Sports: Volleyball travels to SWT • Page 3
Opinion: The rivalry between America and Iraq • Page 7
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blume 109 • Issue 3 • 20 pages
109 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.coni
Tuesday, September 3, 2002
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Microsoft Office, which
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it most area txxskstores will
icll for $15 to Texas A&M stu-
Hents starting next week.
For people who don’t attend
l\&M and can’t pay academic
trice at other stores, the Office
ioftware can ring up at $5(X).
But thanks to a deal that
l\&M*s Computing and
Information Services has
Itruck with Microsoft, students
ibonaiiK k 11 P a >' $5 P er CD for m<
tick up"r ^1'crosott software this fall.
he Ret
By Melissa McKeon
THE BATTALION
Dr. G. Kemble Bennett was named
Hie sole finalist for the three-tiered
Hosition of vice chancellor of engineer-
iig. dean of the Dwight Look College
Hf Engineering and director of the
Hexas Engineering Experiment Station
■TEES) during a special meeting of the
H&M System Board of Regents on
Saturday.
The search for a finalist started last
Kill. There were 58 initial candidates that
Hetfi eventually narrowed down to three
luring a rigorous screening process.
Chancellor Howard D. Graves and
University President Dr. Robert M.
Gates recommended two other candi
dates to be interviewed: Dr. John
Junkins and Dr.
Daniel Reed.
“Texas A&M is
committed to the
goal of moving to
the top 10 among
public universities
nationally.” Gates
said. “While many
of our engineering
programs already rank at or near the
top. Dr. Bennett has shown that he
has the leadership skills to move them
to the next level nationally and inter-
FEHIS
nationally.”
Bennett has been director of the
Texas Engineering Extension Service
(TEEX) since 1992. He has a bache
lor’s in mathematics from Florida
State University, a master’s in engi
neering mathematics from San Jose
State University and a doctorate in
industrial engineering from Texas
Tech University. He has also been list
ed in International Who’s Who in
Engineering.
Candidates were on campus for two
to three days of interviews and meet
ings with faculty and administrators,
said Edward Hiller, Vice Chancellor
and Dean of Agriculture and Life
f* T
Sciences and chair of the Search
Advisory Committee.
"The candidates went through a very
extensive process,”
Hiller said.
The A&M’s
System’s engineering
program supports the
association between
educational, research
fMK ii» flEp and professional
development activi
ties of the Dwight
Look College of Engineering, TEES,
the Texas Engineering Extension
Service (TEEX) and the Texas
Transportation Institute.
By law, the regents must wait at
least 21 days to vote to officially place
Bennett in the position.
The Board also appointed Dr.
Chester P. Fehlis as the director of the
Texas Cooperative Extension on
Saturday.
The Texas Cooperative Extension,
an agency of the Texas A&M System,
has programs in all 254 Texas counties,
providing research-based information
and education for agricultural produc
ers and consumers.
“I look forward to leading the
agency as it continues to respond to the
N k v
Regents on
icrosoft deal makes
oftware available soon
Don’t look
wn
By C.E. Walters
THE BATTALION
'St
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2nd floor
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ate study
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Web silt
Students will be abl
pick up discounted software
fcexf week.
The Microsoft agreement
lidded an additional fee of
1.25 per semester credit hour
in each student’s bill. The
liverage student taking 12
hours is paying $15 toward
the Software Licensing Fee
this semester.
The majority of this money,
which amounts more than $1
million, will go to Microsoft to
defray the $1.2 million cost of
the software. What is left. CIS
Associate Director Pete
Marchbanks said, will remain
in the student-funded Computer
Access Fee.
The deal allows students to
purchase software at $5 per CD.
CIS Director Tom Putnam said.
In addition to Office, FrontPage
and Windows XP are available.
Office is available for both Mac
and PC users.
Visual Studios Net
Professional, which contains
six CDs. will be sold for $20.
The fees cover the physical
media costs associated with
producing the software.
Students are limited to only
[ )Cheap Microsoft Software!
• Sign up
TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION
one copy of each software title.
The University purchases
the software from Advanced
Academic Solutions, a vendor
contracted by Microsoft.
Marchbanks said the University
was provided with bids from 21
companies, but Advanced
Academic Solutions oft'ered the
least expensive service.
The arrangement made is a
one-year deal, even though the
contracts can be signed for up
to three. Marchbanks said.
“We didn’t want to (sign
something longer) without a lit
tle more experience,” he said.
But Marchbanks predicts
the University will sign with
Microsoft next year.
Students can order the soft
ware online at
software.tamu.edu starting
next week. Students can also
pay online and have the soft
ware delivered to them by
mail or pick it up when it
comes in. For a short time, the
pick up location will be in the
Student Computing Center,
after which students can get
their software in the Teague
Research Center.
Right now, students can
place their email address on a
list to be informed when the
software is available at
c i s. t a m u.edu/customer-
sales/sell/microsoftrequest.html
The software may ship to
A&M today be here as early as
Wednesday, Marchbanks said.
Gates addresses students
for first time at All-U Night
Veterinary medicine graduate student Amy
Cockerham checks her footing during a climb
JOHN LIVAS • THE BATTALION
at the Student Recreation Center. Cockerham
has two years of rock climbing experience.
No end in sight for construction
By Sarah Walch
THE BATTALION
Addressing the students of Texas A&M for
the first time Monday night, University
President Dr. Robert M. Gates said that
attempts to improve A&M academically would
not alter A&M’s traditions.
During All-University night at Kyle Field,
Gates promised the audience that in future gen
erations, "the Aggie spirit will endure.”
“There’s no limit to what A&M can
achieve,” he said.
His speech was short at the event, which typ-
JOSHUA HOBSON • THE BATTALION
Dr. Robert M. Gates addressed the student
body for the first time Monday night at All-U
Night. He talked about the enduring Aggie Spirit.
ically introduces freshmen and returning stu
dents to yells, student representatives, fall ath
letic teams and University administration.
Adam Fears, a junior construction science
major in outfit 1-1 of the Corps of Cadets, said
he has “great respect for the man.”
“Gates will pull through and be a great pres
ident for Texas A&M,” Fears said.
Football Head Coach R.C. Slocum, Vice
President for Student Affairs Dr. J. Malon
Southerland and Student Body President Zac
Coventry also spoke Monday.
In his speech, Southerland encouraged stu
dents to revive the tradition of saying “Howdy”
and to always be safe.
In yell practice fashion, Slocum and other
fall coaches mentioned their teams’ numerous
successes.
Slocum said the atmosphere and Aggie sup
port will affect the outcome of the games the
A&M football team plays at home this fall.
Brief rainshowers, which started before the
Aggie Band began its march through campus,
didn't effect the turnout of the Aggie faithful.
Sherri French, a junior community health major
and clarinet player, said she always looks for
ward to All-U Night because of all the students
who come.
“There was a good turnout to cheer the band
on,” French said.
Before the All-U Night Yell Practice, fresh
men were also introduced to the tradition of
Hags or “guidons,” which each residence hall
guards in a circle on its way to Kyle Field.
“All the halls [are] coming together to mark
the beginning of another year,” said Linda
Hanham, a junior meteorology major who lives
in Eppright Hall. “It's a great night.”
By Sarah Szuminski
THE BATTALION
Although many construction
projects around campus are on
schedule, students will continue
to see road closures and orange
construction fences through the
Fall 2003 semester.
Completion dates for most cur
rent projects are slated for the
summer and fall of 2003, said
Doug Williams, associate director
of Parking, Traffic and
Transportation Services.
Current projects include the
construction of a West Campus
parking garage and pedestrian
passageway under Wellborn
Road, a football complex and aca
demic center, and a chemical
engineering building. Bizzell
CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION
FALL 2001 -SPRING2004
VMi CmptM Garage S Padestnan Passageway
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| VWiner Expansion
■ Main Carnpus SSeats & Ansa Oainaga on EtoeK
4)i)p4NtevMaiin
Street, New Main Drive and Ross
Street will also be repaved.
The construction has added
traffic flow problems to an
already-congested campus as stu
dents return to class this week.
“Not only is it inconvenient,
but it doesn’t seem at all tempo
rary,” said Ryan Thomas, a senior
math major. “There’s always
something new.”
Williams said Bizzell Street
repair is slightly ahead of schedule.
The street will be newly paved and
fully operational in October.
Repair of Ross St. is planned,
but beginning and completion
dates for the project are not set.
Re-routing of busses (sp) will be
required upon Ross’ closure.
The structure of what will
become the West Campus parking
garage can already be seen near
the Student Recreation Center
across from Kyle Field. The
garage, along with a pedestrian
passageway under Wellborn
Road, are on schedule for comple
tion by next summer.
Permits and hourly parking will
be available in the West Campus
garage, much like the current setup
in the Northside and University
Center parking garages.
“All categories of customer
[students, faculty and visitors] are
expected to be accommodated,”
Williams said.
Construction of the football
and academic complex at the
south end of Kyle Field began
in March and is scheduled for
See Construction on page 2
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TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION