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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2003)
SCI-TECfi THE BATTALIOS itilator Sports to have infections, isons for optimism, cautions must betaken ; are still at a critics! coveries and therefore nvironment that mini, tion,” Thomas said, ; are limited to tl; nily, their Egypt® nedical team only," The Battalion The fine art of hooliganism New group boosting spirit at A&M soccer games Page 7 • Tuesday, October 21, 2003 Judge orders rape trial for Bryant WASH OR ALL College Station 8 ’s Gym) BCIAL :he answer! JOUR ^ Massage ■5 00 i hield Accepted 230 ppointment y Hill Business Park • Expires 11/7/03 Sharon Aeschbach • THE BATTALION Fan support at Texas A&M soccer games has exploded during the last few seasons. The Aggies are cur rently No. 1 in the nation in attendance, thanks in part to a support group called the Hullabaloo Hooligans. By Troy Miller THE BATTALION For the Texas A&M soccer team, there really is no place like home. With the sup port of the student body and the Bryan- College Station community, the Aggies rank No. 1 in the nation in attendance, averaging 2,283 fans per game in their first eight home dates of the 2003 season, an increase of 669 fans per game from 2002. A large part of the increase is due to a group of A&M students who call them selves the Hullabaloo Hooligans. Much like international soccer fans, they provide music, chants and, of course, yells at Aggie soccer games. “Soccer is our most successful sport,” said freshman Hullabaloo Hooligan member Danny Vanderhoeven. “It’s fun to watch and it’s a friendly atmosphere. We try to antago nize the other team, and all the fans get energized.” The 12th Man is not just a football tradi tion, as the soccer team’s 8-0 home record demonstrates that the 12th Man resides at the Aggie Soccer Complex as well, where the average attendance supersedes the venue’s capacity. The contribution by the Hullabaloo Hooligans hasn’t been over looked by the team. “Just the difference from my freshman year three years ago to now is unbelievable,” said senior midfielder Kristen Strutz. “From the minute we step on the field from the locker room and see the bleachers full it just gets us really motivated and really makes us want to play for them.” The A&M soccer program has relied on community support and youth teams in the past for good attendance at home games, but with the success of the team over the past decade, an aura has surrounded the Aggies as one of the best athletic programs on the A&M campus. The success has been noticed by the students, and now students make up Mly half of the fans in the stands at the Soccer Complex. That student attendance has evolved into the Hullabaloo Hooligans, who routinely drum on upside down paint buckets, paint their bodies maroon and antagonize oppos ing teams throughout games. The Hooligans began as a group of friends who wanted to take in some soccer games. “Some guys from my town started com ing to games last year,” said senior Hooligan founder Chad Welty. “Some of the guys went up to (A&M coach G. Guerrieri) and asked him what we could do, like when to yell, and stuff like that.” Once their numbers began to grow, the Hooligans made their presence felt at games away from the Aggie Soccer Complex. In Spring, Texas, earlier this season, the Hooligans showed up with their “bucket band” army beating throughout the Aggies’ match with North Carolina. The Hooligans also traveled to Dallas and helped spur the Aggies to two wins and the championship of the SMU Mi Cocina Soccer Cup. “Last year we played UCLA at UCLA and we had more fans they did,” said junior forward Emma Smith. “I don’t know if it’s just because they’re so much louder, but it seems like we have more fans than the home team does.” The excitement about Aggie soccer and the atmosphere the Hooligans have brought to the games has brought an increase to stu dent attendance in general at soccer games. See Hooligans on page 9 LaFrentz out, Walker in for Mavericks By Jaime Aron THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks bulked up an already strong offense Monday, acquir ing All-Star forward Antoine Walker from the Boston Celtics in a five-player trade. The Celtics agreed to take center Raef LaFrentz and the six I seasons remaining on a $69 mil lion, seven-year contract signed before last season. The Celtics also get Jiri Welsch and Chris Mills, players the Mavericks got in an offseason trade that also brought Antawn Jamison from Golden State, and Dallas’ first-round pick in 2004. The Mavericks will get guard Tony Delk from Boston. “It’s not every day that a 27- year-old All-Star becomes avail able,” said Donnie Nelson, Dallas’ president of basketball operations. “We feel we’ve got one of the most versatile coach es in the league. To add a player of Antoine’s ability just gives (coach Don Nelson) more options to work with.” Nelson struck the deal with Danny Ainge, who became Boston’s head of basketball oper ations in May. The two are close friends, with Nelson having been an assistant to Ainge in Phoenix. Between his jobs with the Suns and Celtics, Ainge was a TV analyst and he said on the air he did not like Walker’s game. Since joining Boston, he’s said he had no intention of trading Walker. Now Walker, a three-time All-Star who averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last sea son, goes from playing along side one high scorer in Paul Pierce to being joined by four: Dallas’ nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley, plus Jamison, who was added in August. The Mavericks, the NBA’s highest-scoring team the last See Trade on page 9 By Jon Sarche THE ASSOCIATED PRESS EAGLE, Colo. — Kobe Bryant must stand trial on a charge of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old resort work er, a judge ruled Monday, clearing the way for a celebrity trial the likes of which hasn’t bryant been seen since OJ. Simpson. Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett said prose cutors presented enough evi dence Bryant might have com mitted the crime June 30. The Los Angeles Lakers guard could face a life sentence if convicted. His next appearance, in dis trict court, is set for Nov. 10. Bryant has said the sex was consensual. His attorneys sug gested the woman’s injuries came during sex with other men in the days before her encounter with Bryant at a posh resort in nearby Edwards. The defense can appeal Gannett’s ruling, but such appeals are rare, legal experts said. Bryant practiced with the Los Angeles Lakers at their El Segundo, Calif., facility on Monday and it wrapped up about two hours before the judge issued his ruling. Bryant was asked then about the decision that would be coming out of the Colorado courtroom. “What courtroom?” he said. At Bryant’s first appearance in state district court he will be advised of his rights, of the charge and of the possible penalties. He could enter a plea during that hearing. Unless Bryant waives his right to a speedy trial, the trial would be scheduled within six months of his plea. Prosecutors in Colorado almost always succeed in per suading a judge to order a trial after a preliminary hearing because the standard of proof required is relatively low. Allegations are usually enough to advance the case to a higher court for trial, where the stan dard of proof is much higher. Bryant’s hearing was hardly a quick proceeding: It lasted for nearly two days and includ ed graphic testimony about an encounter prosecutors say turned violent after flirting by both Bryant and his accuser. Sheriff’s Detective Doug Winters testified the woman went to Bryant’s room at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera shortly after checking him and his two bodyguards in to the resort. The two chatted and began kissing. But a few minutes later, Bryant grabbed the woman by the throat, bent her See Kobe on page 9 SPORTS IN BRIEF A&M volleyball climbs to No. 21 The Texas A&M volleyball team climbed one spot to No. 21 in the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I Coaches Poll, released Monday by the AVCA. The Aggies (14-5, 6-3 Big 12), who are in fourth place in the Big 12, made the jump after extending their winning streak to four with victories over Kansas and Oklahoma last week. Defending national champion USC, Hawaii, Florida and Georgia Tech continue to hold down the top four spots. A&M will host 2005 NCAA tennis Texas A&M has been select ed by the NCAA to host its Division I Men’s Tennis Championships in May of 2005 at the school’s newly named George P. Mitchell ’40 Outdoor Tennis Center, the school announced Monday. A&M, which served as host in the 2002 season, will become the second school to host the men’s tennis champi onships more than once since the current format was adopt ed in 1977. The University of Georgia has served as host for 23 of the last 27 champi onships. Corps needs Americans with skills in Environment Education Agriculture Health Peace Corps needs 5,500 graduates with skills in agriculture, business, education, environment, health and information technology. All majors are welcome. Benefits include medical, dental and housing, as well as a monthly stipend and 24 vacation days a year. Graduates can defer student loans while serving. Visit the TAMU Career Center 209 Koldus Building to pick up a Peace Corps Catalog. eacec HAVE YOU RECEIVED DEFERRED ADJUDICATION? SEAL YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD EROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE As of September 1, 2003, individuals who have completed deferred adjudica tion probation can petition for an order prohibiting the public disclosure of the details of the deferred adjudication probation. Neither prospective employers, landlords nor anyone performing a criminal background search will have access to the details of your deferred adjudication probation. You may legally deny the arrest and prosecution, unless it is being used irt a subsequent proceeding. The new law applies to misdemeanor and felony charges. Depending on the nature of the charge, you may be eligible to file immediately upon completion of the deferred adjudication. Some misdemeanors will qualify after 5 years while some felonies will qualify 10 years after completion of deferred adjudi cation probation. Some offenses will not qualify. CALL TODAY TO DETERMINE YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR AN ORDER OF PUBLIC NONDISCLOSURE THE LAW OFFICES OF LANE D. THIBODEAUX (979) 775- 5700 308 N. Washington, Bryan, Texas 77806 Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization