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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1993)
\ The Battalion Vol. 92 No. 132 (12 pages) 1893 - A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993 Friday, April 16,1993 Forum highlights Director cites meeting as opportunity for students to express concerns, ideas need for diverse campus NICOLE ROHRMAN/The Battalion Kevin Carreathers, Mary Jo Powell and Sharon Texas A&M students during an open forum held on Wiley (left to right) discuss multicultural issues with Thursday. Cult leader to decipher seven seals | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WACO — Religious schol ars have tried for centuries to decipher the Bible's seven seals promising the end of the world. So FBI officials said Thursday they're not holding their breath for religious cult leader David Koresh to do it. "We have had so many stalling tactics over such a long period of time we are not that overly optimistic," said FBI spokesman Richard Swensen. Koresh has remained holed up with 95 followers inside a heavily armed compound for 47 days. Now, he says he is prepared to end the standoff with authorities after receiv ing his long-awaited message from God. But Koresh said he first must complete a manuscript that deciphers the Book of Revelation's seven seals, and no one quite seems to know how long that will take. By CHERYL HELLER The Battalion Texas A&M University stu dents shared their concerns and suggestions to make the Universi ty a discrimination-free environ ment during an open forum held Thursday. The shortage of minority facul ty and students on campus, rights of gay and lesbian students and faculty, and diversity of religion were concerns of students who at tended the forum, which was sponsored by the Texas A&M University Committee for A Dis crimination Free Campus. Kevin Carreathers, director of Multicultural Services at Texas A&M and a committee member, said he thinks the forum was a good opportunity for students to share their concerns about the Texas A&M environment and how it relates to discrimination. "This is the second time in two years we've had an open forum," he said. "We got good feedback last time, and we were able to lis ten to complaints and implement some suggestions." Students at the forum offered suggestions on how to increase minority enrollment at Texas A&M. About 10 students attend ed. Victor Romero, a senior English major from California, suggested the University build a social at mosphere for minorities and in crease the amount of minority history and literature in the li brary. "Minority students considering Texas A&M will look at the social opportunities available," he said. "The amount of minority history may also influence a student when choosing a school." Another student suggested fo cusing on facilities and culture to attract minority students to Texas A&M. "A&M needs facilities and cul ture to get students here," the stu dent said. "It has the facilities, and now it needs to shift the focus to the culture of minorities." Committee member Mary Jo Powell, associate director of pub lic information, said the Universi ty has problems with attracting minority faculty members because Texas A&M is in a smaller city, and other schools may make bet ter offers. The Texas economy also pre sents a problem, she said. "Our economy is very well publicized," she said. "At the pre sent time, money and opportuni ties aren't here, and prospective faculty members know it." The recognition of gay, lesbian and bisexual students and faculty on campus was also discussed during the forum. Why gay, lesbian and bisexual students are not included in the Multicultural Service's overall program and why no prominent campus personality speaks out for gay and lesbian students were questions raised by one student. "The University has not taken a stand that gay and lesbian stu dents must be tolerated," he said. "The University needs to ac knowledge that they are here, and because they're different doesn't mean they're bad." See Forum/Page 5 Budweiser Clydesdales visif Post Oak Mall CRAIG FOX/The Battalion Residents of College Station and Bryan watch as the world famous Post Oak Mall yesterday as a part of their on-going tour of the United Budweiser Clydesdales pass by. The Clydesdales were in town at the States. Clinton considers national sales tax THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The White House is trying to take the public's temperature on whether a national sales tax to finance President Clin ton's healthcare plan would enjoy public support or scorn. "I have made absolutely no decision" on a value-added tax, Clinton said Thursday, a day after top administration officials said such a levy is an option. But he further fueled speculation for such a tax, a kind of sales tax, by noting it enjoyed support from many in business and la bor. The suggestion of a value-added tax has generated sharp divisions within the administration. Some of Clinton's key advisers, led by Trea sury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, are arguing against it as too politically risky. Still, with the idea now launched as a possibility — whether deliber ately or inadvertently — administration officials were interested in gauging the fallout. "About half the public right now believes it will be necessary to raise taxes for health care," said pollster Stan Greenberg, who does research for the White House and for the Democratic National Committee. Greenberg said in an interview that support goes even higher when specific components of such a plan are mentioned, such as "universal access," giving everyone access to health care. But, he added, "the specifics are unclear" right now on what kind of new taxes the public might accept. "They'd rather tax the insurance companies." Some political analysts were bewildered that the administration se lected the week income taxes are due to float such a trial balloon. "This is the day when Americans tend to focus anger on the tax sys tem and how much they're paying," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist. Furthermore, Clinton's economic program already contains new pro posed taxes — on large corporate and personal incomes and on energy use — that remain untested before Congress. And his job-creating stimulus package remains snarled in a Senate Republican filibuster. Clinton on TTiursday conceded he was now ready to embrace a smaller package to overcome the GOP objections. It all adds up to a lot of proposals swirling around, making the mar shalling of support for a whole new kind of tax system a difficult job even for the most persuasive of politicians. Corps triumphs over frats, 6-3, in baseball game By WILLIAM HARRISON The Battalion Two rival Texas A&M student organiza tions, A&M's Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Corps of Cadets, faced off in their fourth annual baseball game at Olsen Field Thursday with the Corps prevailing 6-3. Officials from the Corps and the IFC said the money made from the game is split in half to fund both the IFC and the Corps. The IFC's money goes into a general schol arship fund, and the Corps uses their share to fund Sul Ross Scholarships for incoming fresh men and the Corps' recruiting expenses. The Corps evened the overall series with the fraternities at two games apiece after tak ing advantage of a pair of IFC errors and mak ing the most out of their five hits. The Cadets' manager Marc Povero said his team took the best 22 out of 75 applicants from different Corps divisions to make the team, and said, as a senior, he hopes this game will keep the younger members motivated to win future games. "We had a lot of young guys out here this year, and we hope they keep the tradition of winning going out here," he said. Povero said his team put an emphasis on strong pitching and getting bat contact to put the ball in play, and he gave credit to his pitch ing coach Ryan Rogers. "Ryan got our pitchers to throw strikes tonight, most of the time and we were happy with that," Povero said. Both the Corps and the fraternities had about three weeks to train for the game, but IFC co-manager Jason Moore said he wished he had more time to prepare after rain post poned a lot of his team's practices this year. Moore said his team had a good chance to come back, but missed opportunities hurt his See Baseball/Page 3 Sexual Assault Awareness Month UPD, crisis center sponsor self-defense By MARY KUJAWA The Battalion Plaid ribbons, self-defense dasses and education about sexu al assault prevention are ways in which local organizations and the University Police Department are trying the public's awareness about sexual assault during April. Gov. Ann Richards has de clared April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Texas. It is intended to increase public awareness about the problem of sexual assault and to encourage citizen involvement in solving the problem. "I think awareness is being aware that it can happen and to do whatever you can to stay safe," said Corporal Betty C. LeMay, UPD crime prevention specialist. The UPD has been conducting self-defense classes for students, faculty and staff, and it will spon sor two classes titled "Personal Safety and Self-Defense" later in the month. The classes are open to the public. The UPD also has been show ing a film titled "Rape Is Not An Option" in recent weeks. LeMay said more males than females have been showing up to view the film. They often express prevention classes concern for the safety of a sister or girlfriend. "I'm impressed with the concern of the males,"she said. Paula McCune, coordinator of volunteers for the Brazos County Rape Crisis Center, said sexual as sault affects the spouse, brother and father of a victim. "It's not just a woman's issue," she said. "It's a man and woman's issue." In accordance with Sexual As sault Awareness Month, the Bra zos County Rape Crisis Center, Inc. is sponsoring a plaid ribbon See Rape/Page 3 Sports •Baseball: Texas Aggies to battle Baylor in biggest series of the year •Column: Major League reform may be going too far Page 7 Opinion •Column: Infomercials, you'll never want to leave your TV •MSC & hats . . . lots and lots of Mail Call Page 11 Accrediting team concludes A&M visit By JENNIFER SMITH The Battalion The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) concluded a four-day visit to the Texas A&M campus Thurs day and will formally recom mend in December that the Uni versity be re-accredited. University President Dr. William Mobley said he is hap py with the SACS review. ' "Overall, they (the SACS) were very positive about the University," Mobley said. "We think it was a good review/' The SACS is a voluntary as sociation of representatives from colleges and universities that evaluate schools for the purpose of accreditation. They visit schools in 11 southern states every 10 years for the purpose of re-accreditation. The 33 members of the SACS met with President Mobley Thursday after they had con cluded their visit. "They gave us a quick oral summary," Mobley said. "We will receive a formal report in October. "There were no surprises," he said. Central to this self-study was a list of recommendations for improving Texas A&M. SACS will offer its own rec ommendations, as well as point out positive points when it for mally announces its results. During their visit to A&M, members of the SACS inter viewed faculty, staff and stu dents. Their main goal is to re view University services to de termine if A&M meets its mis sion and purpose. Before the SACS representa tives came to Texas A&M, they were given a self-study that A&M has conducted for the past two years. Mobley said this self-study process helps the University re view itself. "We are very proud of the re sults," Mobley said. "They (the SACS) were very positive and very helpful." SACS representatives hold various positions at other uni versities and colleges around the South. Mobley said he served on an accreditation board last year for the University of Florida.
