Aggielife: Bumps in the road • Page 3A Opinion: Scout's honor • Page 5B
THT7
I 0J2,
volume 109 • Issue 60 • 14 pages
www.thebatt.com
Thursday, November 21, 2002
fficials say gambling not a problem at A&M
By Sarah Walch
' THE BATTALION
The gambling fad that has engulfed
iunpiises nationwide, including Texas
lech University, is not a noticeable
|roblem at Texas A&M, officials say.
Campus gambling is reaching “epi-
lemic proportions,” Sen. John McCain
fc-Ariz.) said in a recent Dallas
morning News article. Congress con-
idered a bill that would outlaw gam-
jling on sports in Nevada, but it has
lained little support, according to the
|ov. 9 Dallas Morning News.
Organized crime might be becoming
major part of the college gambling
world, a National Gambling Impact
Study Commission report presented to
Congress and cited in the article said.
Though no problems have surfaced
at A&M, David Batsun, director of
compliance in the A&M Athletic
Department, said it would be naive for
any school to think that student athletes
are not involved in gambling.
”We know bookies can be found,
probably at any campus bar. Sports bars
are a prime location for bookies to hang
out,” Batsun said. “We warn our stu
dent athletes to watch out for it.”
The NCAA guidelines that Batsun
enforces forbid student athletes to bet
on any NCAA event. Athletes are also
not allowed to answer questions about
who will be playing in the upcoming
games or confidential questions that
may lead gamblers, Batsun said.
“I’m sure some breaking of these rules
does occur, but those are the guidelines
we set down for our students,” he said.
The Dallas Morning News article
relates the problems Texas Tech has
had with gambling. In 1995, Lubbock
law enforcement offficials cracked
down on “dozens of bookies,” but
today, the article says, the business is
thriving again.
University Police Department Crime
Prevention Officer Sgt. Betty LeMay
said gambling has not typically been a
problem at A&M.
But an A&M student, Jason, a frater
nity member who asked that only his
first name be used, said he has witnessed
and taken part in gambling at A&M.
“I lost $50 last week in a poker
game with my friends,” he said.
Jason said he has several friends
who bet online at Sports.com, a United
Kingdom-based gambling site which
claims to “offer the largest selection of
casino games and sporting wagers on
the Internet.”
More than $3.5 billion has been
lost through Internet wagers this year,
making gambling more lucrative than
pornography on the Web, according
to an article in the Nov. 25 edition of
Newsweek. And the Sports.com Web
site said it processes more than $2
billion in wagers a year.
“(My friends and I) are not betting
with some bookie or the mafia,” Jason
said. “No one is going to come beat you
up if you don’t pay. The gambling I’m
aware of is mostly friendly and low-
stakes. It’s just for fun.”
College Station Police Department
Public Information Officer Lt. Rodney
Sigler said he can’t remember a case
of gambling in the area, and if any
thing, cases during the past few years
have been few and far between. But
people aren’t apt to report gambling to
authorities, he said.
“Who wants to report a loss in gam
bling,” Sigler said. “It’s like telling the
cops that somebody stole your dope.”
‘Feed the Hell
utta t.u.’ food
rive begins
By Lecia Baker
THE BATTALION
Last year, 1 1,043 cans of food were collected
nd donated to the Brazos Food Bank in the annu-
1 “Feed the Hell Outta t.u.” food drive. This
ear’s drive will take place today.
“Feed the Hell Outta t.u.” has become a com-
etition between Texas A&M and the University
(Texas to collect the most cans to be donated to
he Brazos Food Bank, said Emily Kimball, a
[graduate assistant with the Volunteer Services
Center at A&M.
There is also a competition between student
^rga/r/zations to collect as many cans as possible,
and the winner will receive a monetary prize,”
Kimball said.
Last year, Aggies for Christ and Aggie Sisters
for Christ brought in the most donations with a
collection of more than 2,000 cans, she said.
Although we target student organization par-
iicipation, we need the help of individual students,
faculty, and even Aggie alumni,” Kimball said.
The main goal is to bring awareness to the issue
of hunger in the Brazos Valley.”
If every student brought one can, Kimball said,
more than 44,000 cans could be collected.
Donations can be brought to the Clayton
Williams Jr. Alumni Center between 10 a.m. and 4
p.m., where a U-Haul truck, donated by the U-
Haul Co. of College Station, will be loaded with
can collections.
This year’s food drive slogan is “One can ... Make
a Difference.”
“This is not about just bringing a can or a one
time volunteer effort,” said Angela Gray, coordi
nator of the Volunteer Services Center. “This is
about learning from our experiences, getting
involved and contributing to a greater cause.”
Students should look at the root causes of
hunger, Gray said. Students forget that hunger
exists in the United States and in the community
when people are not able to make a decent wage
| t0 feed themselves and their families, she said.
“Student leaders of today are the community
I and world leaders of tomorrow and they will be
able to affect change,” Gray said. “We want stu-
jdents to make informed decisions in a larger way
I than donating a can.”
Once the Brazos Food Bank receives the dona
tion from “Feed the Hell Outta t.u,” the food will
.cither be directly distributed to needy families or
■ to 44 nonprofit agencies within the Brazos,
I Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Robertson and
I Washington counties.
The Brazos Food Bank currently has an abun-
I dance of peas, beans and corn and has a large
I demand for high protein foods, such as canned
I stew, chili, soups and canned meats, said Bill
I Thomas, executive director of the food bank. He
I said the goal is to provide a balanced diet to
* needy families.
I Thomas said A&M contributes with around
I 25 smaller food drives from organizations, and
two larger food drives, including “Feed the Hell
Outta t.u.”
We truly appreciate the support of the Texas
A&M University family,” Thomas said.
Delta Xi Nu multicultural sorority and Alpha
j Gamma Rho fraternity are co-sponsoring with the
Volunteer Services Center by providing labor and
! helping count cans and load the truck.
Peed the hell out of t.u,
* Annual canned-food drive
takes place today
* 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
Clayton Williams Jr. Alumni Center
^Proceeds benefit the Brazos Food Bank
1. a®’
Ready, aim, fire
BRIAN RUFF • THE BATTALION
Master Gen. Jack Iglesias gives an explanation of how the M1A1
Abrams tank's guns operate to two Texas A&M ROTC members at
Duncan field Wednesday afternoon. The tank belongs to the National
Guard stationed at Fort Hood.
Prospective Student Center to open
second location in Rio Grande Valley
By Sarah Darr
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M will open its second
Prospective Student Center next
week in the Rio Grande Valley, a
move that will bring information
about the A&M admissions process
to the mostly Hispanic population of
South Texas.
The center will open Tuesday in
Weslaco, a recruiting effort that fol
lows close on the heels of the open
ing of A&M’s first off-campus
admissions center in Dallas this
September. The centers assist A&M
applicants in areas such as financial
aid and host workshops for applica
tions, said Bill Perry, assistant
executive provost.
“Applying to universities is more
complicated than it used to be and
the student center will do what it can
to make it easier,” Perry said.
Perry said out-of-state colleges
have hit the Rio Grande area hard in
seeking students to fill their rosters.
Admissions counselors will be sta
tioned in Weslaco and will corre
spond with the main campus’
prospective student center. Perry
said. Geographically, the Rio Grande
center will target students outside of
the main campus office’s reach.
“We want to reach out to the
state and let them know that we are
a state university and a land-grant
university and people come here to
succeed,” Perry said.
The center could work to enhance
diversity at A&M because of its prox
imity to Mexico, said Felicia Scott,
director of Multicultural Services at
A&M Hispanic Population Changes
• 2800 Ceasss: 32 peremrt of Texas is Hispanic
to
Percent of 9
student body
population m
i
a
1385
1387
2881
1333 2888
Year
Source: Office of Institutional Studies & Planning
2802
A&M. With A&M’s 9 percent
Hispanic undergraduate population
this fall, the land-grant university is
not representative of the 32 percent
Hispanic population statewide.
TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION
Overall, A&M’s total Hispanic popu
lation has held steady at about 8 per
cent over the last three years, though
See Center on page 2A
Reveille VII placed on bed rest for six weeks
TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION
By Amy Adams
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M’s highest-ranking cadet is on bed
rest for six weeks due to an injury to her back that
occurred after the Nov. 9 football game against
Oklahoma University.
The 2-year-old purebred Collie was believed to
have suffered mild trauma in a fall at a campus
yell practice where she jumped from the steps of
the YMCA building following the game.
Burke Wilson, public relations spokesman for
the Corps, said Reveille slipped through the train
ing collar which goes around her nose and neck.
The “gentle leader,” which looks like a muzzle,
helps Reveille hold her head high, Wilson said.
Members of Reveille’s assigned unit.
Company E-2, immediately took her to the
clinic where she was admitted for overnight
observance, he said. The preliminary X-ray
showed nothing was wrong with Reveille. The
next day she was released and placed on
restricted duties.
At a follow-up veterinarian examination on the
Friday preceding the Missouri game, it was
revealed that Reveille had received a small hair
line fracture on one of her vertebra, Wilson said.
Veterinarians at A&M’s Small Animal Clinic said
the fracture is not in a critical location on the ver
tebra and they expect Reveille to fully recover,
Wilson said.
During the six-week period. Reveille will under
go medication for pain and inflammation that will
allow her condition to heal. She will continue to be
under the care of fellow cadet members, but will
only be allowed brief trips outdoors, Wilson said.
Justin Fountain, Commander of E-2, said he
believes Reveille fell about six feet from a ledge
off the YMCA building.
“Her injury is minor and she doesn’t appear to
be in any pain,” Fountain said. “She should be
good to go in a few weeks.”
Mascot Corporal Jordan Caddick said he thinks
Reveille was bothered or excited by the loud band
music being played during yell practice, which
caused her to run off.
“If you saw Reveille, you wouldn’t notice there
was anything wrong with her, but the doctors have
placed her on bed rest just to be on the safe side,”
Caddick said.
Reveille’s doctors will make an evaluation
regarding her condition and return to duty at the
end of the six-week period, Wilson said.