i
Monday, April 26, 2004
Battalion
olume 110 • Issue 136 • 12 pages
A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893
SPORTS:
A&M men’s tennis
finishes season with
win over OSU.
Page 7
www.fhebalt.com
PACE DESIGN BY: EMILY HENDRICKSON
lix: Iraqis, world no safer than before war
By Rhiannon Meyers
THE BATTALION
| Hans Blix, fonner U.N. chief weapons
pector, said that if viewed on a balance
it, the negative effects of the war on Iraq
wbuld far outweigh the positive effects.
I “On the negative side, there have been
the loss of many lives and property, and
the losses continue every day,” he said.
Bfilix, who spoke Friday as part of the
Wiley Lecture Series, told an audience of
about 1,500 in Rudder Auditorium that the
ousting of Saddam Hussein and his brutal
relume, although a positive effect, is only
part of the story. Blix cited the negative
ccmsequences of the war including huge,
unexpected economic costs, stimulated
terrorism and the damaging of the U.N.
Security Council’s authority.
Blix was appointed as head of the U.N.
Monitoring, Verification and Inspection
commission in 2002. He is currently the
chairman of the newly-formed
International Commission on Weapons of
Mass Destruction. Blix, author of the
recently released book titled “Disarming
Iraq,” said that he wrote his book to illus
trate some of the little-known facts about
the war with Iraq.
“I have been in the central part of the
stage,” Blix said. “I did see a great deal of
what went on with the United Nations and
what went on with the Iraqis, and I felt it
was my duty to report on that.”
The audience applauded as Blix said in a
question-and-answer period following the
speech that he does not think that the Iraqis
and the world are safer now than when
Hussein was in power, citing a greater risk
of terrorism in Iraq and worldwide.
“As for the Iraqis, I would imagine a
vast majority of them are pleased and
relieved that Saddam was ousted but at the
same time they feel humiliated by the
occupation,” he said.
Blix said the U.S. troops who are now
occupying Iraq must act as a helpful insti
tution in order to secure democracy in Iraq.
See Blix on page 6
gelou: Take advantage of college
afternoon. Angelou told
students to take advantage
of their education.
By Sonia Moghe
THE BATTALION
With her colorful headdress and
gray suit, Maya Angelou resembled
the “rainbow in the clouds” that she
preached, as she told students to take
advantage of their opportunities in
college and wove her message with
song, poetry, stories and comedy.
“A rainbow in the clouds bright
ens your path,” Angelou said.
Angelou, who drove from
North Carolina to College Station
in a bus because she dislikes riding
in planes, presented her speech to
a packed Rudder Auditorium
Friday afternoon.
“We wanted to create an envi
ronment where there was no cost in
which students could embrace a
unique experience,” said Leviathan
Winn, a sophomore finance major
and part of the Memorial Student
Center Diversity, the group that
sponsored the program.
The acclaimed poet, author and
civil rights activist, who recently
celebrated her 76th birthday, said
college students should take advan
tage of their time at a university
because their ancestors have
already paid for them to be there.
Angelou also encouraged stu
dents who are dissatisfied with their
professors to become better stu
dents by showing more interest.
“Professors can become jaded ”
Angelou said. “A good student can
make a jaded teacher great.”
Angelou said she recently
received her 56th honorary doc
torate and that she can teach
Spanish, French, Italian, theology
and philosophy.
Angelou lectured with what she
called a “blow-bite-blow” method;
she sandwiched serious stories
between comedy to get her mes
sage across.
On a serious note, she addressed
the fact that she was raped as a child
See Angelou on page 2
Former U.N. Chief Weapons Inspector
Hans Blix spoke Friday to an audience
of some 1,500 in Rudder Auditorium
John C, Livas • THE BATTALION
as part of the Wiley Lecture Series. Blix
spoke about the war in Iraq and its
negative consequences.
chery program
ay get the axe
Two students receive Marshall scholarship
On the eve of the National
Outdoor Championships, Texas
>&M archery head coach
lathy Eissinger was notified
lat A&M Athletic Director Bill
jyrne has plans to cut archery
[om its varsity status unless the
:am can find private funding.
We are currently looking
ito other areas of sponsorship
pr the archery program,”
lyrne said. “If we are unsuc-
sssful, we will move the pro-
■am back to club status.”
Sophomore archer Amanda
■affaelli said the news came as
1 shock.
|S “It’s really hard to go into a
■ational tournament when
C .&M) says they’re going to
But your team,” Raffaelli said.
|I The news also comes on
Be heels of Eissinger deciding
t< leave A&M to move to
■tail where her husband cur-
Bntly is employed.
I “Eissinger has done a terrif
ic job with the program,” Byrne
said. “She has sacrificed her
personal life for this program. It
is her desire to join (her hus
band) at this time and I sup
port that decision. With this
decision, the timing is right to
review our archery program.”
Archery was added as a
varsity sport five years ago,
making A&M the third univer
sity in the nation to add the
sport to varsity status.
“When we added archery
and equestrian to varsity status,
both sports were considered
emerging sports for women
and we hoped both would be
added to the list of NCAA
sponsored championships,”
Byrne said. “Both sports had
done well on a club basis and
so it made sense here at Texas
A&M. Since that time, eques
trian continues to expand while
archery has remained with only
Texas A&M, Columbia and
James Madison as sponsors.”
See Archery on page 6
By Aerin Toussaint
THE BATTALION
Next fall, two Texas A&M graduates will set foot on the
University of Sussex campus in the United Kingdom to begin their
graduate studies as part of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship.
Maya Weilundemo, a senior English major, and Josh Siepel, a
senior genetics major, are two of only three Aggies ever selected as
Marshall Scholars.
This is the first time A&M has had two Marshall Scholars in the
same year, said Marcella Ellis, national scholarships coordinator in
the office of honors programs and academic scholarships.
Ellis said the Marshall Scholarship is a highly competitive
process that seeks to identify and advance future leaders who have
strong ambition and an understanding of the world, current events
and their place as scholars.
“They look for students who want to make a difference in their
lives and have demonstrated that through their involvement and
their activities within their organizations,” Ellis said. “Josh and
Maya both fit that description very broadly.”
As co-founder and president of the campus Green Party, editor
of undergraduate humanities journal AGORA and member of
numerous other campus activities, Weilundemo displayed her pas
sion for involvement.
Weilundemo said that even though school work is crucial to be
successful, one must enjoy anything he becomes involved in.
“Academics are important, but what’s more important is to be
dedicated to your interests,” Weilundemo said.
Weilundemo said she will study creative writing at the University
of Sussex.
During his studies at A&M, Siepel was the Memorial Student
Center Jordan Institute chair for two years, during which he helped
begin service programs in the Dominican Republic and Honduras.
Siepel was also in an a capella singing group and MSC Town Hall.
“I think the best thing is to keep up a broad range of interests,
THE
SCHOLARSHIP
Two A&M students received the Marshall
Scholarship, making this the first time two
Aggies have won at the same time. Three
Aggies have received it overall.
|—| The Marshall Scholarship was funded in 1953 to
— commemorate the Marshall Plan
Approximately 40 American graduates receive
□ the scholarship, allowing them to spend two
years studying in the United Kingdom at the
university of their choice
I—i Interested students must submit a preliminary
'—‘ application to the Honors Office
Will Lloyd • THE BATTALION
Source : MARCELLA ELLIS, NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP COORDINATOR IN
HONORS OFFICE
work on whatever it is you’re passionate about your field,” Siepel
said. “Make yourself as well-rounded a person as possible and take
advantage of all the things the University offers.”
Siepel said he will study science and technology policy related to
agricultural biotechnology during his time in the United Kingdom.
“To be given the opportunity to represent the United States and
See Marshall on page 2
Online Weekly Poll
HE BATTALION'
Ibis Week's Results:
"How often do you think students plagiarize for
projects?”
37% □ Sometimes
28% □ Once or twice
a semester
21% □ Most of the
time
14% □ Never
■
■ext Week’s Poll:
~ "Do you think the parking situation on campus
will be better next year?"
Ruben DeLuna • THE BATTALION
Parking registration delayed pending plan’s approval
By Natalie Younts
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M Transportation Services’
proposed student parking plan is in its final
stages of approval, and discussions related to
faculty and staff parking issues will follow,
said H. Joseph Newton, dean of the College
of Science.
Student Web permit registration was
scheduled to begin April 19, but was delayed
until further notice because the administra
tive approval process is taking longer than
expected, Newton said.
Charles Sippial, vice president for adminis
tration, said approval of the student plan is
pending from the A&M Council of Deans,
David B. Prior, executive vice president and
provost, and A&M President Robert M. Gates.
Newton said Friday that the Council of
Deans, which comprises of deans from each
college, is expected to jointly approve the
plan Monday.
“So far I have not heard any strong objec
tions,” Newton said. “I certainly had no
strong objections to any of it.”
The plan is based on lot-specific permits,
online requests for the preferred lot and a
guarantee that a student will find a spot in
his assigned lot.
“We will eliminate all this hunting and
running around in circles for parking
spaces,” Sippial said.
After the plan receives final approval
from Gates, students can log on to trans-
portonline.tamu.edu to request their top six
lot choices beginning in the fall.
Newton and Sippial said they would like
to see the plan implemented before students
leave for summer vacation.
“We want to get the student piece so we
can go ahead and make sure the students are
’squared away,” Sippial said.
Newton said blue and red permits cause
See Parking on page 2