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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1984)
Black South African awarded Nobel Peace Prize United Press International I OSLO, Norway — Black Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Tuesday for his passionate but peaceful “hero ism” in leading a non-violent cru sade against South Africa’s system of acial discrimination. Tutu, 58, said in New York City vhere he is a visiting professor at the ieneral Theological Seminary that ie would accept the $190,()00 award in behalf of “all those who have jeen involved in the liberation strug- i|e, working for a new society in South Africa.” “I want to thank the committee for honoring us and for saving so loudlv and so clearly that those who appose apartheid are in many ways like those who oppose communism,” said a joyful Tutu. “They oppose a system that is totally evil.” The bishop, who regards himself as a church leader rather than a poli tician, said when word of his award came by telephone from a diplomat, “My wife and I were pinching each other.” Tutu has strived peacefully to eliminate South African apartheid — the institutional racial segregation and discrimination of the nation’s 22 million blacks by the 4.5 million whites. He is seen as that nation’s Martin Luther King, Jr., who won the award 20 years ago. “The committee has attached im portance to Desmond Tutu’s role as a unifying leading figure in the cam paign to resolve the problems of apartheid in South Africa,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in announcing the award. Tutu, secretary general of the Jo hannesburg-based South African Council of Churches, is depised by the right-wing Afrikaner establish ment in South Africa but has also been criticized by some black ex tremists for being too moderate. He has frequently appealed to the proclaimed deep Christian belief s of South African whites, saying “Jesus Christ is involved in the liberation struggle” of the blacks for equality. Tutu, whose home is in the black township of Soweto, was the second black South African to win the award. The Peace Prize for 1960 was re served and awarded the year after to Albert Luthuli, head of the African National Congress who fought against apartheid, which was insti tuted in 1948 when the Afrikaner National Party came to power. Although some easing of South Africa’s racial laws has occurred in recent years, the plight of blacks there has changed little since Luthu- li’s award. Tutu’s selection was a clear call by the Nobel Committee for the elimination of apartheid. “This year’s award should be seen as a renewed recognition of the courage and heroism shown by black South Africans in their use of peace ful methods in the struggle against apartheid,” the five-member award ing committee said. , Asked later if the Committee wanted this award to influence the situation in South Africa, Committee Chairman Egil Aarvik said, “Yes”. It was also the second time in as many years that an anti-communist fighting for a plurastic society in his homeland was honored. The 1983 prize went to Lech Walesa, founder of the banned Solidarity union who has led a non-violent struggle against the communist Polish goern- ment. Tutu supporters in South Africa shouted and danced when the an nouncement was made and hailed the decision, saying it was likely to focus international attention on apartheid. Workers and priests at his church council held a thanksgiving service. It “is a recognition that there is in South Africa a movement — a mov ing of the indomitable spirit of man struggling against terrible odds,” said Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, political leader of 6.3 million Zulus, South Africa’s most populous tribe. Many feared, however, it would have as little effect on the system as Luthuli’s award. “I don’t think it will have any im pact politically,” said Sylvia Gon, act ing president for the liberal South African Institute of Race Relations. pap] Texas A&M • The Battalion Serving the University community Vol. 80 Mo. 35 (ASPS 045360 14 pages College Station, Texas Wednesday, October 17, 1984 Graham Central Station explosion Photo by DEAN SAITO A pre-dawn explosion Tuesday rocked the Graham Central Station nightclub. The cause was not specified as officials continue their investigation. See story page 4. Mattox stands by band ruling United Press International AUSTIN — Attorney General Jim Mattox, ignoring opposition from Texas A&M regents, said Tuesday he will stand by his decision to sign a court order clearing the way for women to participate in the Aggie band. Mattox, acting as the University’s lawyer, agreed earlier this month to settle a 1979 lawsuit filed by former A&M student Melanie Zentgraf who allegedly was excluded from the band because of her sex. Although the Corps has been open to women for several years, the band has remained a male-only insti tution. “I have stated very clearly in docu ments filed with the court that I be lieve the exclusion of women from the Aggie band violates, among other things, the Equal Rights Amendment of the Texas Constitu tion,” Mattox said. However, Mattox’s decision an gered at least two members of the Board of Regents. In separate letters, board chair man H.R. “Bum” Bright and Vice Chajrman William McKenzie both said they opposed the proposed set tlement and also claimed Mattox had ignored their opposition. McKenzie said allowing female band members would be akin to let ting them play on the school’s foot ball or baseball teams. A group of A&M alumni who were in the band also has opposed the proposed settlement, claiming it would weaken the nation’s defense. “I don’t know how any of the peo ple at A&M can make that conten tion with a straight face,” Mattox said. “I think it’s ludicrous to suggest it.” Mattox noted that all of the na tion’s military academies, as well as all other Southwest Conference schools, currently have coed bands. But Bright, a part owner of the Dallas Cowboys, said the Regents fa vored continuing the lawsuit, and he questioned Mattox’s authority to en ter into an agreement opposed by the school. Mattox said he found it hard to understand that Bright allowed the scantily clad Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders to be associated with his football team, yet opposed allow ing A&M women to perform in the band’s traditional military garb. Mattox also said that a U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling ear lier this year upheld the attorney general’s authority to enter into court settlements without the agreement of the state agency being represented. Propostition 2 is important part of election By ROBIN BLACK Senior Staff Writer Editor’s note: this is the first in a three part series on Proposition 2. Texans will be choosing more than their next president when they R ote in the Nov. 6 general election, ’hey also will be deciding the future )f higher education in Texas. Proposition 2, one of eight pro- losed amendments to the state con stitution, would restructure the ■unction of the Permanent Univer ity Fund. The PUF is Texas A&M’s primary source of construction reve nue. The PUF, established by the state n 1876, is a constitutional endow- nent of 2.1 million acres of West Texas lands which is administered for the benefit of the Texas A&M and University of Texas systems. The fund is used as collateral for construction bonds. Income from the oil-rich land is invested and the profits make up the Available Uni versity Fund, which finances enrich ment programs such as endowed professorships and scholarships. The UT system receives two-thirds of the AUF and the A&M system re ceives one-third. If it passes, the amendment would create a special higher education as sistance fund from general revenue that would be used by schools that do not use the PUF now. The fund would provide money for construc tion for the non-PUF schools. If the amendment does not pass, the University will lose its portion of the revenue from the AUF. Most of the loss would be seen in academic programs. The University would lose the money — about $50 million — be cause the non-PUF schools will prob ably file a lawsuit if the amendment does not pass. This action would halt any use of the PUF or the AUF, cut ting off the funds that both A&M and UT receive. The amendment also would allow Prairie View A&M and other system schools to receive money from the AUF. Only A&M’s College Station campus and UT-Austin currently have access to the AUF, which pro vided about $156 million in total rev enue in 1982. Aside from providing A&M with money for construction, AUF reve nue also helps fund various aca demic programs including matching funds for endowed faculty chairs. The amendment, if passed, would make four basic changes in the way state higher education is handled: • It would provide $100 million from general revenues to be ded icated each year for Use by 26 state universities not currently included in the PUF. It would be called the Education Assistance Fund. • Use of PUF bond proceeds would expand to include major re pairs and rehabilitation of existing buildings, purchase of capital equip ment, acquisition of library books and materials and purchase of land. See PROPOSITION, page 4 University leaders push Proposition 2 Tuesday morning the LSG, with four University officials, held a presentation/news confer ence in the Memorial Student Center to talk about the proposi tion. A panel including Johnny See PUF, page 13 By ROBIN BLACK Senior Staff Writer Student Government’s Legis lative Study Group has been working hard to inform students of the importance of Proposition 2, the proposed amendment to the state constitution that would restructure the Permanent Uni versity Fund. Forum stirs talk on abortion Salvadoran leader says cease-fire offer refused Photo by PETER ROCHA Kris Parsons, from NOW, speaks at Rudder Fountain. By KEVIN S. INDA Reporter Conflicts on the issue of abortion arose between a member of the Na tional Organization for Women (NOW) and an audience of about 200 Tuesday during an open air symposium at Rudder Fountain. The open air symposium, spon sored by Students Working Against Many Problems (SWAMP), featured Kris Parsons from NOW speaking in favor of a woman’s right to have an abortion. “A woman should have the right to do anything she pleases with her body,” Parsons said. “How much power do you want to give the gover- ment to control our bodies?” While Parsons was speaking, the audience began to voice their opin ions of what they thought about abortion and arguments broke out between people in the crowd. Garrett Russell, who opposes abortion, argued with Parsons that everyone has the right to life. “A fetus is a living thing and it has rights just like any other living thing,” Russell said. “Abortion is murder and the people who con done it are murderers.” Parsons retaliated by saying that a fetus is not alive and non-living things have no rights. “If an embryo is a person, is it not slavery to be forced to carry every pregnancy to full tetm no matter the circumstances or consequences?” Parsons asked. Brad Dacus, another member of the audience who opposes abortion, argued that a fetus is a living thing. “According to a Congressional study that took place this last year, many doctors and lawyers were asked to define life,” Dacus said. “They defined a fetus to have a heartbeat, a functioning mind and functioning organs at the age of six weeks. How can you justify the mur der of something that is functioning the same way as a human being?” Parsons said a woman still should be responsible for her body no mat ter what the situation. “If you take away a woman’s right to have an abortion, you are telling her that the goverment has more right to her uterus and the contents See NOW, page 4 United Press International SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — A rebel leader Tuesday accused the U.S.-backed government of “flatly” refusing a cease-fire offer made dur ing Monday’s historic peace talks and ignoring a chance to end five years of civil war. But other rebel leaders contra dicted the statement made by Guil lermo Manuel Ungo, saying it was “ridiculous” to think El Salvador’s five guerrilla armies would stop fighting immediately. Calm was reported on El Salva dor’s military fronts Tuesday. Guer rillas said they planned to proceed with a drive to shut down transport on major highways Thursday. Ungo was one of six rebel leaders who met Monday with a five-mem ber government delegation led by President Jose Napoleon Duarte for a historic peace summit in La Palma, a mountain village 43 miles north of San Salvador. After the 5 Vs-hour talks, Salvado ran Archbishop Arturo Rivera y Damas read a joint statement saying the two sides agreed to form a com mission to hold ongoing peace nego tiations. Another meeting was sched uled for November. Rebel Commander Fermin Cien- fuegos said the main achievment of Monday’s talks was “the government recognized for the first time that we are a legitimate power,” but he charged the Reagan administration backed the dialogue solely “to gain time” until 1986, when Gen. Paul Gorman, head of the Panama-based U.S. Southern Command, has pre dicted the Salvadoran army would be strong enough to defeat the re bels. Duarte said in a nationwide tele vision appearance late Monday he expressed to the rebels his “vital” concern the fighting be “human ized.” He said he asked the guerrillas “not to keep destroying bridges, not to keep burning buses and not to keep destroying crops.” Ungo, who returned to his exile home in Panama after the talks, said during an interview by Colombian radio that the rebels had offered a cease-fire “but the answer of the government was to refuse our pro posal.” “They flatly ruled it out, which in dicates that the government itself wants us to keep killing each other,” said Ungo, president of the Demo cratic Revolutionary Front, the polit ical wing of the guerrilla coalition Fighting to topple the U.S.-backed government. There was no immediate response from the government on Ungo’s claim. Defense Minister Gen. Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova, who ac companied Duarte to the talks, indi cated earlier an immediate cease-fire was unlikely. In Miramundo, top guerrilla mili tary comfnanders appeared to con tradict Ungo and gave no indication the five-year war that has claimed some 50,000 civilian lives would end soon.