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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2004)
OKU Allli \ tal JiCm Okm .rre ^ 3iX- uqueu rre je's 'was : UK! 5d. 20 m, I hen ik :xeciiii: ! Cok es \ tially [ bllOVn,; ion ik m. Hi cil k iloyinei :o Hail 00 Ui. iti for, L” The; intern: Judei om se\- uld stai . peace- claski andiiie is, jriliii d otei said i ;rs. as c iy afe- uben i esstlffl : sen* :atesaiiJ ial ra«f ail aK 1 mite 1 escape eginsk ilk aW Volume 110 • issue 104 • 12 pages A Texas A&VI Tradition Since 1803 Opinion: Nader could split liberal vote. Page 11 www.thebaU.cuin PAGE DESIGN BY : LAUREN ROUSE Kerry cements win in Tuesday elections Sen John Kerry, D-Mass., joined by his wife Teresa Heim Kerry, daughters Alex and Vanessa and stepson Chris Heinz, addresses supporters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 2. Kerry sealed his place as the Democratic presidential runner after winning 25 of 28 state elections. By Ron Fournier THE ASSOCIATED PRESS John Kerry cemented the Democratic presiden tial nomination, driving rival John Edwards from the race with a string of Super Tuesday triumphs that catapulted the Massachusetts senator into an eight- month struggle to oust President George W. Bush. “Change is coming to America,” Kerry said, capping a remarkable race that began with his candidacy on the brink of extinction in Iowa and New Hampshire. Dominating all comers, the four-term lawmak er won 27 of 30 elections as each victory fed on the next in a swell of momentum that no rival could overcome. From Edwards’ Southern strong holds to the jobs-poor Midwest states of Ohio and Michigan to the growing Southwest battleground of Arizona to his own New England base, Kerry racked up victories in a a six-week primary season that amplified Democratic criticism of the Republican incumbent. In state after state. Democrats said their top pri ority was a candidate who could defeat a wartime president with a $100 million-plus campaign treasury. Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, won an overwhelming number of their votes, and now leads a relatively united party against Bush. “I am a fighter, and for more than 30 years I have been on the battle lines, on the front lines, for fairness and mainstream American values,” Kerry told cheering supporters in Washington, D.C., promising to close tax loopholes, offer new incen tives for manufacturers, protect the environment, raise the minimum wage and cut health care costs. The crowd shouted along with him as Kerry delivered his signature line: “If George Bush wants to make national security the central issue of 2004, I have three words that 1 know he under stands — Bring. It. On.” Strategists in both parties say the general elec tion may be one of the nastiest in memory, with both camps seeking to energize their core support ers. In a polarized nation, there are fewer swing voters to be courted with warm-and-fuzzy poli ticking, they say. Pivoting quickly to the Nov. 2 election, Kerry ordered his staff to immediately put in place a process to review potential vice presidential can didates, according to senior advisers. They said it was possible Kerry would choose a nominee well before the Democratic nominating convention in his hometown of Boston in July. Aides said Kerry had grown frustrated with Edwards’ claim that he was the only candidate who could beat Bush, but not enough to preclude his consideration fora vice presidential nomination. Seizing the party’s reins, Kerry planned signifi cant changes at the Democratic National Committee, aides said. His first campaign stop will be Wednesday in Florida, site of the historical 2000 recount election that gave Bush the presidency. His poll ratings slipping. Bush begins a multi- million-dollar TV ad blitz Thursday designed to bolster his political fortunes. Kerry is prepared to dip into Democratic Party coffers to pay for his own ads, but Bush has a huge cash advantage. Briefly setting aside their differences, Kerry See Kerry on page 6 A&M is ranked in top 25 for enrollment of Hispanic women ByRhiannon Meyers THE BATTALION Areport released in the Feb. 23 edition of "Hispanic Outlook" ranked Texas A&M asoneof the top 25 institutions in the nation for enrolling Hispanic women. According to the report, A&M was ranked 23rd with 1,479 ^5=91H> Hispanic women cur rently enrolled as undergradu ates and graduates. A&M was ranked below University of Texas with 2,333, University of Houston-University Park, with 1,717 and' Texas State University, with 1,510. Frank Ashley, director of admissions at A&M. said he was pleased with the ranking, and said that the University did not expect it. "We were pleasantly sur prised, although I have been monitoring the undergraduate numbers, and I knew that our numbers were up," he said. Ashley said the numbers increased in last few years, and now A&M boasts one of the largest Hispanic populations with 3,610 Hispanics currently enrolled. Ashley said he See Hispanic on page 2 Hispanic Women Enrollment A&M was ranked in the top 25 institutions in the nation for enrolling Hispanic women. The report was in the Feb. 23 edition of "Hispanic Outlook." Rank University 11 University of Texas 15 University of Houston- I University Park 22 Texas State University 23 Texas A&M University Number of Hispanic Women Enrolled 2,333 1,717 1,510 1,479 GRACIE ARENAS • THE BATTALION SOURCE : HISPANIC OUTLOOK Carroll: Food, cancer links inaccurate George Bush East opens By Jason Hanselka THE BATTALION By Amelia Williamson THE BATTALION Many research reports have conclud ed that there is a link between certain foods and cancer, but some of these reports are not accurate, said Raymond Carroll, a distinguished professor in Texas A&M’s statistics department. Canoll spoke Tuesday night as a part of the University’s Distinguished Lecture Series on the difficulty of determining a true link between diet and cancer. Many studies that claim to link cer tain foods to cancer may include signif icant errors, he said. Carroll said errors in such studies arise from the way scientists measure diets in humans. “We can’t lock people up and give them controlled diets, so we’ve got to ask them about their diet,” Carroll said. There are three main ways scientists measure a person’s diet: 24-hour recalls, where scientists ask a person what foods he ate the previous day; food diaries. where scientists ask a person to keep a record of what foods he consumes throughout the day; and food frequency questionnaires, where scientists ask a person to complete a form questioning him on foods he eats, Carroll said. The problem with these methods of measuring diet in humans is that there is a person-specific bias, Carroll said. People may forget some of the things See Carroll on page 6 The city of College ’Station opened the section of George Bush Drive between Texas Avenue and Dominik Drive that had been causing driving headaches for months Tuesday afternoon. Barricades blocking George Bush Drive East were removed about 4 p.m., and traffic was allowed to proceed shortly after. The section of roadway had been closed to allow for the widening of George Bush Drive East to four lanes and the addi tion of bike lanes and sidewalks on each side. Donald Harmon, project manager for the widening of George Bush Drive East, said the project was finished ahead of schedule. “With all of our extensions, the expected completion was early June,” he said. Harmon said traffic was expect ed to proceed on George Bush Drive East in one direction during the entire construction period. “We met with the contractors early on, and they expressed con cerns with workers' safety,” he said. “We decided to close it to all traffic.” Harmon said the decision to completely close George Bush Drive East was the reason the construction was finished early. Rodney Weis, director of Transportation Services, said TS is glad to see the project completed. “We’re happy to see street improvements whether on campus or out in the community,” he said. Weis said the street opening will allow the heavily used bus route Excel to operate more efficiently. “With the widening of George Bush East, it will be considerably quicker to run route 22 (Excel),” he said. “We're going back to the better route.” Excel, which normally runs outbound and inbound on George Bush Drive East, was rerouted to Harvey Road during construction. Weis said Excel will resume its normal route.today. “We can go back to the origi nal route because we’re not miss ing any major stops,” he said. The stops at the Wells Fargo ATM on the corner of George Bush Drive East and Dominik Drive were the only stops that were not in use during the con struction and will be restored, Weis said. Excel passenger and freshman electrical engineering major Abbi Blackburn said she is excited about the opening. “It’s been a minor inconven ience for me,” she said. “I think it will cut down on some travel time.” Blackburn said she expects traffic flow to improve. “I think it will be better, but I don't know if it will be a major difference,” she said. Harmon said the rain has pre vented the completion of finish ing touches, such as the installa tion of mailboxes. “There is some grading and sodding that still needs to be done,” he said. “All of this will be taken care of shortly.” Africana Studies minor coordinator named By Joaquin Salcedo THE BATTALION Considering the signifi cance that people with African heritage play in the world, the newly- f,o r m e d Africana Studies minor will broaden care e r options for Texas A&M students, said Patrick K. Muana, a visiting assistant professor in A&M’s Department of English. “(Africana Studies) intro duces students in a clear aca demic and interdisciplinary way to issues dealing with the black experience,” Muana said. Muana was appointed coor dinator of the Africana Studies minor in February. The program is listed in the spring 2004 course catalog and will become available to students as of the fall 2004 semester. The program focuses on African her itage and culture, as well as their expansion around the world. “Africana Studies is not a minority program for a minori ty population,” Muana said. “But, it is generally for Aggies to actually give more depth to this broadly brought education that we’re getting at Texas A&M University.” Muana said the minor looks into the historical and social effects that have shaped the lives of people with an African her itage. These people come from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and North and South America. Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Arts Julia K. Blackwelder said the pro gram will combine the study of African heritage and African culture with new world African cultures. “It is an approach to studying the migration of people around the world,” Blackwelder said. Beginning his work in the United Kingdom, Muana earned his doctorate degree in English from the University of Sheffield in 1997. Before arriv ing at A&M as a visiting assis tant English professor in 2001, See Africana on page 2 MUANA Dress rehearsal RANDAL FORD • THE BATTALION Junior general studies major Alberto Martinez prepares for "Leyendas De Mis Abuelos," which is appearing in Rudder for the next two weeks.