Vol. 91 No. 48
The Battalion
Wednesday, November 6, 1991
Aggies Against Bonfire
By Alysia Woods
The Battalion
Aggies Against Bonfire is fired up this year
for Bonfire '91, a tradition that the student or
ganization is hoping will be relocated to the
polo field next year and, eventually, abolished.
Kelly Harper, vice president of Aggies
Against Bonfire, says the Texas Air Control
Board (TACB) investigated the annual event
last year and will be there again this year as a
result of complaints filed by residents who live
around Duncan Field, the site of bonfire.
"We've talked to neighbors living in the
area about bonfire," Harper says. "They can't
even leave their homes for Thanksgiving be
cause they have to stay home and hose down
their roofs."
Eugene Fulton, regional director for the
board, said during a telephone interview with
The Battalion that the bonfire tradition is able
to continue because it is recognized by the
agency as a ceremonial fire, which can be fairly
large. Fulton said that if it qualifies as a nui
sance, however, that would override the ex
emption.
“There are a lot of people in the
community who think bonfire
sucks.”
- Kelly Harper vice-president for
Aggies Against Bonfire
“Just because a few residents
say it’s a nuisance, doesn’t mean
it actually is a nuisance.”
- Bill Kibler associate director of
Student Affairs and head of the
University bonfire advisory
"This year we will be there again to deter
mine if bonfire is a nuisance," Fulton said. "If
it is, there are certain consequences the school
will have to suffer, such as relocation."
urge relocation, abolishment
In determining whether a particular activi
ty is a nuisance, Fulton said the agency looks at
factors such as flying embers, smoke, trash,
traffic and safety.
The board has met several times with A&M
administrators and various student organiza
tions including Aggies Against Bonfire. Topics
discussed were alternate sites for bonfire and
activities that could replace the tradition.
Fulton said the board does not become in
volved with "the politics" of bonfire, just regu
lations that it could violate.
As a result of last year's investigation, no
violations were cited. The board did, however,
report potential violations that could occur in
the future, especially under windy weather
conditions. A report outlining this information
was given to the University.
Harper says that, in addition to talking
with residents and the board. Aggies Against
Bonfire are planning their annual protest on
Nov. 27, the night of bonfire.
See Students /Page 8
Center pole raises anticipation;
students work late to finish job
By Alysia Woods
The Battalion
In celebration of Center Pole's
arrival on Thursday, most Texas
A&M students are buzzing with
anticipation and excitement as
Bonfire '91 inches closer and clos
er.
Cutting has ended, and stu
dents are working late hours to
form the second stack which be
gan to pile up Monday night. All
the wood for bonfire has been
transported to Duncan Field, the
bonfire site.
Senior redpot Mike Flatten
says nothing unusual has occurred
so far, and that there have been
fewer injuries than ever.
"It's been a really safe year,"
says Flatten. "Last year was the
most accident-free year, and this
year is even better."
According to senior redpot Jim
McTasney, all injuries have been
minor, such as cuts, bruises and
sprains. However, Dr. John
Koldus, vice president of Student
Services, says one student was
bitten by a snake.
"The student thought he had
been stung by something," Koldus
See Bonfire/Page 4
RICHARD S. JAMES/The Battalion
Richardson on the run
Leah Duncan and Jay Heck watch A&M quarterback Bucky designed to promote A&M to visitors and prospective students,
Richardson on a film at the A&M Visitor Center. The film is although many current and former students watch the film.
Texans vote
to legalize
state lottery
AUSTIN (AP) - Lottery hit
the winning number Tuesday.
Texas voters overwhelmingly
approved a constitutional amend
ment to lift a 146-year-old ban and
allow the state to begin operating
the gambling game.
Backers hailed it as a shot in
the arm for the state budget. Op
ponents said it would encourage
gambling and not prevent higher
taxes.
With 91 percent of precincts re
porting, lottery Proposition 11 had
received 1,267,639 votes or 65 per
cent in favor, to 693,887 votes, 35
percent, against.
Comptroller John Sharp said
instant games would start by July
1,1992, with computerized "lotto"
games beginning in January 1993.
The lottery is estimated to gener
ate $462 million for the current
two-year budget cycle and $1 bil
lion for the 1994-95 budget, he
said.
Gov. Ann Richards, who had
urged lawmakers to put lottery on
the ballot, called its approval good
news.
"I've always said the people of
Texas wanted a lottery, and today
they proved that," she said.
See Lottery/Page 10
Student loans
proposal passes
AUSTIN (AP) - A plan to
sell more state-backed bonds
to finance thousands of stu
dent loans was approved
Tuesday by Texas voters,
who in August rejected the
same proposed constitutional
amendment..
The proposal will allow
up to $300 million more in
general obligation bonds for
loans to Texas college stu
dents. Voters narrowly reject
ed the proposal in the last
election, but backers made a
strong effort this time to get
out their message.
"It'll mean that many stu
dents who have been finan
cially strapped because of the
cost of education and the cuts
from Washington will be able
to get a low-interest rate loan
and continue their educa
tion," said Sen. Gonzalo Bar
rientos, D-Austin, sponsor of
the proposal.
20-minute breaks
Class schedule allows for traveling time
By John Lose
The Battalion
Texas A&M students will have
extra time between classes next
spring and fall, but an unofficial
polling of students indicates that
there is uncertainty about why the
extra time is needed.
"I think there's plenty of time
right now," said sophomore
Steven Santerre. "I don't see why
we need to double the time be
tween classes."
The 20-minute break was the
final recommendation of a sub
committee of the Faculty Senate,
established specifically to define
and address the problem of transit
time between classes.
The report indicated that the
number of classes scheduled on
the West campus will increase in
the future, due to building and ex
pansion of the West campus, and
also the growing number of non
agriculture classes held in West
campus buildings. Along with the
longer break between classes, the
subcommittee presented other so
lutions, the extended break judged
to be the most practical.
The new 20-minute break was
approved by University President
William Mobley, and next spring's
implementation of the new sched-
See Trial/Page 4
Senate confirms Gates to head CIA
with 64-31 vote despite long ordeal
WASHINGTON (AP) -
The Senate on Tuesday over
whelmingly confirmed Robert
M. Gates as head of the Central
Intelligence Agency following a
six-month ordeal that laid bare
painful disputes within the spy
agency.
The vote was 64 to 31, a
strong margin despite the taint
of the Iran-Contra affair that
clung to Gates through much of
the confirmation hearings and
charges that he tailored intelli
gence reports to suit the politi
cal views of Reagan administra
tion higher-ups.
Backed by a solid phalanx of
Republicans, Gates benefitted
from a split within Democratic
ranks to survive the longest and
most controversial approval
process ever for a CIA nominee.
Robert Gates
Peace conference gives hope
for future, A&M experts say
By Jayme Blaschke
The Battalion
Despite the lack of break
throughs at the Middle East peace
conference in Madrid, Spain, ex
perts at Texas A&M say real
progress was made, giving hope
to success at future conferences.
Dr. Larry Yarak, a professor of
history at A&M and an expert on
the Middle East, said the peace
conference was encouraging be
cause for the first time all sides
were brought together in negotia
tions.
Yarak pointed out that
planned peace talks in the 1950's
between Israel and its enemies fell
through before the sides ever
reached the negotiating table.
"Everyone is finally at the
same table, although Israel was
brought there kicking and scream
ing, so to speak," he said. "This
burst the psychological barrier."
Yarak said although the cur
rent Israeli government is the
most conservative in that nation's
history, Israeli protests which dis
rupted previous peace initiatives
have not happened.
He said he thinks the Israeli
people are being quiet and taking
a watchful stance, fearful Israel
will lose much of the territory it
won in the 1967.
Ronald Hatchett of the Mosher
Defense Institute, who served the
Joint Chiefs for eight years on the
Middle East Desk, said the state
ments of both sides lends support
to the theory a land for peace com
promise will eventually be
worked out.
"Shamir didn't repeat what he
said before the conference - that
Israel would never return the
West Bank," Hatchett said. "He
said the quickest way to an im
passe was to focus on land for
peace, but he also said once the
Arab states showed their desire
for a lasting peace was sincere,
they would discuss interim self-
government for the Palestinians."
He said the Palestinians also
showed willingness to compro
mise by accepting Israel's right to
exist. Previously, territorial de-
See Palestine/Page 10
Former director of A&M graduate studies dies
Dr. Lawrence Guseman Jr., for
mer director of Texas A&M's Of
fice of Graduate Studies, died
Tuesday at Methodist Hospital in
Houston.
Funeral arrangements are
pending with Memorial Funeral
Home.
Guseman was named to
A&M's Office of Graduate Studies
in 1988 after joining the Universi
ty's mathematics faculty in 1968.
He returned to teaching on Sept. 1.
He formerly served as gradu
ate adviser for the department and
was a 1984 winner of the Distin
guished Achievement Award in
Teaching, jointly bestowed by the
University and the A&M Associa
tion of Former Students.
He also served as coordinator
of a 10-institution remote sensing
basic research program sponsored
by NASA.
He spent four years as a re
search mathematician for NASA's
Manned Spacecraft Center in
Houston and was a summer fac
ulty fellow at the Johnson Space
Center in 1973.
Former A&M shortstop Chuck Knoblauch wins 1991 AL Rookie of the Year/seePages