The Battalion
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Vol. 92 No. 20 (8 pages)
‘Serving Texas AS-M Since 1893’
Friday, September 25, 1992
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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
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WASHINGTON - The Senate voted
Thursday to override President Bush's veto of
the family leave bill, shin
ing a campaign-season
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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.
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voted with us today chose
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"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.
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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.