Watching a Klan rally:
Robbins said "I got ready to see the Klan
bring out the worst in the town. Only 25
people showed up. Page 5
THE
Weather
Wednesday will have
isolated thundershowers,
low of 75, high of 95
— National Weather Service
Rangers break 54-year curse
New York wins 3-2 in game 7 of the Stanley
. Cup against Vancouver Canucks
Page 3
WEDNESDAY
June 15, 1994
Vol. 93, No. 157 (6 pages)
“Serving Texas A&M since 1893"
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Convicted killer
executed Tuesday
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HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) —
Convicted killer Denton Crank, after
irief words expressing affection for his
amily, was xecuted early Tuesday for
he abduction and fatal shooting of a
louston supermarket manager during
robbery 10 years ago.
"To my family who kept me strong I
ive my love,” Crank, 39, said just
jefore the lethal drugs began flowing
ftto his arms.
The high court refused the last-day
ppeal, rejecting the claim about 2 1/2
ours before Crank was placed on the
exas death chamber gurney and
liven lethal injection just after midnight.
Crank became the seventh
onvicted killer to be executed this year
Texas and the 78th since the state
esumed the death penalty in 1982.
oth figures are the highest in the
Btion and the total represents one-
ilrd of all executions in the United
itates since the Supreme Court in
976 allowed capital punishment to
esume.
Jury rules Exxon to
)ay Valdez victims
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A
deral jury has opened the way for
lictims of the Exxon Valdez disaster
to seek $15 billion in punitive
amages from Exxon Corp. and
will be
tion forlkipper Joseph Hazelwood, ruling
tl at their recklessness led to the
lation's worst oil spill.
[ The more than 10,000 fishermen,
Alaska natives and property owners
B/ho are suing claim that Hazelwood
was drunk the night of the spill and
Ihat Exxon had known about his
; lost two
we just
e faculty Irjnking for years and left him in
E. Deanrcommand anyway.
I The jury deliberated for more than
has not four days before finding recklessness,
w candi necessary step in the plaintiffs’
Jittempt to collect punitive damages
"or the 11-million-gallon spill that
)lackened Prince William Sound in
|989. The jury also said Monday that
flazelwood acted negligently.
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The plaintiffs are seeking $15
fion in punitive damages and about
1.5 billion in compensatory
amages.
"Exxon still thinks it’s above the
aw,” said Brian O’Neill, the plaintiffs’
awyer. "You need to take a
substantial bite out of their butt before
'ou can change them.”
N. Korea to quit U.N.
watchdog group
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) —
Voicing dismay over North Korea’s
plan to quit the U.N. nuclear watchdog
group, the United States, Japan and
South Korea pledged Tuesday to push
ahead with sanctions against the
Communist state.
South Korean authorities,
meanwhile, sought to calm the public,
scaling back plans for the biggest civil
defense drill in years and publicly
playing down the possibility of war with
North Korea. But jitters sent South
Korean stock prices down sharply.
North Korea’s withdrawal from the
International Atomic Energy Agency
would make it virtually impossible to
check whether it is complying with
provisions of the nuclear arms-control
pact it signed in 1985.
Although the regime in Pyongyang
says its nuclear research program is for
peaceful purposes, the refusal to
permit full U.N. inspections has fueled
suspicions that the North Korea is
trying to build atomic bombs.
U.N. destroys Iraqi
chemical weapons
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MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — U.N.
chemical weapons experts completed
the destruction of Saddam Hussein’s
main chemical weapons facility
Tuesday, then over cups of tea
returned it to the Iraqis.
Although other Iraqi arms facilities
remain to be dismantled, the end of
Ihe Muthanna operation is a big step
in the U.N. campaign to prevent the
Iraqi leader from posing a military
threat in the region.
Today's Baxt
Classified 4
Comics
Opinion
Sports
State & Local
Bowen re-assigns top A&M official
Vice President Robert Smith to become special operations director
By Michele Brinkmann
and Jan Higginbotham
The Battalion
Texas A&M University Presi
dent Ray Bowen re-assigned a
top University administrator
Tuesday in a step toward assem
bling his own administrative
team.
Robert Smith, vice president
of finance and administration,
will assume the new position of
executive director of special op
erations upon his return from
medical leave.
“It’s very simple,” Bowen said.
“I want to have the opportunity
to assemble my own adxninistra-
for
tive team.”
In his new
position,
Smith’s duties
will include
working with
aviation, the
Texas A&M
Riverside Cam
pus and the
special events
center.
“I felt like it
was important
a person who has a long
"I felt like it was important for a person who has
a long record with the University to be treated
with respect."
— Dr. Ray Bowen, Texas A&M president
Smith
record with the University to be
treated with respect,” Bowen
said.
Bowen said Tuesday he plans
to re-organize the Department of
Finance and Administration in
the coming months.
“The University will be in
volved in the re-organization of
that department,” he said. “ I
would like to start the re-organi
zation by the time classes start
in the fall.”
Bowen said he hopes to name
A wonder to the eyes.
A&M's Visual lab
offers innovative
computer imaging
By Monique Lunsford
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Visualiza
tion Laboratory is one of the
University’s best-kept secrets
by students in the architec
ture department.
The innovative computer
imaging capabilities of stu
dents and faculty in the Vi
sualization Laboratory are
propelling the University
into the future of computer
technology.
The Visualization program,
a division of the Department
of Architecture, is designed
for a select number of stu
dents who have developed an
interest in fields such as com
puter character animation,
architectural design, and sci
entific modeling.
Jason Burlow, a graduate
student studying visualiza
tion science, said that stu
dents all over the world seek
to fill the limited spots avail
able in the program.
“This lab is known around
the world,” he said. “It’s
amazing because the people
of Texas A&M are not very
familiar with this lab or
what it does.”
One specific application of
this technology is a student’s
reconstruction of historical
sites combined with live
video footage, all processed
on computer.
Students have also utilized
this technique in making tele
photo Illustration by Stew Milne/THE Battalion
This photo illustration is an example of digital imaging, the
process of utilizing computer technology to manipulate and en
hance traditional photography. It is one of many fields in com
puter technology offered by the Visualization program, a de
partment in the College of Architecture.
vision quality videos, manipu
lating video images and com
bining them with audio
sources and creating cartoon
characters for entertainment
purposes.
David Parrish, a Texas
A&M graduate student study
ing visualization .science, said
people can find a variety of
uses for computer image pro
cessing.
“It’s the choice of the ani
mator,” he said. “It’s an artis
tic statement, usually about
you and what you have strong
Please see Imaging/Page 6
A&M audit to begin today
Image problems push up review's timing, official says
By Sara Israwi
The Battalion
State auditors will begin reviewing Texas A&M
University and System records today, although the
audit was originally scheduled for later this year.
State Rep. Steve Ogden of Bryan said he wel
comes the early audit at Texas A&M.
“I don’t object, that’s fine with me,” he said.
“Every public institution should be subject to an
audit to be sure it is run correctly.”
Ogden said the audit will show off some strong
points in management spending.
“My guess is it will be fairly positive,” he said.
“Based on what we have found, A&M is doing a
good job.”
an interim vice president within
a couple of weeks.
“I will ask the interim vice
president to give advice on the
re-arrangement of the depart
ment of finance and administra
tion,” he said.
The Texas Rangers and the
Brazos County District Attorney
have been investigating A&M’s
dealings with Barnes and Noble
Bookstores and the possibility of
privatizing the Department of
Food Services, a department un
der Smith’s direction.
Smith’s office was responsible
for the negotiation of the con
tracts concerning Food Services
which would allow private ven
dors access to A&M food courts.
Smith has also been under
scrutiny in recent months after
he re-assigned three top officials
in Food Services department for
their opposition to the privatiza
tion.
Brooke Leslie, A&M student
Please see Smith/Page 6
Clinton announces
welfare program
State Sen. Carl Parker of Port Arthur requested
the acceleration of the management control audit
earlier this year.
Dr. William Mobley, A&M System chancellor,
said he sees no problems -with the early audit.
“We are a large, complex organization and audit
ing is a continuing way of life and that’s as it should
be,” he said. “We are looking forward to it and
showing some of the strengths A&M might have.”
In a memo issued by Mobley about the upcom
ing management audit, he said A&M will fully co
operate with the state auditors and the internal
audit staff will be available as needed.
Kathy Smock, project manager of the Office of
Please see Audit/Page 6
White House plans
to cut funds to
immigrants, addicts
KANSAS CITY (AP) — Presi
dent Clinton announced a S9.3
billion plan Tuesday to trans
form welfare from a check-writ
ing system into a job training
program for tens of thousands of
single mothers.
“I really believe that we have
a chance finally to replace de
pendence with independence,
welfare with work,” Clinton told
former and current welfare re
cipients. He spoke in the lobby
of the historic Commerce Bank
in downtown Kansas City,
where Harry Truman found a
job as a young man.
Eula Duncan, a mother of
four who is trying to get off wel
fare and get a job, whispered
“Amen,” as the president
promised to give women on wel
fare a second chance and to get
tough with the parents who
refuse to support their children.
“We cannot permit millions
and millions and millions of
American children to be trapped
in a cycle of dependency with
people who are not responsible
for bringing them into the world,
with parents who are trapped in
a system that doesn’t develop
their human capacity to live up
to the fullest of their God-given
abilities and to succeed as both
workers and parents. We must
break this cycle,” he said.
The White House proposal
would cut welfare benefits to im
migrants, drug addicts and alco
holics, and would slash subsi
dies to wealthy farmers to fi
nance its scaled-back and often-
delayed plan.
In Washington, Sen. Phil
Gramm, R-Texas, called the pres
ident’s plan “limp” and said it
does not meet the test of placing
welfare recipients in “productive
tax-paying jobs with a future.”
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa,
said the Clinton proposal resem
bles a New Deal program that
promises government jobs.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
he said. “We don’t have the mon
ey for that.”
The cornerstone of the presi
dent’s plan is a two-year limit on
cash benefits.
The Clinton plan also tackles
teen-pregnancy, child support
enforcement, welfare fraud and
the welfare bureaucracy.
Clinton’s
welfare
reform program
Cost of the plan
(five-year projection):
A More child care for the working
poor: $1.5 billion
B More child-care spending for
people in the program: $2.7 billion
C Jobs for participants who reach
the two-year time limit: $1.2 billion
p More money for education, training
and job placement: $2.8 billion
E Miscellaneous
F Teen-age pregnancy prevention:
$300 million.
G Collection of child support
payments: $600 million.
Total cost of program: $10.8 billion
Savings through reduction of
cases and fraud: $1.5 billion
Net cost: $9.3 billion
Cuts to the current plan:
A Tighten eligibility rules for
non-citizens: $3.7 billion
B Changes to earned-income tax
credit: $3 million
C Excess saving from Superfund
tax: $1.6 billion
D Fees for customs services:
$200 million
E No increase in food stamp
overpayment recovery: $100 million
F Retargeted subsidies to family day
care homes: $500 million
G Elimination of subsidies for wealthy
farmers: $500 million
H Limited eligibility for substance
abusers: $800 million
I Spending cap on Aid to Families
with Dependent Children
Emergency Assistance Program:
$1.6 billion
AP/Wm. J. Gastello
Investigation continues into stabbing murder of O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife
World Cup Soccer 4
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A blood-soaked
glove reported in his home. A midnight
flight to Chicago. Drops of reddish-brown
liquid on his driveway. An ex-wife he once
allegedly threatened to kill found stabbed
to death near the body of another man.
These are a few of the elements in the
killing of O.J. Simpson’s former wife. Is
one of America’s best-loved sports stars a
suspect in the slayings?
His attorney says no. Police won’t say.
Friends say it simply can’t be true and
that Simpson and his wife were trying to
reconcile.
And Simpson is emotionally drained,
according to friends, relatives and the at
torney, who met with him Tuesday at his
mansion.
“It’s difficult enough with the shock
that your wife’s been murdered, but to
hear that you may be accused of it, well,
it’s awful,” attorney Howard Weitzman
said.
Authorities released an autopsy report
Tuesday that found Nicole Brown Simp
son and Ronald Lyle Goldman died of
multiple stab wounds, but withheld other
details. Coroner’s spokesman Scott Carri
er said officials didn’t know what kind of
weapon was used.
Police refused to say if they were able
to determine the time of the deaths.
“We have made progress in the investi
gation,” said Cmdr. David Gascon, a police
spokesman. “There is no indication at this
point that any arrest is imminent.”
The Los Angeles Times and Los Ange
les Daily News reported Tuesday that a
blood-soaked glove was found at Simp
son’s home, with the Daily News saying
the glove matched one found near the bod
ies.
Weitzman denied that a bloody glove
was found at the house. He confirmed that
a bloody towel was found in Simpson’s
room at the O’Hare Plaza-Hotel in Chica
go, but said Simpson used it when he
broke a glass in the room and cut himself.
Simpson, 46, and Nicole Simpson had a
stormy relationship. In 1989, Simpson al
legedly screamed “I’ll kill you” as he
slapped and kicked his then-wife in a pre
dawn New Year’s Day argument. He
pleaded no-contest to wife beating and
was placed on two years’ probation.
The couple divorced in 1992, but
friends said they were trying to reconcile.
Their children were sleeping in the condo
when the bodies were found and were re
portedly staying with relatives.