THE BATTALION
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Aggielife: The red, white and blue • Page 3
Opinion: Legalizing sodomy • Page 5
THE BATTALION
Volume 109 • Issue 163 • 6 pages
109 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Thursday, July 3, 2003
A&M to receive $8M for terrorism research
By Sarah Szuminski
THE BATTALION
A bill approved by the House
Appropriations Committee last week,
written by U.S. Rep. John Carter, will
award Texas A&M $8 million in fund
ing for counter-terrorism research and
other projects.
The Department of Defense appro
priations bill is for fiscal year 2004.
“These funds will help develop the
next generation of technology that will
help us win the war on terrorism,”
Carter said.
The money will be split between
two projects: $5 million will go toward
a quantum optical science and engi
neering joint project with The
University of Texas and Rice
University, and $3 million will be used
for a project with UT involving systems
for sampling and detecting bioaerosols.
Cathy Reiley, assistant vice chancel
lor for external affairs, said the field of
quantum optics leads to applications of
national security, including laser
anthrax detectors, new kinds of subma
rine detectors and optical trip wires.
The bioaerosol sampling and detec
tion developmental project will be
coordinated with the needs of the U.S.
Army to produce lightweight, low-
power bioaerosol sampling devices that
can be remotely operated for extended
periods of time, she said.
Carter said thaf through these proj
ects, important advancements will be
made in the fields that counteract vari
ous types of terrorist attacks. He
described laser technology that, when
beamed through an area, would show
hazardous particles in the air.
“In the event of another raid on the
post office this technology can be set
up, and it will ‘see’ any anthrax in the
air,” he said.
Carter also received approval of
his request for additional funds for the
National Emergency Response and
Rescue Training Center, which was
created by Congress in 1998 and is
located at A&M.
Past funding has enabled the devel
opment of training programs that pre
pare first responders to act in response
to weapons of mass destruction. The
program currently consists ■ of eight
incident response courses and will
increase to 17 courses thanks to the
incoming funds.
“These funds will continue our
important mission of preparing state
See Terrorism on page 2
Food for thought
Ag prof Rosson studies international agriculture for the U.S.
TERESA WEAVER • THE BATTALION
Professor C. Parr Rosson III teaches upper level international agricultural economics classes at Texas A&M. He is
a director at the Center for North American Studies at A&M and also a United States trade representative for the
Agriculture Trade Advisor Commission.
By C.E. Walters
THE BATTALION
B eing exposed to agri
culture through a fami
ly-owned farm, grain
elevator, cotton gin and farm
supply store, C. Parr Rosson III
became interested in the field at
a young age.
izmmL
Rosson, a professor of agri
cultural economics, was recently
appointed a member of the
Agricultural Technical Advisory
Committee for Trade in grains,
feed and oil seeds.
Rosson grew up in Taft,
Texas, a town 18 miles outside
of Corpus Christi. He received
three degrees from Texas A&M
including a bachelor’s degree in
agronomy in 1971. Rosson
received a master’s degree and a
Ph.d. from A&M, both in agri
cultural economics.
Rosson spent several years
working at Clemson University,
but he has been teaching at
A&M since 1989. He teaches
two courses, international trade
in agriculture and international
agribusiness marketing.
“I really enjoy what I do and
1 really enjoy doing it here in
Texas,” Rosson said. “It’s partly
related to being able to identify
with the agriculture in the state
and the people who operate pro
duction, marketing and distribu
tion in the state.”
Rosson spent six years serv
ing in the U.S. Army before
returning to A&M to do graduate
work. He said his time serving
helped him develop focus and
discipline and improved his abil
ity to work with others.
His work in the Army helped
motivate him to work on an
international level.
“Most of my interest in inter
national activities came about
from traveling,” Rosson said. “(It
gave me) a deeper understanding
of international policy.”
Rosson also works with
NAFTA, analyzing border agri
culture-related disputes between
the United States and Mexico,
and the United States and
Canada.
“We began to do some
assessments of what NAFTA
might mean for Texas agricul
ture,” he said.
Rosson has also studied how
irrigation water shared between
Texas and Mexico can affect
crops such as cotton, citrus fruit
and sugar cane.
“It helps to have some insight
on how those things will affect
Texas,” Rosson said.
Rosson also serves as the
See Rosson on page 2
Officials promote
safety this Fourth
By Megan Orton
THE BATTALION
The College Station and
Bryan Police Departments
are warning local residents
that they will crack down
on fireworks and alcohol
code violations to make
sure patrons celebrate safe
ly this Fourth of July.
To avoid getting in trou
ble, officials said the best
way to celebrate safely is to
enjoy a professional fire
works display such as the
one at the George Bush
Presidential Library
Complex, and to celebrate
in moderation.
Bart Humphreys,
College Station Fire
Department public infor
mation officer, said resU
dents need to consider the
consequences before they
use any type of fireworks.
“Possession, use and
sale of fireworks within
5,000 feet of the city limits
is a Class C misdemeanor
and is punishable by fines
up to $2,000,” he said.
Humphreys said there
are some guidelines every
one needs to follow when
using fireworks: always
read and follow label
instructions; have an adult
present and never give fire
works to small children;
only buy fireworks from
reliable sellers and never
attempt to make your own
fireworks; malfunctioning
fireworks should never be
re-lit and make sure to only
ignite one device at a time.
The Texas Department
of Transportation has
stepped up law enforce
ment aimed at drunken
drivers as part of a nation
wide effort to get impaired
drivers off streets and
highways. Texas currently
leads the nation in alco
hol-related deaths and
officials hope to reduce
alcohol-related crashes
this summer.
The campaign, headed
by the National Highway
Traffic Safety
Administration, prompted
Tx'DOT to institute a step
ping-up of statewide
enforcement from June 27
through July 13. New tele
vision and radio announce
ments will be aired to insti
tute the “Drink, Drive, Go
to Jail” message.
“Our message to all
drivers is simple and direct:
If you drink and drive, you
See Fourth on page 2
Independence Precautions
» Go to professional
fireworks shows
“■ The sale, use and
possession within
5000 feet of city
limits is illegal
Have a designated
driver
Limit noise. Bryan
Police Department
has issued a zero
tolerance policy
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
SOURCE: COLLEGE STATION FIRE DEPARTMENT, BRYAN POLICE
West Nile virus reappears in Brazos Valley
WEST NILE VIRUS
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
SOURCE: BRAZOS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Man sentenced to 15 years
in post-step show robbery
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
Brazos County health offi
cials are warning residents to
take precautions after two dead
birds found in Bryan tested pos
itive for the mosquito-borne
West Nile virus.
The two birds were found at
Carrabba Street and Old Kurten
Road. Infected mosquitoes were
also found at a house on Redbud
Street off South College Avenue
in Bryan.
The virus appeared in Texas
a year ago and made its way to
the Brazos Valley last
September.
Dr. Jim Olson, an entomolo
gist in the College of Veterinary
Medicine, said he was predict
ing the virus to return to the area
eventually, but not this early.
Right now, he said, residents
need to take precautions.
“I say don’t panic, protect,”
be said.
Olson said it was important
for residents to keep mosqui
toes out of the house because
that is where he sees the
biggest problem.
Don Plitt, who is in charge of
coordinating Brazos County’s
response to West Nile, said to fol
low the “four D’s” to decrease
the risk of contracting the virus.
They include: staying indoors at
dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes
are most active, dressing in long
sleeves and pants, using repellent
with the chemical DEFT outside,
and draining standing water from
tires, flowerpots and clogged rain
gutters.
Plitt said with the summer
just beginning, he knows it will
be hard for people to take the
advice to stay inside. He said
people had an easier time oblig
ing last year because when the
virus arrived, the summer had
ended.
“This year (the virus) popped
up early,” he said.
Plitt said that larvicide
dunks, which can be placed in
standing water to kill mosquito
larva before they become adults,
are an inexpensive, effective
way to deter mosquitoes from
biting.
Those who are bitten have a
slight chance of contracting the
virus, Plitt said. “Fewer than 1
percent of those bitten become
severely ill. That is one in about
100, so it is a small chance.”
The virus affected 200 of
Texas’ 254 counties last year,
Olson said. Birds contract the
disease and pass it on to mos
quitoes that feed on them. The
mosquitoes can pass the virus to
humans and animals while they
bite and take blood.
Plitt said it is up to the
See West Nile on page 2
Staff &Wire
A man convicted of robbing
two Prairie View men outside of
Reed Arena with a handgun was
sentenced to 15 years in prison
Monday.
Cornelius Quana Ferrell, 21,
of Dallas, pleaded guilty to two
counts of aggravated robbery
and will serve at least half of his
sentence before he has the
option of parole.
Two victims flagged down a
University Police Department
officer and told him that they
had been robbed in the Reed
Arena parking lot after the Feb.
23 Greek Olympiad Step Show.
According to police reports,
the victims said Ferrell and
three other men approached
them and asked if they wanted
to return to Ferrell’s Ramada
Inn hotel room to party. Ferrell
then asked the victims for
change for a $100 bill. When
the victims said they didn’t have
change, Ferrell pulled a 9 mm
semiautomatic handgun and
demanded their money.
They handed over approxi
mately $1,000.
The police went to the
Ramada Inn and arrested Ferrell
and three other men with him.
The other three men were
later, released because the vic
tims could not positively iden
tify them as having been
involved in the robbery,
according to the Bryan-
College Station Eagle.
Rob Neal, Ferrell’s attor
ney, could not be reached for
comment.
UPD documented 19 vehi
cles broken into or vandalized
and shots fired into the air after
the show.