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The Battalion
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Center features Corps
memorabilia, history
ROBERT J. REED/The Battalion
Joe Fenton, ‘58, stans in front of the Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center where he
works as curator.
By MARK EVANS
Reporter of THE BATTALION
A jeep welcomes visitors at the north entrance
while a bronze sculpture of Reveille I, donated by
the classes of '33, '34, '35 and '36, waits at the
south entrance. Past and present guidons (pen
nants identifying corps units and carried during
formation) hang from the ceiling.
The new Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets
Center offers visitors a glimpse of both the past
and present Corps, featuring exhibits on such
Corps classics as Final Review and the Ross Vol
unteers.
The $3.2 million center, which formally opens
on Sept. 12, was funded entirely by private dona
tions.
Exhibits explain both the history and the every
day life of the cadets. One display case shows
how Corps uniforms have changed over the years
while pictures along the walls illustrate the transi
tion freshmen cadets undergo from high school to
their first days on the Quadrangle.
Former students have donated everything from
sabers to old yearbooks to the center. Curator Joe
Fenton said. Old photographs, medals and other
objects of Corps life decorate the display cases.
"We have had quite a bit of interesting memo
rabilia come in, and we will probably continue to
highlight major events in the life of the Corps."
The Hall of Honor will pay tribute to former
Corps members who have been selected as out
See Corps/Page 16
Traffic signals set to save motorists money
By TANYA SASSER
Staff Writer of THE BATTALION
Even though gas prices may
not be dropping, it is now cheaper
for motorists in College Station to
operate a vehicle.
The city's traffic signalization
system has been completely syn
chronized in order to reduce the
number of starts and stops mo
torists must make.
Mark Schoenemann, traffic sys
tem manager for College Station,
said according to research con
ducted by the Public Utilities De
partment, this project will save
motorists millions of dollars in
fuel costs annually.
"What we did was completely
overhaul the signal system," he
said. "We put in new traffic con
trollers everywhere and we pur
chased new computer software."
The Public Utilities Depart
ment worked with Barton-As-
chman, a company out of Dallas,
to carry out the research and im
plementation of the project.
Dave Carter, an associate of
Barton-Aschman, said the new
system should prove to be highly
beneficial for College Station mo
torists.
"This should help out College
Station by increasing travel mobil
ity," he said. "In addition, there
should be fewer repairs needed,
fewer breakdowns, and less need
for maintenance."
Studies were conducted before
and after the signal operation
change in order to determine the
effects of the new system.
"A lot of the traffic counts were
done by A&M students," Carter
said. "Through existing data, we
determined fuel consumption and
the number of stops."
The project was possible due to
a $240,000 grant from the state.
See Traffic signals/Page 16
A&M invites fast food
chains to set up in Sbisa
By SHARON GILMORE
Reporter of THE BATTALION
Texas A&M is awaiting responses to bids which
would allow fast food restaurants to operate in the
basement of Sbisa Dining Hall.
Over 20 food operators were sent invitations, and
advertisements were placed in several newspapers
according to Robert Smith, A&M's vice president of
finance and administration.
El Chico, Fuddruckers, Jack in the Box, Long John
Silvers, Scholtzsky's, Subway, Taco Cabana, Taco
Bell and I Can't Believe It's Yogurt are just a few of
the vendors who were sent invitations to bid for
some of the 10,000 square feet available in the base
ment of Sbisa, Smith said.
"The Request for Proposals (RFP) were sent out
several weeks ago," Robert Smith said.
"By September 14th we will know what interests
Hie private sectors have for this proposal," he said.
Smith said he plans to brief the Board of Regents
on the proposal's progress in September.
"The ultimate decision will be made by the Board
of Regents," Smith said.
A&M is seeking approval soon so that operations
oan begin in January 1993, Smith said.
Fast food places take up all the street corners
ocross the country but are looking to expand into
other areas, said Lloyd Smith, food services director.
"Fast food chains are looking for new avenues to
expand and some of the new avenues are non-tradi-
tional locations like college campuses, airports, hos
pitals, schools, business and industry," Lloyd Smith
said.
Students could have the option to select from a
variety of well-known restaurants, Robert Smith
said. The proposal for brand names on campus has
come about because of students' interests.
"I think they want it," Robert Smith said. "What
we envisioned was a food court in the basement of
Sbisa," Robert Smith said.
Lloyd Smith said most fast food businesses that
move onto college campuses develop express menus
and use downsized facilities.
"There is not a high cost to get into that," Lloyd
Smith said.
Downsizing a facility and operating out of a
building on campus will eliminate building costs.
Fast food on campus would operate out of a carts or
kiosks.
National advertising is the main reason for inter
ests in putting branded concepts anywhere, Lloyd
Smith said.
"A lot of people eat at certain restaurants because
they know what they are getting," Lloyd Smith said.
See Sbisa/Page 16
Teen found guilty
in rape of student
College Station jury recommends 99 years, no probation
By REAGON CLAMON
Reporter for The Battalion
A jury recommended a College
Station teen be sentenced to 99
years and fined $5,000 last night
after he pleaded guilty to abduct
ing and raping a female Texas
A&M student last spring.
Christopher Lee Worthington,
17, of College Station was found
guilty after three days of testimo
ny and a four and a half hour de
liberation by the jury.
The jury recommended Judge
Carolyn Ruffino of the 361st Dis
trict court not grant probation
when she sentences Worthington.
Worthington pleaded guilty to
the first degree felony on Tuesday
after the victim took the stand and
described her ordeal in detail to
the mostly female jury.
Raymond Gutierrez, the co-de
fendant in the case, pleaded guilty
last Thursday after accepting a
plea bargain that guaranteed him
an aggravated sexual assault
charge with the jury recommend
ing 40 years in prison.
Yesterday, jurors listened to
Worthington describe to Defense
Attorney Neely Lewis how he and
Gutierrez went out the night of
Feb. 20, looking for a car to jack"
(a method of car theft in which
the criminal steals a car at gun
point from the owner).
Worthington said he was car
rying a .22-caliber rifle which he
planned to use in the theft. He
and Gutierrez approached an
apartment complex parking lot,
hiding the rifle in a bush.
When the victim's '90 Ford
Tempo pulled up close to the two,
Worthington said he approached
with the gun and told the victim
to get out of her car. Worthington
told the jury the victim thought he
and Gutierrez were joking.
After telling her he "was seri
ous," Worthington told the victim
to move over and he drove the ve
hicle away from the parking lot
and on a two and a half hour dri
ve, during which time the victim
was raped four times, including
being forced to perform oral sex
on Worthington.
Worthington said he and
Gutierrez tied-up the victim and
gagged her, leaving her in the
parking lot of Oakwood Middle
School in College Station.
Worthington told Lewis that as
he walked away from the victim
he felt remorse.
"The very last time I saw her, I
saw the fear I had caused her,"
Worthington said. "I thought,
'How the hell can you do such a
damn thing'."
Assistant District Attorney
Deena McConnell asked Wor
thington to describe the sexual as
See Trial/Page 16
Quake, tidal waves
strike Nicaragua
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
/
MASACHAPA, Nicaragua — Splintered huts and
buildings littered a 200-mile swath of Nicaragua's
coast Wednesday following a tidal wave that killed
at least 36 people and left thousands homeless.
Dozens were missing, and rescue workers expected
the death toll to rise.
A major earthquake at sea caused a wall of water
up to 30 feet high to sweep over most of the
Nicaraguan coast. It submerged islands and rolled
more than a half mile inland in some spots, destroy
ing beachfront homes and hotels and scattering
wrecked boats and cars.
The surge of water sucked people and small
buildings out to sea as it retreated.
Nicaragua's government appealed urgently for in
ternational aid.
"The sea took us by surprise. All of sudden, I was
swimming inside'my own home, and all my furni
ture was floating around me," said Socorro Lopez,
47, who lost two grandchildren in Masachapa, a
beach resort of about 2,000 people south of the capi
tal, Managua.
"This huge wave swallowed us house and all.
Now I'll never be able to bring my grandchildren
back," the woman said, sobbing, as the recovered
bodies of the 4-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl were
laid out nearby.
Eight of the nine confirmed dead in Masachapa
were children.
Lt. Col. Ricardo Wheelock, an army spokesman.
said preliminary figures indicated 36 people were
known dead, 44 missing and 142 injured. More than
300 houses were destroyed, he said.
Jose Adan Guerra, vice minister of (he presidency,
said more bodies were being found.
Unconfirmed radio reports said there were more
than 50 deaths.
In Geneva, U.N. officials said the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
reported at least 64 dead. They said the United Na
tions would release $30,000 to buy urgent supplies.
The missing included at least 12 fishermen lost at
sea near Masachapa, Red Cross officials said.
The earthquake, which registered 7 on the Richter
scale struck, at 6:16 p.m. and was centered 75 miles
southwest of Managua, according to the National
Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo.
Aftershocks followed, and the center said they
likely would continue for days but probably would
not cause damage.
Nonetheless, authorities evacuated thousands of
people from coastal areas and wailing ambulances
sped through towns picking up the injured and dy
ing.
The earthquake was among the most damaging to
hit Nicaragua since a 1972 quake measuring 6.2 on
the Richter scale devastated the capital, killing 5,000
people.
A quake of 7 is considered a "major" earthquake
capable of causing widespread heavy damage. The
Richter scale is a measure of ground motion as
recorded on seismographs.
B-CS financial institutions
offer many student services
By MONIQUE N. LUNSFORD
Reporter of THE BATTALION
Whether a student writes many
checks or just wants security for
an emergency, Bryan-College Sta
tion banks offer a variety of ser
vices to satisfy the demands of
students.
Benefits in the form of low cost
checking accounts, savings ac
counts and interest-bearing ac
counts designed specifically with
the student in mind are available
to help individuals manage their
finances and to cater to their dif
ferent spending habits.
First American Bank provides
the Twelfth Man checking account
which has no minimum balance
requirement or service charge.
However, an initial deposit of
$100 and a setup fee of $12 are re
quired to open the account.
For the student who writes a
lot of checks. First American also
offers the Advantage checking ac
count that includes a $3 monthly
service charge, 25 "free" debits
per month, and no minimum bal
ance requirement.
The interest-bearing NOW ac
count and the regular savings ac
count that allows the student
three free withdrawals over a
statement period are other options
for students at First American.
Any student can benefit from
these services, said Winnie Gar
ner, a bank officer in the market
ing department of First American.
"I think the main feature is that
we can offer something for every
one. We have checking accounts
and savings accounts designed to
meet the individual needs of each
student," she said.
At First City Texas the Value
checking account has the least
amount of fees for students with a
service charge of $2.50. There is
no minimum balance requirement
and a $50 minimum opening de
posit.
Also, the bank offers a variable
interest-bearing savings account
that requires a $100 initial deposit,
a minimum daily balance require
ment of $200 with no service
charge, and the student can use
his ATM card to access this sav
ings account or his checking ac
count.
"Students basically use their
checks to pay their bills,"said
Nicole Bewley, a new accounts
representative at First City. "And
then they use their ATM cards
and make most of their purchases
with cash."
Nations Bank now offers a stu
dent checking account for which
students must pay a $60 annual
fee, but there is no monthly ser
vice charge for one year. The ac
count has a $25 startup deposit
and no required minimum bal
ance.
Breaux Daniel, the banking
center manager at Nations, said
the main concept behind this ac
count is that students do not have
to worry about balances and ser
vice charges.
Students who are minimal
check writers can choose the
Economy checking account at
Nations Bank which has a 10-deb-
it monthly limit, a $3 monthly ser
vice charge, and a $25 first deposit
requirement.
Also, the Resource banking ac
count and the Reward-Plus ac
count, both interest-bearing, are
also available.
Commerce National Bank of
fers the Freedom account which
has no limit on the number of
checks that can be written, but a
$200 minimum balance must be
maintained.
The bank also has an interest-
bearing savings account that al
lows the student three with
drawals at no charge and no ser
vice fee as long as the balance re
mains $50 or more.
Students can contact these in
stitutions for more inrtormation
about special student services.