â– w- ^ Monday, June 28, 2004
he Battalion
olume 110 • Issue 159 • 6 pages
A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893
OPINION:
Running
Limbaugh off
the air
Page 5
www.thebatt.com
PAGE DESIGN BY: RACHEL VALENCIA
ID
Photo Courtesy of Cindy Cohen • TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AT GALVESTON
(Ijeft to right) Lilianna Wolf of West University, Texas, Samantha Fundling of
Galveston, Texas, and Alisha Windham of Nacogdoches, Texas, study a dune
plant while attending Sea Camp at Texas A&M at Galveston this summer.
Sea Camp
From coastal ecology to forensics, kids explore marine life
By Natalie Younts
THE BATTALION
In July, 16-year-old Loucindy Tidwell
of Conroe, Texas, will be learning how to
solve crimes using science in a marine
environment.
"I thought it would be pretty interesting
to see how science relates to forensics,”
she said.
Tidwell is one of the children who will
be attending Sea Camp, a program at Texas
A&M at Galveston where children learn
about the things in their own backyard.
Some local children refer to the Gulf of
Mexico as the Atlantic Ocean or some other
name, said Judy Wern, Sea Camp director.
“There are some kids in Galveston who
have never been to the beach, much less
know what a salt marsh is,” Wern said.
A salt marsh is an area along a bay where
salt water washes over the roots of plants,
Wern said. There are miles of it along the
shore of Galveston Bay.
Sea Camp is often a life-changing expe
rience, even for some children who have had
behavior problems or school problems,
Wern said.
“It’s like getting religion,” she said.
“They get involved with the marine environ
ment and they decide they want to be marine
biologists and they straighten up.”
Sea Camp has 12 subtopics, each last
ing for one week, which range from
Coastal Ecology Camp to Coastal
Photography Camp.
Tidwell attended Forensics Sea Camp for
ages 15 to 18.
In Marine Mammal Camp, for ages 15 to
18, campers learn how to determine a dol
phin’s age, record dolphin vocalizations and
track marine mammal movement.
Children in Marine Biology Camp, for
ages 10 to 18, may find themselves dredging
for oysters on a commercial oyster boat or
learning how to set up a saltwater aquarium.
Jesse Rogers, a 10-year-old from Clear
Lake, Texas, said his favorite part of Sea
Camp was visiting the salt marsh, where it
was so muddy that one of his friends lost
his shoes.
See Sea Camp on page 2
theft in B-CS causes
ice to take action
dress, 1
lo fijli:
and lo'
feciedr
ndAI
By Chelsea L. Sledge
THE BATTALION
Kate Patter’s Ford Explorer sat
rked outside of her friend’s
use one night in March. Fatter
ipanit didn’t think to lock her car doors
deal)!.a she ran into the house for less
audat than 30 minutes on her way to a
•fibs, local pub with a friend,
alrela; J “I didn't notice anything dif-
msse ferent when I got back in the car,
irdWo Sid then my friend couldn’t find
ohnk'Jffr wallet which (she had) left on
rebiflly seat ” sa 'd Fatter, a senior
rheto, marketing major.
, lt â– ' Fatter also realized that the
le oft.: contents of her glove compartment
mlljjid console had been ransacked
â– id scattered around her car. Her
^■Bend’s wallet and her CD player
had been stolen.
I “They were obviously looking
, for something of value, of which I
had none,” Fatter said.
1 A recent surge in car and resi-
dential burglaries in Bryan and
" ^ College Station has led to the for
mation of Bryan Police
Bepartment’s Crime Prevention
program. The program is
designed to make citizens aware
of the problem of burglaries in the
community and to stop them from
becoming a victim.
There are lots of times when
to the
iserve.
m to
er-tun:
we
(re |
will have four or five calls
porting thefts) in an hour,” said
Sgt. Donnie Manry of BPD.
| The Crime Prevention program
â– as created after police respond
ed to seven vehicle burglaries on
BRYAN BURGLARIES RISE
Since Friday, five homes and 13
cars have been burglarized in Bryan.
The following are tips to prevent
burglary.
csEscns
• Keep a log of the make, model and
serial numbers of electronics, guns,
bicycles, etc.
Photograph
valuable jewelry
Install deadbolt locks
• Remove valuables from vehicle
• Lock all doors and windows
• Remove detachable
stereo faces
Ruben DeLuna • THE BATTALION
Source: WALT MELNYK, BRYAN POLICE DEPT.
June 11.
“Probably 75 percent of our
vehicle burglaries are because
people leave their vehicles
unlocked and stuff sitting in the
seat,” Manry said. “If people
would just lock their vehicles this
would reduce the statistics by at
least 50 percent citywide.”
Manry said that despite warn
ings, many people don’t see the
need to lock their cars consistently.
“There are lots of times on
campus or wherever I will just
leave my truck unlocked,” said
See Theft on page 2
ity Council looks at
ossible parking plans
By Natalie Younts
THE BATTALION
Matthew Bubela, a sophomore construction science major,
night be required to park on the side of the street opposite his
louse if the College Station City Council approves a recommenda-
ion to limit parking in certain residential areas. If 60 percent of a
street’s residents agreed, the plan would limit parking to one side,
ipposite the side with fire hydrants.
“I like (parking) the way it is. That would make me angry,” said
Bubela, who lives with his roommates in a four-bedroom house in
bllege Station.
Bubela said because his driveway only accommodates two
vehicles, residents of the house and their visitors frequently park
)n the street.
The City Council discussed possible ways to implement four
Darking recommendations from the College Station Neighborhood
\d-Hoc Task Force at the council workshop meeting Thursday
iftemoon at City Hall.
One recommendation, which would implement an on-street
larking permit system, was found to be not in compliance with
state law and therefore will not be considered by the council, said
Slenn Brown, assistant city manager.
Parking on one side of the street, which would require one park-
ng space per bedroom, and limiting on-street parking hours, will
ie considered as possible solutions.
Having cars parked on both sides of a street can be dangerous,
aid Ron Lightsey, one of the 28 citizens on the task force.
“You’ve got more people crossing the street, a little bit tighter
pace to drive in, and cars meeting each other that can’t pass each
ither,” Lightsey said.
Limiting parking to one side of the street would also allow easier
See Parking on page 2
Ready, aim, fire
EVAN O'CONNELL • THE BATTALION
Senior wildlife and fisheries science major Richard Kotzur Jr. practices inter- Kotzur is the 2004-2005 Texas A&M Trap and Skeet Club president. The
national skeet at the 4-H shooting range in Snook, Texas, Sunday afternoon. Trap and Skeet Club members meet regularly to hone their shooting skills.
A&M professors head defense research
By Shawn C. Millender
THE BATTALION
The U.S. Department of Defense granted $5 million to
a team of researchers led by three Texas A&M professors.
Sharath Girimaji and Rodney Bowersox, associate pro
fessors of aerospace engineering, will team up with associ
ate professor of chemistry Simon North to lead the effort to
study the effects of hypersonic flight on aircrafts.
The study will help to clear a major hurdle on the path
to hypersonic flight.
“The air up there doesn’t behave as we know it to
behave down here,” Girimaji said.
Bowersox said the program is a part of the Department
of Defense’s Multidisciplinary University Research
RESEARCHING HYPERSONIC FLIGHT
The Department of Defense has granted Texas A&M $5 million to study
the effects of hypersonic flight on aircraft.
A collaboration between departments of
aerospace engineering and chemistry
Part of the Department of Defense's MURI
Program
Brings a new wind tunnel research facility
to A&M
Funding for graduate studies and new
avenues of research in aerospace engineering
See Research on page 2
Will Lloyd • THE BATTALION
Source: RODNEY BOWERSOX, ASSOC. PROF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
Life Science Center takes hits from faculty
By Joanna M. Jemison
THE BATTALION
Faculty members from various depart
ments spoke out at two open forums last
week to urge the administration to go
back to the drawing board with the pend
ing interdisciplinary Life Science Center
and its $100 million price tag.
The forums followed a presentation by
Vice Provost Bill Perry that described the
scope and function of the center as well as
individuals who put together the program
and preliminary designs for the building.
Controversy between faculty and admin
istration about the project began in April
when the availability of the $100 million
from the Pemranent University Fund was
announced and its use was slated to the Life
Science Center project.
Perry noted that the project was pro
posed by University President Robert M.
Gates as the number one priority for con
struction within the Campus Master Plan.
Perry said that if Gates thinks planning is
premature or sees a problem with the proj
ect, it will go back to the drawing board.
The Life Science Center Advisory
Group, which is composed of invested fac
ulty members within A&M from a diverse
group of departments, has advised the
administration and the programming board
on issues concerning the scope and funding
of the project.
The theme of the project is complex
biological systems, and the research gen
erated from the facility is intended by the
organizers to benefit the entire campus.
See Center on page 2