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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1992)
rson. Johnson rd out of Con- >e back and k vill have toh the long 1 cewalk," J( ;ot to be re to play even II grown up a ; we improved The Battalion Vol. 92 No. 69 (6 pages) ‘Serving Texas A&M Since 1893’ Monday, December 7, 1992 A&M st of the atten- s season, s why that is ;aid he hopes usiasm abou; can be trans- Official asks for Mobley's resignation By GARY P. CARROLL, City Editor of THE BATTALION sam has bees id. "You have ; teams in n College Sla- R.C. (Slocum, coach) hasn’l ally-intimida! e picking upa >ut his fello’ ■s at the same State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D- douston, called for the resignation of exas A&M University President William ttie Mobley in a letter sent to The Battalion pst Thursday. "I am writing today with the sincere lope the I can convince you to step down Is A&M president," Thompson's letter Stated. Thompson said in her letter that Mob- by's position should be filled by someone ith a clear vision for the 21st century as ell as a sensitivity for Texas' dynamic Thompson educational system. "I will not hesitate to stand up for what I feel is right," Thomp son said. A&M has increased its efforts of recruiting minorities, and ac cording to a Universi ty Relations report, its efforts have paid off. A&M leads the Southwest Confer ence in minority retention, and the Uni versity has seen an 89 percent increase in minority enrollment since Mobley took office. By the spring of 1992, 63.6 percent of all African-American students who en rolled in A&M in 1986 graduated; 56.1 percent of Hispanic students graduated; and 66.3 percent of Anglo students grad uated. Despite these figures, as well as an in crease in minority scholarships at A&M, Thompson feels that Mobley has not dealt with issues of cultural diversity appropri ately, and that he has failed to encourage attitudes of racial tolerance. Thompson's call for Mobley's resigna tion was a result of what she called a lack of a direct response by Mobley to A&M's Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. The fraternity threw a 'jungle' party at which pledges, dressed in black face paint and grass skirts, were allegedly chased by active members — a theme deemed racially insensitive by University officials. Sigma Alpha Epsilon received discipli nary and retributive sanctions, as well as a $1,000 fine to be applied toward a mul ticultural awareness program. Still, Thompson feels Mobley never responded properly to the charges of racist activity at the party. "There was an opportunity for the president to act, and I think he failed to act appropriately," Thompson said. "He could have stood up, and said he was not going to tolerate this type of conduct on campus - but he didn't." Thompson said Mobley's failure to condemn the fraternity's behavior was tantamount to condoning it. "... By the position he took when he said, 'Well (Rep. Ron Wilson) can come and make a response/ it lets me know that (Mobley) fosters that kind of attitude - that's the impression it leaves in my mind," Thompson said. She said she is pleased with the execel- lence and quality of research at A&M, but See Thompson/Page 3 -’resident reacts o accusations Mobley: she doesn't know us very well By GARY R CARROLL were playing ey were n aid. "(Asare- lore physical of a scouting )le I was play- ess the same /ards, three men, the g to find the > make up for ht. Johnson A&M'S fast- City Editor of THE BATTALION it is a simplel Texas A&M University Presi- ition to finish lent Dr. William Mobley respond- H yesterday to a letter written by run-and-shoot ate Rep. Sen- : we do run a pnia Thomp- . "We don't bn, D-Hous- butwe'vegot in, calling for s resignation be in bettei tithe grounds in open break )at he has not t. It's a fast- ken an active it's thekindllble in multi- liltural aware- able to work less at A&M. fection, John-1 "My guess 1 final record I that she was an. The team lacting ... in Barone's sys- a /ery strong way to get my atten- ully aware of lin," Mobley said. "It's probably ts out of his example of if she knew us bet- or we worked harder to make re she knew us, she would be le to put it into context." Although Mobley has not yet g that I stayloken with Thompson, he feels at she is reacting to the situation garding Rep. Ron Wilson and s feelings concerning an issue of cial insensitivity involving an StM fraternity. In October, the Sigma Alpha isilon fraternity was accused of ■rowing a party with a racist angle" theme. Allegedly, active lembers dressed in hunting fa- ues chased, or "hunted," edges who had painted them- Ives black. The fraternity was punished by ving its social and rush privi- bes canceled and requiring fra- Mobley or himself is nore injuries, 'ortunities. r 12JV) .m, EM 101 tice Final beams EM 101 tice Final beams EM 101 tice Final beams EM 101 tice Final ixams EM 102 tice Final beams TH 251 I Review :t 229 Review fH 151 Review CT 230 Review FH 308 Review TH 141 I Review TH 251 1 Review Jeven band cadets iwait punishment By GINA HOWARD Reporter of THE BATTALION IA closed hearing to decide the (ate of the seven former Aggie Band members who protested /ring the Texas A&M-University ■Texas football game was held at |e Military Sciences Building Sat- day. The seven cadets, six seniors id one freshman, were dis- issed from the band after they the field during halftime of e Nov. 26 A&M-University of xas football game in order to oid playing on the same field as eUTband. The seven cadets and on-scene id character witnesses testified ■ the hearing. Lt. Col. Mike ike, administrative hearing offi- r, will consider the testimony len determining the cadets pun- tment. Duke alone will decide if fur- |er punishment is necessary, ich could include expelling the Hets from the Corps. "If it (punishment) is serious ough, (Duke) will present his cision through me to Gen. Dar- ig (corps commandant)," said Col. James McCleskey, chief of 'erations and training for the rps of Cadets. McCleskey said further punish- ■nt may depend on the degree which the cadets violated or- rs and rules. The seven cadets were dis used from the Aggie Band by l Ray Toler, director of march- ; and concert bands, after they Iked off the field during the lf-time performance. They re not allowed to sit with the id during the second half of the game. Jeff Gibbs, a senior cadet who participated in the protest, said he did not want to be a member of the only Aggie Band to share the field with another band. "I didn't want to be disgraced on my last performance in the Ag gie Band," Gibbs said last week following his dismissal. "I felt like we were set up." The band should have never been put in the position of sharing the field with the University of Texas, said Jerry Gonzales last week. The protest might not have been the right thing to do, but the seven cadets were not the only ones at fault. Josh Brooks, a senior cadet, said last week after the inci dent. McCleskey said he was unable to predict what the outcome of the hearing might be. "I wouldn't presume to pre judge at this time," he said. "The privacy of these cadets has to be considered." Christi Evans, one of the protesting cadets, said she is un sure what will be decided, but that the process seemed fair. "There were character witness es, and we were allowed legal ad vice on how to answer questions," she said. Other cadets involved in the protest declined to comment due to the pending investigation. Dar ling said he declined to comment at length on the hearing because he has not really been involved. "I really don't know much about this/' he said. "I've stayed out of their way to let them carry out the process." ternity leaders to attend a retreat on multicultural awareness. The fraternity was also fined $1,000, which goes toward a pro gram on multicultural sensitivity that the fraternity must produce and deliver to the Greek system at A&M. Thompson's letter stated that the sanctions were "wholly inap propriate, unresponsive and in sensitive," and that A&M was "out-of-tune with modern Ameri ca with an environment hostile to minorities." Mobley said the letter was probably written out of anger in an attempt by Thompson to un derscore the severity of the prob lem. "We haven't done a good enough job to set the context for (Thompson), and if she really un derstood what was going on here she'd still be angry," Mobley said. Mobley insisted that A&M is not a racist university and was not hostile toward minorities, but agreed that the University must continue to educate students on multicultural issues. Thompson's letter stated, "There is a critical need for man dated multicultural studies at Texas' flagship universities. There is an even greater need to institute actual programs of mi nority admissions, hiring and re cruitment." Since Mobley took his position as president of A&M, the Univer sity has seen a steady increase in See Mobley/Page 3 DARRIN HILUThe Battalion It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas Members of Boy Scout Troop Pack 976 Den 5 (above), along with Santa Claus and helper (right), wave to parade spectators at the 1992 Christmas parade held Sunday afternoon. There were about 110 entries in the parade, which was held along Texas Avenue. DARRIN HILUThe Battalion Earthquake faults Geologists find 2 new ones in Los Angeles THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES — Two previ ously unknown earthquake faults have been discovered in down town Los Angeles, passing be neath skyscrapers, along the Hol lywood Freeway and near Dodger Stadium, geologists said Sunday. If the faults are active, they could produce quakes measuring 5.5 to 6.5 on the Richter scale. That would "be very damaging because they are so close to major population centers," said geolo gist Jim Dolan of the California In stitute of Technology in Pasadena. Of more concern is the possibil ity that the newly discovered Echo Park and MacArthur Park faults may be connected to and rupture at the same time as the deeper Elysian Park fault, which was discovered five years ago, Dolan said. Scientists believe the Elysian Park fault could produce a quake measuring at least 7 right under downtown Los Angeles. In advance: Bush to visit A&M next week Bush According to a report this morning from White House Press Spokesman Marlin Fitzwater, President George Bush will be vis iting Texas A&M on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 11 a.m. Bush is scheduled to speak on major for eign policy issues. A White House advance team will be in College Station this week to prepare for the president’s visit. Bush’s last trip to College Station was in 1989 when he gave a commencement ad dress for A&M December graduates.