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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1991)
Texas ASM — — w A The Battalion Vol. 90 Mo. 93 USPS 045360 10 Pages College Station, Texas Wednesday, February 13, 1991 USSR, Iraq discuss end to war Saddam readies to extend cooperation to other nations DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has told a Soviet envoy that Baghdad is prepared to cooperate with the Soviet Union and other nations to find a peaceful solution to the Gulf War, Bagh dad radio reported early today. The radio, mon itored in Nicosia, Cy press, said Soviet en- voy Yevgeny Primokov gave Sad dam a message from Gorbachev Soviet President Mik hail Gorbachev during talks late Tuesday. The message contained the Soviet’s view of the regional conflict, the radio said without providing any other details. “Iraq is prepared to extend cooper ation to the Soviet Union and other na tions and agencies in the interest of find ing a peaceful, political, equitable and honorable solution to the region’s central issues, including the situation in the Gulf,” the radio quoted Saddam as saying. Baghdad’s radio claim was in the shadow of impending battle. In a fore taste of all-out war, Marine and naval gunners combined their fire with U.S. air strikes Tuesday to pound Iraqi tanks and artillery massed in southern Kuwait. Battle-ready American units shifted and maneuvered as they readied for ground war. The thunderous land-sea-and-air bar rage could be described as part of “our training program,” the U.S. command said. Despite the non-stop air raids, Iraq re tains its “lethal developed weapons,” the Iraqi Parliament speaker said Tuesday in an apparent reference to chemical ana bi ological weapons. Iraqi deserters confirmed that front line trenches have been filled with oil, to be set ablaze beneath advancing allied troops. President Bush talked over war plans at the White House with the visiting de fense ministers of Britain and France, al lies in Operation Desert Storm. Commanders here recommend three to four more weeks of air bombardment before launching a ground offensive. U.S. military sources say. “There’s some work to be done” before any ground attack, Britain’s Tom King said after meeting with Bush. In Baghdad, where two government ministry buildings were devastated by di rect bomb hits Tuesday, a Soviet envoy was expected to meet with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in a search for a solution short of a fight to the finish in the desert. A French newspaper suggested that Soviet advisers are still aiding the Iraqi military. If true, it could wreck the U.S.-Soviet consensus on the Persian Gulf. A senior U.S. military official said the combined-forces bombardment, which began at 4 a.m. Tuesday and lasted three hours, was the biggest battlefield action yet initiated by the allied forces. Reconnaissance had spotted Iraqi artil lery, tanks and other armored vehicles concentrating and “hunkered down” in an area of southern Kuwait, Marine Brig. Gen. Richard Neal, a U.S. command spokesman, told reporters. The giant 16-inch guns of the battle ship USS Missouri, Marine artillery and warplanes, Saudi artillery and rocket launchers opened fire. The results could not be immediately determined, but the senior official said there was “a high probability of enemy casualties.” Said Neal: “You almost could say that it’s part of our training program of trying to put together this combined arms teams with coalition members, and it worked ex ceptionally well.” Professor experiments with magic of science By Elizabeth Tisch The Battalion A Texas A&M professor per formed a chemist’s type of magic Tuesday before a crowd of wide- eyed, speechless middle school stu dents in College Station. Dr. John Hogg shared his scien tific expertise with Oakwood Middle School students during an hour-long “chemistry magic show.” Hogg, who told students he was “sweating like a pig,” performed more than 20 science experiments that he said go unnoticed everyday. “Some call this magic,” the chem istry professor said. “But actually, it is science.” The A&M chemistry department provided fund? for the middle school’s administration to organize the same performance that won a national award in 1989. About 300 students seemed in awe as Hogg shattered frozen carna tion petals soaked in liquid nitrogen. The “magician” also caused an acid rain storm in a flask. He then explained the cause of acid rain and its damaging effects on the environ ment. Students screamed with delight at the “bang-up” results of applied fire to a hydrogen-filled balloon and to a balloon filled with a hydrogen-oxy gen mix. The purpose of the experiment was to show how oxygen quickens the combustion rate, as seen when the oxygen-filled balloon blew up faster and louder than the hydro gen-filled balloon. Hogg compared the experiment’s results to naturally occurring reactions. Shawn Parker, a fifth-grader from College Station, said the bal loons were his favorite part of the program. Lee Norman, Parker’s classmate, agreed. “The program was all right,” he said. “I loved it when he busted the balloons.” Hogg said he enjoys performing science as magic before young stu dents. “We need to get kids more excited about science,” he said. “I think mid dle school science teachers are doing an excellent job, but they just don’t have the facilities to do such experi ments.” Hogg left the satisfied students with a bit of advice about their fu ture. “I want to encourage you to study Science because there is a shortage of scientists right now,” he said. “So, study your science, math and En glish. Because if you can’t write about what you’re doing, then it won’t work.” MIKE C. MULVEY/The Battalion Here comes the sun A&M senior Lisa Benston is turned into a sil- the Research Park Tuesday afternoon. Wednes- houette by the bright sun reflecting off the lake at day’s forecast also calls for sunny weather. Director enlightens students on African-American history Inside 2 Mail Call 'the itch' 5 What's Up 3 Students .create, journal 7 Wudel column Focus Home opener blues Aggie baseball team splits double header page By Katherine Coffey The Battalion Black History Month is necessary to correct the negligent portrayal of blacks in textbooks and the media, says the director of Texas A&M’s Department of Multicultural Services. “Maybe a time will come in his tory when we don’t have to have Black His- tory Month,” said Carreathers Kevin Carreathers. “This will take place when black history will be in textbooks and when the media por tray blacks differently.” Carreathers spoke Tuesday dur ing a meeting in Rudder Tower about the importance of Black His tory Month and the relevance of Af rican-American history. “For so many years, the history, heritage and accomplishments have been written out of textbooks,” he said. “But there is so much we should know, so we can identify with all the great accomplishments of the many people who helped shape our nation and world.” He said people need to recognize this important and great history. Black History Month —celebrated in February — originally started as a black history week, but through the hard work of many people it was ex tended to a month, Carreathers said. Most textbooks portray the begin nings of black history when the slaves were forced to move to Amer ica in the 1700s, he said. “But black history goes beyond that, and even beyond the birth of Christ,” he said. Carreathers said black history, in cluding the history of black women, usually is neglected and much of it has not been shared. “I hope you know that some of these names are names you can go back and help write into history books, into textbooks, into stories and tales you share with your family, friends and colleagues,” he said. Carreathers spoke during a meet ing of the Texas A&M University See Carreathers/Page 6 Proficiency exam falls under scrutiny of internationals By Twila Waddy The Battalion International students voiced their concerns about the English Lan guage Proficiency Exam Tuesday night, saying the test was unnecessary in some cases. The exam is mandatory for all international students at Texas A&M, who must pass the test as an entrance requirement or take English Lan guage Institute courses designed to help them learn the English language. Students who fail the test are allowed to retake it after completing the ELI course or courses. International students were able to air complaints and ask questions about ELI at the open forum, held by the Provost’s Committee on English Lanuage Testing of International Students. The committee was formed by Dr. E. Dean Gage, provost and vice president for academic affairs. The cost of ELI courses and their effectiveness were discussed also. The courses do not help the students learn English and they are ex pensive, said Joesph Yip, a research associate for the department of meteo rology. “I believe it was a waste of my time and it was not worth what I paid for.” Yip said. Although international students may pass the Test of English as a For eign Language (TOFEL) they still are required by A&M to pass the ELP exam which is administered by A&M. Yip and other international students s^id insufficient information con cerning the ELP and ELI courses was sent to them before they attended A&M. They said the University sent them a letter before they arrived at A&M informing them what was expected of them, including having to take the ELP. However, Yip said the letter didn’t explain everything clearly. “The letter sent was not that clear,” he said. “It mentioned (the ELP and the ELI courses) but did not explain them.” The committee is reviewing the process for English language certifica tion for international students at A&M. Students, staff and faculty make up the committee, which is headed by history professor Dr. Ralph Adams. “The purpose of our committee is to try to find the problems,” Adams said. “Any kind of input is helpful.” Adams said the committee will gather the information they have into a report and make a recommendation to the provost at the end of this month. “Some of our recommendations are long term,” he said. “You cannot change some things over night.” Bush anticipates rebound from stressful recession WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi dent Bush conceded Tuesday that the Recession is causing “genuine economic distress” but, in his annual economic report, predicted a quick recovery that could well exceed the record-breaking expansion of the 1980s. “Despite the economic events of 1990, we have reason for both hope and optimism in full measure as the nation approaches the next cen tury,” Bush said in his introduction to the “Economic Report of the Pres ident.” With the economy in its first re cession since the 1981-82 downturn, Bush was less upbeat than last year, when he had proclaimed the nation’s economy to be “in excellent health” with not a hint of a recession in sight. “The events of 1990 were a re minder that even a healthy economy can suffer shocks and short-term set backs,” Bush wrote. “I know that in some regions of the country, people are in genuine economic distress,” he said. The administration blamed the recession on the jump in oil prices and the jolt to consumer confidence that occurred after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait Aug. 2. Bush in sisted that the downturn would be short and milder than the other eight economic contractions since World War II. Democrats in Congress said the See Recession/Page 6 Chinese jury sentences 3 Tiananmen activists BEIJING (AP) — Two long time democracy activists were sen tenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison, apparently receiving the most severe punishment yet stem ming from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The court gave a six-year sen tence to a third man convicted of sedition and released a fourth who it said was guilty but re pented. Wang Juntao, a 33-year-old newspaper editor, and Chen Zim- ing, 38, the head of a private so cial science research institute, re ceived the 13-year prison terms after being convicted of sedition. Robin Munro, a researcher for the human rights group Asia Watch, said authorities were seek ing to make the two the scape goats for the 1989 democracy movement, which drew millions of protesters into the streets of cit ies nationwide.