The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 05, 1990, Image 1

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WEATHER
TOMORROW’S FORECAST:
Overcast with a 35% chance of
rain.
HIGH: 78 LOW: 57
Vol.89 No.125 USPS 045360 18 Pages
College Station, Texas
Thursday, April 5,1990
A&M tightens vaccine policy
By JILL BUTLER
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M’s immunization requirements for
admission will become more stringent in July
1991 because of a nationwide measles outbreak
this past year.
Dr. Erika Gonzalez-Lima, health education
coordinator at the A.P. Beutel Health Center,
said the Texas Department of Health sent out a
memo requiring all colleges and universities to
enforce immunization requirements for admis
sion.
Every incoming freshman and transfer stu
dent planning to enroll at A&M receives a medi
cal history form to Till out and return.
A&M officials, however, never enforced the
requirement that students return the form be
fore they are admitted to A&M, Gonzalez-Lima
said.
“We always assumed most students had up-to-
date immunizations because most A&M students
have gone to high school in Texas school districts
and were required to be immunized,” Gonzalez-
Lima said.
She said that because of the stricter require
ments, all incoming freshmen and tranfer stu
dents must show proof of two measles immuniza
tions, one mumps immunization, one rubella
immunization and a series of Td (tetanus and
diptheria) immunizations beginning in July
1991.
If these students do not show proof of the im
munizations, they will be blocked from registra
tion until proof is given.
Two measles immunizations are required be
cause vaccinations given before 1980 did not pro
vide the expected life-long protection from the
disease, Gonzalez-Lima said.
“We assume vaccinations will give life-long
protection but we can not be sure until 10 or 20
years after immunization,” Gonzalez-Lima said.
She said every student vaccinated before 1980
and every student who has not had measles
should be revaccinated. She said these same stu
dents should be revaccinated for mumps and ru
bella because there is no guarantee these immu
nizations will last for a lifetime either. •
“To be on the safe side, students should be re-
vaccinated for mumps, rubella and measles,”
Gonzalez-Lima said. “These diseases are highly
contagious and can have serious complications.”
Measles can cause encephalitis (inflammation
of the brain) and death. Mumps can cause men-
See Vaccine/Page 18
Faculty: Pay system should provide options
By CHRIS VAUGHN
Of The Battalion Staff
Despite discontent among some
Texas A&M faculty members about
how they are paid, A&M administra
tors say its payroll system is too com
plex to change.
Many A&M faculty members, es
pecially professors whose emphasis
is teaching, are paid monthly over
nine months.
But faculty members aren’t upset
with getting paid once a month —
they are upset at the inconvenience
of getting paid over nine months
since long-term budgeting is re
quired to make the pay last 12
months.
Some teaching faculty members
who get paid over nine months
would like an option of getting paid
over nine or 12 months, like faculty
at many other universities in the
country.
Dr. James Rosenheim, an asso
ciate professor of history, said al
though it is more economically bene
ficial to only get paid nine times, it is
not easier.
“It’s a matter of convenience to
get paid over 12 months because few
of us are good budgeters,” Rosen
heim said. “A good economist would
say getting paid nine times is better
because you could be drawing inter
est in the bank, but it’s not conve
nient.”
Rosenheim said professors were
given the option of choosing the
nine- or 12-month plan at the uni
versity where he taught before com
ing to A&M. He said ne would like to
see the option instituted here.
But Tom Taylor, the A&M con
troller, said the University has a
complex method of paying its fac
ulty which does not lend itself to a
12-month pay plan.
“There are some unique differ
ences here that make that possibility
a little more complex,” Taylor saicl.
“There are many faculty members
split between parts of the system and
some faculty members have a differ
ent pay distribution from one month
to the next. Most other state agencies
don’t have that problem.”
The University of Texas System
and the University of Houston, how
ever, have offered their faculties pay
options for many years.
Mary Zakrajsek of the UH com
pensation department said all teach
ing faculty are offered the option,
but assistant or associate deans auto
matically are paid over 12 months.
Zakrajsek said she has no explana
tion for the reason A&M doesn’t of
fer the option.
“We’ve got an antiquated system
here,” she said. “Maybe it’s because
A&M has more speed and technol-
ogy. We’re in the process of chang
ing the system here, but I assume the
option will still be offered.”
Bill Wallace, director of personnel
at UT, said having faculty members’
See Salary/Page 18
Parents’ Weekend
commences Friday
By ANDYKEHOE
Of The Battalion Staff
Parents’ Weekend, an annual
Texas A&M tradition that brings
family members together, kicks
off Friday morning and runs
through Sunday afternoon.
Parents’ Weekend originally
began as an open house on Moth
ers’ Day in 1919 for mothers to
check up on their sons.
Over the years, the open house
developed into a three-day week
end. In 1974, so it wouldn’t con
flict with graduation. Parents’
Weekend was moved to April.
Generally, the event is the first
weekend in April as long as this
date does not land on Easter
Weekend.
The following is a partial
schedule for Parents’ Weekend
1990:
FRIDAY:
• Federation of Aggie Moth
ers’ Club Boutique, 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. in the Rudder Exhibit Hall.
• Pictures with Reveille V,
from 1 to 5 p.m. in the MSC Flag-
room.
• Who’s Who Reception, 3 to 5
p.m. in 205 and 206 MSC.
• Baseball: A&M vs. Rice Uni
versity, at 7 p.m. at Olsen Field.
• MSC Variety Show: “A
Night Under the Stars,” 7:30 to
10:30 p.m. in Rudder Audito
rium.
• 1990 Century Singers
Spring Concert: “Psalms and
Songs,” 8 p.m. in the Rudder
Theatre.
• RHA Casino ’90, 7 p.m. to.
midnight at second floor of MSC.
• Of Army Yell Practice, mid
night at Kyle Field.
SATURDAY:
• College of Business Parents’
Brunch and Open House, 8 to 11
a.m. in the Blocker Lobby.
• Aggie Band Awards Cere
mony, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the
Rudder Auditorium.
• Bevo-Burn Barbecue, 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grove.
• MSC Jordan Institute Film,
“We’ve Never Been Licked,” 2 to
4 p.m. in Rudder Theatre.
• Singing Cadets Spring Con
cert, 8 to 10:30 p.m. in Rudder
Auditorium.
SUNDAY:
• All-University Awards Cere
mony, 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Rudder
Auditorium.
• All-University Awards Re
ception, 10:30 a.m. in the Rudder
Exhibit Hall.
• All Faiths Chapel Service, 11
a.m. to noon at All Faiths Chapel.
• Ross Volunteers Perfor
mance, 1 p.m. at Kyle Field.
• Corps of Cadets Review and
Awards Ceremony, 2:30 p.m. at
Kyle Field.
For a complete schedule of all
1990 Parents’ Weekend activities,
stop by the Student Government
office on the second floor of the
Pavilion.
Conference searches for solutions
to solid waste management issue
By SELINA GONZALEZ
Of The Battalion Staff
The solution to the critical issue of solid waste
management in the United States is community
involvement, which was concluded Wednesday at
the Keep America Beautiful “Let’s Not Waste
1 The 90s” national town meeting videoconference
sponsored by the Brazos County Earth Day Com
mittee.
After six panelists composed of recognized
scholars, elected officials and waste professionals
discussed today’s disposal crisis on a national
level, people from across the nation and Canada
could call the experts and have their questions
answered.
Moderator of the national town meeting, Dr.
Harvey Alter, resources policy department man
ager of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said,
“Solid waste is a large sore and we have only ap
plied a small bandage.”
William Ruckelsnaus, chairman and CEO of
Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc., and the first
administrator of the U.S. EPA, said the solid
waste management problem differs from the pol
lution problem in that solutions to the solid waste
crisis exist. ,
The Honorable Dana Rinehart, mayor of Co
lumbus, said a united national committment is
the only way to deal with the solid waste crisis.
Hal Cershowitz, senior vice president Waste
Management, Inc., said many of the landfills in
existence are state of the art and safe.
Dr. Laura Green, senior scientist and presi
dent of Cambridge Environmental, Inc., said
functional landfills must have quality design, op
eration and management.
Frank Miller, executive director of Virginia
Peninsulas Public Service Authority, past presi
dent of American Public Works Association and
the past president of the Institute for Solid
Wastes, said the secret to running a successful
landfill is to involve the public.
“The solid waste solution is public partici
pation,” Miller said.
Dr. Robert F. Testin, associate professor of
packaging science at Clemson University, said of
ten packaging appears to be the reason for the
solid waste problem because it is visible. Pack
aging makes up a third of the waste in the coun
try, Testin said.
“The solution is better packaging by designing
tactics to attack the problem systematically,” he
said.
Cershowitz said more volunteers are willing to
separate their garbage in order to recycle. Con
sumers often have separate trash containers for
glass, paper and can products.
Miller said the only obstacle to overcome in the
recycling solution of solid waste is knowing how
to plan a functional program for the public.
Concerned citizens of Bryan/College Station
and Texas A&M students attended the videocon
ference. People called from several states includ
ing Florida, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Mis
sissippi and Ohio.
Mayor Lee Cook from Austin called the panel
to ask about the future of recycling and the will
ingness of the public to participate. Miller re
sponded by saying consumers should purchase
products that are easily recycled.
“It’s not a collecting issue; it’s a buying issue,”
Miller said.
Mattox defends campaign tactics
By SUZANNE CALDERON
Of The Battalion Staff
During a campaign stop at the Brazos
County Courthouse on Wednesday af
ternoon, Texas Attorney General Jim Mat
tox, Democratic candidate for governor, dis
counted this years’ controversial governor’s
campaign by saying there is not much to it.
Speaking to a crowd of about 20 in front of
the courthouse, Mattox said, “In the long run
this a pretty minor campaign as far as the in
tensity of the efforts — I’m sure some politi
cal journalists could tell you about some really
mean and tough campaigns that have taken
lace in Texas and around the United
tates.”
But more controversy emerged on Tues
day when during a live television broadcast
from Dallas, Mattox said he has signed
statements from people saying they have seen
Democratic candidate Ann Richards use ille
gal drugs.
Mattox had a one-sided television debate in
Dallas on Tuesday night. He said he had chal
lenged Richards to the televsion debate, but
she declined.
“I think Ann Richards is refusing to debate
because she is afraid to answer certain partic
ular questions about drug abuse,” Mattox
said. “I think in the long run she may be able
to hide from me ... but she certainly won’t be
able to hide from Clayton Williams come No
vember.”
While Mattox debated by himself Tuesday
night, Richards rallied with supporters in
Austin according to an article in the Houston
Chronicle on Wednesday, where she was
quoted as saying that Mattox was the “garba-
geman of Texas politics.”
Responding to Richards comment, Mattox
said, “Well, a garbageman is somebody who
goes out and picks up trash, and I’ve been
picking up her trash.”
Mattox said Richards needs to stop going
around calling names and come up with some
answers instead. He said he’d like ner to come
out of hiding so they can discuss the real is
sues.
“I do think I’d like her to come out and talk
about tax policy, the environment and about
what we are going to do about crime and
drugs,” he said.
But, it’s hard to have someone lead a war
on crime and drugs when they refuse to an
swer those types of questions, Mattox said.
When asked to reveal the sources who say
they have knowledge of Richards’ drug use,
Mattox said the sources would prefer to re
main unnamed.
“They are just like the sources you have as
an investigative reporter -— they are not real
anxious to say all tney know,” he said. “They
are not real interested in getting involved in
the governor’s race.”
Discussing issues in the campaign, Mattox
said he is pushing hard for a state lottery. He
said with the lottery he is hoping to bring in
$700 million to the state, with much of the
money going to education.
Education needs to be set as a higher prior
ity in the budget, he said.
Implementing a state lottery would not
lead to problems with illegal gambling, Mat
tox said.
“No, it’s just the opposite ... in those areas
that you put in-state lotteries you actually re
duce gambling in the state,” he said.
Mattox said he doesn’t think the lottery is a
regressive means of bringing in income. He
said he thinks Richards’ plan for a state in
come tax is much more regressive because it
doesn’t give people the option of whether or
not they want to participate.
“A lottery is something people can partici
pate in; they can enjoy it; they want to do it,
and they have the option,” he said.
The question Mattox said is being asked
now is who can best have a contest with Clay
ton Williams. He said he thinks he is qualified
to stand “toe^to-toe” with Williams on the is
sues.
Mattox said he is pleased with how his cam
paign is running.
“We believe the momentum we had com
ing into the primary campaign is still with us,”
he said.