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THE BATTALIO
A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893
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olume 110 • Issue 35 • 14 pages
www.thebattaIion.net
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Buenger named head of history department
case,
does
Joshua Hobson • THE BATTALION
iwly appointed History Department Head Walter L. Buenger stands near
latafront property in Bryan.
By Jenna Jones
THE BATTALION
Walter L. Buenger, the recently named
head of the Department of History at Texas
A&M, said he plans to increase research and
improve teaching within the department.
One step Buenger has taken to help the his
tory department accomplish his set goals is his
involvement in the Carnegie Initiative for the
doctorate program.
The Carnegie Program is a nationwide ini
tiative that encourages graduate programs to
rethink the nature and purpose of the Ph.D.
education in history, said Jim Rosenheim,
director of the Meibom G. Glasscock Center
for Humanities Research and a history profes
sor.
The initiative guides graduate programs to
train “stewards of disciplines” and works to
improve the kind of training graduate pro
grams give.
“It was Walter, as a department head,
who encouraged us to apply,” Rosenheim
said. “He will also make sure we do it suc
cessfully.”
A task force within the history department
is part of the initiative, Rosenheim said. A&M
is one of 10 universities in the nation involved
in the Carnegie Initiative.
“It is a great honor and great opportunity
for our department,” Rosenheim said.
Buenger has been involved with A&M for
more than 20 years. Since he’s been at A&M,
Buenger has served as a professor, associate
graduate adviser, associate department head
and interim department head. He also served
on the steering committee that established the
Faculty Senate at A&M.
“Dr. Buenger is energetic, thoughtful, and
dedicated to broadening and developing the
department’s strengths in every area, in teach
ing, research and service,” Rosenheim said.
Buenger said his desire to maintain the
quality of the undergraduate program is
strong, and the department has a plan to hire
nine non-U.S. native faculty members within
the next three years.
See History on page 2A
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RHA condemns
hall grode yells
tie case. He did not
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By Carrie Pierce
THE BATTALION
The Residence Hall
teociation passed a resolu-
ion during its General
Assembly Wednesday night
liscouraging offensive yells in
itsidence halls after a group of
nle residents participated in
‘rode yells” at Fish Pond fol
ding the Pittsburgh football
me on Sept. 27.
Robert Garza, RHA vice
wident of relations, defined
'grode yells” as any yells that
Main obscenities and are
ssociated with cut and Aggie
o figure out howto
jsumptive nominee
icr, when that can
as Bush has most
ee Chairman Terry
opefuls to serious-
ncing so the pre
ising money after
election fund-rais-
is trying to raise
e noniinee-to-be's
ime from $2,000-
ed about $2.4 mil-
:i the Democratic
The yells were brought to
lie attention of RHA execu-
and the Texas A&M
idministration by a hall presi-
lent who heard a group yelling
we rape women” and “we do
Inigs,” Garza said. RHA exec-
itives reacted strongly to this
iccount and decided to pass a
esolution that, if approved,
would state the RH A’s position
n dealing with grode yells,
Oarza said.
The resolution states that
le RHA does not support
and is not affiliated with any
yell that contains any refer
ence to any act of violence or
discrimination.” This resolu
tion complies with Texas
Disorderly Conduct Law,
which lists specific offensive
disorderly conduct such as a
person intentionally using
abusive or profane language
in a public place. The RHA
Offensive Yells resolution,
however, has nothing to do
with state law, said Jennifer
Heiner, RHA vice president
of programs.
“This resolution does not
stop anything, it just directs
residents to proper authority. If
a woman walks by a group of
guys yelling ‘we rape women,’
we want her to know that we
support her going to authori
ties,” said RHA President
Chris Mahaffey.
The resolution went under
strong debate at the meeting
before passing with a 35-23
vote, with many hall presidents
and delegates voicing concerns
over passing the resolution.
Michael P. Vargo, president
of Aston Hall, said he did not
see the relevance of passing
See RHA on page 8A
Punky ballerina
Joshua Hobson • THE BATTALION
Four-year-old Mallory Volk of College Station examines pumpkins at the
Aggie Habitat for Humanity's pumpkin patch off Rock Prairie and Wellborn
roads Wednesday afternoon. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of
pumpkins of all sizes will benefit Aggie Habitat.
>v. Howard Dean,
itributions, Dean
third fund-raising
s considering fol-
of public financ-
million spending
Dilly Shaw Tap
yan, TX 77808
1-800-364-7232
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New Texas law relieves minor offenses from record
IWNondisclosure Law
AnewTexas law enacted Sept. 1 allows those completing
deferred adjucication to clear the conviction from their public record.
»Ihere isa $28 filing fee for an order of nondisclosure
»Afterajudge hasordered nondisclosure, the defendant may deny the occurrence ofthe arrest
»An arrest covered by a nondisclosure order may still be used against you in federal court
»felony offenders must wait 10 years after deferred adjudication to file for nondisclosure
Andrew Burleson • THE BATTALION
Source : WWW.BENNETTANDBENNETT.COM
By Bart Shirley
THE BATTALION
A new Texas law enacted in September
allows those with a deferred adjudication
conviction to expunge the conviction from
their public record.
Senate Bill 1477, proposed by Sen. Royce
West, D-Dallas, amended the Code of
Criminal Procedure so minor offenders who
received only deferred adjudication and pro
bation are not required to disclose this infor
mation to employers, lenders and others who
routinely perform background and criminal
checks as part of their screening process.
“It’s not a conviction, but people are still
being punished,” said Calvin Bass, press sec
retary for West.
The new law is specifically designed to
help first-and-only-time offenders. Deferred
adjudication is typically offered to low-risk
offenders who do not pose a threat for repeat
ed infractions. Attorney Lane Thibodeaux,
who operates out of Bryan, said he believes
the law is almost specifically designed for
college students.
“I really believe that this law is a real
victory for students,” Thibodeaux said.
“When I went down (the list) of who would
benefit the most, I’ve got to tell you, it’s uni
versity students.”
He said people often plead to deferred
adjudication believing there will be no last
ing impact on their records.
“It doesn’t go away,” Thibodeaux said.
“There’s always a record of the fact that the
person plead guilty.”
The new law allows the individual to
essentially deny that they were ever convict
ed. The law is especially germane in College
Station, said Rebekah Placke, Class of 1999,
who works in Thibodeaux’s office. With so
many tickets being given to students by the
College Station Police Department, many
See Law on page 2A
Gaza explosion kills 3 Americans
in U.S. diplomatic convoy vehicle
By Ibrahim Barzak
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip — A
remote-controlled bomb exploded
under a U.S. diplomatic convoy
Wednesday, ripping apart an
armored van and killing three
Americans in an unprecedented
deadly attack on an official U.S. tar
get.
President Bush blamed Palestinian
officials for the attack, which wound
ed another American. “Palestinian
authorities should have acted long ago
to fight terror in all its forms,” Bush
said. The State Department iden
tified the slain Americans as John
Branchizio, 36; Mark T. Parson, 31;
and John Martin Linde Jr., 30 — all
employees of DynCorp, a Virginia-
based security firm.
Palestinian officials condemned
the bombing and promised to help the
investigation. But they will likely now
come under intensified U.S. pressure
to take action against militants.
If Palestinian militants were to
blame, it could signal a dramatic
change in strategy. While targeting
Israeli soldiers and civilians for
years, the main militant groups
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have not
attacked U.S. officials.
Both groups repeated their stance
Wednesday that they don’t attack
Americans, and there was no claim of
responsibility for the bombing.
The attack targeted a convoy of
U.S. Embassy diplomats heading to
Gaza to interview Palestinian candi
dates for a Fulbright scholarship. Bush
said. The three dead and the wounded
man were American security personnel
working on contract with the embassy,
said U.S. ambassador Dan Kurtzer.
The U.S. Embassy advised U.S.
citizens to leave the Gaza Strip after
the attack.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat
condemned the bombing as an “awful
crime.” The Palestinian prime minis
ter, Ahmed Qureia, called Secretary of
State Colin Powell to express his con
dolence and promise swift action.
An FBI legal attache is investi
gating, the FBI said. A team of
investigators who photographed the
charred van was pelted with rocks
by Palestinians and had to cut short
the visit.
The Israeli Supreme Court on
Wednesday temporarily blocked the
expulsions of 15 Palestinians accused
of militant activities until the court
can hear their appeals, expected with
in a week.
The Israeli army on Tuesday
ordered the 15 Palestinian detainees to
See Explosion on page 2A
U.S. diplomatic
convoy targeted
A remote-controlled bomb
exploded under an armored van
in an unprecedented attack on
an official U.S. target. The U.S.
Embassy advised U.S. citizens
to leave the Gaza Strip after the
attack.
SOURCES: Associated Press; ESR1 AP
Perry appoints
general counsel
to A&M regents
(AP) — Gov. Rick Perry has appointed his gen
eral counsel to the Texas A&M University System
Board of Regents.
Bill Jones, a 1981 Texas A&M graduate, has been
general counsel since Perry took office in December
2000, but he’ll resign and seek employment in pri
vate practice after his appointment takes effect.
“Bill Jones has been a wonderful friend and a
trusted advisor,” said Perry, also an Aggie. “Bill
embodies the character, spirit and service that make
Texas A&M special, and he will help provide the
leadership to ensure that the university honors its
past while preparing for an even brighter future.”
Jones is a member of the Texas A&M Former
Student’s Association Board of Directors and serves
on the board of directors for Memorial Hermann
Healthcare System Foundation, the largest nonprof
it healthcare organization in Texas.
Jones’ term as a regent will run through
Feb. 1, 2009.