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Sports: The great Reggie debate • Page 3
Opinion: War with Iraq would prove difficult • Page 7
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108 • Issue 180 • 8 pages
108 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Wednesday, August 7, 2002
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By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
I A copy of the Declaration of
Independence will be displayed at the
George Bush Presidential Library and
Museum beginning Aug. 14.
I This is one of only 25 remaining
“Dunlap broadsides” of the original
document left, made immediately
after the original document was writ
ten and signed.
I The document is part of the
“Freedom’s Journey” exhibit which
looks at historical events that led up to
America’s independence, said Brian
Blake, public relations coordinator for
the Bush Library.
“The Declaration of Independence
is the heart and soul of the exhibit,”
Blake said. “This is a good exhibit we
think will get people through the
door.”
In addition to the Declaration of
Independence, other items on display
include an original invitation to the
Boston Tea Party, a 1749 entry from
Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s
Almanac, the sash worn by John
Hancock in the Revolutionary War, a
1776 edition of Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense, a broadside copy of the
1836 Declaration of Independence by
the Republic of Texas, and stars cut
from the flag of George Washington.
Also part of the exhibit is a voting
machine from Florida that was used in
the 2000 presidential election and a
glass prism full of chads, which Blake
said he had no idea how it fits in with
the exhibit.
“It was a pretty serious issue at the
time, but now people find it amusing,”
he said.
The document is coming to A&M
from the Jimmy Carter Presidential
Museum in Alabama and is part of the
Declaration of Independence Road Trip,
a non-profit project that will take the
Declaration of Independence on a three-
and-a-half-year tour across the country.
The exhibit began on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C
and has already been on display at the
Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
“Archivists are pretty excited about
it because they like exhibits that feature
historical things,” Blake said. “Plus the
museum staff is working hard.”
Blake said the exhibit is aimed at
people of all ages, but the museum
anticipates a rush of attendance from
school-age children in awe of the other
See Declaration on page 2
Heave ho
Hawking to visit
A&M in spring
RANDAL FORD • THE BATTALION
Offensive linemen, junior agricultural development major
James Milkavich and junior management major Alan Reuber
push a sled on the football practice fields across from Kyle
Field. The sled drills are part of their summer training.
By Diane Xavier
THE BATTALION
Renowned physicist Stephen
Hawking of Cambridge
University, well known for his
theories on black holes and
other aspects of the universe,
will visit Texas A&M from Feb.
24 to March 21 to participate in
the inaugural meeting of the
George P. and Cynthia W.
Mitchell Institute for
Fundamental Physics.
This institute will bring sev
eral of the world’s top physicists
to A&M for a month-long
exploration of the latest ideas on
topics ranging from superstrings
to M-theory supergravity.
George P. Mitchell, Class of
1940 and a petroleum engineer
ing graduate, is donating $1 mil
lion to help establish the insti
tute. The contribution will be
combined with gifts from other
donors to create a permanent
endowment in support of the
institute. Organizers plan for the
institute to operate throughout
the year and host a major work
shop each spring.
The Mitchells are also provid
ing a second
million dollar
gift that will
be matched by
A&M to
establish the
Stephen
Hawking
Chair in
Fundamental
Physics.
Dr. Edward Fry, professor
and head of A&M’s Department
of Physics said this institute will
help to advance the understand
ing of the universe.
“The results of the workshop
should provide dramatic new
insights into the physics of the
universe and the ultimate unifi
cation of the fields of nature,’*
See Hawking on pEtge 2
HAWKING
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NUNWAN, India (AP) — A band of suspect
ed Islamic militants armed with grenades and
automatic rifles sneaked into a camp of Hindus
making a Himalayan pilgrimage in Kashmir,
killing nine of them and wounding 27 shortly
before dawn Tuesday.
It was the sixth attack on the Hindu faithful
since the monthlong pilgrimage began. Twenty-
four have been killed in all.
Several hours after the pre-dawn assault, the
2,600 pilgrims at the transit camp resumed their
three-day march to a Hindu shrine in a cave high
in the towering Himalayas.
In other parts of the disputed region, police
said four suspected militants and three soldiers
were killed in what appeared to be stepped-up
attacks by separatist guerrillas. The militants are
fighting to make the Indian-controlled portion
of Kashmir independent or to merge it with pre
dominantly Muslim Pakistan.
India and Pakistan, both armed with nuclear
weapons, have been on a war footing for eight
months because of similar attacks. New Delhi
accuses Islamabad of backing the Islamic guer
rillas. Pakistan says it backs the guerrillas only
with moral support and diplomacy.
The group of pilgrims who came under
attack Tuesday were among more than 125,000
who will make the 33-mile uphill trek to the
Amarnath shrine, the cave where a stalagmite is
worshipped as an image of the Hindu god Shiva.
The tented camp at Nunwan is 55 miles south
east of Srinagar, the summer capital of India’s
northern Jammu-Kashmir state.
Nirmal Raj, commander of the Central
Reserve Police guarding the camp, said police
killed one of the attackers.
Bullet holes pierced the tin sheeting sur
rounding temporary toilets. Bloodied clothing,
shoes and sandals littered the campground.
In New Delhi, I.D. Swamy, the junior home
minister, implied Pakistan was behind the
attack.
“There can be Pakistan’s involvement since
its policy was to disturb peace in Kashmir.
There will be attempts to disturb elections (this
fall) in Kashmir,” Swamy said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a state
ment condemning the attack, but said Islamabad
“rejects with contempt” Swamy’s remarks.
By Sarah Walch
THE BATTALION
In the past two years, a dra
matic increase in enrollment for
the four courses under the aus
pices of the Electric Power and
Power Electronics Institute
(EPPEI) within the Department
of Electrical Engineering in the
Dwight Look College of
Engineering, has reversed a 10-
year fall, said Dr. Mladen
Kezunovic, program coordinator
for EPPEI.
Enrollment for these optional
courses within the past two
years has more than doubled and
is close to 200.
The cause for the reversal is
complex and puzzling,
Kezunovic said, but seems
largely to be a result of the
deregulation of the power indus
try that supplies consumer’s
electrical and energy needs.
“Until recently, the federal
government set the rates and had
certain profits every year,” he
said. “For a period of about
three or four years (within the
past 10 years), the power indus
try was not hiring at all.”
A&M traditionally sends
several graduates to different
companies, and the change in
the job market has become
noticeable.
However, after deregulation
many companies restructured
and started recruiting again.
“The industry has stabilized,”
Kezunovic said.
Other factors affecting the
numbers include changing one
course from a required course to
an elective and dropping an
original courses said Dr. Chanan
Singh, head of the Department
of Electrical Engineering.
Singh specializes in the area of
power systems and agreed dereg
ulation had improved the job
market and more undergraduates
See Enrollment on page 2
'5 j
® Dorm renovations improve on-campus living
p.m-
Cover
199 J
By Molly McCullough
THE BATTALION
Renovations to residence halls
across campus will be a new sight to
° v er 8,500 students living in dorms
this fall.
Numerous changes include the
complete renovation of Keathley
and Hughes halls that were
re painted, each have new air condi-
honing system, as well as other
'mprovements to the rooms them-
selves, said John Casares, presi-
ent of Residence Hall Association
(RHA).
Other improvements include new
aundry facilities for Moses, Moore
^ n d Crocker. To accommodate stu-
ents on Northside, the old hospital
building between Walton and Haas
halls was torn down. In the build
ing’s place, a “green-space” has
been added, Casares said. RHA and
officials have not yet determined
how the space will be used.
In addition, Fowler Hall, part of
the FHK complex, will close in the
spring of 2003 for renovations,
making it the last balcony-style
dorm to be remodeled.
In addition to the renovations,
4,900 freshmen will be living in the
dorms next semester. This is over
half of all students living in the
dorms this fall who are not a part of
the Corps of Cadets.
To help these incoming dorm res
idents feel a part of on-campus liv
ing, many activities have been
planned to promote a friendly living
environment.
“Our main goal is campus
unity,” Casares said. “We will be
focusing on seeing the big picture,
campus-wide.”
To promote unity, RHA has been
working with the Fall Activities
Council (FAC) to come up with new
Aggie bonding activities in the place
of Bonfire-related events that usual
ly take place in the fall.
One such event is A1I-U Night, a
campus-wide event that promotes
dorm unity. This year, RHA,
Townhall and Staff Council have
planned an All-U Night concert fea
turing three bands and will take
place near Kyle Field. The exact
bands and location have not been
announced, Casares said.
Another program called Resident
Advisors Leading and Learning
through Interactive Experiences
(RALLIE), is an event that brings
residence hall councils and staff
together to have fun and plan pro
grams for the upcoming semester.
“RALLIE helps everyone to get
to know each other and start the year
off on a great starting ground,”
Casares said.
Other activities in the planning
stages for the upcoming year
include barbecues and luaus aimed
to integrate people, especially new
students, with their dorms and oth
ers. The hope is to keep them
involved the entire semester,
Casares said.
Residence halls that
received renovations
Crocker
Fowler*
Hughes
Keathley!
Moore j
Moses
*Will be closed in Spring 2003
for renovations
TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION