/■i
J warn ■ Texas A&JV1 pat ■ ■ M u
The Battalion
Serving the University community
■
4 76 No. 151 USPS 045360 16 Pages
College Station, Texas
p’Connor says resignation
|ue to lack of guarantee
by Scott Griffin
Battalion Staff
H Rod O’Connor, First-year che-
Stry director at Texas A&M for 10
■ surprised the University com
ity last week when he announced
resignation.
Iiile various rumors spread ab-
Ihe cause of the resignation,
Inor narrowed it down to one
itrai issue.
“When I came here, I was given a
Intee in writing that I would con-
le first year program and that I
I ultimately make all the deci-
I” he said. “But now the depart-
■head won’t guarantee that I will
lue to have my current level of
ferity.”
leph Natowitz, head of the che-
I department, said he told
Inor that he would not make all
I decisions concerning the
program.
“The position cannot be auton
omous and he must answer to some
one,” Natowitz said.
And Natowitz said he’s seen no
document giving O’Connor control
over the program. “I’ve never seen it
— he’s never shown it to me,” he said.
“And if he had a guarantee, he cer
tainly doesn’t have it anymore.”
But O’Connor said that was not the
only factor in his resignation, and he
cited displeasure with some recom
mendations of the first-year chemis
try review committee.
“The question was whether to con
tinue with the program or be forced
to go ahead with some changes which
are detrimental to the education of
students.
“I really don’t feel comfortable im
plementing these changes against the
students. My basic philosophy is to
help the students, and some of the
committee suggestions conflicted
with my own philosophy.”
While O’Connor said he would not
discuss the changes, he did say he was
displeased with the review process.
“I was permitted to meet with the
committee early in the semester and I
offered recommendations,” he said,
“and I was under the full impression
that I would meet with the committee
and that it would be open.”
But O’Connor said the meetings
were not open to him. “I heard that
the committee had suggested radical
changes in the program, and these
rumors were extremely disturbing,”
O’Connor said. “So I called the com
mittee chairman and asked for a
meeting. He agreed to meet with me,
but said it would have to wait for a
couple of weeks.
“I was later informed by one of the
committee members that the depart
ment head had forbidden the com
mittee from meeting with me or giv
ing me a copy of their report,” he said.
O’Connor also said that the depart
ment head wouldn’t allow him to see
the report. “On Monday the 25th (of
April), Natowitz said the report was
essentially the overall concept he
wanted to see,” he said. “I asked to see
a draft, but he wouldn’t give me a
copy. He did let me read through it
quickly in his office and made me give
it back to him.
“I couldn’t read it thoroughly, but I
did see some things that I thought
were damaging — and not based on
fact and objectivity,” O’Connor said.
“I felt there had been a non-objective
process in what was supposed to be an
impartial review. And some of the
suggestions I saw in the report were
see O’CONNOR page 7
ttorney seeks writ
ainst local judge
Tmd
Man
C"
By Angel Stokes
Battalion Staff
Brazos County District Judge
n:\ “Tom” McDonald must re
bond today to the Texas Court of
Kminal Appeals in Austin in re
gard to an application for a writ of
aandamus filed by District Attor-
ley Travis B. Bryan III.
■Bryan says he is seeking the writ
-b court order telling a public offi-
to do something — for two
reasons.
|Bryan says McDonald is review-
I pre-sentencing investigation in-
pniation prior to any hearing or
iea of guilty — which is unconstitu-
Kial, he adds.
The PSI, which contains un
worn statements by the defendant
md information about the defen-
jht’s history, is gathered by county
irobarion officers.
!‘I feel the judge is making deci-
ions before the trial,” he says,
sed on testimony outside the
Birtroom.”
rO
Bryan also says McDonald is
sending out a court’s proposed pun
ishment, prior to any hearing, based
on PSI information. Thus, Brazos
County has twice as much plea bar
gaining than other counties, he says.
Because of this system, many
cases are unnecessarily plea bar
gained, Bryan says. Double plea bar
gaining can occur when the defen
dant’s attorney doesn’t receive
wanted results from bargaining with
prosecutors, he says. If wants are
not met, the attorney will- ttempt to
plea bargain with the judge.
Bryan says he wants the appeals
court to order McDonald not to re
view PSI information or pleas of
guilty prior to hearings and not to
send out a court’s proposed punish
ment based on the PSI information.
The appeals court could take two
weeks to two years to make a deci
sion, Bryan said.
McDonald was unavailable for
comment.
<yi-embracing’ war
^reatened in mideast
United Press International
With Israel and Syria trading warn-
rgsofa new, “all-embracing” Middle
3 s^war, U.S. officials said Palesti-
m fighters, Syrian troops and
Niet military advisers had infil-
ited Lebanon’s strategic Bekaa
iy.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe
r ens warned Tuesday Syria’s failure
withdraw its 40,000 troops fi;om
pnon simultaneously with Israel’s
fighters “would mean a con-
mation of tensions, and perhaps
:
Cf$
(i
Arens’ comment was a reference to
rian criticism of a tentative accord
tween Israel and Lebanon for the
ihdrawal of Israeli, Syrian and
,000 Palestine Liberation Organi-
tion troops from the war-ravaged
'on.
Bte accord, forged by Secretary of
att George Shultz, was reached last
Key.
In response to Arens’ warning,
n^-run Damascus Radio said, “Syria
not let any war Israel might
a rich be a limited confrontation, but
iher turn it into an all-embracing
war. Any Israeli aggression will mean
an unlimited war.”
In Washington, an administration
official asking for anonymity Tues
day said “a dozen or so” Soviet advis
ers were in the eastern Bekaa Valley,
ostensibly to train Syrian troops re
equipped with Soviet tanks, artillery
and anti-aircraft batteries following
Israel’s June 6 invasion of Lebanon.
State Department spokesman Alan
Romberg said there has “clearly been
some re-introduction of PLO forces
into Syrian-controlled areas of Leba
non.” He said there was “no sign Syria
is preparing to attack.”
The rising tension came as two ex
plosions ripped through a shopping
complex and a residential building in
Beirut Tuesday, shattering the calm
brought by a truce halting five days of
fighting between Moslem and Christ
ian militias.
One of the explosions, apparently a
car bomb, rocked the Hamra sector of
west Beirut. It damaged a clothing
boutique and injured three passers-
by, witnesses and security officials
said.
Grads bestowed
with wise words
by Karen Schrimsher
Battalion Staff
When 3,135 Aggies graduated on
Friday and Saturday, three men
brought them words of wisdom and
advice.
Former Texas A&M regent John
R. Blocker told agriculture, geosci
ences and liberal arts graduates that
commencement means “beginning.”
He said graduation is an important
beginning because graduates begin
living a completely new and indepen
dent life.
He compared this beginning to the
upcoming turn of the century.
“The other (beginning) will come
17 years later, in the year 2000,” he
said. “The beginning of a new century
in which you’ll live the most produc
tive years of your life ... and you won’t
be 40 years old.”
Blocker offered several tips for
success.
“First, have a bias towards action,”
he said. “Take the initiative. Don’t
wait to be told what to do or how to do
it.
” ... Second, try things. Learn to
make mistakes, and learn from those
mistakes.
”... Third, break the big jobs into
bite size chunks. Some of your most
important goals can loom as over
whelming in size... Break the big
jobs down into controllable pieces.”
Lieut. Gov. Bill Hobby told
architecture and engineering gradu
ates that to live up to the expectations
of taxpayers — their parents in
cluded.
“In general, Texas taxpayers have
been glad to ... voice strong support
for education through the years,” he
said. “But, even so, are they not enti
tled to expect something from you in
return for their help, their confi
dence that public good comes from
public education?
” ... You have certain almost unde-
finable attainments coming from
attending A&M which will be lastingly
important to your society and your
country.”
Houston Post columnist Lynn
Ashby addressed business, education,
science, veterinary medicine and
Texas A&M University at Galveston
graduates.
Ashby, a graduate of the University
of Texas, flashed his hook ’em horns
sign. The croud hissed, but he soon
coaxed a few whoops and even re
ceived a standing ovation.
“At times such as these, a com
mencement speaker is supposed to
tell you certain things — things which
you should already know,” he said.
“Onward and upward, the world is
waiting for your talents. Save us from
ourselves. That’s Bevo chips. By now
you should know the direction, and if
you don’t, it’s too late.”
Ashby called Texas A&M a private
club which the rest of the world can
not join.
“You have something going on
which we don’t fully understand, but
you have it, we don’t, and we’re some
how jealous,” he said.
Ashby said graduates of Texas
A&M will always be labeled Aggies.
“In a few minutes, you are going to
... be branded forever more as a
Texas Aggie,” he said. “Eventually
you may be broke, divorced, dispos
sessed, displaced, disgraced, but no
one will ever be able to take this away
from you ... There is no such thing as
an ex-Aggie.”
Ashby said each Texas A&M gra
duate will be representative of the
University.
“Be good,” he said. “Be very, very
good. Remember, maroon is also a
verb.”
Student loss affects
by Kelley Smith
Battalion Staff
When students leave for home in
May, along with their clothes they
take their appetites and their dancing
feet.
The loss of students during the
summer affects local business in sev
eral ways say several local busi
nessmen.
“It’s the pits,” said Bill Perry mana
ger of Fish Richards Half Century
House.
Perry said the restaurant’s business
is the worst during July with an almost
30 percent decline in business. Be
cause of that, he said Fish Richards
would be closed three weeks during
that month.
With the losses experienced dur
ing the summer, it takes the nine
months of school just to catch up, he
said.
However, Perry does not attribute
the loss solely to the departure of stu
dents.
The departure of students causes a
spiraling effect, he said, because the
professors also leave. The business
community feels the loss from both
Wednesday, May 11,1983
staff photo by Irene Mees
Modest streakers
Valerie Edwards, left, and Staci Parker, two freshman
finance majors from Bryan, turned some heads Thursday
when they “streaked” past the Academic Building. The
girls were donned in flesh-colored unitards, tennis shoes
and bandanas. The two had taken a break from studying
to make their dash across campus.
Pentagon monitors
Soviet missile test
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The Soviet
Union may have violated the SALT II
treaty in the past 10 days by test-firing
an intercontinental ballistic missile,
Pentagon sources say.
The firing was the third test shot of
a Soviet ICBM since October, the
sources said.
The sources, who requested
anonymity, said Tuesday the missile
fired last week bore the same charac
teristics as the one launched in Febru
ary dubbed the PL 5. It could mean
both missiles are of the same type.
“The performance characteristics
are essentially the same as those in the
February shot,” one source said.
“The only assessment that has
been made is that the Soviet testing
program is continuing. Their testing
program is moving along on a prede
termined schedule.”
Under terms of the treaty the
Soviet Union and the United States
pledged to abide by, although it was
not ratified, each country is permitted
to test only one new type of intercon
tinental ballistic missile.
CBS News said a special panel
headed by national security adviser
William Clark will review intelligence
data about the test firings before de
ciding whether there is enough evi
dence to accuse the Soviets of cheat
ing on SALT.
summer business
groups and therefore, patronage
from the business community also
slows down.
Nina Carter, day manager at Pizza
Express, said weekday business drops
by as much as 50 percent during the
summer.
But Joey Palieri, manager at Rebels
Restaurant and Bar, said that
although fewer students frequent Re
bels during the summer, the local
crowd tends to come out more often,
making up for the loss.
“Usually, you would think it would
be dead, but it’s not,” Palieri said.
Therefore the numbers at the
lunch and dinner crowds at Rebels
remain almost the same year round
although the clientele is different.
However, the late night crowd is a
little smaller in the summer, she
added.
Palieri said local people and fami
lies go out more often during the
summer because they expect fewer
crowds.
The trend for the local people to
come out more often can be seen even
during spring break, he said.
see SUMMER page 5
Apartment rates expected to rise soon, say owners
m—-—-—
inside
round Town
4
assified
12
Kal
3
pinions
2
ports
State
13
4
fctional
Slice Beat
11
4
Vhat’sup
9
forecast
loudy to partly cloudy today with
a 40 percent chance of thunder-
sfowers and a high near 83. A 40
Percent chance of thundershowers
■night with a low near 69. Cloudy
pith a 30 percent chance of show-
Pts Thursday morning and a high
Bear 86.
I
by Scott Griffin
Battalion Staff
For those who thought apartment
rent in the Bryan-College Station
area would be cheaper in the next
few months because of a housing
surplus, think again.
Apartment owners and mana
gers are pointing to the decline in
building as an indicator that prices
will rise on existing residential units.
In fact, some apartments have
already increased their rates for the
fall semester, and some people say
prices will continue their upward
spiral.
Steve Peters, president of the loc
al district of the Texas Apartment
Association, is one of many who be
lieve the end of the low-rent era is
near: “Prices will rise over the next
two years,” he said. “There won’t be
any drastic changes, but there will be
a steady increase.”
Peters says the reason for the in
crease is because of a halt in the con
struction of new apartments.
“Building starts over the past year
have dropped dramatically,” he
said, “so the problem of a surplus is
not going to be as bad.
“Prices bottomed out from June
of‘82 to February of‘83,” he added.
“During this time there was a signifi
cant city-wide price decrease.
“But right now,” he said, “prices
are as low as they can be. We’re sta
bilized at 1978 levels, and it will take
at least two years to catch up.”
Unfortunately for customers,
many complexes will begin the
catch-up process this fall. Chris
McDaniel, supervisor for five local
complexes, says, “The economy
seems to be coming back, and that
means a lot of people are going to be
coming back to the area, which will
help us. If the market keeps going
like it is, prices will definitely go up.”
And Tony Caporina, owner of
Parkway Circle Apartments, say
prices will probably go up in the fall.
“The main thing is (housing)
starts — if starts come, you can
count on another overbuilt situation
with low rents — if not, we’ll do all
right.”
But how did the local housing in
dustry, once one of the strongest in
the state, get to the surplus stage in
the first place?
Peters said the biggest factor
causing the surplus was “the pullout
of the oil workers in May of ‘82.”
Since last year’s local oil decline,
owners have tried to find other
groups to help take up the slack.
One such group is the people mov
ing from dorms to apartments be
cause of an on-campus rate hike.
McDaniel said a lot of people are
moving into the apartments from
campus because of the increase in
dorm prices. “With these new dorm
rates, it’s becoming a bargain to live
in an apartment.”
He added, however, that the
movement will have no real impact.
“The dorms are always going to
be full — even at a higher rates —
because of their convenience and
appeal. I don’t expect the price in
crease to be of much help.”
Whether or not a large number of
people are moving off campus, one
thing remains clear — rents are
probably going to increase. And at
this point, managers say the only
thing that can save tenants is new
complex starts, which are not prob
able.
Ken Sherry, supervisor of over 20
complexes in the area, highlighted
the problem when he said recently,
“There has been only one apart
ment building permit issued this
year.”
While the situation may seem ini
tially bad for the consumer, Peters
suggests that some good things will
come of the price increases: “De
velopers will have to offer the peo
ple more benefits — hot tubs, pools,
etcetera, to get them in. Also, the
apartments themselves should be
much better because of competi
tion.”