The Battalion
Vol.89 No.132 USPS 045360 12 Pages College Station, Texas
WEATHER
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TOMORROW’S FORECAST:
Chance of afternoon thunder
storms.
HIGH: 78 LOW: 60
Monday, April 16,1990
Easter egg-citement
Photo by So nil ra Robbins
Rick Shanahan, a sophomore MSC Hospitality member, gives candy to one of the
many participants in Saturday’s Easter Egg Hunt at Hensel Park.
Lithuanians celebrate Easter
Cardinal urges worshipers to keep cool, stand tough
MOSCOW (AP) — The leader of Lithua
nia’s Roman Catholics told Easter Sunday
worshipers to keep a “cool head” but stand
tough as the republic faces the threat of an
economic blockade intended to crush its in
dependence movement.
Speaking at an Easter Mass in the capital
of Vilnius as a Kremlin deadline ap
proached, Cardinal Vincentas Skadkevicius
urged the population of the Baltic republic
to stay calm, according to Eduardas
Potashinskas of Lithuanian TV.
Lithuanian President Vytautas Land-
sbergis, who has rejected Moscow’s ultima
tum, sat in the front pew during Sunday’s
service at Vilnius’ cathedral.
Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev
sent a letter Friday to the republic’s leaders,
demanding that they rescind indepen-
• Pope’s Easter salute/Page 7
dence-oriented actions that he termed
“anti-constitutional.” He threatened to cut
off critical supplies to the small republic if
its leaders failed to act by Sunday.
A meeting of Lithuania’s parliamentary
leadership, or Presidium, is planned for
Monday, Edward Tuskenis of the Parlia
ment’s information office said.
Landsbergis said Saturday that no action
— presumably by the republic’s Parliament
— was planned before Tuesday, well after
Gorbachev’s deadline expires.
Lithuania is mostly Roman Catholic, and
many residents planned a three-day week
end to celebrate the Easter holiday and visit
friends and relatives.
On Saturday, Lithuanian officials ac
knowledged that an economic blockade of
materials such as oil and gas could cause
mass layoffs. But they said they hoped sym
pathetic Soviet republics would not cut off
crucial supplies.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Kazimira
Prunskene said the republic had stepped
up efforts to establish economic ties with
the West, the official Soviet news agency
Tass said Saturday.
Landsbergis, who has refused to revoke
the republic’s March 1 1 independence dec
laration, said Lithuania also was trying to
contract with enterprises in various parts of
the Soviet Union for supplies, Tuskenis
said.
Lecturer discusses Chinese culture
By SELINA GONZALEZ
Of The Battalion Staff
Friendship should be the foundation for lasting world peace,
an international traveller, professional tour guide, photographer
and lecturer said Friday.
Jene Bellows began a slide and music program titled “The
Changing Faces of China” by speaking Chinese as a gesture of re
spect to the Chinese guests in the United States.
“To all of our Chinese friends, we want to welcome you,” she
said in the program sponsored by the Texas A&M Baha’i Club
and the China Club. “Many of you all are far from home and you
miss your families ... we have a lot of families in the United States
and we can be your families.”
Bellows, who rececntly returned from her latest visit to the
People’s Republic of China, said world peace is the next stage in
the evolution of civilization.
“This does not mean that we give up our nationality or our
culture,” she said.
The hearts of the American people need to be opened to the
Chinese, she said.
Orginally from New York, Bellows now lives in Florida but
she considers herself a world citizen.
“My vision has expanded to include all people as my family so
I don’t feel discomfort when I am with people who look different
than I do,” she said.
Between return trips to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau,
Sarawaak and Malaysia, Bellows has presented the program at
many colleges and universities in the United States.
“What I am hoping to initiate and stimulate here in Bryan-
College Station is friendships between'(he people and the cultu
res,” Bellows said. “There should be informal gatherings or dis
cussion groups where our Chinese friends can teach the Ameri
cans about China.”
Bellows said the Chinese should teach Americans about the
“heart part” of their homeland, not the political part.
“You can read about the political part in the newspapers,” she
said.
The Americans should learn about the feelings Chinese peo
ple have for their family and the respect they have for their cul
ture, she said.
“Ultimately, we must recognize that we are all members of the
human race,” Bellows said. Cooperation is needed to solve all the
critical problems of China, the Linked States and all of the third
world countries, she said.
“The expertise is here ... the next thing we need to do is learn
about each other,” she said.
Bellows said people living in mainland China don’t have the
most comfortable way of life compared to the people in the
United States. For example, people don’t own cars — bicycles are
the main mode of transportation .
One way China is changing, she said, is that it is not safe to
leave a bicycle just anywhere. Now, there are guards and bicycle
parking lots.
“But the changeless side of China is the beauty of its country
side,” Bellows said. “The beauty is appreciated by the people.”
Food is more than just eating in China, she said. Food is well
being and hospitality. Guests at a Chinese home are always of
fered food even in the most poverty-stricken houses.
Bellows said another difference between the Chinese and
American customs is the amount of affection shown.
“Chinese people don’t hug each other, slap each other on the
back, kiss each otner or even shake hands casually,” she said. “But
when they come to the United States, the Chinese people will of
ten accommodate themselves to our culture to make us more
comfortable.”
B-CS groups Political stalemate stifles Nepal’s reform efforts
commemorate
Earth Day
By BILL HETHCOCK
Of The Battalion Staff
Sunday is the 20th birthday of Earth
Day, a day set aside for making the Earth a
better place to live.
To celebrate this event, several local
groups, including the Brazos County Earth
Day committee and the Texas Environmen
tal Action Coalition, have planned a week
full of activities designed to encourage envi
ronmentally sound lifestyles.
Diane Craig, chair of the Brazos Beauti
ful Committee, said she hopes students and
local community members will take advan
tage of the week’s activities. She said educa
tion and awareness are the two key el
ements the committee is trying to stress.
“What we really hope to do is increase
awareness of the problems of our environ
ment and teach people what we can do
about them,” Craig said. “They’re not un-
solvable.”
The Texas Environmental Action Coali
tion will host an Earth Day 1990 Fair Sun
day from 1 1 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Research
Park. Events will include speakers on a vari
ety of environmental topics, live music, in
formational booths, a 5K run, kite flying, a
children’s play by the Aggie Players, animal
exhibits, book sales and recycling of glass,
plastic, aluminum and newspaper.
Over 30 groups are participating in the
outdoor fair. Some of the organizations
that will be represented are the Sierra Club,
Boy Scouts, the Texas Energy Extension
Service, The Medicine Tribe, the 4-H Club,
Kiwanis Club, Students Against Apartheid,
the Texas A&M Outdoor Recreation Club
and the Wildflower and Native Plant So
ciety.
Scott Coles, president of TEAC, said the
fair will give people a chance to learn about
environmental issues. He said he is hoping
for a big turnout from students and area
residents.
“This fair will show people ways they can
See Earth/Page 8
Taxes due today
Tax returns for 1989.are clue at mid
night tonight. The Internal Revenue
Service tax deadline is traditionally April
15, but since the deadline fell on a Sun
day this year, returns are due a day later.
See Taxes/Page 7
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — People
power scaled the majestic Himalayas last
week and a king bowed to a street revolu
tion, promising multiparty democracy.
A political stalemate is holding up the re
form, however, and some fear Nepal’s
movement toward freedom will be turned
back.
Two days after the bloodiest crackdown
in Nepal’s modern history, 44-year-old
King Birendra on April 8 gave in to the
popular revolt, declared the press to be free
and released political prisoners.
Tens of thousands of Nepalis, their faces
painted red in celebration, danced through
the streets of the capital, shouting “Victory!
Victory!”
Their tears of joy dried quickly. The 17
million people in this landlocked nation of
breathtaking beauty face serious questions.
How can they establish true democracy
in a country where the king is all-powerful
and viewed by many as a living god? What
means should they use?
The questions are not new.
Three decades ago, Nepal experimented
with multiparty politics for 18 months. The
experiment ended abruptly when Biren-
dra’s father, King Mahendra, dismissed the
government and banned political parties,
which he accused of corruption and incom
petence.
Now the Nepali Congress Party, which
Mahendra banned, has returned to haunt
his son. Joining with a leftist coalition, the
party led the movement for democracy that
drew hundreds of thousands of people into
the streets.
Doctors, pilots, government workers, stu
dents and intellectuals conducted strikes.
The movement peaked April 6 and the go-
verment cracked down. Up to 200 people
were killed when police opened fire in Kat
mandu and elsewhere.
Singing Cadets honor 50th birthday
Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack
Singing Cadets Director Robert L. Boone rehearses the cadets before their Parents’ Weekend concert.
By KATHERINE COFFEY
Of The Battalion Staff
Hearing “Happy 50th Birthday” might not be so pleas
ant to some, but it’s music to the ears of the Texas A&M
Singing Cadets.
The Singing Cadets are celebrating 50 years of tour
ing, entertainment and singing.
In honor of its anniversary, the group has been invited
to perform in Germany and Hungary at the end of this
semester, Director Robert L. Boone said.
On May 13, about 59 Singing Cadets and 18 of their
guests will leave for Europe, where they will spend 10
days.
“We are excited about this trip,” Boone said. “This
gives us a chance to do public relations for A&M and let
them know what Texas A&M as well as Texas is about.”
Boone, who has been director for 30 years, said they
are still trying to raise money to go to Europe. They plan
to have a European tour benefit concert April 29 in Rud
der to raise the rest of the money they need.
The Singing Cadets are selling raffle tickets and dona
tion coupons for $15, and have already sold over $4,000
worth of tickets. The person who wins the raffle gets to
go to Europe with them.
“We try to go to Europe every third or fourth year to
let the Cadets go at least once so they get the chance to see
Europe,” Boone said.
“You haven’t seen Europe until you’ve seen it with the
Singing Cadets.”
In their 50 years, the Singing Cadets have sung every
thing from patriotic songs to classicals, folk songs to spiri
tual music, plus jazz, gospel and A&M school songs.
“Music is our tool,” Boone said.
In all of their performances, the Singing Cadets per
form “Nothing Like a Dame,” “Aggie War Hymn” and
“I’d Rather Be a Texas Aggie.” They usually close with
the benediction, where all former Singing Cadets who are
in the audience are invited to come and join them on
stage.
“It is the 50th anniversary, so we are doing songs this
year and in Europe that w e’ve done throughout the years
to celebrate,” Boone said. “We always try to have some
thing for everyone in the audience, young as w'ell as old."
Since Boone became director in 1960, the Singing Ca
dets have performed 50 to 55 shows each year, compared
to other colleges w ho perform 10 to 15 times a year.
“It’s been an exciting 30 years for me,” he said. “I love
w'hat I do and love who I work with because the Cadets
give so much to the organization. They love to give to the
University back what it gives them.”
They have appeared on national television, performed
in the White House, toured Europe, Mexico and the
United States. They have traveled more than 10,000
miles, given 170 concerts and visited numerous Texas cit
ies.
“Even this year we have turned down 30 performan
ces,” he added.
The Singing Cadets were invited to the White House to
See Sing/Page 8