Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1986)
f World and Nation i Inauguration ends military regime Cerezo takes presidential oath Associated Press GUATEMALA CITY — Vinicio Cerezo became Guatemala’s first ci vilian president in 16 years Tuesday, facing ruinous inflation and the deli cate task of dealing with human rights abuses without alienating the powerful military. Gen. Oscar Humberto Mejia Vic- tores, the retiring chief of state who seized power in a 1983 coup, admin istered the oath of office to the 43- year-old lawyer from the centrist Christian Democratic Party. Vice President George Bush, who led the U.S. delegation to the inau gural, said soon after arrival that it was “a most historic occasion. We view this as a turning point not just in Guatemala’s history but also a milestone in this hemisphere.” The 100 members of Congress, 51 of them from Cerezo’s party, were sworn in earlier Tuesday. About 400 demonstrators en gaged in a pushing match with po lice outside the theater. They were from the International Peace March in Central America that left Panama on a journey to Mexico in December _ and the Mutual Support Group, rel atives of people wno have disap peared in the military campaign against leftists. Cerezo was elected to serve a five- year term. His inauguration ends four years of rule by decree begun by a coup March 23, 1982, that brought Gen. Efrain Rios Montt to power. Mejia Victores replaced him in a coup Aug. 8, 1983. The new president faces tough challenges even with a congressional majority and the initial cooperation of those anxious to solve economic problems and glad for an end to mil itary rule. He must balance the interests of workers impoverished by high infla tion, which is put officially at 50 per cent and estimated by some econo mists at double that, against those of a powerful private sector that guards its own interests and resists higher taxes. Inflation was in single digits in 1982 and rose only to 11 percent by 1984. Group reveals unannounced nuclear tests Associated Press WASHINGTON — The United States conducted at least 12 and pos sibly as many as 19 unannounced underground nuclear weapons tests between 1980 and 1984, an environ mental group asserted Tuesday. Citing research based on public sources of information, the Natural Resources Defense Council said the tests showed the Reagan administra tion had stepped up the pace of nu clear weapons research, despite gov ernment figures indicating a stable rate of testing from the Carter ad ministration. Eight of the unannounced tests could be confirmed based on infor mation obtained from the U.S. Geo logical Survey or the Hagfors Obser vatory in Sweden, which detected them in 1983 and 1984, the report said. “At least four — and possibly as many as 1 1 — (other) tests appar- endy escaped detection,” suggesting experiments with very small nuclear devices, the report added. Robert S. Norris, a political scien tist-and one of four researchers who collaborated on the study, said, “This is indicative of an accelerated pattern that goes directly contrary to many of the things that Mr. Reagan and (Defense Secretary Caspar) Weinberger publicly state. “They speak of their desire to get rid of nuclear weapons, but they’re building more of them and they are spending more on nuclear testing. And they are operating under a pol icy of keeping some tests secret on a theory, I believe, that announcing all tests would draw attention to the weapons buildup that they would like to avoid.” While no concrete evidence was available, Norris suggested the smallest tests could be related to President Reagan’s “Star Wars” re search effort. Published scientific papers also suggest that scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Labo ratory in California have worked on “low-yield fission warheads” for use on anti-satellite weapons, he said. The Natural Resources Defense Council has frequently been critical of Reagan administration policies. The Pentagon declined immedi ate comment on the report, citing a standard policy not to discuss any details of nuclear testing. Norris, in an interview, said the Reagan administration was not the first to keep nuclear tests secret. He said evidence indicated three unan nounced tests had been conducted during the Carter administration. During the Carter years of 1977 through 1980, 58 nuclear tests were publicly announced, he said. During the first four years of the Reagan ad ministration, 65 such tests were pub licly announced. Researcher builds new blood pumps with muscle tissue Associated Press SARASOTA, Fla. — Spare muscle from elsewhere in the body may soon be used to build new blood pumps for victims of severe congestive heart failure, sparing them from heart trans plants or artificial hearts, a re searcher said Tuesday. The experimental technique would call for doctors to remove the muscle, treat it with electric shocks to strengthen it, then form it into a cone and attach it to a major artery anywhere in the body. They would then attach a pacemaker to make the muscle contract like a healthy heart. Dr. Larry Stephenson, a sur geon from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, said he believes the strategy could be tried in humans within two years. “It would be an extra pump,” he said. “It would be used as an assist device to pump additional blood to somebody who was in fairly profound heart failure.” About 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed each year as having irreversible con gestive heart failure. Half of these people die within a year. Because of damage to their heart muscle, their hearts don’t beat strongly enough. Stephenson, w'ho began work ing on the idea of fashioning pumps from muscle about seven years ago, described the research at a science writers’ forum spon sored by the American Heart As sociation. He says he believes the pumps could assist the failing heart by pumping two liters of blood a minute. Stephenson has identified four muscles that he said could be used to make the pumps: the dia phragm muscle, which is used in breathing; the latissimus dorsi, the large muscles in the back; the pectoralis, the muscles in the up per chest, and the rectus abdomi- nus, the muscles in the abdomen. Since the body has two of each of these muscles, he said, one could be removed without causing se rious disability. He said his technique would be safer than heart transplants, and it also could be more widely used, since not enough hearts are avail able for all the people who need heart transplants. KKK to hold march against King’s birthday observance Associated Press PULASKI, Tenn. — Many whites in this southern Tennessee town of 7,500 are proud their forefathers or ganized the Ku Klux Klan 120 years ago to stop blacks and Northerners from seizing political power after the Civil War. But those were different times and a different Klan, and residents say they are unenthusiastic about plans by the Klan to parade this weekend in protest of the first na tional observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Stacey Aymett Garner, who’s served as mayor for 21 years, said, “I The original Ku Klux Klan. . . was formed by community leaders con cerned about lawlessness and the rise to power of northern whites and for mer slaves. .. . think the general reaction is that (residents) would prefer it not to happen. But I don’t think anybody is real, real excited about the thing.” Mitchell Birdsong Jr., who two years ago became the first black al derman in the city that is about 20 percent black, said the town’s image is the main worry. “Everybody’s concerned and they’d rather for them not to come,” he said. “If they (townspeople) had a choice in the matter, they (Klansmen) wouldn’t be here. But this is something, unfortunately, we don’t have a choice about.” The six-block march by the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is set for Saturday. A man officials identified as Grand Wizard Stanley McCullom applied for the parade permit on Dec. 17. City Attorney Jack Henry said the Klan had a right to march as long as members wore no hoods and did not litter or obstruct traffic. City Recorder Bob Abernathy- said McCullom lives in Tuscumbia, Ala., although initial news reports listed his home as Tuscaloosa. The Klan is scheduled to assemble just off the town square in front of a modest brick building where the first KKK meeting took place. Townsfolk say today’s Klan does not resemble the 19th Century orga nization. The original Ku Klux Klan, whose name stems from the Greek word “I think the general reac tion is that (residents) would prefer it not to hap- pen. ” — Stacey Aymett Garner, mayor of Pulaski. for circle, was formed by community leaders concerned about lawlessness and the rise to power of northern whites and former slaves in the Re- constructionist South. It developed into a vigilante group that used disguises such as colorful hoods and robes and mid night rides to play on the fears and superstitions of those former slaves. The Klan spread and in 1867 for mer Confederate Gen. Nathan Bed ford Forrest became Grand Wizard. The Tennessee Legislature passed an anti-Klan law in 1869, and For rest ordered the group disbanded, saying it had accomplished its goal by protecting the lifestyles of south ern whites. In 1915, a’sfeond Ku Klux Klan was formed in Georgia by ex-min ister William J. Simmons, incorpo rating anti-Semitism and anti-Ca tholicism. Thought for Food for Spring! Spring Registration is herel O - SUPPER ^ ^ Bhj ^kfa St ^ - /y °' s % Well whatever, we have a plan for you. Choose your plan at registration and leave your dining worries with us. Your best deal is the 7 DAY PLAN (20 meals) at $691.72 ($2.23 per meal). This is the best buy for your dining dollar. *• But your schedule may be different. So here is another deal. The 5 DAY PLAN (15 meals) Monday through Friday for the non-weekender, is $644.42 ($2.68 per meal). If you want to be even more flexible, try the ANY 12 PLAN. Choose any 12 of the 20 meals. For late risers who still want to eat on the weekend, this plan is $625.49 ($3.36 per meal). If you're still undecided, consider the AGGIE POINT ACCOUNT. Eat anywhere on campus with your I.D. Card. The AGGIE POINT ACCOUNT is a success. Look at this bonus system for lump sum deposits. DEPOSIT BOrtUS POINTS $150-$299 $300-$399 $400-$499 $500-$599 $600-$699 NONE 300 600 1000 1800 Some persons purchase both a board and a point plan. ATTENTION FACULTY and STAFF: The AGGIE POINT ACCOUNT is now available to you for dining anywhere on campus. For details about the AGGIE POINT ACCOUNT call 845-5421 or 845-3005. "Quality First" Department of Food Services 2 for 1 Special on Suntana Club Membership Now through January 31 The Original. Perfect Tan Port Oait Square, Harvey Road 764-2771 an offer you can't refuse Godfather's a lot of pizza for the dough! 696-4166 Or 696-4167 we now Offer 25e refills on all soft drinks. Coupon Can Be Used On Deliv- .delivery hours. Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. ery Orders Mon.-Thurs. 5p.m.-11p.m. Convlently Located In Culpep- Fri. & Sat. 5 p.m.-l a.m. per Plaza Order a Large Godfather’s Pizza & You Can Buy a Wristwatch for 990 | Godfather^ Get $2 OFF A LARGE PIZZA $1 OFF a medium pizza GodfathcrY I GodfatherY <!e g^gPizza. $3 OFF $9.99 Family Any Large Meal Deal : Thin Crust Any Large Topping lj Pizza & a Quart of JJ Pizza soda i. Godfather^ Not valid in conjunction with any other offer or coupons. Limit one coupon per pizza purchase.