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Vol. 93 No. 74 (12 pages)
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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