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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1988)
Page 6AFhe Battalion/Wednesday, April 20, 1988 Wednesday! I'XSf i during March Special Buy a LARGE one topping PIZZA plus a pitcher of soft drink for only 99 good every Wednesday 501 University Nort ligate H.G. WELL'S THINGS TO COME This exciting fantasy forecasts man's final war and his struggle to rebuild a world that has been torn apart by 30 years of horror and pestilence. — 1 CCossics Series Wednesday. April 20 7:30 pm 601 Rudder 4 prvv-<-' ; - M’nr jO * < $2.00 with TAMU ID (3-day Double Elimination) THE BRYAN CLASSIC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT benefiting the American Cancer Society Brazos Unit sponsored by Wyatt’s Sporting Goods Stores WHEN: April 22-24, 1988 WHERE: Bryan Softball Park (North of Business 6 & Hwy. 21) ENTRY FEE: $5.00 (per team) AUSTIN (AP) — Unemployment in most of the state’s urban areas dropped slightly from February to March, due in part to overall eco nomic improvement and in part to a seasonal increase in jobs, the Texas Employment Commission reported Tuesday. “I think maybe economic condi tions are gradually improving, al though it’s not a significant change at this point,” said Terence Trav- land, a labor market analyst for the TEC. In addition, Travland said, spring generally sees some improvement in employment. “Typically in this period you see more economic activity, particularly outside in construction and agricul ture,” he said. The statewide rate was 8.3 per cent, down from a revised figure of 8.7 percent in February. Rates of unemployment in the ur ban areas of Texas as announced Tuesday by the TEC for March com pared with revised February Figures (in parenthesis) were: Abilene 7.6 (7.9) Amarillo 6.5 (7.0) Austin 6.9 (7.1) Beaumont-Port Arthur 11.7 (12.8) Brazoria 9.3 (9.7) Brownsville-Harlingen 15.0(16.4) Bryan-College Station 5.0 (5.5) Corpus Christi 10.7 (11.6) Dallas 6.4 (6.7) El Paso 11.5 (12.4) Fort Worth-Arlington 7.0 (7.4) Galveston-Texas City 10.3 (10.6) Houston 7.8 (8.3) Temple-Killeen 8.3 (8.6) Laredo 17.0(18.0) Longview-Marshall 9.9 (10.9) Lubbock 6.0 (6.3) McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (20.6) Midland 7.1 (7.7) Odessa 8.4 (9.1) San Angelo 6.2 (6.4) San Antonio 8.3 (8.8) Sherman-Denison 7.5 (8.0) Texarkana - not available Tyler 8.2 (8.7) Victoria 7.7 (8.4) 19.7 Playwright to discuss ethnic identity By Mary-Lynne Rice Staff Writer A Ward-winning playwright, ac tor, director and teacher Ed Bul- lins will discuss the importance of ethnic identity in playwriting Thursday at 8 p.m. in 150 Blocker. Bullins, winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, two Guggenheim Awards, three Obie Awards and four Rockefeller Awards for play writing, is recognized as a major figure among American black playwrights, especially for his work in the 1960s and 1970s. “At that time, most black writ ers were writing protests,” said Charles Gordone, Pulitzer Prize- winning playwright and distin guished lecturer in A&M’stlit. ater arts department. “He ^ perhaps the most concerned*! social problems. “He was one of the voicesik ing that time who mirroredtl* social issues of the time, and!* was perhaps the most consister;: vocal of all the writers at ilj time.” Bullins, who now teachesA[r American humanities and life lure and scriptwriting atSodoe Stale University, set a literary a ample for both the playwrighsi/ the ‘60s and ‘70s and for those! today, Gordone said. “He gave courage tootle writers in the theater,” Gordi said. “His influence spawnedth works of other playwrights, sou of whom have vet to be heard Aggie Muster set for Thursday night uc res By Stephen Masters Staff Writer speaker Gerald I). Griffin,praj tic The coliseum is quiet and somber. One by one, the name of each of the Aggies who died in the past twelve months is called. One by one, a friend or family member answers "here” in their place. A candle is lit for each. The Ross Volunteers fire three volleys and Silver Taps is played. On Thursday beginning at 8 p.m., Muster, one of Texas A&M’s most honored traditions, will be held worldwide. The largest Muster will be held on the A&rM campus in G. Kollie White Coliseum with an ex pected crowd of more than 8,000, said Beth Baker, chairman of the Muster Committee. Musters also are planned in over 300 other locations in the United States and in 34 other countries including China, El Sal vador and the Republic of Singa pore, she said. The ceremony includes a Silver Taps and roll call for the absent. This year’s Muster features lent of the Houston Charalic'l Commerce and former diree of the Johnson Space Centti; Houston. The ceremony also willkla the presentation of three Ike edition coins, one gold, one!i!vc| and one bronze. T he coins were minted <: :a [IK nc sen soil laid. from Corregidor Islandil nev : 1 T his year’s campus ceretwl flue will be broadcast live via salefel Vie on 1 ransponder 6D of West™ ami c c un in unicat ions through afel tioin KAMI 1 V 'can The first Muster was hel 1883 when some students cided to get together and t» brate their victories in banks in class. In 1903, Silver Taps wasai in a protest of former A&Mt dent Davis F. Houstonscheti c lasses on San Jacinto Day. In 1942. Muster gained* wide attention when 25 Ag* stationed on Corregidor held Muster while under Js I nese attack. Commission supports plan to control dial-a-porn service tely fot i AUSTIN (AP) — The Public Util ity Commission on Tuesday nixed a proposed ban on dial-a-porn serv ices but backed a plan to give tele- dis A pro! C glisl gU‘‘! ■ sain Hut phone companies broad discretion in controlling the controversial calls. Under the plan, Southwestern Bell and other phone companies would be allowed to stop doing bil ling and collection for dial-a-porn providers. The phone companies also would be allowed to connect dial-a-porn services on a subscrip tion-only basis. The recorded calls now are of fered as part of the “Dial 976” serv ice, in which providers set the price of the call and the phone companies do the billing and forward the money to the provider. “One person’s right to speak ends w/iere ;inotfai\mu vl son’s right to listen begins ...” Tow — PUC Commissioner Marta Gwm ' The service, available in Texas’ metropolitan areas, is offered on phone lines with the 976 prefix. The commission in February pro posed two changes: a complete ban on all 976 services, including the non-pornographic ones, or a sub- cription-only system in which cus tomers would have to ask for access to the service. Commissioner Jo Campbell said the total ban was not necessary. “This is a private corporation’s problem and not a state problem,” she said. PUC Chairman Dennis Thomas voted with Campbell in accepting Southwestern Bell’s plan, which was submitted as more than 23,000 Tex ans wrote to the commission to call for either a ban on all 976 calls or on dial-a-porn calls. Commissioner Marta Greytok dis sented, advocating a ban on all 976 services, including the non-contro- versial ones such as horoscopes, sports scores and other types of in formation. “I don’t think it has anything to do with free speech,” Greytok said, add ing that “one person’s right to speak ends where another person’s rigr listen begins. “The service is totally messed up. It is something that got out of hand. “We have never had 20,000 letters over any issue. We need to respond to the fact that the public is saying there is a better way.” Southwestern Bell now offers free blocking, at customer request, of calls to 976 numbers. The company has filed a pro posed tariff that would let it force 976 providers to promise not to of fer dial-a-porn or other objectiona ble services. “ The test is whether dr,kw|| contrary to what we perceive:®® H best corporate image. Sexual'® not he permitted, vulgar woisj l>e permitted, and confusing ceptive would not be permittetl ight to up in court. Free expects the matter io’ pfo SAN tere< atioi ofin “It takes $50 and a tri courthouse to file a lawsuit there will he many lawsuits,T,( cl Mark W eaver of Austin, esitj director of the AmericanFaB 1 sociation of Texas — foil B! known as Citizens AgainstPoir ; | phy — said the commissioner* not banning all 976 service. Bill Free, a Southwestern Bell vice president, said providers that don’t agree to that condition would be given phone numbers outside the 976 system and would have to do their own billing, making it more difficult to do business. “We are allowing anyone to use our telephone network,” he said. “We simply are saying if you want to use it in a method contrary to our best image, we are not going to hill for you. “Southwestern Bell willnot> sponsibly unless forced tobji ; mission or citizens’ complain 11 years, citizens have been Southwestern Bell to dost#- he said. But Austin lawyer Jim Bo)!* represents a company thaC variety of 976 services, saiBk plaints have been based on* 1 not fact. “I think what you’reseeiif ticularly in a lot of the letters, 81 of the Jimmy Swaggart rea ( ; Boyle said. “I think if Jin® ! gart had had this service© 1 ' wouldn’t he in the trouble^ 21 enter pleas after indictments of stealing long-distance acces * Division A: Championship * Prizes donated by area Division B: All Play merchants & given throughout the tournament. * Trophies for top teams * Contact: William Wetsel, 764-2756 or the American Cancer Society, 776-1463. Register at Wyatt’s Sporting Goods - Culpepper Plaza Call Battalion Classified 845-2611 4 A MIDLAND (AP) — Twenty-one current and former Odessa College students have begun entering pleas after being indicted on federal charges of bilking a communications company out of $30,000 in long-dis tance phone calls. Five students charged in the case have made initial appearances be fore a U.S. magistrate, entering not guilty pleas, court officials said. A federal grand jury indicted the students last week on charges of un lawful use of counterfeit access codes belonging to Midland-based ClayDesta Communications. Students allegedly used pirated access codes to make hundreds of long-distance phone calls from dor mitory pay phones. The students are to be released on their own recognizance, U.S. Attor ney Tom Beery said. If convicted of the felony, each student faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. ClayDesta President Randy Kid- well alleged the students and others in the Permian Basin illegally ob tained the codes and made thou sands of calls, some to foreign coun tries. The company lost more than $200,000 to phone theft during a three-month period in late 1986 and early 1987 before Secret Service agents and the U.S. attorney’s office in San Antonio launched an investi gation, he said. The students are being charged with $30,006) worth of those calls, authorities said. About 50 access codes were stolen. with as much as $100F :J charged to one code. Kick ! He said the codes protwB obtained from careless n' 1 | users or through computet J Usually, such calls are'p against a ClayDesta custokV phone. Kidwell said the costofiajfjp ing such theft exceedstlie'H allegedly used by the stude-'K® “we decided it was time 111 ‘®j stand arid try to stop it.” Odessa College pres'-" Ml, Speegle told the Odessa ! l. last week the school plat' 1 B nary action against the stud' H All the students named |,| ments are either current Odessa College athletes. f'H ing in men’s and womens |. and track. 4