State & Local
Page 2 The Battalion Monday, April 27,1!
Fraternity sponsors scaffold-sit
120-hour fund-raiser to benefit organization for disabled
By Julie Polston
The Battalion
Members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity will
sit on a scaffold for about 120 hours to raise
money for handicapped and disabled people.
The 24-hour scaffold-sit fund-raiser, locat
ed near Rudder fountain, will begin April 27 at
noon and run until midnight on May 2. A
table will be set up in front of the scaffold for
donations by students, with all proceeds bene
fiting People Understanding the Severely
Handicapped (PUSH).
PUSH, a private non-profit organization, is
the national service project founded by Pi Kap
pa Phi in 1977.
The organization is responsible for various
projects and programs that create a better un
derstanding of people with disabilities.
Robert Thompson, a Pi Kappa Phi member
on the PUSH committee, said trophies will be
given to the fraternity, sorority and dormitory
that donate the most money.
"The purpose of the scaffold is to attract
students for donations," he said. "It's basically
a big-donations event."
Information concerning PUSH and dis
abled people will also be available, including
brochures and a video.
Thompson, who was in charge of organiz
ing the fund-raiser, said the committee hopes
to raise at least $500 for PUSH. Most items
were donated, he said, including the scaffold
and flyers.
Their mission can be divided into three
goals: service, volunteerism and education.
In service, PUSH provides adaptive recre
ational opportunities such as a fully-accessible
public park and adaptive saddle equipment for
an equestrian program in Texas.
Volunteerism is the second part of the mis
sion. Thousands of college students donate
their time and talents to serve people who are
disabled, especially children. Activities in
clude "adopting" a little brother or sister and
building playgrounds.
The final area is education. Fraternity
members try to educate disabled children on
living with their disability through various ac
tivities, including a puppet show with disabled
and non-disabled puppets.
"We get to see first hand what we are help
ing out with," Thompson said.
"We enjoy what we're doing," he said,
"and especially seeing smiles on the children's
faces."
Del Valle
redistricting
proponents
await election
AUSTIN (AP) — Minorities in
the Del Valle Independent School
District are hopeful that an up
coming school board election un
der a court-ordered redistricting
plan will give them equal repre
sentation for the first time.
The district of 5,000 students,
at least half of whom are minori
ties, has had only one non-white
on its seven-member board.
Three plaintiffs filed a lawsuit
in 1989, charging that the at-large
system of selecting board mem
bers diluted the voting strength of
minorities.
The lawsuit also asks that all
trustees be elected through single
member districts.
After the board and plaintiffs
failed to develop a compromise
plan, a state district judge in
February ordered a May 2 elec
tion under a temporary plan that
included six single-member dis
tricts and the president elected at-
large.
Six minorities, the most ever to
seek office in a single race, are
seeking places on the board, and
at least two seats are being sought
only by minorities.
The possibility of having four
minority board members has resi
dent Mario Soriano, who has two
children in the district, optimistic.
"Minority board members
know the needs of minority stu
dents better because they are mi
norities and they come from the
minority communities they repre
sent," he said.
Critics blast 'soft money' system
WASHINGTON (AP) — Texas companies and
wealthy Texans have funneled over $1.7 million to
the national political parties since last year under a
system that critics charge gives the rich undue politi
cal influence.
The so-called "soft money" is the only type of po
litical contribution not covered by federal law.
It gives special interests and the wealthy free rein
to donate as much as they want as long as the money
does not benefit a specific candidate.
Corporations and unions are major soft money
contributors because they are barred from giving di
rectly to presidential and congressional campaigns.
The party faithful also uses soft money to go be
yond the limits on individual contributions.
Federal law limits individual contributions to
$1,000 per candidate per election, and to no more
than $25,000 per year.
Since the beginning of last year, Texas interests
have contributed $1,749,764 to national Democratic
and Republican soft money accounts, according to
Federal Election Commission records.
The political parties use the money to pay for vot
er registration drives, conventions and other activi
ties not linked to individual campaigns.
The lion's share of the Texas soft money goes to
Republicans, with GOP interests receiving $1.62 mil
lion — or 92.8 percent of all contributions made since
the beginning of last year.
Democrats pulled in $126,388, or 7.2 percent of
the soft money donated in Texas in the period ending
in February, the latest month for which computer
ized FEC records are available.
The non-partisan lobbying group Common Cause
wants to shut down the soft money pipeline, arguing
that at the very least it gives the appearance that the
government is for sale.
President Bush has threatened to veto the bill,
which also would set voluntary campaign spending
limits and replace some gifts with public money.
Rape suspect remains jailed
Wife claims authorities ignored repeated warnings about husband
PEARLAND (AP) - James
Edward Bergstrom remained
jailed without bond Sunday in
connection with as many as 23
sexual assaults around southern
Harris County.
But his wife, Linda, said it took
years to convince authorities that
she was married to a serial rapist.
"I knew who I was living
with," Mrs. Bergstrom, 28, told
the Houston Chronicle. "It was
like living through a nightmare."
Bergstrom, a 28-year-old lab
technician and former Navy sea
man, was arrested April 1.
A Harris County grand jury
has indicted him on 15 counts, in
cluding charges of aggravated
sexual assault, aggravated assault,
attempted sexual assault, burglary
and aggravated robbery in several
parts of Harris County.
"I am angry," Mrs. Bergstrom
said. "I'm .angry that those girls
had to get hurt. Why wouldn't
they listen?"
She called local police
regularly, offering to show them
the houses of potential victims
which he playfully pointed out.
She also called "every time I
found something" that would
suggest her husband was
committing crimes, which
included handcuffs, rope, a plastic
gun and a ski mask in his car.
Officers didn't seem
interested, she said.
Mrs. Bergstrom said she first
spoke with authorities more than
three years ago when her husband
was suspected in nearly a dozen
rapes attributed to the "Redwood
Rapist" in Washington state.
"I come home to see guys in
suits. They told me that James was
seen watching a 53-year-old lady
undress. They said they thought
he was the 'Redwood Rapist.' Evi
dently they had been watching the
apartment," she recalled. The
Navy already had moved the cou
ple when similar allegations arose
involving a 16-year-old Naval
wife.
But prosecutors were unable to
make a case against Bergstrom in
the rapes because victims were
unable to identify their ski-
masked attacker. Bergstrom got
probation for trespassing at the
time.
Police Beat
The following incidents were re
ported to the University Police
Department from April 6 to April
10:
Misdemeanor Theft
amplifier, Majestic crosstw
and two Kenwood speake::
were stolen from a 191]
Chevrolet by a thief who brok-
out the driver’s side window!
gain entry.
Krueger Hall bicycle rack - A
pink Firenza 18-speed girl's bi
cycle was stolen.
Netum Steed Research and
Conditioning Laboratory - A key
ring with four keys was stolen
from an unsecured property
shelf.
West side of Dunn Hall - A
black Schwinn High Plains 21-
speed boy's bicycle was stolen.
North side of Clements Hall - A
black unknown brand boy's 10-
speed mountain bicycle was
stolen.
USDA Toxicology Complex - A
Crimestoppers tip and subse
quent investigation led to the
procurement of an arrest war
rant for the individual responsi
ble for the theft of a 60-lb jack
hammer from the USDA Toxi
cology Complex on February
27, 1992. The warrant was
served and the subject incarcer
ated in the Brazos County Jail.
Attempted Misdemeanor
Theft
Aston Hall - Two individuals
were observed by witnesses at
tempting to carry away a 1985
Honda moped. Realizing their
detection, the subjects dropped
the vehicle and fled the area on
foot.
Misdemeanor Theft - Recov
ered Property
Burglary of Vehicle
Parking Area 46 - The victim’s
black leather wallet and con
tents were stolen.
Felony Theft
Thompson Hall - Three CTI
Super VGA 14” color monitois
were stolen from a first flooi
room.
Harassment
Beutel Health Center-Twoitf
viduals were identified as Ills
persons responsible for placiit
harassing telephone calls.
Fire
Richardson Petroleum Erf
neering Building - A smallfe
erupted in an eighth floor lato
ratory during an experiment
The fire, which caused no da^
age to any property, was e*
guished by the experimenter.
Driving While Intoxicated
East Main Drive - A motorist
was arrested and incarcerate)
in the Brazos County Jail.
Criminal Mischief
Corps Quadrangle - Three indr
viduals were observed openirs
the fire hydrant near dormitories
eight and nine. Physical Plan
personnel were contractedlt
shut off the flow of water
Law Hall - The victim’s blue 10
speed Huffy bicycle that was
stolen from the south side of
Law Hall was recovered in the
Zachry Engineering Center bi
cycle rack.
Misdemeanor Theft - Failure
to ID to Peace Officer
Spence Street - Two individuals
observed stealing a red Rincon
Giant boy's bicycle by a Securi
ty Officer were arrested. They
were transported to the Brazos
County Jail and incarcerated.
Misdemeanor Theft - Burglary
of Vehicle
Parking Area 89 - A Kenwood
stereo cassette player, Alpine
UPD, Student Affairs
committee plan class
on cycling Thursday
The University Police Crime
Prevention Unit and the Depart
ment of Student Affairs jtaf
Committee are sponsoringan
adult bicycle seminar fromllo
5 p.m. April 30 in 701 Rudder.
The program, created end
presented by Texas Depot-
ment of Safety Trooper Eddie
Carmon, will cover bicycle cits-
tions and other campus ism
and provide brochures anil
campus maps.
If you or a member of p
household owns a bicycle, then
this program is for you..
The Battalion
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HkHkikkkikfiiiUknmuukk
"A Special Gift"
for "A Special Mom
30% off on Salon Services*
*Manicures ^Pedicures
^European Facials *Waxing
*Sculptured, Gel, Fiberglass Nails
Gift Certificates Available
4r MSC CAMAC Latino Theatre Group presents:
La Mano
A two-act play focusing on the plight of two brothers
trapped in the struggle for survival in the barrio.
Tuesday, April 28, 1992
7:00 p.m. Rudder Theatre
Tickets for $3 available through
MSC Box Office
For more information contact
CAMAC at 845-1515
ALL STUDENT
ORGANIZATIONS
RUN, DON'T WALK...
To reserve a table now for MSC FALL OPEN HOUSE.
(First Come, First Serve). Pick up an application in your
box in the finance office of the MSC or in room 223H of
Call for Appointment
(409) 260-2610
upstairs in
The Garden District
108 E. North Ave.
Offer good May 1-31, 1992
III UiHJ hILmth l-UHJ li
the Student Programs Office.
Fall Open House will be on Sunday,
September 6, 1992, 2pm-6pm.
V
THE ABSOLUTE DEADLINE TO
RESERVE A TABLE IS WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 2, 1992
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VIP Research is seeking individuals with ulcerative colitis 1 '
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Individuals with genital herpes infection are being recruitedW
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VOLUNTEERS IN PHARMACEUTICAL
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776-1417