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Seniors reminisce,
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See Page 3
ol. 90 No. 61 USPS 045360 1 0 Pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, November 28, 1990
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Scott Paulsen, a sophomore shot putter/discuss thrower from Frank G
Omaha, Nebraska, practices his form during a workout at the ternoon.
PHELAN M. EBENHACK/The Battalion
. Anderson Track & Field Event Center Tuesday af-
He said he works out three times a week.
Computer labs planned
Student Senate
passes proposal
By BRIDGET HARROW
Of The Battalion Staff
In its last meeting for the semes
ter, the Student Senate Tuesday
passed a resolution endorsing the
proposal of a Computing and Group
Study Center on campus.
The proposal is for the construc
tion of a large centralized computer
center to be open 24 hours with a
proficient staff and a group study
area that can accommodate 1,000
students.
The center would be housed in its
own building between the College of
Business and the Sterling C. Evans
Library expansion which are sched
uled to be constructed adjacent to
each other on west campus.
Proposed funding for the center
include contacting computer cor
porations for donations and raising
the computer access fee by $1 for
two to five years — the funds from
the increase to be specifically used
for the center.
The proposal states that the cur
rent 18 computer centers are “insuf
ficiently distributed about campus
with a shortage of competent staff
and opened during unthoughtful
and unrealistic hours as related to
students’ needs.”
The proposal was researched and
compiled by two current and one
former special assistant to student
government: Edward Munoz, for
mer special assistant to computing
resources, Thomas Taffinder, spe
cial assistant to facilities and plan
ning and construction, and Stephen
Weber, special assistant to library re
sources. The trio will present the
to President William Mob-
proposal
lev.
ley
In other business, the Senate
passed a bill that encourages depart
ments not to list courses under
“staff’ in the Schedule of Classes,
but instead list the names of instruc
tors assigned to teach courses.
Senator Ramesh Menon, who in
troduced the bill, said some depart
ments do not have instructors as
signed to courses as late as a week
before the beginning of the semes
ter.
Menon said for the upcoming
spring semester separate lists will be
posted in the Pavilion a week before
classes and intervals thereafter, in
forming students about additions of
new courses and sections and
changes to existing courses.
Senator Weber also announced
that it is “Aggie Code of Honor
Week” and students should remem
ber that “Aggies do not lie, cheat or
steal, nor do they tolerate those who
do.” Weber said the name was
changed from last year’s “Cheating
Awareness Week” to be more posi
tive.
Nobel Prize literature critiqued
A&M professors analyze
writers ’ social comments
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By JULIE HEDDERMAN
Of The Battalion Staff
The literary works of the 1989
and 1990 Nobel Prize winners for
literature were the topics of dis
cussion at the Camilo Jose Cela
and Octavio Paz Nobel Prize
Homage Roundtable Tuesday
night.
The presentation, sponsored
by the Department of Modern
and Classical Languages, began
with remarks by Dr. Stephen
Miller, and followed with literary
analyses of the authors’ works by
seven Texas A&M professors.
Paz, this year’s Nobel prize
winner, is a political commenta
tor. He is best known for his so
cial essays and surreal poetry. Paz
is the first Mexican to win the No
bel Prize.
Cela is a novelist from Spain.
Dr. Richard Curry’s presenta
tion, titled “Completing Camilo:
Cela in Cinema,” consisted of an
analysis of Cela’s work and its rec
ognition by the movie industry.
Curry also critiqued the two
movies made from Cela’s novels.
“The success enjoyed by the
two films is a testimony of the
great impact of the literary cre
ativity of the inventor of words
that is Camilo Cela,” Curry said.
Two other professors also
spoke about Cela, Dr. Timothy
Mitchell, with “Cela and the Gro-
“The success
enjoyed by the two
films is a testimony
of the great impact
of the literary
creativity of the
inventor of words
that is Camilo Cela.”
— Dr. Richard Curry,
assistant professor of
modern languages
tesque: Introductory Remarks,”
and Dr. Eduardo Urbina, with
“Cela as Picaro and the Pica
resque in his Works.”
“Interpreting the Intellectual
Biography of Paz” was Dr. Henry
C. Schmidt’s topic of discussion.
He said the major theme of
Paz’s work is his interpretation of
Mexican history.
Schmidt said that although Paz
is most known for his poetry, his
essays are what brought him the
largest readership.
“It is the label of independent
critic that makes him a national
figure,” Schmidt said.
Other speakers were Dr. Ches
ter C. Christian, on “Paz and Pa-
chuco," Dr. Eduardo Espina, on
“Libertad bajo palabra: Changes
in the Text Are the Changes of
the Writer,” and Dr. Bart Lewis,
on “Paz’s Literary Criticism.”
4 Ask Sbisa’ service inspires replies,wit
By LIBBY KURTZ
Of The Battalion Staff
Not all napkins at Texas A&M’s
Sbisa Dining Hall get thrown away.
Some patrons of the dining facility
use napkins to write comments to a
question-answer service called “Ask
Sbisa.”
In 1986, the Sbisa Student Menu
Board started the service as a
method of attracting more student
input. The board acts as a liaison be
tween A&M students and the dining
facility, which serves approximately
10,000 meals a day.
Lance Parr and John Jackson,
both members of the board, are re
sponsible for answering the letters
every week.
Jackson, a senior business admin
istration major, says he isn’t sure
when students decided to write their
letters on napkins.
“Napkins are cheaper than note
book paper,” Jackson says. “That
seems to be the only way we get
them. I’ve also gotten typewritten
letters, notes on toilet paper and
even a note on a piece of toast.”
Parr says he received a letter on a
stale tortilla.
Students sometimes leave sam
ples, says Parr.
“One student wrote and com
plained about the whipped cream
topping,” he says. “He also left us a
sample of the whipped cream so
we’d know what he was talking
about.”
For the past four years, Jackson
faithfully has answered the letters.
“I was the last person to menu
board one morning and there was a
pile of napkins on the table,” he says,
“fended up with the job. I’ve really
enjoyed it.”
Last year, however, Jackson’s
workload became very hectic and
Parr volunteered to help.
At Jackson’s last count, they were
receiving 250 letters a week. Parr
says that number now has trickled
down to approximately 60 letters.
“I try to answer at least 12 letters a
week,” Parr says. “I read all the let
ters and see if I can find duplicate
letters commenting on the same sub
ject. If a problem needs urgent at
tention, I’ll try to answer that one
first.”
Although, Jackson’s and Parr’s re
plies don’t represent the views of
Sbisa’s management, and all letters
get passed on to the managers.
“Most of the managers support
the service,” Parr says. “They like to
be kept informed of students’ com
plaints and comments.”
Parr says he tries to include useful
information in his replies and he of
ten meets with the dining facility’s
managers to discuss the letters.
Jackson and Parr try to answer ev
ery letter no matter what the com
plaint. Some of the responses are
sarcastic. Jackson says students have
called his sense of humor “rather
dry.” Parr says he’s also received
comments about his sense of humor.
“People say I have a strange sense
of humor,” he says.“My sarcasm just
creeps into the letters.”
One student wrote, “Dear Sbisa,
How can ya’ll serve helpless de
fenseless animals (frog legs)? I am
referring to the Cajun Festival. Do
ya’ll have no respect for Kermit? It
appears as if more people are trying
to make friends with their entrees,
instead of consuming them. Come
on, please serve food that is not quite
PHELAN M. EBENHACKmie Battalion
(Left) Clinton Borchardt, Janette Garner, Mark Haven, John
Jackson, Lance Parr, Basel Lister and Jim Gotland read “Ask
Sbisa” comments written by students.
so sickening and repulsive.” The let
ter was signed by Miss Piggy.
Parr answered,”...watch for Lion,
Bear and Skunk festivals (coming
soon to a dining hall near you).”
Jackson says if the letters contain
off-the-wall questions, he’ll answer
them in the same manner.
Cory Pearce, a sophomore civil
engineer major, says he enjoys read
ing the letters, which are posted near
the exit of Sbisa.
“They’re entertaining,” he says.
Carlos Manns, an ecomomic grad
uate student, says he agrees with
some of the complaints.
“The letters are usually pretty
funny,” Manns says. “I think it’s a
good feedback system for students.”
Parr says he wishes more students
would take advantage of the service.
“If students have a complaint,
we’ll answer the letter,” he says.
“Ask Sbisa is a forum for students to
bring their comments forward.”
The service also helps dispel ru
mors circulating about Sbisa Dining
Hall’s food.
“Students often ask if they use
powered milk or powered eggs,”
Parr says. “I’m here to say that they
only use fresh milk and eggs.”
Parr says students can look for
ward to seeing some new editions to
“Ask Sbisa” in the next few weeks.
KKK aims for students, better educated members
30pm ^
m
rri
editor’s note: This is the second of
The Battalion's four-part series on
acism on the Texas A&M campus.
The first story focused on how rac-
sm has become more apparent in
ociety.
By JULIE MYERS
Of The Battalion Staff
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Students in Texas universities, in-
Iduding Texas A&M, recently have
‘been targeted for membership by
he Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in
in effort to bring better educated
men and women into the white su-
•remacist fold.
Michael Lowe, 41, a Waco-area
arpenter and Texas’ newly chosen
IKu Klux Klan Grand Wizard, says
[he future of the KKK depends on
its ability to attract better-educated,
white-collar members who will be to-
|norrow’s leaders.
Lowe would not say how many
Uan members are A&M students,
mtsaid two students joined the Klan
ifter a Nov. 3 rally in Franklin.
Twelve other people also joined af-
er seeing the Klan’s post office box
number on a KKK sign that was
broadcast during a segment of a lo
cal television news station.
“I’m still getting responses from
the Franklin rally,” Lowe says.
Lowe says he told a reporter dur
ing the Franklin rally that he was not
surprised the Texas Association of
Black Mayors endorsed Republican
Clayton Williams for governor “be
cause black men do all the raping.”
Lowe was referring to a comment
made by Williams that compared the
inevitability of weather and rape.
An unofficial KKK chapter has
opened at Baylor University in
Waco, Lowe says, and another unof
ficial chapter is planned at the Uni
versity of Texas. Racial tensions
have plagued UT during the past
year.
Lowe said many people would
probably be surprised how many
members the Klan has picked up in
recent years.
Lowe tells college Klan members
to be careful where they hang meet
ing notices because university ad
ministrators frown on Klan activity.
“They’ll let the queers and groups
like the League of United Latin
American Citizens on campus, but
not the Klan,” Lowe says.
The Grand Wizard says the Klan
has grown larger recently because
whites do not feel their concerns
about affirmative action, welfare,
crime, abortion and immigration
have been addressed.
At Klan rallies, Lowe apologizes to
young white men because, “they do
not remember when America was
S eat and we were the most power-
1 nation in the world economically
and militarily. Now we’re barely
hanging on.”
The American dream is not as
easy to obtain as it was thirty years
ago, Lowe says, but whites can still
have a bright future.
College-age students are not the
only groups Lowe has targeted —
children, farmers and veterans are
also being wooed by the Grand Wiz
ard and the Klan.
Lowe says he has received positive
and negative reactions to letters he
recently sent to new parents. The
letters urged parents to teach their
children to be proud of the white
race.
Teddy bears and .balloons deco
rated with the phrase, “I love the
Klan” also are given to children at
Klan rallies, Lowe says.
“They’ll let the queers
and groups like the
League of United
Latin American
Citizens on campus,
but not the Klan.”
— Micheal Lowe,
KKK grand wizard of Texas
The new Klan is trying to avoid
the same mistakes it has made in the
past — the KKK of today is not moti
vated by hate, he says.
“I don’t hate blacks — it has noth
ing to do with hate,” Lowe says.
“You can’t blame all negroes for the
problems of their race. Some of their
problems are our fault.”
Lowe blames Presidents Lyndon
Johnson, John Kennedy and liberals
for initiating social programs which
he says have “made blacks lazy.”
Many African-Americans now
have the attitude that “they don’t
have to work for anything” because
the government will meet all their
needs, Lowe says.
“After two decades in the welfare
subculture, negroes have been
taught to expect things to compen
sate for wrongs they suffered at the
hands of whites,” Lowe says. “But,
we shouldn’t have that albatross
around our necks. We cannot right
the wrongs. We can’t give land back
to the Indians and we can’t erase
slavery.
“Some blacks are trying to do
right, but it isn’t a big majority,”
Lowe says.
Tension between African-Ameri
cans and whites is so high that if an
other “Great Depression” were to
strike the United States, there would
be another civil war, he says.
Lowe says the education he re
ceived was watered down so African-
Americans “could keep up in inte
grated schools,” and the
entertainment and news industries
were — and still are — run by “Jew
ish men and women who slant things
their way,” he says.
“I’m not going to kid you; I’m
anti-Semitic,” Lowe says.
Lowe, a convicted felon, says he
also opposes releasing prisoners be
fore they have served out their full
sentence. If people break the law.
they should be punished — not out
in a year, he says.
Lowe was released after serving
six years of a 19-year sentence.
“I wish I could change some
things about my past, but I can’t,” he
says.
The Klan plans to rally in Abilene,
Athens, Waco, Huntsville and Pales
tine during the next year. Lately,
Lowe has received warm receptions
at American Legion and Veterans of
Foreign Wars meetings.
The men in those organizations
are concerned about patriotic issues
like flag burning, Lowe says.
Dues to join the KKK are $25 a
year or $15 if the prospective mem
ber has hit hard financial times
which are probably caused, Lowe
says, by illegal aliens who are willing
to work for a fraction of what white
men will demand for the same job.
Lowe says he likes to think of him
self as effectively marketing the Klan
and would like to see a Klan candi
date for state office in Texas within
four years.
“I’m hopeful we’ll be successful so
that in years to come there won’t be a
need for a Klan because everyone
will pull their weight,” Lowe says.