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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1990)
■ii thisyei la ted fr 0t it March j ; >n andih, "'ill be vi] raid My f i 1.1. 1 , die acci ijunioro !>ts have storms re lit Shoot]; against | 'revs anh i the fid victory, 'es arees- °m Tec{ ors losijj go out | m said hlxick h last game win," gainst 1 lust retui i to rebo; vness dete - transiti tve to ge; md pres well, Th! Hist nott experiei realized irnton s always i iday willi needs gi out and i "It woull the tom the A| sixth is : likelv cas-Hosi le conser, mi is tor would I : Ricks i her face: und. twice to: , but k oppedi laryinl : ebruan • the Agj Longho: I and (|» The Battalion Vol.89No.107USPS 045360 2 0 Pages College Station, Texas \\\\\/////. WEATHER in TOMORROW’S FORECAST: Mostly sunny and mild VW 1 HIGH: 74 LOW: 56 Monday, March 5,1990 Millions of Soviets turn out to cast votes MOSCOW (AP) — Millions of Soviets from the Polish border to the Bering Strait voted Sunday in what President Mikhail S. Gorbachev said was a struggle between re form and bureaucracy for the country’s Slavic heartland. “I think it is a battle,” Gorbachev told re porters after voting in the Lenin Hills area of Moscow, “but I am convinced that peres troika will win.” Almost 150 million voters were regis tered to choose among more than 11,000 candidates for 1,800 seats in the legislatures of the Russian, Ukrainian and Byelorussian republics. Thousands of seats in local gov erning councils also were being contested. No results were expected until Tuesday in the three republics, which comprise the vast majority of the country’s territory and hold more than two-thirds of the Soviet Union’s 290 million people. In the Baltic republic of Lithuania, meanwhile, pro-independence activists said results in runoff elections Sunday assured them of the quorum they need to convene the republic’s parliament, where activists are expected to push for creating a mech anism to secede from the Soviet Union. Officials reported a strong turnout in the Far East region and the Ukraine, where more than half of registered voters had been to polling stations before noon. Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There was increased political tension over Gorbachev’s reforms in the weeks leading to the elections. Gorbachev has pressed the Communist Party to relinquish its monopoly on power and pushed for a new, more powerful pre sidency. Hundreds of thousands of Soviets have turned out for pro-democracy rallies. In the Slavic republics, reforms — where they have managed to get started — have proceeded more slowly and quietly than in other areas. There have been neither the concerted drives of the Baltic republics nor the violence of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Gorbachev and Soviet citizens said the lo cal party and government officials seeking election were among national leaders most opposed to reforms. “Our elections involve a new type of peo ple, people who have been given new impe tus from perestroika,” a relaxed, confident Gorbachev said. “The essence of it is that it is a people’s referendum on perestroika.” Truant children’s parents get fines, jail sentences HOUSTON (AP) — Jail sentences and fines as high as $8,800 are being imposed on Harris County parents whose children consistently miss school. Sixteen judges who handle hundreds of truancy cases each week say many parents don’t understand that Texas law makes them responsible for their children’s educa tion. “The parent comes in thinking that the court is going to hold the child responsible, and take the child and put him in a home for delinquent children,” Justice of the Peace Betty Brock Bell said. “But that’s not the case. “And parents get an entirely different at titude about getting their kids to school when they find out that they’re the ones who will be assessed the fine.” Texas truancy law mandates that chil dren must attend school from age 6 to 16, and must complete the school year in which they turn 17. If they don’t, their parents pay — at a rate of $100 and more per missed school day. If parents can’t pay, they go to jail. In one of the most extreme cases, Nelda Payten, 41, was charged with 84 counts of truancy and fined $8,800 for the school days missed by her 15- and 11-year-old sons. When she couldn’t pay the fines, she was locked in the Harris County Jail. She recently was released after promising to pay $100 a month over the next 6.5 years. Together, Payten’s sons missed more than 100 days of the 175-day school year. Justice of the Peace David Patronella, who aowtcnced Payten, said she was given several chances to get her children to school but repeatedly failed to meet with school and child welfare authorities. Her 15-year-old remains out on the street, and if he continues to be absent, she could wind up paying more. I got it! Photo by Steven M. Noreyko Millerball, sponsored by Phi Kappa Sigma to raise money for the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center, was held Saturday on Keathley Beach. Regent: 5-year program hurts A&M’s grads By TODD L. CONNELLEY Of The Battalion Staff A five-year undergraduate program would restrict Texas A&M’s credibility in the marketplace, warned Board of Regents member Douglas DeCluitt after attending a meeting on undergraduate education last Wednesday. The Advisory Panel on Undergraduate Education heard compliments and com- E laints from student leaders, faculty mem- ers and former students. The panel was formed to advise the aca demic affairs committee of the Board of Regents. Board members Billy Clayton, Wayne Showers and DeCluitt were present at the five-hour meeting. Since many students are heavily involved in extracurricular activities, graduating in four years has become the exception rather than the rule. The panel discussed the idea of implementing a five-year program at. A&M. But DeCluitt said the prevalent opinion expressed by the administration is that A&M should continue to offer the four- year plan. “Ohio State University developed the five-year plan a few years ago, ” DeCluitt said. “They found that the marketplace re jected their idea. Parents would compare catalogs with different schools and see that the investment would cost less and take less time elsewhere. It was a great deal more at tractive to them.” A&M President William H. Mobley agreed, saying that a five-year plan would hurt A&M’s flexibility. Ty Clevenger, speaker of the A&M Stu dent Senate, told the panel of A&M’s $25 million dollar plan to expand Sterling C. Evans Library. Clevenger asked why none of the money was going towards purchasing more books and journals. DeCluitt said that there definitely will be funding set aside for expanding the li brary’s literary resources — he just didn’t know when. “This is not a new issue,” DeCluitt said. “It’s one of the most widely shared and ap preciated concerns of the regents.” He said the library does need more study space and books but money is the limiting factor. “All needs have to be given some priority concerning money,” he said. “I mean, we have to pay money to the faculty. This is not an easy issue and will not be resolved over night.” The panel also heard stories of faculty See Regents/Page 13 safra- lasses .utora 2rCii> leton. UPD offers smart safety tips to spring break travelers Students should remain alert By STACY E. ALLEN Of The Battalion Staff Spring break is a time to let loose and forget about everyday worries. But Lt. Bert Kretzschmar, University Police Department Crime Prevention Unit supervisor, said students can’t forget about everything or they might have to pay for it. Kretzschmar said the key to having a safe, fun spring break is to stay alert and trust your instincts. Keep your mind on your surroundings, know who is behind and in front of you and don’t get distracted, he said. Communicate the message that you’re calm, confident and know what you are doing. If you feel uncomfortable in a situa tion, trust your instincts and get out of the situation, he said. Kretzschmar said students should never walk by themselves at night. If it’s unavoidable, the student should let friends know where he or she is going and the time he or she plans to return. Kretzschmar said he has noticed the biggest problem stu dents have over spring break is drinking too much, which causes them not to think clearly. Alcohol causes people to lower their guard, and con artists can take advantage of that and steal all of the person’s belong ings, he said. Kretzschmar said it’s difficult to spot con artists, so students must be carefuj of people who try to become instant friends. He said often a student will invite the person over for the night and in the morning the student finds everything in the hotel room is gone. Kretzschmar said con artists often work in pairs so one can distract the person while the other steals a purse or something else of value. “It only takes a few seconds for someone to distract you long enough for someone else to steal from you,” Kretzschmar said. He said that to avoid the wrath of con artists, students should not wear expensive jewelry, flash a lot of money or wear expen sive clothes. That tells people you probably have nice things at your hotel room, he said. Students also should carry wallets in their front pockets. Kretzschmar also had a few tips for those traveling a far dis tance during spring break. He said whenever possible, it’s important to travel with someone you know. Before departure, plan the route and check your tires, anti freeze, water and oil, Kretzschmar said. All doors should be locked and the windows at least partially rolled up while driving. The student should carry enough money for emergencies, but should never display large amounts of cash, he said. When students stop for the night, Kretzschmar said, the en tire trunk should be unloaded. All automobile accessories such as stereos should be engraved with the owner’s driver’s license number. He said out-of-state license plates tell thieves you have a full trunk. When students approach their cars, Kretzschmar said, their keys should be in hand. The key chain should never have a name or address attached to it and car keys should be kept sep arate from other keys. If it is necessary to leave keys with an at tendant in a commercial parking garage, only leave the ignition key. t In addition to safety students can practice after they have de parted for their spring break destination, Kretzschmar said, there are precautions students should take before they leave for the week to avoid having valuables stolen from apartments 8 ways to ruin spring break don , XT !° U «• or ,WW * r°vV. doing. SX&rxP* in yoor To k. “UroU****^ b#oC W ol 3 044 7 yourtall. bock pockol. r «*» lot. o, 7°'* il in to CO ‘* °nrf 0 '°»9 POcA »'-. r c '*Jil . Qnnnroug ."O'./ w y~" ar * four Graphic courtesy of the National Crime Prevention Council and University Police Department or dorm rooms. . . - , The number one thing students must do, Kretzschmar said, is make a conscious effort to secure all windows and doors be fore leaving for the week. He said many burglaries occur in ground-level apartments or dorms because students forget to lock all the windows before they leave and burglars can easily crawl in. Kretzschmar said another common mistake students make is leaving messages on answering machines that say the student is gone and when he or she will return. Dorm students also will leave messages on doors dating their arrival back to school. “This tells criminals the time period they have to operate,” he said. Kretzschmar said the best thing to do with valuable jewelry is to take it home over spring break. If that is not possible, he said, students should hide it and definitely not leave it in a jew elry box. Kretzschmar said Operation Identification can help See Preventiori/Page 13 Absentee polling sites draw low voter turnout Parties debate necessity of boxes By BILL HETHCOCK Of The Battalion Staff Low voter turn-out at two new absentee polling sites in Brazos County, including the site at the Memorial Student Center, may force a re-evaluation of the need for these boxes in future elections. Local Republicans maintain that having extra absentee polling places encourages more people to vote, while local Democrats contend that the additional sites are not worth the extra cost to the county. As of 5 p.m. Friday, 308 Democrats and 489 Republicans had voted absentee in Bra zos County. Of these, 78 Democrats and 289 Republicans voted at the MSC. At the Brazos County Courthouse 146 Democrats and 150 Republicans cast absentee ballots. Forty-two Democrats and 50 Republicans voted at the College Station school adminis tration building, while 42 Democrats and no Republicans voted at Ben Milam el ementary school. Ron Gay, former Brazos County Demo cratic chairman who resigned to run for county judge, said he considers the number of absentee voters low. He said voter turn out so far does not justify having four ab sentee boxes instead of two in the county. This election Is the first time the county has had four locations for absentee voting. “I think the county commissioners owe it to the people of Brazos County to look at turn-out and determine whether the boxes are cost-effective,” Gay said. “I don’t know 7 if we’re really gaining anything by having them. The county needs to look at the cost per vote and decide on that basis.” Removal of the additional voting boxes is one alternative county commissioners will consider if the boxes do not prove cost-ef fective, Gay said. Though county Democrats have com plained that the new boxes are not worth the extra cost, county Republicans do not agree. Rob Giesecke, vice president of College Republicans, said the number of people taking advantage of the new polling sites is not low, especially at the MSC. Giesecke pointed out that more people have voted at the MSC than at the county courthouse, and accused the Democrats of putting too much emphasis on the cost of the new ab- • Statewide turnout/Page 3 sentee voting boxes. “The issue isn’t cost,” Giesecke said. “The issue is that the Democrats are scared the students won’t vote the way they want them to vote, so they’re trying to make this into an issue of cost. The Democrats are pur posely inflating the cost and making it look like the boxes are not worth it.” Giesecke said he expects a last minute rush at the absentee polls, because some people are still deciding who they will vote for in the primaries. Brazos County Clerk Frank Boriskie said it is too early to speculate on the number and location of future absentee voting sites. “We need to wait until the final tabula tions come in,” Boriskie said. “We just don’t know enough right now. When you’ve got more boxes of course you’ve got more ex pense. The county will decide if it’s worth it at a later date.”
