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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1986)
I The Battalion Vol. 82 No. 51 GSPS 045360 8 pages College Station, Texas Monday, November 10, 1986 Panel calls for effort to double raduates VASHINGTON (AP) — A na- ional commission headed by former education Secretary Terrel H. Bell Med Sunday for a massive effort to HHrly double the number of col- egt -educated adults by the turn of IHcentury. H\nd the commission took a sharp ilitp at members of the Reagan ad- ggRistration and other politicians or “unthinkingly abetting an act of national suicide” by trying to cut aid or college students. Hell’s 22-member panel prepared he report for the American Associa- ion of State Colleges and Universi- ■1, which represents 372 four-year ampuses that enroll 2.5 million stu- lents and award a third of all bache- or’s degrees. ^^Bell was to address the association Vfonday at its annual meeting in ^oenix. ^■"he report urged states to keep :ollege tuitions as low as possible, in | Ht to help recruit more minority tudents and stop the growth of “an Ulerican underclass.” ■America has far too many people vhose abilities are never awakened,” H the 22-member National Com- nission on the Role and Future of itate Colleges and Universities in its >6-page report, “To Secure the Bles- ings of Liberty.” ■lie commission included Arkan- ■ Gov. Bill Clinton and former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, as veil as a half-dozen college presi- legts, the heads of both national tea- :hei unions and the chancellor of Mew York City’s schools. H'he pungent language echoed “A Mation At Risk,” the 1983 critique of LJ.S schools by the National Com mission on Excellence in Education, which Bell appointed. That report varned of a “rising tide of medioc- ity” in the schools and likened their :ondition to “a unilateral act of dis- irmament.” It spurred many states o I'aise graduation standards and >oost school budgets. Bell’s new report said,“With a ligh school dropout rate ranging roni 25 to 50 percent and with al- nost 10 percent of our total popula- ion functionally illiterate, who can teny that we have a massive popula- ion of undereducated people? "Public officials who propose bud- ;et reductions in education at a time /hen the republic is handicapped by he burden of an undereducated •opulace are unthinkingly abetting n act of national suicide,” the Bell ominission said. “Tragically for the American peo- le, the federal student Financial aid rot ram today is on the chopping lock in Washington,” said the re- ort, adding that the real value of ederal aid has fallen 25 percent ince President Reagan took office in 981. Bell’s slap at politicians over stu- lent aid drew a sharp rejoinder roni his successor. Secretary of Ed- ication William J. Bennett. '.“This is taxpayer money, and we tave a right to ask about how it’s be- igspent,” Bennett replied. Wagon, Ho Photo by John Makely Boedy Flack, 12, of Bryan, sits atop the driver’s seat of a stagecoach in the Brazos County Pavilion. The wagon is part of the Lone Star Wagon Train, which left for Navasota today at 8 a.m. Reagan accused of covert WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders accused the Reagan administration Sunday of keeping them in the dark about re ported White House deals to send arms to Iran, and some suggested its power to conduct such operations should be curbed. The criticism came amid speculation that Secretary of State George Shultz, who also ap parently knew little about the contacts that re portedly produced arms deliveries in return for hostage releases, could resign over the matter. Shultz called an unusual meeting of State De partment experts Sunday at his suburban Washington home, but officials said the session on Syrian-sponsored terrorism was unrelated to questions about Iran. A New York Times report quoting Shultz aides raising the possibility of a Shultz resigna tion “is pure speculation, as the story itself says,” spokeswoman Sondra McCarty said. “I am not going to have further comment.” Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he had spoken to Shultz on Saturday. “In my judgment, he will not resign,” Lugar told interviewers on ABC’s “This Week with David Brinkley.” News reports last week said former National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane traveled to Tehran earlier this year and arranged to ship arms to Iran in exchange for the release of U.S. hostages kidnapped in Beirut. An embargo on arms shipments to Iran, which is at war with Iraq, has been in effect since 1979. The official U.S. position on the war is neutrality. If the press reports are true, said Senate Democratic Leader Robert Byrd, the arms trade was a blunder that guarantees that hos tage-taking will continue, a blunder that could tip the balance of power in the Middle East. Senate Republican leader Robert Dole, R- Kan., told a conference in Atlanta Sunday that it would be a terrible mistake to cut an arms deal with Iran. “We all want the hostages home,” he said, “but I don’t think we want to deal with (Ayatol lah Ruhollah) Khomeini in an effort to do that.” But other Republicans defended the re ported administration activities, saying it is de sirable to improve relations with Iran and at tempt to moderate its extremism. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” said, “The wider goal here is to try to bring about a more moderate group of leadership in Iran. . . . We’ve made some strides in that regard.” Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, appearing with Lugar, said improving relations with Iran in general is desirable. But he also said that negotiations make it more likely that other hostages will be taken. Lugar said he had discussed the administra tion’s activities at length with National Security Adviser John Poindexter, but in his television appearance he did not disclose details. But Byrd, who is expected to be Senate ma jority leader next year, told interviewers on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he had repeatedly requested a briefing without success. And other Democrats, including Sen. Sam Nunn, Sen. Pat rick Leahy and Rep. Richard Gephardt, said they still had not received any information. On “Face the Nation,” Leahy said, “It would appear the White House is trying to go a back door way to get away from any congressional oversight.” Nunn, a military expert who will head the Armed Services Committee next year, agreed. “In an effort to cut Congress out, they have also cut out the CIA, the Joint Chiefs (of Staff), the State Department, the Defense Depart ment,” he said. “And if so, who is making the decisions?” On the Brinkley program, Nunn said, “Con gress is going to be asking a lot of questions. The newspaper reports, and they have not been denied, indicate the Reagan administration is not standing tall on this one.” Veterans Day remembered Tomorrow’s Battalion features a special section on the Vietnam War to commemmo- rate Veterans Day. This section includes arti cles about: • Plans fora Y’ietnam memorial in Da! 1 ^ • Four former students who were q; prisoners of war in the “Hanoi Hilton.” • A veteran who recalls life in Vietnam for the officers. And on page 1, three enlisted men —Viet nam veterans — and researchers look at the war and its aftereffects. Personals ‘ad’ up to romance for A&M couple By Connie Kenjura Reporter Not a glamour girl? That’s fine. Are you warm, sincere, between the ages of 19 and 23, looking for a car ing, trustworthy man? A senior, 21, 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, enjoys danc ing, travel, talking, intimacy. Will an swer all; photo appreciated. As Noel was reading through the personal ads for her daily laugh, she ran across this sincere ad placed by Rob, a computer science major at Texas A&M. She says his ad sounded interesting and straightfor ward, so she decided to write a re sponse. “I figured I had nothing to lose, and it meant I’d get some mail, so I took a chance,” says Noel, an English major. “But as a safeguard, I didn’t give my phone number or last name in case he wasn’t who he claimed to be.” This cautious approach to an swering a personal ad comes from Noel’s insecure feelings about the whole issue. She wouldn’t openly admit to oth ers that she had answered a personal ad, she says. Society looks down on people who place and answer per sonal ads, and people assume only desperate individuals resort to the personals, she says. “You never hear that personal ads are the accepted place to meet peo ple,” Noel says. “You meet people at clubs, in class, or at church — not in personal ads.” Noel says she doesn’t think she maintains a double standard by an swering a personal ad and being afraid to admit it. She says she still hasn’t yet resolved if she’s for or against personals. Rob, who had gone to the person als because he had tried all other “I figured I had nothing to lose, and it meant I’d get some mail, so I took a chance. ” — Noel, a Texas A&M English major. avenues, received six replies during the four weeks his ad ran in the Quicksilver. He says he answered all of them, but that Noel’s was the best. She sounded like his type, he says. Noel’s letter was honest and open, Rob says. He liked the fact that she had not mentioned her last name or phone number in her response. This showed caution and character, he says. Rob answered Noel’s letter, giving his phone number and more details about himself. Noel called him, they talked for over an hour, then set up a meeting place and time. Their first face-to-face encounter was like a blind date they had ar ranged themselves, Noel says. She says she was nervous about meeting him. To give herself a bit of reassur ance, she approached their meeting place from a direction that would give her the opportunity to see him first. “I wanted to make sure that he looked normal,” Noel says with a laugh. “I wouldn’t have left if he wasn’t what I had expected. I just wanted to have a mental advantage over the situation.” Rob canceled his ad after their first meeting, because he had found what he was looking for, he says. Both Noel and Rob says they thought personal ads eliminate a lot of wrong first impressions. By first meeting through letters, each per son can form a personal view about the other without basing it solely on outward appearances, they says. Rob says no risk exists with per r sonal ads. The initial contact is by phone, so respondents can be screened, he says. Noel agrees with Rob. She says she doesn’t think meeting someone through a personal ad is riskier than meeting at a bar or nightclub. Although Noel and Rob are happy with their experience, they still say they think personal ads are thought of in a negative way by their peers. Rob explained: “Personal ads are usually people’s last resort. That’s one reason many people have a negative view about personals. “This was a one-time deal for me, and I would never do it again.” Poll: Americans favor smoking restrictions ■ EW YORK (AP) — Most Ameri- ans do not believe cigarette adver- sing should be banned, but they fa- or broad restrictions on smoking, ccording to poll results issued Sun- aypy three anti-smoking groups. In the poll, conducted for the tnprican Cancer Society, the Amer- an Heart Association and the merican Lung Association, 62 per- ?nt of those questioned said ciga- Jtte ads should be permitted in magazines and newspapers. Nine of 10 people questioned sup- art “no smoking” sections in public, /o out of three said smoking in- aors is harmful to non-smokers in ie vicinity, and six of 10 said ciga- *te advertising causes youngsters start smoking. "There is a growing public aware- iss of the harmful effects of ciga- tte advertising and promotional tivities on America’s young peo- e,” said Kenneth Warner, a 'okesman for the American Lung ssociation. “It is clear that the idea of restrict- g cigarette advertising and ban- ;ng f ree public samples is becoming ore acceptable, even though our public education efforts in this area have hardly begun,” he added. Scott Stapf, a spokesman for the Tobacco Institute, a Washington- based lobbying group, said in re sponse, “They’re obviously in the difficult position of putting the best face on what must be some pretty damaging poll findings.” The poll, sponsored by the groups’ “Tobacco Free Young America” coalition, was conducted by telephone by Lieberman Re search Inc. between June 26 and July 10. The pollsters questioned 1,025 adults in the 48 contiguous states. The poll report did not list a mar gin of possible error. Similiar polls have had an error margin of plus or minus 4 or 5 percentage points. Seven of 10 respondents were non-smokers, a percentage con forming to the national average. The poll found non-smokers far more willing to establish limits on smoking, and smokers far more likely to dispute the harmful effects of cigarette smoke. Dems could make going difficult Contra aid faces tough road WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democrats’ Senate victory has undercut President Rea gan’s congressional support for aiding Nicara guan Contra rebels, but the party re-align ment does not necessarily mean future assistance is doomed, according to analysts on both sides of the debate. The analysts also agree that Reagan’s weak ened position could make Contra aid one of the most closely fought issues in the 100th Congress and potentially an important battle ground in the. 1988 presidential race. Last Tuesday’s elections ushered in a 10- vote Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, but that shift does not translate into as big a change on the Contra aid issue because voting did not follow strict party lines. This year, Reagan lobbied Congress inten sively to win resumption of military aid to the rebels. He prevailed 53-47 in the Republican- controlled Senate and 220-209 in the Demo- cratic-dominated House. According to tallies by both Republicans and Democrats, the new Senate breakdown on Contra aid is virtually even, assuming senators continue to vote as they did earlier or follow positions they took during their campaigns. Despite last week’s victory, Senate Demo cratic Leader Robert C. Byrd of West Vir ginia, in line to be the new majority leader, did not predict an end to Contra aid, but rather said Democrats will seek to redirect the ad ministration’s policies toward a greater em phasis on a diplomatic solution to the Nicara guan conflict. Peter T. Flaherty, chairman of Citizens for Reagan, a leading lobbying group for Contra aid, acknowledged slippage of the president’s position but argued the shift in Senate control might actually put the Democrats “at a bit of a strategic disadvantage.” “If (the Democrats) cut the aid before the Contras are given a chance, they’ll be blamed for losing Nicaragua,” Flaherty said. “This could be the biggest issue heading into the ’88 elections.” The first major battle over Contra aid in the new Congress is likely to come in the spring or summer when the $ 100-million aid runs out. To win additional funding, Reagan must win majorities in both chambers and possibly over come a filibuster in the Senate. But the president faces new obstacles. Loss of the Senate strips the Republicans of control of the legislative agenda, making de feat of a filibuster potentially more difficult. The president will face a Senate Foreign Relations Committee dominated by Demo crats opposed to his Nicaragua policy, includ ing the new chairman, Sen. Claiborne Pell, D- R.L, who has called the Contras “our terror ists.” Other opponents, such as Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., expect the panel to be more interested in examining allegations of wrong doing by the Contras and their backers, in cluding reported drug trafficking, human rights abuses and gun-running. Investigations could also focus on alleged White House ef forts to circumvent a two-year congressional ban on U.S. military aid to the Contras through the creation of a network of former U.S. intelligence operatives. Accord ing to administration sources and rebel back ers, the network — which included an arms- laden C-123K cargo plane shot down over Ni caragua on Oct. 5 — was secretly managed by the White House. On the other hand, the new chairman of the Seriate Intelligence Committee, which oversees the Nicaraguan operation, will be Sen. David L. Boren, D-Okla., a supporter of Contra aid, instead of Sen. David Duren- berger, R-Minn., an opponent.