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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1993)
I A n u i n cl The Batialign 193 No. 6 (12 pages) The Battalion 1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993 Monday, September 6,1993 eekend rap-up Pope makes first visit to Lithuania VILNIUS, Lithuania — Pope John Paul II launched the first papal visit to the former Soviet Union on Saturday with an ap peal for reconciliation in a coun try he described as "martyred” by 50 years of Soviet occupation. "With great emotion I have just kissed the soil of Lithuania, grateful to God for the gift of be ing able to come among you," John Paul said after arriving from Rome. His visit to Lithuania held special meaning for the Polish- born pontiff, whose drive for hu man rights in his homeland con tributed to the fall of Commu nism across Europe. In 1984 and 1987, the pope sought to visit Lithuania, the Ro man Catholic stronghold in the Soviet Union. But the Moscow leadership blocked the trips. Jury subpoenas Sen. Hutchison AUSTIN — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Friday was subpoe naed by a Travis County grand jury to testify in an investigation of her tenure as state treasurer. "This is political and the peo ple of Texas realize it and the De mocrats have to stop the character assassination. This is dangerous," Hutchison said Friday evening af ter arriving at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on a flight from Houston. Hutchison's attorney John Dowd called the subpoena a "publicity stunt" and said that Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle "is intent on pursu ing a political agenda." The grand jury subpoenaed Hutchison to appear at 9 a.m. Sept. 9 in Austin. She faces fines up to $500 if she resists the sub- | Poena. Teen settles with psychiatric clinic SAN ANTONIO - A Judson High School student, whose ad mittance to a psychiatric hospital sparked investigations and an eventual overhaul of laws gov erning such facilities, has won a 5300,000 settlement. The money was paid to Jeramy Harrell, who claims that at age 14, he was carried off against his will - and over the protests of his grandparents — for treatment at Colonial Hills Hospital. Harrell's grandparents and le- 1 guardians, Sid and Marianne Harrell, also received a settlement from National Medical Enterpris es Inc., which owned Colonial Hills, The San Antonio Express- News reported Friday. The owners of the hospital, ac knowledged no wrongdoing. Robot used to end five-hour standoff WASHINGTON - A woman was slain and her shotgun-wield ing boyfriend refused to surren der, so police sent in a 3-foot, 3-pound robot to disarm the suspect with a blast from a high- pressure water jet. RMI-9 got his man. The successful end to the five- hour standoff was the first time the robot owned by Maryland's Prince George's County fire department had helped nab a suspect. Ordinarily, technicians direct its mechanical claws by remote control to dismantle suspected explosives, fire department spokesman Capt. Victor Stagnaro said Friday night. Built on Wheels, low like a bowling ball, II-9 is so powerful that it has helped move vehicles out of the road. -The Associated Press Arafat becomes salesman for peace plan PLO leader tries to win Egypt, Syria's support The Associated Press DAMASCUS, Syria — Palestine Liber ation Organization chief Yasser Arafat visited Egypt and Syria on Sunday trying to sell a peace agree ment with Israel. Radical groups throughout the Middle East, meanwhile, threatened to step up their campaign against the plan, which would establish Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and West Bank town of Jericho. Iran also denounced the deal And in Israel, obstacles to the accord emerged as Jerusalem signaled it won't recognize the PLO until the organization pledges to delete references to Israel's de struction from its charter. But officials said they thought the differences could be resolved and the accord signed in Wash ington by Sept. 13. Syria has not officially commented on the Gaza-Jericho plan. But its state-run media have criticized Arafat for not coor dinating beforehand with the other Arab parties to the Mideast peace process, Syr ia, Jordan and Lebanon. Syria's support is crucial to Arafat be cause Syria has influence over Damascus- based radical Palestinian factions that have put up some of the most vehement opposition to the Gaza-Jericho deal. Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, supports the Gaza- Jericho accord and has reportedly been trying to mediate between Arafat and Syrian leader Hafez Assad, long-time adversaries. Israel's Cabinet approved the autono my plan last week. Arafat won support for the proposal on Saturday from his Fatah faction, the PLO's most important group. But Palestinian officials have reported that influential members of Fatah and se nior PLO officers are digging in to fight the plan. Opponents have branded the ac cord a sellout that contains no guarantees for an independent Palestinian state. Arafat is expected to meet with the PLO's ruling Executive Committee this week, where many members reportedly oppose the plan. He contends, however, that he does not need the approval of the Palestine National Council, the Palestinian parlia ment-in-exile, to sign the plan. His refusal to convene a PNC meeting has come un der fire, putting further pressure on the PLO chief from within his ranks. Arafat Aggies shutout LSU Kyle Bumett/THE Battalion A&M yell leaders conduct yell practice from the Fish Pond urday afternoon. Tradition holds that the yell leaders are Saturday afternoon following the Aggie victory over LSU Sat- thrown in the Fish Pond following each victory at Kyle Field. NRA aims to change public image Organization seeks law-and-order identity The Associated Press WASHINGTON - Under attack from the White House and riddled by a series of legislative defeats, the National Rifle Association is aiming to remake its image from pro-gun to law-and-order advocate. "We want to turn NRA into the No. 1 crimefighting organization in the United States," says Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president, outlining a strategy he hopes will deflect new gun- control efforts and lift his group's sag ging political clout. The changes already show. The fight over the so-called Brady bill and its five-day waiting period for hand gun purchases — which preoccupied the NRA for much of the last six years — seems to be taking a back seat. Congress, which passed the Brady measure last year only to let it die when the crime bill it was attached to stalled, takes it up again later this month. LaPierre acknowledged it's likely to be come law. President Clinton supports the measure as part of his broad anti-crime initiative. Now the gun-rights lobby is looking inward, seeking to rebuild its strength See NRA/Page 9 Area groups gang up on local gang problem Leaders look to end hostile conflict By Mary Kujawa The Battalion The Brazos Valley Citizen's Crime Commission and the You & I Can Orga nization are two community groups that are working to eliminate gang problems in Bryan and College Station by calling attention to the issue and working to bring about solutions. Ronnie Jackson, chairman of the school committee of the crime commis sion and specialist at Bryan's Special Op portunity School, said, "The problem is rampant all over the country. It's become a fairly attractable outlet for kids to be in volved in. "We're not living in isolation," he said. Sgt. Mark Ricketson of the Bryan Po lice Department said the department has identified 30 gangs with 400 members in Bryan. Most of the gangs are turf-based groups that claim territory and protect it, often leading to drive-by shootings, he said. Ricketson, leader of the Street Crime Apprehension Team (SCAT), the main di vision for gang intelligence in the Bryan Police Department, said "It is everyone's problem and everyone is working on it. "If we had one gang, it would be seri ous," he said. Rev. Floyd Polk, president of the You & I Can Organization and pastor of Lee Chapel and First United Methodist Church, said, "Kids identify their turf and will fight other kids who cross over into their territory." Polk said young people join gangs when they feel they don't belong. "Gangs accept people as they are," he said. "They are protected by the gang." Schools in the community have taken steps to address the problem on campus es, said Dr. Claude Cunningham, director of secondary programs for the College Station Independent School District. "The school district has been very forthright in dealing with gangs from a policy standpoint," said Cunningham. "We have zero tolerance for the things gangs become involved with, such as weapons, drugs and gang insignia." See Gangs/Page 9 School system fights to keep kids out of turf wars By Michelle Tremblay The Battalion Bryan Independent School District is taking security precautions to combat the gang activity that has erupted in it's schools. The Bryan Police Department esti mates that 30 different gangs, such as the Tip Toe Posse and the Squab Mob, exist in Bryan with a total of 400 members. The gangs occupied the attention of the county last spring after a fatal stab bing at BISD's Lamar ninth-grade cam pus. The stabbing was later discovered to be gang-related. On March 26, Sherron Dante Green wood, 16, murdered Billy C. Williams, 16, in Lamar's cafeteria. Greenwood was involved with the Tip Toe Posse, which often was involved in fights with the Squab Mob. "It (the Greenwood case) was a tragedy," Ronnie Jackson, specialist at BISD's Special Opportunities School, said. "We are not tolerating any type of aggressive behavior. I'm a firm believer that any kind of fight, any confrontation, runs the risk of injuring youngsters and ending a life." The risk of gang involvement begins at an early age because children want to be part ora group, Jackson said. "Kids begin to start entertaining the idea of being in gangs in their pre/ear- ly-adoleseent years. Last year, they were not in the high schools as much; the majority are in middle school and early high school," he said. Because of the number of gangs and the severity of the violence they cause, B1SD has hired a police officer so the dis trict can keep better track of gang opera tions and develop ways to deal with the gang situation from within the schools. See Schools/Page 9 No more report cards for kids? Proposal includes increase in parental role The Associated Press AUSTIN — Educators at two elementary schools have asked the Texas Education Agency to let them do away with report cards. In their place, Travis Heights and Galindo schools want to install a new system that relies on written evaluations, upgraded checklists, par ent conferences, student self-evaluations and col lections of the student's work. Administrators call the method "alternative assessment" or "authentic assessment." It's a movement gaining support in Texas and nation wide, educators said. "There are schools everywhere beginning to explore alternative ways to assess their stu dents," Claudia Serrano, project manager of a group doing research on the subject at Harvard University, told the Austin American-Statesman. Two years ago, in an attempt to encourage schools to be creative, the Texas Legislature gave the TEA authority to grant exceptions to state regulations. The number of districts statewide that re ceived permission to get rid of traditional report cards increased from 19 in the 1991-92 school year to 31 in 1992-93, said agency spokesman Joey Lozano. Advocates say it gives a more accurate picture of what a student knows, and it also forces par ents to become more involved. Opponents said it's merely a feel-good gim mick that removes incentives for hard work and See Grades/Page 9 Inside Sports Weather •A&M opens season in style, LSU game wrap-up •Houston Oilers lose to New Orleans, 33-21 Page 7, 8 •Monday: widely scattered afternoon showers •Forecast for Tuesday: partly cloudy, some rain Opinion Texas Lotto •Editorial: Labor pains - students must hustle for jobs •Column: Fairness Doctrine, FCC threaten free speech Page 11 •Saturday's winning Texas Lotto numbers: 2, 9, 22, 29, 33, 40 •jackpot: $26 million