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deductions for outdated cream-of-chicken, an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