I
The Battalion
Vol. 90 No. 107 USPS 045360 8 Pages
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, March 5, 1991
POWs reach Jordan
Red Cross verifies good health of former prisoners
RUWEISHED, Jordan (AP) —
The first 10 allied prisoners of war
released by Iraq crossed the Jorda
nian border to freedom Monday.
The former POWs, including an
American woman, apparently were
in good condition.
“They’re very happy to be here,
but they’re worried about the col
leagues they left behind,” said U.S.
Ambassador Roger Harrison, who
was on hand to greet the returning
POWs.
They then were flown to a Jorda
nian air force base, where the six
Americans boarded an Air Force C-
141 transport plane scheduled to fly
to Bahrain, officials said. U.S. offi
cials said the Americans will board a
U.S. hospital ship, the Mercy, off
Bahrain. The plans for the other
former POWS — three Britons and
one Italian — was not immediately
clear.
Earlier Monday, the 10 left the
Iraqi capital of Baghdad after receiv
ing Swiss chocolates, Pepsi Cola,
cheeseburgers and a medical check
by the International Committee of
the Red Cross.
Wearing yellow jumpsuits bearing
white and red badges with the letters
“PW” on their shoulders and backs,
they departed Baghdad by road af
ter being handed over to Red Cross
representatives.
In Jordan, they were examined
and given bread, cheese and
oranges. Then they changed into
gray track suits, Harrison said.
“The first batch of allied prisoners
of war was only made as a good-will
gesture by the Iraqis and they have
to work out plans for repatriation of
the rest of them,” said Andreas Wig-
ger, the agency’s chief delegate in
Baghdad.
Wigger said the Red Cross would
meet with Iraqi officials to discuss
the repatriation of all the allied
POWs.
He said that so far, the Red Cross
did not have access to the other
POWs, and did not know how many
there were.
However, Angelo Gnaedinger, a
Red Cross delegate for the Middle
East and North Africa, said in Bagh
dad that all allied POWs were in sat
isfactory health.
The allies have said that at least 13
prisoners were taken by Iraq during
the Persian Gulf War, and that more
than 60,000 Iraqis were taken pris
oner.
At least 54 allied troops were
listed as missing — 35 Americans,
eight Britons, 10 Saudis and one
Italian.
In Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Com
mand said 300 Iraqi POWs would be
freed Tuesday. The statement said
the time and place of the release had
yet to be determined.
Red Cross representatives in the
Saudi capital of Riyadh, however,
said they foresaw some problems, in
cluding making sure that the Iraqi
POWs actually want to go home.
“Something will happen in the
next 24 hours,” Jean-Claude Mulli,
medical coordinator agency in Ri
yadh, said Monday, “but you can’t
expect it all to go as planned. I
wouldn’t even want to say the figure
is 300, as that might raise false ex
pectations.”
Among those released Monday
were Army Spc. Melissa Rathbun-
Nealy, 20, of Grand Rapids, Mich.,
the only female allied soldier listed
as missing in action, and Navy nav
igator-bombardier Lt. Jeffrey Nor
ton Zaun, 28, of Cherry Hill, N.J.
“We’re going to have one heck of
a 21st birthday party for her when
she’s home,” Rathbun-Nealy’s
See POW/Page 7
Republican Guard
launches crackdown
on Iraqi protesters
SAFWAN, Iraq (AP) — Iraq’s
Republican Guard launched a
fierce crackdown on protesters
demanding the overthrow of Sad
dam Hussein and the establish
ment of an Islamic republic in
fraq, witnesses said Monday.
The Guard was reported to be
turning some of its remaining
tanks and guns on the demon
strators, who are apparently dis
gusted with Saddam’s handling of
the Gulf War and sense that he
may be vulnerable.
There were reports of protes
ters killing government officials,
including the mayor of Basra, a
governor, and a son of Saddam.
Witnesses said demonstrations
had erupted in at least eight Iraqi
cities, stretching from Iraq’s sec
ond-largest city, Basra, to the
holy city of Kerbala in central
Iraq. They said that in some
places the Iraqi troops were
shooting women and children.
“The special forces are de
stroying everything in front of
them,” said Mahar Hakawati, 24,
a Jordanian photographer who
came to Kuwait from Basra. “If
anybody shouts from a building
they knock it down.”
Hakawati said he saw Republi
can Guard tanks moving through
the streets of the southern Iraqi
port town. He said the military
nad surrounded the city.
Many people in Basra ap-
See Iraq/Page 7
Lecturer
discusses
gender bias
By Timm Doolen
The Battalion
The American educational system
is causing harm to women and it
doesn’t even know it’s doing it, a na
tionally known
researcher of
gender equity
and education
said.
Speaking in
Rudder Tower
Monday night,
Dr. C h a r o 1
Shakeshaft said
the root of the
problem is men
are valued more
in society than
women and this is
reflected in the
nation’s schools
and educators.
She said gen
der bias is evident in newspapers,
magazines, literature and especially
the English language, with the prev
alent use of “he” and “mankind.”
“That tells me women are of less
value," she said.
She said she does not believe it
when people tell her the nuances of
See Gender/Page 7
Shakeshaft
Silver Taps
ceremony
honors one
The solemn sound of buglers
playing “Taps” and the sharp
ring of gunfire will be heard on
campus tonight as one Texas
A&M student who died during
February is honored in a
Silver Taps ceremony at
10:30 in
front of the
Academic Build
ing.
The deceased
student being honored
is:
• Stacy Alan Kirtley,
22, a senior economics
major from Conroe,
who died Feb. 18 follow
ing a motorcycle acci
dent in College Station.
Dating back almost a
century, the stately tra
dition of Silver Taps is
practiced on the first
Tuesday of each month
from September
through April, when
necessary. The names of de
ceased students are posted at the
base of the flag pole in front of
the Academic Building, and the
flag is flown at half-staff the day
of the ceremony.
Lights will be extinguished and
the campus hushed as Aggies pay
final tribute to fellow Aggies.
The Ross Volunteer Firing
Squad begins the ceremony,
marching in slow cadence to
wards the statue of Lawrence Sul
livan Ross. Shordy after, three
volleys are fired in a 21-gun sa
lute and six buglers play a special
arrangement of “Taps” three
times — to the north, south and
west.
Taking in some rays
Dr. Jan Leighley decided to take advantage of 489 class outside of the Academic Building Mon
ths sunny weather and hold her political science day. Sunny weather should continue this week.
UPD gives tips on protection,
preparations for spring break
By Julie Hedderman
The Battalion
With spring break just around the corner, Texas
A&M students leaving town should make preparations
to protect themselves and their homes.
Lt. Bert Kretzschmar with the University Police De
partment Crime Prevention Unit says spring break is
one of the most critical times for students to be con
cerned about their property and personal safety.
Students should stay alert and trust their instincts, he
says. They should know where and with whom they are
staying.
They also should have extra money in case of an
emergency.
One of the biggest problems students have during
spring break is drinking too much, he says. This can im
pair reasoning and use of normal faculties.
Kretzschmar says “con artists” also can take advan
tage of spring breakers during this time.
He say these criminals are difficult to identify, and
students should be careful of people who try to become
instant friends.
“Beware of a stranger who is overly friendly,” he
says. “Once he’s got your confidence, you’re hooked.”
Students can protect themselves from pickpockets by
knowing where their purses or wallets are at all times
and by leaving expensive jewelery at home.
Before leaving on vacation, students can protect their
dorm rooms or apartments by making sure all windows
are closed and locked and door locks deadbolted.
If ground floor windows are left unlocked, it is easy
for someone to crawl in and burglarize the place, he
says.
Kretzschmar also suggests taking valuables home for
spring break if possible.
Operation Identification is another way students can
protect their property.
Engraving or using a waterproof marker to mark
their driver’s license number on the back of their prop
erty makes identification easier if a home is burglarized.
Students should write down the serial numbers of
their property and keep them in a safe place.
Kretzschmar says students should not leave a mes-
See Spring break/Page 7
Clevenger lobbies for support
of Student Government plans
at monthly faculty conference
By Julie Myers
The Battalion
Texas A&M faculty members
should voice their opinions to the
administration because faculty and
students share
many of the same
concerns, the
University’s stu
dent body presi
dent said.
Ty Clevenger
addressed the
Faculty Senate
Monday during
its monthly meet
ing to gain sup
port for initia
tives supported Clevenger
by Student Government.
These initiatives include:
• easing requirements on interna
tional travel by faculty;
• increasing recycling efforts;
• integrating minorities, interna
tional students and athletes into
campus organizations;
• organizing student groups in
Texas to present views to the Legis
lature;
• increasing or at least maintain
ing the present level of funding for
faculty salaries;
• placing faculty members on the
boards of regents in Texas public in
stitutions;
• seeking lower prices for food,
supplies and services offered to stu
dents by Business Services;
The University administration has
not supported some of these initia
tives, Clevenger said.
He said he can prove that high-
level administrators have violated
Texas Open Records Laws.
“They said it was not the informa
tion we needed, that we wouldn’t un
derstand it, or that it was proprietary
when it was clearly public informa
tion,” he said.
In addition, he said administra
tors “severely misrepresented” his
position to Food Services staff. He
said it was made to sound like he
criticized the personnel and the qual
ity of food and services offered by
them.
This is untrue, Clevenger said.
“They (Food Services personnel)
are underpaid, don’t have enough
benefits and some have told me per
sonally that they do not feel appre
ciated,” he said.
“My loyalty to this institution has
been questioned and I’m sick of it,”
Clevenger said. “I’m not trying to
cause trouble.”
Clevenger said Student Govern
ment’s new motto sums up his atti
tude towards activism.
“Our motto in Student Govern
ment used to be, ‘It’s better to have
tried and failed than to have failed
to try,”’ Clevenger said. “Now our
motto is, ‘Better to have aimed for
the stars and missed than to have
aimed for a pile of cow manure and
succeeded.”
He said the University is on its
way to being known as an Ivy
League school of the South.
“People don’t laugh out loud any
more when we say that,” Clevenger
said.
As proof of A&M’s growing repu
tation in the academic community,
he cited the performances of the
Bolshoi Ballet last November and
possible location of the George Bush
Library at A&M.
Presently, Clevenger said he re
mains hopeful the Legislature will
pass a bill placing non-voting stu
dent members on the boards of re
gents of all state schools.
Presently, however, some legis
lators think students do not fully
support the measure because many
versions of the same bill have been
sponsored by different representa
tives, Clevenger said.
These representatives, mostly
from college areas, are trying to grab
the credit for getting the bill passed,
he added.
Clevenger said he will go to Aus
tin soon to help straighten out the
bill so everyone will agree.
Clevenger said it’s an exciting
time to be at A&M.
“The only limits are the ones we
place on ourselves, and that is clear
at A&M.”
Faculty Senate speaker
emphasizes elections
for ‘qualified’ nominees
By Julie Myers
The Battalion
The speaker of the Faculty Senate
stressed the importance of upcom
ing elections for Senate positions
during the Senate’s meeting Mon
day.
Dr. Bill Stout, professor of agri
culture engineering, said senators
should nominate qualified faculty
for vacant senate positions.
The nominating period ends Fri
day at 5 p.m. Absentee balloting ex
tends from March 25-29 and the
election will be April 1.
Faculty Senate actions approved
by President William Mobley since
the Feb. 11 meeting include:
• Adding a bachelor of arts in In
ternational Studies, B.A. in Agribu
siness, revising the WFSC teaching
option, and changing the B.S. in bi
ology to a B.S. in Molecular and Cell
Biology;
• Changes recommended by the
Rules and Regulations Committee.
In other business, the Senate ap
proved:
• Requests from the Rules and
Regulations Committee to make
changes in the 1991-92 Texas A&M
University Regulations;
• Requests from the Graduate
Council to add a Master of Science
Degree in Architecture, ARCH 648
Building Preservation Technology,
GEOP 672 Principles of Geomagnet
ics and Paleomagnetism which will
be cross-listed with OCEN 672 Prin
ciples of Geomagnetism and Pa
leomagnetism;
• Requests from the University
Curriculum Committee to add
ENGL 339 African-American Liter
ature and to drop two civil engi
neering courses, two forest science
courses, one industrial engineering
course, two mechanical engineering
courses and five mining engineering
courses;
All action taken by the Senate
must be approved before being en
acted.