Wednesday, September 1, 2004 OPINION: Hazardous to your business Page 5B Volume 110 • Issue 4*18 pages A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893 SBP turns down Greek block Proposal would have reserved 3 y 000 Kyle seats By Chelsea Sledge THE BATTALION A proposal to organize Greek block seating at football games was recently turned down by Student Body President Jack Hildebrand, who originally pledged his support for the proposal at die end of spring semester, said Greg King, president of the Interfratemity Council. “The football games are not about groups or what organization you’re in. Once we en ter Kyle Field, we are all a part of the 12th man there to support our football team,” Hildebrand said. “This is not a decision I made by myself. 1 contacted student leaders, and this is the resonating opinion. I offer my support to Greek life just as 1 do to the other 41,000 students. I am not turning my back on (Greeks). I support their endeavors.” The proposal, written by Grant Soder- berg, former vice president of Campus and Community Relations for the Interfraternity Council last spring, designated 3,000 seats on the first deck of Kyle Field as reserved block seating for members of the A&M Greek community as well as an area for Greek tailgating prior to football games. The plan was designed to promote in teraction among the four components of the Greek Life body on campus: the Inter fratemity Council, Collegiate Panhellenic Council representing sororities, National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing body of African American sororities and fraterni ties and Multicultural Greek Council repre senting other fraternities and sororities, said Erich L. Sowell, vice president of Campus and Community Relations for 1FC. "One of our biggest problems in the Greek community is that we don’t do enough cross programming,” King said. “(This proposal) would be something physical to show Greek unity.” The Greek system is the second-largest stu dent organization on campus, almost doubling the membership of the Corps of Cadets. The A&M Greek community boasts almost 3,000 active members, accounting for approximately 10 percent of the entire student population, ac cording to the Greek Life Web site. Despite large numbers, membership among sororities and fraternities has dropped in recent years. The A&M sorority chapter average was down from 199 members only three years ago to 167 members in the spring of 2004. Frater nity membership had a 40 percent decline in the past three years. King said. “Membership has dropped, but more im portantly, 1 feel like we have all lost touch with each other,” said Erin Weigle, social chairman for Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. See Greek on page 2A Student charged in felony case of fire mischief By Emily Guevera THE BATTALION A Texas A&M student was charged with criminal mischief, a state jail felony, on Aug. 18 after a PDA (palm pilot), microwave and computer were destroyed. The trial for Jason Lee Coleman is still pend ing as the district attorney’s office continues to collect case reports and interviews surrounding the case, said a representative of the district at torney’s office, who would not reveal her name. Maj. Bert Kretzschmar of the University Police Department said the incident occurred on Aug. 10 at 11:33 p.m. and resulted in a fire in Room 203 of Hughes Hall in the FHK complex. “There were several individuals, including Coleman, who were in a disagreement. Cole man supposedly put what they call a PDA inside a microwave, and it caught on fire,” Kretzschmar said. Kretzschmar said Coleman also damaged a computer by pouring a soft drink on it. Sophomore Chase Jackson, a Hughes Hall resident, said he smelled burning plastic and the dorm’s fire alarm went off, causing an evacuation of the dorm. Jackson said he did not hear an explosion before the evacuation. “1 thought that it was a regular drill, and my friend was like, ‘it’s real,”' Jackson said. “It was very hectic and happened very quickly,” said FHK Hall Director Maggie Ferguson. “Po lice were alerted by phone and the fire alarm.” Coleman later confessed that he was re sponsible for the incident, Kretzschmar said. “(Coleman) came to us almost right away, the 11th or 12th (of August),” Kretzschmar said. Coleman was not arrested until officers completed the investigation, discussed the in cident with the district attorney's office and obtained a warrant, Kretzschmar said. See Student on page 2A Eye on the sack DAVE MORRIS • THE BATTALION Junior business major Derrick Oliver, Gage, outside Harrington Tower Tuesday, left, kicks a Hacky Sack to sophomore Oliver and Gage frequently play hacky molecular and cell biology major Jacob sack between classes. First lady hails husband’s fight against terrorism By David Espo THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Republican National Convention co-stars Laura Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger commended President Bush to the country for four more years Tuesday night, hailing him as a man of strength leavened by compassion. “You can count on him, espe cially in a crisis,” said the first lady. “He’s a man of perseverance. He’s a man of inner strength. He is a leader who doesn’t flinch, doesn’t waver, does not back down,” added the Austrian-born California governor in a speech that also promised recent immigrants they are welcome in the GOP. “We Republicans admire your ambition. We encourage your dreams. We believe in your future,” said the actor-turned-politician in one of several speeches crafted to show the softer side of a party known for its conservatism. The effort to flesh out an image of the president as something more than a resolute commander in chief resulted in something akin to a prime-time Bush family hour, with twins Jenna and Barbara teasing their father gently in a brief, joint appearance at the podium. “We are so proud to be here tonight to introduce someone who read us bedtime stories, picked up carpool, made our favorite peanut but- ter-and-jelly sandwiches and cheered for us when we made a goal, even when it was for the wrong team,” Jenna said. Schwarzenegger and the first lady took their turns at the Madi son Square Garden podium as 2,508 delegates formally bestowed their nomination on the president for a second term in office. “Four more years,” they chanted in unison — then and many times more throughout the night. CHARLIE RIEDEL • THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Sen. Bob Dole, left, talks with former President George Bush during the second day of the Republican National Convention, Tuesday in New York. Republicans met inside their heavily fortified convention hall as police made more than 560 arrests in the surrounding streets on a day heavy with non-violent protest. By evening, authorities wrapped an entire midtown Manhattan block in orange netting, working to See Lady on page 2A www.thebatt.com PAGE DESIGN BY: LAUREN ROUSE J-majors advised to take initiative By Rhiannon Meyers THE BATTALION Dean of Liberal Arts Charles Johnson met with journalism majors Tuesday night to dis cuss their options for graduat ing with a degree in journal ism, despite the closure of the department last spring. “We are not walking away from journal ism,” Johnson said. “Indeed, we will have some new ex citing options for you. We are here to support you as a journal ism majors, and we are ofTering you advice.” Don Curtis, liberal arts as sistant dean, provided the students with a list of journalism courses that will still be offered in the fall and spring semester. “For those of you who still need a lot of journalism classes, we encourage you to knock these out in the next two semesters,” Curtis said. “We’re not trying to make this difficult for you guys.” Curtis urged journalism stu dents to reexamine their fall schedules and to take more journalism classes if they can. Johnson encouraged students to go to class, saying that the new journalism classes will be quality classes. “They will make your jour nalism degree from Texas A&M just as strong as a degree from any other University,” Johnson said. Curtis also said all journal ism majors will be blocked from spring registration until they meet with an adviser from under graduate stu dent services in the College of Liberal Arts. “It is vital for you guys to come in and talk to us,” Curtis said. “We want to make sure you are taking the classes you need.” Randall Sumpter, associ ate professor of journalism, said an interdisciplinary jour nalism minor is planned but pending Faculty Senate ap proval. The minor would in clude core journalism classes and professional development classes. The minor would also require an internship in the journalism field and See J-majors on page 2A We're not trying to make this difficult for you guys. — Don Curtis liberal arts assistant dean Aggi e soldiers’ bodies found after 30 years By Shawn C. Millender THE BATTALION The bodies of two Aggies who fought in Vietnam were re cently discovered more than 30 years after they gave their lives for their country. The bodies of Capt. Carl Long, Class of 1966, and 2nd Lt. Donald Matocha, Class of 1967, are returning to the country after being discovered in Vietnam. According to a Department of Defense report, Long, a casu alty of a CV-10 crash in the Vung Tar Republic in December of 1969, was recovered by the Department of Defense and identi fied by the name inscribed inside his Aggie ring. Long will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Sept. 16. Matocha, a former member of company A-2, died in ac tion in April of 1968 when the Viet Cong ambushed his re connaissance company. According to an account by eyewitness Hospital Corpsman Stan Sellers, Matocha was shot and killed instantly in a firefight on Dong Ma Mountain. Due to heavy enemy fire, his body was not available for immediate recovery. The People’s Army of Vietnam later buried Matocha’s body in a bomb crater. One of the men who helped bury him, farmer Nguyen Van Loc, reported the burial to the army’s POW/M1A office in Hanoi in 1996. Matocha will be buried in his hometown of Smithville, Texas Sept. 18 after meeting a Marine honor guard in Austin on Sept. 16. Classmate and former member of Squadron 11 Mickey Bat- sell used to attend mass with Matocha and said that Matocha had the spirit of a true Aggie. “We used to go to mass almost every morning during Lent when we were fish,” Batsell said. “One, because we needed all the spiritual guidance we could get, and also because it was a way to get out of morning formation.” “He was kind of quiet, but he was the model Aggie. He did what he was supposed to do when he was supposed to do it. He was the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet. Someone you’d want, as we say in the military, to ‘cover your six.’” The sacrifices of Long, Matocha and the more than 100 Aggies who died in Vietnam are not forgotten by cun’ent cadets in the Corps. “We as cadets hold a great deal of respect for our fellow Ags who passed away in our country’s past wars,” said Corps public relations officer Charles Glover. “John 15:13 says ‘Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his coun try (friends),’ and we hope we can all live by their example.” Aggie Soldiers Two former students who were killed in action during the Vietnam War are now being returned to the United States for burial. Capt. Carl Long, Class of 1966 Will be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery on Sept. 16 2nd Lt. Donald Matocha, Class of 1967 Will be buried in his hometown of Smrthvilie, Texas on Sept 18 ANDREW BURLESON • THE BATTALION SOURCE : CHARLES GLOVER, CORPS PR OFFICER