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1 tie Battalion
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A&M students, faculty
voice opinions
Weekly survey explores
desired campus changes.
See Page 3
Vol. 89 No.152 USPS 045360 6 Pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, June 6,1990
r
Bush signs treaty with Gorbechev
Lithuanian conflict causes concern in Congress
American University
in Cairo names president
least J
1 oveJ I WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush
stra 't signed the trade treaty with Mikhail S. Gorba-
tledvHev believing the Soviet leader wants to resolve
flitk tensions with Lithuania but without receiving
keSoi concrete assurances, the White House said Tues-
finto-dav.
fnmeiBBush summoned congressional leaders to the
pitWhite House for a post-summit briefing and told
ttomWem that before putting his name on the
; DiyBreement. he repeatedly expressed concern to
inicUGorbachev about the economic blockade against
thoriiilthuania.
ttioiiiB"! accept that,” said Senate Democratic Leader
ationBcorge Mitchell, D-Maine.
■ The lawmakers did not fault Bush for approv-
DutUing the trade pact. Nevertheless, they em-
loptBiasized that Gorbachev will have to ease up on
ills’ the Baltic republic before Congress approves any
ledcJotthe benefits described by the agreement,
hcyfl “Call it linkage or call it reality,” said Senate
s 15 J R< publican Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan.
I “There will have to be some moderation of So-
kth: viet policy with respect to Lithuania before the
in f Jbrcement is approved and most-favored-nation
omicJ sfitus granted,” said Mitchell. The most-favored
joneiijstatus, a further step which Bush has not recom-
erecclStended, would give Moscow the lowest-possible
"‘tariffs on its exports to America.
H I Bush has acknowledged that the fate of Lithu-
para jluiia will be a big factor in the Senate's decision
on whether to ratify the trade treaty.
However, the only price he has set for sending
the treaty to Capitol Hill is the passage of a law by
the Soviet Legislature protecting Jewish emigra
tion.
Moscow announced Tuesday a tentative post
ponement of any action on that until September,
and the White House seemed to breathe a sigh of
relief.
“That may not be bad in the sense of, it gives
them a little time to work on the emigration issue
... and (take) action on Lithuania,” said Bush’s
spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater.
The signing of the trade agreement was the
biggest surprise of the four-day superpower
summit. And Fitzwater said Bush’s decision to
sign came only a half hour before the two leaders
put their names on the document.
The spokesman said Bush and Gorbachev had
long discussions about Lithuania on at least three
occasions during the summit, and “there were no
private assurances or conditions.”
Fitzwater said Bush’s decision was the result of
“the accumulation of conversation over the two
days about understanding that they knew our po
sition and knew our concern, a feeling that he
was interested in solving this problem, a belief
that there were commitments to deal with this.”
The agreement was an important trophy for
Gorbachev, seeking improved trade relations
with the West to help cope with a deepening eco
nomic crisis at home.
Bush and other administration leaders had
hinted that the agreement would not be signed
until Gorbachev ended his economic stran
glehold on Lithuania, which is struggling for in
dependence from the Kremlin.
However, after impassioned pleas by Gorba
chev to Bush — and also to congressional leaders
— the president decided to go ahead.
House Republican Leader Robert Michel of Il
linois said Gorbachev made a remarkable presen
tation to the lawmakers.
“Here was the first time a Soviet leader (was)
telling us, Tve got real problems at home and
we’d Tike to establish a market economy,’ which
ought to give us all a measure of hope,” Michel
said.
Gorbachev, flying back to the Soviet Union,
sent a farewell message to Bush as his jetliner
cleared U.S. airspace at 1:39 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
“Having completed my stay in your great
country, once again I wish to express my deep
satisfaction with the results of my visit,” Gorba
chev said. “The work we have done together dur
ing these days will bear good fruit. I would like to
express to you and to all Americans my sincere
gratitude for the respect shown to the Soviet peo
ple and for your hospitality and warm recep
tion.”
By ELIZABETH TISCH
Of The Battalion Staff
Dr. Donald McDonald, executive
director of Texas A&M University in
Koriyama, Japan, will become presi
dent of the American University in
Cairo, Egypt, in August.
The executive director’s position
will not be filled, but instead Dr. Ar
thur Sullivan will take the reins as
permanent director of the Japanese
campus.
McDonald said he was excited
about the venture.
“The academic programs are
quite good,” he said. “They have
some specialties that are outstanding
— for example, studies such as the
Egyptian culture. It is the center that
is world renowned for those stud
ies.”
American University has 3,600
academic students, the majority of
whom are Egyptian.
McDonald said the university fo
cuses primarily on undergraduate
liberal arts, with programs in engi
neering, business, and communica
tions.
The American University has one
of the largest adult continuing pro
grams in the East.
“It has sites in various places
throughout Egypt where they teach
the adult continuing program,” Mc
Donald said.
After going to Cairo and having
several interviews with students and
faculty, McDonald was chosen to re
place Dr. Richard Pederson as presi
dent.
McDonald, a former A&M pro
vost, has been a tenured professor in
civil engineering since 1973. He was
head of the Civil Engineering De
partment from 1979 to 1986. Prior
to his work at A&M, he was on the
faculty at North Carolina State Uni
versity from 1962 to 1967.
McDonald said he will miss A&M,
but he is excited about his new job.
“I regret leaving A&M,” he said.
“I’ll miss a lot of things. ... the Death
Burger at the Chicken Oil. However,
I’m looking forward to getting there
and seeing what sort of impact I can
have on continuing the development
of the programs there.”
IV/ brings heartache,
Police erect billboards to remind citizens
thousands in fees, fines about taping of suspected drunk drivers
By JEFF FULMER
Kecial to the Battalion
y Va J His fate was determined as he left
>nonitlS e opened the door to his car
;e u || r and slid the key into the ignition.
•lescdl He never knew such a simple act
imputfF negligence could cause him so
ojdj much pain and sorrow.
i^nlJ He was not considered a hard-
^Jed criminal, but instead was one
Bio always helped others in need,
ill Loved by his family and friends, he
f U pflought it would never happen to
rixJm, out this time he was wrong,
bits21® ^ on ly l ie had called his parents to
j nc | u pit k him up or called a taxi, he
^ wouldn’t be in his present situation.
wtUNow, Joe (not his real name) has
, as |! something he would like to be rid of
heit ® a P°li ce record with a Driving
lie Jlnl e Intoxicated conviction,
e yfJ“I t all started over the Christmas
-jf^Jblidavs in my hometown when my
•86 arB enc l s an( I ^ decided to go out one
i tai Jght to a club,” Joe said. “After I
iJJh
ay
Joe sai<
dIosioB * 1 * * * * if* 6 olob I decided to go get a bite
■ eat around 1:30 a.m. While driv-
ing down one of the main streets, I
noticed flashing lights behind me
and suddenly fear overtook me.”
BHe said all he could think about
was what his parents and friends
iwould think and the many times he
Bd gotten away with drinking and
Biving.
■ “If I had been driving toward my
I house instead of away from it, I
probably would have made it home,
out I wonder how many other times
I would have done it before I got
Bught or possibly injured someo-
B,” Joe said.
I He said his life has not been the
same since the night he experienced
such humiliation and disbelief.
■ “The pain and sorrow I put my
Bmily through was so unnecessary
and I don’t think I can ever repay
them for the time and money they
have spent helping me during the
time which I’m sure not all parents
have with their children,” he said.
• Joe said being handcuffed, put
into the back of a police car and car
ted off to jail is not an ordeal he
wants to relive.
“I think the hardest part was fac
ing my father the minute I got out of
jail because I knew I had hurt him,”
he said. “My father had always told
me that alcohol would get me in
trouble, but I never listened. Some
of us have to learn the hard way with
greater costs and I guess I was one of
those people.”
Joe said a lasting impression in his
mind was when he heard his father
crying the night after the arrest. His
father seldom cries, and Joe said he
can’t help but think how unfair his
negligence and stupidity has been to
his parents.
“I have suffered a lot, but I think
my parents have suffered many
times more because it was very dis
appointing to them,” he said. “I wish
I could go back and change things,
but it is too late and I am paying for
my mistake. What people don’t un
derstand is that DWI is a crime.”
Joe also said he does not wish
what he went through to happen to
anyone. But if someone chooses to
drink and drive, he should be pre
pared to spend a lot of money and
some time in jail.
The bright side to Joe’s story is the
ordeal made him better educated
about alcohol. He also thanks God
every night for protecting him.
Joe said the drinks cost him more
than he thought they would. Over
all, he figured it cost him $2,500 to
$3,000 in court fees and fines.
The National Highway Traffic
and Safety Administration said DWI
remains a leading cause of death
among drivers between ages 16 and
24.
An administration report stated
the problem is a public health haz
ard second only to cancer in victims
claimed and costs incurred.
According to the College Station
Police Department Records Division,
See DWI/Page 6
By JAMES M. LOVE
Of The Battalion Staff
The Bryan Police Department re
cently erected billboards in the local
area to remind residents about the
videotaping of suspected drunk
drivers.
Mobile video cameras were intro
duced to Brazos County in 1987 by
Jim Kuboviak, Brazos County attor
ney.
Since then, the videocameras have
proved to be powerful tools by in
creasing the conviction rate of drunk
drivers to more than 97 percent.
The billboards are publicizing lo
cal efforts to encourage safe driving
and to avoid involvement in alcohol-
related tragedies.
A patrol car with a video camera
mounted inside is shown on the bill
boards with the short warning, “We
Videotape Intoxicated Drivers.
Drive Sober.”
Funding for the billboards comes
from the Brazos County Anti-DWI
Program in cooperation with the
Texas Department of Highways and
Public Transportation.
Billy Cooper of the Bryan Police
Department said more signs will go
up since advertising space has been
donated by Action Outdoor Adver
tising of Bryan.
Cooper said the new compact vi
deo recorders are ideal for mobile
units because they are inexpensive
and can be used even if only one of
ficer is present.
He said older models were bulkier
and required two officers to operate.
The Bryan police presently have
two mobile video units in use at all
times, but it is planning to outfit ev
ery patrol car with cameras in the fu
ture.
The purpose of mobile video re
cordings is to have evidence to pre
sent at DWI trials which show the
jury the accused person’s loss of nor
mal mental and physical functions
resulting from alcohol or other drug
consumption.
A record of the suspect’s loss of
motor skills by the recording of dan
gerous driving behavior and his per
formance during the field sobriety
testing also is provided.
“Before the recordings we used to
have to take the suspects to the sta
tion and then video their state of in
toxication,” Cooper said. “Now, we
save a lot of time and energy with
the mobile cameras by making on
site accounts that stand as hard evi
dence in court.”
He said the recordings also cut
down on problems resulting from
conflicting statements between the
officer and the suspect.
“Many cases would not have had a
conviction if it were not for the ac
tual footage presented by the video,”
Cooper said. “In one case, we re
ceived permission from the driver to
search his car and found narcotics.
Since his consent was recorded, he
could not claim an illegal search.”
Police officers also have gained
greater respect from both juries and
the judges, he said.
With a combination of testimony
and videotape, juries actually can
watch a defendant’s driving and be
havior during sobriety testing.
Videotaping at the scene saves
time when officers don’t have to re
turn to the station to tape a de
fendant after the arrest. This allows
officers to return to patrol sooner.
Recordings mean less time in
court since fewer cases are con
tested.
Photo by Eric Roalson
The Bryan Police Department is
one of many cities in Texas to imple
ment mobile video units and have
great sucess, Cooper said.
“We have a higher conviction rate,
but are actually finding fewer
drunks on the road,” he said.
He said the cameras have proved
to be strong deterrents for drunk
drivers.
“With a 97 percent conviction
rate, people are understanding the
power of video recordings and ap
pear to be taking heed of all the
warnings from MADD and the me
dia.
“We are hoping the billboards will
get the message even further
across,” Cooper said.
—76
... . I...
[Summer skiing
Seniors Matt Seymour and Candice Freeman
pass out fliers for the Aggie Water Ski Club Tues-
Photo by Eric H. Roalson
day afternoon by the Academic Building.They
passed out the fliers from the back of a ski boat.
Officers suspended
Policemen charged with ignoring plea
for help during robbery while on break
HOUSTON (AP) — Two police
officers have been suspended with
pay pending an investigation into
charges that they ignored a plea for
help during a bank robbery while on
a lunch break, authorities said Tues
day.
Patrolmen Ernest Gonzales and
Kelly Hallford were relieved of duty
last Thursday, a day after the al
leged incident occurred, Houston
police spokesman A1 Baker said.
An investigation by the Houston
Police Department’s internal affairs
division probably will take several
weeks, Baker added.
The two officers reportedly were
at a fast-food restaurant last
Wednesday at the same time a
nearby Texas Commerce Bank-
Southwest was being robbed.
A bank employee who managed
to flee while the suspect was still in
side the bank approached the offi
cers and asked them to help. The
policemen allegedly said it was not
If a police officer is on duty
and something occurs
requiring his assistance
“you’re obligated to get
involved.” The officer
should act even if the
crime occurs outside his
patrol area.
—Al Baker,
police spokesman
their patrol beat and took no action.
Baker said.
Baker said if a police officer is on
duty and something occurs requiring
his assistance “you’re obligated to get
involved.” Baker said the officer
should act even if the crime occurs
outside his patrol area.
An armed man had taken a taxi to
the bank, but the taxi driver didn’t
realize what was happening until the
robber got back in the car with a bag.
A bank official was trailing him.
After forcing the cabbie to drive a
short distance, the robber got out
but left the bag behind. When he re
alized what he had done, he started
shooting, wounding the driver in the
arm. A suspect was arrested later
that night.
But Houston Police Patrolmen’s
Union President Mike Howard said
Monday that if the incident is true,
he does not condone it, but under
stands the officers’ reluctance to in
tervene in a crime while off their
beat. Some officers have been disci
plined for interfering, he said.