Friday, February 14, 1992
fers
Uaryi4 ?a JOHNTOWN (AP) - Students
at a small northeast Texas high
B:hool where 3 percent of the stu
dent body has the AIDS virus said
nursday they were angry at at-
ntion focused on them and
raid for their future.
"I was devastated,” said Julie
: , ._- ammon d, a 15-year-old sopho-
OriQ more. ”1 can't believe that many
*•0 Keople, you know, have the AIDS
irus.
"Should I be around them?
’Lrc^M Should I go out with this guy?
You know, you're scared,” Ham-
nond said.
Six of the 197 students at the
ichool have tested positive for hu-
nan immunodeficiency virus, su
perintendent Freddy Wade con-
irmed at a news conference
Thursday. The HIV infection rate
s more than six times the national
iverage of one in 250 people.
School officials don't know the
students' identity, and will not
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AUSTIN (AP) - State officials
and a civil rights advocate Thurs
day called for an investigation
into insurance companies that
they say refuse to sell health in
surance to people who don't
speak or read English.
"Not only do some health in-
I surance companies turn you
down if you are likely to get sick,
! but theydl turn you down if they
don't like the way you talk or the
way you read,” said Amy John-
| son, of the Office of Public Insur-
! ance Counsel.
Johnson, state Rep. Eddie
Cavazos, and Norma Cantu of the
Mexican American Legal Defense
and Education Fund's regional
counsel, said they want Texas At
torney General Dan Morales to in
vestigate the matter.
Morales' office said it wel
comed the opportunity to review
the information and consider their
request.
The three officials were armed
with letters from insurance com
pany representatives who are op
posing a proposal before the State
Board of Insurance that would re
quire insurers to print a toll-free
assistance number in both English
and Spanish on their policies.
"An individual who cannot
speak, understand or read English
at a minimal level is considered
ineligible for our coverage,”
wrote G. Scott Smith, president
and chief executive of National
Health Insurance of Grand
Prairie.
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Universities
see increase
in minority
enrollment
AUSTIN (AP) - Higher edu
cation officials said Thursday that
increases in minority enrollment
at Texas public universities ac
counted for all of the growth at
the schools between fall 1990 and
fall 1991.
The count released by the
Texas Higher Education Coordi
nating Board does not include in
ternational students.
"The growth in our minority
college enrollments underscores
the effect minority recruitment
and retention programs are hav
ing in our universities as many of
our minority populations grow,”
said Higher Education Commis
sioner Kenneth Ashworth.
The number of Hispanic stu
dents increased to 61,297 in fall
1991, a 4.3 percent jump. The
number of black students grew to
34,473, an increase of 3.4 percent
from fall 1990.
The number of Asians grew
nearly 7 percent to 14,549, and the
number of Native Americans in
creased by 19 percent to 1,376.
The figure for whites fell by
1.7 percent during the same peri
od, but still far out numbered that
of other groups at a total of
276,019.
"Historically, blacks and His-
panics have not participated in
higher education to the same de
gree as other groups. These new
data, however, suggest an encour
aging new trend for them and the
state of Texas,” said Betty James,
the coordinating board's assistant
commissioner for educational op
portunity planning.
The Battalion Page 3
tigs unwanted attention
Three percent test positive at
northeast Texas high school
seek to find out or have them re
moved from school, Wade said.
"An individual has a right to
privacy,” he said. ”1 don't waste
my time questioning it."
Some students were angry at
the media for coming to the school
Thursday after the cases were re
ported by The Dallas Morning
News.
As television crews and re
porters roamed hallways after
Wade's news conference, they
were met with shouts of "Go
home!”
"I don't particularly like
what's going on now," said BJ.
Thompson, an 18-year-old senior.
"It makes us look bad."
Neither school nor health offi
cials could say why the six stu
dents sought testing. The six told
health officials they contracted the
virys through heterosexual sex.
Reliable statistics for HIV in
fection in Texas are not available,
said officials at the Texas Depart
ment of Health. Of the 14,782 Tex
ans with full-blown AIDS, 58 are
between age 13 and 19, according
to the department's survey updat
ed last week.
School officials were informed
in November that six students had
the virus, but didn't tell teachers
and students until December,
Wade said. He added he had
known of one case for about a
year.
Parents have never been for
mally notified, Wade said, al
though the community was aware
of the situation.
"It was probably a gradual
thing, where certain portions of
our community probably knew
and word of mouth,” Wade said.
Students and health officials
praised school authorities over
their handling of the situation,
giving them credit for averting a
panic.
"They show us films and
they're being real open,” said
Donna Strain, a 17-year-old senior.
"I'm just kind of scared.”
Teachers also have been issued
rubber gloves and told to treat all
injured students as if they have
the AIDS virus.
"I am so proud of that school
district,” said Dona Spence, HIV-
AIDS case manager at the Ark-Tex
Council of Governments in
Texarkana where the six went for
counseling.
A&IVI
12th Man Kickoff Team
and Walkon Players
MEETING
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 4 p.m.
KYLE FIELD
TRAINING ROOM
Interested individuals should
wear appropriate workout
attire to this meeting.
Put the class struggle behind you and set your course for South Padre Island this Spring
Break. Located at the southernmost tip of Texas, just 20 minutes from Mexico, South
Padre Island offers warm tropical breezes, clear blue water, 21 miles of white sand
BEACHES, GREAT SHOPPING AND AN EXTRAORDINARY NIGHTLIFE. PLUS WITH THE EXPANSION OF
Valley International Airport in Harlingen, air service is better than ever via American,
Continental or Southwest Airlines. Take a detour from the pursuit of knowledge and
COME ON DOWN TO SOUTH PADRE ISLAND FOR A SPRING BREAK THAT’S IN A CLASS BY ITSELF.
Radisson Resort
Spring Break Party Headquarters
11th Annual
Spring Break
Celebration!
Sheraton
South Padre Island
BEACH RESORT
Your
SOUTH PADRE
Spring
5 OR 7 NIGHTS
• SHERATON RESORT
• GULFVIEW CONDOS
Break
Headquarters
• HOLIDAY INN RESORT
• LANDFALL TOWER
1992
Newly renovated, located on 10 acres of beachfront.
For reservations call
1-800-292-7704.
Radisson.
RESORT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND
CALL
; TODAY
TOLL FREE
FOR COLOR
BROCHURE &
INSTANT RESERVATIONS
1-800-321-5911
Call Toll Free
U.S. 800-222-4010
or
TX 800-672-4747
Miramar
Resort
Spring Break1992
500’ Gulf of Mexico Beach
for volleyball, swimming
and other beach sports...
2 fresh water pools...on
site security... travel
agency in lobby for Mexico
and other destinations.
Prices beginning at $90.00
per night for four persons...
SECURITY DEPOSIT
REQUIRED.
1-800-683-1100
1-512-761-1100
RO. Box 2100
South Padre Island,
TX 78597
Rouale
BEACHTENNIS CLUB
FRATERNITIES!
SORORITIES!
LOOK!
You go to class together.
You study together.
You party together.
You probably even know your
neighbor’s shirt size.
EXPO AMERICA
It’s fun...it’s free...
it’s EXPO AMERICA, a
free festival of fun — 5
days of outrageous
games, contests and
giveaways!
You’ll take away great
prizes and lots of
freebies!
When You
Party,
Remember
to...
1. Know your limit.
2. Know what you’re
drinking.
3. Designate a non-drinking
driver.
4. Don’t let a friend drive
drunk.
Why not?...SPRING
BREAK TOGETHER!
1-800-77-BEACH
Discover ROYALE BEACH
& TENNIS CLUB.
BEACHFRONT.
Less than
$32/person/day!
Pools. Hot tubs.
Tennis Courts.
The place to be:
EXPO AMERICA,
1:00-6:00 pm, at
the Convention
& Visitors Bureau
beside the
Radisson Resort,
600 Padre Blvd.
5. Call a cab if you’re not
sober.
150 Paularino Ave.
Suite 190
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Beer Drinkers of America
is a non-profit consumer
membership organization open only
to persons over age 21.
1-800-441-2337