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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2004)
The Battalion volume 110 • Issue 144 • 6 pages A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893 bisa cited for health violations By Natalie Younts THE BATTALION Sbisa Dining Hall received several violations improper food temperatures and poor hygien- practices during a routine health inspection |y 11. ■The Brazos County Health Department gave ibisa Dining Hall a score of 77 out of 100 during I inspection. Sbisa is the largest food service Kration in Brazos County. ■Food that does not meet temperature require- ■nts is a severe violation and calls for a five- io nt deduction per occurrence, said Don Plitt, ssistant director of Environmental Health ervices of the Brazos County Health Ipartment. Tlf you make a 90 with two temperature deduc- ons, that’s not good," Plitt said. Sbisa received two temperature deductions u|ing the May 11 inspection. Sausage, which is supposed to be stored at 41 trees, was 64 degrees at the time of the inspec- fi. An unplugged cooler had caused the tem perature to rise, Plitt said. Whole boiled eggs, which are supposed to be kept at 140 degrees, were not hot enough at 130 degrees. Kayla Wade, a senior agricultural journalism major, said she eats at Sbisa often because she has a meal plan and lives in a nearby residence hall. “Considering that we pay as much money as we do to eat healthy and clean food,” Wade said, “that (score) doesn’t make me feel very well.” Sbisa also received a four-point deduction for lack of good hygienic practices. A cell phone and an umbrella were found lying on clean dish es in a room in the back of the cafeteria, accord ing to the report. Cynthia Zawieja, associate director of A&M Food Services, declined to comment Friday. “I don’t feel I can comment because I didn’t even see the report, I just heard that that’s what their score was,” Zawieja said. Sbisa also received a three-point deduction because fruit flies were found throughout the din ing hall, the report states. Two more three-point deductions resulted from a hand wash sink in the back of the facility that lacked soap and unclean surfaces of a microwave and ice machines, according to the report. Plitt said there is a lot of room for error in a facility as large as Sbisa Dining Hall, but that there is no excuse for the scores that were received. Sbisa also received warnings with no point deductions for outdated cream-of-chicken, an unplugged cooler and an unlabeled Windex con tainer, according to the report. Joey Belden, a senior economics major, said the health violations did not bother him. “That (score) is probably about average,” he said. “In food service it’s hard to keep everything exactly how it’s supposed to be.” Plitt said there will not be a follow-up visit because the major violations were immediately corrected but that there will be another routine inspection in the fall, he said. Wade said she was a student worker for Sbisa from September 2001 to September 2002. “Sometimes (employees) wouldn’t keep stuff OPINION: Unfounded accusations Page 5 www.thebatt.com PAGE DESIGN BY: RACHEL VALENCIA SBI8A*3 VOLATIOiiS Sbisa Dining Hall was cited for several violations during a May 11 routine health inspection. Sausage, cream cheese, boiled eggs and beef tenders stored at improper temperatures o Cell phone and umbrella left on clean dishes Handwash stations were without soap n Fruit flies found throughout food preparation area Unclean surfaces in ice machines and microwave WILL LLOYD THE BATTALION SOURCE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, BRAZOS VALLEY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. clean,” she said. “I tried to keep my area as clean as possible.” Sbisa received a 100 in November 2003 and an 86 in April 2003, Plitt said. ation pays tribute to veterans with parades, picnics Bush, Kerry honor soldiers on Memorial Day in Va. By Pete Yost THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARLINGTON, Va. lesident Bush declared onday that “America is safer” because of its fighting orces while Sen. John Kerry w:nt to the Vietnam Veterans emorial in somber but histor- lilly asymmetrical Memorial )ay tributes. “Through our history, erica has gone to war reluc- tly,” said Bush, speaking at lington National Cemetery :er laying a wreath at the bmb of the Unknowns. “In tlaces like Kabul and [indahar, in Mosul; and SLghdad, we have seen their cency and their brave spirit,” said. A charcoal sky and light nist hung over the remem- irance as if to underscore the olemnity of Bush's speech, rry’s visit to the Vietnam tibnument and a parade along iiitoric Independence Avenue. \ smattering of World War II /eterans marched with people, n| some cases, three genera ls younger, capping a week- highlighted by the formal ening Saturday of the tional World War II morial. Frances and John Carter, )0th 82, were separated by an icean during World War II; he was a paratrooper and she was a “Rosie the Riveter,” one of the thousands of women who went to work at home to support the soldiers abroad. It was a day when political rhetoric was somewhat muted, eclipsed here by public tributes and the playing of Taps. Bush did take a moment to praise Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld for “your great leadership,” however. Rumsfeld has heard calls for his resignation in connection with the prisoner abuse scan dal. And Kerry resumed his political campaign in earnest later Monday in Virginia. Traditional Memorial Day observances including picnics and parades were played out coast to coast — half a world away from U.S. fighting forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. But overseas, the conflict raged. Two Americans died Monday as U.S. troops clashed with Shiite militiamen in fight ing that strained a cease-fire called last week around the holy cities of Kufa and Najaf. And in Baghdad, a car bomb exploded near U.S. coalition headquarters, killing four peo ple and injuring 25. Two other American soldiers died over the weekend in separate attacks, the U.S. military said. Still, American soldiers took time to remember their slain NEW YORK, NY — After the unfurling of a 100-foot American flag on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid on the Fludson River in Pier 86 in Manhattan on Monday during New York City's 17th annual Fleet Week, war veterans stood beside U.S. Navy and Marine Corps soldiers during the playing of Taps. The ceremony honored veterans and active duty personnel comrades during holiday cere monies across Iraq. “When we return to our home stations, we must ensure that we never forget those fall en comrades that deployed with us that will not return to their loved ones,” Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the senior U.S. military officer here, said during a ceremony at Baghdad’s Camp Victory. “They must not have died in vain,” said Sanchez, who is due to rotate out of Iraq soon. A year ago at this time, more than 160 American soldiers had been killed in Iraq. The total from all five branches of the armed services. The ceremony also included a ceremonial wreath laying, a 2l-gun solute and a missing man formation fly over. More than 4,000 sailors and Marines, as well as 10 Navy ships that have served in either Operation Enduring Freedom, are participating in the weeklong event honoring America's maritime heritage. since has risen to more than 800, and last week the Pentagon reported that the number wounded in action is approach ing 4,700. Bush took time out in the afternoon to call Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and express condolences over the loss of life in the attack by mil itants in the kingdom’s oil industry hub. Bush expressed support for the Saudi govern ment’s handling of the shoot ing rampage and hostage See Veterans on page 2 Regents allow use of lace-based admissions By Shawn Millender THE BATTALION ^ On Friday The Texas A&M Board of Regents voted unani mously to allow four colleges within the A&M University System to begin considering race as a factor in admissions. All four of the A&M University System Health Science Center’s programs will implement a new admissions policy for the Fall 2005 semester. The center is made up of four degree-granting institutions, said Terri Parker, Executive Director of Communications for the Health Science Center. The College of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and School of Rural Public Health are located in College Station, while the Baylor College of Dentistry is located in Dallas. Attracting qualified minority candidates has been a challenge for the center, said Parker. Nancy Dickey, Health Science Center President and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs said the center saw a slight increase in underrepresented minorities enrolled for the coming fall. Past efforts have included summer programs aimed at minori ties and first-generation college students as well as financial need-based scholarship plans, Dickey said. “We have language in our admissions policy addressing underrepresented minorities, but we are not satisfied with the number we have matriculated,” Dickey said. A&M President Dr. Robert Gates, who has made increasing See Race on page 2 Gas prices rising as summer approaches By Chelsea Sledge THE BATTALION Due to surging gas prices, Erik Platou, president of the Texas A&M Water Ski Team, knew he had to make a tough decision for his club. He knew either way, someone was going to lose. “I had to make the decision to raise my club’s dues by ten per cent or lose a whole lot of money,” said Platou, a senior business major. “Basically, we’re raising dues to account for gas going up, and we’re not sure how long this is going to last.” As the cost of gas continues to escalate, students are left to bear the burden. The price of gasoline has made driving to work and school a pricey endeavor. WAYS TO SAVE GAS MONEY: I I Keep tires inflated and balanced [~~| Prfve the speed limit Combine errands to a single trip Avoid idling 3 Avoid topping off tanks | | Use multigrade, “energy conserving" motor oil WILL LLOYD • THE BATTALION SOURCE • TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION DIVISION OF TCEQ “It’s draining my bank account having to pay for gas,” said David Zantop, a junior animal science major. “It’s outrageous because my truck only gets about 14 miles per gallon. It’s rough having to pay to drive all the way to school and then to work.” Across the nation the price of gasoline has increased steadily. The national average has reached $2.05, up from $1.48 last June. Currently, San Antonio is leading Texas in gas prices. Premium fuel averages $2.14 per gallon. This represents a 30 cent increase from last month. “If you look at the cost of gas versus the cost of milk in the 1950s compared to now, according to the price index, gasoline is actually low,” said Kenny Broach, a gasoline distributor for Brenco Marketing. “From a retail standpoint, the average profit margin has been declining in the last five years. We used to make 12 cents per gallon and now it’s down to about 6 or 8 cents.” There is some relief for students driving diesel engines. Prices have only increased 30 cents in the last year. “It comes back to supply and demand,” Broach said. “It’s not heating oil season and there is more demand for gasoline.” To lesson the financial burden, many students have sought alter native methods of transportation. Students around campus are car pooling, riding bicycles and filling up their cars half way in hopes that gas prices may go down, Platou said. “One of my friends has been taking two different buses to get home so he doesn’t have to pay for gas,” said Andy Winter, a sen ior economics major. “He takes one from West Campus to Main Campus and another one home. It would take five minutes if he would drive, but instead he’s spending 30 minutes riding buses.” Some Americans are placing the blame of rising gas costs on the current administration. A Detroit-based project is calling alleged cooperation between the Bush Administration and oil companies See Gas on page 2