I
■ n . k ryi .y-yyNr' i
The Battalion
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, January 21, 1987
'ements steps back into office
CIA, DEA implicated
in drug-arms swap
MIAMI (AP) — Two federal in
mates say they flew arms to the Nica
raguan Contra rebels and drugs
back to the United States with the
knowledge of the CIA and the Drug
Enforcement Administration. “It
was guns down, cocaine back,” one
inmate said.
A spokeswoman for the CIA den
ied the charge Tuesday, as have a
DEA spokesman and two top leaders
of the Contras fighting Nicaragua’s
leftist Sandinista government.
Jorge “George” Morales Garcia is
scheduled for trial Monday on
charges of smuggling 461 kilograms
or 1,014 pounds of cocaine from
Costa Rica to the Bahamas. The sec
ond inmate, Gary Betzner, flew two
missions for Morales and is serving a
sentence for cocaine smuggling and
facing attempted escape charges.
Morales’ attorney, Andrew Hall,
says his client is the source referred
to as “a Colombian narcotics traf
ficker” in last year’s U.S. State De
partment report acknowledging that
some Contra officials were involved
in the drug trade. Morales and
AUSTIN (AP) — Republican Bill
mints, declaring the status quo
ficcifptable, returned to the gover-
i’s Iffice Tuesday promising new
JBS and old-fashioned cooperation
pad Texas back to prosperity.
^Acans are demanding change,”
pts told more than 3,000 spee
ds and a live television audience
tiS! inaugural address from the
mitoi steps.
He people of Texas want us to
„ Hd,” he said. “For them, the sta-
quo is not good enough. They
v, it Iction and results.”
^ The Dallas oilman, Texas’ first
^^^Hiblican governor this century
when he first took office in 1979,
was sworn in at 12:06 p.m.
He returned to the Governor’s
Mansion which for the past four
years has been occupied by Demo
crat Mark White.
Clements, 69, used his inaugural
address to call attention to the state’s
crippling economic problems and
other troubles.
Falling oil prices have created a
record unemployment rate and
stripped the state treasury of huge
amounts of tax revenue.
Legislators who convened last
week face a budget deficit estimated
at near $6 billion.
Betzfner also have been interviewed
by House and Senate committee
staff members investigating the
Iran-Contra scandal.
Morales said he received some of
his instructions on the guns-for-
drugs trade from a CIA contact in
Costa Rica.
“The CIA was very, very aware of
it,” Morales told the Associated
Press. He said his CIA-directed arms
flights continued even after Con
gress banned such aid.
CIA spokeswoman Kathy Pherson
denied the accusation Tuesday.
“Drug smuggling is against U.S.
law and the CIA does not break U.S.
law,” she said. “CIA has complied
with congressional restrictions on
U.S. aid to Central America.”
Morales said the DEA also was
aware of the drug flights and made
no move to stop him from supplying
planes and pilots for the operation.
Morales also said he met fre
quently from 1984 until his arrest
last year with Contra directors
Adolfo Calero and Alfonso Robelo,
including talks about the arms-for-
drugs swap.
The two rebel leaders have stren
uously denied any drug dealing,
most recently at a Jan. 7 news con
ference. The AP reported in Decem
ber 1985 that Costa Rica-based Con
tras and U.S. supporters were
involved in drug smuggling.
The long-standing drug allega
tions are under investigation by con
gressional committees as well as the
FBI and could be taken over by the
independent counsel appointed to
investigate the Iran-Contra affair.
In recent months, the Justice De
partment also has received testi
mony from a witness who claims to
have watched the loading of cocaine
on a Southern Air Transport plane
in Barranquilla, Colombia, in Octo
ber 1985, according to knowledgea
ble sources who insisted on anonym-
ity-
Southern Air Transport, which
has denied the allegations, played a
central role in the delivery of U.S.
weapons to Iran last year and the
transport of weapons to the Contras.
Ruling on Vandiver lawsuit
is ‘probably a long way off’
“Our situation literally cries for
action,” Clements said. “We must
make certain that our young people
have the opportunities that we had.
“We must re-open our lines of
communication with the federal gov
ernment . . . and Mexico.
“We must ensure quality educa
tion, attract and encourage the best
teachers we can for our schools and
universities, restructure the criminal
justice system, protect Texans from
crime, set our fiscal house in order
and create a proper economic cli
mate to attract business and provide
jobs.”
By Frank Smith
Senior Staff Writer
A court ruling on the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram's lawsuit against
Texas A&M President Frank Van
diver is probably a long way off, if
other such suits for information are
any indication. But an editor with
the newspaper said, “We’re in it for
the long run.”
Jim Witt, assistant managing edi
tor for news for the Star-Telegram,
made his remarks in a telephone in
terview earlier this week.
Philip Bishop, a private attorney
in Fort Worth, filed the suit on be
half of the newspaper on Jan. 13 in
the 331 st District Court in Austin.
The suit says the paper is seeking
the release of information regarding
the recruiting of Aggie quarterback
Kevin Murray and alleged involve
ment. in NCAA rules violations by
Murray and A&M booster Rod
Dockery. The newspaper has said it
believes the information to be public
under provisions of the Texas Open
Records Act. No monetary damages
are requested in the suit.
Witt said the paper is particularly
interested in obtaining a copy of
A&M’s in-house investigation of the
school’s football program. The pa
per issued its request for informa
tion in a letter dated Dec. 9.
“After you file a formal request, as
we did, the institution — in this case
A&M — has 10 days to seek an attor
ney general’s opinion or to give the
information out or to say why they
don’t think it’s public record,” Witt
said.
A&M responded in a Dec. 19 let
ter signed by Vandiver that said in
formation about Murray is subject to
the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974 and cannot be
released without Murray’s consent.
Furthermore, A&M’s response said
Murray had signed a request asking
that such information not be re
leased, Witt said.
The letter also said, “If any infor
mation on Rodney Lee Dockery ex
ists, it is exempt from your request as
it is a part of our internal investiga
tion that has not been completed.”
However, the paper contends that
it was told in December by Ted Ha-
jovsky, A&M general counsel, that
the internal investigation has been
completed. Neither Hajovsky nor
Vandiver could be reached for com
ment Tuesday.
“We’re going to spend a lot of
money fighting for this thing (re
lease of information) and A&M has
made it clear that they are going to
fight to keep it private,” Witt said.
“We’re in it for the long run. We’re
See Ruling, page 13
Newspaper requests
results of A&M probe
By Frank Smith
Senior Staff Writer
On the heels of a lawsuit filed last
week by the Fort Worth Star-Tele
gram against Texas A&M President
Frank Vandiver, the Dallas Morning
News on Friday sent a request to
both Vandiver and Athletic Director
Jackie Sherrill for a copy of the re
sults of A&M’s internal investiga
tion.
In a request signed by Sports Edi
tor Chris Worthington, the paper
cites a provision in the Texas Open
Records Act which the paper be
lieves entitles it to such information.
Howard Swindle, assistant manag
ing editor/projects for the Morning
News, said Tuesday the paper’s re
quest is based on one of 15 categories
listed in the records act under the
heading, “Specific Information
Which is Public.”
Swindle quoted Section 6 (1) of
the act, which states, “Without limit
ing the meaning of other sections of
this act, the following categories of
information are specifically made
public information:
“(1) Reports, audits, evaluations
and investigations made of, for or by
governmental bodies upon comple
tion. . . .”
The University has 10 working
days to either disclose the informa
tion, deny the request or seek an
opinion on the matter from the at
torney general.
Vandiver could not be reached
for comment Tuesday.
a
■
a
inals plan
9tfor 1988
parks heat
1 By Amy Couvillon
Staff Writer
■proposed final examination
icdule for Spring 1988 sent to the
isident for approval was drasti-
Hhanged, provoking mixed re-
mses Tuesday from the commit-
Hiembers who drafted the
>posal.
Beginning in Spring 1988, final
irtunations for all students will be-
on Friday of dead week. Exams
I be given on Saturday, and con-
ue on Monday and Tuesday of
at is now finals week, according to
tn. 5 letter from President Frank
fidiver that was read to the Fac-
i 1 Senate Monday.
trades for degree candidates will
due at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the
Hi day of examinations, the let-
Hd, and commencement will be
Hn Friday and Saturday of that
‘k with commissioning of officers
Saturday.
H original proposal, which
te from a subcommittee of ad-
nstrators and representatives
■the Student and Faculty sen-
i. was an attempt to find a com-
mise on the practical problems of
ng in finals for graduating se-
■between dead week and com-
tlcement.
'em to Vandiver late last semes-
See Finals, page 13
Recruiting methods aim to raise minority count
Editor’s note: This is the third
segment in a four-part series on
blacks at Texas A&M. This part
discusses methods the University
uses to recruit minority students.
By Cathie Anderson
Special to The Battalion
Texas A&M has seen a de
crease in the number of minority
students coming to the University
due to an increase in scholarship
programs at other institutions.
But A&M’s Office of School
Relations, established in 1979,
has been attempting to turn this
around.
As one of its duties, the office
coordinates recruitment of black
and Hispanic students.
Barry Davis, an associate direc
tor of the Office of School Rela
tions, says several changes in
A&M’s current program would
help recruit more minorities.
“If it was left up to me,” he
says, “I probably would increase
the amount of the scholarship sti
pend and increase the number of
scholarships offered because:
One, it’s so competitive for the
black students who do want to go
to college.
Two, it’s so competitive for the
black students who meet the ad
mission requirements.
Three, it’s so competitive for
the black students who would
take this type of social environ
ment.”
But even if the amount and
number of awards are increased,
Davis says, “there’s no way we’re
going to turn around our overall
number of black students here in
a year or two years or three years.
It’s going to take a long time. . . .
The only way you’re going to
make that (recruitment) success
ful is by continuing to bring in
quality students as we increase the
number of scholarship dollars
and increase the number of sti
pends.”
Davis says the recruitment
process is geared toward finding
qualified students. His office
identifies students by:
• A review of pre-scholastic
achievement test scores.
• Recommendations from stu
dents and former students.
• Recruitment at high school
career-day or college-day pro
grams.
• Recruitment at two-year col
leges.
• A review of scholastic
achievement test scores.
Davis says students who take
the PSAT usually are thinking
about going to college.
“And with a little push and a
little information, and of course,
maybe some scholarship dollars,
maybe we can encourage that stu
dent to attend college here,” he
says.
After receiving a list of those
minority students who have taken
the PSAT, Davis’ office mails out
information about A&M and asks
the students to respond. (These
students have not necessarily
specified an interest in A&M.)
If they respond, the School Re
lations office continues to send
them mail, and those who don’t
respond are contacted again. Da
vis says they even try a third time.
The University does not re
quest PSAT scores from College
Board, the non-profit organiza
tion that, administers the tests, he
says.
But these scores are received
from high school counselors who
nominate students for the Presi
dential Achievement Award — a
scholarship created in 1979 which
entitles recipients to $1,000 a se
mester for eight semesters if they
remain in good academic stand
ing.
Students and former students
also are good sources since they
know what it takes at A&M, Davis
says, and recruiters’ trips to high
schools and two-year colleges also
help.
“We travel to programs across
the state of Texas starting in Sep
tember,” he says, “and we usually
don’t round it up until about
March 1.
“We also use the SAT. All the
students who have their SAT
scores sent to A&M are usually
contacted.”
Davis says School Relations also
requests the names of all students
who ranked in the top quarter of
their class and scored between
700 and 900, and the names of
those who ranked in the top quar
ter of their class and scored be
tween 900 and 1600.
The office cross-checks these
names with the list of students
they have already contacted to
ensure they aren’t already corre
sponding, Davis says, and usually
no more than 10 to 20 new names
are picked up.
“Basically, we want you to be in
the top quarter of your class and
score at least an 800 on your
SAT,” he says. “We take into ac
count that the average A&M stu
dent’s SAT score is 1031, and he’s
ranked in the top 25 percent of
his graduating class.”
The University report of pro
gress says standardized test scores
are given relatively less weight
than class standing and grades
compared with procedures in
similar programs not reserved for
minorities.
“If we see students who are in
the top 1 percent of their class but
have scored below an 800,” Davis
says, “it’s obvious that we have to
look at some other things. Then
we look at the type of courses
they’ve taken from the ninth
grade on through. The reason we
look at the courses is to see
whether a student has been pre
pared for a university such as
Texas A&M.”
The University report says
studies at A&M reveal high
school academic performance is
an excellent indicator of whether
students of any race will succeed
here.
Standardized test admission re
quirements can be waived for any
student who graduates in the up
per 10 percent of his class. If the
test requirements are waived, stu
dents must attend a provisional
See Blacks, page 13