tochiU
The Battalion
Serving the University community
lol 78 No. 57 USPS 0453110 14 pages
College Station, Texas
Friday, November 18,1983
IfloaJl
l No.
to SiaiJ
SS case ruling
xpected soon
by Elaine Engstrom
Battalion Staff
The seven-year battle over recogni-
n of a gay student group at Texas
&M may be coming to a dose.
Attorneys for Texas A&M and the
ay Student Services organization
ill give final oral arguments before
e 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in
trt Worth on Nov. 29.
Legal briefs have already been sub-
pitted by both sides. Interest groups
lOm both sides also have submitted
iefs.
After the oral arguments are com-
eted, the court will probably hand
wn a decision in three or four
anths, but there is no limit on the
ae needed to give a decision,^
Both sides say they will take
sChn t|the Supreme Court if the <1
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res against them.
The hearing before the 5th Circuit*
ourt results from an appeal by the
SS after its suit against the Universi-
was dismissed in May 1982. U.S.
istrict Judge Ross N. Sterling dismis-
td the suit which was originally filed
1977.
Ted J. Hajovsky Jr., general coun-
I for legal affairs, said the case re
lives on the rights of the University.
“Fundamentally,” Hajovsky said,
the question is whether or not the
|niversity has the right to deny rec-
nition to a student group. It is an
ual protection issue.
[ The University does not have an
en forum for all groups. We don’t
recognize social organizations such as
fraternities and sororities. The
reasons to deny recognition apply to
everyone. We’re not denying them
(the GSS) the right to meet as a
group.”
GSS attorney Larry Sauer said the
case involves a violation of the stu
dents’ First Amendment rights.
“The University is an open forum
for ideas. They’re saying it’s only an
open forum for the ideas they agree
with,” Sauer said. “The University is
excluding this group because of their
beliefs.”
Patrick Wisemann, another GSS
attorney, said the GSS is a service
organization and is deserves Universi
ty recognition.
“Texas A&M is a government insti
tution supported by tax money,”
Wisemann said. “It can’t ban groups
with opposing beliefs. The theory of
the lawsuit is freedom of speech. The
free marketplace of ideas should rule
in a democratic society.”
Hajovsky said University recogni
tion would mean more than simply
allowing the group to meet on
campus.
“The University has a certain
amount of inherent power to deal
with these types of groups,” Hajovsky
said. “We are not going to confer for
mal recognition. That would imply a
sanction of the (gay) lifestyle.”
The GSS asked for official Univer
sity recognition in April 1976, but the
request was denied in May 1976.
In November 1976, Dr. John J.
Koldus, vice president for student
services, wrote a letter explaining
Texas A&M’s official position. The
GSS then filed a federal civil rights
suit in February 1977. In November
1977, Judge Sterling dismissed the
suit.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
overturned the dismissal and Texas
A&M appealed to the Supreme
Court, but the case was refused.
In November 1981, the trial
opened in U.S. District Court with
Judge Sterling presiding.
Judge Sterling subsequently dis
missed the suit again in May 1982.
Aided by money from the Texas
Human Rights Foundation, the GSS
filed an appeal with the 5th Circuit
Court in February 1983.
One issue in the original suit — the
illegality of homosexual activity in
Texas — now has little significance
since section 21.06 of the Texas Penal
Code was struck down in a Dallas
court case. Section 21.06 stated
homosexual activity was unlawful in
Texas.
In the Dallas case, in September
1982, a federal distrietjudge declared
it illegal to penalize consenting adults
for private homosexual relations.
indent Y program with Jr. High
Mark Lish, Battalion photo
Just hanging around
Suspended from a rope connected to the centerpole
of the bonfire, Mark Rogers wraps wire around logs
securing them to the stack. Rogers is a junior from
Baytown majoring in mechanized agriculture.
Aggies can adopt younger siblings
by Connie Hutterer
Battalion Reporter
Aegies who miss their little brothers and sis-
|rs left at home or who wonder what it’s like to
h^ve a younger sibling can become Aggie
fFriends to local seventh- and eighth-graders.
I The Texas A&M Student Y Association is
Kginning an Aggie Friends program to pair
fcollege students and A&M Junior High School
■'Students with common interests.
I Project chairman Matt Weeks said the Stu
dent Y program is similar to the national Big
Brothers/Big Sisters program which pairs chil-
|dren in single-parent homes with concerned
adults. But the Student Y program has a few
differences.
The Aggie Friends are not necessarily the
me sex as the students they are paired with,
the junior-high students are not necessarily
from single-parent homes, and the program
will include group activities as well as one-on-
one interaction, Wheat said.
| Aggie Friends do not have to be Student Y
members, Wheat said. The only requirement is
a commitment to spend time with the young
students and to care about them.
About 40 Aggies have asked to be assigned
little brothers and sisters so far, Wheat said. The
applicants will be interviewed to screen out
those who may not have the time and the de
dication to carry through the project, he said.
“You’re making a big committment in both
time and energy,” Wheat said, “and you’re real
ly going to let someone down if you back out. To
that kid, it might be the biggest thing in the
world.”
Letters to parents explaining the program
were distributed to seventh-graders at A&M
Junior High about three weeks ago, Wheat said.
Parents who want their children to participate
completed the enclosed application and de
scribed their children’s activities and interests.
One parent requested a that big brother be
assigned to her daughter, who has three older
sisters.
Another parent asked for a big brother for
her eighth-grade son, so Wheat decided to ex
pand the program to include eighth-graders.
Forty junior-high applications have been re
turned to the Student Y so far, Wheat said, and
more are expected by Friday.
Girls outnumber boys among thejunior-high
applicants. Among Aggies, the proportions are
about even, he said.
Wheat said students will be paired according
to common interests and hobbies. The Aggie
Friends will meet their little brothers and sisters
and the children’s parents at a reception Nov.
28.
Group activities planned for the spring in
clude skating parties and dances, attending
Aggie basketball and baseball games, and an
end-of-the-year picnic, Wheat said.
If more college students than junior high-
schoolers apply. Aggies who are not assigned
little brothers can attend the group events until
more seventh-and eighth-graders become in
terested in the program, he said.
Program guidelines encourage Aggies with
junior-high Friends to help their little brothers
with the normal problems of growing up: study
problems, family worries, peer pressure. The
program is designed to give the children an
opportunity to express themselves, free from
parental and peer pressures.
The program also gives college students the
chance to re-live their younger days. Wheat
said. It gives them an excuse to have fun like
they used to, before grade points became all-
important and other activities replaced simple,
old-fashioned playing.
Wheat hopes students will remain in contact
during school breaks and after the Aggies gra
duate. Most of the Aggies who have applied so
far are freshmen, Wheat said, and should be
able keep in touch with their young friends for
at least several years.
Any student interested in being an Aggie
Friend can pick up an application at the Student
Activities desk in the Pavillion, or call the Stu
dent Y at 845-1626.
Missile
protesters
arrested
United Press International
LONDON — Police arrested 65
anti-nuclear demonstrators Wednes
day during protests in central London
against this week’s arrival of the first
U.S. cruise missiles in Britain, author
ities said.
Earlier, 24 women were detained
outside the Greenham Common air
base, 50 miles west of London, where
the missiles are being deployed.
Mounted police dragged off the
women, who had blocked the base
gates. Some of the women wept.
The new arrests came as an author
itative defense journal reported that
Moscow has developed its own ver
sion of the low-flying U.S. cruise mis
sile. Jane’s Defense Review said the
technology was probably stolen from
the West.
Opponents of U.S. missiles in Bri- _
tain gathered in Trafalgar Square
and elsewhere in the center of Lon
don to try to march on Whitehall, the
site of many government offices, in
cluding that of Prime Minister Mar
garet Thatcher.
The largest number of arrests were
made outside the St. Martins-in-the-
fields church on Trafalgar Square
where demonstrators staged a vigil.
They were pushed back by police
when they tried to walk down White
hall, police said.
“Thirty-five people were detained
outside the church,” he said. Among
those arrested were a group of seven,
who had linked hands around the war
memorial at Whitehall.
Police said more than a hundred
people had gathered in the vicinity of
the church, but gave no estimates for
the total number of demonstrators in
central London. Organizers said ab
out 200 people took part in the pro
tests.
The arrests at Greenham Common
brought to 165 the number of women
arrested there since Monday when a
U.S. transport plane arrived with the
first of 572 cruise and Pershing-2 mis
siles to be deployed in five European
countries.
Several women have been camping
out at the base for months to protest
the missile deployment, which will
proceed as planned if there is no last-
minute agreement at the U.S.-Soviet
arms limitation talks at Geneva.
British courts began hearings for
anti-cruise protesters arrested at
Greenham Common and outside the
House of Commons where more than
300 protesters were arrested Tuesday
when they lay down in the street.
onstruction funds lead
IBoard of Regent’s agenda
by Karen Schrimsher
Battalion Staff
Appropriation of funds for con
struction at Texas A&M tops the
agenda for Tuesday’s Texas A&M
Board of Regents meeting.
The board’s planning and build
ing committee will meet Sunday to
discuss the approval of a master plan
lor a $7 million research park. The
Committee approved the conceptual
plan of Bovay Engineers, Inc., a
[Houston engineering firm, at its
Kept. 25 meeting. Representatives of
ihefirm will present the plan during
[he meeting.
The site, approved by the regents
[n November 1982, extends from
[he west campus and is bounded by
FM 60 on the north, by FM 2818 on
[he west, by FM 2347 on the south
and by Poultry Science Road on the
Cast. To date, a total of $280,000 has
peen allotted for the project.
The University will serve as de
veloper and manager of the park.
Parcels of land ready for develop-
hient will be prepared and leased on
long-term basis to corporate
[enants. The park is a plan to facili
tate a closer working relationship
between Texas A&M System re
search and selected industrial and
commercial entities engaged in re
search activities.
The committee also will discuss
She following appropriation recom-
Snendations for construction at
[Texas A&M:
• An appropriation of $75,000
for the preliminary design of a $5
million poultry science center. The
board approved a $15,000 approp
riation for the project in March.
• A $65,000 appropriation for the
preliminary design for the advanced
Ocean Drilling Program facility.
The appropriation would supple
ment a previous appropriation of
$15,000. The project has an esti
mated cost of $5 million.
• An $80,000 appropriation for
the design of physical education and
intramural playing fields. The $1.5
million project involves the con
struction of a lighted complex — an
addition to Penberthy Intramural
Center.
• A $10,000 appropriation for a
$1 million track and field events
center.
In other business, the committee
will vote on bid recommendations
for a new administration building
for Tarleton State University and a
design for a general office and clas
sroom building and for the All
Faiths Chapel at Prairie View A&M
University.
Appropriations for designs for
additional station facilities, a green
house complex, an office building
and residences for the Texas Agri
cultural Experiment Station also will
be discussed.
On Tuesday the board will vote
on recommendations to establish
new graduate degree programs in
medical sciences, political science
and anthropology.
Medical sciences is a term used to
denote multidisciplinary study in
fields such as human anatomy,
biochemistry, microbiology and
medical pharmacology. The board
will consider authorizing President
Frank E. Vandiver to present the
state Coordinating Board with a re
quest for a master of science and a
doctorate in medical sciences.
Authorization to offer a doctorate
degree in political science and in
anthropology with an archeology
option also will be considered.
The board will vote on all commit
tee recommendations Tuesday.
The regents will hear reports
from each committee, including the
site selection committee — the
group responsible for finding a loca
tion for the Albritton Tower, a gift
from former regent Ford D.
Albritton.
The board is expected to vote on
approval of a site for the 130-foot
structure.
The schedule for the regents’
committee meetings is as follows:
Sunday
• 1:30 p.m. — planning and
building committee
• 3:30 p.m. — committee for
academic campuses
• 4 p.m. — cash oversight com
mittee
• 4:15 p.m. — committee on min
eral leases
Monday
• 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. — commit
tee of the whole
• 1:30 p.m. — committee of the
whole reconvenes
Tuesday
• 8:30 a.m. — meeting of the
Board of Regents
House committe clears
current Congressmen
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The House
ethics committee Thursday cleared
current members of Congress of alle
gations of illegal drug use but cited
“substantial evidence” three former
members bought or used cocaine or
marijuana.
The report, wrapping up a 16-
month investigation, specifically dis
missed allegations against Rep.
Ronald Dellums, D-Calif., and
Charles Wilson, D-Texas.
The report did not specifically
identify the three former congress
men it said were suspected of using
drugs while they served in the House
from 1978 to 1982. But committee
special counsel Joseph Califano iden
tified them as former Reps. Barry
Goldwater, R-Calif., John Burton, D-
Calif., and Fred Richmond, D-N.Y.
Califano told a news conference
said all three were offered immunity
to testify to the panel.
Richmond and Burton testified
under oath about their own drugs
use, he said. Goldwater refused to tes
tify about his own use of drugs, but
told investigators he was unaware of
any current congressmen using
drugs, Califano said.
Goldwater, son of Sen. Barry Gold-
water, R-Ariz., and Burton chose not
to seek re-election last year.
Richmond resigned his House seat
in August 1982 when he pleaded guil
ty to charges of income tax evasion,
having possessed marijuana cigaret
tes obtained from his congresional
staff and making an illegal $7,420
payment to a Navy employee who had
been helpful in obtaining govern
ment contacts for the former Brook
lyn Navy Yard. He was recently re
leased from a Brooklyn halfway
house.
The report said one of the con
gressmen testified he used marijuana
as a substitute for sleeping pills. The
other said he developed a “chemical
dependency” on alcohol, cocaine and
sedatives in response to the “high
stress nature of his job.” The report
did not identify the congressmen.
Although the ethics panel also
looked into allegations against seven
other members, it said the charges
were “mere speculation and hearsay.
Jesse Jackson to discuss
presidential bid Monday
Jesse Jackson, the eighth Democra
tic candidate for the 1984 presidential
election, will speak Monday at 1 p.m.
in Rudder Auditorium about his pres
idential bid.
Jackson, founder of the Chicago-
based Operation PUSH, officially
announced his candidacy for presi
dent last week.
Jackson, 42, realizes his bid is a
long-shot but hopes his candidacy will
draw blacks to the voting booths and
encourage the Democratic party to
address the concerns of blacks and
other minority groups.
Many black leaders are not sup
porting Jackson, however, because
they fear he may divide the Democra
tic party. Many who are supporting
former Vice President Walter Mon
dale fear Jackson could draw many
votes away from the Democratic front
runner.
Mondale had been counting on sig
nificant black support.
But Jackson is counting on drawing
a large minority turnout, and hopes
this will help increase the number of
minorities seeking political offices.
Jackson’s speech Monday is being
sponsored by Texas A&M’s Political
Forum, Black Awareness Committee
and Committee for Awareness of
Mexican American Culture.
inside
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forecast
Partly cloudy with highs in the low
to mid 70s.