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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1989)
Texas A&M Battalion P WEATHER TOMORROW’S FORECAST: Partly cloudy, cooler HIGH: 58 LOW: 40 ia Vol. 89 No.45 USPS 045360 14 Pages College Station, Texas Thursday, November 2,1989 ggies Against Bonfire organize; (pro-bonfire group attends meeting By Bob Krenek Of The Battalion Staff od' ohit efe Ki Aggies Against Bonfire held an organizational meeting Thursday in front of the Academic Building Malt md were met by a larger group jf pro-bonfire students who also id,,vanted to make their opinions mown. Alex Jordan began the AAB neeting by outlining the purpose )f the group. AAB wants to advance, rather lhan hinder Texas A&M, Jordan aid. “We believe bonfire is wasteful, htf both of resources and manpower and that it exhibits ignorance to he rest of the world,” he said. ‘We believe it goes contrary to :he values an institute of higher in earning should have.” One member of the group said ae has contacted the Texas For- sstry Service about planting trees to replace those cut down for taonfire. Jordan emphasized that noth ing is expected to happen right way. “We realize we cannot stop it his year or even next year, but t’s something to work at,” he said. Jordan also said he wanted stu- lents to realize that AAB is not igainst A&M in any way. “We just think bonfire is shameful and it is something we need to take a hard look at,” he aid. Many members of the group said they support using the wood or a more constructive purpose. )ne of the most popular sugges- ions was to use the wood to keep he homeless warm in the winter. Several members of the pro- jonfire group said the wood would be destroyed even if it were not burned at bonfire. Bonfire, they said, serves a use si in Tve ful purpose by providing stu dents with a way to release ten sion, learn to work as a group and meet people. Jordan raised the issue of find ing alternatives to bonfire. One idea the group is working on, he said, is a party on the night of bonfire that would offer an alter native way to celebrate without wastefulness. The immense waste caused by bonfire is a central issue, Brian Skipworth said. “The people that work on bon fire are working to waste,” he said. “They are a good group of people, and they are working very hard. I just feel it would be better if they worked towards something else. I think some questions need to be raised about why we are doing this.” One member of the pro-bon fire group suggested AAB form a another group to cut trees in the Spring and give the wood to the homeless. Many voiced support of this idea and said they would aid such an effort. Several in the crowd advised AAB to offer an alternative to bonfire rather than try to eliminate it. “I think this was a really good thing,” Jordan said after the meeting. “I’m glad these people came, even the people for bon fire. It’s good to hear other views, it’s an educational process. That is why I am here.” “I don’t look down on anyone who goes out there,” he said. “I just think they may not know about the world situation or may not care.” Skipworth wanted to say the group is pro-A&M. “We think this is a great school and we want to make it better,” he said. In that aspect, he felt the meet ing was very productive. “We heard a lot of good sug gestions here tonight from both Photo by Mike C. Mulvey Protestors of bonfire share opinions with supporters of the tradition share opinions outside the Academic Building. groups,” he said. “This was a very positive experience.” Still, he holds to his views as strongly as ever, he said. “I just think bonfire is igno rant, wasteful and hazardous to the environment,” he said. “This is part of higher educa tion,” he said, “to question things around you.” Senate, MSC forum work to secure debate of governor hopefuls GO T X By Michael Kelley Of The Battalion Staff As the 1990 gubernatorial candi dates begin hitting the campaign trail, the Texas A&M Student Sen ate, in conjunction with MSC Politi cal Forum, is working to bring the candidates to A&M. The two student organizations are setting up a debate among the candidates for governor to inform students about candidates’ stances on issues dealing with higher education. The senate endorsed the debate in its meeting Wednesday night be cause the governor has a great im pact on higher education. Also during the senate meeting, Clevenger commented on the pre sent status of A&M’s efforts to bring the George Bush Presidential Li brary to A&M. He said that the U.S. Archivist and his executive assistant visited A&M last week and has in formed A&M officials that a decision on the library’s location will be made within two to three weeks. Clevenger said that the chances of A&M getting the library are “very good right now.” Dr. Herman Saatkamp, Jr., Speaker of the Faculty Senate, spoke on deficiencies in services provided by the Sterling C. Evans Library. He tailed it an issue that must be worked on by both the faculty and TUDENT RNMENT 1 U N 1 V L£ R S 1 T Y student senates because of the com plimentary negative effect the situa tion has on both groups. “We are at the turning point to improve our library in order to pre pare us for the 21st Century,” Saat kamp said. A committee of the faculty senate has been working on a proposal to help improve the collections holding facilities of the library. Saatkamp cites a lack of space and the rising costs of books and periodicals as rea sons for this problem. Possible solu tions are being prepared for presen tation to President Mobley on the issue. Saatkamp will be touring the Li brary of Congress in Wasington, D.C. to learn more about possible high-technology procedures that are being used in library management today. This includes storage of data and information on laser disks. He leaves Thursday morning. Student Body President Kevin Buchman addressed problems with the A.P. Beutel Health Center. Buchman meets every two weeks with the Health Center Advisory Committee to air concerns over problems that students are experi encing with Health Center services. He encouraged any student who has a complaint about the Health Center to contact him so that he may relay the information to the advisory committee. The Student Govern ment phone number is 845-3051. Residents urge community to march for war on drugs ly Cindy McMillian )f The Battalion Staff Bryan-College Station residents k'il! take to the streets Saturday to flert the community about the local ■rug problem and publicize the ef forts of Our Unity and Recovery War on Drugs. The group’s acronym, OUR War on Drugs, was created to symbolize that the community must work as a whole to solve the drug problem. Citizens will gather and march from Bryan City Hall to Sadie Thomas Park, carrying signs with anti-drug slogans north on Texas Avenue and east on Martin Luther King Street. The march will end with a rally in the park and a speech by Lonise Bias, mother of the late Len Bias, a Boston Celtics recruit who died from a cocaine overdose in 1986. Marsha Herring, of the march coordinating committee, said the march is intended to be a commu nitywide event. “The drug problem in Bryan-Col- lege Station is not just a Bryan prob- iatt encourages reporting date rape, ays saying ‘no’ with force is essential y Kelly S. Brown The Battalion Staff Two weeks after Leslie and Ted fiiiet they went on their first date. All les/ie knew about Ted is that she liked him — that was enough. By their second date a physical relationship had begun. Leslie knew ■ed wanted it all, but she wanted to ■bf/ow a slower path. No reason ex- sisted for Leslie not to trust Ted. I When his advances were fur thered, she pulled away. He pulled tighter. The next thing she knew, it was over with. She had become an other statistic of date rape, and he was out the door. She would see him again, though. She saw him every time she closed her eyes. She saw him around cam pus and in class, but never in the courtroom. Leslie represents the majority of women who are date or aquaintance PART 1 OF A 2 PART SERIES raped — their silence is what makes them this majority. Authorities estimate more than 50 percent of rapes go unreported, and the few that are reported go unpu nished because most women don’t press charges. Bob Wiatt, director of security at the University Police Department, said there’s nothing the authorities can do if the victims who are as saulted don’t come forward and re port it. Lt. Bert Kretzschmar, with UPD, said one out of every 10 rapes are re ported, while victims range from the very young to the elderly with those between 18 and 24 (college age) be ing the majority of victims. “It’s not just women who are raped — it’s men too, and people don’t realize this,” he said. While sexual assault, or rape, is just a flash in the headlines to some, its prevalance is far more reaching than what we see in print and what people want to believe. orps invites women athletes o dinner to promote sports By Holly Becka )f The Battalion Staff I The Corps of Cadets will host piembers of Texas A&M’s women’s Ipthletic teams at a 6:20 p.m. cross- dine today in Duncan Dining Hall. Corps public relations officer Clay hitaker said this cross-dine will •enefit all attending. A guy in one outfit has a girlf- jKHend who is on the volleyball team Bnd they wanted to invite the whole ■earn to dinner,” Whitaker, a senior Snarketing major said. I “We decided to do it on a Corps Hsvel and invite every women’s ath letic team,” he said. I “A lot of those girls are really busy |||vith their sport and probably don’t Know a lot about the Corps, and we San show our support for what they’re doing,” he said. Amy Brown, a senior speech com munication major who is a student worker with the athletic department, said women athletes have been try ing to increase campus awareness in their sports this semester. “The cross-dine is another way to help increase awareness in women’s sports,” Brown, who helped coordi nate the event, said. “It’s something that’s fun, but it will also promote women’s athletics,” she said. “The athletes see it as a way to get more students involved and aware and promote their sports.” Whitaker said he was glad to see women’s athletics being promoted. “We go to All-U Night and R.C. Slocum stands up there and talks about the football program, and then Coach (Lynn) Hickey stands up and talks about women’s athletics,” he said. “Everybody claps and everything, but the turnout at (women’s athletic events) just isn’t there,” he said. “The support is not what it should be. Maybe this (dine) will increase awareness, or at least get more Corps members to attend women’s games.” Brown said about 110 women will eat dinner with the Corps members. The Corps hosts women’s dorms and sororities in Duncan periodi cally throughout the year, but this is the first time Corps members have had a cross-dine with the women athletes. There’s no telling how long date rape has been committed on the A&M campus and it’s difficult to verify how frequently it occurs, but no one can deny its presence — es pecially its victims. Between September 1988 and Au- See Date rape/Page 14 lem or a College Station problem,” she said. “It is neither a white nor black problem, it is a community problem that in some way impacts us all. “For too long, people in the com munity have waited for someone or something else to pick up the banner and fight the battle.” “We are attempting to empower the residents of the community to act to take back the streets,” she said. Mary Mattingly, executive direc tor of the Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, said the event was planned in response to the “community’s outcry for help.” She said members of the commu nity want to take back their streets from drugs and drug dealers, and she thinks such a victory is possible. The day’s activities will begin at 1200 Ridgedale (Mockingbird Run Apartments) at 9 a.m. with a Prayer Band. A short program making Ms. Bias an Honorary Citizen will initiate the march, which will begin at 10 a.m. and end in Sadie Thomas Park with guest speakers Ms. Bias and Beverly Davis, director of the Texans’ War on Drugs. Refreshments will be provided at the park by Gath’s Chicken and More and McDonald’s. The public is invited to attend a reception for Ms. Bias at 4 p.m. at Lincoln Center, located at 1000 El eanor Street in College Station. Law enforcement agencies also will be present for the day’s activ ities, and marchers can take time to learn about Citizen Watch groups and neighborhood protection rights. The march is coordinated by BV- CASA, HCA Greenleaf Hospital, United Missionary Baptist Church of Bryan and the Brazos County NAACP. Right on target Archery Club members Jason Lowery, Eric Brumlow and Victor Vega take aim at the target Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack during a practice session by the Zachry parking lot. The group practices there every day.