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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 1989)
2 3YK LVCS en bbs save the trees. >Id —their lift ty now. And bunch of in' get in the way good reasons Let’s ignores :s, like it’s just hacking awai it the Ruddei \8cM. ining to e new g constructed ;’d all like he pictures ;s, posters and the Acaderait Nobody wane to look at (lit king garageoi :nce halls. Tlit .as pushed us ics. SC expansioi .0 worry atxioi will do to tht the MSC, be rued. Unfortii' years fortbt will have grad iren will It’s new trees coffl here. Battalion thai tree removal or its students iren’t just pro' taths of trees iotential f diet ior journalist Battalion. The Battalion STATE & LOCAL 3 Friday, June 30,1989 B-CS merchants cash in big on Batman craze By Richard Tijerina STAFF WRITER “Batman” completes its first-week run at a local theater today, but the sale of Batman-related items has been going on much longer for some Bryan-College Station retailers. The movie opened at the Cine- plexOdeon Post Oak Three last Fri day. The manager, who wouldn’t re veal his name, would not comment on how local ticket sales have been. Nationally, “Batman,” which stars Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, broke a U.S. box-office record last weekend by taking in $42.7 million, Warner Brothers Inc. studio reported Mon day. That broke the previous three- day record set by another summer sequel, “Ghostbusters II,” which gar nered weekend sales of $29.4 mil lion. But along with ticket sales to the movie, “Batman” also has invested in a huge merchandising campaign. Warner Bros, has issued licenses to 130 firms to sell everything from T- shirts and toothbrushes with the “Batman” insignia to $150 toy Bat- mobiles. Bryan-College Station merchants dealing in Bat-paraphernalia have seen a dramatic rise in business since news of the “Batman” movie came out last year. Local book dealers, record stores and comic book shops have seen business increase dramatically since last week’s movie release. Guy Jones, owner of Bobbi’s Books, a Bryan bookshop that con centrates in selling comic books, said collectors have been buying all Bat man-related items at a record pace. “My distributor told me Monday that all the Batman stuff he had — Batman trade paperbacks, T-shirts, etc., were things he thought he had enough of to last the whole summer. Somebody came in Monday and took it all.” Jones said the increase in sales of Batman-related items started well before the movie was released. He credits the enormous renewal of interest in the Batman character — first created in 1939 by Detective Comics as a dark, mysterious aveng ing hero — to last year’s decision by the comic book company to get rid of Robin, Batman’s teen-age side- kick. In a nationwide poll D.C. Comics conducted last year, readers called in to a special 900 number to vote whether the company should get rid of Robin or the Joker — Batman’s longtime arch rival. Robin lost by a small number of votes, and soon af ter the comic-book character was killed in an explosion. “I think it started last year when there was so much media attention to the fact that they killed off Ro bin,” Jones said. “That got nationwide media at tention. All of a sudden you had people buying comics who usually didn’t buy comics.” Jones said the hype surrounding “Batman” is not comparable to that which surrounded the release of “Superman.” He said he thinks Bat man has now surpassed Superman as D.C. Comics’ most popular hero. “We have noticed an upswing on Batman items,” he said. “Part of it is that D.C. Comics has really pushed it. They didn’t push Superman. Su perman came out and it did well, but it’s nothing compared to this. Super man was the biggie and Batman was more like a number two. Right now I would have to say it’s no contest though. Batman’s bigger.” He said the character of Batman became more interesting to readers when D.C. Comics changed the hero from the “caped crusader” to more of a mysterious figure similar to the original Batman. “It also became popular because the comic book had undergone a change — it had gotten a little bit more involved with the ‘Dark Knight’ type of thing. It was a com pletely different character than from the 1960s, where it was a campy character like the TV show. See Batman/Page 4 Affirmative action officer says Texas Plan falls short of goals By Richard Tijerina STAFF WRITER In 1983, Texas implemented the Texas Plan — a five-year program to integrate minorities into the state’s higher education system. But six years later, Texas A&M System Af firmative Action Officer George Chief warns of B-CS fireworks laws By Holly Beeson STAFF WRITER As the sky lights up across the na tion in celebration of Independence Day, people should be aware of the dangers of fireworks as well as laws regarding their use. The use and possession of fire works is outlawed in Bryan-College Station, as in many other cities, be cause of the high number of injuries they cause. More than 10,500 firework-re lated injuries occur nationwide each year. The number of injuries has doubled since 1974. College Station Fire Marshal Harry Davis said people have many Graphic by Kathy Haveman misconceptions about fireworks. “People take fireworks for grant ed,” he said. “They think they’re not dangerous. Fireworks are inconsis tent, undependable and their man ufacturing is shoddy.” Sparklers, as harmless as they ap pear, can easily ignite clothing on contact, Davis said. If fireworks are brought within the Bryan or College Station city lim its, he said, people should be pre pared to pay the price. “The police chief has ordered his officers to be on the lookout for fire works and to enforce the law strict ly,” he said. “If people are going to buy fireworks to use at Lake Somer ville, they need to wait and buy them on the way out of town.” The possession or use of fire works within the city limits is a mis demeanor offense. The fine is $82 in College Station and $114 in Bryan. To avoid citations or firework-re lated injuries, Post Oak Mall will pre sent a firework display Monday at- dusk, and the Lion’s Club will f iresent games, speeches by local of- icials and a fireworks display at Ol sen Field starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday. iPPVCHiCK'n FREE CHICKEN Buy 1 2pc. “Snack Pack” for $2.59 and get another “Snack Pack” FREE (with this cou pon). Each “Snack Pack” includes 2 pcs. chicken mixed, 1-fry, 1 biscuit. At the following locations: 609 University Dr. and Nagle 100 W. Hwy 21 iPPVCHiCK'n 8 PC. CHICKEN PACK $4.99 Get 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breast (with this coupon). At the following locations: 609 University Dr. and Nagle 100 W. Hwy 21 FREE BREAKFAST ENTREE Buy one of any of our breakfast, get the second FREE (with this coupon). At the following locations: 1400 S. Texas Ave. 609 University Dr. and Nagle 100 W. Hwy 21 200 N. Texas Ave. 2901 Villa Maria offer expires 7/15/89 FREE DELI SANDWICH Buy any Deli Sandwich, get second one of equal or lesser value FREE (with this coupon). At the following locations: 1400 S. Texas Ave. 609 University Dr. and Nagle 100 W. Hwy 21 200 N. Texas Ave. 2901 Villa Maria offer expires 7/15/89 Gasoline Coupon 100 Per Gallon Discount Atany Zip’n Store I Discount offered only on whole gal- | Ions purchased, 25 gallon maximum, 0 one coupon per customer. offer expires 7/5/89 t;c 77) 12 Pak Cokes $2.99 (with this coupon) Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite offer expires 7/15/89 20oz. Fountain Drink 250 (with this coupon) offer expi res 7/15/89 trC if Lay’s Potato Chips 990 6V2 oz. bag (with this coupon) Wharton says minorities still have a long way to go. Wharton said Thursday the Texas Plan was a success, but after five years, all of its goals haven’t been re alized. The Texas Plan was created in 1983 through an agreement with the Office of Civil Rights to correct ra cial inequalities in the Texas higher education systems. Wharton said most univerisities in the nation now have their own versions of the pro gram. A&M’s plan had four long-term goals: increase minority first-year enrollment, improve the minority retention rate, increase the number of minority faculty members and im prove the representation of minori ties on the A&M Board of Regents. Wharton said that although some of the goals of the Texas Plan have been achieved, progress still needs to be made. Wharton said A&M’s retention rate for blacks is 86 percent and 87 percent for Hispanics. Those figures were close to the retention rates of white students, he said. “Once we get (minority students) here, we can pretty much retain them,” Wharton said. “We’ve got programs here, the Multicultural Services Center and some new things we’re developing now that tend to make them want to stay here at A&M.” The plan’s goal to hire 38 black faculty members on the tenure track fell a bit short, Wharton said. Thirty- two have been hired. “It’s a tougher job to get them than it is for students,” he said. “The numbers are smaller out there for faculty. The area where we’re lo cated has an impact on recruitment. Other institutions are willing to pay more than we are, and that’s a disad vantage to come here.” He also said A&M is sorely lacking in the area of hiring blacks and His panics at the department-head level. “To my mind, we’re still not where we should be,” Wharton said. “It’s important because they’re role models. When you’re in school you want to emulate those you look up to. You need someone like that.” Wharton said the United States has done so much to overcome rac ism and has made great strides to eradicate it, but the most important thing the country has yet to do is “face it” and realize a problem still exists. “We need to face our past,” he said. “I don’t want whites to feel they’re being dumped on — like you have to feel guilty about racism or slavery. You have to recognize it and say, T’m going to take a stand.’ ” Police charge 1 for poisoning of Treaty Oak AUSTIN (AP) — Police ar rested a 45-year-old man Thurs day on charges of felony criminal mischief in the poisoning of the historic Treaty Oak during what authorities said may have been a ritual. Paul Stedman Cullen of Elroy was arrested about mid-morning, police said. Austin Police Sgt. John Jones said in the arrest warrant signed by a state district judge Thursday morning that the suspect poi soned the Treaty Oak “in a ritual” with the herbicide Velpar. Earlier, the Austin-American Statesman reported an unidenti fied suspect was trying to cast a spell to protect a woman or be cause of a rivalry over a woman. The warrant said Cullen ac quired the herbicide through his employment at a local farm and ranch supply business. Judge Jon Wisser said that be fore he signed a warrant for Cul len’s arrest, investigators told him Cullen had checked out books from the public library on black magic and the occult. The judge also said police told him that Cullen had a prison re cord for burglary, was known to carry a pistol and was believed to have mental problems. Elroy is lo cated just south of Austin. Wisser said he set bond for Cullen at $20,000 “because he sounded like he was a fairly unstable, dangerous individual.” The arrest warrant prepared by Jones said the investigation in dicated Cullen drove around west Austin looking for a live oak tree on which to apply the Velpar. Wisser said Jones told him he had listened to a tape on which Cullen said he poisoned the tree. Jones said last week that seve ral callers identified the same sus pect and that the man supposedly had told others about the attack. If convicted, Cullen could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. offer expires 7/15/89 Attention A&M Students, Faculty & Staff: GET OFF TO A RUNNING START | this summer with a little help from IBM. Buy one of the machines below BY JUNE 30th and receive $50 off a pair of Nikes at Oshman’s!* IBM and the Texas A&M Micro Computer Center are delivery (while supplies last) of 3 IBM PS/2 confi^jira List BUNDLE #1: PS/2 Model 30 286. The 8530-E21 includes 1 Mb\ memory, an 80286 (10Mhz) processor, one 3.5" disketT5~dhye (1.44Mb), 20Mb fixed disk drive, IBM Mouse, 8513 DOS 4.0, Microsoft® Windows/286, Word and hDC Win^fbvyj Software is loaded and ready to go! BUNDLE #2: PS/2 Model 50 Z. The 855, ory, an 80286 (10Mhz) processor, one 30Mb fixed disk drive, IBM Mouse, IB 8513 Color Display, DOS 4.0, Micros' and hDC Windows Express. Sc^t^arft is loadeds^nd ready to go immediate ,437 $2,666 ncludes iMorhem- kette drive (1.44Mb), nel Architecture™, .ws)286, Word, Excel 1 $6,117 $3,110 BUNDLE#3: PS/2 Model 70 ory, an 80386 (16Mhz) processor 60Mb fixed disk driv^CBM-Mpuse; 8513 Color Display, and hDC Windows E 61 includes 2Mb mem- 3.J8“ diskette drive (1,44Mb), icro Channel Architecture, oft Windows/386, Word, Excel are is loaded and ready to go! $8,912 $4,943 Prices quoted include the Micrt> center Handling fee. IBM may withdraw the promotion at any time without notice. by the Texas A&M Microcomputer Center MicroComputerCenter Computer Soles and Supplies Mon.-Fri. 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Memorial Student Center *THE FINE PRINT: Immediate delivery while supplies last. $50 Gift Certificate offer is available while supplies last and Is not available for University purchases. These prices are available to eligible students, faculty, staff and Departments at Texas A&M University. IBM Personal System/2 and PS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Micro Channel Architecture is a trademark of IBM Corporation. Microsoft is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation. hDC Windows Express is a trademark of the hDC Computer Corporation.