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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1994)
y £j»00l' Vol. 93 No. 74 (12 pages) r 1 TT -I" Tr-I ■ JF A t-w-ir-M 1 A X T TA T 1 HE I5ATTALION 1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993 Monday, January 17,1994 w eekend rap-up Volunteers needed for anti-HIV cream AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Scientists plan to test a vaginal cream aimed at preventing women from contracting the HIV virus during sexual intercourse. World Health Organization re searchers at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam are seeking 550 women in the Netherlands and Thailand to test the cream, code- named COL-1492, said Dr. Pieter Reiss in an interview published Saturday. At no time will they be exposed to the HIV virus as part of the test, the Amsterdam daily Volkskrant Q uoted Reiss as saying. He is from ie National Aids Therapy Evalua tion Center, which is working with the medical center on the tests. The active ingredient in the cream is Nonoxynol-9, a spermici dal agent, which under laboratory conditions, kills the virus that caus es AIDS. Agency examines scholarship effects WASHINGTON - The Educa tion Department is expected to rule on the right of colleges to award race-based scholarships after re viewing a report that says they promote campus diversity. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley had voiced strong approval of minority scholarships shortly af ter he took office last March. He called them an important means of “providing equal opportunity and ... enhancing a diverse educational environment for the benefit of all students." but, the department had promised to delay issuing final reg ulations until the long-awaited re port by Congress' General Ac counting Office was complete. The GAO report, based on a sur vey of financial aid officials at more than 300 colleges and universities, showed that no more than 4 per cent of all scholarship dollars are awarded on the basis of race. Army practices in Arlington Stadium ARLINGTON - In an effort to train troops for possible terrorist attacks at large sporting events such as the World Cup, the U.S. Army used helicopters and explo sives to assault the now-disposable Arlington Stadium. Explosions rocked the area sur rounding, what used to be the Texas Rangers' home Thursday and Friday night as many of its luxury suites were blown up. Ar lington Stadium is scheduled to be demolished in April when The Ballpark in Arlington opens next door. “Any time you have events, say of the magnitude of the World Cup, you need to train and practice with other folks that could be called to help respond to crisis events," said Lt. AJ. Key of the Ar lington police. Strict abortion law to go unchallenged PHILADELPHIA - An appeals court refused to hear a challenge to Pennsylvania's strict abortion law Friday, making it likely the law will take effect in as little as 21 days. In May, a federal judge stayed the law, saying abortion rights ad vocates deserved a chance to prove it posed an ''undue burden'' to women seeking abortions. The state appealed the decision to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which issued its ruling Friday. In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act, which requires women to receive counseling about alternatives to abortion and wait 24 hours before undergoing the procedure. The law also requires unmar ried females under 18 years old to get their parents' permission. -77ie Associated Press Mother's club questions A&M officials By Kim McGuire The Battalion A group of Aggie Mother's Club members met with Interim President E. Dean Gage and Chancellor Bill Mobley Tuesday to discuss the Barnes and Noble Book store contract, the controversies surrounding the Depart ment of Food Services and allegations of administrative misconduct. Gage said the meeting covered a "broad array of sub jects" and was called to develop a working relationship with the mother's clubs. "The mothers' clubs are very important to Texas A&M and have been for many years," Gage said. "They make enormous contributions to academic programs and scholarships that we might not otherwise have be cause of a lack of state funding. We want to try to work together and will attempt to provide the answers to their questions." Margaret Freeman, federation president of the 6,000- member University Mothers' Clubs, said one of the top ics the group asked about was the contract granted to Barnes and Noble and amendments made to the con tract. Freeman said she wanted to know specific details concerning 15 percent discounts given to A&M faculty and staff and 33 percent discounts given to bookstore employees for merchandise in the bookstore. "Are the discounts part of the original contract?" Freeman asked. "If so, where is the money discounted from and how much do the discounts affect total profit?" Bobbie Hardy, president of the Houston chapter of the Texas A&M University Mothers' Club, said she un derstood why a bookstore employee might be granted a discount but not faculty or staff members. "The bookstore should serve the students first and no one else," Hardy said. "Maybe its not unfair for an em- See Mothers/Page 3 Breaking the law? •_ •••••' • r V Stew Milne/The Battauon A Parking, Transit, and Traffic Services scooter sits unattended Sunday in a "No Scooter" zone near the Quadrangle. NCAA sanctions to cost A&M, SWC television money By Chris Whitley ’The Battauon The recent blow to Texas A&M Uni versity's football program has caused a surge of rumors to circulate concerning changes in the program. The NCAA Committee on Infractions gave Texas A&M a five-year probation Jan. 6 as well as a ban on television cov erage of football games and on bowl game appearances for the 1994 season. It was only the second time in history a school has been given a five-year proba tion. A&M athletic director Wally Groff said the sanctions will cost the school $2 million. "Anytime you lose $2 million, it's go ing to have an impact," Groff said. Texas A&M would like to make up half of that deficit in increased ticket rev enue, and Groff said that would have to come in two ways: an increase in atten dance and an increase in ticket prices. Groff said A&M is planning to charge more for individual game tickets, start ing next season, but will keep season ticket prices constant. The NCAA sanctions were a result of a year-long investigation that found Ag gie booster Warren Gilbert Jr. paid nine A&M football players more than $17,000 See NCAA/Page 6 Celebrating the life and dreams of MLK University remains open during MLK holiday, offers programs in lieu of day off and only two are open, that doesn't speak highly of the officials," Harrington said. "There are very few holidays observed in regards to civil rights, especially to someone who made such an enormous change in society." By Eloise Flint See Editorial Page 11 The Battauon T exas A&M and Baylor students will begin the 1994 spring semester Monday, but students at other Southwest Conference schools have the day off in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birth day. Bill Kibler, assistant vice president of student ser vices, said the State deter- ntincs the number of hoii- "when you look at all the schools days A&M can have. J ^a&m officials choose in the conference and only two are open, that doesn't speak highly of the officials." which holidays to observe, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day is available as a paid vacation day for faculty and staff members," said Kibler. Interim President E. Dean Gage said A&M offi Student Body President Brian Walker said Student Government has not pushed to have Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday. "Tm willing to bet somebody somewhere is upset about this," he said. . Two programs will be conducted on the A&M cam pus to celebrate Martin Luther King Tr. Day. The third annual Let Freedom Ring ceremony will begin at noon in the lobby of the Academic Building. The brief ceremony hon oring King will include a ringing of the state of Texas' replica of the Liberty Bell by Gage, Walker and Anthony Haynes, representing Gov. James Harrington, legal director Arm Richards cials preferred to have a celebration on campus instead of giving students and faculty the day off. Gage said the University has not received any re quests to have the day off, but officials are open to re view the policy and will be receptive to new cere monies. James Harrington, legal director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, said A&M's administration should be ashamed of itself. "When you look at all the schools in the conference >. . . VT -» • t » t-. • . ^ special presentation ti- of the Texas Civil Rights Project tied "By the Content of Their Character: A Tribute to the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." is being sponsored by the Committee on Multicultural Aware ness of the Department of Student Affairs. This event will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the MSC Flag Room with guest speakers Carl Carey, admissions counselor; Dr. Rick Rigsby, professor of speech com munication; and Dr. Karen Sad berry, professor of soci ology. Voices of Praise, Clinton Sam and Fade to Black also will perform. See Related stories Page 9 Syrian President Assad may reopen relations with Israel in exchange for land The Associated Press GENEVA — After marathon talks with Presi dent Clinton, Syrian President Hafez Assad on Sunday offered Israel “normal, peaceful relations" in exchange for land and called on leaders of the Jewish state to respond to the challenge. Clinton promptly hailed the overture and said Assad had decided to “take the risks" necessary for peace. He dispatched senior aides to Jerusalem to confer with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Mideast peace negotiations are due to resume in Washington on Jan. 24. They have been in suspen sion since a deadlock developed in September over Syria's demand that Israel surrender the Golan Heights — won in the 1967 six-day war — and Is rael's demand for a specific peace offer. Since then. though, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organi zation have reached a breakthrough agreement, in- creasing'pressure on Syria to be more forthcoming. Israel wants Syria to agree to an exchange of embassies, free trade and open borders. It has hint ed it would give up the land it won in the 1967 war, ending cross-border attacks, in return. At the news conference, Assad declined to say whether Israel's demands would be met. He said that hinged on the negotiations and declined to be more specific. But a senior U.S. official, who briefed re porters under rules that shielded his identity, said, "to expect him to go beyond that would be unrealistic." The official said Assad's offer, and’his suggestion that peace was in Syria's own interest, were unprecedented and could spur the negotiations. Inside mmmm Campus ►Vendors limited to certain areas, days on campus Page 2 Sports • Update on Aggie basketball season Page 7 Opinion ► Booher: Being worthless pays off Page 11