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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1994)
Vol. 93 No. 86 (8 pages) The Battalion 1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993 Wednesday, February 2,1994 University attempts to polish tarnished image By Chris Whitley The Battalion After suffering a series of public relations nightmares over the past year, Texas A&M University finds litself facing an image problem. The University has endured alle gations of unfair business dealings [by the Board of Regents, NCAA [sanctions on the football team for [improper payments to players, the rings and reassignments of three op officials in the Food Services Department and a government in vestigation into a federally-funded A&M study about turning mercury into gold. "I think it has made A&M look a little bad," Student Body President Brian Walker said. The Food Services incident was first reported by the Associated Press in October. Margaret Freeman, the execu tive director of the Aggie Mother's Club, said the story has taken away from the school's image. Her group has been critical of the way the administration handled the firings in Food Services and have pressed for an outside investigation into the matter. "I think we need to restore the integrity and the values that we've had at the University," Freeman said. "We've always lived by the Code of Honor, which says Aggies shouldn't lie, cheat or steal. We need to restore those values." The investigation and punish ment of A&M's football team by the NCAA has been covered by news organizations around the nation. A story in The Dallas Morning News in De cember, 1992 about a booster paying players for work they did not perform resulted in a year-long probe into the matter. The NCAA ended up banning the Aggies from a bowl bid and all television coverage in 1994. Douglas Slack, chairman of the academic affairs committee in A&M's Faculty Senate, said he has seen how this story has plagued the school and thinks it doesn't truly represent A&M as a whole. "We're a public institution," Slack said. "TTiere have been activ ities here that have caused press around the U.S. Some members of the public have gauged the school by unflattering headlines." Slack said he questions whether or not the disaster had a serious im pact on the image of the University, even though it might be fuel for jokes. "When someone says, 'You got any summer jobs available?', does that have an impact," Slack said. These series of incidents might even have an impact in Austin. Rep. Steve Ogden said he is con cerned about how A&M's image has been affected. He has talked with the Speaker of the House and the Chairman of the House Appro priations Committee about all of See Image/Page 8 R , cold, highs rtly 40s, tly clear, 3s to 20s 4y, highs in ' V Sorority to lose after decline in 5 By Eloise Flint The Battalion The Texas A&M chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority /ill lose their charter at the end of this semester because of (a continual drop in membership. National representatives of Alpha Gamma Delta an nounced last weekend at a Panhellenic Convention in Dallas [that A&M's chapter will reor- Iganized in the fall. The sorority will give up lits charter and the girls will go on alumni status at the lend of this semester. Alpha Gamma Delta mem- Iber Angela Amshoff, a Isophomore bio-engineering Imajor, said they are not hap- [py with the decision. "Members of the sorority aren't in support of national's ^decision," Amshoff said. "They promised they wouldn't jclose us down, and now they have." Carrie Beyer, Panhellenic President, said the national of- [ficers have put a lot of consideration into this decision. "The national officers want the chapter to remain at lA&M, but there has been a lower number of girls joining re- Icently," Beyer said. charter in May membership Lanita Hanson, Greek coordinator at A&M, said they have been dealing with this decision one step at a time. "The most important thing is to make sure the girls are handling it well," Hanson said. "We want to make it clear that this is very much an organizational and not a personal decision." Hanson said national organizers will start with a clean slate and hope to receive their charter back. "As far as reorganization "They promised they wouldn't close us down, and now they have." - Angela Amshoff, Alpha Gamma Delta member goes, the intentions as an en tity are to remain a presence on campus," Hanson said. The Panhellenic Council will determine Feb. 9 whether Alpha Gamma Delta will be permitted to re organize. If this occurs, Hanson said they will not be part of the formal fall rush. "They will participate in the first round of rush, which is an informational, to let the new women know what is go ing," Hanson said. Beyer said national officers will take control of the colony rush from that point with a big public relations push. Hanson said no decision has been made as to what will happen with the sorority house in the event that the request to reorganize is denied. udge to grant injunction against KKK The Associated Press AUSTIN — A state judge Tuesday agreed to grant a temporary injunction aimed at keeping members of the Ku Klux Klan from intimidating or harass ing residents of a desegregated housing project in Vidor. District Judge John Dietz listened to testimony of a state investigator and a frightened resident of a previously all- white public housing complex in Vidor before making his decision. Dietz said he wanted attorneys to hammer out details of the injunction be fore he issued a formal order, possibly Wednesday. His ruling is the latest court action in an investigation by the Texas Com mission on Human Rights into al leged civil violations of the Texas Fair Housing Act by two factions of the Ku Klux Klan. The civil penalties car- ffry fines up to $50,000. No criminal pcharges have been filed. Previously, the Commission on Hu man Rights has attempted to gain the membership lists of the White Camelia Knights and the Texas Knights of the KKK. The commission is attempting to determine if threats against residents and supporters of the desegregated housing project are coming from the two groups. Dietz's Tuesday ruling related only to the White Camelia Knights of the KKK. He is expected to issue a similar ruling after a hearing Wednesday in volving the Texas Knights of the KKK. Vidor has long been a Klan recruiting hotbed and members of the group have held rallies criticizing the desegregation effort by the U.S. Department of Hous ing and Urban Development. In 1993, the Orange County Housing Authority moved four black families into the previously all-white 74-unit apartment complex. By late summer, all four had left, claiming racial slurs made living in Vi dor unbearable. The last to leave. Bill Simpson, was killed Sept. 1 in what po lice said was a random shooting less than 12 hours after he moved to nearby Beaumont. On Jan. 13, four other black families moved into the Vidor complex under the protection of Justice Department of ficials. There are now six black families living in the Vidor complex. Bill Hale, who heads the investiga tion by the Commission on Human Rights, testified Tuesday that he sought a temporary injunction against the Klan after threats continued to be made against residents of the housing project. "There is clear evidence that since last September there continues to be in timidation by threat of force from mem bers of the Klan," Hale told the judge. Hale said Klan members have dri ven by the housing project on a bus, prominently displaying a gun. And Linda Bagwell, a white resident of the housing project, said her daughter was offered $50 by a Klan member to beat up black children. Radioactive to the core Tim Moog/THE Battalion Bill Asher, manager of operations, removes a sample of Argon 41 gas from the core of A&M's nuclear reactor Tuesday afternoon. The core is surrounded by a 108-thousand gallon pool of pure water. The water is kept at a constant temperature of 34 F. The plant is open to the public for tours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. cost, o: Disability Awareness Day Today is Disability Awareness Day on the Texas A&M campus, and I two programs will be presented to educate the University community I about the daily challenges faced by persons with disabilities. The Gary Gray Emergency Contact System, a two-way radio that will | allow students with physical disabilities to summon aid on campus, will I be dedicated at 10 a.m. in Room 206 of the MSG. Gary Gray, Class of '80, who died in 1982 after a life-long battle with muscular dystrophy, was an advocate for students with disabilities. 1 This program will also honor a student and faculty member who have | worked to increase awareness of individuals with disabilities and to elim inate barriers for them. The student will receive the first Gary Gray 1 Memorial Recognition Award, and the faculty member will receive the 1 first Partners in Learning Award of Excellence. Another event, Access Challenge, will allow students, faculty and staff the opportunity to experience a simulated disability for 30 to 45 minutes. I Participants may go to Rudder Exhibit Hall from 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. -•w* « Inside Campus •Events planned for Black History Month Page Sports •Lady Aggies basketball takes on Baylor tonight Page Opinion •Editorial: University needs a student regent Page 7 Aggie 8 may see 'green' in Commons Lobby Approval of ATM installation offers easier cash access By James Bernsen The Battalion outhside residents on the Texas A&M campus may not have to walk farther than the Commons to get money if University officials decide to install an automatic teller ma chine in the lobby. Jennifer Enos, acting director of facilities and operations for the Residence Hall Association, said the ATM would help students who currently do not have easy access to a machine. "If you live in the Quad, you can go to the MSC and if you live on Northside, you can go to E-Z Mart," she said. "The people liv ing on Southside need one too." Enos said the RHA has re ceived several requests to install an ATM in the Commons. The issue has been discussed at numerous RHA meetings, and it was approved with little oppo sition. "It's just something the resi dents want, and that's what we're here for," she said. The proposal was sent to Dan Mizer, assistant director of Resi dence Life, who requested the machine from Finance and Ad ministration. First American Bank is con ducting a study to determine if an ATM would be profitable, Mizer said. Jane Schneider, senior man agement analyst of Finance and Administration, said the study is being done to determine if an See ATM/Page 8 UT-Dallas gives fresh start to some freshmen The Associated Press DALLAS — Some University of Texas at Dallas freshmen are getting a second chance after the college decided not to use first-semes ter grades in determining who keeps their scholarships. The move has some students crying foul, accusing the college of coddling freshman. But university officials defend the decision, saying UTD was remiss in not implementing the idea initially. School officials had high hopes last fall for young scholarly recruits, but nearly a fifth of the 265 scholarship freshman failed to meet the university's expectations. Initially, students were required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and carry at least 12 semes ter hours, or about four courses to keep their academic scholarships. Now the university has decided to give them a fresh start. Hobson Wildenthal, vice president for acad emic affairs, said the shift from high school to college can be tough for some, especially stu dents used to getting high marks without ben efit of study. He also said UTD is not alone in giving freshmen a break. Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, get only pass or fail during their freshman year. UTD chemistry professor Lynn Melton, president of the local chapter of the Texas Fac ulty Association, said she doesn't have a prob lem with the fresh start approach. "But if somebody continues to screw up and doesn't get their ship sailing right, you quit investing in them,” she said. Some students, though, view the move as unfair and complained the university is "baby ing" the students. "It's almost like the university is lowering its standards to account for the big acquisition of students," said Brit Zindel, 18, who earned a 3.75 grade point average last semester. Wildenthal estimated that a "couple dozen" students didn't maintain the GPA and a like number didn't meet the required 12 hours, about twice what officials had expected. Some school officials said that immaturity contributed in large part to poor student per formance. Wildenthal said some freshmen didn't routinely show up for class, so atten dance now will be a factor in deciding who maintains a scholarship. Last year, UTD announced $1 million in scholarships that provide free tuition, housing and money for books for students getting top marks on a standardized test.
