Aggielife: Students enjoy intramural sports • Page 5 Opinion: Lies behind the curtain • Page 7
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WORLD
THE BATTALI05
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Volume 109 • Issue 175 • 8 pages
109 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Thursday, July 24, 2003
e, so 1 don’t think we
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anyway and she wipe:
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erchief.
: and two other lof
l officials at Johnsc;
Center met wii
ers on Tuesday severt
after NASA released tie
inscripts of all five mt
management meetings
.iring Columbia’s flight
ing the second meeting
n. 21, five days ate
bia’s launch, Hai
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lound chunk of fuel-tanl
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[Other
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• •
Animal sense
Skaggs dedicates career, academics to advising students
By C.E. Walters
THE BATTALION
C hris Skaggs can offer proof
that one of the most reward
ing parts of his job is work
ing with students.
Skaggs, who won an outstanding
advising certificate from the
National Academic Advising
Association, is an associate profes
sor and academic adviser in the
Department of Animal Science.
j U , J Y
IOfiMHPK&
Skaggs said he is proud of all
his students, whether they change
majors to explore new opportuni
ties, struggle to find their academ
ic footing or continue to graduate
work.
“I take a lot of pride in watching
students develop their interests,” he
said. “(I enjoy) being a part of help
ing them to attain their goals.”
Skaggs earned his undergraduate
degree at Texas Tech University, his
master’s degree at Kansas State
University and his Ph.D. at Iowa
State University. Skaggs said earn
ing his degrees at different universi
ties helped him develop his own
teaching style.
Each university, he said, present
ed courses differently and allowed
him to pick up different teaching
styles while combining different
courses from different universities.
Skaggs said when he first came to
Texas A&M, he taught an introduc
tory animal science lab and intro
duced aspects he wanted to teach.
“I met a lot of people,” he said.
“It made me willing to try new
things.”
Jodi Sterly, an assistant professor
in the Department of Animal
Science, has team-taught classes
with Skaggs for the past four years.
RANDAL FORD • THE BATTALION
Chris Skaggs, associate professor and academic adviser in the Department of Animal Science, works with ani
mals as part of his teaching and outside life, such as serving as Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo superin
tendent. Skaggs' father and uncle were both agricultural educators who interested him in the field.
Sterly said Skaggs will have stu
dents flowing in and out of his
office constantly during office hours
or even late at night. Sterly said
Skaggs has a very distinctive
method of teaching.
“He has a very unique ability to
engage students and he’s probably
one of the best professors I’ve ever
seen,” she said.
Though he enjoys teaching more
than advising, he said his experi
ence student teaching at Texas Tech
was a valuable tool.
“Students learn differently,”
Skaggs said. “To reach these stu
dents, you have to use different
methods.”
Skaggs said the various types of
students in his classes tested his
abilities to teach.
“(It was) always a challenge to
keep motivated (students) still striv
ing while still trying to (reach)
those who are less academically
inclined,” Skaggs said.
Skaggs, raised in Pampa, Texas,
said his desire to enter agricultural
education stemmed from his admi
ration of his uncle, who was a pro
fessor of animal science at Kansas
State. Skaggs looked to him as his
role model.
Skaggs said he was also spurred
See Skaggs on page 2
A&M to host
first Freshman
Convocation
By Jacquelyn Spruce
THE BATTALION
The first Freshman Convocation will pro
vide incoming freshmen with a connection to
one another by showing them the size, strength
and unity of their class, said I^ristin Harper,
senior associate director of student life.
Harper said convocation will also provide
freshmen with a connection to the University
before beginning their education at Texas
A&M.
“Freshman Convocation will welcome
students to a community of learners and
show them what the University can provide,”
she said.
With faculty from each academic depart
ment, the president, vice presidents and
provosts all representing the University during
Freshman Convocation, Harper said she
believes it will start a new tradition.
Dr. Mark Weicholt, associate provost for
undergraduate academic services, said the idea
of an official welcoming for freshman was first
proposed three to four years ago.
“Other schools have done things similar to
this,” he said. “I would like to see it become
part of the academic calendar.”
Weicholt and Harper said the cost of the
ceremony is unknown since it has never been
See Convocation on page 2
n Freshman Convocation
i Aug. 31, Reed Arena, 2:30 p.m.
■Show freshmen the size, strength
and unity of the class
HI
Douglas A. Brooks,
Keynote Speaker
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
SOURCE: • DEPARTMENT OF STUDENT LIFE
sion in
1 works
April Castro
ASSOCIATED PRESS
IN — Republicans wilt
es of taking over lit
legation in the U.$.
:m to be giving uphopf
'ing congressional lints
st for the seven days
in the current sped
; session.
2 state senators vowing
gainst any redistricting
a required two-thirto
needed to debate tilt
hi Id likely not bf
his session, no mattet
iation of the map
not optimistic at tlti'
something will hap-
session, said Sen.
ncan, chairman of the
Jurisprudence
:, charged with draft-
for the Senate to con-
e committee is forging
its selection of a map
d put more Texas
is in Washington, D.C
m it tee met again
listen to invited test!-
a series of proposed
;h to redistrict could
: 'e if GOP Gov. Rick
les to call yet another
;ion on the matter, as
<peeled. Perry contin-
e would like to get#
this session,
hen obviously it is an
imediately call anoth-
o address this issue,
“This is an important
e leadership and,!
people of the state.'
an Lt. Gov. David
as indicated that, in
f another session, he
a Senate rule that
vo-thirds vote, rathet
e majority, to consid-
i. Republicans say in
ssions the rule hast! 1
A&M Foundation’s newest trustee eyes the bottom line
By Karen Yancey
THE BATTALION
The newest trustee appointed to the Texas
A&M Foundation said he plans to finish the
foundation’s recent fundraising campaign
and assist A&M President Robert M. Gates
in achieving Vision 2020.
In early July, the Association of Former
Students appointed Ray Rothrock to the
foundation, which raises and manages donat
ed funds to the University.
Seven people serve on the board of
trustees for seven-year terms.
Amy Glass, public relations director of
the AFS, said Rothrock is a former board
member for the association.
“He fits the profile extremely well
because he knows a lot about the Foundation
and the Association,” she said.
Rothrock graduated from A&M in 1977
and is currently the managing general partner
at Venrock Associates, a venture capital firm
with offices in California and New York City.
Rothrock has volunteered on the founda
tion’s Investment Advisory Committee since
1995 and established the first endowed chair
in A&M’s Department of Performance
Studies.
Rothrock was involved in the foundation’s
One Spirit, One Vision campaign to raise
funds for A&M. Rothrock also co-chaired the
arts and sciences group for A&M’s Vision
2020 initiative.
Rose Anne McFadden, director for public
relations at the foundation, said one thing
that qualifies Rothrock to serve on the board
is his experience in the area of financial
investing.
A candidate must be capable of managing
funds for A&M and understand how the
foundation operates, she said.
“I’m a rookie trustee here and I will be
learning a lot,” he said
He said he was pleased when Ed Davis,
president of the foundation, called to tell him
See Trustee on page 2
APPOINTED
Ray Rothrock
• Class of 1977
• Wants to finish
fundraising plan
and assist
President Robert
M. Gates in
Vision 2020
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
SOURCE: THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS
Street rodeo
SHARON AESCHBACH • THE BATTALION
Rosenthal Beef Center employees chase a runaway steer at noon on
Wednesday. The steer broke out of the beef center at about 10 a.m.,
swimming through a pond near the George Bush School of Government
and Public Service and heading toward the new tennis courts before
being captured in a parking lot near University Police Department head
quarters on Discovery Drive.
Senate committee approves redistricting
By Natalie Gott
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — A Senate committee on
Wednesday adopted a map of new con
gressional districts that likely would
give the Texas GOP an advantage over
the state’s Democrats in Washington,
but the plan seemed doomed this spe
cial legislative session.
The Senate Jurisprudence Committee
approved the measure 4-3 on a
party line vote.
Sen. Todd Staples of Palestine, who
chairs the Senate Republican Caucus,
sponsored the map, which he unveiled
Wednesday. He said it was fair and bal
anced.
“Clearly, I think the map that I laid
before you today respects rural, east,
west and south Texas and the Panhandle
in enabling them to elect a candidate of
their choice,” Staples said.
Democrats objected to the map’s
passage, saying that most people who
testified at public hearings didn’t want
lawmakers to take up redistricting.
“The redrawing of congressional
district lines, in spite of overwhelming
public opposition, amounts to the com
mission (of) an enormous abuse of the
public trust,” Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-
Houston, told the committee.
Staples’ map appears as though it
could give Texas Republicans as many
as 22 seats in Congress, compared to
10 seats for Democrats, though Staples
would not confirm that figure.
Democrats now have a 17-15 majority
in the delegation.
Lawmakers failed to draw congres
sional districts during the 2001 legisla
tive session, leaving federal judges to
create the current plan. The GOP, led
by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom
DeLay of Sugar Land, says that recent
See Senate on page 4
U.S.: Saddam loyalist attacks may spike
By Steven R. Hurst
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. troops captured
a senior Republican Guard official
Wednesday, one day after killing Saddam
Hussein’s elder sons Odai and Qusai, but the
guerrilla campaign against American forces
persisted with two more soldiers killed.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of
coalition forces in Iraq, said the deaths of
Odai and Qusai Hussein would be a “turning
point” in the war but could result in a tempo
rary “spike” in attacks as Saddam loyalists
take revenge.
Also Wednesday, a tape purportedly made
by Saddam called on Iraqis to press their
uprising against the U.S.-led occupation. The
tape reportedly was made Sunday, two days
before the killings of Odai and Qusai in a U.S.
military raid in the northern city of Mosul.
The CIA was analyzing the audio message
broadcast by Arab TV but has reached no
conclusions about its authenticity, said a U.S.
intelligence official, speaking on the condi
tion of anonymity.
The head of the Special Republican Guard,
Barzan Abd al-Ghafur Sulayman Majid
See Iraq on page 2
U.S. Soldiers killed
One U.S. soldier was killed
Wednesday in a convoy attack
near Mosul, where the sons of
Saddam Hussein were killed the
day before. Another soldier was
killed in a separate attack in
Ramadi, west of the capital.
TURKEY
0 100 mi
0 100km
Mosul
SYRIA
IFtAN
Ramadi Baghdad
IRAQ
SAUDI
ARABIA
KUWAIT |
SOURCES: ESRI: Associated Press
s.