Vol. 92 No. 32 (10 pages)
Serving Texas ASM Since 1893
Tuesday, October 13, 1992
orps honors academic elite
adet honor society inducts new members, encourages scholastic leadership
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By GINA HOWARD
Reporter of THE BATTALION
Thirty members of the Texas
A&M Corps of Cadets joined the
hanks of a very elite scholastic
group in an induction ceremony
eld in the Clayton Williams
Mumni Center Monday night.
The General Ormond R. Simp
son Corps Honor Society wel-
omed into its circle sophomore,
unior and senior members of the
Corps who have set themselves
part academically and in ex-
Tacurricular activities at A&M.
"This is an elite group who has
s lot to offer the rest of the Corps
Cadets," Corps Commandant
Maj. Gen. Thomas Darling said in
his welcoming speech, "They
have the ability to lead the other
cadets to do just as well."
Shayne Short, president of the
honor society, said induction to
this group is a great achievement
for a cadet.
"This is the second highest in
dividual achievement a Corps
member can be awarded in the
Corps of Cadets/'said Short, a se
nior electrical engineering major.
Academic requirements for
membership for sophomores are,
a 3.25 overall grade-point ratio;
for juniors, a 3.15; and for seniors,
a 3.0.
In addition, sophomores must
have completed at least two se
mesters at A&M. The purpose of
the Society is to recognize out
standing cadets and to promote
academics in the Corps, Short
said.
The future of the Corps of
Cadets rests with academic ad
vancement, said the guest speaker
for the evening, attorney Wayne
T. Rife, Class of '75.
"Each one of you (Corps honor
society members) have been en
trusted with the skills that have
enabled you to get where you are
today," Rife said. "You are lead
ers, but your responsibility goes
way beyond that. You must help
others improve the scholastic as
pect in order to keep the Corps
going.
Rife closed his speech by say
ing each member of the Honor So
ciety has been given an excellent
opportunity and should carry that
on through their career at A & M
and beyond.
"Each [Honor Society member]
has been given a terrific opportu
nity," Rife said. "The Corps of
Cadets has truly become a leader
ship laboratory."
Activities of the Honor Society
include publication of a Corps
Quiz File Directory, monitoring of
the 24-hour Quiet Study Lounge,
tutoring for the Corps, and
planned scholastic workshops to
be conducted in the Sam Houston
Sanders Corps of Cadets Center.
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Greg Cernosek, a junior computer engineering major from San
Antonio, studies Physics 208 with his mirror image in the MSC
BILLY MORAN/TIte Battalion
Monday afternoon. He said that he studies there often. The mirror
doesn't help or hurt his studying, he said, but he does like the chairs.
Fraternity party
under scrutiny
By REAGON CLAMON
Reporter of THE BATTALION
A Sigma Alpha Epsilon "jun
gle" theme party and a letter from
a band member hired to play the
event have sparked a racial con
troversy that may result in sanc
tions against the fraternity.
According to a release from Dr.
Mike Leese, coordinator of Greek
affairs in the Department of Stu
dent Activities, an Interfraternity
Council judicial board will hold a
hearing on the incident later this
week.
The letter, copies of which
were mailed to The Battalion, the
interfraternity council, and na
tional and local officers of SAE,
states that on Oct. 3, the Dallas
band Love Squad played at the
SAE house and was "horrified to
find that the theme of the party
was extremely racist."
According to the letter which
was written by band member Joe
Salem, "pledges dressed in black
face, grass skirts and carrying
spears were chased around by ac
tives dressed in hunting fa
tigues."
Salem and the band weren't
sure at first what the party was
about until a party-goer explained
that the actives were chasing
"slaves."
"It looked to me like they were
play-acting the hunt for slaves in
the African jungle," Salem said.
"That's the way it appeared, and I
thought it was pretty horrible and
disgusting."
Salem said one individual
jumped on stage and yelled, "we
don't have no niggers in our
house."
The band finished playing the
party, Salem said, not wanting to
force a confrontation with the fra
ternity members but later decided
to draft the letter because the inci
dent was "heavy on my con
science."
Michael A. Hebert, president
of the local Sigma Alpha Epsilon
chapter refutes Salem's interpre
tation of the party's theme.
"He alludes to this being an
African jungle party," Hebert
said. "There are a lot of jungles
besides Africa, and we weren't
singling out any particular race or
specific jungle."
Salem misunderstood the in
tent of the party and that no one
in the fraternity intended to por
tray a racist theme, Hebert said.
"We do indeed have a black
guy in our chapter, and we had
the same party last year," Hebert
said. "He thought the costumes
were very fitting of the party."
In hindsight, the party might
have been a bad idea, Hebert said.
However, at the time he didn't
believe he was doing any thing
wrong.
Donna Roth, a senior English
major and member of Kappa Al
pha Theta sorority, also attended
the party. She disagreed with
Salem's opinion of the party.
"I know right now everyone is
into political correctness, and
maybe this wasn't, but there was
no intention of racism here," Roth
said. "This was in no way a paro
dy of hunting slaves."
Roth debated the believability
of someone at the party shouting
racial slurs.
"I don't think that would hap
pen — they have a black member
of their chapter," Roth said. "If
someone was saying something
like that, it would be an individ
ual statement and not a reflection
on the chapter."
Sheri Schmidt, an adviser in
the department of multicultural
services, believes the incident is a
symptom of a bigger problem.
"We have a lot of educating to
do," Schmidt said. "It's not just
the responsibility of the Greek
system but also the responsibility
of this institution to educate stu
dents about issues like this."
A lot of students aren't aware
that someone might find their ac
tions offensive, Schmidt said.
"My first thought was that it is
amazing that something like this
could happen; but, then again,
there are a lot of students that
have no idea that this would be
offensive to someone else,"
Schmidt said.
"That's the problem. The fact
that so many students on our
campus don't see a problem with
that means that we're missing
something in our education."
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A&M students
review debate
By JULIE CHELKOWSKI
Reporter of THE BATTALION
The first presidential debate
Sunday night left many Texas
A&M students divided on
which candidate they would
like to see in the White House
next January.
"I think all of the candidates
did what they wanted to do,"
said Joel Johnson, a sophomore
from Angleton. "Basically, no
body really blundered. Nobody
made any mistakes."
cause he's not controlled by par
ty politics. He comes out offer
ing a down-to-earth, people-ori
ented view."
Perot's business techniques
helped him, said Jeff Allen, a se
nior marketing major.
"Perot won (the debate) be
cause he made himself look
good — he marketed himself,"
Allen said.
President Bush has lost the
support of Kimberly Smith, a se
nior from Cypress. She now has
gained more faith in Perot.
"I think all the candidates did
what they wanted to do.
Basically, nobody really
blundered. Nobody made any
mistakes."
-Joel Johnson, a sophomore from Angleton
Craig Moody, a senior from
Richardson, agreed, but added
that if anyone was helped it was
Ross Perot.
"I think it was pretty equal,"
he said. "Perot did well. He
didn't embarrass himself like I
thought he would."
Ben Poole, a senior from San
Antonio, thinks Perot's chances
of being elected were severely
hurt when he dropped out of
the race in July. But, he said,
Perot's performance Sunday
night will help him in the elec
tion.
"I think the debates helped
Perot since he dropped out,"
Poole said. "Perot came out
ahead because of his platform.
He has more to offer people. He
comes out sounding better be-
"Before, I thought Bush
would be better, and then when
I sat there and listened to what
he had to say I changed my
mind," she said. "I don't think
Bush knows the first thing about
domestic affairs, or solving any
of our problems.
"I think Perot actually an
swered the questions. Bill Clin
ton made himself look good, but
didn't really answer any of the
questions. I think if Perot were
to get in he'd change some
things."
Other students disagreed.
"A lot of people feel that Per
ot won," said Kelly Sweeney, a
senior journalism major. "They
think he's such an effective com-
See Debate/Page 10
Advance
NOW condemns rape
By MARK EVANS
Staff Writer of THE BATTALION
The Texas A&M chapter of
the National Organization for
Women will sponsor a "rape
speak-out" Wednesday at the
Rudder Fountain to promote
rape awareness among students.
"We're trying to promote a
policy of zero tolerance on cam
pus towards violence against
women," said A&M NOW Pres
ident Tawmy Britton. "That's
primarily what this speak-out is
about."
The period between now and
Thanksgiving is when women
on campus are the most vulner
able to attack, Britton said.
"We thought that now would
be a good time to have this
event in order to make these
new freshmen, and all students,
aware that there is a rape prob
lem both on and off campus,"
she said.
The event comes in response
to figures released over the sum
mer by the University Police De
partment which reported only
two rapes last year, Britton said.
She does not believe the figure
is an accurate reflection of the
actual number of rapes commit
ted.
NOW has compiled a list of
recommendations of actions the
University can take to prevent
rapes on campus.
The organization plans to
present the list to Texas A&M
President William Mobley.
Included on the list is better
lighting and the widespread
posting of escort service phone
numbers for women who need
someone to accompany them to
their cars at night.
"Some people don't even re
alize that we have an escort ser
vice on campus, and we have
three," Britton said.
The rape speak-out will take
place on Wednesday from 11:30
a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Rudder
Fountain.
University Police Department
Director Bob Wiatt and Linda
Castoria of the Rape Crisis Cen
ter are among the speakers
planned for the event. In addi
tion, rape victims are encour
aged to come tell their story to
others.
Or, they may write their ex
perience down and ask a NOW
member to read it for them.
Council to review
charges of racism
By REAGON CLAMON
Reporter of THE BATTALION
An Interfraternity Council ju
dicial board hearing later this
week will decide whether the lo
cal chapter of the Sigma Alpha
Epsilon fraternity will be sanc
tioned for charges of racism.
The Interfraternity Council set
up the hearing with the nine-
member board upon receiving a
letter from Joe Salem, a member
of a band that was hired to play at
a SAE mixer, claiming that the
fraternity sponsored a party with
a racist theme.
Salem told The Battalion that
although he couldn't afford to
travel all the way from Dallas, he
would be willing to testify over
the phone to the board.
"I would back-up what I saw
and heard-what I experienced,"
Salem said. "They can deny it, but
it's true."
Dr. Mike Leese, coordinator of
Greek affairs in the department of
student activities, said evidence
will be presented at the hearing
for and against the chapter, and
any additional evidence will be
accepted by the board.
"The evidence that would be
used against them would include
(Salem's) letter and any letters
that might end up in The Battal
ion," Leese said. "I've gotten
phone calls from other student
groups concerned about it, and if
they put something in writing,
that would be used as evidence."
The hearing is standard proce
dure when a chapter is accused of
an offense of this magnitude,
Leese said.
"Anytime a fraternity violates
a policy — whether it's an alcohol
policy, a hazing policy, or, in this
case a negative reflection upon
the Greek system — that particu
lar chapter is called before the ju
dicial board," Leese said.
If the chapter is found guilty,
to any degree, there are many
punishment possibilities, includ
ing probation, fines and commu
nity service, Leese said.
In this situation, he expects
the board to require the chapter to
attend a workshop on cultural
sensitivity.
Salem said his motive for testi
fying wasn't to lash out at the fra
ternity.
"I'm not out for their charter or
to shut them down or anything,"
Salem said. "My goal is for them
to recognize what they've done
and not do it again."
Running mates prepare for showdown
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — The presidential
campaign spotlight now shifts to
Dan Quayle, A1 Gore and James
Stockdale as the three running
mates square off for their only de
bate.
For Quayle, the showdown
Tuesday night in Atlanta could be
especially critical. Not only is
President Bush in dire need of a
campaign lift, but, if the Bush-
Quayle ticket loses in November,
this may be the vice president's
last showcase opportunity for a
long while to bolster his chances
for a run at the top job in 1996.
Gore, too, could have more
than just top-of-the-ticket interests
at stake, since he also is a regard
ed a presidential prospect. The de
bate outcome likely isn't so piv
otal for his own career. Regardless
of what happens in November, he
will have a strong political power
base.
The No. 2s are set to meet just
two days after Bush, Bill Clinton
and Ross Perot faced off in St.
Louis in the first of three presi
dential debates.
Because the polls show Bush
trailing badly behind Clinton,
“Quayle has got to think about his
own political future/' said Erwin
Hargrove, a political science pro
fessor at Vanderbilt University.
For Quayle, the debate also
represents an opportunity to re
deem himself from what he con
cedes was a miserable perfor
mance in 1988, especially his ill-
conceived attempt to compare
himself to John F. Kennedy when
debating Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of
Texas.