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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 1992)
The Battalion temberfy Vol. 92 No. 20 (8 pages) ‘Serving Texas AS-M Since 1893’ Friday, September 25, 1992 U.I from an he worst ar II. 3ns have Hi i Muslim S. govern as Boutrosi Commis ^ a p r j vate company to operate ' orinern “the facilities might lead to a cam pus-wide takeover of all Food Ser vices operations. Adin Pfeuffer, Corps public af fairs officer, said Corps members have no problems with privatiza tion of Sbisa Underground and Billie Mac's at Easterwood Air- wiecki - ■ssors. Teationofi nvestigst; .ve called i ls,andGai rs betriedn ■dges signs ;enoride. :hes ive ' Flanagar. intendei compoutd 5 a lot old the part oil Privatization sparks debate By MACK HARRISON Reporter of THE BATTALION The upcoming privatization of two Texas A&M snack bars has some students worried that allow- Fast-food franchises on A&M campus excite some, others port. A private company, however, would not be able to accommo date the Corps' dining needs, he said. "If they put (a private compa ny) in the Underground, we have no problem," Pfeuffer said. "If it spread to the dining halls, that would be bad." Warren Talbot, president of Off-Campus Aggies, also ex pressed concern about a private company on campus. Talbot said although off-cam pus students are excited about the possibility of fast-food franchises at Texas A&M, they are also wor ried that if a company got its foot in the door, it could take over all campus dining facilities. "In general, off-campus stu dents are really excited about it," Talbot said. "They want a taste of variety, but at the same time they don't want to overdo it." Food services is not the first campus operation to go private. In June 1990, Barnes and Nobles, Inc. — the parent company of B. Dal ton Bookstores — purchased the Texas A&M Bookstore. Kim Tenpas, Residence Hall Association president, said she has received mixed signals from express concerns on-campus residents about priva tizing campus dining. Hall presi dents have told her the prevailing sentiments in individual dorms, but she says she does not know if this represents the entire resi dence hall population. "It's hard to say because I don't know how many people they (hall presidents) have talked to/' Ten pas said. "One person will tell me everyone he knows is in favor of it and another will tell me people are against it." A&M will conduct two surveys on privatization, Tenpas said. RHA will poll primarily North- side residents and A&M's Mea surement and Research Services will operate a more widespread poll. "We want people to make an educated decision," Tenpas said. Rob Fowler, MSC president, said the administration will be able to hear input from students through an advisory board com prised of student leaders. "I'm not concerned about this going forward without student approval," Fowler said. "I feel confident in the way they're going about it." Talbot said Vice President for Finance and Administration Robert Smith told him and other campus leaders that a takeover would not occur. "We've been assured it won't happen," Talbot said. "The draw back is too great for campus-wide privatization because it's not in students' needs. (The companies) have no desire to take over food services." Fowler said privatization would not spread to the campus dining halls. "The University (meal) plan is very profitable," he said. "There is no reason to privatize." Senate resurrects family leave bill Attempt to override veto must go through House; to become campaign issue THE ASSOCIATED PRESS was uj ), witlH r id from* e in enii wratioife nber? s renewed £ WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Thursday to override President Bush's veto of the family leave bill, shin ing a campaign-season Inve*l s P otli S ht on an issue De ‘ mocrats think will wound him come Election Day. ry teams. Supporters of the legisla- T. tion conceded that even w'tf 1 the Senate's 68-31 vote, a House override effort will probably fail. "Those Republicans who voted with us today chose families," said Sen. A1 Gore, D-Tenn., Democratic presi- teams lw itervievr ioint arte burial sf'-' Tecialists re s/ ng accotir: rners s$ ram who former phi ibers are the difh i which rchers he® 0 priority 1 med to® 1 January' Bush dential candidate Bill Clinton's running mate. "Those who voted with the Bush-Quayle posi tion chose to say, 'Read our lip-service to fami ly values.'" The measure would require businesses with 50 or more employees to grant workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year to care for newborn babies or sick family members. The Senate marked time on a wide-ranging tax bill and a host of House-Senate conference committees labored to reach agreements on the various spending bills for the new budget year starting Oct. 1. Democratic leadership aides said a House override vote had not yet been scheduled, but supporters and opponents alike said they be lieved Bush's veto will be upheld. The House approved the bill by 253-177 last November. "It is difficult," said House Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash. "We'll sustain the president in the House," said Rep. William Goodling, R-Pa., leader of the measure's House opponents. Gore said he had spoken to House Democ rats who were considering switching to sup port the bill. Forty-eight of them opposed it in last year's vote. Asked if Bush himself would lobby law makers, Goodling said, "I'm sure he will as soon as he gets the message" about the Sen ate's vote. Bush vetoed the measure Tuesday, an act the White House did not announce until the evening network news broadcasts were over. He has vetoed 32 bills and Congress has failed in all of its 17 previous attempts to over ride him. Thursday's vote by the Senate was the first time that chamber had voted to over turn a Bush veto. "It's the same old story we've heard for years and years on the other side of the aisle," said Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. "The government knows best. The Congress knows best." "In the absence of this legislation, you take millions of people and force them to make a cruel choice between keeping their job and keeping their family together,'' said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. and the main sponsor of the bill. Bush vetoed a similar measure in 1990. To shield itself against campaign charges of ignor ing families in need, the White House rushed out an alternative last week that would offer $l,200-per-worker tax credits to companies that voluntarily offer leave for family care. "All of a sudden, less than 36 hours ago, we have parachuted in here a tax credit idea," Dodd said sarcastically. " Ricardo S. Garcia/Thc Battalion Jennifer Exley, a freshman business student from Arlington, practices her baton twirling in front of the All Faith Chapel. She chose this location for the shade it had to offer. Jennifer is practicing for the talent portion of the Miss TAMU preliminaries. pem 10111 :atio lED PR$ ily an $ tey on ^ h other® 1 e smaK e most 16 of the"® idustri^' d Wedn$ nland I c ^ rids for® 1 Jorwa)/ Belgiu" 1 the 0$ r - Cooped an intf'c in Pahs; 's econo® 1 t is the^ ion sysf ized nali‘ g most " 1 e setoff ,n indit j! l before ; e" becat* i in ed® -thods o 1 ;ft Tui/‘ ^helped! d in an began'); ^ to s ase T [ incom c •fibre p 0 ) 1 usting Ily buys' ■ the nal - is kno" 11 .roduct. e repo rt ' ^vealthie 5 ! foiled ,id, N/ ^edenJ Speakers comment on social ills By TANYA WILLIAMS Reporter of the BA TTA LION United States economic prob lems stem from drugs, politics and education, said speakers at a meeting of the MSC Black Awareness Committee Wednes day evening. The committee, whose goals include aiding others in knowl edge and awareness about the African-American culture, wel comed panelists Nelda Spears, Tax Accessor/Collector for Austin, and Samuel T. Biscoe, Travis County Commissioner. The speakers identified the challenges that African-Ameri cans face daily in society and ways they can meet them. "Social problems, black on black, crime, prison, drugs," Spears said. "Our economic problems tie them all together. "Crime is a result of people not seeing an improvement in their situation," she said. "Our economic situation in America is only getting worse along with their situations." Spears, who is the first and only black Tax Accessor/Collec tor in Texas, said she is con cerned with black representation in the community and work places. "I'm concerned that we're still having firsts in 1992," Spears said. " People are qualified, but blacks still aren't represented." Biscoe focused his discussion on the need for families and indi viduals to take a better interest in the nation and each other. "Families and communities need to work harder toward the same goals," Biscoe said. "We need to work toward drug and AIDS awareness in the commu nity." Black America needs a true central leader, he said. "Their is a leadership crisis among African-America," Biscoe said. "We have to garner stronger leaders." Biscoe and Spears said African-Americans need to make a commitment to themselves and the community to use their tal ents to work towards improve ment. More blacks attending college, professor says By WILL HEALY Reporter of THE BATTALION African-American males from poor or working class back grounds are continuing their ed ucation beyond high school in greater numbers than ever be fore, despite their childhood en vironment, a Texas A&M sociol ogist said. Dr. Karen Wilson-Sadberry studied a survey of 1,332 African-American males and found that growing up in poor and working class families did not necessarily determine their level of education. Her research shows 66 per cent of black males finished nigh school and only 17 percent were from high socioeconomic status families. Of those from lower socioe conomic families, a significant number received their education in spite of the obstacles, said Sadberry. The strongest influence on African-American male achieve ment appears to be friendships. Of those who continued their education, 61 percent had a se nior friend who made good grades, showed interest in school, attended class on a regu lar basis, and planned to go on to college. Those 61 percent are the peo ple Sadberry believes should get more attention. "Some black males do com mit crimes, and this should not be swept under the rug," said Sadberry. "But, we should give more attention to those who can succeed," She would like to see those who do succeed give back to the community by helping others to succeed. Another significant influence in the chance of success was family. Seventy-five percent of those who went beyond high school said their father had a positive influence. The mother, however, had even more power over their fu ture decisions as 92.7 percent said their mothers had some in fluence of their lives beyond high school. Sadberry believes that teach ers should encourage parents to participate more in their chil dren's education. She also believes parents should visit the school and be in the environment to make them more aware of their children's educational conditions. Seventy-five percent of stu dents who finished high school said teachers played a positive role in their educational future, said Sadberry. Counselors played a signifi cant role in only 22 percent of cases. Guerrero resigns; to remain Democratic candidate for post THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUSTIN — Lena Guerrero, her political career rocked by an admission that she doesn't hold the university diploma she claimed for 12 years, today resigned from the Texas Railroad Commission. However, Ms. Guerrero said she would remain the Democratic candidate for that post in the Nov. 3 election. "I made mistakes, deeply serious mistakes," Ms. Guerrero told a House chamber crowded with her supporters. "I allowed misperceptions, embellishments and errors of fact about my academic record to go uncor rected. I didn't admit to the truth of those facts when questioned about them," she said. Her resignation followed disclosures that Ms. Guerrero for 12 years falsely claimed to be a gradu ate of the University of Texas-Austin. Official cam paign and House biographies also had called her an honors graduate. But grade transcripts she made public last week showed she actually had been a C-plus student who was 19 class hours — more than a semester of work — short of receiving a diploma. Ms. Guerrero first was elected to the Texas House from an Austin district in 1984. She was re-elected in 1986, 1988 and 1990. But on Dec. 3, 1990, Gov.-elect Ann Richards an nounced that her first appointment upon taking of fice would be naming Ms. Guerrero as the first woman and first Hispanic to serve on the Railroad Commission. In her speech today, Ms. Guerrero apologized to Richards and voters. "I betrayed the trust placed in me by the people of this state and a woman I admire dearly. Gov. Ann Richards ... I know that I have no one else to blame. I am angry at myself. I am embarrassed. And I am terribly sorry," she said. Ms. Guerrero faces Republican Barry Williamson, a Dallas oilman, in the election for a full, six-year Railroad Commission term. Aides announced that Ms. Guerrero would waste no time in hitting the campaign trail. She scheduled a rally for tonight in Falfurrias. Ms. Guerrero said she would remain in the race because "I am not a quitter ... I want to be elected with a clean slate. I want to be elected in my own right." Ags aiding literacy program By TANYA SASSER • Staff writer of THE BATTALION Some Texas A&M students are "spreading the wealth" by tutoring adults that have never learned to read as part of Literacy Volunteers of America-Bra- zos Valley. The volunteers began classes Tuesday and will at tend six three-hour sessions in an effort to learn to teach adults to read effectively, said Bill Winkler, tu tor trainer for the volunteers. "We train our volunteers to teach reading to adults according to trained specialists," he said. "They become certified to teach after six sessions." Pam Rosynek, executive director for Literacy Vol unteers of America-Brazos Valley, said there are many adults that want to learn to read. "We have a waiting list for adults wanting to read," she said. "We need all the volunteers we can get." Laura Cunningham, a sophomore education ma jor from Denver, Co., said she thinks the program will be a neat experience. "I'm very nervous about it," she said. "But I think if I can get through the initial training part then it will be worth it." Cunningham said she is participating in the pro ject because she wants to get teaching experience. She hopes this will help her decide if she wants to continue majoring in education. Winkler said most adults wanting to learn to read hear about the program by word of mouth. "Most people who reach adulthood without ever learning to read tend to hide that fact," he said. "It takes a lot of courage for them to come forth and get signed up." Cunningham said she will probably be paired with a service worker from A&M. The University pays for the workers to go through the program so they can eventually take their high school equivalen cy exam. Rosynek said there are a number of prison in mates in the Bryan-College Station area that also want to learn to read. There is a minimum security prison camp in Bryan that is much like a boot camp. Winkler said the tutors will go to the prison to teach inmates how to read. "The tutors continue teaching for a period of time and most of the time they can make enough of a dif ference to change someone's life," he said.