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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 1994)
y * July 5, 1994 Replacing dirty needles WEDNESDAY July 6, 1994 Vol. 93, No. 168 (6 pages) “Serving Texas A&Msince 1893 AP/TracieTso :y could cut off /anting on the :ountry still in i. bel troops al- ed in the area security zone, s out Sunday 3 French para- acuating 270 e path of the itare. )mes here and lation, we will s without any rench military hdier Thibaut the threat, /oid any con- he French get le killers, we )le,” James esentative in e Associated trade standing at blasted out a 5. states in a , of President ide. Richard Hol- it 5,000 that i raised the , outside the ; became Mc- The 21st Century Council of 'Advisors for the Texas A&M System Chancellor's office has awarded two i27,000 fellowships to two doctoral students who displayed educational leadership at Texas A&M-Corpus (Mi (TAMU-CC). Maria Puentes and Michael Torres jiethe recipients of the awards which i provide funds through the spring semester of 1997. The funds will be continued if the l»o maintain satisfactory academic iwformance. Puentes has a master’s degree tom Notre Dame University and is wrently assistant dean of students at IAMU-CC. Torres holds a master's degree tom TAMU-CC and is an assistant [principal at West Oso High School in ' Corpus Christi. Border Center to be built in El Paso Groundbreaking ceremonies will be held July 11 for the fourth community source center being built by Texas A&M's Center for Housing and Urban Development. The center in El Paso will house station, health, human service and iommunity development programs. The center is part of A&M’s state- lunded colonias program, which assists residents of impoverished areas on the Texas/Mexico border. Previous centers have been built in Brownsville and Progresso, and groundbreaking took place this spring lor one near Laredo. July 4th weekend deadliest ever AUSTIN (AP) — Texas’ traffic death toll for the long July 4th holiday iveekend reached a record-breaking p5, including 27 youngsters, state officials said Tuesday. Many who died weren’t wearing seat belts. "I saw several accidents where it is guite arguable that if the occupant had fad a safety belt on, they probably #ould still be alive,” said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike Cox. "It’s incredible to me to think there are still that many people out there for some reason think they’re t-proof and don’t have to wear safety belts,” he said. Hutus escape into French security zone PLO president blames Israel for low turnout Monday and field next to the No experience la at 696-0877. >rofit student and flitted no later than Diication deadlines Vhat’s Up. Please dinale GIKONGORO, Rwanda (AP) — Panicked Hutus fled south before advancing rebels Tuesday, fearing the futsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front was tat on avenging ethnic massacres by supporters of the Hutu-dominated government. Hutus streamed into a security rone established in southwestern Rwanda by French troops who fitervened in the civil war two weeks ago. As 500 French marines and Foreign Legionnaires dug in howitzers and mortars, their leaders said the taps would fight if the rebels tried to snter the zone. Rebel leaders accused France of Tying to prop up Rwanda’s Hutu- dominated government just as Paris did in 1990, the first year of the war in die Central African country, and said a confrontation was possible. Simpson Update By JD (AP) — The limousine driver vho took O.J. Simpson to the airport the night fis ex-wife and a friend were slain testified Tuesday he did not find Simpson at home at first but saw a dlack person hurrying in the door a few minutes before 11 p.m. Allan Park said no one answered at Simpson’s home when he rang the bell at a gate around 10:40 to 10:50 p.m. He was supposed to pick up Simpson at 10:45 p.m. for a ride to die airport. Today's Batt Comics 6 Couogns 6 Health & Science 2 Sports 3 iVhat's up 6 O Israeli settlement A Israeli army outpost ■ Israeli police outpost /o Nfc/ (21 Area of Israeli control T Major population areas / ™ & GAZA STRIP y /A * WFm s 9 /If - 5 miles Mediterranean Sea West Bank Jericho /SYRIA 5 km JORDAN ISRAEL EGYPT fi —i-West f I i~‘l Bank ISRAEL V, ; JORDAN 25 miles 25 km EGYPT/ mi Dead Sea APA/Vm. J. Gastello JERICHO, West Bank (AP) — Yasser Arafat capped a his toric return visit to his Pales tinian homeland Tuesday with an emotional flyover that skirt ed Jerusalem on his way to swear in his self-rule Cabinet. Thousands of Palestinians gave Arafat a joyous welcome as an Egyptian military heli copter brought him to the West Bank for the first time in 27 years. Flags flew, bagpipes played and an excited crowd tore down fences to mob Arafat the platform decorated with strings of balloons and banners. But his visit was less than tri umphant. Just as in Gaza on Friday, Arafat was faced with a far smaller crowd than expected. But the Palestinian leader blamed the low turnout on Is rael, saying Israeli authorities had not allowed Palestinians free access to Jericho. Jewish settlers blocked roads at 19 points, slashing the tires of some buses carrying Arafat sup porters and causing delays. Is rael’s police reopened roads, and government spokesman Uri Dro- mi said the low turnout was Arafat’s fault not theirs. “Why? Why are they prevent ing our people (from coming)?” asked Arafat. Nabil Shaath, the planning minister in Arafat’s new Cabi net, said the reason for the low numbers was “deliberate delays on the roads, including the demonstrations of settlers which should have been cleared.” Aides said Arafat would fly to Paris on Wednesday for a sum mit with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Min ister Shimon Peres. He returned to Gaza by helicopter after about eight hours in Jericho. The talks, the highest level since the May 4 autonomy pact was signed, will address extend ing self-rule to other towns in the West Bank. Also on the agenda is the is sue of Palestinian prisoners, es pecially Muslim militants, still in Israeli jails. Shaath told reporters Arafat would be back on Saturday and would henceforth split his time between Gaza and Jericho — leaving Mahmoud Abbas to run Palestine Liberation Organiza tion affairs abroad from Tunis, Tunisia. Please see Arafat, Page 6 Murder petition Teen charged with killing A&M students will be tried as adult By James Bernsen The Battalion A 15-year-old charged with the May 23 murder of two Texas A&M seniors will be tried as an adult, a Dallas County judge said Friday. Jimmy Ray Hardy and his half-brother, 20- year-old Broder ick La von Hardy, are accused of the murders of Reginald Broad- us and Crystal Miller in DeSoto. Judge Hal Gaither, 304th District Court, decided the juve- Patricia McGruder, a gradu ate student in sociology, was among those who organized the petition drive. “We called the clerk for the judge and got the specifics on wording and such,” she said. “We then dis- nile was fit to stand trial as an adult based on testimony and a petition signed by over 1,200 A&M students, faculty and staff. “I looked at lots of things,” he said. “Premeditation, aggressive ness, whether the kid is sophisti cated and mature and whether the grand jury will have enough evidence to indict him.” Gaither said the petition mo tivated him as well, but the over riding decision was whether or not the youth could be rehabili tated through the juvenile sys tem or not. “If we had kept him in the ju venile system, we could have gotten 40 years,” he said. “Given the facts in this case, I felt it was more appropriate to be handled in the adult system.” Gaither said the boy had a previous criminal record, though he had not ever been convicted. “It was also a double murder,” he said. “That doesn’t make it twice as bad; it makes it four times as bad.” Norman Kinne, first assistant district attorney for Dallas County, said it is not unusual for juveniles to be tried as adults. “It’s fairly common, especially with this kind of offense,” he said. Kinne said Judge Gaither mentioned the petition in his ruling, but it was not the only reason for the decision. “I’m sure it was more than that,” he said. “But the petition made a difference; the state used that in its case.” tributed it to individuals who got the signatures.” The organiz ers only had a day-and-a- half to gain the signa- r / rr i • i tures, which —Judge MaL ijait her, McGruder 304th District Court said , pressed the judge "Given the facts in this case, I felt it was more appropriate to be handled in the adult system." “To get that many signatures in that short of a time had an ef fect,” she said. “He said it indi cated the type of people that Crystal and Reginald were around.” Gaither said the petition was important in determining that Broadus and Miller were inno cent victims. “It pointed out how well thought of the students were and gave credibility to the argument that they were innocent victims,” he said. “They (the Hardys) set about to steal the car. “If I had thought that we could have handled the case through the juvenile system, then I would not have certified him even with the 1207 signa tures,” Gaither said. “But the victims didn’t resist, didn’t do anything at all to deserve it. It was just senseless.” Kimberly Joe, a graduate as sistant in the Office of Minority Student Services, who helped collect signatures, said the peti tion was successful because of the work of friends of the two students. “Individuals took the petitions and asked professors to help,” she said. Joe said she is pleased with the results. “I think it’s very important,” she said. “It illustrates that with hard work, the democratic process can be brought into ac tion.” Legal fund created for indictees Local businessman wants to alleviate court costs By Jan Higginbotham The Battalion The nine Texas A&M officials charged with crimi nal actions last week by a Brazos County grand jury will receive financial assistance from the Bryan-Col- lege Station community for legal services. Fred Brown, owner of Fred Brown Mazda in Bryan, has set up a legal fund through First American Bank in Bryan to help the A&M employ ees with anticipated costs. “These are people who, most of them, have giv en their lives to this university,” he said. “They are our friends and our neighbors. “Regardless of whether they are guilty or inno cent, I thought it would be nice to offer our support to these individuals,” he said. The fund will work like a sliding scale, Brown said. The individuals who make the least amount of money will receive the most help. Brown set up the fund last Friday, after speak ing with Sheran Riley, an assistant to the presi dent and one of the employees charged with tam- "Regardless of whether they are guilty or innocent, I thought it would be nice to offer our sup port to these individuals," — Fred Brown, owner of Fred Brown Mazda pering with government records. He said he became friends with Riley during the years through the president’s office and he offered to help her with her legal fees. He then decided to set up the fund to help all of the employees. Brown donated $500 to start the fund and is welcoming any donations. “I thought it would be nice for us to help them out as a community,” he said. Please see Fund, Page 6 A&M prostate cancer study proceeds ahead of schedule By Craig Lewis The Battalion A prostate cancer study sup ported by Texas A&M and the National Cancer Institute is progressing ahead of schedule, A&M officials said. Steve Stern, a registered nurse and coordinator of the sev en-year study, attributes the fast growth of the program to unex pected volunteer turnout. “We already have roughly 13,000 of the 18,000 test sub jects, and this is only our first year of recruiting,” he said. Stem attributed the response to a rise in public awareness about this deadly form of cancer. Prostate cancer, which is the second-most common form of cancer among American males, killed 34,000 men in 1992. The disease involves tumors which enlarge the male sex gland. This often brings other harmful health effects, such as constricting of the urethra. Dr. Michael Hermans, study director, said prostate cancer deaths are on the rise. “Forty thousand men are ex pected to die of prostate cancer in 1994,” he said. The program centers on pre vention by use of Finasteride, a drug that reduces non-cancerous swelling of the prostate. Eigh teen thousand men will partake in the program nationally. Participants must be over 55 and must currently not have prostate cancer, a serious illness or significant problems with uri nation. The study, which is being con ducted at the Scott and White medical clinic in Temple, will consist of a double-blind format. Half of the volunteers in the pro gram will receive the test drug, while the remaining men will re ceive a placebo. Neither the participants nor the researchers will know which drug is being given to each participant. Stern said A&M’s financial and personnel contributions have been important to the research. “We didn’t really expect Texas A&M’s participation to be as much as it is,” he said. “There are probably 40 people from A&M working with us on the study.” Stern said experimentation has already been proceeding for six months with some of the earhest volunteers, but the trial is in too early of a stage to yield any significant results.
