Vol. 92 No. 112 ( 8 pages)
Thursday, March 11,1993
e Batta
1893 - A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993
Student Government proposes overhaul amendment
Referendum
By JULI PHILLIPS
The Battalion
Student Government will ask students to
speak loudly about the state of the Sterling C.
Evans Library - with their votes.
The Student Senate will place a referendum
approving a student fee specifically for fund
ing the library on the student elections ballot
next month.
"We have done a lot of research on this,"
Off-Campus Senator Heather Cameron said at
the Student Senate meeting Wednesday night.
"Let me tell you, compared to other universi
ties, our library is sad."
Northside Senator Russell Langley pro
posed an amendment asking the University
administration to give the library 33 cents for
each dollar students pay through the fee.
"This is an important issue," Langley said.
urges funding for library
"Not only does the student body need to con
tribute, so does the administration."
But, David Brooks, the student who
brought this proposal to the Senate, said get
ting money from the administration is wishful
thinking.
"Let me tell you, compared
to other universities, our
library is sad."
-Heather Cameron
Off-Campus Senator
"The Student Senate has no actual power
and it can't make anyone do anything,"
Brooks said. "No matter how hard you lobby,
you're not going to get matching funds out of
the University."
Langley also voiced concern that the refer
endum students will vote on should be very
specific so there is no misunderstanding about
where the students want the money spent.
"The Regents will have the final say," Lang
ley said. "If the students don't speak clearly,
the Regents won't understand what they are
saying.'
Brooks, however, said additional words
would hinder the referendum, not help it.
The amendment must be kept short so stu
dents will not get lost in the words, he said.
Lengthy wording would jeopardize the refer
endum because students vote against what
they do not understand.
Brooks stressed the immediacy of the refer
endum.
See Referendum/Page 4
NFL Aggies sign autographs
DARRIN HILL/The Battalion
Aggie alumnus Kevin Smith of the Dallas Cowboys signs autographs Aggie NFL players were there for an autograph/photo session for
for James Jackson at the Hilton on Wednesday night. About 15 approximately 50 eager fans.
Foreign laws plague spring breakers
By SHELIA VELA
The Battalion
Texas A&M students traveling abroad over
spring break need to be aware of the laws of
the country they will visit, said an official with
the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Con
sular Affairs.
Nyda Budig, public affairs officer for the
bureau, said "Last spring in Tijuana and other
neighboring places, there could have been ap
proximately 100 students at any one time dur
ing the week who were arrested for violating
laws regarding the use of alcohol in public be
cause they were unaware of the country's
laws."
Because other countries have different laws
regarding drug and alcohol use, a student may
think he or she is not breaking the law when
they are, she said. The student may even find
themselves spending the night in jail.
"It is an embarrassment and inconvenience
for a student's parents to be notified that their
son or daughter is in jail overseas," Budig said.
Many students assume that because they
are American citizens they are protected by the
U.S. government when traveling abroad, she
said.
"The U.S. Constitution doesn't go with you
when you travel," Budig said, "Just because
you're American does not mean you can get
out of going to jail."
Attorney Rick Powell, assistant coordinator
of legal services in the student attorney's of
fice, said students must be careful of their ac
tions when traveling into foreign countries.
"Students need to think about what they are
doing, so they can come back in one piece," he
said.
Powell said he has advised students for traf
fic accidents and illegal drinking citations
abroad.
"Students of illegal age should stay away
from liquor because having it in your car or
just holding it for a friend does get you in trou
ble, too," he said.
Budig also warned students to be cautious
of others trying to get them to carry packages
or to drive a car across the border of another
country. If these items contain illegal drugs,
the student may be held responsible for pos
sessing them, she said.
Budig said, "Getting caught and convicted
of drug possession could ruin a student's fu
ture for college and employment."
Linda Taylor, of the office of the Texas
A&M University System's general counsel,
said students should watch out for their mon
ey, cameras and passports while traveling in
another country.
"Make sure you are very careful to keep up
with your passports or you may not get out of
that country and back into the U.S.," Taylor
said
Abortion opponent
shoots doctor at clinic
during demonstration
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PENSACOLA, Fla. - An
abortion opponent shot to death a
doctor during a demonstration
outside his abortion clinic
Wednesday, then calmly surren
dered, police and witnesses said.
It was the first fatality ever re
ported at an abortion protest,
abortion-rights activists said.
Dr. David Gunn, 47, was shot
in the chest several times as he got
out of his car at the Pensacola
Women's Medical Services clinic
he operated, police Sgt. Jerry Potts
said. Gunn died in surgery at a
hospital two hours later.
At the time of the shooting, a
dozen anti-abortion protesters
were gathered in front of the clin
ic, Potts said.
Michael Frederick Griffin, 31,
of Pensacola was arrested and
charged with murder, Potts said.
Potts refused to confirm the
shooting was abortion-related. "I
don't want to speculate, but it oc
curred while a protest was going
on,” he said.
During a service Sunday, Grif
fin had offered a prayer for the
doctor at the Whitfield Assembly
of God Church outside Pensacola,
said John Burt, a lay preacher
who led the protest.
"He asked that the congrega
tion pray, and asked that we
would agree with him that Dr.
Gunn would give his life to Jesus
Christ/' Burt said. ''He wanted
him to stop doing things the Bible
says is wrong and start doing
what the Bible says was right.”
Don Treshman, head of the
anti-abortion group Rescue Amer
ica in Houston, said Griffin told
the doctor "Don't kill any more
babies!” just before the shooting
at about 10 a.m. He said several
members of Rescue America at
tended the protest and called him
afterward.
The shooting came at a time
when abortion-rights activists
have reported new tactics by op
ponents against clinics, such as
noxious chemicals. In San Diego
this week, anti-abortion activists
sprayed five clinics with a foul
smelling substance, police said.
Although clinics have been
bombed and abortion providers
threatened with death, no one has
ever been slain at an abortion
protest, according to Sara Pines, a
spokeswoman for the National
Abortion Rights Action League.
"We call on Congress to imme
diately enact the Freedom of Ac
cess to Clinic Entrances bill to
combat anti-choice terrorism and
enact the Freedom of Choice Act
to guarantee American women
their legal right to choose," NAR-
AL's president, Kate Michelman,
said in a statement after the shoot
ing.
Burt said Griffin occasionally
participated in his demonstrations
out never exhibited any tendency
toward violence. He said he had
gone to church with Burt on Sun
day when Wednesday's protest
was discussed. Griffin had said he
would attend but Burt said he
didn't see him until after the
■shooting.
Burt emphasized that his loose
ly knit ecumenical group had not
intended any violence when it en
tered the complex Wednesday
morning.
Stop the press!
MARK YBARRA/The Battalion
After making a comment about the appearance of another person's
room, Mark Nelson, a junior chemistry major from Weatherford,
returned after class to find his own room redecorated.
Police arrest 2 A&M cadets
linked to ax-handle attack
By JEFF GQSMANO
The Battalion
Two members of the Texas
A&M Corps of Cadets were ar
rested in connection with an at
tack that occurred in the Col
lege Station Police Department
parking Jot Tuesday morning.
University Police Director
Bob Wiatt confirmed that An
drew Scott Wlazlinski, 18, and
Jonathan Michael Thornberry,
19, were arrested early Tuesday
by College Station police in
front of the University Center
Parking garage.
Both were released on bail
from the Brazos County Jail.
According to a police report,
Michael Scott Fagan, a 22-year-
old from Austin, was followed
from a College Station club to
the CSPD parking lot by two
white males. The report said
Fagan was assaulted by the two
men and attacked with an ax
handle.
Wiatt said a University offi
cer saw two men outside of
Dorm 8 who fit the description
given over police radio.
The officer immediately
called CSPD and arrested the
men on charges of aggravated
assault.
If convicted, they face a pun
ishment of 2-10 years in prison
and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
Student Gov't bids on the rise
Election filings drawing 'steady flow/ Aggie senators say
By JULI PHILLIPS
The Battalion
Filings for the Student Government elections are
going smoothly and drawing a great response, stu
dent senators said.
Business administration senators Tom Delanoy
and Amy Jenkins said there has been a steady flow
of applicants for student body president, class presi
dents and senators.
Jenkins said, "There have been a lot of students
coming in. Mostly students have been filing for sen
atorial positions because there are more openings."
Delanoy said although filings do not close until
Friday, students should not wait that long.
"I wouldn't recommend students waiting until
the last minute to file, since you have to have a cer
tain amount of signatures to get on the ballot," De
lanoy said.
Students filing for student body president must
turn in 200 signatures by Friday to get on the ballot.
Students running for other positions must turn in 50
signatures.
A small fee is also required for a place on the bal
lot: $15 for student body president, $10 for class
presidents and $5 for all other positions.
Delanoy and Jenkins speculated that the Yell
Leader and student body president elections will be
the most interesting to watch.
The senators said they could not give out any
names, but Student Body President Steve Seller said
six students have filed for the student body presi
dent position.
A mandatory meeting for all candidates will be
held Sunday. After the meeting, names of the candi
dates will be released.
Student Government will accept election applica
tions, fees and signatures in Room 133 of the Student
Services Building until 5 p.m. Friday.
Sports
•Baseball: A&M sweeps Illinois
State; boosts record to 20-2
•Basketball: Ags lose to Baylor
in SWC tournament game
Page 3
Opinion
•Clinton's national service
plan: right idea at wrong time
•Toni Clay explores concept of
"The Thirteenth generation"
Page 7