Monday, September 27, 2004
Battalion
linne 111 • Issue 22 • 10 pages
A Texas A&IM Tradition Since 1893
www.thebatt.corn
PAGE BY LAUREN ROUSE
tudent brandishes BB gun in Blocker
By Sonia Moghe
THE BATTALION
Lstudent was arrested in the Blocker building
Friday after he brandished a BB gun outside a
sroom.
trmen Tsaturyan, a graduate student studying
icultural economics, was seen pulling a gun
of a white paper bag outside of Blocker 102
und noon Friday.
i woman saw him pull out the gun and made
contact with him, said Elmer Schneider, in-
m director of the Security Department with the
iversity Police Department.
(The witness) then sees him try to open the
ir,and when it wouldn’t open, he took the hand-
andthen (...) he appeared to rack the slide (the
of the weapon that chambers the round) and
then covered the weapon with the paper sack as
he looked through the window of the classroom
door,” Schneider said.
The weapon was a Powerline BB Pistol, Model
15 XT, according to the case report. UPD officials
arrived on the scene shortly after the witness called
911 from The Daily Grind, a snack cart located on
the first floor of Blocker, and searched the build
ing for the suspect.
“(The gun) frightened the girl because it
appeared to be an automatic weapon,” Sch
neider said.
UPD officials found Tsaturyan attempting to en
ter Blocker 102, where a class had been dismissed
and had a few remaining students waiting to talk to
the professor, and arrested him, Schneider said.
“The officer did un-holster his duty weapon on
his subject, which would have been appropriate
based on the circumstances,” Schneider said.
Tsaturyan’s gun was tucked into the waistband
of his sweatpants. Upon being arrested, he told the
police officers that his possession of the gun was
“just a game,” Schneider said.
“Upon contact with the subject, he stated to the
officer that it was just a game and that he likes
to see the reactions of the people to the weapon,”
Schneider said. “He said that he’d apparently been
watching too many cop shows.”
Tsaturyan told police officers that he’d been
carrying the gun for about a month, and that the
store that he’d bought the gun from said it would
be OK to carry it around, Schneider said.
“We believe him to be the same subject (that
was) spotted on one of the buses carrying a hand
gun,” Schneider said.
Schneider said it is against University regula
tions to carry a BB gun on campus.
Donna Sieggreen, supervisor of The Daily
Grind, said the witness used the phone on her
snack cart to call the police.
“I was shook up,” Sieggreen said. “I was wanting
to get my students out of there. My department said
to close up and said (to leave) if I didn’t feel safe.”
Tsaturyan was charged with terroristic threat,
according to the UPD case report. He was placed
in the Brazos County jail on Friday with a $5,000
bond and was released the same day, according to
the Brazos County Sheriffs Office.
“It’s just not a good thing,” Schneider said.
“Not in this day and time. It’s very poor judgment
on his part.”
Tsaturyan was also charged with criminal
trespassing and is not allowed back on campus,
Schneider said.
Back to school bash
at Green and guitarist Brett Danaher perform at the 1 2th annual
g Kickoff Concert held at Wolf Pen Creek Ampitheatre Saturday night.
■■■
SHARON AESCHBACH - The Battalion
The concert started at 6:30 p.m. with Wade Bowen, followed by Roger
Creager, and finished with Pat Green.
Public figures, journalists
exchange ideas Saturday
By Luke Jackson
THE BATTALION
Members of the Texas A&M and
Prairie View A&M student govern
ments met with writers from The
Battalion and The Panther, Prairie
View’s student publication, along
with prominent political figures and
journalists at the News Makers/News
Breakers conference Saturday.
“I think we had a good dialogue.
Sometimes (journalists and stu
dent leaders) get so wrapped up in
what we do that we forget the oth
er points of view. It was good for
me to see a journalist’s perspective
on things,” said senior accounting
major and A&M Student Body
President Jack Hildebrand.
The event was intended to increase
understanding and dialogue between
public leaders and journalists. Me
dia and government relations, bias
in the media, the evolution of jour
nalism and tips for young leaders
and journalists were discussed at the
five-hour event. A mock journalis
tic scenario moderated by Profes
sor and Associate Dean of the Bush
School Charles Hermann capped off
the conference.
“Many people in this nation are
aware that the media isn’t perfect,
but when so many networks are
rushing to get the news out first,
mistakes are bound to happen.”
said former Texas Land Commis
sioner Garry Mauro in his speech
about accuracy in an increasingly
competitive news market.
State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, Class
of 1986; U.S. Texas Rep. Chet Ed
wards, Class of 1974; John Lump
kin, vice president of The Associated
Press/South; and John LeBas, city
editor of The Bryan-College Station
Eagle also spoke at the conference.
“Being faster in the world of
journalism has always been impor
tant, and as technology improves,
it’s becoming more critical. The
old Associated Press slogan ‘get it
first and get it right’ is being put to
the test,” Lumpkin said.
Chet Edwards had a gridiron
analogy for his view of the relation
ship between politicians and jour
nalists: “In the football field that
is government, the players are the
elected officials and the referees are
the journalists. We (officials) may
not like the calls they sometimes
make, but they’re necessary to keep
the game fair,” he said.
Tips from professional politicians
and journalists were respectively
shared with their younger coun
terparts. Leanne South, director of
College Relations for the College of
Liberal Arts at A&M, explained her
beginnings as a freelance journalist
See Journalists on page 7
Budget proposals
A&M steps up suicide prevention efforts
meet mixed reaction
By Matthew Wilkins
THE BATTALION
Budget increase proposals
Dialing more than $135,000
net mixed reactions by the Stu-
lent Senate Wednesday.
I The proposals were presented
y chairman of the Student Ser-
ice Fee Advisory Board (SS-
AB) and junior political science
lajor Jim Carlson. The SSFAB
> an appointed, nine-member
card of students that makes
udget recommendations on be-
alf of the student body.
“SSFAB is being irresponsible
y not challenging the adminis-
"ation’s expenditures,” said Sen.
'had Wellington, a junior com-
uter science major. “All they’re
loing is parroting the administra-
lon’s party line back to us.”
Logan Renfrew, a senior
nanagement major and speaker
[fthe Senate, defended Carlson.
“He is doing an outstanding
ob in representing students. He
vants student input. He’s mak-
ng himself very accessible to
tudents so that they can voice
heir concerns,” Renfrew said.
A $15,060 budget increase
iroposal from the Office of Uni-
'ersity Art Collections and Exhi-
litions prompted questions about
ts propriety from Scott Smith, a
lenior chemical engineering ma-
or and chairman of the Student
Services committee. Carlson de-
ended the proposal.
“I think that (the curator)
s developing this program
so that she can spread the arts
among students more. It’s a
challenging task. She really
works very hard,” he said.
The Student Government
Association budget for the
2005 fiscal year was also pre
sented to the Senate. After an
opportunity for appeals, the
budget will be returned to
the Senate for approval at its
next meeting.
In what could be considered
a victory for Student Body
President Jack Hildebrand’s
administration, the budget met
serious inquiry, but relatively
little criticism. Last year, the
budget met determined oppo
sition by some members of the
Senate and was passed only
after several heated attempts
to amend it.
Vice President for Student
Affairs Dean Bresciani also
spoke at the meeting and chal
lenged the senators to represent
their constituents and work for
real change instead of getting
caught up in petty politics.
“If you don’t... you are wast
ing an opportunity you have to
make a difference in this uni
versity,” he said.
Rules and Regulations Chair
Corey Nichols, a sophomore
general studies major, said he
is looking forward to develop
ing a positive working relation
ship with the vice president.
“Bresciani is fantastic. I’ve
See Budget on page 7
By Rhiannon Meyers
THE BATTALION
Three Texas A&M students have committed suicide since Feb
ruary 2004, a drastic increase in A&M’s historically low suicide
rate of one suicide every two years, said Dr. Maggie Olona, direc
tor of Student Counseling Services.
Olona said that although A&M’s rate is still low compared to
other comparable universities, even one suicide is too many.
“This (increased suicide rate) is still low nationally, but not low
enough,” Olona said.
Dr. Kerry Hope, SCS psychologist, said universities the size of
A&M usually have an average of six to eight suicides per year.
New York University, which had an enrollment of 38,000 in 2003-
04, has been increasingly visible in the media for its high suicide
rate. According to nynewsday.com, six NYU students have com
mitted suicide in the past 12 months.
Olona said that prior to the mid-1990s, A&M had a suicide rate
of three or four suicides per year, but since the SCS HelpLine was
installed in 1995, the rate dropped to 0.5 per year. Olona said she
doesn’t know why the rate has increased in the past six months, but
that she hopes the increased rate is an anomaly.
“It’s nothing on the fault of the University,” Olona said. “I don’t
know why the rate has increased. There seems to be a variety of
reasons, but here’s one thing: The students (who) commit suicide
Suicide
There has been an increase in suicide rates at A&M,
which historically has had low rates.
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for
college-age (20- to 24-year-old) students, after
accidental death
♦ One in 12 college students has made a suicide plan
• Risk factors for suicide in college students include
depression, sadness, hopelessness and stress
* Depression is treatable
BRANDI DUNN - The Battalion
SOURCE - AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SUICIDOLOGY
rarely come into Counseling Services.”
Hope said the HelpLine has been beneficial in lowering the sui
cide rate and that A&M has been recognized nationwide for having
See Suicide on page 7
Brazos area veterans support Kerry campaign
By Stacy Thompson
THE BATTALION
Ray White, Class of 1985 and a member
of the Veteran Caravan for Kerry (VCK)
Brazos County Team, worked to gamer
Democratic support with the Caravan Fri
day in the B-CS area, which he said isn’t as
conservative as many believe.
“1 don’t believe Brazos County or A&M
is as conservative as it looks,” White said.
“Too many people throw in the towel. I
see this community as being more apathetic
than conservative.”
The campaign is set to travel through
many states including Texas, New Mexi
co, Arizona and California. The campaign
starts in Laredo, Texas, and is set to end in
San Diego, Calif.
“Basically, what we wanted to do was to
inform the (public),” White said. “This was
not an event just for veterans, but for the
community to get involved. It’s a grass
roots effort funded by private donations.”
Norman Beal, a Korean War veter
an, agrees with VCK and said soldiers
should come home.
“1 deal with some of them who are se
verely physically and mentally scarred.
When one (soldier) is killed, seven or more
are wounded,” Beal said.
Chuck Wiggins said the goal behind
VCK is to persuade more Democrats to
come out to the polls.
“Seventy-four percent of the Republicans
go to polls, while 34 percent of Democrats
go to polls,” said Wiggins, County Chair
of the Brazos County Democratic Party.
“A little bit of my frustration with the fish
is that they register to vote, yet they pull
down the straight Republican vote.”
The Republican voice was virtually ab
sent from the conference Friday, but that
wasn’t because they weren’t welcome,
White said.
“This is our coming out,” he said. “We
haven’t had any Republicans out here. If
they want to come out, we welcome them.
That’s their right.”
See Kerry on page 7