The Battalion
Vol. 1 No. 193 10 Pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, August 17, 1988
Bush chooses Quayle as campaign mate
Republicans still attacking Dukakis
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Leading Texas Republi
cans continued attacks on the Democratic presidential
candidate Tuesday, with former congressman Tom
Loeffler charging that Michael Dukakis’ foreign policy
would be one of surrender.
“Our party, our nominee George Bush, look forward
to the challenges of leadership,” Loeffler said. “The
other party and its nominee, Michael Dukakis, base
their foreign policy on one principle — a tall pole and a
white flag.”
A co-chairman of George Bush’s campaign in Texas,
Loeffler praised Bush’s lengthy career in government,
a resume that includes stints as an ambassador, CIA di
rector and his seven years as vice president.
Loeffler ripped the Massachusetts governor’s lack of
foreign policy experience.
“The responsibilities of being president in a complex
world are truly awesome,” he said. “Mere promises
from those who seek the highest office in our land are
simply not enough. We must have a seasoned, steady
hand at the helm. In thisjob, experience is everything.”
“I ask of this convention — where in the record of
Michael Dukakis is the proven record of experience to
guide this country in an uncertain world?
“Republicans and all Americans should say to Mi
chael Dukakis, ‘Look elsewhere for work. The Oval Of
fice is no place for on-the-job training.’”
, Loeffler’s criticism came a day after former Sen.
John Tower likened the Spanish-speaking Dukakis to a
“gringo patron,” and after Sen. Phil Gramm charged
that Dukakis’ national defense ideas would “wimp
America.”
Gov. Bill Clements joined the chorus of criticism
Tuesday, saying he considers Dukakis dangerous.
“Did y’all hear Barry Goldwater this morning,”
Clements asked with a snide laugh. “He said that Duka
kis was a Greek tragedy. That’s a great line; I wish I’d
thought of that.”
Characterizing Dukakis as “a flaming liberal,” Clem
ents said of the Democrat’s stand on taxes, defense,
crime and gun control, “He is an absolute disaster. That
sums up the way I feel about it.”
Meanwhile, Dukakis campaigned in his home state of
Massachusetts, where he sought to turn Reagan’s rhe
toric from Monday night back on the Republicans.
“Facts are stubborn things,” he said in an echo of Rea
gan’s refrain. “Iran-Contra, Noriega, Beirut. Facts are
stubborn things.”
Dukakis also sounded like he intended to steal one of
the Republicans’ best issues, the economy.
“We are back in an inflationary spiral,” he said at a
meeting with editors of Massachusetts newspapers.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — George
Bush tapped conservative Sen. Dan
Quayle ol Indiana on Tuesday to be
his Republican running mate.
“I do not intend to fail” in the
quest for the White House, the vice
president vowed as he arrived to
daini his party’s presidential nomi
nation.
See related stories, page 7
“Dan Quayle’s a man of the fu
ture,” Bush said as he introduced his
newly minted running mate at an
outdoor campaign rally on the banks
of the Mississippi River.
In his first words as running mate,
Quayle thanked Bush for his confi
dence and immediately showed off
the exuberance that Bush hoped to
place on his ticket. “Let’s go get
'em!” he said, shedding his sport
coat in deference to the heat and hu
midity.
“We will win because America
cannot afford to lose,” said the 41-
year-old senator. “There is nothing
more important in this country than
freedom, and George Bush will keep
the freedom and peace.”
Said an obviously delighted Bush,
“Well done, Danny.”
Bush’s designation of his running
mate was part of an attempt by his
high command to depict the vice
president as the new, undisputed
leader of the Republican Party. In a
carefully scripted changing of the
GOP guard, he flew to the conven
tion city and strolled across a windy
tarmac to bid “hail and farewell” to a
departing President Reagan.
Quayle, a second-term senator
from a reliably Republican state,
won his Senate seat in the 1980 Rea
gan landslide.
His selection was something of a
surprise, although he had long been
rumored to be under consideration
and had. made clear his interest.
In turning to the telegenic Mid-
westerner, Bush bypassed better
known conservatives such as Rep.
Jack Kemp, and durable party stal
warts such as Sen. Bob Dole of Kan
sas and former White House Chief
of Staff Howard Baker.
Bush told Dole he’d been the
other finalist, according to an aide to
the Kansas senator.
Mark Gearan, a spokesman for
Democratic presidential nominee
Michael Dukakis, said Quayle’s selec
tion would make no difference in
the Democratic strategy. “We have
always promised and will continue to
run a 50-state national campaign,
and this will not sizeably affect our
campaign effort at all,” he said.
But Republican strategists said
otherwise. Campaign adviser Char
lie Black said Quayle “should give us
a chance to appeal to baby boom vot
ers” and strengthen GOP appeal in
the Midwest.
Bush disclosed his choice a few
hours after he arrived in the conven
tion city, and as a parade of speakers
extolled his virtues to the GOP con
vention.
Standing in shirtsleeves at an out
door celebration, Bush declared,
“Dan Quayle’s a man of the future, a
young man, a young man born in
the middle of this century and from
the middle of America. He’s a dy
namic young leader for the future of
our party.”
The audience roared its approval.
Convention delegates whistled
through a conservative party plat
form in a morning session that
served as prelude to an evening’s
worth of speechmaking.
The 40,000-word blueprint says
no to higher taxes and abortion and
yes to Bush’s call for child care tax
credits for the poor, increased
spending on Head Start and added
emphasis on environmental cleanup.
“What we have done is to define
the proper and limited role govern
ment should play in our lives,” said
Nebraska Gov. Kay Orr, one of the
leaders of the platform drafting
committee. She said Republicans
were trumpeting their beliefs, unlike
the Democrats who she claimed
“tried to hide their liberal views
from the voters.”
There was plenty more Democrat
bashing in store. The program for
the convention’s second night in
cluded speeches by Jeane Kirkpa
trick — who roused Republicans at
Graphic by Carol Wells
their 1984 convention with a sting
ing attack on the opposition — as
well as former President Gerald
Ford and one-time Bush primary ri
val Pat Robertson.
Bush and Reagan crossed paths at
the New Orleans airport just long
enough to stage a brief ceremony for
reporters.
Jerry Polreis of Mid-Continental Resoration caulks da Y afternoon. The caulking is to prevent water
the bricks on the arches by the Corps dorms Tues- leakage.
UT, Pan Am should merge,
UT system chancellor says
EDINBURG (AP) — The chan
cellor of the University of Texas Sys
tem said Tuesday that UT and Pan
American University should merge
because both institutions would ben
efit.
Hans Mark also presented the
Legislative Joint Committee on
Higher Education in South Texas
with proposals for $9.7 million in
collaborative academic programs
with institutions in South Texas over
1990-91.
The committee was formed by the
state Legislature last year to study
the reasons behind the traditionally
low funding for academic programs
in South Texas, and to recommend
changes to next year’s legislative ses
sion. Hearings were Tuesday in
Brownsville and Edinburg.
“The UT System Regents and I
believe that it is now timely to take
these steps because we believe that
some very real advantages might ac
crue to both institutions if a merger
were accomplished,” Mark said
Tuesday in a text prepared for the
committee.
The Legislature last year ordered
the UT and Texas A&M systems to
examine the state of higher educa
tion in South Texas.
Academic opportunities in South
Texas also are the focus of a lawsuit
filed in December alleging discrimi
nation against Hispanic students in
the funding of the state’s higher ed
ucation programs.
Although the UT regents unani
mously support a merger, Mark said
UT will not initiate formal negotia
tions to join the institutions. UT, he
said, wants to be certain that the Pan
American regents and people of the
region are sold on the idea.
“Accordingly, the regents of the
University of Texas System have
taken the position to strongly en
courage and to look with great favor
on a proposal from the board of re
gents of Pan American University to
initiate formal discussions that
would lead to Pan American Univer
sity becoming a member of the Uni
versity of Texas System,” Mark told
the committee.
A&M, however, has focused more
attention on the University System
of South Texas, which includes
Texas A&I University at Kingsville,
Laredo State University and Corpus
Christi State University.
Pan American is not part of the
system.
Pan American’s regents are study
ing the idea of a merger and have
said they would be prepared to de
cide by December.
Pan American President Miguel
Nevarez has described his school’s
relationship with UT as “a
courtship.”
“Courtships should not be forced
but they should also not be dragged
out for too long,” Mark said Tues
day.
One reason UT would benefit
from a merger with Pan American,
Mark said, is because South Texas’
population is growing faster than
the rest of the state, and “the largest
system of higher education in the
state simply cannot afford to ignore
this important trend.”
UT also wants to boost its pres
ence on the border because of the in
creasing importance of the United
States’ relationship with Latin Amer
ica, Mark said.
“Things have been done at UT-E1
Paso that we believe can easily be
transferred to other educational in
stitutions along the border which
would be to the advantage of these
institutions,” Mark said.
Pan American would benefit from
a merger, he added, because UT
could provide services in administra
tive areas and share resources, such
as computers, libraries, telephone
lines and video links to enhance re
search and teaching.
“Although this is not easily mea
surable, there is no doubt that asso
ciation with the University of Texas
System would enhance the value of
degrees that students would earn,”
Mark told the committee.
Housing supervisor says
fall housing no problem
By Ashley A. Bailey
Staff Writer
Even with more than 40,000 stu
dents coming to Texas A&M this fall
John White, A&M’s housing services
supervisor, does not foresee any
housing shortages for students.
There are 9,236 dormitory rooms
available on campus, including the
2,204 corps dorm capacity, and
White said he expects them to be
filled.
“We usually fit in all the women
who apply for dorms,” White said.
“We over assign rooms every year
because we know a lot of people
cancel late or don’t show up.
“This year we shouldn’t have any
problem giving each woman her
own space.”
White said spaces for the men are
harder to come by.
“There are a lot less spaces for
men and so their situation is a little
tighter, he said. “This has to do with
Moore and Crocker being closed for
renovation. And when they are ren
ovated and reopened, two more
male dorms will be closed for reno
vation. All renovations, 16 in all, will
be completed in 1991.”
In the event that students do not
receive a room on campus, White
suggested that they ask the Housing
Office the week before school starts
if there are any openings for walk-
ins.
He said that last year 60 men were
given rooms as walk-ins, but no
women were taken. This year he ex
pects to have more space for women.
White also said that he refers all
students who can not get rooms to
the Off-Campus Housing Center or
to the Corps.
Off-Campus Center Coordinator
Nancy Thompson agreed with
White and said that there will be no
big housing problems this fall.
“We get everyone off campus that
they don’t have on campus,”
Thompson said. “That’s usually
about 30-3 1.000 st udents.
“I can say with confidence
that there’ll be a place for
everyone at A&M to live. ”
— Nancy Thompson
Off Campus Center coor
dinator
“There’s alwavs been enough
housing off campus for the over
flow. In fact, there’s not really that
many more students coming than
last year and we had a lot of apart
ment vacancies last year.
“I can say with confidence that
there’ll be a place for everyone at
A&M to live.”
The one problem Thompson
foresees is that renters may not be
able to get exactly what they’re hop
ing for.
“People may have to settle for
something that’s a little less than
what they want,” she said, “especially
where two-bedroom apartments are
concerned. That’s where the big
crunch is coming in because there
are very few of them left.”
The Off-Campus Housing Center
helps students to locate apartments
through an availability board of
complexes with 20 or more units
that is updated every three weeks,
she said. They also supply boxes
where students who are looking for
an apartment or a roommate can
leave their names.
“It’s sort of a roommate referral
service,” she said. “We don’t actually
match roommates, but we do pro
vide a service where they can find
each other easier.”
Business has been booming in the
last few months, Thompson said.
“In July alone we had 2,051 visi
tors (about 500 per week) and 948
phone calls,” she said. “It’s stayed
pretty consistent, but it’ll slow down
after the end of August until around
Spring.”
Lisa Ward, assistant manager of
Treehouse Village Apartments at
800 Marion Pugh, said that the com
plex is almost completely full. There
are only nine units available at this
time.
Ward said that there is not a hous
ing shortage in Bryan-College Sta
tion.
“It’s going to come down to peo
ple finding something they really
want to live in,” Ward said. “If they
come to Treehouse Village and want
to live here but can’t afford it then
they’ll go somewhere cheaper that
may not be as nice.”
Sydney Hazelwood, manager of
Scandia Apartments at 401 Ander
son, said she thinks there will be a
small shortage of apartments that
people want to rent.
When looking for an apartment,
Hazelwood said, it’s important to re
member that you can’t get some
thing really nice for nothing.
Thompson said that the rent aver
ages for all Bryan-College Station
apartment complexes of 20 units or
more are up all the way across the
board.
“Compared to last year’s averages,
the rent for two-bedrooms has gone
up about $40, but one-bedrooms
have stayed pretty much the same,”
she said. “There are some complexes
that have raised all their units’ rent,
but the averages aren’t that bad. The
increase has come mostly from the
economy.”
The Off-Campus Housing Cen
ter, located on campus at the corner
of Main and Houston, also offers
roommate counseling, tenant/land
lord counseling and some financial
consulting regarding leases. The
center also advises the Off-Campus
Aggies (OCA) and the Students
Helping Aggie Residents Every
where (SHARE). Listings of avail
able houses, duplexes and trailers
can also be found at the center.
Charges filed in Cardenas murder
Associated Press
A California man was charged
with murder Tuesday in the death
of Audrey Cardenas, a former
Texas A&M student, whose body
was found June 26 in a dry creek
bed behind a Belleville, Ill. high
school.
Rodney Woidtke, 27, of
Bakersfield, Calif., was charged in
the death of Cardenas, a May jour
nalism graduate, police said.
Woidtke had been in custody
since the day Cardenas’ body was
found. He was charged with ob
structing a peace officer when he
tried to cross a police barricade at
the scene of the crime.
Woidtke was charged with a sec
ond misdemeanor on June 30 after
allegedly trying to escape from the
St. Clair County jail by prying out a
window. He was being held Tuesday
without bail.
Police say Woidtke hit Cardenas
with a pipe.
Cardenas was an intern at the Bel
leville News-Democrat at the time of
the slaying. She was reported miss
ing June 20, after she failed to show
up for work. She had been working
at the paper for 10 days.
Battalion file photo
Audrey Cardenas