The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 02, 2004, Image 1
The \()Iiihu' I • Issm* 10' • li) I'.ii’i's Tuesday, March 2, 2004 V l t'\as VX M l i adifioii Since 1S 1 >4 Entertainment: Comic books see an increase in sales. Page 3 \\ \\ \v.fhebau.com PAGE DESIGN BY : LAUREN ROUSE IHotard Hall to remain open one more year m By Melissa Sullivan THE BATTALION After a week of Texas A&M students express- ling opinions and attending open forums regarding jallocation of campus space, A&M President |Robert M. Gates said Monday that Hotard Hall ill remain open until May 2005. On Feb. 16, members of the Council on the |BuiltEnvironment told Hotard residents that they ild need to find new living arrangements for 2004 because it planned to convert the resi- |dencehall into office space for incoming faculty. Gates met with members of the CBE and [otardHall President Shaun Shaikh Monday, and Ip after hearing student concerns about the lack of consultation and advance notice of the decision, that he decided to postpone the closing. “It seems to be the fair thing to do,’’ Gates said. “If you are going to make changes with student living, give advance warning.” Shaikh, a freshman electrical engineering major, said he was noT sure what to expect from WWW.tlieliaW.C0m Gates, hut said that he went into the meeting prepared to express student concerns about the lack of communication between students and University administrators. “The Resident Hall Association and the Student Senate both passed resolutions supporting Hotard,” Shaikh said. Shaikh said most residents were pleased with Gates’ decision because it gave them a chance to show the administration they won’t give up. “A few people from the dorm were upset because the dorm was still closing,” Shaikh said. “But a lot were happy and now we can show how indispensable we are.” Shaikh said closing the hall conflicts with the goals of Vision 2020 because it states that it wants everyone to live on campus, but if the A&M administration contin ues to close residence halls, that will not happen. New residence halls will not be built on cam pus until 2009, Shaikh said. “It’s moving backwards,” he said. Austin Main, a sophomore mechanical engi neering major and project manager of “Save Hotard,” said residents effectively gained support for Hotard’s campaign and said he hopes the sup port continues. Main said former residents of Hotard Hall have expressed their disappointment toward the decision of closing the residence hall, and some even sent donations. “They are behind us 100 percent,” he said. The Web site for “Save Hotard” will still be updated with news and upcoming events. Main said. Student Body President Matt Josefy said that many times in the past the administration has lis tened and respected student’s voices. “This is a certain voice in the future of our campus,” Josefy said. See Hotard on page 2 from left: 4-year-old Chae-rin Yun representing Korea, 3-year-old Won Young representing Korea, 5-yeor-old Sophie Dallis representing Greece and 4- yeor-old Jasmyn Burns representing America from lie Montessori School House in Bryan sing "The More We Get Together" in the MSC Flag Room for International Week events promote cultural diversity SHARON AESCHBACH* THE BATTALION the kickoff to International Week. Each child is dressed in traditional clothing from her country of origin. The children represented 18 different coun tries and they each counted to 10 in English, Spanish, French, Korean and Hindi. Luncheon kicks off International Week at Bush Library By Elizabeth Knapp THE BATTALION Texas A&M President Robert M. Gates hosted the Consuls General Luncheon at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at the George Bush Presidential Library on Monday. The event was a kicked off International Week 2004. Approximately 30 countries were represented by their consuls to celebrate the diversity that encom passes the University. “We are here to support the activities of the University as consul generals of our countries arid to create a positive (relationship) with the University,” Consul General of the State of Qatar Mohamed Al- Hayki said. Al-Hayki also spoke on the recent opening of A&M at Qatar, a branch of A&M at College Station. The new campus offers four undergraduate engineering See Luncheon on page 2 Opening ceremony led by Aggies from around the globe By Michael Player THE BATTALION The opening ceremony for International Week at Texas A&M began with the voices of children and a ribbon-cutting by local and University offi cials Monday. The Memorial Student Center Flag Room was abuzz with activity with more than 100 people in attendance. Twenty-three Aggies presented the flags of their homelands and greeted the audience in their native languages. •• “Texas A&M has students from 122 countries,” said Royce Hickman, president and CEO of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, in his address to the crowd. “The true meaning of International Week is to reach beyond borders.” Hickman stressed the importance of embracing See Ceremony on page 2 Gates addresses Faculty Senate on restructuring plans, tuition U By Aerin Toussaint THE BATTALION Members of the Texas A&M Faculty Senate said |Monday that A&M University President Robert M. |Gateshas some effective ideas lor A&M's future, but [some members remain skeptical on how |tlieideas would help the University. Gates addressed proposals on tuition, (administrative restructuring and the fac- llyreinvestment plan. Gates said the administrative restruc- (turingproposal is still in the early stages (of draft and discussion. Restructuring (willreorganize the administrative portion (of the University, making management more efficient and more cost-effective. Gates said. One of the major proposed changes is |to move business venues such as Reed Irena, Rudder Theater and the Memorial f Center Hotel, to management [jnder the Department of Finance for better accounta- ilityand cost savings. Gates said no layoffs are planned in the proposed Restructuring. The University plans to hire 101 new faculty every pil year until 2007, to bring the total of new hires to Wl.This faculty reinvestment program hopes to bring lie student-to-faculty ratio down from 22:1 to 16:1, pates said. “Wehave the opportunity to make an enormous dif ference in the future of the University through these hires,” Gates said. “A more diverse faculty will help lead to a more diverse student body.” Martyn Gunn, secretary-treasurer of the Faculty Senate and a professor of biochemistry, said he sup ports Gates’s faculty reinvestment plan because it is a method of recruiting minority students without putting a face on race. “Every student deserves to be here based on merit, not on the color of their skin,” Gunn said. David Myers, an English professor at A&M, said he is skeptical of the fac ulty reinvestment plan because it does not lay out a clear plan on how to improve teaching. “Gates wants to increase the quality of teaching by increasing the number of professors, but it doesn’t naturally fol low that smaller classes mean quality classes,” Myers said. Gates said the University is experi encing a downturn in the number of international grad uate students as a result of homeland security taking over the issuing of visas. The strict homeland security policy makes it difficult for international students to get in and out of the United States. As a result of this; Gates said Australia and the United Kingdom are see ing an influx of international students who are turned away from the the United States. See Senate on page 8 A more diverse facuhy will help lead to a more diverse student body. — Robert M. Gates University president Li. Morgan Cook, along with firefighters Misty Vargas (L) and Brad Ballard (R) of the College Station Fire Department, dump Shag Sorb, an JP BEATO III • THE BATTALION environmentally-safe, biodegradeable absorbent, on spilled diesel fuel on the intersection of George Bush and Wellborn Road Monday afternoon. Train derails on Bush, Wellborn By Jason Hanselka THE BATTALION A work train for Union Pacific jumped track and spilled diesel fuel at the inter section of George Bush Drive and Wellborn Road Monday afternoon. Lt. Morgan Cook of the College Station Fire Department said the incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. Cook said a crew from Union Pacific set it back on the track and it headed toward Bryan. Firefighters Misty Vargas and Brad Ballard of the CSFD dumped Shag Sorb, an environmentally- safe, biodegradable absorbent, on the diesel to soak it up. The scene was cleared about 6:15 p.m. Cook said Union Pacific is about to start work on the tracks. SILVER TAPS hrlstopher Anthony Lawler Petroleum Engineering Tonight 10:30 p.m. Academic Plaza A&M participates in Child Survival campaign for first year By Aerin Toussaint THE BATTALION Rachel Fort has experienced life in third world countries for 14 years while living in Africa with her mis sionary family in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. She said witnessing poverty can be devastating. “Poverty in third world countries is sometimes overwhelming, and it seems like there is nothing big enough to help,” said Fort, a sopho more psychology major. However, povertyfighters.com is helping to give those in need all over the world a hand up, not a hand out, said Paul Adler, media coordinator for the third annual Collegiate Click Drive, which ends on March 26. This is Texas A&M’s first year to participate in the drive, which is being promoted by the Student Campaign for Child Survival, an organization that focuses its efforts on improving the lives of the poor. “I think that the more people that participate, the more impact it will have,” Fort said. The money generated by the dick See Survival on page 2