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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.