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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1981)
Ifoi. 75 No. 58 !6 Pages in 2 Sections Battalion Serving the Texas A&M University community Friday, November 20, 1981 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 The Weather Today Tomorrow High . 67 High .. .70 Low . 45 Low . . .47 Chance of rain 10% Chance of rain . 10% Down under Stafl photo by Greg Watermann Charley Culpepper, a contractor for General next to the library Tuesday evening working Telephone Company, was in this manhole on the Texas A&M underground phone system. GSSO suit decision expected in 30 days By DENISE RICHTER Battalion Staff <l> 1981 by The Battalion HOUSTON — Testimony ended Thursday in the Gay Student Services Organization vs. Texas A&M University trial. Lawyers for both sides say they expect a decision in the case within 30 days. Attorneys Patrick Wiseman and Lon- ny F. Zwiener said they will present briefs — written statements prepared by each side to explain its case — to U.S. District Judge Ross N. Sterling in about 10 days. The GSSO is seeking an injunction to force the University to recognize it as an official student organization. The trial ended with the GSSO’s cross-examination of Dr. Paul Camer on, an associate professor at the Univer sity of Nebraska in the Department of Human Development and the Family. Cameron testified Wednesday on the mental state of homosexuals, saying they are “disproportionately dissatisfied with their sexual orientation” and need counseling. However under cross examination Thursday, he said the mental health of homosexual students is irrelevant and the only problem in recognizing the GSSO is whether “they would recruit others with the same (homosexual) appetite.” Cameron cited the 1979 Kinsey Insti tute report which stated that there is a higher violent crime and unemploy ment rate among homosexuals than heterosexuals. GSSO attorney Wiseman asked whether other groups with rates of crime and unemployment higher than the general population also should be denied permission to organize as a Uni versity-recognized group. Vice President for Student Services Dr. John J. Koldus, who was expected to be called as the final witness for the defense, was not asked to testify. In November 1976, Koldus stated the University’s position on the GSSO in a letter explaining the reasons for the refusal. In the letter, Koldus said according to Texas A&M regulations the Universi ty can only recognize organizations whose goals are consistent with the phi losophy and goals of Texas A&M. The GSSO conflicts with these goals, he said. Zwiener, assistant attorney general representing Texas A&M, said Koldus was not called because the letter was entered as evidence. “The letter in the record will determine the reasons for the denial (of recognition),” Zwiener said. “We can rely on any reasons, not just those stated in the letter, if this is found to be an equal protection case, ” he said. If Texas A&M is permitted to use the equal protection defense, it will only have to show that there was a rational reason for denying the GSSO recogni tion. The defense based its case on the premise that University recognition of the GSSO would lead to increased homosexuality and would contribute to a spread of venereal disease, Zwiener said. The plaintiffs only had to show that the gay group members First Amend ment rights of free speech and assembly were violated by the refusal of recogni tion, Wiseman said. No campus rapes reported in 23 months, police say legents committee to discuss enovation funding Sunday Texas A&M University System re- |ts Sunday will discuss appropria- lis for the first phase of the Systems Jkling renovation and for the detailed fen of the Transportation Center ex- Jision. gAlsoon the agenda is a discussion of a Jposed special events center at the liviTsity. [The Facilities Planning and Con- Juction committee of the System M of Regents will meet at 3 p.m. in K Memorial Student Center regents quarters. During Sunday s meeting, the com mittee will recommend that a project architect-engineer be selected for the renovation of the Systems Building. Total cost of the first phase of the re novation is estimated at $630,000. The committee also will discuss a $50,000 appropriation for the detailed design of the Transportation Center ex pansion. The entire Board will meet Monday to hear the reports of the Planning and Building Committee, the Committee for Academic Campuses, the Commit tee for Service Units and the Executive Committee. The committees recommendations are subject to approval by the full board. During closed session Monday, the regents also will discuss guidelines for the System’s 1982-83 operating budgets. The full board will meet again Tues day at 8:30 a.m. to vote on the recom mendations. urrent funding ends at midnight By NANCY FLOECK Battalion Staff Despite rumors of numerous rapes on campus recently, none have been re ported to University Police since Janu ary 1980. However, one attempted rape and several cases of indecent exposure have been reported. College Station police report that three rapes have occurred in the city this semester. The victim in each was a Texas A&M University student, Lt. Bernard Kapella of the department said. University Police Chief John R. McDonald said rumors of rape occur every year, but they may have inten- sifed lately because of several “flasher” incidents. “We re having a rash of the flasher- type episode,” he said. “I think the flasher started this (the rumors).” The exposures have occurred mainly in mar ried student housing areas, he said, but Senate seeks funding compromise one was in the north dormitory area. Flashers create panic, McDonald said, although most are harmless. “But who’s to say when one isn’t?” he added. “We re trying to tell the girls there is a possibility of rape. We re just going to have more incidents if we don’t.” Rumors also may result from incor rect information, he said. For example, one woman said a police officer told her he was a University policeman working on five rape cases, McDonald said. Actually, he was a College Station offic er who was working on the three rapes reported to city police, he said. And the damage these rumors do can’t be corrected, he said. Although rumors indicate the num ber of rapes at Texas A&M is high, there have been no more rapes reported here than at other Texas universities. During the 1980 calendar year, the number of rapes reported at some other universities were: University of Texas at Austin — one Texas Tech University — four University of Houston, main campus — two Southwest Texas State University — three North Texas State University — one However, these numbers may not accurately represent the actual number of rapes. “Probably one out of seven are re ported,” Kapella said, citing an FBI estimate. Even if a victim is one of those six who doesn t plan to report a rape or press charges, police need to be aware of all such incidents in order to alert others, McDonald said- Assistant Director of Student Affairs Jan Winniford said her office also keeps track of rapes which occur on campus. “We want people to be aware that things like this go on whenever you have this many people in a closely-knit living area,” she said. “I think too often there’s ... the attitude that we’re Aggies and we don’t have problems like this. ” She also said whenever problems like this occur, rumors tend to be perpetu ated. Tom Parsons, University director of traffic and security, said standard pre cautions are the best for rape preven tion. Travel in groups, stay in lighted areas, have keys ready when appraoching locked cars and don’t go jogging alone, he said. “The buddy system is about the best thing there is,” he added. | United Press International WASHINGTON — Senate Republi- jnieaders worked through the night to [hion a budget-cutting compromise at would prevent the government bm shutting down at midnight tonight lien current funds expire. After hours of closed-door meetings [signed to placate angry party mem- prsand win crucial Democratic votes, mate GOP leader Howard Baker rered an amendment to cut $3.2 bil- bnfrom the vital money bill that would pep the government operating I rough March. 30. President Reagan had threatened to to the original $417.4 billion stopgap 'ending measure unless it contains Iditional reductions. Baker told reporters early this morn- igthat he thought he had enough votes Ppass the measure, but stopped short p claiming victory. If Congress failed to act by midnight might, or if the president vetoed the lill, the government would he required ^shutdown all unnecessary operations ^mediately. Baker’s original proposal woidd fund be government through Sept. 30, I982, but several Democrats objected lorelinquishing Congress’ spending au thority to the president for an entire fiscal year. Baker finally agreed to shor ten the life of the bill to March 31 in exchange for needed votes. The compromise calls for a 4 percent across-the-board cut in most domestic programs, excluding defense, military construction, foreign aid, food stamps and certain government benefits like Social Security payments and Veteran’s pensions. While the bill sets general guidelines for spending reductions, it also allows the president to cut up to 5 percent in individual programs, giving him more flexibility in deciding where the spend ing reductions should be applied. Some conservative Republicans ob jected that the cuts were not deep enough, while more moderate senators said it was unfair to exclude defense from the spending reduction. A spokesman for Baker said the prop osal, together with savings made earlier by the Senate Appropriations Commit tee, would satisfy the president — giv ing him about half of the budget reduc tions he requested in September. Although the Senate compromise is only slightly different from a measure the House rejected earlier this week, House GOP leader Bob Michel of Mi- Midnight yell practice at Billy Bob’s tonight Midnight yell practice for the Texas A&M-Texas Christian University will beheld tonight at Billy Bob’s, a popu lar Fort Worth country and western dance hall. Billy Bob’s is located at 2520 N. Main at the old stockyards on the northside of Fort Worth. The yell practice probably will be held in the parking lot, but there is a chance that it will be held inside, ! Senior Yell Leader John Nisbet said. To get to Billy Bob’s from Interstate 20, travelers should go north on Inter state 35W, west on N.E. 28th Street through five traffic lights, turn left on North Main and Billy Bob’s will be one block ahead on the left. Midnight yell practice for away games is traditionally held on the Fri day before the game. In other pre-game activities, the Corps of Cadets will parade through downtown Fort Worth Saturday morning as part of the traditional Corps trip. nois said a few House members had had a “change of heart” since that vote and he was confident a majority of the House now would support the plan in a House-Senate conference later today. Sources said budget director David Stockman approved the latest budget cutting plan and said he would recom mend that the president sign it. While the Republican leaders were closeted in back-room meetings, the rest of the senators debated about 30 relatively minor amendments. In the process, the Senate agreed to restore several billion dollars to a handful of health, special education and job train ing programs. Meanwhile, the administration be gan “contingency planning” for shutting down government operations in the event Congress failed to meet its mid night deadline or if Reagan decides not to sign the bill. Under federal regulations, Reagan must put contingency plans in place to make sure vital government services in health, safety and defense continue to operate. Ex-CIA agent charged with aiding Idi Amin United Press International NEW YORK — Fugitive former CIA agent Frank Terpil, already accused of shipping explosives to Libya for training terrorists, is now under indictment for selling weapons, spy equipment and torture devices to deposed Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. A grand jury in U.S. District Court in Manhattan filed a six-count indictment Thursday alleging violations of the arms export control law against Terpil, his wife Marilyn and bis business partner, George Korkala. The Terpils and Korkala also were indicted for accepting $5,000 to obtain a phony U.S. passport and travel docu ments for Amir Montaz, the chief of protocol for the late shah of Iran. Authorities said all three are fugitives — Terpil s whereabouts are unknown, while Korkala is allegedly in Beirut, Lebanon, and Mrs. Terpil in England. Terpil and Korkala skipped $100,000 bail on the eve of a gunrunning trial in New York over a year ago. Terpil surfaced briefly for an inter view in Beirut, aired Nov. 8 on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” in which he admitted setting up his own “agency for hire” and dealing with Amin. Thursday’s indictment alleged that Terpil and Korkala unlawfully delivered weapons and other material to the Ugandan Mission to the United Nations in 1979, knowing that the items would be “clandestinely exported to Uganda.” The deliveries included such items as semi-automatic shotguns, handguns, silencers, hollow-point ammunition, voice-deciphering systems and 10 tor ture devices stamped “exercise twis ters,” the indictment said. Terpil and Korkala were also accused of supplying the Ugandan Mission with leadlined, X-Ray-proof packing sheets for the air shipment of the weapons to Uganda under diplomatic seal. The charges carry penalties of up to 5 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 each. In 1980, Terpil and Korkola were convicted — in absentia — of gunrun ning to revolutionaries. Both men jumped bail, however, on the eve of their trial in New York. They were convicted and sentenced to 53 years in prison. Authorities subse quently tracked them to Uganda, Libya, West Germany and finally Lebanon. Staff photo by Daniel Sanders Could they mean you? This banner was hung outside Puryear Hall apparently by Mark and Robert. Beware, they may be looking for you!