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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 1994)
".'Huy cjtOOl The Battalion Vol. 93 No. 84 (8 pages) fences 'tingal 3r more narrow ^ll Bert ce Au- ex. For under- 5 given, laine at lowship ’tudent ore info oss 1 at ore info hat lists nts anil tted no the de nes anil e run it rstions, w, eekend rap-up his idi ; sex edt overall ;rammi» iticalft asked ti reased liticalfij prosftt- ay dined It S' 16,197 walk sin touch® nal flairt t-colorei ’ in lar? look at i his eyi vvron? 10 yeaij rid anoi entarv. Collef al stud, iteratuf n transfj rrominej percei'f- Jjordan diplomat killed in Beirut BEIRUT, Lebanon — A gun man shot and killed Jordan's sec ond-ranking diplomat in Beirut on Saturday, the first assassina tion of a foreign diplomat since Lebanon's 15-year civil war end ed in 1990. Police said an assassin with an apparently unarmed accom plice killed Naeb Imran Maaytah as he was driving out of a park ing lot near his house in the sea side Raouche residential district at 9:30 a.m. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the assassina tion, and authorities would only speculate on the motive. The attack marked a blow to efforts to clean up Lebanon's im age from the civil war years as a haven for assassins, kidnappers, bombers and hijackers. Mother defends daughter's actions AUSTIN — The mother of a woman suspected of kidnapping a 3-month-old boy says her daughter wanted a son and had become dis traught since losing custody of two daughters. Cathy Lynn Henderson, an Austin area woman, has been charged with kidnapping Brandon Baugh, the infant son of neighbors Eryn and Melissa Baugh. Henderson had been baby sit ting the boy, as she had frequently over the past three months, before the Baughs discovered both of them missing last Friday. "She always wanted a little boy," said Wanda Hancock, moth er of Henderson. "She loved little boys." Hancock said her daughter hasn't recovered from losing cus tody of two daughters in 1986. es Gang members accused of murder FORT WORTH, Texas - A Tarrant County grand jury has in dicted two gang members on capi tal murder charges in the execu tion-style slaying of two college students. The multiple-count indictments, returned Thursday, accuse Darron Deshone "Taz" Curl, 22, and Melvin James "Boot" White II, 19, of intentionally shooting the two women during a robbery. Both men have been held in lieu of $500,000 bail each in connection with the case. Channing Freelove, a Texas Christian University student, and Melanie Golchert, a Tarrant Coun ty Junior College student, were found dead Nov. 13 beside their car in a vacant lot in south Fort Worth. lowiif Don* contf : 213 REV0 Haagan-Dazs founder dies at 81 DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. - Reuben Mattus, the Polish immi grant who concocted the nonsensi cal name Haagen-Dazs and par layed it into a multimillion dollar ice cream fortune, has died. He was 81. Mattus began selling his family ice cream from a horse-drawn wagon as a teen-ager. He sold the homemade dessert for more than 30 years to small candy stores and neighborhood restaurants in the Bronx. Mattus deduced that New Yorkers would buy ice cream that sounded different. He made up the name Haagen-Dazs, which means nothing in any language. But the name caught people's attention, as did the dense richness of the ice cream — and people did not mind paying more for it. -The Associated Press 1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993 Monday, January 31,1994 Board hikes graduate student tuition By Kim McGuire The Battalion Graduate student tuition will increase next year, follow ing a decision by the Texas A&M Board of Regents Friday. Tuition for resident graduate students will increase from $40 to $48 per semester hour, and non-resident tu ition will jump from $192 per semester hour to $198 per semester hour. The 69th Texas Legislature said institutions of higher education can set graduate tuition up to a limit of twice the state minimum of undergraduate tuition. The 72nd legislature increased the minimum under graduate tuition in annual increments of $2 per semester credit hour from $24 in 1992-1993 to $32 in 1996-1997. Tuition for non-resident students is to be set in Janu- Gage defends increase, says A&M tuition still a bargain ary of each year for the following school year by the Texas Higher Education Board. Interim President Dr. E. Dean Gage said in compari son to other states, the tuition is still a bargain. "Most of the other major graduate programs have moved in this same direction to get their tuition up to a level of cost," he said. Gage went on to cite a study published by the Higher Education Coordination Board for the state of Washington. According to the study, Texas ranks 50th out of 50 states based on the average amount charged for tuition and required fees for resident graduate students. The national average for tuition and required fees for 1992-1993 is $2,946. According to the agenda item re questing the increase, the average for graduate tuition in Texas is $947 and the average amount A&M charges is $965, both of which are one-third of the national aver age. The Washington survey states the national average for non-resident tuition and required fees is $7,326. The Texas A&M average is $3,725. Gage said an increase has been discussed by the Graduate Student Council and graduate committees within each college. However, Amy Kardell, a Graduate Student Council member, said she was not aware the item was voted on. Go speed racer ... Nick Rodnicki/THE Battalion Autocross participant David Bivens, a junior industrial engi- fore leaving from the starting line at the Texas A&M Sports Car neering major, talks with Autocross chairman Todd Farris be- Clubs' first Autocross event of the semester. Regents get feedback from students A&M moves ahead with plans to build larger power plant By Kim McGuire The Battalion The Texas A&M Board of Regents au thorized Interim President E. Dean Gage to finalize the construction contract for a new power plant that will provide for the future utility needs of the campus through the year 2012. If approved, Tenneco Power Genera tion Co. will build a facility that will provide electric, steam and hot and chilled water. Mitch Feinberg, Tenneco Power's pro ject manager for power systems devel opment, said the plant will have hot and chilled water available by Sept. 1, 1994 and aims for full operation by Aug. 1, 1995. Feinberg said the plant will create about 200 construction jobs and employ about 25 full-time employees once the facility is fully operational. Joe Sugg, Physical Plant executive di rector, said A&M currently supplies about 70 percent of its own power and buys the rest from a Waco-based power company. "The new plant, however, will be twice as big as the old one and provide for all of A&M's power needs, and then some." -Joe Sugg, physical plant executive director "The new plant, however, will be twice as big as the old one and provide for all of A&M's power needs and then some," Sugg said. Tenneco estimates the project will cost $50 million during the 18-month construction period and have a $125 mil lion economic impact on the Bryan-Col- lege Station community. Tenneco officials estimate the project will reduce the University's energy costs by $100 million during the next 17 years. In addition, the plant will produce up to 2,700 gallons per minute of hot water and 650,000 pounds per hour of steam. The plant will produce enough electrici ty to power 7,500 homes and enough chilled water to air condition 800 resi dences. The Board of Regents, however, de layed a decision to designate a board of di rectors to the University Cogeneration Corporation (UCC), a non-profit corpora tion that will own and operate the facility. If approved by the Board, A&M will contract with UCC for the provision of the utilities and construction of the project. However, Chairman Ross Margraves said the Board needed more time to con sider the appointment of UCC board members. If scheduling permits, he said, the Board will meet this week to discuss the final terms of the contract. By Kim McGuire The Battalion Several Texas A&M student leaders discussed campus problems with the Board of Regents Friday in an effort to bridge the information gap between re gents and students. Upon the request of Regent Alison Brisco, five student leaders spoke to the regents about some of the issues facing students and suggested ways to increase communication between the Board and students. David Butler, president of Kappa Al pha Psi, told the regents that communica tion with students should be their top pri ority. "We understand the regents have busi- ‘ nesses and careers outside the boardroom, however we don't want them to forget there is a student body," Butler said. He suggested several options the re gents could pursue to bolster communi cation with students. "One possibility is to have an elected student from each university within the System to serve as a liaison with a desig nated regent," Butler said. "Another op tion is for regents to have monthly fo rums at different campuses." Ross Margraves, chairman of the Board, assured Butler that the Board is still considering appointing a student re gent and has set a goal to have some kind of solution in place soon. Brisco said she liked Butler's idea of having a student liaison on the Board. "Students are the best source for infor mation, and I think it's a great idea to have them in touch with us," Brisco said. "I would like to see students from vari ous schools within the system give re ports on a rotating basis." Patricia Morales, chairwoman of EX CEL, a freshman minority leadership pro gram, spoke to the regents about the is sue of multiculturalism on campus. "I'm satisfied with what's being done, but I'm frustrated that I'm satisfied," Morales said. "Texas A&M has never been the one to be complacent. I'd like to see A&M on the cutting edge, arid it both ers me multiculturalism is a four-letter word here." Morales said A&M must create a com fortable atmosphere for minority students and suggested A&M hire more minority faculty and staff. She also suggested the creation of a coordinating body to unite all minority programs and organizations and offer more support to the Depart ment of Multiculturalism. Tracey Butler, vice president of the Black Graduate Student Association, said the regents should be considering the re cruitment and retention of minority grad uate students. "A&M must aggressively utilize some of its untapped sources," Butler said. "A&M must increase its level of spending on the graduate level to attract top minor ity graduate students and hold someone accountable for and centralize its efforts." Student Government members Trent Ashby and Pete Manias also spoke to members of the Board about issues facing the Student Senate. Ashby and Manias presented several bills the Senate passed this year including a bill concerning multicultural classes, the Muster Class Leave Bill that would cancel classes on the day of Muster, and a bill presented last week that would authorize the Senate to approve all mandatory fee changes. The regents seemed impressed by the students' presentation. "I hope I live long enough to vote for everyone of you when you decide to run for public office," Regent Mary Nan West said. Regent M. Guadalupe Rangel said she enjoyed the students' presentations and reiterated the need for communication between students and regents. "Every student is extremely important, and we must stay focused on the needs of students," Rangel said. "We encourage students to come to the meetings and ex press their concerns to us." Regent Brisco encouraged students to call or write to the regents to express con cerns. "If scheduling permits, we would gladly accept any invitation to speak at any student forum," she said. "It's a smart idea to ask us to come to a meeting on a Thursday before the regents meet since we'll be in town anyway." Gaza Strip, Jericho present stumbling blocks as Israel, PLO renew peace talks The Associated Press DAVOS, Switzerland — Israel's Foreign Min ister Shimon Peres and PLO leader Yasser Arafat met Saturday in a newly optimistic mood about reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal soon. Despite earlier pessimism over prospects for a breakthrough, both men were upbeat as they met for evening talks in a luxury hotel. When asked when a peace deal would be signed, Arafat said, "Very soon." Peres said, "Fairly soon." In a brief session with Israeli and Palestinian journalists before the meeting began, Arafat said the two sides were working "to put together the basic platform for an agreement this evening." The Israeli foreign minister was more cautious. "We have to bridge serious gaps," Peres told Israeli journalists. "All of us here have serious intentions and well try to do everything to fulfill the aspirations of our two peoples." Earlier, both sides said major problems re mained in finalizing an Israeli withdrawal that would allow Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho, under a gener al agreement signed in Washington in September. But the atmosphere in the hotel room was re laxed and cordial. Arafat and Peres both smiled and shook hands for the cameras. "We can't have a Middle Eastern meeting without shaking hands," said Arafat. "We shake hands during the day and we ne gotiate during the night," quipped Peres as he settled down for what appeared would be a lengthy negotiating session. Inside Sports • Men's and Women's basketball teams beat SMU •Cowboys capture consecutive title Page 5 Opinion • Megliola: Bringing the health care issue home • Editorial: Legalized gambling not what we bargained for Page 7 Cowboys pound Bills in Super Bowl 30-13 See Peace /Page 8