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The Battalion
Vol. 92 No. 155 (6 pages) 1893 - A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993 Thursday, June 10,1993
Liberal Arts to require cultural diversity classes
By JASON COX
The Battalion
After two years of debate, the Texas
A&M University Liberal Arts Council
passed a resolution Tuesday requiring in-
:oming liberal arts students to complete
:oursework in classes emphasizing cul
tural diversity.
The new policy, which was adopted by
a 13-2 vote, includes six hours of study in
international and domestic areas, three of
which must be concerned with race, eth
nicity or gender issues in the United
States.
Council members voted to change the
title of the requirement from "Cultural
Diversity" to "United States and Interna
tional Culture," because the council felt
'cultural diversity' was a politically
loaded term.
Texas A&M student body president
Brian Walker commended the name
change, saying it would change students'
perception of what the class was about.
Walker said perception is "a strong part
of the battle," but suggested postponing
the vote until fall to give students a
chance to further consider the issue.
Dr. Morgan Reynolds, professor of
economics, said he opposes the resolution
because "it threatens what a university is
about, namely the free exchange of
ideas."
"Left-wing faculty members could see
this as an ideological gain that will in
crease their numbers," he said.
Reynolds said many people want such
a course implemented university-wide.
"I think it debases the academic environ
ment of free inquiry. They're trying to
make it into a re-education camp rather
than a college of liberal arts and ultimate
ly dictate what to think instead of how to
think."
Dr. Daniel Fallon, dean of the College
of Liberal Arts, in a prepared statement
said, "The College of Liberal Arts opposes
the idea of a single course taught from a
predetermined, ideological perspective,
the kind of approach to complex issues
that some have labeled 'political correct
ness.' Rather, the college affirms the val
ue of allowing students to choose from a
wide variety of existing courses on U. S.
and international cultures."
Several minority faculty members af
firmed the existence of tension on A&M's
campus. It was mentioned that although
the decision may cause further tension, it
would be necessary to maintain future
racial and ethnic relations and to ensure
that the problem "couldn't just be swept
under the rug."
Dr. Richard Stadelmann, associate pro
fessor of philosophy and humanities, crit
icized the potential course list, question
ing why gender issues were included
when they don't directly deal with a sep
arate culture. He said the resolution was
creating a "requirement in political cor
rectness" and referred to the course list as
a study in victimology.
The requirement wouldn't unite the
University, but would do the opposite,
Stadelmann said, resulting in hostility.
loss of contributions and damage to
A&M's conservative reputation and leg
islative standing. A&M would no longer
be known as an "island of stability," he
said.
"The desire to create harmony is ad
mirable, but the results will be the oppo
site," he said.
Dr. Richard Street, professor of speech
communications and theater arts, replied
that the possibility of the requirement
causing student unrest is "paranoid
thinking."
Though a decision has not been made
on a starting date for the new policy, res
olutions of this nature are rarely subject
to further administrative review before
implementation, according to Texas
A&M's office of University Relations.
Court reverses
death penalty
for 2 convicts
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HUNTSVILLE - Two death
row inmates, elated to learn
Wednesday their murder convic
tions had been reversed by the
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals,
said their new trials would con
firm their innocence.
The court Wednesday threw
out the conviction of Francisco
Cardenas, a Mexican national, for
killing a Fort Bend County sher
iff's deputy who had stopped to
question him as he hitchhiked.
Jackie Barron Wilson, original
ly from Lubbock, also won a re
versal of his conviction for ab
ducting and killing a 5-year-old
girl from an Arlington apartment.
In a third reversal, the court re
jected the conviction of a Dallas
man, Gayland Bradford, for a
1988 murder during a robbery in
Dallas.
"This is good news," Carde
nas, 27, an illegal immigrant from
Mexico, said. "It's a miracle. I
thank God."
Cardenas was convicted of
shooting Eugene Heimann, 34,
five times after the Fort Bend
County sheriff's deputy stopped
him March 21, 1988, as he hitch
hiked near a home that had just
been burglarized.
Cardenas and his brother,
Juan, drove off in Heimann's pa
trol car, used the car to stop a mo
torist and then fled in that car.
They later were arrested in Hous
ton.
Bradford was found guilty in
the 1988 shooting death of conve
nience store security guard Brian
Edward Williams during a rob
bery.
The appeals court said Brad
ford's constitutional rights were
violated during the punishment
phase of the trial because the
judge wouldn't allow the defense
to offer certain psychiatric testi
mony unless Bradford also was
examined by a state-selected ex
pert.
Style is everything
STACY RYAN/The Battalion
Rust! Jeter, a high school junior from Jayton, TX, MSC on Wednesday. She is in town until Friday
shows off her bowling skills in the basement of the for the 4H Round-Up.
Bill creates funds
for young farmers
By LAURA HALEY
The Battalion
An experiment to determine the best way to keep an agricultural in
terest in Texas has resulted in the Young Farmer Loan Guarantee Pro
gram, which goes into effect Sept.l and will provide up to $50,000 in
loans to farmers between 18 and 39 years old.
"H.B. 1287 is a vital piece of legislation for the future of the agricul
ture industry in Texas," said Texas Gov. Arm Richards, who signed the
bill into law, in a prepared statement. "It will provide young farmers
with the funds they need to build a prosperous future for themselves
and add to the economic base of Texas."
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Pete Patterson, D-Brookston, and
Sen. Bill Sims, D-San Angelo, to promote agriculture growth in Texas.
Robert Kennedy, deputy assistant commissioner for agriculture fi
nance, said the loan money will be available by November 1994.
The program will be funded by a voluntary $5 charge on farm li
cense plates.
However, he said there may not be enough money to go around be
cause the payment is voluntary, and there is no way of knowing how
much money will be generated for the program.
"We have to do the best with what we have with the way the pro
gram is set up right nbw," Kennedy said.
Clay Carsner, Sims' legislative assistant, said the $5 charge is just a
starting point to see how much participation the program generates.
Amelia Martin, committee clerk for Patterson, said loan applicants
must have four years of practical experience to qualify for loans under
this program. This is done to make sure applicants know how to han
dle a large farming operation.
"We're looking for someone who's actually done it and knows
they're good at it," she said.
But she also said participation in 4-H Clubs and Future Farmers of
America may count for up to two years of the practical experience re
quirement.
Dr. Zerle Carpenter, director of the Agriculture Extension Service,
said he doesn't foresee the practical experience requirement to get the
loan as a problem for college graduates because most gain experience
"along the way."
The extension service will be working directly with applicants inter
ested in receiving a loan through the Young Farmer program.
Carpenter said the applicant must submit a plan which includes
how the money will be used, financial projections, and a pay back plan.
Extension service personnel will give advice and evaluate the plans
submitted to them.
Plans that are considered feasible will be approved and sent to the
loan board. However, not all plans approved by the extension service
will be granted loans. Carpenter said.
Martin said, "Loans will be made only as far as the money will go."
Despite possible financial difficulties. Carpenter said the program
will open another door for those who are interested in pursuing an
agriculture career.
"We are pleased that it looks like another revenue source will be
available for young people in agriculture," he said.
This is one reason Sims said he sponsored the bill.
"The program gives young men and women a chance for a career
in agriculture that they might not have had otherwise," he said.
Federal judge orders
U.S. to release Haitians
Additions include new labs
Chemistry Building reopens for classes after renovation
By JAMES BERNSEN
The Battalion
After four years of construction, the Chem
istry Building is completely renovated and will
be open for classes in August.
Mike Rosynek, associate head of the Depart
ment of Chemistry, said the renovation is the
conclusion of 10 years of work on the building.
Construction began with the addition of a
new wing, which was completed in 1986.
Rosynek said the Chemistry Building,
which was built in five successive stages be
ginning in 1928, was so old that there was dif
ficulty renovating some areas.
"Some of the mechanical systems were not
even serviceable," he said. "Many labs were
never designed or intended for modern lab
work."
Ron Carter, academic business administra
tor for the Department of Chemistry, said be
cause the building had not previously been
renovated, the facilities were unable to meet
the department's needs.
"The facility was constructed back in the
1930s, and the utilities were obsolete," he said.
"The instruments you do modern science with
require better facilities."
Rosynek said the obsolete teaching labs
were replaced with a portion of the building
constructed in 1986, and the freshman chem
istry labs were transferred to Heldenfelt Hall.
"The teaching labs vacated in older wings
were renovated for research lab space, offices
and other support facilities," he said.
Tim Donathen, assistant manager for Texas
A&M Facilities Planning and Construction,
said the new labs will be much better and safer
now that they have been renovated.
"The entire building was taken out of ser
vice during the renovations," he said. "But
they (renovations) were very much needed."
Carter said there is still a minor mechanical
air conditioning problem in the building, and he
hopes the problem will be approved for repair.
Local writer urges blacks to interact with media
By LISA ELLIOTT
The Battalion
Blacks are not getting fair rep
resentation in the media of Brazos
County, said Sunny Nash, a na
tionally acclaimed writer and pho
tographer, at a Progressive Lead
ership Luncheon Wednesday
sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha.
"There are two ways to get in
the news," Nash, a 1977 journal
ism graduate from A&M, said.
“You can write it and report it, or
you can commit a crime."
Blacks are in the media far
more often for the crimes they
commit than the good they do,
she said.
Nash said more blacks should
get involved in the media. She
said they have to have a plan and
not expect anyone to take them by
the hand and lead them to suc
cess.
Edward Haskin, committee
member for the Progressive Lead
ership Luncheon, said one possi
ble way for the black community
to get better representation in the
media is to develop a better rela
tionship with them.
"You have to make the effort to
make a friendship with the me
dia." Haskin said.
Haskin said the way to get no
ticed is to get involved in organi
zations such as sororities and fra
ternities and work with the com
munity.
During an open discussion, one
member of the audience said one
thing the black people of Brazos
County can do to get more in
volved with what the media cov
ers is by writing and calling the
television stations and newspa
pers and letting them know what
is important to blacks.
Nash said families should
make raising children more of a
community effort, as they did in
the past.
"The television is not a baby
sitter," she said. "More often
that's where children are being ex
posed to these kinds of negative
attitudes."
Nash said when she was a
child, the whole neighborhood
watched after her and made sure
she was punished when she did
something wrong.
"It was a community-wide ef
fort to raise kids," she said.
Nash has a column in the
Bryan-College Station Eagle and is
the publisher of Legacy, a journal
dedicated to understanding black
cultures.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - A federal judge
on Tuesday ordered more than
150 HIV-positive Haitians re
leased immediately from the U.S.
Navy base in Cuba. He called
their incarceration "outrageous,
callous and reprehensible."
U.S. District Judge Sterling
Johnson came down hard on the
Bush and Clinton administrations
in his ruling in a lawsuit filed on
behalf of the refugees.
"The detained Haitians are nei
ther criminals nor national securi
ty risks," Johnson wrote. "Some
are pregnant mothers and others
are children. Simply put, they are
merely the unfortunate victims of
a fatal disease."
He ordered that they "be im
mediately released."
Many of the 158 refugees have
been at a dilapidated camp at
Guantanamo Bay for nearly 20
months. The camp could be
closed within a few weeks if the
government doesn't appeal John
son's ruling, said Michael Ratner
of the Center for Constitutional
Rights.
White House spokeswoman
Dee Dee Myers declined tb com
ment on the ruling.
Johnson gave a grim descrip
tion of the Haitians' living condi
tions at the U.S. naval base:
"They live in camps surrounded
by razor barbed wire. They tie
plastic garbage bags to the sides of
the building to keep the rain out. ...
The Haitian detainees have been
subjected to predawn military
sweeps as they sleep by as many as
400 soldiers in full riot gear. They
are confined like prisoners."
He said the government had
also failed to provide adequate
medical care for them.
Campus
•Committee sponsors historical
marker design competition
Page 2
Sports
•Softball: A&M All-American
shortstop Jennifer McFalls
•Lindstrom: Baseball was
designed to break hearts
Page 3
Aggielife
•New 16-screen theater coming
to College Station in December
Page 4