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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 1988)
Texas A&M The Battalion et m 'ountoft tobea!( ‘l over to j ■ n Mesiti m :es bli mumsi nia can soneol kers ructioi na has iator o Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1988 College Station, Texas Vol. 88 No. 33 USPS 045360 8 Pages Pick a card, any card ... Photo by Kathy Haveman ilso want] c’s official urbs o ians, wtoi republics: i after pet candidate s to put up a ) next spttti t has beeu the Comos of its m ty.andVvip first sew ic front's ott nding it at ig. :h, Vyalyas Central Co® I the front' ic self-ma of hist f Estoniar.J vation o(B» ijority ins' Karen Timme, a junior speech communication major and Robert Russell, a Palmer) do a card trick to promote the Renaissance Festival Tuesday by Rud- senior engineering technology major, watch Merlin the Magician (Bill der Tower. Cubans seize ship carrying ‘Cup’ yacht MIAMI (AP) — A Cuban gunboat seized a 160-foot supply ship carrying New Zealand’s entry in the America’s Cup race and detained eight United States citizens Tuesday, the Coast Guard said. The Tampa Seahorse, a New Orleans- based ship, was sailing about 12 miles off the southeastern tip of Cuba when the gunboat approached and seized it. Coast Guard spokesman Dan Vogeley said. The ship’s agent later told the Coast Guard in Miami that the America’s Cup entry, the New Zealand, was aboard the ship, which was en route from Long Beach, Calif, to New York City. There were no reports of shots fired or use of force, and the ship and crew were taken without further incident to Cayo Mola, Cuba, Vogeley said. The master of the ship disputed the Cuban navy’s claim that the vessel was inside the island nation’s territorial wa ters and placed an urgent call to the Coast Guard at about 3 p.m. EDT. Coast Guard officers advised the master to comply, Vogeley said. The ship was escorted to the port for inspection purposes, Maggie Kerrigan, a spokeswoman at the New Zealand con sulate in Los Angeles, said. Kerrigan said New Zealand officials have asked the State Department and Coast Guard to help gain the vessel’s re lease. “They are confident of no significant delay (in winning release of both ves sels),” Kerrigan said. “We understand this type of incident has, on occasion, occurred in the past with U.S. ships (sailing through) the pas sage between Cuba and the Dominican Republic,” Kerrigan said. The chairman of the New Zealand Challenge, Michael Fay, was not aboard the ship. Fay forced the San Diego Yacht Club into an early defense of the Cup this year after winning a court order that vali dated his challenge of the race rules. The sloop Fay used in the race was twice as long as the traditional 12-meter yachts used in Cup competitions. The San Diego Yacht Club responded by building a dual-hulled catamaran to de fend the Cup, and Dennis Conner skip pered the Stars & Stripes to two easy vic tories over the Kiwis to sweep a best-of- three series. Fay is planning to return to the New York court holding jurisdiction over America’s Cup disputes to seek forfeit ure of the Cup on grounds that the San Diego Yacht Club used an allegedly ille gal defender. A Question of Identity’ dead issue, director says By Stephen Masters Senior Staff Writer and By Richard Tijerina Staff Writer r what ie People^ nounce to : with CerJ t takeover^ Baltic i®’ tvia. U#' Problems surrounding the Aggie layers’ production of “A Question f Identity,” which resulted in the lay’s cancellation, have not been re ived, and director Charles Gor- lone said he considers the play a lead issue. I Conflicts arose between Gordone and the play’s author, Pat Pfeiffer, J>ver the way the play was written ^ Bid produced. Gordone and Pfeif fer agreed beforehand to revise and ■write several parts of the script to gether, but Gordone asked Pfeiffer not to attend the later rehearsals. Pfeiffer disagreed with Gordone’s anges and requested production up called® 1 iff the play he stopped. The final de- : Party, oes not ivereignty measure of ^ lOUtriskT 1 than 100« groups, ad The centr'd •maconsta- tolerance I 1 ; als while"- cision to pull the play was made by heater Arts Program Director oger Schultz. Bank indicted for money-laundering could tea? iublic IfW tion inert 2 * 4 es. ild benefit w ; to prow 11 ing Soviet 5 ucentives® 1 ; .n the n# blames W jitical refrtj The play deals with a reporter’s quest to find answers in the mys terious death of a slain civil rights leader in the 1960s. Gordone said his main problems with the script were with the way blacks were depicted in the play and Pfeiffer’s lack of knowledge about the time period. “We couldn’t have done it with the things that were in the play,” he said. “I refused to as a playwright, as a di rector and most primarily as a black man, because we’ve had enough of stereotypes. “She didn’t know anything about her subject. We chose the play be cause we thought it would be very stimulating for Texas A&M. It’s a subject that touches all of us — the civil rights movement and race. “We thought it was the kind of play that, if worked on, would be worthy to work on. We felt it had great possibilities. It espoused the understanding of people and ques tioned our own identities.” Pfeiffer, who is white, was un available for comment Tuesday. Gordone said although Pfeiffer’s intentions were good, she was not fa miliar enough with the time period to present an accurate description of the civil rights movement. “I think that she had great inten tions, but there was too much institu tionalized racism in the play,” Gor done said. “This is where we fell apart because she would not change it and it was getting down to the wi re.” Gordone said there were no ex amples of prejudice in the play, only instances in which Pfeiffer did not accurately portray the way blacks were in the decade. “It wasn’t prejudice,” he said, “it was just bad information in terms of where blacks were. It was bad infor mation because blacks weren’t like that. They didn’t speak like that. “In writing, I know what institu tionalized racism is,” he said. “I don’t care what good intentions (there are). It’s like (saying), ‘Some of my best friends are black and I know some black people, but I wouldn’t have them for dinner. They can live their life and I can live mine.’ ” Because of these indiscrepancies, Gordone said he had no choice but to rework some of the play’s scenes. Gordone felt revisions were needed because the original script was “raw” and not in any con structed format. Pfeiffer, an ama teur playwright, won the 1988 Aggie Players’ New Plays competition with her submission “A Question of Iden tity.” Gordone said he did not rewrite the play, but merely edited it and filled in certain scenes and phrases which needed to be defined. “Her play was not damaged, it was enhanced,” Gordone said. “I went ahead and fixed it the best I could. I did not change her play and I did not rewrite it. I merely filled in char acterization, filled in certain things that needed to be explained, trying the best that I could to use her lan guage. “I’m certainly not in the business of rewriting anybody’s plays. I’m not going to have blacks who would come and see it, and even whites, (come see the play) passed off with blatant insult and racial innuendos.” Gordone said Pfeiffer did not ac cept his recommendations for revi sions in the script. “She’d go back and rewrite it and rewrite it the same with worse lines,” he said. “Finally, once we finished all that she considered my recommen dations and we sat down and read it, they weren’t dramatic and weren’t keeping with the theme of her play.” Gordone won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for his play, “No Place To Be Somebody,” and is now a distin guished lecturer at A&M. Gordone said he was looking for ward to working with Pfeiffer be cause he thought it would be re freshing to work with a white playwright on a civil rights play. “I thought it was great that here was somebody white who was taking a chance on writing a play concern ing blacks,” he said. “I thought she and I could very much get along be cause she is a product of the 60s and so am I. I was anticipating a good rapport. Playwrights and directors get into this all the time. It’s not un usual.” TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A bank holding tmipany with branches in 72 countries as indicted Tuesday in what federal gents described as the first drug-related toney-laundering case involving a and if® - S°b a l banking institution. William Von Raab, head of the U.S. lustoms Service, called it the “first cor- rate raid,” adding “we have given w meaning to the term ‘hostile take- r er.” “For some international banks, their sleaze factor is higher than their interest rates,” Von Raab said. “That’s what we’re talking about here, just pure greed. ’ ’ In a two-year undercover sting dubbed “Operation C Chase,” from the C in C- note or a $100 bill. Customs agents were able to infiltrate powerful Colombian money-laundering syndicates and help launder an estimated $32 million in drug proceeds, federal authorities said. The money was intended principally reshmen officials Ichosen in run-offs W u m By Kelly S. Brown Staff Writer Trenton Kelley was announced presi- ntof the class of ’92 as candidates and pporters gathered around the Lawar- ice Sullivan Ross Statue Tuesday af- poon to hear results of the freshman m-off elections. Shawn Roberts was elected vice presi- ent; Michael Pilgrim, secretary; C.R. Jpok, treasurer and Rod Garrett, social cretary. neb HThe f 2ve newly elected freshman offi- ^Cfs, who are all members of the Corps 0 fjet* ( l |of Cadets, will be joining Heather West Student Government. West was ected historian after the preliminaries ct. 5. [Perry Liston, a junior business major election commissioner, said only Jtlf of the freshman who voted in the [first election voted in the run-off. son erofl'i Sk p* i<4 |“More emphasis should have been Seed on the second election because it the final vote for five offices,” he Id. The run-offs drew 707 freshmen vot ers in the run-otts, while 1,491 had voted in the first election. Kristin Hay, an election commissioner and student senator, said, “It’s interest ing to see who was ahead going into the run-offs and who actually won.” In the preliminary presidential race, Kim Nietenhoefer, a biomedical science major, had been ahead with 20 percent of the vote, while Kelley held 11 percent. In the run-offs Kelley won with 70 per cent of the vote. But theirs wasn’t the only close race. Not only was Lisa Mayer ahead in the preliminary race for social secretary with 44 percent of the vote, while Garrett had 26 percent of the vote, but in the run-offs the office was decided by two votes. Garrett clinched the seat with 336 votes, while Lisa Mayer had 334 votes. Hay said they made sure every ballot was counted and recounted because the vote was so close. “We encourage students who did not win to seek chairman positions on class council this fall,” Hay said. Campaign materials must be down by Friday at 5 p.m. for Colombian drug traffickers, includ ing the Medellin Cartel, Customs said. Indictments unsealed Tuesday named nine banking officials along with a Lux embourg-based bank holding company, BCCI Holdings, as well as two subsidia ries, Bank of Credit and Commerce In ternational S.A., which has operations in the United States and England, and Bank of Credit and Commerce International (Overseas) Limited, organized in the Cayman Islands and operating in France, the Republic of Panama, Colombia, the Bahamas and the United States. In addition to the indictments, the government filed civil complaints seek ing the forfeiture of the individuals’ property and funds as allegedly rep resenting drug profits, and it also seeks the forfeiture of BCCI assets. A federal restraining order was issued against the bank, preventing all but rou tine business without clearance from U.S. Marshals, Von Raab said. Altogether, 85 defendants were named in indictments returned in Tampa, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Houston. Additionally, five other war rants were issued in Miami, Los An geles, London and Paris, with two in London. At least 40 people have been arrested around the world, including some people in the United States, England and Argen tina, officials said. Cenelia Ocampo Perez was the only one of four suspects arrested in Houston that was named in a seven-count indict ment, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Foster said. She was charged with one count of drug conspiracy and one count of money laundering, he said. Other people who were named in the Houston indictment were Bibion Osorio, charged with drug conspiracy, posses sion of cocaine with intent to distribute and four counts of money laundering; Rafael Forero, charged with drug con spiracy, possession and two counts of laundering; and Victor Alzate, charged with drug conspiracy and two counts of laundering. “The indictment alleges a broad-rang ing drug conspiracy and it charges these people with money laundering, or laun dering of the drug proceeds, which was generated through the sale and distribu tion of cocaine,” Foster said. He said undercover agents posed as launderers, accepting suitcases full of money, and that the agents acted as mid dle men with Colombian suppliers. Houston officials joined in the two- year investigation last February, Foster said, and handled an average of $1 mil lion a month in drug money. “It is the first time an entire interna tional financial institution and its impor tant members have been indicted,” said Von Raab, who appeared at a news con ference here with high-ranking customs representatives from England and France. Drug agents from England and France participated in busting the ring. “Colombian traffickers are really looking to Europe to improve their mar kets,” Von Raab said, saying cocaine prices are double there. “But they can’t without help from financial institutions.” “That’s why this case is important. ” The holding company, prosecutors said, is the world’s seventh-largest pri vately held financial institution. Most large banks have pidjlicly traded stock. The trade journal American Banker said Bank of Credit and Commerce In ternational ranks as No. 326 among the world’s biggest banks, as measured by deposits, and No. 378 as measured by assets. The bank said in a news release that its officials and lawyers had not seen the al legations and couldn’t respond. Deaver addresses perjury conviction at A&M lecture By Sherri Roberts Reporter Though presidential image making was the planned focus of his lecture, Michael Deaver instead addressed the volatile subject, which most recently established his name in headlines. “My crime was not that I returned to my former profession, but that I was a prime target,” President Rea gan’s former deputy White House chief of staff told an audience in Rud der Theater last night. After resigning from that post in 1985, Deaver established the lobbyist and public relations firm, Michael K. Deaver and Associates. Because of his connections with influential poli ticians, Deaver was criticized for sell ing his influence. During investigations, Deaver tes tified to having no recollection of contacting Washington officials on behalf of his clients. Contradictory testimonies led to Deaver’s perjury conviction in December. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking skills learned from working in government to work in the private sector,” Deaver said. “Access means you understand how the sys tem works and having the ability to cut through bureaucracy and get to the heart of the client’s matter.” Deaver said it was not coincidental that the officials pressing for investi gation were facing political pressure. Deaver said the ethical standards of Congress were in need of an over haul. “If you’re going to have ethical standards, let’s not be hypocritical about it,” he said. “If they had to go through the investigation I had, I don’t know what would happen.” Deaver said congressmen were a minor form of royalty in Washington, citing their exemption from parking tickets as an example of their prive- leged status. Deaver said these exemptions were small-scale evi dence of a larger-scale problem. “Congress is not representative,” Michael Deaver he said. “The national legislature is not in touch with the problems of the average citizen.” Unlike the average citizen, Deaver said, members of the House of Rep resentatives are allowed to make de posits and withdrawals exceeding $10,000 in a personal bank without being reported to the Internal Reve nue Service. “We need a congress of profes sional teachers, professional entre preneurs and professional computer scientists, not of professional poli ticians,” he said. As Reagan’s deputy chief of staff, Deaver was referred to by many as his image-maker. Although he never saw this as being his role, Deaver said the candidate’s image is important. “The visual image people see is as important as the spoken word,” he said. “We have the opportunity to see the whole person. We learn from their body language and gestures as much as we do from the spoken word.” Whatever his role, Deaver’s 20- year friendship with the Reagan’s was strained due to his conviction. “It’s changed,” he said. “I’m a convicted felon, and he’s the presi dent of the United States. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would hurt him politically, as much as that hurts.” it