Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1990)
The Battalion STATE & LOCAL Tuesday, March 20,1990 Investigators search for arsonist Investigators have exhausted all leads in a case about four Fires on the northwest section of the Texas A&M campus, according to a Crime Stop pers report. In the early morning hours of Nov. 11, four Fires were reported on the northwest section of campus. The largest Fire was in the A-3 Lounge adjacent to Davis-Gary Hall. Evidence indicates a suspect entered the unoccupied lounge, doused the trash can and some furniture with a flammable liquid and set Fire to the trash can. Before the Fire was discovered and extinguished, the building suf fered about $15,000 in damages. Other Fires were contained in two nearby dumpsters and a trash can outside Mclnnis Hall. Six weeks ago this offense was fea tured as crime of the week. Since then Crime Stoppers has received only three calls about the offense and investigators have exhausted all leads. Because of the short time span during which these Fires occurred. STOPPER 775-TIPS the close proximity of the fires and the speed of their burning, investi gators believe each Fire was set by the same person who used a flammable liquid to assist ignition. This week the University Police Department and Crime Stoppers need your help in identifying this ar sonist. If you have information that could be helpful, call Crime Stop pers at 775-TIPS. When you call. Crime Stoppers will assign you a spe cial coded number to protect your identity. If your call leads to an arrest and grand jury indictment. Crime Stop pers will pay you up to $1,000 in cash. Crime Stoppers also pays cash for information on any felony crime or the location of any wanted fugi tive. Fraternity house robbed last week By CHRIS VAUGHN Of The Battalion Staff It was not a good spring break for the six men who live in the Theta Chi fraternity house in Bryan. Burglars broke into the frater nity house March 13 and emptied every room of valuables.' Gary McCain, a Theta Chi member who remained in town for spring break, went to the Texas A&M baseball game Tues day at approximately 7 p.m. When he returned to the house around midnight, everything was gone. McCain said two videocassette recorders, a television, several stereos, compact discs, rifles, clothes, shoes, jewelry, watches, and even cologne were stolen. “They really wiped us out,” McCain said. McCain said he is not sure of the total value of the stolen prop erty, but he alone lost approxi mately $5,000 in possessions. Lt. Bobby Biggs of the Bryan Police Department said burglars robably had been watching the ouse for some time and knew spring break was a good time to strike. - • “Whoever it was knew there was an opportunity,” Riggs said. “It was spring break and the house was available. That’s (vaca tions) usually what they go for.” Riggs said the burglary is un der investigation and no suspects have been found, McCain did manage to Find something positive regarding the outcome of the burglary. “I was lucky I wasn’t there when they broke in,” he said. Pan Hellenic promotes racial unity Kappa A Ip ha Psi services benefit community By STACY E. ALLEN Of The Battalion Staff PART 1 OF A 6-PART SERIES Kappa Alpha Psi, a Texas A&M fraternity, has achieved a lot of Firsts over the years. Kappaman Irven C. Mollison was the First Afri can-American who was given a federal judgeship. Kappaman Leon H. Sullivan was the first African- American to be named director of an American au tomobile company. Kappaman Emmitt L.. Ashford was the First Afri can-American major league umpire. The list goes on. And these are just a few of the many legacies Kappas can be proud of. “Kappa Alpha Psi has consistently looked at an area, and if they don’t see any achievement (by Kappa Alpha Psi members or minorities) they try to achieve in that area,” said J. Frank Hernandez, ju nior English major at A&M and president of Kappa Alpha Psi. “The fundamental purpose of the frater nity is achievement, First and foremost.” Terrell Simpson, senior aerospace engineering major at A&M and vice-president of Kappa Alpha Psi, said community service is at the heart of every thing the fraternity does. “We are oriented toward uplifting those in the community that need help,” Simpson said. “We hold the philosophy that those who are sick need a doctor and we act as physicians.” The most recent large-scale fundraising/ activity the Kappas have sponsored was its First Greek Step Show in February. Hernandez said the show generated more than $2,000 and set the record for the most tickets sold on the day of an event at Rudder theatre. Half of the money will fund a $1,000 scholarship for a high school senior in the area, Hernandez said. The scholarship wall be based on an essay written by the student, grade point average and family income. Other philanthropic activities the Kappas engage in are giving full Thanksgiving meals to needy fami lies in the area in conjuction with the Bryan Red Cross, having Easter egg hunts for disadvantaged youths in the area and visiting the elderly in geriatric homes. Eric Lewis, senior bioengineering major at A&M and former president of the fraternity, said his fa vorite activity in which the fraternity participates is the Big Brother program where members serve as role models to youths in Bryan-College Station. “We visited the geriatric center and I felt good about that, but I really like dealing with the kids,” Lewis said. “They have so much energy that it’s con tagious.” Lewis said that aside from community service, the fraternity provides a social environment for African- Americans on campus. Hernandez said the Kappas are identifying prob lems A&M has and are working to correct them. “We are trying to create an environment that fos ters achievement and uplifts not only minorities, but all students at A&M,” Hernandez said. By PAM MOOMAN Of The Battalion Staff Texas A&M's Pan Hellenic or ganization is going strong after only one year. The organization is the gov erning body of African-American Greek organizations on campus. “It’s not that we’re trying to be separate but equal,” Liz Jones, Pan Hellenic president, said. “It’s not because of the color — it’s be cause of the number.” Jones said the needs of A&M African-American Greeks are better met by their own govern ing body because, while there are 60 predominantly white fraterni ties and sororities governed by the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic organization, there are only eight predomi nantly black fraternities and soro rities. Last year’s A&M Greek ad viser, Charles Goodman of Sigma Chi, encouraged Jones and other black Greeks to bring Pan Hel lenic to A&M. If this was a racial issue, a white male would not have encouraged starting the or ganization, Jones said. The national Pan Hellenic or ganization has been around for over 20 years, she said. While membership in A&M fraternities and sororities is open to all students, Greek organiza tions tend to be either predomi nantly w hite or black, Jones said. “We don’t need separate fac tions going on in the Greek com munity,” she said. This is why all three governing bodies are trying to bring all A&M Greeks, black and white, together, she said. The Pan Hellenic organization settles problems that arise during pledge periods, Jones said. “We make sure people don’t think we’re hazing,” she said. Last, year, African-American Greeks at A&M hosted a party for the Southwestern Black Lead ership Conference to demon strate unity, Jones said. Violence prompts Greyhound to halt negotiations DALLAS (AP) — Greyhound contract talks won’t resume until violence against buses and cab drivers stops, the company said Monday after abruptly halting weekend talks w'ith union lead ers in Arizona. “A lot of the problem was the continuing in timidation and violence,” said Lyn Grayley, spokeswoman for Dallas-based Greyhound. “The companyjust does not feel that they will be intim idated into (accepting) a contract.” Meanwhile, a union leader in Denver accused Greyhound of stonewalling and said the union will meet with negotiators “anytime, anyplace” to resolve the strike. Violence has marked the 19-day-old walkout. One of the latest incidents involves an alleged al tercation between a driver and a union vice presi dent in North Carolina, for which the union leader is being sought by police. “Maybe if the violence and terrorism and in timidation and all that stopped ... (reopening talks) would be considered,” Grayley said. “Our main concern at this point is the safety of our passengers and employees.” % ON CAMPUS "Pizzas, trophies and road trips—our Volkswagens deliver." Andy and Liza Keene Texas A&M University Andy and Liza Keene, students at Texas A&M, talk about their silver Volkswagen GTI's. "My husband Andy and I bought our first GTI in Texas and drove directly to Boston. A few days later we turned around and headed back to Texas, by way of Arizona. That cross country trip was all it took. We liked the car so much we decided to buy a second one." "Volkswagens have a unique feel that no other cars have," explained Andy. And he should know. Andy's been racing his GTI on the Autocross circuit for years and he has a shelf full of trophies to prove it. When Andy isn't racing, he's delivering pizzas to A&M students. "I don't know what's more challenging—racing Autocross or delivering those pizzas before they get cold." Together, the Keenes' Volkswagens have logged over 200,000 miles. They love their GTI's parked side by side. But we don't know how much longer they can keep them together. Right after we took this photo, Andy ran off to look at a new 1990 Jetta GLI 16V. VOLKSWAGEN If you drive a Volkswagen, you might be selected to appear in an ad like the one above. Send your story and a photo to: Volkswagen Testimonials • 187 S. Woodward, Suite 200 • Birmingham, Ml 48009