campus Library and
many food service locations across
campus.
There are plans for additional wire
less connections in the Pavilion, the
lobby and hallways of Wehner,
Zachry and the remaining food serv
ice locations.
The forum addressed security as a
pressing issue facing the increased
wireless use on campus.
“In a wireless environment, you
essentially need two things,” Marti
W(~reless connections
available on campus
• Evans Library
• Langford
• West Campus Library
• Studenf Computing Center
• Harrington
• Commons Lobby
Food sorvico locations
• All MSC cafeterias
• Sbisa Dining Hall
• Duncan Dining Hall
• Commons Dining Hall
• Bush/41st Club
For a complete list of locations go to
http://net. tamu.edu/network/tamulink.html
TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION
said. “You must have authentication,
knowing who’s there, and you must
have confidentiality, knowing if they
can listen in.”
Following high demand from
departments on campus for wireless
access, requirements for TAMU wire
less were created requiring that it
work immediately and provided prop
er authentication through user identi
fication and confidentiality through
data encryption.
“This is not a system where you
will just be able to walk up and use a
laptop,” Marti said.
Wireless access on campus,
See Wireless on page 2
Annual fire training
being held this week
By Ruth Ihde
THE BATTALION
The Texas Engineering and
Extension Services (TEEX) is holding
the 73rd annual municipal fire train
ing school at the Brayton Fire
Training Facility this week. It is the
largest live fire training facility in the
nation, said Marilyn Martel 1, director
of public information at TEEX.
The Brayton Fire Training Facility
was established by a former chemistry
professor from Texas A&M.
Before 1960, fire training was per
formed on the A&M campus, said Pat
Barrett, a director for the training school.
Cary Roccaforde, a guide and
instructor with the Municipal Recruit
Center, said about 2,267 volunteer
firefighters attended this year’s
municipal training school and about
140 highly qualified instructors are
present to help train them.
This is the third of four weeks in
the training program. The first week
was Spanish school, which firefight
ers from as far as Venezuela and
Brazil attend. This year, over 600
Spanish members attended. The sec
ond week was Emergency Response
and Rescue school, and the fourth is
industrial week, he said.
Roccaforde has been involved in
firefighting since he was 15 years old
and has seen the Brayton Fire
Training Field develop into 126 acres
of props used to train the firefighters
in different situations.
There are 135 props that simulate
real life situations a firefighter may
come in contact with in his or her
career, ranging from a house fire to
chemical, industrial, and transporta
tion fires, he said.
The training facility also has an
area called “Disaster City,” a simulat
ed train wreck, rubble pile and a
See TEEX on page 2
The 73rd annual municipal fire training school is being held this week at the
Brayton Fire Training Facility this week.