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IF M ^ Wednesday, June 30,2004
The Battalion
tali
OPINION:
Intolerance is
the answer
Page 5
blume 110 • Issue 161 • 6 pages
wAvw.thebatt.com
PAGE DESIGN BY: RACHEL VALENCIA
from Jan. 1 to June 30
S To rs 20 25 30 35 <vo
] Average 02004
iinfall in June
—
-3 T
I Average
—7T
â–¡ 2004
10 12
This month was the third wettest
in recorded history due to the jet
stream moving farther south, along
with increased gulf moisture.
It’s raining cats and dogs!
By Erin Price
THE BATTALION
Yearly average rainfall is 39.08
inches
The record annual rainfall is 61.04
inches
The wettest June on record was
in 1905 with 15.03 inches
Will Lloyd • THE BATTALION
Source: TRAVIS HERZOG, METEOROLOGIST, KBTX-3
Every summer Grant Rybak, a senior
physics major, plays ultimate frisbee out
side with his friends, but this year has
been a different story. Rybak said the
games are few and far between because of
the wet weather.
"This summer has been a real bummer
for us," Rybak said. "Summertime is usu
ally spent outside in the sun, but we
haven't been able to do that a lot this year."
According to the National Weather
Service, the yearly average of rain for this
area is 39.08 inches, and Easterwood
Airport has already received 36.79 inches
since Jan. 1,2004.
Travis Herzog, meteorologist for
KBTX-3 and 2004 Texas A&M graduate,
said this is the third wettest June ever with
a recorded 11.50 inches of rain thus far.
There have been 19 days in June with
at least a trace of rain recorded at
Easterwood, and the average number of
days is six, he said.
"In 1968 we had the wettest year ever
with over 61 inches of rain," Herzog said.
"We're well on pace to get over 70 inches
of rain this year."
Herzog said the rain typically slows
down in the months of July and August,
but that there has been a strong increase in
gulf moisture this year coming from the
south and southeast.
"The jet stream has also been further
south than normal," Herzog said. "It has
been bringing more storms to the entire
state."
Summer fun is not the only thing
See Rain on page 2
He has chemistry
Senate approves
$20 million for
A&M’s NERRTC
\. %
V.
By Lacy Ledford
THE BATTALION
ensuring homeland
u
The Senate Appropriations
Committee approved $20 mil
lion in funding for the National
Emergency Response and
Rescue Training Center at Texas
A&M. The June _
17 approval was
prompted by a
funding request
by U.S. Sen. Kay
Bailey Hutchison
for fiscal year
2005.
“Texas A&M
plays a critical
role in preparing
first responders
across the state
and the nation,”
said Sen.
Hutchison, a
member of the
Appropriations
Committee. “The
The (NERRTC)
Center is an
invaluable 'one
stop shop' for
learning howto
fight terrorism and
save lives.
— Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Appropriations Committee
help for
security.
“Sen. Hutchison is a stead
fast supporter of the NERRTC
and wanted to make sure that
they could continue their critical
mission,” Schweers said.
According to Jason Cook,
spokesman for the
Texas Engineering
Service, the $20
million would
fund the training
program that the
NERRTC pro
vides for the
Department of
Homeland
Security Office for
Domestic
Preparedness.
“The training
program consists"
of 17 courses that
encompass the
entire continuum
of emergency
BRIAN WILLS • THE BATTALION
Chemistry Ph.D. student Joohoon Kim loads target DNA laced with
uorescence into a machine that will expose ultraviolet light on the
ample to identify hybridization within the DNA when the target
DNA finds its probe DNA compliment. Kim will use the information
gathered to fabricate DNA that can be used to reduce chemical
waste less expensively.
center is an invaluable ‘one-stop
shop’ for learning how to fight
terrorism and save lives.”
Kevin Schweers, Sen.
Hutchison’s spokesman, thinks
the funding will provide crucial
response and management of a
weapon of mass destruction
event,” Cook said.
The training includes areas
See NERRTC on page 2
gets send-off
â– to A&M-Commerce
By Joanna M. Jemison
THE BATTALION
jldfl Frank Ashley
erAl began his teach-
iun ing career at Texas
“ »&M 18 years
ASHLEY
il ago, but what
bewany people may
114 not know about
hoMshley is that he
3111J climbed the ranks
iap' at A&M from the
atio rung of dance instructor.
“My first love is teaching,”
itef s #shley said.
After more than 18 years of serv
ice at Texas A&M University, Ashley
become dean of the College of
ducation and Human Services at
exas A&M University-Commerce.
Once Ashley got a few ballroom
mcing lessons, a spot of square
lance and a lot of laughs under his
pfi delt, he said he became known by
is students as “Dr. Dance.”
After earning a doctorate in
|986, Ashley formed the Sports
Management degree plan at A&M
ii 1988. He ran the program until
|Q<
1988.
1996, when he moved to the College
mi) of Education as the associate dean
for undergraduate studies.
J “My roots are in the College of
.jMducation,” Ashley said.
,j,il Ashley was the director of
â– dmissions for three years until he
reached his current position at
&M as the interim assistant
Irovost for enrollment.
“I’m really going to miss A&M.
Ive got so many friends here and
liy wife is a Class of ’84 Aggie, so
■ feel that I’ve been adopted as part
|f the Aggie family,” Ashley said.
“Now I’m a part of the extended
Aggie family.”
Nancy Sawtelle, director of com
munications for the Office of the
Executive Vice President and
Provost, is the organizer of the recep
tion, and said Vice Provost Bill Perry,
Associate Dean Jim Kracht,
Associate Provost and Dean Mark
Weichold and Registrar Don Carter
will be speakers at the reception.
The reception will take place at
the J. Wayne Stark Galleries in the
Memorial Student Center. The pres
entation will begin at approximate
ly 4 p.m.
The University will present
Ashley with small token of its appre
ciation for his many efforts as a fac
ulty member.
Sawtelle said the reception is an
opportunity for people to wish
Ashley well and thank him for his
many years of outstanding service to
the University.
“Ashley has a fantastic personali
ty,” Sawtelle said. “He’s a very
thoughtful person who’s brought a
lot to the position of interim assistant
provost for enrollment.”
Sawtelle believes that Ashley has
proven himself indispensable as a
strong advocate for minority
recruitment.
“With him (at A&M-Commerce),
I’m sure it will shine even brighter,”
Sawtelle said.
The move to Commerce is some
thing that Ashley said he is excited
about because he sees Commerce as
the “undiscovered jewel” of the
A&M system. Ashley is keyed up
See Ashley on page 2
Program brings honor students to campus
By Shawn C. Millender
THE BATTALION
More than 600 high school students
have visited Texas A&M’s campus this
summer and more than 200 more will
pass through as a part of the Summer
Honors Invitational Program.
Aimed at recruiting the nation’s best
and brightest for matriculation at A&M,
the two-day program orients prospective
applicants on A&M’s honors program,
traditions and academics.
Dr. Edward Funkhouser, SHIP direc
tor, is also the executive director of the
honors program. He says the summer
program is a year-round effort.
“We start recruiting in February or
March all across the United States on
the basis of achievement,”
Funkhouser said. ”We look for those
who have done well on the PS AT,
because they have the potential to be
National Merit finalists. We aim for
the top 5 percent of those kids.”
Funkhouser said that about half of
those who participate in the program
and 25 to 40 percent of those who are
National Merit finalists apply here at
A&M.
“For honors students, A&M is not
usually a place they consider applying.
But if we can bring them to campus the
Aggie family leaves a good impression,”
Funkhouser said.
The program relies heavily on the
contributions of undergraduate volun
teers, such as senior accounting major
Emily Semlau. She is in her second
summer with the program.
“I had a friend on campus who rec
ommended I get into this,” Semlau said.
“I enjoyed it so much I decided to be on
the Honors Invitational Program council
so I could work on it all year long
instead of just summers.”
See Program on page 2
Free service helps keep ticket prices down
By Suzy Green
THE BATTALION
“Beat the hell outta scalpers” is the slogan of Alpha Phi
Omega’s TicketMart, a free service that helps fans sell Texas
A&M football tickets they can’t use to interested buyers
before every home game.
“The inflated prices that scalpers ask for are outrageous,
and it’s not fair to Aggies,” said Shiloh Venable, a senior
human resource development major and TicketMart chair.
TicketMart has been in. operation for more than 10 years,
but many students do not know that it exists.
“We are trying to spread the word across campus and the
Bryan-College Station community so that as many people as
possible who have the opportunity can use it,” Venable said.
Anyone who wants to sell football tickets can fill out a-
form on or before any home game day and Alpha Phi Omega,
a national co-ed service fraternity, will try to sell the tickets
for face value in the Memorial Student Center during the three
hours before kickoff.
If the tickets are sold, the money is mailed back to the sell
er within two weeks.
Alpha Phi Omega does not charge a service fee but will
accept donations, Venable said.
Unsold tickets are destroyed or can be mailed back to their
BEAT THE HELL OUHA SCALPERS!
TicketMart, a free service by the
members of Alpha Phi Omega, buys
unwanted Aggie Football tickets.
Last year, 150 tickets were sold through
TicketMart before each game
W‘ The service reduces ticket scalping
$ Accomodates Aggies who cannot attend
games
^ The service is free, but donations are
accepted
Will Lloyd • THE BATTALION
Source: SHILOH VENABLE, TICKETMART CHAIR
original owner.
Tickets with seating anywhere in Kyle Field are accepted
and TicketMart serves both students and visitors to Aggieland.
“Everyone who wants to enjoy Aggie football should be
See Service on page 2