The Battalion
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>1.89 No.61 USPS 045360 14 Pages
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, November 28,1989
Olions join strike in Czechoslovakia
[PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia (AP) — Mil-
bns of people ignored government pleas
[id joined a nationwide general strike
Jonday in the largest and most dramatic
f monstration so far for democracy and an
lid to Communist Party rule.
I “We don’t want you anymore!” a flag-
laving crowd of 200,000 roared in a thun-
lirous chant that echoed off the 19th-cen-
Iiry buildings surrounding downtown
■enceslas Square. It was the 11th straight
fcyof massive protests in Czechoslovakia.
I Huge crowds of workers also poured into
&e streets of Bratislava, the east Slovak in-
d rial center of Kosice, the mining center
oi Ostrava on the Polish border, and in Usti
nad Labem, the heart of industrial north
Bohemia.
The showing was a resounding victory
for the opposition, which had called the
two-hour strike a referendum on the Com
munists’ 40-year monopoly on power.
Communist leaders’ frantic attempts to
avert the strike failed, as workers joined the
pro-democracy movement started by stu
dents, artists and intellectuals.
Shaken leaders continued to make new
concessions to the opposition:
• The party’s Central Committee
dumped three more hard-liners from the
ruling Politburo, the second major lead
ership reshuffle in three days.
• The Czech and Slovak ministries of
culture announced they had lifted most
forms of press censorship.
• The Central Committee approved an
inquiry by a parliamentary commission into
a Nov. 17 rally in which riot police clubbed
hundreds of peaceful pro-democracy dem
onstrators.
• Deputy premier Jaromir Zak said on
state-run TV that after long discussion, it
was decided to drop the article enshrining
the leading role of the Communists in the
constitution from a new draft of the docu
ment. “Every political party has the right to
a leading role as long as it is based on re
sults,” he said. “It’s not possible to lay this
down in the constitution.”
• The official CTK news agency said
parliament, until now a rubber-stamp body
under firm Communist control, also would
be open to discussion of any draft laws. Vla
dimir Janku, head of the state’s commission
on church affairs, was quoted as saying
these would include new laws on religion
that would end state control over churches
and the criticized practice of licensing
priests.
But there were still more conditions to be
met. Posters demanding free elections and
an end to one-party rule were plastered
over the windows of shops, hotels and res
taurants that closed to observe the strike.
At Prague’s largest industrial complex,
CKD, workers demanded the formation of
independent trade unions.
Hundreds of thousands of joyous work
ers streamed into the city’s center, carrying
banners of their factories,«firms and offices
in an outpouring of national pride and sup
port for democratic reforms. Sirens howled
and church bells pealed as the strike began
at noon.
“Look Gustav, how thick the crowd is!”
the people chanted, referring to President
Gustav Husak, the man who headed the
crackdown on democratic reforms after a
Warsaw Pact invasion in 1968.
. Socialist Party
concedes defeat
n national vote
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) —
he ruling Socialist Party conceded
lefeat Monday in a national referen-
lum that would postpone presi-
lential elections and give the Hedg
ing opposition more time to
>rganize and field a candidate.
It was the first free election in
nore than four decades, and the
irSt since the Communists dissolved
heir party, renamed it the Socialist
’arty and opened the way for free
nultiparty elections.
Final results were not expected
mtil Tuesday, but the presidential
:andidate of the ruling Socialist
Party said voters Sunday had ap-
iroved the referendum backed by
ipposition parties.
“We can be certain that the num-
)erof‘yes’ votes was higher than the
no’ votes,” said Imre Pozsgay, the
popular Socialist candidate. ■
An opposition victory would
nean that a new democratic Parlia-
nent, to be chosen by June, will elect
the president. If voters had rejected
the referendum, they would have
elected a president directly on Jan.
representation in the new Parlia
ment, giving their candidate a better
chance at the presidency.
According to recent opinion polls,
the Socialist Party is unlikely to win a
majority in the parliamentary elec
tions.
With 91.3 percent of the votes
counted, the referendum actually
was failing by a narrow margin, 50.2
percent against to 49.8 percent in fa
vor. But Pozsgay and opposition
parties predicted a reversal when all
votes are counted.
Hungarian radio said there were
several thousand more “yes” votes
than “no.”
Pal Kara, secretary of the referen
dum committee in Parliament, said
58.2 percent of Hungary’s 7.8 mil
lion eligible voters cast ballots.
Although he conceded that the
referendum would pass, Pozsgay
said he was encouraged by the re
sults, noting that the Socialists had
urged people to vote no, and “look
at the percentages.”
“That good result shows how close
(the party) was to the public opin
ion,” he said.
Opposition groups favored post-
*“ porting the vote until after parlia
mentary elections, saying that other-
# wise they could not sufficiently
organize a serious challenge to
Pozsgay. They hope to win strong
Pozsgay said there were lessons to
be drawn from the results, noting
that the four-party opposition alli
ance had campaigned harder than
other parties.
Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack
Senior A&M students Samantha Gordon and Niesa Harman ap- ty’s “Dressing up for the Holidays” fashion show on Monday af-
parently like the outfit worn by a model during the MSC Hospitali- ternoon in the MSC flagroom.
lag
ter,
27-
3f’
ed-
>
10
ild-
Students
get lesson
in honesty
Senate sponsors
cheating awareness
Aggies do not lie, cheat or
steal, nor do they tolerate those
who do, the Aggie Code of
Honor states.
In an effort to remind every
one of the Code of Honor, the
Student Senate is sponsoring
Cheating Awareness Week, which
began Monday and continues
through Friday.
“Cheating lessens the value of
your degree” is the motto of
Cheating Awareness Week, Ker-
rie Neck, chairman of the aca
demic affairs committee, said.
The purpose of the awareness
week is to help Aggies reflect on
their personal opinion of cheat
ing and the importance of a
Texas A&M degree, Neck said.
“We wanted to bring it (cheat
ing) to a conscious level,” she said.
Everyone should be aware of
how cheating affects the Univer
sity and have pride in Texas
A&M, Quan Huong, chair of the
subcommittee, said. The Student
Senate is promoting the aware
ness of cheating during the last
few weeks of the semester be
cause finals week is approaching.
In promoting awareness, the
Student Senate has bought an ad
vertisement, distributed fliers
and constructed a banner.
The flier states that the Aggie
Code of Honor functions as a
symbol to all Aggies, promoting
understanding and loyalty to
truth and confidence in each
other.
Although both Huong and
Neck said cheating is not a prob
lem at Texas A&M, they agree
that it does occur.
People need to be aware that
cheating lessens everyone’s de
gree, so that if the temptation
arises, they won’t cheat, Huong
said.
C.S. police prepare for safer bonfire
By Holly Becka
Of The Battalion Staff
Officials from College Station police and
fire departments announced during a press
conference Monday coordinated plans with
University and state officials that they believe
will lead to a safer, and therefore more en
joyable bonfire.
The police and fire departments plan an
effort with the University Police Department,
the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission,
A&M’s bus operations and the Brazos Valley
Transit System.
Plans include blocking streets in residential
areas across from bonfire site to keep streets
open for emergency vehicles, stationing buses
at various locations to take people to and
from bonfire, stepped-up patrol of the bon
fire area and a police command post by the
intersection of Jersey and Pershing streets.
Maj. Ed Feldman, with police operations,
expressed concerns about students and oth
ers attending bonfire drinking too much. He
said a bus at the command post will be filled
with personnel who will make arrest reports
and take pictures of arrestees, and another
bus will transport those arrested to the Col
lege Station Police Department.
UPD Associate Director Elmer Schneider
said that in previous years arrestees were
taken to the Brazos County Jail, but the
change was made this year because of coordi
nation with College Station officials.
“We think it will be more efficient this
way,” Schneider said.
Feldman said what happens at this bonfire
will determine if there will be future bonfires.
“That problem will be addressed by others
besides me, but from a police department
standpoint, if it gets to the point where it’s
going to put needless harm (or) more harm
on the citizens, then we have to make that
known to the powers that be,” he said.
Chief of Police Mike Strope said he could
only speak from the point of public safety,
and the police department has concerns for
public safety during bonfire.
“Very few people want to see bonfire com
pletely done away with,” Strope said. “The
majority we’re seeing would like it to be
moved to a different location. We’re seeing a
lot of the people in the neighborhood by bon
fire who are upset that ashes qnd people get
in their yard, that their driveway is blocked
and that people are urinating openly in their
front yard. We’re probably hearing more
negative responses from that neighborhood.”
“And for the first time since I’ve been here
some people on campus are standing up and
saying, ‘Hey, it’s probably gone to the point
where we need to do something about it.’ ”
“We’re concerned with the use of alcohol.
We know alcohol aggravates the behavior of a
large crowd, and makes it very unruly and
hard to deal with. It boils down to what hap
pens at this bonfire will send a message (that
will determine) what happens in the future. If
it gets to be a real angry situation and there’s
a tremendous amount of people arrested, I
would say you will probably see some signifi
cant changes in bonfire.”
“I expect there to be an increase in the
number of arrests we make related to drink
ing and disorderly conduct,” he said. “Some
time during the day (the 63 officers) will be
used, plus reserve officers, plus some of our
civilian personnel.”
In addition to this. University officers,
TABC officials and more than 70 College Sta
tion fire personnel will be working.
Feldman said that although officers will
have to put in extra hours, none of the other
patrol beats will be neglected.
To ensure safety of residents near the bon
fire area, Jersey Street will be blocked from 6
p.m. to midnight at the intersections of
Dexter Drive and Coke Street and Bizzell and
Timber streets. Only right turns can be made
onto Jersey from Throckmorten during bon
fire evening and Lewis Street will be blocked
the entire day.
The blocked-off area will encompass a rect
angle, the outer boundaries being Fairview,
Park Place, Timber and Jersey streets.
Brazos Valley Transit buses will pick up
people at 6 p.m. at Southwood Athletic Fa
cility, the Brazos Center and the majority of
local hotels and motels.
Student government poll
asks for opinions on MSC
By Mia B. Moody
Of The Battalion Staff
Members of Texas A&M’s Student Government are
conducting a telephone poll of 400 randomly selected
students to find out opinions on the University Center
expansion, the student body president said.
“We hope to find out how well-informed students are
on the expansion issue and how they feel about it, but
we won’t use our results as ammunition to end the ex
pansion,” said Kevin Buchman, a senior speech com
munications major from Bridge City.
John Ansbach, a freshman aide for Student Govern
ment, said the list of students being called, which in
cludes undergraduate students, was compiled by a com
puter.
“We will probably finish calling people by Tuesday
night, then we will combine results and have the results
ready by Thursday,” said Ansbach, a freshman political
science major from Round Rock.
Ansbach said Buchman will then present the poll re
sults to the board ot Regents.
Buchman said they chose to poll 400 students after a
faculty adviser from the political science department
told them this would l?e representative of the student
body with a reasonable margin of error.
Poll questions are as follows:
1. On a scale of one to ten, how informed would you
consider yourself on the University Center expansion
(Rudder and Memorial Student Center)?
2. What is your classification?
3. Do you believe expansion of the University Center
is necessary?
4. Would you support or oppose action to delay ex
pansion of the University Center?
5. Do you view enhancement of student services as a
positive or negative aspect of the University Center?
6. Do you think enhancement of student services
warrants the loss of green space?
7. Do you thiijk the administration’s efforts to inform
the student body on the expansion were adequate?
Rockefeller visits schools,
says U. S. owes kids more
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — As
his National Commission on Chil
dren observed bilingual kinder
garten classes and pre-school pu-
pils, U.S. Sen. John D.
Rockefeller IV said Monday the
nation owes more to its young
sters.
“We are on a mission,” said
Rockefeller, a West Virginia
Democrat who chairs the commis
sion. “We are driven by the same
obsession — that is that we have
to do better by our children in
this country.”
Rockefeller said it is wrong that
some children do not receive ad
equate education or health bene
fits, adding that it is almost as if
children are treated like “another
class.”
The 36-member commission
visited Coronado-Escobar El
ementary School in the
Edgewood Independent School
District and La Casa de Ninos
Child Development Center Mon
day in preparation for a public
hearing on pre-school children
Tuesday.
At the elementary school, ap
proximately 20 commissioners di
vided into three groups and sat in
on bilingual classes and later
talked with parents and educa
tors. In the class Rockefeller ob
served, kindergarten pupils learn
in Spanish throughout the day
except for about 45 minutes,
when they work on oral commu
nication in English.
U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, the
Texas Democrat whose legis
lation created the national com
mission, joined Rockefeller for a
news conference during a break
in the tours.