The Battalion
''V qiOC
93 No. 9 (16 pages)
1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993
Thursday, September 9,1993
Student Senate to study 'culture courses'
By Kim McGuire
The Battalion
Tlie Student Senate voted to study a Faculty
Senate proposal Wednesday night that would
idd a six-hour American and International re
tirement to the University core curriculum.
Under the proposed requirement, students
i rould take two, three-hour classes focusing on
inportant themes or issues in United States
md international history, society and culture.
Pierce Cantrell, past chairman of the Core
Curriculum Oversight Committee to the Facul-
lySenate, said the Faculty Senate is proposing
liie American/ International requirement to
iioaden students' perspectives on local and
)bal issues.
"In a global economy, it makes sense to un-
lerstctnd international cultures," Cantrell said.
'Also, in a state like Texas where eventually
10 one real ethnic group will dominate, it's a
od idea to understand how people think."
The American Cultures and International
lequirement would add two new categories
Uthecore curriculum but would not in
crease the number of hours students must
■iake to graduate.
| The new categories would be designed so
•liat a course satisfying an existing core cur-
jiiculum requirement, a department require-
iiient or free elective would satisfy the Ameri-
;an Cultures or International requirement,
j Cantrell said the University currently offers
50 courses fulfilling the American Culture re
quirement and 350 courses satisfying the Inter
national requirement.
"Sixty-seven percent of the 1991-1992 grad
uates fulfilled the American Culture require
ment, 80 percent met the international require
ment and 61 percent met both" Cantrell said.
"The new requirement wouldn't cause a fiscal
impact on the University and it wouldn't be a
problem to enroll in these courses."
Student Senate Academic Affairs Commit
tee Chairman Ben Dale introduced a bill
amending the Faculty Senate's proposal. The
Student Senate's bill reduces the number of
hours from six to three and suggests the course
requirement's name be changed from "Ameri
can Cultures and International Requirement"
to "Cultures Course."
See Culture/Page 16
Clinton pledges to help
in Bosnian peace efforts
t_j : ^ 1—^ it c ij
Senate alters student election procedures
By Kim McGuire
The Battalion
The Student Senate revised student body
election procedures Wednesday night in
hopes of alleviating confusion and ensuring
validity of the elections.
All candidates will now be required to at
tend a mandatory meeting before the elec
tion begins. If the candidate fails to attend
the meeting, their name will be taken off the
ballot.
Former student senator Patty Warhol, who
proposed the changes, said the purpose of the
meeting is to ensure all the candidates are fa
miliar with the election regulations.
"In the past the candidates were given a
copy of the campaign regulations and told to
go over it, but nothing ensured they actually
understood everything," Warhol said. " This
way they will understand the procedures and
will be held accountable for their actions."
During elections last year some Corps
members distributed fliers at the polling
places listing the names of Corps members
running in the election, she said.
Under the new election regulations, any
campaign materials brought to the polling
place by a voter must remain in the posses
sion of the voter once they come within 30
feet of the polling place. This regulation will
prevent candidates, or their friends, from dis
tributing campaign material to voters at
polling sites.
Distribution of fliers within 30 feet of the
See Election/Page 16
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President
Clinton pledged on Wednesday to
send American troops to Bosnia to
help enforce a
settlement pro
vided it is fair
and not forced
on the Muslims.
He stressed the
troops would be
under the con
trol of NATO -
not the United
Nations.
Clinton
praised visiting
Bosnian Presi
dent Alija Izetbegovic as "very
courageous" and said at the start
of a White House meeting with
him: "They are trying to make a
decent peace and we ought to
support it.'
Clinton stressed the settlement
would have to be "willingly en
tered into by the parties" and
"has to be guaranteed by NATO,
not the U.N. but NATO."
Izetbegovic
His emphasis on U.S.-led
NATO taking charge in a postwar
Bosnia-Herzegovina reflects an
administration decision to keep
the United Nations from direct
control over American troops in
the former Yugoslav republic.
Clinton offered the statement at
a photo-taking session in the Oval
Office after Izetbegovic appealed
for a U.S. military role in enforcing
the peace he said his Muslim-domi
nated government seeks.
"It's of essential importance
that the United Stales participate
in these guarantees," Izetbegovic
said.
"They know how to avoid the
air strikes and so far they have
done that," Clinton said. "I assume
they will continue to do that."
In Brussels, the United States
and its NATO allies threatened to
order air strikes to prevent a Serb
stranglehold of the Bosnian capi
tal of Sarajevo.
Ambassadors of the 16 nations
in the alliance discussed the con
flict in Yugoslavia at their first
meeting since a summer break.
Young Conservatives protest Liberal Arts multicultural requirement
Rally coincides with Council meeting
By Michele Brinkmann
The Battalion
The Young Conservatives protested Wednesday against the multi
cultural requirement that Texas A&M University's Liberal Arts Council
passed during the summer.
The rally, held outside of the Academic Building, was planned to co
incide with the Council's first meeting o^the year.
Bearing posters reading "Options, not requirements," members of
the Young Conservatives sat in on the Council's meeting but were not
allowed to participate.
[ The group protested the Council's decision that requires liberal arts
students to complete six hours of course work in classes emphasizing
cultural diversity.
So far, the curriculum committee has approved 70 courses that
would fulfill the requirement. However, the Council still must ap
prove the classes.
Dr. Woodrow Jones Jr., interim dean of liberal arts, said the new
courses, as passed by the curriculum committee, will be discussed at
next month's meeting.
In other business, Jones said the College of Liberal Arts is in the
process of finding a new women's studies director to replace former di
rector Dr. Ethel Tsutsui, who resigned Aug. 23 because of what she
considered a lack of commitment to the program on the part of the
University.
The University is going to add $6,000 to the program in order to sta
bilize it as soon as possible, Jones said.
He also said a search for a new philosophy department head is
underway.
Also on the agenda was a faculty salary adjustment plan. The new
salaries would go into effect September 1994, and the plan is expected
to be formally approved by the provost's office in January.
The College of Liberal Arts is asking for a 3 percent increase, the
highest of all of the A&M colleges.
The Young Conservatives of Texas hold a rally against the Liberal
Arts Council's multiculturalism requirement by the Academic
Building Wednesday afternoon,
opinion in favor of the multiculturalism issue.
Mary Ma cm a mi s/7 he Battalion
A passer-by stops to voice his
Fall Rush 1993:
IFC pleased with registration,
turnout at first-ever rush forum
By Cheryl Heller
The Battalion
Texas A&M University frater
nities opened Fall Rush 1993 with
an all-day rush forum Wednesday
at the MSC Fountain and an IFC
Fraternity Life Seminar Wednes
day night in Rudder Theater.
The forum, which featured ap
pearances by Miss Texas A&M
University Leslie Fisher, Reveille
and the Aggie Wranglers was a
tremendous success in increasing
interest in rush and promoting
Greeks as Aggies, said Interfra
ternity Council (IFC) President
Mike Reilly.
"The turnout was great," he
said. "The forum really increased
our visibility, and we registered
many more people for rush than
we have in the past."
The forum also gave students
the opportunity to become famil
iar with the fraternities, Reilly
said.
"The forum gave us a chance
to say 'hello' to the rushees, and
it showed what Greeks like to
do," he said. "I think it's going to
become a tradition we'll have for
every rush from now on."
Reilly said the appearances by
Reveille, Miss TAMU and the
Aggie Wranglers helped the fra
ternities promote themselves as
Aggies, not just Greeks.
"We've had Greek yell lead
ers, Student Government leaders
and MSC committee members,"
he said. "Our slogan is Greeks as
Aggies first."
Rush Chairman Glenn Webb
said the forum succeeded be
cause of the emphasis on Texas
A&M and Greek support.
"Without the guest appear
ances and the support of the fra
ternities and sororities, things
Representatives from the InterFraternity Council,
Forrest Green, a junior speech communication
major, Michael Reilly, a senior management major
Gus Morgan/THE Battalion
and Lowell Randel, a senior agricultural econom
ics major, talk to a rushee outside of the MSC
Wednesday. Over 300 rushees visited fraternities.
wouldn't have gone so smooth
ly," he said. "Yesterday was the
first day every Greek has ever
come together in one day and
worn their letters."
Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity
President Justin Wilde said he be
lieves the forum significantly in
creased the number of students
registering for rush.
"I saw at least three or four
times as many guys as we've had
in the past," he said. Wilde said
he particularly enjoyed the op
portunity to get to know poten
tial rushees at the forum.
"It's a great way for the frater
nities to get to know them and
talk to them, instead of the five
minutes we've had in the past,"
he said.
Rush activities continued
Wednesday night with a Fraterni
ty Life Seminar that featured ap
pearances by Interim Vice Presi
dent for Student Services Dr. Mal-
on Southerland and Greek Coordi
nator Lenita Hanson.
IFC members discussed with
rushees fraternity life and expec
tations and myths about the
Greek system.
"We talked about hazing, and
told them what to expect and
what not to worry about during
rush and in fraternities," said IFC
Internal Vice President Donald
Eknoyan.
A film about fraternity life
was also shown during the semi
nar, and rushees were given an
opportunity to talk with fraterni
ty members and register for rush.
Officers capture escaped
inmates in north Houston
The Associated Press
ROSHARON — Two state inmates who escaped from a maximum
security prison by duping prison guards with dummies made of blan
kets and papier-mache heads were recaptured Wednesday in Houston.
Willie James Wright, 35, and Albert Mathew, 33, escaped either
Monday night or early Tuesday from the Darrington Unit in Rosharon,
about 40 miles south of Houston.
Both were recaptured early Wednesday by two police officers who
were working in the parole violators division in north Houston, said
police spokesman Joe Gamino.
"By their actions they (the escapees) appeared lost and didn't fit the
area," Gamino said.
One inmate tried to run from the officers, but he was quickly appre
hended, police said.
Both inmates were transferred back to the Darrington Unit on
Wednesday. Felony escape charges against the two were pending, said
prison spokesman Charles Brown.
Inside
Aggielife
•A&M student finds homes
for retired greyhounds
Page 3
Sports
•Running Back Rodney
Thomas rushes with respect
Page 9
Opinion
•Editorial: Aggies must pull
together, get past infighting
Page 15
Weather
•Thursday: mostly cloudy,
highs in the lower 90s
•Forecast for Friday: partly
cloudy, highs in the 90s
Texas Lotto
•Wednesday's winning
Texas Lotto numbers:
1, 17, 18, 21, 29, 39