f^fry Tuesday, April 6, 2004
1 he Battalion
olume 110 • Issue 123 • 12 puges
V Texas Iraditioii Since 1S93
SPORTS:
A day in the
life of
Terrence
Murphy.
Page 8
w \\ thehaU.com
‘Nerd shack’
JP BEATO III • THE BATTALION
I ichner residents Paul Hillman, left, a freshman genetics major, and
Iryan Griffith, a freshman mechanical engineering major, con-
Iruct one of the "Nerd Shacks" by Rudder Fountain Monday
evening. Lechner Hall raised enough money to bid on two of the 10
lots available. The fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity lasts 24/7
until the shacks are torn down on Thursday.
umpter to revamp journalism
By Brian D. Cain
THE BATTALION
I Randall S. Sumpter said he wants
Hudents who are interested in the jour-
Halism field to know that by taking
Boimalism as a minor, they will still
Heceive a good education.
I -Sumpter, associate professor of
I palism at Texas A&M, was recent-
I 'named the coordinator of the newly-
| irmed Journalism Education Program
II Texas A&M’s College of Liberal
■ rts aimed at creating a journalism
hinor and certificate program amid
other programs. In creating this new
program, Sumpter said he has several
responsibilities.
Sumpter said he has to finish the
new Journalism Education Program
and turn in the proposal for approval by
various committees and then appoint
an advisory committee of faculty and
media professionals.
“I’m also putting together the
Journalism as a Profession Program,
which is a program that will directly
mentor students in producing long-
form projects, such as a news series
rather than a single report,” Sumpter
said. “The students will get help from
people who do this on a daily basis, so
this is a good situation for journalism
students. Lastly, I’ll continue to expand
current internship programs for jour
nalism students.”
The program curriculum will then
be presented to the Liberal Arts
Curriculum committee, the Liberal
Arts Council, the University
Curriculum Committee and the Faculty
Senate, Sumpter said.
“These committees will decide
See Sumpter on page 2
PAGE DESIGN BY: LAUREN ROUSE
Bishop named
head yell leader
By Carrie Pierce
THE BATTALION
When Ryan
Bishop’s family
friend Ted Duffy
was elected head
yell leader in 1998,
Bishop’s interest
was sparked and he
knew he wanted to
attend Texas A&M. bishop
After seeing
how the student body interacted with
the yell leaders and the excitement
of the 30,000 people in the crowd at
yell practice, Bishop, a senior yell
leader elect and junior business
administration major, became inter
ested in the position of yell leader.
“Being a part of A&M was my
focus, not really being a yell leader,”
Bishop said. “I am reminded every
day of the opportunity I have and
how special it is to serve A&M.”
Bishop, who is from Colleyville,
Texas, was chosen as head yell
leader Monday afternoon by a panel
of 16 students and staff. Student
panelists included representatives
from various organizations includ
ing the Residence Hall Association,
International Student Association,
Student Government Association
and Class Councils, said Rusty
Thompson, yell leader adviser.
Faculty panelists include repre
sentatives from the Department of
Student Affairs, the Association of
Former Students, the Athletic
Department and one former yell
leader. Once the panel nominates a
candidate, he is approved by Bill
Kibler, interim vice president for
student affairs.
Head yell leader serves as a liai
son between the yell leaders, the staff
and student body, Thompson said.
The responsibilities include rep
resenting the student body at numer
ous functions as well as speaking to
former students and prospective stu
dents, Thompson said.
“They (yell leaders) spend all
summer on the road talking to stu
dents, former students, Aggie Mom’s
clubs. Fish Camps and New Student
Conferences,” Thompson said.
The position also entails choos
ing which yell to do. Bishop said.
Houston Haley, senior yell leader
elect and a junior business adminis
tration major, said Bishop will do a
great job.
“It is good to come in with a good
group of guys,” Haley said. “Either
one (Bishop or Paul Terrell) would
have served greatly.”
Keaton Askew, junior yell leader
elect and a sophomore agricultural
development major, described
Bishop as having a good work ethic.
“I think he’s going to do an excel
lent job,” Askew said. “I’m extreme
ly proud of him. He will fulfill his
position to its highest.”
Patrick Hebert, junior yell leader
elect and a sophomore sports man
agement major, said Bishop is a
down-to-earth and godly person.
“He will definitely succeed,”
Hebert said. “He is always getting
his job done, and he will continue
to do that.”
Bishop said his goals as head yell
leader are building on last year and
making sure that the yell leaders
attend as many events as possible.
“This is a tremendous opportuni
ty since we are elected by the stu
dent body, and we don’t need to take
that lightly,” Bishop said. “I am
excited but it really doesn’t change
much. I’ll still be going to all events
and be as active as I can.”
Bishop gaid his favorite part of
being a yell leader is getting to be
around so many children and for
mer students.
“This is the biggest honor I’ve
ever had,” Bishop said. “A&M
means so much to me.”
iggieland, Battalion
eceive awards at TIPA
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
I The Aggie I and Yearbook
rceived top honors Saturday
a the Texas Intercollegiate
Iress Association’s spring
I invention in Austin.
I Members of The Battalion
E ticipated in the convention
a number of events includ-
jnews writing, photography
lid graphics.
I Sharon Aeschbach
rceived first place for sports
I ature photo.
I Matt Rigney received first
lid second place honors for
opinion page design. Dallas
Ihipp placed first for a
|)orts column.
The following staffers
aced second in the following
Jtegories: Rolando Garcia for
news story; Kim Katapodis
ran Aggielife headline; True
rown and Dallas Shipp for
>orts page design.
Third-place honors went
to Aeschbach for a news photo
and Troy Miller for a sports
news story.
Ruben Deluna and John
Livas received honorable men
tion for an illustration and a
sports action photo respectively.
During the on-site competi
tion Aeschbach received first
place for a news photo, Carrie
Pierce received third place in
press release writing and
Rhiannon Meyers received hon
orable mention in news writing.
Katapodis said headlines
are an important element to
any article.
“I feel honored that of all
the headline writers in Texas,
I’m like the silver medalist,”
Katapodis said.
This was Pierce’s first time
competing at the TIPA con
vention, and she said attend
ing served as a great
Last weekend, April 1 through April 3,
members of The Battalion traveled to
Austin for the Texas Intercollegiate Press
Association conference.
Onsite competition winners were:
Sharon Aeschbach, News Photo * 1st Place
Carrie Pierce, Press Release Writing - 3rd Place
Rhiannon Meyers, News Writing » Honorable Mention
Aggieland Yearbook also won the award for
best overall yearbook.
For a complete list of winners, visit
www.thebatt.com
ANDREW BURLESON • THE BATTALION
SOURCE : TIPA
Former student’s mother
supports alcohol legislation
By Sonia Moghe
THE BATTALION
Susan Wagener, a high school counselor
of 20 years, said her first experience dealing
with alcohol poisoning was with a middle
school student. But when her son Michael,
Class of 2000, died of alcohol poisoning in
August 1999, she made it her goal to spread
alcohol poisoning education to students and
legislators alike.
Tuesday,Wagener will speak before Texas
lawmakers urging them to take into consid
eration laws banning free alcohol birthday
“shots,” prohibiting drinks on midnight of
someone’s 21st birthday, prohibiting the
consumption of excessive amounts of alco
hol in one serving, registering kegs and con
sidering a resolution that will not allow alco
hol advertising during broadcasts of college
sporting events on both radio and television.
“There are other states ... that have some
of these laws,” Wagener said. “I feel (bars
should) serve those that are 21 only at the
opening hours rather than at midnight
because then they are rushed to drink.”
Since the death of her son, Wagener and
her husband, Bodie, have contributed to a
program that sends 21st birthday cards to
See Alcohol on page 2
SIGNS OF ALCOHOL POISONING
Susan Wagener will speak
before Texas lawmakers
Tuesday to convince them to
adopt stricter laws to help
prevent young adults from
alcohol poisoning.
The following are symptoms
of alcohol poisoning:
m* Lack of awareness or of
surroundings
OP Irregular heart rate or pulse
«p Nausea and/or vomiting
pp Unconsciousness or cannot
be awakened
m* Bluish color on fingernails
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
SOURCE : SUSAN WAGENER
Davies: Life on Earth may come from
By James Twine
THE BATTALION
Paul Davies may be able to explain the origins of life on Earth
with his theory that life on earth came from Mars.
“If there was life on Mars, continual rain of martian materials
on earth could have sparked the creation of life here on Earth,”
Davies said.
Davies and Robert Shapiro were given the Trotter Prize
Monday night at Rudder Theater, where they both presented theo
ries on the origins of life.
Marian Scully, a professor of physics at Texas A&M, said he
thought the event was “a stimulating exchange of ideas” as he
introduced both Trotter Award winners.
Davies is a professor of natural philosophy in the Australian
Centre for astrobiology at Macquaire University. He has conduct
ed research in the fields of cosmology, gravitation and quantum
field theory and also wrote the book “The Fifth Miracle.”
Davies said his research is not concerned with the question of
how the origin of life came to Earth, but when and where the ori
gin of life came to Earth.
Davies said life in the deep sea exists around volcanic vents, and
organisms exist not only on the surface of the earth but deep with
in its crust. He said this led him to believe that because recent
exploration of Mars proves that water existed there at one time and
Olympus Mons — the largest volcano in the solar system — is
located on Mars, then it is possible that organisms could or have
survived on Mars.
“Volcanoes and water could be evidence of the possibility of life
on Mars,” Davies said.
JP BEATO III • THE BATTALION
Robert Shapiro, a New York University chemistry professor, speaks at Rudder
Theater about the origins of life. The event was hosted by the College of
Science and the Dwight Look College of Engineering.
Davies said that with constant bombardment from space 3.5 bil
lion years ago, pieces of martian rock containing organisms could
have landed on earth, creating life.
“I understand that this process could work in the other way,
rocks with organisms from earth creating life on Mars, and also that
See Davies on page 12