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Associated Press
Top 26?
Ags a few votes
short of Top 25,
but Slocum’s not worried
See Page 5
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'ol. 90 No. 60 USPS 045360 6 Pages
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, November 27, 1990
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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Prime
[inister Tadeusz Mazowiecki re
signed Monday along with his gov-
irnment a day after a political neo-
jhyte dealt him a humiliating defeat
fin presidential elections.
‘It is impossible for me to remain
the prime minister,” Mazowiecki
fsaid in an interview with state radio
;fore he announced he was step-
[ping down.
“Poland’s painful but necessary
Iprogram of getting out of economic
jcatastrophe can only be realized with
[the understanding of the majority of
I the nation,” Mazowiecki said. “So-
jciety made its choice.”
He had finished third in presi-
Idential elections on Sunday, failing
j to qualify for a runoff with Solidarity
leader Lech Walesa, who finished
[first.
Mazowiecki was knocked out of
[the race by Stanislaw Tyminski, a
wealthy businessman who returned
Ito Poland this fall after 21 years in
ICanada and Peru.
“I will win these elections,”
[Tyminski told supporters and the
curious at his Warsaw headquarters.
|“I am not afraid of Walesa, I am not
| afraid of anyone.”
Mazowiecki, 63, the first non-
I Communist prime minister in the
East bloc, had said he would step
down as prime minister if he lost the
presidential race.
He told state radio he and his gov
ernment could not be responsible
“for promises made by the other
candidates.”
Mazowicki said he will submit his
government’s resignation formally
to Parliament, but he and other Cab
inet ministers will continue to fulfill
their duties until a new government
is formed.
“Many promises without backing
were made and the government and
myself were attacked with many
strong, often demagogical, accusa
tions,” said Mazowiecki.
News of Mazowiecki’s resignation
drew an angry reaction from’ Wa
lesa, who had tapped him for the
post of prime minister, then split
with him over the pace of reforms in
the post-Commumst era.
“That’s great responsibility,” Wa
lesa said sarcastically, contacted at
his home by the Associated Press.
“Now, let the Poles see this responsi-
blity, this patriotism and this democ
racy of Mazowiecki.”
Tyminski, 42, was not taken se
riously by other candidates until
polls indicated a late surge of sup
port.
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MIKE C. MULVEY/The Battalion
Stephen Biddle watches as Dr. Koldus, vice president of student
services, lights the giant Christmas tree in the MSC flag room.
MSC Hospitality committee
schedules week of festivities
9
The spirit of Christmas at Texas
A&M finally has arrived.
The Christmas tree was lighted at
noon Monday in the MSC Flagroom
by Dr. John Koldus, vice president
for student services. The ceremony
was sponsored by the MSC Hospital
ity committee.
“This exemplifies the Aggie spirit
of caring, giving and sharing ... and
the greatest gift you can give is to
share with others,” Koldus said.
After the ceremony, Voices of
Praise sang in the flagroom to begin
the week’s festivities.
Eric Trekell, Hospitality adviser,
said the committee has scheduled a
How close is close?
■ I j
lii
PHELAN M. EBENBACKThe Battalion
Freshman Amos Gaige keeps a watchful set of eyes on the day afternoon. Amos was getting his hair cut extra short for the
steady hands of Gene Wren at the North Gate Barber Shop Fri- Aggies’ final home game against TCU.
Pollen provides information on drug origin
Law enforcement might have another weapon
in the war on drugs — ordinary pollen.
Forensic palynology — identifying pollen
grains trapped in shipments — can provide in
formation on the origin of some illegal drugs,
says Dr. Vaughn M. Bryant Jr., head of anthro
pology at Texas A&M and a renowned palynolo-
gist.
By studying pollen “reference” slides under a
microscope, palynologists can identify pollen at a
crime scene or recovered from a drug shipment
and help pinpoint its place of origin, Bryant says.
It is also possible to relate the grains to other
parts of the same or similar drug shipments.
Pollen, while generally considered only a nui
sance for the allergy-prone, is useful in oil and
gas exploration and in recreating ancient cli
mates.
Pollen also is considered “nature’s finger
prints” when assisting in criminal investigations,
Bryant says.
A&M is one of the leading centers in North
America where this type of information can be
generated.
“This collection is unique,” says Bryant, who
also heads the University’s pollen research labo
ratory. “With it, we can do new types of research
other labs can only dream of.”
Mobil Oil recently donated a large number of
pollen reference slides. This collection, valued at
more than $175,000, includes 7,000 reference
slides of key pollen types from modern plant Spe
cies worldwide.
The lab housing the Mobil collection already
maintains samples of more than 300 types of
seed from the Western and Southwestern United
States — 3,500 types of modern pollen mostly
from North America; 1,500 other floral and raw
pollen samples; 2,000 fossil coprolites; 6,500
other slides and samples from pioneering copro-
lite work; collections of fossil and modern spores;
as well as charcoal and wood samples.
“The key to forensic palynology — recreating
a picture of the past through pollen samples — is
having a good reference collection of key pollen
groups,” Bryant says.
“With the Mobil collection, we have one of the
best pollen reference collections in the country.
With it we can do the kinds of forensic palyno
logy we may be called on to perform.”
He says the donation has an especially good
representation of pollen from tropical regions of
the world, which already has helped one grad
uate student constructing the first record of the
prehistoric environment of Belize, an ancient
center of Mayan culture.
Before the Mobil collection arrived, the stu
dent was stymied by more than 50 pollen types
he could not identify. Since the collection arrived
last summer, he has cut the number to seven.
“There are millions of species of pollen- and
spore-producing plants in the world,” Bryant ex
plains. “No one palynologist can become an au
thority on all, and it is rare for a palynologist to
have a working knowledge of pollen flora found
in more than a few regions of the world.”
Police stress safety, moderation at bonfire site
week of activities in conjunction with
the Christmas tree lighting, which
has been going on since the commit
tee was formed in 1970.
Trekell said the committee also
has had a trade show for 20 years
where merchants display items, such
as crafts and other Christmas gifts.
Groups which will perform in the
flagroom include the following: the
bell choir from the First Baptist
Church in Bryan; a theater presen
tation by the Stage Center; the Ag-
gonizers, a quartet from the Singing
Cadets; and CAMAC, which will
perform a dance and various solo
singers.
By ISSELLE MCALLISTER
Of The Battalion Staff
College Station and Texas A&M
University police departments sent a
clear message during a press confer
ence Monday that they are stressing
safety and moderation at bonfire.
For the second year in a row, po
lice officers will concentrate on alco
hol offenses because drinking is not
permitted at bonfire.
“No booze will be permitted,” said
Bob Wiatt, director of A&M security
and University police.
Officers will patrol bonfire site —
Duncan Field — and Northgate, and
citations will be issued to minors con
suming alcohol. Adults providing al
cohol to minors will be arrested, he
said.
CSPD will have its “war wagon” on
hand to transport drunken individu
als to jail. A judge will be on call for
immediate arraignment.
Local police also are gearing up
for safety in residence areas near
bonfire.
Streets between George Bush
Drive and Park Place, just south of
bonfire, will be closed at 6:45 p.m.
Thursday to those not living in the
area. CSPD’s Lt. Mike Patterson said
parking restrictions along George
Bush Drive will be enforced strongly
for safety reasons.
Campus streets also will be re
stricted throughout the day, he said.
Six A&M shuttle buses will run
from the normal shuttle bus stops
from 6:45 until 11 p.m., said Sherry
Wine, assistant manager for A&M
bus operations.
Because of the limited number of
University shuttle buses that will be
available, Margie Lucas, marketing
manager of the Interurban Transit
System, encourages bonfire atten
dees to use city trolleys.
Trolleys will pick up patrons at
South wood Athletic Complex, Bra
zos Inn, Roadway Inn, The Oaks
Apartments, Manor East Mall and at
the intersection of Wellborn Road
and Southwest Parkway at 6:10 and
6:30 p.m. and take them directly to
bonfire site.
The trolley system also will pro
vide a park-and-ride option from
Manor East Mall at the corners of
Texas Avenue and Villa Maria
Road; from the Post Oak Mall near
Sears; and from the Southwood Ath
letic Complex.
Trips returning from bonfire will
begin as soon as patrons fill the trol
leys around 8:15 p.m.
The service costs 50 cents each
way. Exact change is required be-
By ISSELLE MCALLISTER
Of The Battalion Staff
The College Station Fire De
partment will concentrate on
high-risk areas in neighborhoods
near bonfire Thursday night, a
member of the fire department
said.
Bland Ellen, deputy fiye
marshal, said residents can take
extra precautions to keep their
homes safe from fires that could
be caused by flying embers from
bonfire.
Ellen spoke Monday during a
press conference with Texas
A&M University and College Sta
tion police departments.
A pamphlet distributed during
the conference provides the fol
lowing tips:
• Remove all leaves, sticks and
other combustables from roof
gutters.
• Wet down roof with water
just before dark.
• Mow and rake yard or grassy
areas.
•. Move all flammable liquids
and highly combustable items to a
safe place.
• Keep a water hose con
nected to an outside faucet to ex
tinguish small fires.
• Close garage doors to keep
out flying embers.
The following streets will be
closed Thursday to all in-bound
traffic between 6 p.m. and mid
night:
• Fairview from George Bush
Drive to Park Place
• Park Place from Fairview to
Timber
• Lee from Park Place to
George Bush Drive
• George Bush Drive from
Lee to Fairview
• Park Place from Dexter to
Hereford
Dexter from Park Place to
Thomas will be one way for
south-bound traffic only.
The fire department requests
all vehicles in these areas be
moved from streets to appropri
ate parking places to provide ac
cess for emergency vehicles.
cause drivers do not handle the fare.
No food or drinks will be allowed
on the trolleys.
Professor says minorities still suffer from racial harassment
PART 1 OF A 4-PART SERIES
ing
By SEAN FRERKING
Of The Battalion Staff
Racism has entered a new phase of overt
expression which reflects present social atti
tudes in the United States, says a Texas
A&M faculty member and editor of “U.S.
Race Relations in the 1980s and 1990s.”
Dr. Gail Thomas, an A&M sociology pro
fessor, says she bases her opinions on years
of personal research and the work of other
professionals which has indicated that mi
norities still suffer from racial harassment.
“Black and Hispanic students and faculty
have continued to fight against the same
problem of racism that has plagued them
since school desegregation began,” Thomas
says. “It’s the same old problem. It’s only
more open now.”
She says she believes the nation’s conser
vative political climate is one of the main
reasons many acts of racial harassment are
more blatant.
“First and foremost, the political climate
of the nation quite frankly tolerates more
overt expression of racism,” Thomas says.
“It (the more open racist expression) is not
surprising, but I find it is rather discoura
ging”
Thomas says she believes the Reagan ad
ministration’s lack of involvement in race
relations, a policy she says the Bush admin
istration has continued, has hampered ihe
nation’s civil rights movement.
She also says withdrawn support for sev
eral federal programs has slowed achieve
ments of many minority groups.
“You can see a strong correlation be
tween the softening of support for pro
grams like affirmative action and a decline
of minority progress,” she says. “Without a
certain amount of strong leadership this
problem will continue.”
Economic conditions also can affect ra-
“The international human
rights movement will help
the push for civil rights in
our country
— Gail Thomas,
A&M sociology professor
cial attitudes, Thomas says. More racial in
cidents occur during times of economic du
ress than in prosperous times, she says.
“During times of economic strain, pro
grams like affirmative action are the first to
go,” Thomas says, “During these hard
times, people become more conservative
and begin to look out for themselves.
“Too often they misunderstand that if
one group gains the other group loses
something,” she continues. “That’s simply
wrong and unfortunate.”
She says the benefits of minority pro
grams often go unnoticed. Many people,
and not only minorities, have gained from
these federal programs, Thomas says.
“White women and men have also been
helped by these programs,” she says. “What
people don’t understand, and what we need
to change, is the fact that discrimination
and racism are extremely costly to our so
ciety and our nation.”
Although some individuals might abuse
the system, many programs have opened
new options for talented people who never
would have had the chance to succeed, she
says.
“There is no doubt that without some of
these programs many minority students
would never have had the opportunity to
attend college,” Thomas says. “It takes
more than ability to succeed sometimes.
With these federal programs, many of these
people can reach their goals.”
Thomas also says the positive aspects of
these federal programs can be seen at
A&M.
“Minorities have brought A&M a diver
sity that is important for a university set
ting, ” she says. “The diversity of perspec
tive and ideology these minorities represent
has enhanced the quality of scholarship and
students at this University.”
Even with these gains, Thomas says she
believes more time is needed before societal
attitudes change and racial equality is possi
ble in the United States.
However, she says she is optimistic about
the future of civil rights in the United
States.
“The international human rights
movement will help the push for civil rights
in our country,” she says. “My hope is that
we as Americans can learn to fight for and
respect human rights. If we can, minorities
will have even more success.
“I think if we continue this work there
will be a time where all of this will not be
neccessary. I do believe that one day we can
live free from racism.”