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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.