he Battalion
Credit collaboration
Mastercard, Visa deny
allegations that they schemed
to monopolize the market.
See page 8
Vol.89 No. 147 USPS 045360 12 Pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, May 9,1990
ower outage turns lights
ut, causes delay in finals
ters B JILL BUTLER
Of The Battalion Staff
f of Jl Many Texas A&M students taking
alorjBnal exams Tuesday at 8 a.m. were
istouBft in the dark because of an on-
i wfj fcmpus power failure,
earj ■ Joe Lstill, associate director for
th f J itilities at A&M’s Physical Plant, said
pier,” Estill said. “You’d have to be
an electrical engineer to understand
what happened.”
He said the power failure oc
curred in many buildings across
campus and lasted from about 8:20
to 11 a.m.
As of Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Clem
ents Residence Hall was the only
We could see with the light from the windows. But
jhere was an extremely annoying high pitched squeal
hat sounded like a fire alarm was going off”
— Becky Weyland,
junior
Hie power outage was caused by the
failure of a cable termination in a
manhole on feeder number 10.
“I can’t really explain it any sim-
building still without power, but Es
till said the problem would be fixed
before that night.
Some of the buildings which lost
power yesterday were Rudder
Tower, the Memorial Student Cen
ter and the Northside parking ga-
rage.
Becky Weyland, a junior recre
ation and parks major from Hous
ton, was taking a final exam in Fran
cis Hall when the power failure
occurred.
“We could see with the light from
the windows,” Weyland said. “But
there was an extremely annoying
high-pitched squeal that sounded
like a fire alarm was going off.”
One Geography 201 final in the
Eller Oceanograpny and Meterology
Building was cancelled because the
room had no windows and students
were unable to see.
Other students taking a statistics
final were unable to use their solar-
powered calculators without lighting
and had to wait 30 minutes for the
power to resume.
■ “I can’t really explain it any sim- Some of the buildings which lost power to resume.
President gives speech at annual award ceremony
lid j:;.;
■^obley stresses future change
B SEAN FRERKING
v ™ 0; The Battalion Staff
wrng
X
bt
^^■niversities in the nation because of efforts by individu-
to meet the problems and ever-changing needs of to-
^ d y’s world, Dr. William H. Mobley said.
ide
nges;
for?
The University’s
baBii;
US Ojl
ink. a
resident made these remarks dur-
iig the annual All-University Faculty Meeting and
,|ward Ceremony Monday.The meeting honored fac
ulty and staff for their academic excellence in 1989-90.
“Fundamently, it is the talent, creativity, effort and
jedication of individual members of our faculty and
;aff who are responsible for the progress of this Uni-
15 fersity and our confidence in the future,” Mobley said.
He said, however, the University still is faced with the
nallenge of balancing the goals and needs of the cam-
us’s faculty, students and administration.
Without concerned and intelligent efforts by these
oups, Mobley said, the University will not realize its
11 potential.
I He said there are several major areas the University
Hadership needs to stress to continue the current pro-
—*g' •ess of Texas A&M.
H “However, it is imperative that we constantly seek
clarity and balance in our multiple missions,” Mobley
(lid.
While some think programs in one area on the A&M
mpus are overshadowing others, Mobley said, the
iam Univeristy must find a balance among all of its needs
id missions.
To accomplish these goals, the Univeristy must work
[ard to re-examine and change its goals.
The University president asked each member of the
faculty, staff and administration to contribute to the
Work of the Multiple Mission Task Force.
I “Texas A&M University can be a national leader in
innovative and effective response to the multiple mis
sion issue,” he said. “I believe this should be a top prior
ity for our University community.”
H Mobley said A&M also must change to meet the
heeds of the University’s new ethnic diversity.
B “By 2020, Anglos will become a minority in the total
population in Texas,” Mobley said. “Texas A&M can
and must play a leadership role in the education of all
segments of our population.”
K Mobley said programs on the A&M campus have be
gun to meet these challenges and offer a variety of an
swers to the problems that cultural diversity and plura-
|lisn] can present.
i: He said the University must work to find and recruit
more qualified minority and female candidates for its
.rphy
faculty and staff while also increasing the supply ot le-
male and minority Ph.D. graduates.
Mobley said A&M can no longer tolerate any acts of
ignorance with respect to racial and ethnic problems.
“It is totally unacceptable when even one faculty
member utters a racial slur in class; when even one egg
is thrown at an international student; when even one
bigoted letter is posted on the door of a black student,”
Mobley said.
Mobley said the University must actively encourage
an understanding and appreciation of different cultu
ral experiences and heritages.
Mobley also said A&M has undergone a tremendous
amount of change physically over the past two decades.
I exas A&M University can be a
national leader in innovative and effective
response to the multiple mission issue. I
believe this should be a top priority for our
University community.”
— Dr. William H. Mobley
He said the University now needs to rethink the cam
pus’ programs, facilities and infrastuctute.
He said as the academic community becomes more
comfortable with its stategic planning process, it will
benefit from the new resource allocation and capital
campaign. Mobley said it is important for the University
to change with the outside world.
Mobley said state funding for A&M has not kept up
with the growing heeds of the expanding University.
He said the school also is behind in its space needs.
Mobley said A&M must work with other groups in
Texas to correct the lack of funds for education. The
work on school aid reform already has started, he said.
Although the Texas economy is still sluggish, Mobley
said he is optomistic about increased funding.
“I believe that within the next two biennia, we will see
both major revision in Texas’ tax structure and the en
dorsement of education as the top priority in Texas,”
Mobley said.
Texas A&M also is planning to increase the level of
private support of the University’s endowment, opera
tions, capital facilities and equipment needs within the
next few months, Mobley said.
Dinner for two
Tom Cenaham, senior, and Stephanie Compton,
sophomore, celebrate Compton’s 20th birthday
Photo by Eric H. Roalson
with a picnic dinner for two under the arches of
Albritton Tower Saturday evening.
Estonia joins Latvia, Lithuania
in drive toward independence
TALLINN, U.S.S.R. (AP) —Esto
nia dropped the trappings of Soviet
power on Tuesday, changing its
name and its flag, and proclaimed
solidarity with Latvia and Lithuania
in the three Baltic republics’ drive
toward independence.
Without formally declaring inde
pendence, Estonia’s Parliament re
instituted some paragraphs from its
1938 constitution, including one
proclaiming Estonia “an indepen
dent republic, with the supreme
state power vested in the people.”
It dropped “Soviet Socialist” to be
come simply “The Republic of Esto
nia,” and it adopted its old tricolor
national flag in place of the ham-
mer-and-sickle banner of socialism.
Parliament said the steps were
meant to show solidarity with sister
republics Lithuania and Latvia,
which have issued declarations of in
dependence. The deputies also
adopted a resolution proclaiming
Baltic solidarity and congratulating
Latvia on declaring independence.
“The path to our own statehood is
not easy, but we are convinced that
here in the Baltics, we three — act
ing together — will arrive at a restor
ation of our independent states
more fruitfully than if each were to
struggle on its own,” said the
statement, broadcast on Radio Esto
nia and monitored in Britain.
Lithuania is under an economic
blockade imposed by Soviet Presi
dent Mikhail S. Gorbachev, in an at
tempt to force Lithuania to rescind
several laws passed since it declared
immediate independence March 11.
Estonia and Latvia set unspecified
transition periods for secession from
the Soviet Union.
On Monday, Lithuania’s Council
of Ministers decided to cut meat
shipments to Soviet ministries by 10
percent in hopes of bartering scarce
meat directly with Soviet factories
for oil and other supplies, said Aidas
Palubinskas, of the Supreme Council
legislature’s information bureau.
In Latvia, legislators who oppose
independence asked Gorbachev not
to impose sanctions on Latvia, saying
that would hurt many citizens loyal
to the Soviet Union.
Latvia issued a declaration of in
dependence on May 4 but did not
ask for an immediate break with
Moscow or suspend the Soviet con
stitution. It is waiting to hear if Gor
bachev will impose sanctions similar
to those on Lithuania.
In Estonia, Parliament approved
the constitutional changes and the
traditional symbols of state by a vote
of 73-14. Eighteen deputies did not
vote or did not attend the session.
Minutes later, a small crowd gath
ered on the cobblestone square out
side the ancient parliament building
and watched as the red flag was low
ered. It was replaced by the blue-
black-and-white striped flag used by
Estonia when it was independent be
tween the two world wars.
lenior dies
Texas A&M senior Christina Ann
Metivier, 22, of Denton died Satur-
ay night in College Station.
Metivier, an industrial engi-
yneering major, died after she report-
j insor edly collapsed at a local club.
I Cause of death is unknown.
I Services for Metivier were Mon-
Hay at the All Faiths Chapel.
tfeid
food
taker
ifsche*
philanthropy
Iheeds donations
E Texas A&M students moving out
{Of dormitories, apartments or
■|ouses are asked to donate un-
pieeded items to Twin City Missions.
| Twin City Missions needs any-
I thing usable — clothing, shoes, fur-
loiture, rugs, pots, pans, cups, plates,
[.radios and television sets.
i; Students can take their donations
[ to drop-off sites by Kroger, 2412
Texas Ave., by the University-owned
apartments across from Skaggs or by
jTwin City Missions, 301 College
| Main.
I Joann Sebesta, assistant executive
Hirector of Twin City Missions, said
Burniture and coats are much-
needed items.
I* Most donations will be given to
needy Bryan-College Station resi
dents and some items will be sold in
; the missions’ thrift stores to bring in
[ revenue for the organization.
’il|eClum|^peais[Sli[hsiiq|iet
Keynote speaker Fred McClure, President
Bush’s assistant for legislative affairs and former
A&M student body president, addresses guests
and former students at the Black Former Student
Photo by Eric H. Roalson
Banquet Saturday. Organizers of the event say
Texas A&M’s salute to its more than 500 African
American former students is believed to be the
first of its kind ever held in the state.
Local prima ballerina Joses b^tle with cancer
Famous dancer ends
international career
By CHRIS VAUGHN
Of The Battalion Staff
She lived a life of international
reknown and critical acclaim, but
she died thiee weeks ago in
Bryan virtually unknown and
without the fanfare to which she
often was a< cuMomed,
Jean Marie Gee, known as Ana
Ludmilla on the stage, was one of
the first American-trained balle
rinas to become internationally
famous.
During her ballet career from
1917 to 1933, she was one of the
most sought after and respected
ballerinas in the world, v :
She began her career at age 13
with the New York Philharmonic
Orchestra in 1917. She followed
that debut wnh performances at
Carnegie Hall and the Brooklyn
Academy ol Musk.
Because Mrs. Gee received so
much attention after her perfor
mances, she was asked to join the
Chicago Opera Companys tour*,
ing group.
She was the only ballerina to
receive an encore in an opera in
Chicago and in her debut in New
York, and was considered a
“prima ballerina” at age 15.
Among her many credits is a
special performance for Queen
Elizabeth and the Prince, of
. Wales, who ' Iscsr became the
Duke of Windsor.
She danced the leading rolesid;:;
the ballets of more than 13 op
eras, including "Canm-rn* *0*8*
momla.” “Herodiade,** "Pe-
trouxchka” and “Pomona.”
Despite all her accolades and
honors, however, Mrs, Gee sue*
crumbed and died of cancer, un*
known pty most. Bryan-College
Station residents.
"Tt really haunted her someti
mes,” Monie Smith, one of : Mf$i
Gee's ballet assistants in Bryan,
said, “ft was strange. People
didn’t understand why she would
settle here. She really should have.
been in New York, or at least $#**'
Francisco or Houston,”' .
Smith, who began studyin
let under Mrs. Gee in 197^
became one of her closest and
dearest friends, said Mrs. Gee
moved to Bryan because her son.
is buried in College Station.: 1 ;
jan Broderick, the son of Mrs.
Gee and her first husband, was a
student at Texas A&M when he
was murdered by a hitchhiker in
1955.
Mrs. Gee’s dancing career was
cut short when she caught her-
foot on a tack during a perfoy-.
mance in London and MMlMijii