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The Battalion
Vol. 92 No. 80 (12 pages)
‘Serving Texas A&M Since 1893’
Tuesday, January 26,1993
1 ■■■■■■■
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Mobley stresses issues
university must face
By STEPHANIE PATTILLO
The Battalion
Enrollment, the budget and the
status of Aggie athletics are three
of the most pressing issues Texas
A&M University faces, said Uni
versity President Dr. William
Mobley during his annual State of
the University Address at the
Clayton Williams Jr. Alumni Cen
ter Monday night.
Despite a 20 percent cut per
student in state funding, enroll
ment is on the rise, Mobley said.
Approximately 15,000 students
are expected to apply for the 6,000
available freshman spots for next
semester.
With this continued increased
in applicants, Mobley posed the
question of how big is too big.
"It would be a shame if A&M
lost it's sense of community and
tradition by getting too big,"
Mobley said.
No matter how large the Uni
versity becomes, Mobley said that
A&M will always have more ap
plicants than it can accept. Be
cause of this, the selection criteria
for admissions will have to be re
viewed.
"There is no easy answer; we
need to find a way to make it (ad
missions) fair," Mobley said.
Currently, Scholastic Aptitude
Test scores and individual assess
ment are used to determine who
gets into A&M.
While Mobley wrestles with
admissions, the state legislature
struggles with budget cuts that
will affect the University.
"It's not realistic that we will
see a budget increase," Mobley
said. "A flat budget that tweaks
in a couple of areas would be ide
al."
Mobley said he hates to see
budget cuts in the area of educa
See Mobley/Page 12
JOHN BARTRAM/The Battalion
" We are now the third
largest university in the
nation," said Dr. Mobley
in his State of the
University Address.
Barton defends position
State official against homosexuals in armed forces
By REAGON CLAMON
John Hess, a graduate student from Houston,
gets tackled by Chad Cox, a sophomore forestry
DARRIN HILl/Thc Battalion
major from Nacogdoches outside Clements Hall
on Sunday.
The Battalion
Clinton promises to lift ban
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Despite intense opposition from
the Pentagon and Congress, President Clinton promised
Monday to fulfill his pledge to revoke the ban on homo
sexuals in the military.
"I intend to keep my commitment," he said.
Clinton summoned the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the
White House to hear their objections and explore
grounds for compromise.
"1 want their input on how we should do it," Clinton
said. "I think they're entitled to really be listened to on
a lot of the practical issues."
Military officials have raised concerns about hous
ing, spousal benefits, discipline and requests for same-
sex marriages. They also have warned of the potential
of violence against gay members of the military.
Clinton's promise to end the 50-year-old ban has in
flamed passions, presenting the new commander in
chief with the delicate challenge of carrying out a major
campaign pledge while preventing a backlash from
Congress and the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Les Aspin spoke earlier of the po
tential for a "revolt" in the military and said that mem
bers of Congress are overwhelmingly against lifting the
ban.
See Promises/Page 12
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Enis, reaf
firmed his support for a policy
banning gays in the military at a
press conference to gather sup
port for his U.S. Senate cam
paign, Monday.
Barton told a small roomful of
supporters in the McKenzie ter
minal of Easterwood airport that
he believes President Clinton's
intention to relax the military's
policy prohibiting gay's and les
bians is a bad idea. He is plan
ning to introduce a bill in the
House of Representatives that
will make the policy law.
"I think that (Clinton's plan)
Rep. Joe Barton
DARRIN HILL/The Battalion
is a bad public policy decision,"
Barton said. "The existing rules
and regulations have served our
nation well in war and peace for
over 200 years."
Before speaking to his sup
porters, Barton met with a group
of students protesting the pro
posed bill in the lobby of the air
port terminal —shaking hands
and thanking them for being
there.
"...the young men and women
outside are exercising their con
stitutional right to protest and
free speech," he said. "They've
got a right to be here."
Barton told his supporters it
See Barton/Page 12
Corps investigates
alleged sexual assault
By GINA HOWARD
The Battalion
Officials with the Texas
A&M University Corps of
Cadets are investigating allega
tions by a female cadet that a
senior male cadet sexually as
saulted her last spring and sex
ually harassed her this fall.
The alleged victim, whose
name has not been released,
filed a complaint with the Uni
versity Police Department on
Dec. 14, 1992, stating she had
been the victim of unwanted
sexual advances by a male
cadet. The cadet's name has not
been released because no crimi
nal charges have been filed.
Lt. Col. James L. McCleskey,
chief of operations and training
for the Corps, said he could not
offer specific details, but he did
confirm there is an on-going in
vestigation.
"We are looking into a case
where some allegations of sexu
al misconduct have been made,
but the whole thing is some
what sketchy," McCleskey
said. "I can't give any details
for the protection of the cadets
involved."
McCleskey declined toVom-
ment on how long the investi
gation will last.
According to the police inci
dent report, the female cadet
stated she did not want to press
criminal charges at that time,
but she wanted to make a re
port in case the harassment con
tinued.
In the report, the alleged vic
tim stat.ed she was raped by the
suspect in April of 1992, but she
did not report the incident at
that time.
The alleged victim stated she
had gone to the suspect's room
around Nov. 12 to pick up some
papers for a class. She stated he
then tried to kiss her, and she
fled the room.
The second incident was not
reported at the time it allegedly
occurred either.
The female cadet stated be
cause she had reason to believe
the suspect was considering the
same type of harassment to
ward a female freshman cadet,
she reported the incidents to her
adviser and later filed a report
with UPD.
McCleskey said so far, noth
ing has been confirmed.
"It is just allegations at this
point," he said.
Energy tax
proposed
for deficit
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - The Clin
ton administration gave fresh sig
nals Monday it may propose tax
increases that would hit most
Americans as a way of fighting
the federal deficit. A broad-based
tax on energy consumption is
among "a lot of options," Presi
dent Clinton said.
A day after Treasury Secretary
Lloyd Bentsen floated the possi
bility of such a tax, Clinton and
White House officials did their
best to keep it aloft.
"Absolutely, yes," responded
White House communications di
rector George Stephanopoulos.
Stephanopoulos also stressed
that cuts in entitlement spending
also are "on the table" as the plan
takes shape.
Clinton took a step further to
ward that package by signing an
executive order creating a Cabi
net-level National Economic
Council.
The council, headed by former
New York investment banker
Robert Rubin, will coordinate eco
DARRIN HILL/Thc Battalion
Members of the Gay and Lesbian Student
Services protest outside the room where
Congressman Joe Barton held a press
conference at Easterwood Airport on Monday.
Members were there to protest Barton's bill to
keep homosexuals from serving in the military.
GLSS protests congressman's
opposition to gays in military
By KEVIN LINDSTROM
The Battalion
See Energy tax/Page 12
Members of a Texas A&M gay student group
protested Rep. Joe Barton's opposition to lifting
the ban on homosexuals in the military when Bar
ton appeared at a press conference at Easterwood
Airport Monday.
The members of the Gay and Lesbian Student
Services (GLSS) yelled "support our president"
and "ban the ban" as Barton entered the airport
conference room.
GLSS member Clay Kilpatrick, an honorably
discharged United States Marine and sophomore
computer science and management major, said
they came to protest homophobia.
"These are the same exact stereotypes and fears
that were fought by blacks in the 50s and women
in the 70s," Kilpatrick said.
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Anne Woods, a senior journalism major, said
sexual orientation has nothing to do with military
service.
"The issue in the military is sexual misconduct,
not sexual preference," she said.
Barton shook hands with each of the protesters
and told each of them, "I respect your right to
protest."
Kim Rettig, GLSS president, said Barton's
recognition helps bring the issue to light.
"I think it helps his supporters to realize that
we're here as well, and that his supporters need to
think about both sides of the issue," she said.
Dr. Jim Mazzullo, associate professor of Geolo
gy and GLSS faculty adviser, said face-to-face con
tact can help reduce stereotyping.
"Most problems with discrimination are due to
people's ignorance," Mazzullo said. "And you can
overcome most of that ignorance by just being in
the same room."