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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2002)
Aggielife: CARPOOL celebrates 30K rides • Page 3 Opinion: Republicans will not get black vote • Page 9 THF RATTAT TON •JMrnm JL*. iJKl ii It 3SL~.. iJBmmm. aJKiiM. „rF - JxL Jim •JLfc Volume 109 • Issue 48 • 10 pages www.thebatt.com Tuesday, November 5, 2002 University plans Bonfire commemoration By Brad Bennett THE BATTALION After a year in which Texas A&M did not Officially commemorate the anniversary of the 1999 Aggie Bonfire Collapse, several (university organizations have banded together [ohonorthe 12 Aggies killed and 27 injured in [heearly morning hours of Nov. 18, 1999. Last year, families made their way silently |othe Polo Fields to hold their own memorials nith wreaths and candles. This year. University staff and students say they don’t want the fam ily members to stand alone. Instead, Albritton Tower will sound 12 low tolls at 2:42 a.m., the time in 1999 when the 60-foot stack began to sway and tumbled to the ground, carrying students with it and trapping them under the stack. An open reception will allow students and family members of the Bonfire collapse to min gle and share memories, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Administration Building. Wreaths will be laid at the site where Bonfire fell at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17, in an area now scarred by construction. Sponsoring organizations include the Student Government Association (SGA), Bonfire Coalition for Students, Traditions Council and the Memorial Student Center (MSC) Leadership Enrichment, Action and Development (LEAD). Bryan Barton, a member of the SGA plan ning committee for the Bonfire remembrance and a senior economics major, said planners wanted to keep the University-sponsored remembrance small to allow people to mourn in their own way. “We want to bring people together but also to keep it short and simple,” Barton said. In 2000, the first-year anniversary, the remembrance ceremony was too big in scope, and most attendees couldn’t hear the ceremony through the rain that night. Bobby Tucker, staff adviser for the SGA, said this year’s events are an attempt at achieving balance between too much ceremony and no ceremony at all. See Bonfire on page 2 1999 RQflie Bonfire Remembrance Euents 33 mim 4iUli» Reception in Administration Building Wreath laying at the Polo Fields MSC educational program for underclassmen, place TBA Albritton Tower tolls 12 times RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION Wall of memories JP BEATO III ♦ THE BATTALION On the way back from the Oklahoma State University football game in the Oklahoma City National Memorial, where a bomb blew up the Stillwater, Haley Tenbarge, a sophomore general studies major, visits Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995. Student charged with taping sex without consent By Melissa McKeon THE BATTALION Texas A&M student Brennan Jasper Bice was arrested Oct. 31, after he admitted to videotaping intercourse with a female student without her knowledge and then showing the tape to fraterni ty members. Bice, 21, a junior information and operations management major and member of Lambda Chi Alpha, told police that he videotaped himself and a sorority member having consensual sex at his home last month, said Lt. Rodney Sigler of the College Station Police Department (CSPD). “The woman was completely unaware they were being videotaped at the time,” Sigler said. Court papers show that up to 15 people saw the videotape on different occasions at the fraternity house, which is located at 1400 Athens Dr. Bice told College Station police that he showed the videotape to his fraternity brothers as a way to brag about the encounter. “Bice was arrested and charged with improper photo or visual record with the intent to arouse or gratify,” said Wayne Dicky, jail administrator for Brazos County. The offense occurred on Oct. 8, but the woman in the videotape did not file a police report with the CSPD until Oct. 16, Sigler said. A source close to Bice said he is a respectable student with good grades who volunteers and was president of his class in high school. “Brennan has absolutely loved going to A&M,” said the source, who asked not to be iden tified. “He has so much pride and has been so See Tape on page 2 Business School By Esther Robards-Forbes THE BATTALION Texas A&M’s Lowry Mays Business School has been ranked no ng the top 10 Masters of Business Administration (MBA) 0 § ra ms based on Return On Investment (ROI) by Business Week “gazine. In the current job market, where starting salaries for MBA grad- MANDY ROUQUETTE • THE BATTALION among top 10 uates have dropped 1 2.6 percent in the last year, this means that A&M MBA graduates can pay off their education faster, usually after about 4.9 years as opposed to the national average of 5.6 years. Business Week reported. » The yearly rankings published in the Oct. 21 issue ranked A&M number nine in providing inexpensive education that leave is its graduates better prepared to handle living and student loan expens es, said Dr. Jerry Strawser, dean of the Mays Business School. “We’ve always been ranked very high in ROI. We’re a good buy and students realize they can get an outstanding education at the end of the program,” Strawser said. The reason A&M’s business school ranks so high may be due to low tuition costs for both instate and out-of-state students, as well as the Aggie network of employers, Strawser said. “A lot of Aggies out there know that our graduates leave with good business and people skills,” he said. Students said the ranking helps as they face a rough job market with an MBA in hand. “I’ve received an outstanding education at a cost much less than if I had attended another program,” said Angela Williamson, Mays MBA student. “I am especially relieved that I will not be repaying student loans for the next 10 years.” See ROI on page 2 Campaigner! afiM LL u A ? <AP ) — President Bush end as[ a w hirlwind day of campaigning wi I P m his home state Monday night, n and § 3 Crowd °T more than 6,000 to get c u V p te f° r Republican Senate candidc ornyn and Gov. Rick Perry. S t a(e eiriocrats also spread out across t l'y e sd^ ener §i ze voters to get to the po foer nT ^ aces Democrat Ron Kirk, a ft retirm ‘a 8 rna y°L in the race to repla cy, ^ GOP Sen. Phil Gramm. Perry U-ph 11 u ed by Democrat Tony Sanchez, ^businessman. Bush D0 0s f S s P eec h was interrupted twice “No W 0ni piotesters holding a sign sayi held, ar ' n Ira q” and a Perry political si neld upside down. urge Texans to The anti-war sign was ripped from their hands and they were led away with their hands up. The crowd chanted “USA, USA” in response to their protest. More than 1 million people in the state’s 15 most populous counties cast ballots dur ing the two-week long period for early vot ing, which ended Friday, the Secretary of State’s office said. Wet weather in South and Southeast Texas could keep some voters at home Tuesday, however. A storm threatened to brinu up to 8 inches of rain in some areas and could cause widespread flooding. Perry campaigned along with Cornyn and lieutenant governor candidate David Dewhurst earlier Monday at a Cedar Park warehouse. cast ballots Sanchez, who has spent tens of millions of dollars of his own money on his cam paign, rallied in his hometown of Laredo on Monday. Polls released over the weekend by The Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV showed Perry with a double-digit lead over Sanchez. The polls showed the U.S. Senate race closer, with Cornyn slightly ahead. “It’s too early to celebrate so we’re going to continue to work hard throughout the day until the time the polls close (Tuesday) evening just to encourage every one to get out to vote and take 200 of their closest friends,” Cornyn said in Cedar Park, See Elections on page 2 Holiday season merits cautious donations By Amy Adams THE BATTALION With the holiday season approaching, people are advised to be wary about donating money to charities without taking the proper precautions. Jim Titus, operations manager for the Brazos Valley Food Bank, said to research charities you plan on donating to. Find out if mem bers of its board of directors are leaders in the community, and if the charity is publicized and recognized by the United Way. “Most importantly, know where your money goes and how it will impact the community,” he said. Ron Rolett, president of Boys and Girls Club, said it is always a good idea to visit the charity to see what it does and who it serves. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of the Brazos Valley suggests not giving out cash donations, and when writing a check, write the full and official name of the charity. Check to see if the organization is listed with the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity and that the donation will be tax deductible. The (BBB) also advises potential donors to check the name of the charity, as some charity names sound the same as other well- known organizations. Public information, such as annual reports about the charity, is See Charities on page 2 TIPS ON GIVING TO CHARITY p^lg— fi ND out i T !S recognized by the United Way Do NOT GIVE CASH Check with the IRS to FIND OUT IT IS LISTED TAX-EXEMPT CHARITY See if your donation will BE EXEMPT Sources; Better Business Bureau of the Brazos Vau-ev St Jim Titus. Operations Manager for the Brazos Valcey Food Bank. MANDY ROUQUETTE • THE BATTALION