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U Yfl Vol. 90 No. 63 USPS 045360 1 0 Pages
College Station, Texas
Friday, November 30, 1990
City continues to Held Northgate complaints
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By KEVIN M. HAMM and
CHRIS VAUGHN
Of The Battalion Staff
Trash, poor roads, dilapidated
houses and weedy lots usually do not
characterize the appearance of the
most well-known, popular areas of a
town.
But unfortunately, these things
characterize the Northgate area of
College Station and leave many with
a bad impression.
Many of the Northgate merchants
and church leaders say they are tired
of the image these problems create,
but the city has done little to im
prove the area’s appearance.
“If 1 had my ’druthers, I would al
ways like to be here,” said Dr. Tom
Estes, pastor of A&M Presbyterian
Church. “It’s an important place to
be. But the University doesn’t care
much and the city doesn’t either.
The police say it is one of the most
difficult areas in the city, but you
don’t see an awful lot of evidence
they’re trying to clean it up.”
Litter — mostly beer bottles, plas-
j tic cups and fliers — is one of the
most obvious problems in the area
addressed by Northgate merchants,
pastors and city leaders, but the city’s
efforts haven’t worked so far.
The city has tried to curb the litter
problem by placing seven trash re
ceptacles along University Drive.
Although the trashcans have re
duced the amount of litter, a long-
Merchants, pastors want more
action, solutions from officials
term solution has not been found.
“We’re still in the brainstorming
phase right now,” said Jim Smith,
College Station sanitation superin
tendent. “We realize the problems
that are out there, and are in the
process of forming some strategy to
assess those problems.”
Smith said the city is trying to
maintain Northgate because of its
importance to College Station.
“It’s just a part of the community
we want to keep manicured,” he
said. “That’s about the only down
town College Station has.”
The Northgate issue has been on
the city council’s “priority list” for
five or six years, College Station
Mayor Larry Ringer said.
However, the Rev. Ron Petty, as
sociate pastor of A&M Methodist
Church on University Drive, said the
city isn’t taking enough action.
His church sent the College Sta
tion City Council a letter expressing
concerns about litter and traffic in
the area, but nothing has been done.
“The city sometimes doesn’t re
spond as quickly as we want,” Petty
said.
Estes agrees the city has done little
to deal with Northgate’s problems.
“I’ve tried to dog the mayor’s
steps, but I haven’t in the past year
been able to arrange a meeting,” he
said.
Estes, whose church sits on
Church Street behind the Northgate
bars, would like to see more trash re
ceptacles in the area, especially on
church property.
Petty agrees because he said A&M
Methodist’s pastors have to spend
time Friday, Saturday and Sunday
mornings cleaning up beer bottles,
cans and plastic cups out of their
churchyard.
Though more trashcans in the
area would help, the owner of Texas
Aggie Bookstore said the responsibi
lity ultimately rests with the shop
pers and merchants.
“There is a problem with trash,
but I don’t have a solution except for
individual concern,” John Raney
said. “You can’t put police out to fine
people. It’s the individual’s responsi
bility.”
Estes agrees much of the responsi
bility lies with people.
“Some of the patrons of the bars
are not taking any care of property
they don’t perceive as their own,” he
said.
Besides litter, the most frequent
complaint about the Northgate area
from the people who live and work
there is the quality of roads and the
lack of adequate sidewalks, curbs
and drainage.
“One of the problems with North-
gate is the streets in the area are de
teriorating,” said Vernon Schneider,
a city council member and Texas
A&M professor. “The streets in
Northgate also are lacking curbs.”
Jim Callaway, director of the city’s
planning department, said the city is
aware of the traffic and pedestrian
congestion on Patricia Street, which
runs behind the Northgate strip.
He said “for a number of years”
the city has drawn up plans to alle
viate the traffic problem, including
building a pedestrian mall that also
would service vehicles, but because
of a shortage of funds no action has
been taken yet.
However, Patricia Street is not the
only road in the area needing work.
Many other roads in the area are in
disrepair, and are on the city’s long
term agenda.
“There will be activity, but in
terms of capital improvement pro
jects with major funds, I don’t see
it,” Schneider said. “That’s not to say
won’t continue to improve the
quality of the area, but so far I don’t
see a major push coining on.”
Petty of A&M Methodist said his
See Northgate/Page 10
SONDRA N. ROBBINS/The Battalion
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ByTWILA WADDY
Of The Battalion Staff
While bonfire blazes in the hearts
of most Texas A&M students, some
Corps of Cadets members are carry
ing the torch of another tradition all
the way to Austin.
For the past 16 years, members of
Squadron 7 and the Texas Marine
Platoon have run a football to the
annual A&M vs. University of Texas
game, squadron member Phillips
Robertson says. This annual event
has become an important bonfire
tradition, Robertson says.
“My favorite part of being in the
Corps is the ‘running of the ball’ and
the attitude everyone has,” he says.
The running of the ball started at
the bonfire site when R.C. Slocum,
A&M head football coach, presented
a football to Steve Hayes and Todd
Perry of the squadron and two other
platoon representatives.
The run began in the Fish Lot.
Then a relay system was used to al
ternate the running among mem
bers of the squadron and platoon.
Robertson says the run takes
about 16 hours. Members of the
squadron and platoon should arrive
at UT during midafternoon today.
During the pre-game ceremony,
Robertson and a representative
from the platoon will present a foot
ball to Slocum.
The squadron and platoon also
use this tradition to raise money for
charity.
The squadron is raising money for
the Brazos County United Way. The
platoon is helping the Brazos
County Boys and Girls Club. Mem
bers of the squadron hope to raise
$700, Robertson says.
For more information about do
nations, contact Perry at 847-4569.
UN authorizes military action
UNITED NATIONS (AP) —
The Security Council, led by the
United States, on Thursday au
thorized military action to liber
ate Kuwait if Iraq does not with
draw its troops and release all
hostages by Jan. 15.
The vote was 12-2, with an
abstention by China. Cuba and
Yemen voted “no."
Adoption of the resolution
marked only the second time,
during the Korean War, in the
45-year history of the United Na
tions that the council authorized
the use of force to counter ag
gression.
In an extraordinary meeting of
13 foreign ministers, the council
handed Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein an ultimatum to vacate
the small oil-rich sheikdom that
his troops invaded Aug. 2, or risk
military conflict with U.S.-led
forces.
“Our aim today must be to con
vince Saddam Hussein that the
just, humane demands of the
council and the international
community cannot be ignored,”
said Secretary of State James A.
Baker HI, top representative for
the United States as president of
the council.
“If Iraq does not reverse its
course peacefully, then other nec
essary measures, including the
use of force, should be autho
rized,” Baker said. “We must put
the choice to Saddam Hussein in
unmistakable terms.”
“If wkr is imposed upon us by
the United States, this will be our
destiny,” Iraqi Ambassador Ab
dul Amir al-Anbari said.
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By ISSELLE MCALLISTER and
ELIZABETH TISCH
Of The Battalion Staff
A yellow ribbon tied around bon
fire’s third stack gave special mean
ing to the annual ceremony that
symbolizes Aggies’ burning desire to
“beat the hell outta t.u.”
Senior redpots honored those in
Saudi Arabia by displaying the na
tional symbol of support for soldiers
overseas at Thursday night’s bon
fire, Sgt. Maj. Ted Hastings from
the 5th Battalion said.
The festivities began at 8:15 p.m.
when redpots ignited the bonfire.
However, it collapsed six minutes af
ter being lighted.
According to tradition, the time
bonfire collapses determines the
outcome of the A&M vs. University
of Texas football game. If it col
lapses after midnight, the Aggies will
win — if not, the Longhorns claim
victory.
Despite bonfire’s premature fall,
several thousand Aggies and Aggie
fans appeared undaunted.
However, a group of about 35
joined the Aggies Against Bonfire
protest behind Duncan Dining Hall
for one hour before bonfire.
Protesters carrying signs reading,
“Build Homes Not Bonfire” and “E-
ven the Roman Empire Fell Even
tually,” replaced the words to the
“Farmers Fight” yell with “Farmers
Think.”
Police officers were stationed
around the protesters to prevent any
violent confrontations between the
protesters and bonfire supporters.
Although they did not attract a large
audience, those who watched were
passive.
Bob Wiatt, director of security
and the University Police Depart
ment, said he thought passers-by re
acted politely to the protest.
“There were a few catcalls, but the
crowd was very well behaved,” Wiatt
said.
Brian Skipworth, an AAB mem
ber, said the reason the group staged
the protest was to inform visitors
and young children of the negative
effects of bonfire.
“It (bonfire) teaches waste, and
the University condones it,” Kelly
Harper, president of AAB, said.
“We can think of something more
productive to do with it (the wood).”
Although she could offer no spe
cific alternatives, she said the wood
possibly could be used to build furni
ture or be sold as firewood with pro
ceeds donated to the community.
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JAY JANNER/The Battalion
(Right) Senior redpots James
Henderson (left), David Cheever
and Joseph Dollins circle the
bonfire before lighting it in front
of a crowd of tens of thousands.
This year the redpots cut down
on the fuel used to start the fire,
using less than 300 gallons com
pared to 400 gallons last year.
(Above) Lynette Clark yells anti
bonfire slogans along with 35
other protesters before bonfire
was lighted. See Page 7 for a
preview of tomorrow’s game
against the University of Texas.
Former redpot Mike Mulholland
said the building of bonfire is not
wasteful.
“People won’t know what it’s like
to build bonfire until they’re out the
re,” Mulholland, Class of’89, said.
He added that it’s hard to explain
the feeling when thousands of dif
ferent students work together for
one purpose.
Keith French, a genetics major
from Oklahoma City, said he is not
bothered by the protest.
Editor’s note: The following is the
final story of a four-part series on
racism on the Texas A&M campus.
The first of the series examined how
racism has become more apparent in
society, the second focused on how
the Ku Klux Klan has targeted
Texas universities for members,
while the third discussed racial inci
dents which plague campus daily.
By BILL HETHCOCK
Of The Battalion Staff
Ethnic intolerance still exists in
hidden forms throughout society, al
though racism and discrimination
might not be as visible as they were
in the past, advocates for ethnic har
mony say.
Civil rights legislation has helped
ease racial tension, but attitudes
must change before discrimination is
eliminated completely, says Carey
Cauley, president of the local Na
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People.
“In order for a law to be effective.
See Discrimination/Page 10
Student body presidents
work for representation
By BILL HETHCOCK
Of The Battalion Staff
“They have a right to protest and
more power to them, but I don’t
think they’ll ever stop bonfire,” he
said.
Daphna Ausburn, a 10-year-old
from College Station, agrees.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to
stop bonfire — and if they do, I’ll
protest!”
Dax Soule, a junior from com-
S N-1, said he thinks the positive
igs for bonfire are evident.
“They have 50 people against it
and 70,000 tor it,” he said. “It’s ob
vious how A&M feels about it.”
As of 11 p.m. Thursday, Wiatt re
ported 30 arrests were made by Col
lege Station and University police
departments in connection with
public intoxication and disorderly
conduct at bonfire.
The Texas Alcohol Beverage
Commission and UPD issued 80 cita
tions, primarily for minors in posses
sion and making alcohol available to
minors.
Student body presidents from
universities across the state are get
ting an early start in a campaign for
student representation on all state
universities’ boards of regents.
Presidents from six universities
met recently on the Texas A&M
campus to determine what to focus
lobbying efforts on during the up
coming legislative session.
Texas A&M student body presi
dent Ty Clevenger says he thinks a
combined effort by student leaders
will increase the chance of success
for bills they push.
“We want to get our bills intro
duced to the state legislature early
this year,” he says.
Student body presidents from
A&M, Texas Tech, University of
Houston at Clear Lake, University of
Houston at University Park, Tarlton
State University and Sul Ross Uni
versity gathered in Rudder Tower.
Clevenger says more than 30 stu
dent body presidents will meet in
Austin in mid-January to push for
bills which will benefit students at
state schools.
He says he expects a bill will be
passed this legislative session to put
students on boards of regents. A bill
of this type was introduced last legis
lative session, but died in the House
due to lack of support from the cal
endar committee.
“We’ll have all the campuses
working together this time,” Cle
venger says. “We were too uncoordi
nated last time. I think it has a better
chance of passing now than it’s ever
had.”
The bill will have increased sup
port from both parties this session,
Clevenger says.
The group of student presidents
is pushing a version of the bill which
calls for two non-voting students on
the boards of regents of each state
university system. The students will
serve two-year overlapping terms.
Student leaders also will push for
a bill to allow student service fee caps
to be raised by student referendum,
Clevenger says. Student fees pres
ently can be raised only with legis
lative approval.
The group also tentatively agreed
to support flexible tuition increases
as long as the increases are approved
by the student senate of each univer
sity before regents vote on it, Cle
venger says.
Flexible tuition increases would
allow the regents of each system to
set tuition levels without a vote by
the state legislature.
Clevenger says the leaders also
will lobby for a requirement mandat
ing student senate approval for all
tuition and fee increases at the grad
uate and undergraduate level.
“That’s a long shot, but we’re
going to try for it,” Clevenger says.
“Students are not unilaterally op
posed to fee increases. If students
see a legitimate reason to raise fees,
they will raise them.”