Aggielife: Life in the fast lane • Page 3
Opinion: Getting away with murder • Page 11
rsday, September 25,1!
THE BATTALION
■Volume 110 • Issue 21 • 12 pages
A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893
www.thebattalion.net
Friday, September 26, 2003
Gates, Weis confront issues
\Lawsuits inhibit future Bonfire talk
By Sarah Walch
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M President Robert M.
Gates has been instructed to do noth
ing about an on-campus Aggie
Bonfire, even starting over with a
much smaller “OP Army scrapftre,”
while the lawsuit against the
University concerning Bonfire is still
pending, he said during an hour-long
question-and-answer session in the
Student Senate Wednesday night.
After asking now Interim
Chancellor A. Benton Cocanougher
and R.C. Slocum to explore alterna
tives for Bonfire this spring. Gates
! said two representatives from the
I state attorney’s general office and two
University System lawyers showed
up on his doorstep the next morning.
They informed him that consider
ing Aggie Bonfire alternatives might
weigh negatively in the case.
“Where we are is where we will be
until the litigation is settled,” Gates
said.
The appeals process could take
years if it is not settled in a few
months out of court, he said.
Filed in 2001 by Bonfire victims
and their families, the lawsuit
accused University officials of violat
ing federal law because of the dan
gerous environment in which Bonfire
fell in 1999.
The plaintiffs’ claims were dis
missed last summer when a U.S.
See Bonfire on page 2
STUDENT SENATE ITEMS
The following are several
proposals discussed at
Wednesday's Student Senate
meeting.
at Senate meeting
TS plans forum for parking questions
Open Governance: students can
speak at the next Senate meeting
Elected Battalion editor in chief
referendum removed from ballot
No Transportation Services changes
this year, forum Oct. 9
Budget: SGA Diversity to receive
$8,5°0
~ ’%< •-* ffs": ——————
Ruben Deluna • THE BATTALION
source • TEXAS A&M STUDENT SENATE
By Sarah Walch
THE BATTALION
Transportation Services Director
Rodney Weis said at the Student Senate
meeting Wednesday night that a task
force made up of students, faculty and TS
staff has been appointed to look into the
Southside Garage change that would take
away permit holders’ reserved spaces.
Weis and Sen. Logan Renfrew, a jun
ior management major, have organized a
forum set for Oct. 9, when students can
question Weis directly. The forum has
been tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m. in
the Commons Dining Center.
“A full discussion of the facts will help
us remove the emotions involved in the
issue,” Weis said.
Weis said the fate of 24-hour reserved
spots is a parking issue that affects every
one campuswide.
“There are over 8,000 reserved spaces
on campus,” he said. “It makes it very,
very difficult and costly to administer.”
Those spots could easily accommo
date more vehicles, Weis said.
“We have enough spots to accommo
date every person on campus right now
but not under the current operating sys
tem,” he said.
Although a TS e-mail sent out to
Southside permit holders Sept. 9 inform
ing students they could vote on the
change to take effect in either Fall 2003
or 2004, Weis said there will be no
changes in TS policy this school year.
“It was a misunderstanding,” he said.
Weis said he wants to try to get the
opinions of all students.
See TS on page 6
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Melissa Gentry • THE BATTALION
Jake Norton, a junior general studies major, takes advantage of at the University Golf Course. Clear and sunny skies are expect-
the nice weather by playing a round of golf Thursday afternoon ed throughout the weekend.
Qatar campus opens,
29 take on A&M degree
By Jacquelyn Spruce
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M began a new adventure
as the doors of the Qatar campus
opened on Sept. 7, said Jim Holste,
associate dean of the campus who is
currently in Qatar.
“This is the most interesting and
exciting project 1 have experienced dur
ing the 28 years I have been with Texas
A&M," he said. “This project also pro
vides a venue for Texas A&M to
demonstrate the quality and breadth of
our abilities.”
The campus in Qatar offers classes in
four engineering fields including petro
leum, chemical, electrical and mechani
cal engineering.
“Engineering is a very important dis
cipline here,” Holste said, “because more
than 70 percent of the national income
currently is derived from oil and gas pro
duction — primarily natural gas.”
Interim Dean and CEO Charles
Bowman said the 29 students enrolled -
including 25 Qataris and four from other
countries - have an identical curriculum
to the engineering students in College
Station. Holste said in order to receive a
degree from A&M, the students must
meet all requirements of Texas law.
“They are even taking a Texas histo
ry class,” Bowman said.
Since all classes are taught in
English, students are expected to have
prior knowledge of the language.
“(English) is rapidly becoming the
business language of the world,” Holste
said. “We do have an interesting chal
lenge here because our students have
been taught the U.K. version of
English, and there are more differences
in spelling and style than you might
first expect.”
Bowman said research, as well as
teaching, will play an important role at
the new campus.
In the next three years, graduate
degree programs will be offered, and
two new research centers will be built.
Although the Qatar campus is still
under construction, A&M Executive
Vice President and Provost David B.
Prior said the engineering building will
be complete in 18-24 months.
“As of now, the Cornell Medical
School is sharing arrangements,” he
said. “The Arts and Sciences building
will be the intermediate step.”
See Qatar on page 6
12th Man Team
offers incentives
By Eric Ambrose
THE BATTALION
AY
The 12th Man Team Awards Program will
give rewards to students this year in an effort to
raise attendance at sporting events other than
football games.
Starting this semester, students can win T-shirts,
hats and jerseys by attending Aggie sporting events.
12th Man Team representatives will be at the
entrance of every sporting event, besides football
games, handing out cards that can be stamped for
rewards.
After 12 stamps, students will receive an Aggie T-
shirt; after 24 stamps, a hat or visor, and after 36
stamps, an official Texas A&M jersey.
The cards can be stamped at any volleyball, soc
cer, cross country, swimming or basketball event.
Once students have collected 12 stamps they will
receive an electronic card that can be swiped to
keep track of their attendance. Thereafter, students
will be eligible for special awards such as recogni
tion at sporting events or a trip to an away game
with the team.
“We hope that people have fun at our athletic
events,” said Jeff Schmahl, senior associate director
for external operations at A&M. “If you want to help
us to build champions, you can help by attending and
Big 12 Sports Attendance
Texas A&M fans’ attendance at football games Is higher than many other Big 12 schools, but
the number of Aggies at other sporting events Is relatively low
■ Texas A&M ■ Texas ■ Oklahoma State ■ Texas Tech ■ Baylor |
Football
Mon’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Baseball
■ 80,198
■ 6,466
■ 1.403
■ 4,677
8979,035
(#11.170
■ 5.398
■ 4,914
Hi 43,238
■ 11,249
■ 2,521
■ 1.376
■ 43,126
■ 9,962
■ 12,204
■ 2,718
■ 28,018
■ 6,768
■ 4,216
■ 3.057
Andrew Burleson : THE BATTALION
Source: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
supporting our event.”
No prizes have been given out yet, but at least 15
T-shirts are expected to be handed out at Friday’s vol
leyball game. The jerseys given out this year will be
baseball jerseys, but next year the program will give
away official Nike football jerseys, Schmahl said.
The Aggies’ attendance at men’s basketball games
last year was the worst in the Big 12, though A&M
did not come in last in overall standings. Almost
600,000 fans attended Aggie football games last year,
while a little less than 300,000 fans attended other
sporting events.
“We’re hoping that attendance at all athletic events
improves,” said Chris Park, 12th Man Team Rewards
Program representative. “Our goal is for all sports to
benefit from the 12th Man Team Awards Program.”
Schmahl said the organization aims to build on the
12th Man spirit.
House, Senate prepare for conference duel
Sc up
3pm
By Kelley Shannon
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The
Legislature’s two chambers
were on a collision course
Thursday as wrangling over
congressional redistricting
moved toward a joint House-
Senate panel charged with sort
ing out map-drawing disputes.
Republicans now must solve
conflicts of their own after
months of fighting with
Democrats.
With Democrats back from
their boycott, the GOP-con-
trolled Senate approved its redis
tricting plan Wednesday. The
House passed its own plan last
week shortly after the start of a
third special session.
Differences between the two
maps will be worked on by a
See House on page 2
Prof to receive research award
By Jenna Jones
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M political sci
ence professor Dr. Kenneth
Meier will receive the
Distinguished Research Award
next month for his 30 years of
research in public administra
tion.
The award, given by the
American Society for Public
Administration and the
National Association of
Schools of Public Affairs and
Administration, will be pre
sented to Meier in Pittsburgh,
Pa., on Oct. 16 at the NASPAA
Annual Conference.
“Dr. Meier is one of the top
scholars in the nation in the
study of public bureaucracies
and school administration in
general, but also specifically the
study of education policy,” said
Kim Hill, a political science
professor.
The ASPA/NASPAA
Distinguished Research award
is given for career achievement
rather than a single work.
“The award is not as neat as
the Texas A&M Association of
Former Students award I
received since it was rewarded
right here at the University,”
Meier said. “This is more of a
career achievement award,
which always comes as a sur
prise.”
Meier said he has spent a
lot of time researching
bureaucracy versus citizen
control, which focuses on how
citizens can get more out of
the government, such as
improvements in schools and
health care. His research also
seeks to improve government
programs to work better and
be more responsive to the
public.
“Dr. Meier’s research is
path-breaking, and he has a
high concern for problems and
opportunities posed by the eth
nic diversity in school-age pop
ulation,” Hill said. “He is espe
cially interested in how we can
improve education in portions
of the population that tradition
ally have poor education out
comes.”
Meier began teaching at
A&M in 1998. He is the Charles
Puryear Professor of Liberal
Arts and holds the Sara H.
Lindsey Chair in Government in
the George Bush School of
Government and Public Service.
He also directs the Carlos Cantu
Hispanic Education and
Opportunity Endowment and
the Texas Education Excellence
Project.
Meier said his dedication to
research began 30 years ago
when he received his Ph.D.
from Syracuse University.
His work has won recogni
tion through the Clarence
Kulp Award (1990), the
Gustavus Myers Award (1991,
1993), the Herbert Kaufman
Award (1992, 2001), the
Herbert Simon Award (1999),
and awards from the Academy
josHUA Hobson- THE BATTALION
Dr. Kenneth J. Meier, in his
office at the Allen building,
searches among hundreds of
books Thursday afternoon.
of Management (2000),
Public Administration Review
(2001), the American Society
for Public Administration
(2002) and the Association of
Former Students (2003).
Meier’s example has influ
enced the careers of many peo
ple, including B. Dan Wood, a
political science professor.
“Dr. Meier has been helpful
to my career and I am very
appreciative of that,” Wood
said. “He has helped numerous
others as well.”
Meier said he is passionate
about the research he has done
over the past 30 years and
hopes to continue for the next
30 if possible.
om