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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2002)
Aggielife: Upperclassmen join sororities Page 3A Opinion: National Forest Service wasted money Page 1 3A THE BATTALION Volume 109 • Issue 2 • 22 pages 109 Years Serving Texas A&M University www.thebatt.com Monday, September 2, 2002 West Nile virus comes to area By Melissa Sullivan THE BATTALION The mosquito-borne and potentially deadly West Nile Virus has been found in Bryan. Mosquitoes trapped in north east Bryan near Haswell Park tested positive for the virus last week. Though no mosquitoes have tested positive so far with in College Station city limits, people should protect them selves from mosquitoes found anywhere in the Bryan-College Station area, said Dr. Jim Olson, an entomologist at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Olson said several dead birds, which may be carriers of the virus, have been found in College Station on George Bush Drive and Dominik Drive, near sorority row. The birds have been sent to a Wisconsin lab for testing, but it could be weeks until results are in. The Texas Department of Health has confirmed one case in Brazos County so far. “We want everyone to know that just because you are on the A&M campus, you are not safe," Olson said. “We are in the middle of an outbreak, nothing to panic about, but the campus is just as susceptible.” The cities of Bryan and College Station are spreading toxins in mosquito larvae to combat the mosquitoes that are being bred in ponds, birdbaths and other forms of stagnant water, said Don Pitt, assistant director for environmental health of the Brazos Valley Health Department. The cities aren’t spraying to kill adult, fly ing mosquitoes because it requires a license, which they are trying to obtain. Larvae pills, which contain a safe bacterial toxin, are placed where mosqui toes lay their eggs every few weeks and cover an area of 1(X) square feet. Pitt said. "You can spray until you are blue in the face, but that is not going to solve the problem.” Olson said. “Obstructions such as trees or buildings can make spraying less effective, but it is the people who must protect themselves.” Olson said if people need to be outside, especially in the early morning or evening hours, they should wear tight-fitting clothing and spray on a repellent which contains the ingredient DEET. People should also empty fiower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming See West Nile on page 8A « Verified avian, animal, and mosquito infections during 2002, as of August 30, 2002 ■ Pattern indicates human case(s) Protection Against West Nile(^ • When going outside, use bug spray with DEET. • Wear long-sleeved clothes sprayed with DEET. • Stay inside at dawn, dusk and the begining of the evening, when mosquitoes are most active. • Empty containers with standing water around your home. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TRAVIS SWENSON * THE BATTALION Traveling star JOHN LIVAS • THE BATTALION Oakwood Elementary fifth grader Josh Dangott looks on as College Station 10 and 11-year-old Traveling National All-Star teammates take the field. Dangott is a member of the Team that plays throughout Houston. Gates sets high goals for himself By Rolando Garcia THE BATTALION Enjoying a leisurely semi-retirement in the cool climate of the Northwest after a dis tinguished career in public service. Dr. Robert M. Gates says a sense of duty led him to take the helm of Texas A&M. Having worked his way from entry-level analyst at the CIA to become director of cen tral intelligence under former President George Bush, Gates left Washington, D.C. for Seattle in 1993. He made a comfortable living on the lecture circuit and served on corporate boards - the grind of a full-time job was not in the works. When Gates was asked last summer to become a candidate for A&M president, he declined. The events of Sept. 11 changed his mind. When approached again in November, he accepted. “My wife and I agreed that if I could do one more public service, I should, and I couldn’t think of a better place than Texas A&M” Gates, 58, said. “This is a truly unique American institution.” On the job for a month. Gates has hit the ground running, and said he is determined to implement an action plan to reach the objec tives set in Vision 2020, the University’s strategic plan to join the ranks of the top 10 public universities by 2020. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Ron Douglas and Athletic Director Wally Groff have been the first high profile departures, but may not be the last as Gates begins to assemble his administrative team. “|High-level administrators] know they serve at the behest of the president,” Gates said. Gates said he is holding lengthy meetings with each college dean and top administra tors to identify the most pressing problems and issues facing the University. From the 12 imperatives laid out in Vision 2020, Gates said he plans to focus on four priori ties: increasing the number and improving the quality of the faculty, improving gradu ate programs, increasing enrollment capaci ty in colleges pressed for space and promot ing diversity. See Gates on page 7A RANDAL LORD • THE BATTALION Dr. Robert M. Gates will continue to strive for the objectives outlined in Vision 2020, to become a top 10 university by 2020. Athletic director turns position over to new leadership By Troy Miller THE BATTALION After 10 years as Texas A&M's ath letic director and nearly forty years in the department, Wally Groff is stepping down. Groff, in what he said is a mutual agreement with administration, submit ted his letter of resignation to University President Dr. Robert M. Gates, relinquishing his duties effective December 31, 2002. Groff had four years left on his contract. “After visiting with Dr. Gates and his staff, he just felt like we need a direction change in leadership,” Groff said. “We visited together and decided this might be the best for the University and the Athletic Department.” This news comes after an apology to Texas Tech University over a statement in the 2002 Texas A&M Football Media Guide. Texas Tech students were described as “classless clowns” in the article pertaining to last year’s game in Lubbock. Gates apologized to Tech’s president in August. Groff said the apology had nothing to do with his resignation. “It was a very unfortunate mistake that our staff made by not editing that out,” Groff said. “For one of our publi cations to take a shot at another univer sity is not appropriate. It is against the sportsmanship rules of the Big 12 and we have apologized to Texas Tech.” A&M has the second-most NCAA violations of all-time among NCAA universities with seven infractions. Since 1993, when Groff became direc tor, A&M has not committed any major NCAA violations. Groff has overseen numerous facility improvements including The Zone at Kyle Field, the Recreation Center and Natatorium, Reed Arena and the Texas A&M Tennis Complex. He has also brought the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships as well as the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships to A&M. The Kyle Field South End Zone Complex, the Track and Field Complex and the Soccer Complex are also under construction. “The facilities will probably be the thing most people think of when they think of me,” Groff said. “I feel like Fm a frustrated architect because that seems like all I’ve done since I became AD. “1 also would like to think there was some honesty and integrity and we did everything the right way in compliance with the rules of the NCAA and the state of Texas.” A&M has taken a lead in diversi fying its coaching staffs under Groff’s tenure and has one of the best See Groff on page 2 All-U Night promotes spirit By Sarah Walch THE BATTALION All-University Night, or Ail-U Night, will be held at Kyle Field at 7:30 p in. tonight. All-U Night provides incoming freshmen and returning students a chance to practice yells and hear from coaches and administrators on the first day of fall classes. Speakers will include University President Dr. Robert M. Gates, head football coach R.C. Slocum, Student Body President Zac Coventry and Vice-President for Student Affairs, Dr. J. Malon Southerland. The Yell Leaders will lead a Yell Practice and fall sports coaches will be introduced. The Aggie Band will step off from the Quad on Southside at 6:30 p.m., march through the center of campus to Northside, and back to Kyle Field to arrive around 7:15 p.m. Shortly after All-U Night events end, a concert sponsored by the Memorial Student Center’s (MSC) Town Hall and the Residence Hall Association (RHA) will start on the Zone Plaza. Alternative rock band Cali 45 will open followed by Two Spy and the main act. Pilot Radio. After an unexpected downpour last fall, the event was moved inside to Rudder Auditorium, limiting the number of students who could attend. Assistant Director of the MSC Rusty Thompson said after the rainout last year, the organ izers of All U-Night are ready to get this year started off right at Kyle Field. Outdated buses replaced by Bus Ops By Sarah Szuminski THE BATTALION Texas A&M’s Department of Parking, Traffic and Transportation (PTTS) is starting the semester with 44 new buses, after more than half of its aging fleet has been replaced. Bus Operations received the last order of buses in August, bringing the total number of buses running routes to 65. PTTS will not purchase any more buses for at least another year, said Bus Ops driver Jennifer Corley, who is on the communications team for Bus Ops. They will continue to use some of the older buses originally purchased in 1982, but all on-campus routes will be run by newer buses, Corley said. “(PTTS) is trying to use every bus right now,” she said. Buses received in August have front-facing rather than the perimeter- style seating students have seen in the buses circulating on campus. This type of seating provides a better means of transportation for off-cam pus routes and is more accommodat ing for longer commutes, Corley said. “There’s really no comparison between the new buses and the old cramped ones, where 1 always seemed to have the seat above the wheel,” said Garrett Erbele a junior biomedical engineering major. The new buses are equipped with air conditioning and are more envi ronmentally friendly, with cleaner fuel systems and smoother-running engines than the older ones. “The new buses won’t be spewing black smoke like the old ones do,” Corley said. Some of the older buses that will be used for off-campus routes have had new air conditioners installed. Seven on-campus and 12 off-cam- pus routes serve students, faculty and visitors to the A&M campus. Routes run consistently through out the weekdays and maintain a modified schedule for nights and weekends. Route hours and the num ber of buses running each route can be found on the PTTS Web site at www.ptts.tam u.edu. Off-campus students can catch a ride to home football games starting two hours before kickoff. Rides home begin after the game and run for one hour. PTTS also provides paratransit services lor permanently or temporar ily disabled patrons who qualify.