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1893 — A Century of Service to Texas A&M — 1993
Thursday, March 3,1994
epublicans mass to revitalize health plan
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The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The timing
ouldn't be better for this week's Republi
can health care summit: Support for Pres-
dent Clinton's reform
lan is cracking if not
[rumbling, both in Con-
ress and among the
\merican public, and De-
nocrats aren't quite sure
low to proceed.
But don't expect Re-
aublicans to step into the
acuum and seize the
momentum in the health
are debate.
Although they are convening Thurs
day and Friday for a health care retreat,
Republicans are no closer to resolving the
deep policy and political disputes that
rave kept the party from speaking with a
Party leaders to meet at retreat, discuss potential
solutions for taking initiative in health care debate
Clinton
clear voice on the dominant issue before
Congress in this election year.
Democrats are hardly of a single mind
in the complex debate either. But with the
White House and Congress in their con
trol, and a keen understanding of health
care's potential political power, the De
mocrats promise to eventually settle their
myriad differences and deliver a victory
to Clinton come fall.
One question facing Republicans is
whether to make any compromise a bi
partisan deal, or to unite around a single
GOP alternative and, as was the case in
last year's budget fight, make a partisan
stand, win or lose.
The answer to that political question
lies in whether the most vocal Republican
voices on health care can settle some of
their biggest policy disputes, and no two-
day retreat is going to bridge those gaps.
"The purpose of the meeting is not to
try to come together," says Senate Repub
lican leader Bob Dole, making clear in ad
vance that he's nowhere near his goal of a
shaping a single Republican plan.
Another participant, Texas GOP Sen.
Phil Gramm, adds: "We Republicans
have an opportunity because of the col
lapse of the Clinton plan. We have an op
portunity to get back in the game."
But Gramm wants others to make the
compromises, Rhode Island Sen. John
Chafee chief among them. Gramm's call
for incremental health care reform is a far
cry from a Chafee plan that shares most
of Clinton's far-reaching goals, if not the
road to reach them.
"Those concepts are dead," insists
Gramm, offering an obituary to any kind
of national health board, or government-
regulated health care purchasing cooper
atives. "There are some areas where I'm
not flexible."
Or, in Chafee's view, realistic.
Gramm, like virtually everyone in the
debate, says insurance coverage should
be portable — meaning you can take it
with you if you change jobs or move. But
Gramm doesn't wapt the government in
the business of guaranteeing universal
health care coverage — a liberal entitle
ment in his view.
"I have great trouble understanding
how you can have portability without
universal coverage," says Chafee, who as
organizer of the retreat has invited sever
al experts along to make that point when
Gramm makes his case.
When asked about Gramm, Chafee
won't offer any personal criticisms. But
he's quick to note "there are 43 other Re
publican senators and 56 Democrats. I for
one want to work with the Democrats on
a bipartisan bill."
Many conservatives scoff at such talk,
and that dispute is proving a barrier to
even trying to narrow the GOP policy
divide.
"They have the right to decide
whether they would like to work with
people like me or with Clinton," Gramm
said scornfully.
Blake Griggs/Ihl Battalion
Sophomore Rob Rickman defends against senior John Hardy at- A&M Lacrosse team. The lacrosse team has only lost one game in
tempt to score. Rickmand and Hardy are members of the Texas the past fours years. They will be playing UT this Saturday.
Students' bad habits open doors for car thieves
By Eloise Flint
The Battalion
The number of vehicles burglarized on the
Texas A&M campus is on the rise and will con
tinue to rise as long as car owners provide the
opportunity to burglars, said Lt. Bert Kret-
zschmar, a crime prevention specialist with the
University Police Department.
There is no definite reason for the increase
in vehicle burglary, but Kretzschmar said stu
dents must take precautions to lower their
chances of being burglarized.
Glenn Marsh, a senior construction science
major, said students feel safe on campus and
do not take the precautions they should.
r "I think part of it is that people believe in
the Aggie Code of Honor, and they don't take
adequate precautions like they would in larger
cities or those with a higher crime rate," he
said.
Kretzschmar said the only element that can
be taken away from a criminal is opportunity. .
"A burglar will go around parking lots and
look for opportunity," Kretzschmar said.
"When a burglar sees a purse, backpack,
radar detector or something of value laying in
the seat, it is motivation."
Chris Tibbitt, a junior electrical engineering
major, said students need to take responsibility
in protecting their own property.
"If people don't lock their cars, it's because
they don't care about them or what they have
inside," he said.
Kretzschmar said students do not always
take precautions, such as locking their car
doors, because they feel secure on campus.
"There is a saying on campus that Aggies
don't lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those that
do, but the part about tolerating them is ques
tionable," Kretzschmar said.
Kretzschmar said police would catch more
burglars if more people would report suspi
cious behavior.
UPD has three to seven cars at a time pa
trolling the campus, depending on who is
available.
They try to patrol in the remote areas of the
A&M campus, such as west campus, fish lot,
and the medical and veterinary schools, Kret
zschmar said.
The parking garages are equipped with 50
surveillance cameras and 24-hour security, and
Kretzschmar said the only problem the garages
have is criminal mischief, such as scraping cars.
The burglaries have been committed by ju
veniles, A&M students and adults during the
day and night.
"Thieves look at A&M as a prime opportu
nity," Kretzschmar said. "It is 42,000 students,
and if you have a parking lot full of cars, it's
easier for a criminal to hide and fit in, even in
the broad daylight."
Fundamentalist Palestinians call for revenge
The Associated Press
JERICHO, Occupied West Bank
- Israeli soldiers killed two Pales
tinian youths Wednesday as fury
over the Hebron mosque massacre
spread to Jericho, where the PLO
plans to set up its headquarters
under a peace plan with Israel.
As part of an effort to curt) the
bloodletting, security forces dis
armed seven extremist Jewish
settlers in the occupied territories
and banned them from Palestin
ian areas.
That was a radical move for
the Israelis. But it's unlikely to
jMacate Palestinians demanding
the removal of Jewish settle
ments from the territories and in
ternational protection.
Militant Palestinians called for
revenge attacks.
In Jericho, a normally peaceful
town/the trouble flared when 400
Palestinians, some waving black
flags, protested Friday's massacre
of Palestinian worshippers by a
Jewish settler in Hebron. Protest
ers stoned army vehicles and a
police station, and troops on
rooftops opened fire at youths,
who were using slingshots.
One teen-ager was killed in the
shooting and about 20 people
were injured, including Saeb Er-
akat, head of the PLO's negotiat
ing team, who was slightly
wounded in the leg.
Chanting "revenge! revenge!"
the teen-ager's family grabbed
the body from an ambulance.
They wrapped it in a Palestinian
flag and carried it through the
rubble-strewn streets to a ceme
tery for burial.
The marchers called for Jews to
be killed. One placard read: "You
will not live on our land. You will
not fly in our sky."
In Hebron, a 17-year-old Pales
tinian was shot dead and 33 Arabs
were injured by soldiers.
At least 13 Palestinians were
wounded by gunfire in scattered
stone-throwing clashes with
troops in the Gaza Strip, hospi
tals reported.
Wednesday's fatalities raised
the death toll since Friday to at
least 66, including at least 30 men
and boys massacred in the He
bron mosque Friday.
All but three of those killed
were Arabs. More than 400 people
have been wounded.
Officials at hospital near Tel
Aviv said an 8-year-old Gaza girl
shot in the head by troops Feb. 2
died of her wounds Wednesday.
The Gaza-based Muslim funda
mentalist Hamas movement called
for all-out revenge for the mosque
massacre, heightening Israeli un
ease amid military warnings that
Arab reprisal attacks are likely.
The government put its em
bassies and citizens abroad on
alert. Rabin's terrorism adviser,
Yigal Pressler, urged Israelis with
gun permits to carry their
weapons at all times.
Hamas called for a "holy lib
eration war" against Israel and
exhorted the 1 million Arabs liv
ing in Israel to avenge those
killed in the mosque.
Suicide prevention
Student's death pulls
issue into frontline
By Lisa Elliott
TUt BATTALION
After the recent suicide of a Texas A&M student, many Uni
versity health care professionals are trying to persuade students
to come forward with personal problems before they reach a criti
cal stage.
On Feb. 19, Ivo Zuniga, a junior speech communications ma
jor, died after an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the
head outside a College Station nightclub.
Although Justice of the Peace George Boyett has not yet ruled
the death as a suicide, the College Station Police Department is
investigating it as one, Sgt. Robert Cahill said.
Dr. Debbie Rabinowitz, a psychologist with the A&M Counsel
ing Center, said that on average two A&M students commit sui
cide each year, but that number is probably an underestimate.
"That number doesn't count deaths that weren't ruled as sui
cides but may have been," she said.
Many times a suicide occurs in a one-car accident, but isn't
ruled a suicide because it looks more like an accident, she said.
The common causes of suicide are a major loss, she said, such
as an ended relationship or the death of a close friend or loved
one.
"Usually suicide isn't instantly decided," she said. "Most are
usually depressed and the final straw will break."
Daryl Wright, rush chairman of Zeta Beta Tau, the fraternity
Zuniga was a member of, said Zuniga showed no signs of a prob
lem before his death.
"He hid his emotions really well," he said.
"There were none of the classic signs like giving up his prized
possessions or anything."
Wright said Zuniga's death was a tragedy for his fraternity,
but they are learning to deal with it and move on.
"We're very upset," he said. "Everyone considered Ivo as
their best friend because he was."
Bob Wiatt, director of the University Police Department, said
attempting suicide is a crime, but it usually isn't prosecuted.
The most common type of attempt is usually from an overdose
of pills, he said.
After a student attempts suicide and is discovered, the emer
gency medical team is notified. Once the victim is safe, the De
partment of Student Affairs and the University counseling ser
vices are notified.
Rabinowitz said there are 70 suicide threats among students
every year. About half of those are actual attempts, she said, and
the other half are serious threats.
"Lots of people have minor thoughts of suicide," she said.
According to a tape about suicide produced by the Texas A&M
CounseLine, a system of tapes about topics such as depression,
intimacy and relationships, some of the warning signs include
abrupt changes in eating, sleeping and activity patterns. Putting
business and personal affairs in order, such as writing a will and
returning borrowed items, are other signals.
The tape says that once a person decides to commit suicide, a
period of calmness usually follows before the actual attempt, and
most people attempt suicide several times before actually suc
ceeding.
Rabinowitz said someone is always available to help potential
suicide victims. During the day, a psychologist is available at the
Counseling Center located in Henderson Hall. After hours, stu
dent can contact the health center and a psychologist will be con
tacted using a beeper.
She encourages students to see the counseling services as an
alternative to death.
Inside
Sports
•Profile pf A&M men's bas
ketball coach Tony Barone
Page 3
Aggie life
•Students battle the winter
bulge in spring training
Page 7
Opinion
•Stanford: Finding life's
meanings
Page 11