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Volume 109 • Issue 134 • 12 pages
Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
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By Roland Garcia
THE BATTALION
Utility officials believe mal
functions originating in a power
plant in Grimes County sparked
regional power outages that left
the Bryan-College Station area
without electricity for nearly four
hours Tuesday afternoon.
Sam Jones, the chief operating
officer of the Electrical Reliability
Council of Texas, which oversees
the state’s electrical transmission
system, said the cause of the mal
function is unknown, but the prob
lem began at the Gibbon’s Creek
Plant, near Carlos, Texas, in western
Grimes County. Although the mat
ter is still under investigation, Jones
said utility officials suspect an
equipment failure is at fault.
David Massey, assistant director
of College Station Public Utilities,
said the nature and duration of the
power outage was “highly unusual.”
Brazos County, along with parts of
Burleson County, Grimes County
and north Houston seem to be the
only areas affected by the blackout.
With traffic lights down, College
Station police directed traffic at
major intersections. Although the
city’s fire and police departments
were busy during the blackout, there
were no major incidents, said College
Station spokeswoman Patti Jett.
Power in the Bryan-College
Station area went out at approxi
mately 11:45 a.m., and was restored
at about 3:30 p.m., Massey said.
Texas A&M Interim Provost
David Prior announced at 2 p.m.
that classes would be canceled and
University offices would close for
the rest of the afternoon.
“There was uncertainty as to
when the power would come
back on,” Prior said.
Prior, the University’s sec
ond-highest administrator, made
the decision because A&M
President Robert M. Gates was
out of town.
Jim Riley, director of
University utilities, said back
up generators provided power
for emergency lighting, fire
safety systems and other essen
tial services.
The Brazos County Health
Department announced at 1 p.m.
that restaurants must close to
avoid the risk of refrigerated
food becoming contaminated.
Health officials made the deci
sion because they feared power
could be out for an extended period.
Had the blackout lasted for more
than four hours, regulations call for
restaurants to throw away refriger-
I ** > W«i| < >1 I UI < J«
Power out
Restaurants
ordered to
close
Texas A&M
offices close,
classes
canceled
Power restored
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
SOURCES: BRAZOS COUNT Y HEALTH DEPT.,
COLLEGE STATION UTILITIES
ated food warmer than 45 degrees,
said Don Plitt, assistant director of
the Brazos County environmental
health division.
Students enjoy
free afternoon
By Brad Bennett
THE BATTALION
ommand.
D
Tuesday’s city-wide power outage gave most
area students an afternoon off from class and a
chance to relax and enjoy a stress-free day.
One group especially excited about
Tuesday’s power outage were members of the
Corps of Cadets, who were treated to an
impromptu outdoor barbecue after Duncan
Dinning Hall was unable to operate.
lames Washington, Duncan facilities manag
er, said the barbecue was part of a contingency
plan Duncan officials had in place in case the
indoor dining facility experienced problems.
, “We always have a backup plan, so we had
the paper products (plates and cups) already
here,” Washington said. “1 think everyone
enjoyed it.”
Washington’s observation was confirmed by
several cadets, who took the opportunity of a
See Students on page 2
J.P. BEATO III • THE BATTALION
Motorcycle traffic officer Calder Lively of the College Station Police Department directs cars at the
intersection of George Bush Drive and Texas Avenue. Traffic lights failed due to power outages in
Bryan, College Station and Snook.
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Forces search
for weapons,
Iraqi fighters
By Meg Richards
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. troops intensified the search for weapons
of mass destruction and foreign fighters across
Iraq on Tuesday, while the first post-Saddam
Hussein meeting of the nation’s fractious reli
gious and political groups looked toward the
future. The Bush administration hinted at eco
nomic or diplomatic sanctions against Syria.
The U.S.-sponsored forum in the ancient city
of Ur, said to be the birthplace of biblical
Abraham, brought together Kurds, Sunni and
Shiite Muslims from inside the country as well
as exiles. Thousands of Shiites whose represen
tatives were boycotting the meeting staged
street protests, chanting “No to America and no
to Saddam!”
“It’s critical that the world understand that this
is only the fledgling first meeting of what will
hopefully be a much larger series of meetings
across Iraq,” said Jim Wilkinson, spokesman at
U.S. Central Command. It was an “unscripted,
free-flowing forum of ideas” to get Iraqis talking
about their desires for the future.
The gathering, held under a golden tent next to
the famous ziggurat ruins, ended with an agree
ment to meet again in 10 days. White House
envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told delegates that the
United States has “no interest, absolutely no
interest, in ruling Iraq.”
In Tikrit, anger rose as Marines tightened their
hold over Saddam Hussein’s hometown. Tanks
barred people from crossing over a Tigris River
bridge that was heavily damaged in an airstrike,
and many helicopters flew overhead.
Looters ransacked a government agriculture
building, but there did not appear to be the wide
spread lawlessness seen in other fallen cities.
Infuriated residents corqplained to a reporter that
the bridge into town had been blocked for days;
many said they were hungry and sick, but U.S.
forces would not let them go to a hospital across
the river.
“The Iraqi people want to go to their own parts
of their territory — their own lands,” one man
yelled. “But the Americans are not letting them!”
A Marine in a passing convoy shouted, “We’re
See Iraq on page 2
atch i
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■ 6 p.m. Monday-Friday
I a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday
U.S., Iraq
By Nicole Winfield
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar —
With the worst of the fighting over,
J.S.-picked representatives of some of
'raq’s often-quarrelsome factions were
irought together Tuesday in the ancient
ity of Ur to begin shaping the coun-
:ry’s postwar government.
The meeting in Ur, the Biblical
irthplace of the prophet Abraham,
ncluded Kurds, Sunni and Shiite
uslims from inside the country as
veil as others who have spent many
/ears in exile.
But many Iraqis said that they would
)oycott the meeting and that they
)pposed U.S. plans to install retired
i-a-lot
look to form new government
Gen. Jay Garner as head of an interim
administration.
“Iraq needs an Iraqi interim govern
ment. Anything other than this tramples
the rights of the Iraqi people and will be
a return to the era of colonization,” said
Abdul Aziz Hakim, a leader of the
largest Iraqi Shiite group, the Supreme
Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
U.S. officials hope to see more Iraqis
join the process over time.
“It’s critical that the world under
stand that this is only the fledgling first
meeting of what will hopefully be a
much larger series of meetings across
Iraq,” said Jim Wilkinson, spokesman
at U.S. Central Command.
A national conference is planned
ultimately to select the interim adminis
tration, perhaps within weeks, said a
senior U.S. government official, speak
ing on condition of anonymity.
The U.S.-led interim administration
could begin handing power back to Iraqi
officials within three to six months, but
forming a government will take longer,
said Maj. Gen. Tim Cross, the top British
member of Gamer’s team.
“Will we get a complete government
in place in that time? I doubt it,” Cross
said. “One has to go through the
process of building from the bottom up,
allowing the leadership to establish
itself, and then the election process to
go through and so forth. That full elec
toral process may well take longer.”
Garner’s Office of Reconstruction
and Humanitarian Assistance is
charged with coordinating humanitari
an assistance, rebuilding infrastructure
shattered by years of war and sanc
tions, and gradually handing back
power to Iraqis leading a democratical
ly elected government.
About 100 Iraqis were expected at
Tuesday’s meeting, half from inside
Iraq, half exiles. The moderator was to
be Zalmay Khalilzad, the White House
envoy to Iraq. Garner was also expect
ed, along with representatives from
Britain, Australia and Poland — coun
tries that contributed forces to the
coalition.
Wilkinson stressed that the meeting
was an “unscripted, free-flowing forum
of ideas” designed to get Iraqis talking
about what they want for the future.
There are already tensions between
the United States and some of the Iraqi
political factions.
Rebuilding Iraq
Jay Gamer, 64, is
the Director of the
il Office of Recon-
Assistance for Post-
Education Bachelor's degree,
history, Florida State University,
1962; masters degree, public
administration, Shippensburg
University
Military experience overview
► Entered Army in 1962, served
two tours in Vietnam
► Commanded various air
defenses in United States and
Europe, 1984-1992
► Commanding general, Joint
Task Force Bravo in Iraq, 1991
Assistant vice chief of staff for
the Army, 1996-97
SOURCE: Associated Press AP
ibiouni. • 1 Z - *
IS:’ Bonfire memonai forum
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tes early.
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An open forum will be held today with Overland Partners Inc., the
designers of the Bonfire Memorial, in Memorial Student Center 292B
from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
The public will be able to see the progress made on the memorial and
ask questions.
Overland Partners will present a multi-media presentaion that
describes the memorial, its significance and the construction process,
said Martha Raney of the Bonfire Memorial Office.
This is part of a campus visit by Overland Partners at the 50 percent
completion stage of the design process, Raney said.
Since February, the San Antonio-based design firm has met with each
of the families of the 12 who were killed in the 1999 Aggie Bonfire
Collapse, to develop the 12 unique bronze portals and pay tribute to the
fallen Aggies.
Each portal will face the hometown of each of the victims and contain
a portrait sculpted in bronze along with text describing each individual,
Raney said.
Construction will begin this summer and is expected to be completed
by fall 2004.
A dedication ceremony is planned for Nov. 18, 2004, the fifth anniver
sary of the collapse.
Football prices highest in Big 12
By Marcus White
THE BATTALION
Aggie fans will be digging deeper
than ever before to watch the Texas A&M
football team play next season.
The A&M Athletic Department
announced Friday that the non-student
basic season ticket package price will
increase from $265 to $375 for 2003.
Students will pay $187, $55 more than
the 2002 season. The new rates are now
the highest in the Big 12 conference.
A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne
said the decision to raise ticket prices
by 41 percent was made to help A&M
secure a place in college football’s
upper echelon.
“The strongest reason behind upgrad
ing the value of Aggie football is to sup
port our own vision, our ambition and our
goals,” Byrne said. “We want to fill our
trophy case with Big 12 and NCAA
championships.”
All Kyle Field tickets will see an
increase in price, including the annual
Thanksgiving day game between A&M
and the University of Texas. Fans will
pay $75 to watch the storied match up,
the same price the Big 12 charged fans to
watch Texas and Oklahoma play at the
Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
“The reason a ticket to watch the
Aggies play Texas costs $75 is because it
is the ultimate experience in Aggie foot
ball. It's the premire Aggie athletic and
entertainment event of the year,” Byrne
said. “The Red River Shootout between
Texas and Oklahoma costs $75, and the
Aggies v. the Longhorns is unquestion
ably in the same class.”
Raising ticket prices is not a new
practice for Byrne. While serving as the
athletic director for the University of
Nebraska, Huskers fans saw an increase
in ticket prices for five consecutive
years. The Daily Nebraskan, the student
newspaper at the University of
Nebraska, even coined the nickname
“Dollar Bill” because of what they
called his prioritization of making
money. Nebraska recently lowered next
year’s season ticket package.
Reputation aside, Byrne said Aggie
football needs increased support to build
prominence among the top collegiate
football programs in the nation.
“Rather than comparing ourselves to
someone else, we want the intercollegiate
athletic world comparing itself to us. We
want to see beads of sweat break out on
every forehead in the Big 12 because of
what we're doing,” Byrne said. “Teams
across America need to know that when
you play the Aggies in any sport, you'd
better tape your ankles.”
Student reaction to the price increase
has been mixed. Some students, such as
junior psychology major Don Myers, said
too many funds are already contributed to
A&M’s football program.
“The football team gets so much
money in the first place,” Myers said.
“Departments like journalism are being
See Tickets on page 2
*