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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1984)
m l tic tSdttdlion Serving the University community they canlm aid. Vol 79 No. 162 USPS 045360 12 pages College Station, Texas Thursday, June 21, 1984 tkeem topfc r, I think n greater st, )t select ap tecond pick g traded th ''iewjerse; on felt il enter itwod brwards a ts retnainis i not haven >nd or sij forwards Js ta, and Wi , in the tin respective ie guards, jt Al McClaiti Long Bei r in the sc lolando Blao aver who o 1 help us.’’ k Aguirre rovement, >e a power the midi ill won’t n, but this*' lie center Dallas’ to ent the oi id first-ro ansbury, ent field ight away Ji n, the tead Photo by DEAN SAJTO Engineering and Physics Building construction Work continues Wednesday afternoon on that is located behind the Cyclotron. The the new Engineering and Physics Building building will house classrooms and offices. Alien immigration bill passes House 216-211 United Press International WASHINGTON — The House, by a five-vote margin, approved Wednesday a historic immigration bill that would grant amnesty to mil lions of illegal aliens in America but discourage entry of others by penal izing employers who hire them. The long-debated bill was passed 216-211 shortly after the House re jected a hotly contested amendment by Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Fla., to strip the legislation of its key am nesty provision. A cheer rose from the floor when the cliffhanger vote was announced. Rep. Romano Mazzoli, D-Ky., the chief sponsor of the bill, and other supporters said removal of amnesty would have killed the monumental measure. But the legislation now will go to a House-Senate conference for nego tiation of differences between it and a Senate bill, which passed 76-18 last year and is backed by President Rea gan. As passed by the House, the bill would grant legal residence to aliens who entered illegally before Jan. 1, 1982, and impose fines of up to $2,000 for each illegal alien kno wingly hired by employers of four or more workers. Under an amendment by House Democratic leader Jim Wright of Texas, adopted 247-170, the aliens would he granted temporary resi dence for one yettr and could apply for permanent residence in their second year. To gain permanent status, an alien would have to meet certain re quirements — including a “minimal understanding of ordinary English.” “We’ll take a look at it when it goes to conference to see if more can be done to bring it in line with the Sen ate bill,” White House spokesman Peter Roussel said of the House ver sion. The Senate-passed bill, sponsored by Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., would grant temporary residence to aliens who entered before Jan. 1, 1977, and temporary residence to Bill could hurt Mexico United Press International MEXICO CITY — Enforce ment of the Simpson-Mazzoli im migration bill would cause Mexico to lose nearly $ 1 billion in reve nue from undocumented workers each year, the Bank of Mexico said Wednesday. The Bank of Mexico, the coun try’s central bank, said that money sent back to Mexico by the undo cumented workers is the third largest source of dollar revenue in the country, after petroleum sales and tourism. those who came later but before Jan. 1, 1980. Like the House bill, it calls for employer sanctions. House nixes Caperton’s state school board plan United Press International AUSTIN — The Texas Senate killed plans for an appointed state school board Wednesday, while House members puzzled over two different education reform bills — a committee measure criticized as too soft and a stricter bill negotiated by House leaders. The Senate, acting as a “commit tee of the whole,” voted 18-14 to scuttle a proposal by Sen. Kent Ca- perton, D-Bryan, that would have instituted a 15-member state Board of Education appointed by the gov ernor. Under Caperton’s proposal, the board would have reverted to an elected body in four years. Sen. Oscar Mauzy, D-Dallas, spearheaded the drive to kill Caper ton’s proposal. With Caperton’s pro posal voted down, the Senate’s edu cation reform bill now calls for retaining the present 27-member elected board. However, both Ul. Gov. Bill Hobby and Cov. Mark White were lobbying individual Senate members in hopes of changing their votes on the measure, which is one of the key recommendations of H. Ross Perot’s Select Committee on Public Educa tion. “It ain’t over until it’s over,” White said of the setback. Hobby also indicated that provi sions for an appointed board would be put back in the proposal when it is considered in Seriate floor debate. “This is a miraculous process,” Hobby said. The Senate had completed less than half its work on four subcom mittee reports that eventually will comprise a single bill when Hobby unexpectedly called for the Senate _to recess until Thursday morning. In the House, all 150 House mem bers finally begin debate Thursday on education reform, but they first must decide which of the two House education bills to address. House Speaker Gib Lewis and other leaders in the lower chamber are pushing a substitute measure in corporating many of the reforms struck by the House Public Educa tion Committee from an original compromise bill. The substitute bill, which is sup ported by committee Chairman Bill Haley, D-Center, reinstates propo sals for an appointed state school board that eventually reverts to an elected body, mandatory pre-kin dergarten for Spanish-speaking or educationally handicapped 4-year- olds and a revamped school financ ing program. It also calls for a merit pay plan for teachers that would abolish a longheld longevity-based system of pay raises for each year of teaching experience. Water safety tips offered by lifeguard In Today’s Battalion * son By KARI FLUEGEL Staff Writer In 1982, 486 Texans were victims of water accidents. Often a vacation or simple outing can be turned into a nightmare because of an accidental drowning. The Bryan boy who drowned last week in Pinfeather Lake is only one of the many victims water will claim this summer. One of the major causes of water accidents is disrespect for the water, Martha Nix, Wofford Cain pool manager, said. Nix, who began lifeguarding 21 years ago, is Safety Chairman of the Brazos County Red Cross and Water Safety Specialist/Volunteer Consul tant for the Red Cross. She also is water coordinator for the depart ment of physical education. “People don’t remember to re spect the water,” Nix said. “They’re having so much fun, they don’t real ize it’s dangerous.” Temperature, currents, weather, unfamiliar areas and drug and alco hol use all contribute to water acci dents, Nix said. “Tempature is deceiving,” she said. “The longer you are in the wa ter, the colder the body gets. Don’t tay in too long.” Many people engage in water ac- dvites like boating or water skiing. The wind off the water also de- Cain pool rules ‘are fair’ By KARI FLUEGEL Staff Writer Many people often complain about rules and regulations at public pools. The rules and regulations at Wofford Cain Pool are followed to keep the pool clean and enjoya ble for everyone, Martha Nix, pool manager, said. Admission to the pool is $1 with a Texas A&M University identification card or student swim passes can be purchased. Students can purchase passes from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the pool management office on the east side of DeWare Fieldhouse. Summer prices for passes are $16 for each session or $24 for both sessions. A student family See POOL page 3 creases body tempature which can result in numbness and loss of con trol. Water currents can cause acci dents also. Undertows, the current of water beneath the surface, often suprise swimmers. The preventative measure is to know the currents in the area, both on top and beneath the water. If a swimmer finds himself in such a situation, he should swim diago nally across the current, with the flow. “Never against it,” Nix said. Weather conditions also should be monitored while in or around the water. While wind may make the area more wavy, the more immedi ate danger is lightning, Nix said. Water acts like a magnet for light ning. Even though the bolt first may strike a higher area, the water will at tract it. Swimmers and boaters should get out of and away from the water when lightning is in the area. “If around water, get as far away and in as much of a sheltered area as possible,” Nix said. Water accidents also can occur be cause swimmers are unfamilar with the bottom of the lake or pool. Swimmers diving into shallow water or in an area with rocks and glass can seriously injure themselves. “Good swimmers are not immune to diving injuries,” she said. Drinking and drug use also are dangerous around the water. When drunk, a person’s perception is af fected so that the short half-mile swim across the lake may in actuality be a two-mile swim. Alcohol or drug use can confuse a diver so that he cannot tell which way to the surface of the water. Many swimming accidents at hotel pools result from parties at which guests decide to take a swim after drinking, Nix said. Most drownings occur because people feel they are safe in a boat and do not wear a lifejacket. “Wear a life jacket,” Nix said. “It keeps you afloat and if you have the right kind, it’ll turn you over face up. “Just follow all these simple rules: never go alone, and that includes fishing, make sure you know what the currents are, check the weather and use some sense about eating and drinking.” Many near-drownings happen in areas just two or three feet away from a safe area. Lifeguards at busy beaches are busy all day long, Nix said. Many drownings, however, hap pen in unsupervised areas. Drown ings can be avoided if swimmers know what to do when they find themselves in danger. First, do not panic or thrash around, Nix said. Relax. Try to float on your back, take a deep breath, look to the sky and kick your feet slowly. See WATER page 3 Local • A variety of activities are being offered this summer by the intramural department. See story page 6. State • Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry testified in be half of quarterback Danny White. See story page 12. National • The doctor investigating the death of Kentucky Derby winner Swale hasn’t ruled out foul play. See story page 1 1. • The average American will be 36 years old at the turn of the century, the Census Bureau predicts. See story page 4.