State & Local
Page 2
The Battalion
Friday, October 9,H
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Texas Army National Guard
see fchr
fails fitness test, expert says
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CORPUS CHRISTI - The num
ber of soldiers who have failed fit
ness or drug tests raises serious
questions about the combat readi
ness of the Texas Army National
Guard, a military policy expert
says.
Statistics show 8,430 of the
19,000 enlisted Texas National
Guard soldiers have had their
records flagged for failing physi
cal fitness, weight or drug tests.
About 200 of those failed the drug
test.
"The average national guards
man should be able to pass the
tests," said John Macartney, a mil
itary policy expert at The Ameri
can University in Washington.
"The fact that they are not as
ready as they would have been if
they were active duty is some
thing to worry about in case of
"If they were called into com
bat, they have to be physically
fit."
The Texas Guard is the orga
nized state militia during peace
time and can be ordered into ac
tive federal service by the presi
dent to provide units for war or
national emergencies.
Lt. Col. Edmond Komandosky,
the Guard's spokesman in Austin,
said Wednesday that fitness and
drug tests are given to keep sol
diers combat ready.
He said soldiers who don't
shape up and pass the next test,
which will be administered within
six months, are supposed to be
discharged.
That could f ause the Guard to
lose millions of dollars in federal
funding for payroll, training and
schooling, Komandosky told the
Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
"It would devastate us if we
had to discharge 8,000 people,
Komandosky said. "Thatwoilt
mean that the Texas Natioii:
Guard would drop to a very Ion
level of manning. The amounlj
money we get is based onou
strength."
IK?
The
He predicted many soldien
won't be discharged becausete
will meet the standards whenllie
tests are administered againJ
though he couldn't estimate ta
many would pass, he said it's mi-
likely all would flunk.
The Guard's management of
the physical fitness and weigh!
tests is the focus of ongoing stai
and federal investigations intoi-
leged racial discrimination.
Some soldiers are allowed toie
main in the service after repeateii-
ly failing the tests, while ote
are removed or prohibited froii
retaking the test, according to sev
eral complaints.
Texas court to decide home schooling case
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The Texas Supreme Court has decided
it will consider a battle between state education offi
cials and parents who teach their children at home.
The court will hear arguments on the case Jan. 26.
The dispute dates back to the early 1980s when the
state tried to prosecute home school parents for vio
lating Texas' compulsory school attendance law.
That law requires school-age children to attend ei
ther public, private or parochial school. Parents who
violate the law face hefty fines.
Home school advocates say they are essentially
private schools and therefore comply with the com
pulsory attendance law. They also say the state has
no right to regulate them.
The state says there is a difference between home
schools and private schools.
Since the parents are the teachers in home schools,
the state argues that state education officials should
be allowed to require independent minimum stan
dards.
In fighting prosecution, numerous home school®
and home school providers — companies tavap
ply instruction material for home schooling - surf
the state and won.
During the 1985 trial, there were an estimate!
15,000 families who taught their children at horoi
many of them were conservative Christians.
The home schooler's victory was later upheldh
the 4th Court of Appeals in Fort Worth.
The courts said the home schools should taem
sidered private schools, and prohibited state official!
from charging the parents for trying to thwarttk
compulsory attendance law. The courts also orderel
the state to pay the home schoolers' attorney feesd
$360,000.
The decisions essentially struck down State Boaii
of Education guidelines that would allow hom!
schools if the schools followed local safety and fe
codes, had a written regular plan of instruction^
students submitted to annual standardized ad»
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ment tests.
Mike Yelington, a sophomore general studies
major from Sugarland, plays horseshoes with
friends outside of Moore hall on Thursday.
Yelington plays horseshoes because it
DARRIN HlLiyThe Battalion
“encourages freshmen to quit studying” and join
the game. “It also requires no physical effort
whatsoever, and you don’t break a sweat."
Yelington plays intramural horseshoes.
In Advance
Gay and lesbian services to sponsor 'Coming Out Week'
Gay and Lesbian Student
Services is sponsoring “Com
ing Out Week” from Oct. 12
to Oct. 16.
On Monday, John Corvino
will speak on “What’s morally
wrong with homosexuality” at
7 p.m. in 308 Rudder.
Wednesday the group Par
ents and Friends of Gays and
Lesbians (P/FLAG) will hold a
panel discussion in 401 Rud
der at 7 p.m.
Thursday the group is
sponsoring a lecture on the
U.S. history of lesbians and
gays in 308 Rudder at 7 p.m.
On Friday the group will
hold a “So Much to Cele
brate” dance at 8 p.m. at (lie
Unitarian Fellowship at 305
Wellborn Road in College
Station.
PARENTS NIGHT OUT
Sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega
Free babysitting for the students and staff of A8JVI
Oct 9th 6:30 - 10 p.m.
Room 301 Rudder
Questions ? Call Wendell 846-7356 or Adrienne 846-9171
The Battalion
ATLANTIS TILLMAN, Editor in Chief
STEVE O’BRIEN, Managing Editor
JASON LOUGHMAN, Opinion Editor
MEREDITH HARRISON, News Editor
HEIDI SAUER, News Editor
TODD BLACKMON, Arts & Entertainment
Editor
GARY CARROLL, City Editor
J. DOUGLAS FOSTER, Sports
Editor
CHRIS WHITLEY, Sports Editor
RICHARD S. JAMES, Photo Editor
Staff Members
Reporters — Melody Dunne, Mark Evans, Todd Stone, Brandi Jordan, Cheryl Heller, Tanya
Sasser, Robin Goodpaster, Juli Phillips, Tanya Williams, Julie Chelkowski, Monique
Lunsford, Mack Harrision, and Will Healy.
News desk — Kyle Burnett, Tracia Newbold, Jennifer Mentlik, David Thomas, Lance
Holmes, Lauri Reysa and Jennifer Smith.
Photographers — Darrin Hill, Jenny Matlack, Randy Nichols, Sandra Alvarado, Billy Moran,
Jennifer Lockard, Ricardo S. Garcia and Robert Reed.
Lifestyles writers — Susan Owen, Anas Ben-Musa, Tricia Martinez and Julie Polston.
Sports writers— K. Lee Davis, Michael Plumer, Don Norwood and Ruly Medrano.
Columnists — Anthony LoBaido, Stacy Feducia, Dwayne Purvis, Shawn Ralston, Matt
Dickerson, Robert Vasquez, and Toni Garrard.
Cartoonists — William Harrison, Thomas Deeney, George Nasr, and Clay Welch.
Clerks — Darra Dees, Pejcharat Harvey, Shelley Rowton and Jamie Anderson.
The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and
spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except
University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid
at College Station, TX 77840.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building,
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in
the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices
are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone number is 845-3316. Fax: 845-2647.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the Opinion Page staff or the contributor and
do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M Battalion editors, student body,
administration, faculty or staff.
Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For
classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office
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Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per
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