he Battalion
me 110 * Issue 166 • K pages
A Texas A&IM (VadiHon Since 1893
THE BATTALION
Life Sciences debate
Administrators discuss the building*s construction
nteal engineering professor Eva Sevick ar-
He merits of making the Life Sciences build-
iliajor recruiting tool.
By Lacy Ledford and Erin Price
THE BATTALION
More than 60 distinguished professors, deans and de
partment heads filled a small conference room in Rudder
Tower Wednesday afternoon to debate the construction of
a new Life Sciences Building set to begin in a few years.
The building, which has been a controversial topic
since April, would come with a $100 million price
tag, to be paid from the Permanent University Fund.
Despite being designated by Texas A&M President
Robert M. Gates as the No. I construction priority under
the campus masterplan, several faculty members have a list
of grievances with the building’s design, including biology
professor Mike Manson, who has previously described the
proposed building as a “life sciences mausoleum.”
“We as deans wanted to jointly call for an open forum
so that faculty and department heads could continue to
give their views on the issue,” said forum moderator and
College of Science Dean Joseph Newton.
Researchers such as Mary Meagher, professor of
psychology, and Eva Sevick, professor of chemical
engineering, are in favor of the project and argue that
an interdisciplinary research facility is essential for
A&M to become a top-10 institution.
“Better organization and fluidity affords cutting
edge research,” Meagher said. “Science moves faster
See Debate on page 2
www.thebntt athu
PAGE DESIGN BY: RACHEL VALENCIA
Heath Crawford • THE BATTALION
Joseph Newton, dean of the College of Science, mod
erates discussion among faculty and administrators on the
logistics of the Life Sciences building.
Picture perfect
ngin as A&M and Southern Methodist University study abroad The engineering study abroad group will be in Germany for
. "Tldents take pictures of the view of the Rhine River from castle six weeks taking classes and learning German culture. The pro-
ill all atop the Drachenfels Crag in Konigswinter, Germany. gram started on Saturday and will continue through Aug. 14.
ites m
an.tfe]
)n peofj
, exp
■
lenz named psychology dept, head
ipi
by
jni
!us
By Shawn C. Millender
THE BATTALION
In hael Benz has been named the new head of Texas
I’s Department of Educational Psychology. Benz
.ie from the University of Oregon, where he was the
ir if the school’s Department of Special Education.
>ei z, who arrived at A&M on July 1, specializes in
1-to-work transitions and employment opportuni-
for young adults with disabilities.
■bought this was a really good career opportunity at
j®,” Benz said. “The people here are outstanding and
enormously talented faculty was part of the attrac-
■ was at Oregon for 24 years, and I’m very excited
I being here.”
Ifiz grew up the son of a military man. He honed his
Jtng skills as a high school social studies teacher in
the 1970s. He said that moving here from Oregon isn’t
too much of a shock.
“I lived in Amarillo as a child; my dad was in the
military so I lived all over the country,” Benz said. “I’ve
found that there isn’t a place that doesn't have its own
kind of beauty. Bryan, College Station, the Brazos Val
ley - they have their own kind of beauty. I love the oak
trees and the great big cumulus clouds around here.”
Benz said the draw of being an educator is in the im
pact one has on students.
“There are a lot of really important things in this coun
try going on in terms of occupations,” Benz said. “But
if you want to make a difference and shape the future,
education is the way to go.”
The search for a new department head started two
years ago. Interim Department Head Victor Wilson said
See Benz on page 2
Trial starts in Cole bombing;
six al-Qaida members charged
By Ahmed A1 Haj
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN’A, Yemen — A
security court charged six
alleged al-Qaida members
Wednesday with plotting
the attack on the USS Cole,
opening the first trial in
the suicide bombing that
killed 17 American sailors.
Among the defendants is
reputed mastermind Abd al-
Rahim al-Nashiri.
Police and soldiers cor
doned off the security court
in San’a, and marksmen
watched from rooftops, as
five of the defendants were
brought in to hear the judge
read their indictment. Al-
Nashiri, the sixth defendant,
is in U.S. custody.
The attack occurred in
October 2000 when two
suicide bombers brought
a small boat alongside the
destroyer as it refueled in
Aden harbor. The bomb
ers detonated explosives
stashed on the boat, killing
themselves and 17 sailors,
and blasting a huge hole in
the ship’s hull.
The United States an
nounced al-Nashiri’s arrest
in 2002. He was detained
in the United Arab Emirates
and transferred to Ameri
can custody. U.S. officials
believe the Saudi-born al-
Nashiri is a close associate
of al-Qaida leader Osama
bin Laden.
In addition to the Cole at
tack, he is suspected of help
ing direct the deadly 1998
bombings of U.S. embassies
in Kenya and Tanzania.
A diplomat at the U.S.
Embassy in San’a refused
to comment on the trial or
disclose al-Nashiri’s where
abouts. Nor would he say
whether the accused would
be handed over to the Ye
meni authorities. U.S. diplo
mats attended the hearing.
The United States report
edly pressed Yemen to delay
the trial until all facets of the
case had been thoroughly
investigated. Journalists in
San’a often heard the trial
was about to begin, and then
found it had been postponed.
Judge Najib al-Qaderi
said the court would publish
a statement in local newspa
pers summoning al-Nashiri
to appear. Yemeni officials
have said they have asked
See Trial on page 2
University researchers
question scientific theory
By Andrew Burleson
THE BATTALION
Researchers from Texas A&M and
the University of Oregon disproved a
theory Monday that RNA is the only
mechanism used by organisms to block
potentially harmful information released
from DNA in cells.
This research could lead to a cure for
cancer or other genetic diseases, said Ro
dolfo Aramayo, an associate professor of
biology and genetics at A&M. Scientists
previously proved plants with mutated
RNA failed to block extraneous DNA,
which can have harmful effects. How
ever, A&M scientists were excited to find
that even when they mutated the RNA
in a certain fungus, the extraneous DNA
was still blocked.
Pratt said the majority of DNA is repeti
tive information and organisms try to con
trol the number of repetitions because they
can cause chromosomes to rearrange, which
has been linked to cancer.
“A lot of human disease is the result of
chromosomal abnormality. We hope to be
able to understand or even prevent these
malfunctions,” Aramayo said.
The discoveries at A&M are on the fore
front of research in the field and, while
there is still much left to be discovered,
he is hopeful that the discoveries made
_ I V ^ T
Researchers from Texas A&M and the University
of Oregon disproved a theory that RNA is the only
mechanism used to block harmful DNA information
in cells.
Cells that c aery h.mttfrtt UNA inMtrn.Ukrn otum
GUtse mutations ami abnonmlitim.
Must human diseases msult bom chromiwomai
.thn.’rm.rltUvs
This iv.ean b could l*\>d to a rum for Mfttbf ami
other ijfUfth dhr.vmv
Will Lloyd • THE BATTALION
Source: RODOLFO ARAMAYO,
PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY AND GENETICS
in the lab can help lay the foundation for
future research leading to gene therapy,
Aramayo said.
The research is being conducted as a
partnership between Aramayo’s lab at
A&M and Eric Selker’s lab at the Uni
versity of Oregon, and is funded by the
National Institute of Health. The two
labs have been collaborating for the past
four years.
Junior biochemistry major Rachel Redler
said, “It’s exciting to see A&M doing re
search like this. It’s amazing to me how
See Theory on page 2
overs Wanted!
August 22 is Residence Hall AAove-ln
Assistance Day. The Department of
Residence Life wants to make a
welcome impression on incoming
students and their parents.
Cl Form teams of volunteers fo help
■ ^ students and parents move in
fJdence Life
lank trv Reduce unloading time to keep traffic
I9(uii!^ moving
Q Minimize move-in inconveniences
Deadline for volunteer applications is August 2.
Volunteer applications are available online at
htfp://reslife.famu.edu
Andrew Burleson • THE BATTALION
Source: DEPT. OF RESIDENCE LIFE
Volunteers needed for Move-In Assistance Day
By Joanna M. Jemison
THE BATTALION
Moving into on-campus residence halls
may be a pain, but the Department of Resi
dence Life is trying to ease the burden on
students and their parents by coordinating a
campuswide volunteer force. A&M has des
ignated Aug. 22 as Residence Hall Move-In
Assistance Day and volunteers are needed
for the special welcome effort.
Residence Life is accepting applications for
move-in day. Volunteers will be provided with
free parking and will receive a Residence Hall
Move-In Day T-shirt. An orientation session
is required for volunteers who participate.
According to a memo sent out campus
wide, the object of the volunteer effort is
to reduce unloading time at the designated
unloading zones, keep traffic moving and
minimize inconveniences that parents and
students may encounter while moving into
residence halls. Overall, Residence Life is
trying to leave a welcome impression on
incoming students and make the residence
hall move-in process more pleasant.
“I think that move-in assistance is vital
to freshmen living on campus because it
gives a first impression of Aggies helping
Aggies,” said Lindsay Adams, a junior gen
eral studies major and former Krueger Hall
resident. “There were people that helped
with moving in before, but I don’t think
there were enough,” Adams said.
Adams said moving in could be im
proved by having more strong guys to
move mini-fridges and furniture for “dam
sels in distress.”
The Department of Residence life is en
couraging faculty, staff and especially stu
dent organizations to volunteer. The dead
line to turn in applications to volunteer is
Aug. 2. Applications can be downloaded at
http://reslife.tamu.edu.
If you have questions regarding Resi
dence Hall Move-In Assistance Day, call
the Department of Residence Life at 845-
3158 or e-mail housing(o)tamu.edu.