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The Battalion
1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993 Friday, February 18,1994
nter- A
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The Associated Press
npt Agsra,: I TULSA, Okla. — A woman, who was
lult of six people wounded when a dis-
Huntled employee opened fire in a fast-
tnter Parl#opd restaurant, had repeatedly rejected
n reported; the man's advances, but never thought he
lefirstlev would react violently, her mother said
a subject Wednesday.
GMCtrudgH Marcus Muriel Thompson, 26, was be-
. r i ier . inj held on six complaints of shooting
' Kth intent to kill after a shooting spree at
Conduct a Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
■1
passions erupt into Tulsa shooting spree
restaurant. Three co-workers and three
high school students were injured Tues
day.
Thompson allegedly began shooting
after arguing with his manager about
having to clock in early. Police say he first
shot Ericka Osborn, 19, who had rebuffed
him a day earlier just minutes before she
received a dozen red roses from her
boyfriend for Valentine's Day.
"We had a talk about him a week
ago," her mother, Susan Davis, said at St.
Francis Hospital, where Osborn was in
serious condition with a gunshot wound
to the back. "She said he had asked her
out, and she repeatedly told him no. But
she didn't expect something like this.
There's no way you could."
Thompson was scheduled to made his
first court appearance at 2 p.m. in Tulsa
County District Court. Police said it could
be days before their report could be com
piled, but Chief Prosecutor Tom Gillert
said charges likely would be filed Thurs
day.
"This is not exactly a whodunit,"
Gillert said. "We should be able to have
enough evidence to file charges pretty
quick."
Hospital officials said Wendy's em
ployee Doug Bowen, 37, was in serious
condition with a gunshot wound to the
head, and employee Richard Goldbrick,
47, was in serious condition; student Sta
cy Burgess, 15, was in good, stable condi
tion with five wounds to the abdomen
and student Heather Rowe, 16, was in
good condition with a wound to the leg.
Christina Ferris, 16, was treated and re
leased.
About two dozen counselors were
available at East Central High, where stu
dents were banned from leaving campus
for lunch under a new district-wide poli
cy that Superintendent John Thompson
put into effect just hours after the shoot
ing.
Counselors stopped by every class
room during the first hour. Principal Tim
Cameron said about 20 students who saw
the shooting spree were spending more
time with the counselors.
"We have a couple who were there
See Shooting/Page 3
\ ParkingSk
rved four; t g *
Gage cites reputation
aey walkedB dy
rifor high retention rate
Interim president praises campus groups
eportofa;
an in a site
loor oftb
thearres By Melissa Jacobs
rg 12-eai
tolenfror j Texas A&M University has a high-
ponandl er intention rate than any other uni-
nition t versity in the state, Interim President
lencelock E. Dean Gage said.
ject wasiJBGage said A&M's reputation con-
35County tributes to the high retention rate,
and the University is recognized for
the overall pres
tige of its academ
ic programs.
Gage also
praised A&M's
700 student orga
nizations.
"A&M is not in
a major metropoli
tan area, and the
campus becomes a
kind of Aggie fam
ily," he said.
James P. Mor-
isodeclimiMn. speaker of the Faculty Senate,
om Portlar a g rees .
woman,org "We try to make sure that people
iternationa, are given the chance to fulfill their
?/ picking academic abilities, and we have a
into her ro" fairly good advising system for stu-
rstigatior dents who get into academic trou-
(erriganr ble," he said,
d dazed h If
Don Carter, registrar for the Office
of Admissions and Records, said
prospective students visiting the
A&M campus see that students are
courteous and polite.
"We have a good support system,"
Carter said.
"Many student organizations and
the students have the perception that
we care about them."
The University's high retention
rate also affects the number of slots
available for incoming freshmen.
Since more students stay here to
complete their degree instead of
dropping out or transferring to an
other university, fewer freshmen can
be admitted to Texas A&M.
"It creates enormous pressure be
cause of the high number of appli
cants," he said.
But Morgan said A&M's high re
tention rate does not affect a stu
dent's decision to attend A&M.
Although many students complete
their studies at A&M, many take
longer than the traditional four
years.
Only 25 percent of A&M students
graduate in four years, according to
the Office of Admissions and
Records.
Amy Browning/Tat Battalion
' v
Kathy Perez, a sophomore education major from San Anto- some friends on the Quad. Thursday's high was in the mid-
nio, enjoys the sun Thursday afternoon by playing catch with 70s, and warm temperatures are expected to continue today.
e emerge!
ir Olympic!
ist-
)hei
ast-fooiii^
ustomers
:eptive
-hand sine 1
itter.
when duf
Morales S' 11 -
make up planned
bad-weather day off
I Texas A&M University students will probably not have to make
up last week's bad weather day, said Interim President E. Dean Gage
Th ursday.
I "The day will most likely not be made up," Gage said. "It would
■e difficult to do, and I don't think we'll make up the day. "
i Due to freezing rain and sleet, A&M classes were canceled last
Wednesday night, all day Thursday, and until 10 a.m. Friday. Thurs
day morning.
I There was speculation that the days might be made up either on
reading day or at the end of this semester.
n-smokiif an in the Office of Academic Affairs said there is no poli
cy about making up days in the Texas A&M rules and regulations.
Although high school students in Texas are sometimes forced to
, make up days missed because of bad weather or other reasons, the
mot - ®offieja] said colleges and universities do not necessarily have to make
Ip missed days.
by'sIncT
"IS Aggie accountants
to offer free tax filing
J
rs foil
Sockets
By Angela Neaves
The Battalion
I The Accounting Society and
the Texas A&M chapter of Beta
Alpha Psi, an accounting honors
fraternity, will offer free tax assis
tance and electronic tax filing
through April 15.
|§ Kline Driver, coordinator for
1 the event and member of Beta Al
pha Psi, said the service will be
offered in 501 Blocker Building
Monday through Friday 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m., and until 6 p.m. on
Thursday.
I "There are other sites in Bryan-
College Station offering the free
service," Driver said. "But we are
the only ones offering electronic
filing. We are also offering elec
tronic depositing into checking
and savings accounts."
I An income tax return check
may be expected within three
Weeks if filed electronically and
within eight weeks if filed by
mail.
1 Driver said the service is avail-
al le to anyone in the community.
James Benjamin, head of the
lelRa ilro3 ' accounting department, said the
rs ’Boat 5
Plane service offers two major benefits.
Primarily the students who
,.8095 use the service will benefit from
the training and knowledge of
members of Beta Alpha Psi," Ben
jamin said. "They are good stu
dents and well-trained in the area.
Secondly, refunds will be received
quickly because of electronic fil
ing and at no cost."
Clair Nixon, a professor of ac
counting, said the service is valu
able because it is offered at no
cost and because it is educational.
"Beta Alpha Psi will not only
file taxes, they will also take time
to review the taxes with people
and explain how income is
taxed," Nixon said. "When stu
dents get out and begin to earn
money, they will have an idea
about how the tax system works."
Cheryl Rodriguez, district
manager of H&R Block, which
charges $74 to electronically file
1040 EZ tax forms, said there is no
danger in having students file the
forms as long as they make sure
their parents are not claiming
them as dependents.
"As long as parents are not
claiming the students, there is no
danger in the free electronic ser
vice," Rodriguez said. "If the
form being used is more compli
cated than the 1040 EZ, I would
suggest finding someone else to
help you."
Faculty debates Japanese trade policy
Threat of sanctions causes
Japan to trim record surplus
The Associated Press
TOKYO — Under the threat of U.S. sanctions, the govern
ment decided Thursday to develop a wide-ranging package of
measures to trim Japan's record trade surplus and possibly
head off a trade war.
Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and top trade negotia
tors agreed to focus on four areas — promotion of imports and
foreign investment, deregulation, tougher anti-monopoly en
forcement, and fairer government purchasing.
The decision reflects growing anxiety in Japan over U.S.
threats of trade retaliation following a breakdown in talks in
Washington last week on reducing the two countries' trade im
balance.
"The ball is in Japan's court," said the chief government
spokesman, Masayoshi Takemura.
He said the government needs to plan the package carefully
because it will "lead to a change in style and structure of the
See Japan/Page 4
By Eloise Flint
The Battalion
T exas A&M University facul
ty members have mixed
views on the Clinton Ad
ministration's threat to impose
sanctions on Japanese imports
into the U.S.
Japan currently has a $60 bil
lion trade surplus with the Unit
ed States.
Kerry Cooper, executive di
rector for International Business
in the College of Business, said
Japan has a production capacity
geared toward exporting.
"It is difficult for them to re
spond to our desire," he said.
The Japanese prime minister
is presently trying to restructure
the economy and Cooper said
this may not be the right time to
push the trade issue.
"This does require strong
pressure, but at the present time
with the political uncertainty in
Japan, we wouldn't want the
United States to jeopardize the
Japanese prime minister," he
said.
Now that the Cold War is
over, the issue of opening do
mestic trade markets is surfac
ing because there isn't as much
concern for foreign policy.
Cooper said.
"The problem the Clinton
Administration.sees is how long
there has been a trade surplus
and the magnitude of it," Coop
er said. "The U.S. has been let
ting nature take it's course,
waiting for the surplus to come
down, and it hasn't happened."
• Dr. Thomas R. Saving, direc
tor of the Private Enterprise Re
search Center at Texas A&M,
does not agree with Clinton's
plan.
"This hard line position we
are taking with the Japanese is
not the right approach," Saving
said. "We benefit from the
Japanese sending us products
and, even if they are 'dumping'
their products, it is still to our
benefit."
Saving said Japan is selling
products in the United States at
different prices than in Japan,
which constitutes "dumping."
But Larry Wolken, a finance
lecturer, said the trade deficit is
a result of population differ
ences.
"We have two times the
amount of people, and if you
look at it on a per-person basis
we enjoy a surplus," he said.
Wolken said this causes an
unfair balance.
"Clinton said we need to be
fair," Wolken said. " But should
a country with half the popula
tion buy the same amount from
us?"
Wolken said the U.S. is being
rather contradictory because the
it has a trade surplus with other
countries.
"We have barriers that limit a
trade balance with each and
every country," Wolken said.
Silent artillery brings about
negotiations in Sarajevo
The Associated Press
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Whole convoys of Bosnian Serb
artillery withdrew from the hills around Sarajevo on Thursday in com
pliance with a NATO ulimatum to pull back or be bombed.
The pullout reported by U.N. monitors followed a pledge by Bosn
ian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to meet NATO's Sunday deadline.
Karadzic made the concession under pressure from Russia.
"We do think the war in Sarajevo is finally over," Karadzic told re
porters after meeting with Vitaly Churkin, Russia's special envoy, in
Pale, the Bosnian Serb stronghold southeast of Sarajevo.
Lt. Col Bill Aikman, a U.N. spokesman in the shell-shattered Bosnian
capital, wouldn't specify what sort of equipment was being withdrawn,
but said "we're talking heavy weapons."
"Literally they're moving out in convoys, not in individual vehi
cles," he said. "Clearly there's a major withdrawal going on."
See Sarajevo/Page 8
Inside
Sports
•A&M plays host to Rice
Sunday at 4 p.m.
Page 6
Opinion
•Pro/Con: Should capital
punishment be an option for
juvenile offenders?
•Booher: Penalty for drug
possession in other
countries too great to risk
Page 7