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1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993
Friday, February 25,1994
of Regents secretaries face tampering charges
By Kim McGuire
^ Associal The Battalion
Two secretaries for the Texas A&M Board of Re-
/"VQuints were indicted Thursday on felony record tam-
9 s StUM®,g charges, and the Texas Rangers and FBI contin-
3°7974 10llG n§ investigate allegations of administrative miscon-
A grand jury returned indictments against Vickie
1e i areiflBuHg, Board of Regents secretary, and Sasha Wal-
ntnltun ^ Board of Regents administrative assistant, for al-
Student Ci'CTiiy altering state vouchers given to a reporter for a
ufairsFritpl defunct alternative newspaper, Brazos County
” m _ore ir!:;^i c t Attorney Bill Turner said.
9 845-1515 fWunning was charged with eight counts of falsify-
ig government documents by misrepresenting alco-
TraditioiiKuj-chased on state vouchers as purchases of food
g at 5:00p:B so ft drinks, Turner said. Walters is charged with
p.m. <v
ub, 607 Tf I
formation &
the same conduct in a seven-count indictment, he said.
The Battalion also obtained copies of purchase
vouchers in January from the Board of Regent's office
reflecting multiple sales of "food, soft drinks, ice and
cups" for the Board from Ruffino Catering.
Similarly, the office provided corresponding re
ceipts from J.J.'s Package Stores that itemize alcohol
purchases billed to the Board of Regents office.
Ruffino Catering is listed at the same address of
J.J.'s Package Stores and is owned by J.J. Ruffino.
The use of state funds to purchase alcohol is illegal.
Bob Wiatt, director of University Police. Depart
ment, said warrants will be issued for the two
women's arrest this morning at the Brazos County
Sheriff's Office.
"They've agreed to turn themselves in tomorrow,"
Wiatt said. "They'll probably go through the booking
process and make arrangements with their attorneys to
post bond."
Wiatt said Running and Walters could face up to 10
years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted on the
charges.
The University released a statement saying the
Texas A&M System was "shocked and disappointed"
that the action occurred and will cooperate with the
Brazos County grand jury and the Texas Rangers in
the continuing investigation.
Ross Margraves, chairman of the Board of Regents,
said he was saddened by the matter.
"I've known these two women since I became a re
gent five years ago and have known them to exhibit
nothing but high moral character," Margraves said.
"Every board member loves them, supports them and
will continue to do so even if they're convicted."
He said the women were indicted for a practice that
has been going on for years.
"They were only handling things the way they had
been handled prior to them," he said. "This is a matter
that has been around for years. Not that it makes it
right, but it was not a conspiracy to evade the law."
Margraves said he had talked to Running Thursday
afternoon and said she was devastated.
"I'm 100 percent confident they'll be cleared,
though," he said.
However, the indictments have left some students
less optimistic.
Student Body President Brian Walker said A&M
should not tolerate such behavior.
"It's a very positive thing that Bryan-College Station
are pursuing the purchases," Walker said. "If some
thing wrong has been done, the law broken, then I
hope the University Board can find appropriate mea-
See Secretaries/Page 2
Associjlieq
slamic
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informatii
&M to go 'Big' time
By Mark Smith
The Battalion
ats: CDAJfte Texas A&M Board of Regents voted unanimously
for the Board's conference call Thursday to accept the
homa al ivitation to join the Big Eight Conference,
on Petrole; Monday the Big Eight offered A&M, the University of
Formore:'i«s, Baylor and Texas Tech the chance to join the confer-
at822-9Hi|.
■he acceptance makes A&M the second of the four
Hols to accept the Big Eight's invitation. The Baylor
latulionfcjjar) of Regents voted Wednesday to accept the invita-
rofit stolon.
nd activitislln order for the merger to take place, the UT and Texas
nitted nol ech University boards will have to accept the invitation,
n advance he UT and Tech boards will meet today to discuss the of-
Applica:: ir.
ices are«t"We are proud to have been asked and enthusiastic
it be f do tot joining a conference with these eight great universi-
iveanyq^es," A&M Interim-President E. Dean Gage said. "This
newsrooiJi|vv alignment not only offers new opportunities for all 12
' Hersities in men's and women's intercollegiate athletics,
Hurther establishes an even closer relationship in the ar-
-as of teaching, research and public service."
fhe acceptance by the board is only the first part in the
•ss for A&M to enter the Big Eight, Gage said,
his is really just a first initial step," Gage said,
ve just given them an answer to their invitation."
■espite leaving, A&M Athletic Director Wally Groff
feels empathy for the remaining schools of the South
west Conference.
"Aggies are traditional," Groff said. "I'm an Aggie and
I believe in tradition. But change is inevitable.
"Change is always difficult, especially when you're
talking about a relationship such as the Southwest Confer
ence. I feel this is in the best interest of Texas A&M Uni
versity."
Ross Margraves, A&M board of regents chairman,
wished the invitation could have been extended to all
eight members of the SWC.
"Everyone at Texas A&M was disappointed that it (the
invitations) did not include all of the current members of
tire Southwest Conference," Margraves said. "It was a dif
ficult decision (to accept the invitation), because of our
long standing relationships with the schools not invited."
Even without the other four schools of the SWC, the
merger would create a conference where every sport
would be one of the strongest in the nation, Groff said.
"If you look at football, men's and women's basketball,
baseball, I think it will be strong viable conference," Groff
said.
A&M's coaches think the move to the Big Eight will im
prove Aggie sports.
"This option holds a lot of promise," head football
coach R.C. Slocum said. "It seems to have a natural align
ment and it will give us more exposure playing in different
states."
If the merger takes place, the new 12-team conference
would begin competition in the 1996-97 football season.
Victim continues testimony
jury expected to decide today who attacked former student
By Angela Neaves
The Battalion
the victim of an assault contin-
ed to testify Thursday in a civil
Jourt case involving five Texas A&M
tudents and former students.
On April 9, 1992, John Morris
Valker, a former student who is cur-
i llrtly attending Sam Houston State
I diversity, and two women left a
I Allege Station night club and were
allowed by four men to Redstone
Hrtments, where Walker was as-
aulted.
|.A jury will decide if Walker was
ssaulted by only 23-year-old Kevin
Neil Ormsto, of College Station, or if
three of Ormston's friends, Stephen
Swan, a senior finance major, Grego
ry Pappas, a graduate agricultural
economics student and Earl Dyke, a
former A&M student, also partici
pated in the fight. Walker is suing to
recover his medical bills, clothing
costs and punitive damages.
Walker testified that although he
did not see the faces of the men who
beat him, he is positive more than
one person participated in the as
sault.
"After I got out of the car I saw a
group of men approaching me,"
Walker said. "I took one punch and
went down. From then on I protect
ed my head until they finished hit
ting and kicking me."
Walker suffered a broken nose, a
gash under his left eye, bruised ribs
and a large bump on his head, he,
said. The left side of his face re
mained swollen for several days.
Walker said.
"My nose was swollen and I
couldn't breathe," Walker said. "I
saw a specialist twice to correct the
problem."
Chris Kling, the prosecuting attor
ney, said Walker is suing for a multi
million dollar figure.
The jury will announce its deci
sion at 9 a.m. Friday.
Ilders attempts to snuff out tobacco industry
The Associated Press
BVASHINGTON — Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders
abeled smoking an adolescent addiction Thursday and
leuso'd the tobacco industry of trying to convince teen-
gers that cigarettes will make them sexy and successful.
^Elders also urged the Federal Trade Commission to
Ira v the curtain on RJR Tobacco's Joe Camel cartoon
id|, which have just added a Josephine Camel to the cast
'Characters.
B'Smoking is not just an adult habit. It is an adolescent
ddiction," said Elders.
^■he report also chronicled the marketing practices of
he tobacco industry, from the chocolate cigarettes of
yore, to the Marlboro man, to sponsoring race cars and
peddling lighters, T-shirts, beach blankets and camping
gear emblazoned with tobacco brands.
Elders said teen-agers who smoke, run higher risks of
experimenting with alcohol and drugs, doing poorly in
school, fighting, engaging in unsafe sex and even at
tempting suicide.
Fler report said the average age when smokers tried
their first cigarette is 14.5 years, and more than 70 per
cent of those who become daily smokers acquired that
habit by age 18.
Elders said the $4 billion the tobacco industry spends
See Smoking/Page 6
Backyard barbecue
Amy Browning/THE Battalion
Erich Peterson, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Humble, takes advantage of
Thursday afternoon's sunny sky and mild temperatures with a barbecue outside Puryear Hall
with friends. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 60s Friday.
Sports
•Profile: All-American
[Jennifer McFalls
Inside
Page 3
Opinion
HPro/Con: Should nudity be
■ allowed on network TV
HBooher: Economic, social
■ status key issues in gender
■ equality
Page 5
Retreat targets cultural awareness among leaders
By Melissa Jacobs
The Battalion
Many Texas A&M student
leaders will attend a retreat in
Snook, Texas this weekend to pre
pare them for dealing with some
of the diversity issues they are
likely to face.
University Awareness for Cul
tural Togetherness (U-ACT)
brings together current or future
leaders from student organiza
tions.
The Interfraternity Council,
MSC Hospitality Council, Excel
lence Uniting Culture, Education
and Leadership (Excel) and the
Aggie Orientation Leader Pro
gram, are a few of the organiza
tions that will be represented.
Trey Lary, MSC Council presi
dent-elect, said the retreat is the
best way to promote diversity,
and he hopes to gain an under
standing of all the groups on cam
pus.
"We need to know how to bet
ter address different groups and
get a general awareness of differ
ent cultures," he said.
Sheri Schmidt, student devel
opment specialist with the Depart
ment of Multicultural Services,
said the group will discuss what
student leaders can do to help
their organizations, and each par
ticipant will be asked to set con
crete goals for their group.
"We ask them to give an as
sessment of their own culture and
cultural values," she said. "It is
really a very intense experience,
and it can get very emotional."
Schmidt said they like to have a
wide cross section of students rep
resented at the conference.
"We usually have representa
tives from student government,
and we're hoping to have some
Corps members, if their schedule
permits," Schmidt said.
Richard Stadelmann, associate
professor of philosophy and hu
manities, said programs such as
the U-ACT retreat are an alterna
tive to the required multicultural
classes.
"Only certain cultures are rep
resented in the required courses at
universities across the country,"
he said. "Several of the required
courses have created great hostili
ty. A number of voluntary pro
grams would be better than a re
quired course as these programs
allow for more political correct
ness."
Schmidt said A&M's proposed
multicultural class requirement
will not be discussed at the re
treat.
"There are many parts to multi-
culturalism," she said. "Only one
part is curriculum and that is not
what we are focusing on."
See Retreat/Page 6