Campus
P'
Redpots, Bonfire committee readies for an
early burn.
THE
Page 2
Sports
Lady Aggie Soccer opens season with 5-1
exhibition win over St. Edward's.
Page 7
Opinion
William Harrison: Natural born killers
live and thrive in a same-species food
chain. Spiders eat their mates; murderers
take loved ones away from their families.
Page 15
MONDAY
August 29, 1994
Vol. 101, No. 1 (40 pages)
“Serving Texas A&M since 1893”
msm
Regents face internal audit of expenses
System investigates
luse of Board funds for
travel, toiletries
Kim McGuire
The Batialion
A recent A&M System internal audit revealed
Texas A&M regents have spent more than $1.3 mil-
Jion in expenses which include flying spouses and
.rests on University owned aircraft and purchasing
[See Editorial, Page 14
video cassette recorders and floral arrangements for
pieir quarters.
The audit details the regents’ expenses from Sept.
1, 1991 to March 31, 1994 and shows the regents
spent 66 percent of their budget on aircraft travel
and payroll for their office staff.
The average cost for air fare for each regent
during the 31-
month period
was $23,080
while the cost
for each meet
ing of the Board
was $10,154,
according to the
audit.
“I’m not
proud of it, and
we’re going to
cut back,”
Mary Nan
West, Board of Regents chairman, told the Asso
ciated Press.
Regent Billy Clayton said while he considered the
audit an effective tool in streamlining the regents’
budget, he was disgusted by the excessive waste the
audit revealed.
“It (the audit) will give us some direction to go in
toward efficiency in the direction of operation,” Clay-
- ton said - “ But
quite honestly, I’m
appalled by some
of the expenses.”
Auditors report
ed the regents
have spent $9,811
on plants and flo
ral arrangements
used during board
meetings and
- Billy Clayton, Regent workshops; $3,182
on toiletries, such
as toothpaste, ra-
"It (the audit) will give us some di
rection to go in toward efficiency
in the direction of operation. But
quite honestly, I'm appalled by
some of the expenses."
zors and other personal items for regents; and
$514,851 on air fare for A&M charter or state planes.
Clayton attributed the high cost of airfare to the
University’s lack of a major intercontinental airport.
“When you consider the time factor it takes for
regents flying into town for meetings, it really
adds up,” Clayton said. “Especially when you con
sider some of the regents’ time is worth $120 to
$170 a hour.”
A&M System Auditor Frank Clark recommended
the regents better document their spending. State
law prevents universities from using state money for
regent family members unless the travel “furthers
official state business.”
Clark said the regents requested the audit last
March, which is the first of its kind in a decade.
Auditors were scheduled to present the results of
the audit at the July Board of Regents meeting,
but the meeting ran too long and the presentation
was postponed.
“We’ve sent copies to all the regents,” Clark said.
“But we haven’t been contacted to make a presenta
tion at the next meeting as far as I know.”
Clayton said the results of the audit would be
discussed at the next Board of Regents meeting
in September.
Campus leaders, administrators stress
importance of trouble-free All-U Night
By Katherine Arnold
The Battalion
Administrators and student leaders
are hoping for a trouble-free evening at
All-University Night on Kyle Field
tonight at 7:30 p.m.
All-University Night is a chance for
students to meet the fall sports teams,
student leaders, and University officials.
See Editorial, Page 14
The event ends with a yell practice.
On-campus students usually attend
All-University Night with their dorms.
Dr. Bill jKibler, assistant vice presi
dent for student affairs, said that in
past years, dorm rivalries have erapted
into fights and attempts to steal other
dorms’ flags and mascots.
“We just want students to know that
there is a fine line between motivation
and obscenity, and competition and
combativeness,” Kibler said. “When
you cross that line, people get hurt,
both emotionally and physically.”
The administration has attempted to
dampen inappropriate crowd behavior
at events like All-University Night by
creating a student leader forum. The
forum, comprised of student leaders of
campus organizations, met twice last
year and once this summer.
“The purpose for this group is to en
courage responsible behavior on the
part of students,” Kibler said. “In
creasing the number of police officers
is not the answer for controlling the
crowds. This forum has made a differ
ence in crowd behavior by letting the
student leaders relay the message to
their* memberships.”
Residence Hall Association President
Owen Ross said the forum is effective in
bringing the message to students.
“The meetings have made us aware
of problems that have occurred in the
past,” Ross said. “We see what we risk
losing if we continue to let things get
out of hand.”
Student Body President Brooke
Leslie said All-University Night is in
tended to be a motivator for the upcom
ing year.
“The night provides an opportunity
for freshmen to meet their leaders for
both the University and student organi
zations,” she said. “It’s a great way to
kick off the year.”
Motivation is the theme for the
evening, and dorm unity is a part of
that as well, Ross said.
“Dorm yells and rivalries will proba
bly always exist,” Ross said. “But we
would like to ask students to keep that
off of Kyle Field. Violence and stealing
is bad bull.”
Head Yell Leader Scott Tom agreed.
“Our teams have been working hard,
and they are looking forward to hearing
the 12th Man out there with them,” he
said. “But we are going to leave it up to
each individual to be an Aggie.”
Five A&M employees plead not guilty
The art of architecture
Water pours out of a sculpture and into a fish pond at the home of Haywood
and Noreen Robertson. The house was designed by at Texas A&M architec
ture graduate.
Workers await trial on charges of
funds misuse, gift solicitation
By Michele Brinkmann
The Battalion
Five Texas A&M employees indicted this summer await
trial after pleading not guilty to Class A misdemeanor
charges last week.
Robert Smith, director of special operations, was indict
ed in June on two counts of soliciting gifts from Barnes
and Noble Bookstores, Inc. while negotiating a contract
with the company during the time he served as A&M’s vice
president for finance and administration.
Four other employees, Wally Groff, A&M athletic direc
tor; Dr. John Wormuth, interim head of oceanography;
Penny King, assistant athletic director; and Ronald Carter,
manager of the chemistry department’s business and facili
ties operations, were also indicted in June.
The four were charged with tampering with government
records, after describing alcohol purchases as food and bev
erages on state vouchers.
Each defendant pleaded not guilty at Tuesday’s arraign
ment at the Brazos County Courthouse. The five employ
ees were arrested and booked last week.
Wormuth said,‘Tt was not a fun experience.”
Senior Judge Oliver Kitzman will preside over the 361st
District Court for the five cases.
Kitzman instructed all of the attorneys to decide on
dates for pretrial hearings as soon as possible.
He said if they could not agree, he would set the dates
for the pretrials.
Some of the A&M employees said they will consider plea
bargaining, which is a negotiation that takes place be
tween a district attorney and a criminal defense lawyer.
Wormuth said he will plea bargain, and Groff said an of
fer was made to his attorney to plea bargain.
Groff said he pleaded not guilty because he never
thought he did anything wrong.
“I have never felt like I was guilty,” he said. “I thought
I was following A&M policy that has been here since I
came here in 1966.
“I wish it was over with, but it is something I will have
to deal with over time.”
Brazos County District Attorney Bill Turner said Tues
day’s proceedings were routine and that people usually
plead not guilty at arraignments.
Fish Camper to be honored A&M issues NCAA
By Melissa Jacobs
The Battalion
A Silver Taps ceremony Sept. 6
will honor Chris Hart, an incom
ing Texas A&M University fresh
man who died Aug. 17 after re-
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ceiving a head injury during a
flag football game at Fish Camp.
Hart, 18, was treated by a
paramedic at the camp after be
ing accidentally hit in the head by
another player’s knee Aug. 16.
He was then taken to a Palestine
hospital, which is the city nearest
Lakeview Methodist Assembly
where Fish Camp is held.
After lapsing into a coma late
that evening, Hart was transport
ed via helicopter to Methodist
Hospital in Houston, where he
died the next morning.
Hart, a Huntsville High School
honors graduate, had planned to
major in business administration
and live on-campus.
University Relations Associate
Director Mary Jo Powell said
Hart underwent surgery and died
of a condition identified as sub-
dermal hemotoma, which is a
medical term for bruising of the
brain.
Bill Kibler, associate director
for student affairs, said some
school officials were talking to the
family’s intermediary on the
morning of his death and his
mother was at the hospital with
him.
Powell said Hart, who was in
Camp Conant, was participating
in the game with a lot of other
campers when the football came
loose.
“A lot of students went for it all
at the same time and someone’s
knee hit Chris on the head,” she
said.
Powell said Hart was doing
okay immediately following the
accident, and he and a friend
went back to his room so Hart
could rest. Later that evening his
condition worsened.
Bob Wiatt, director of the Uni
versity Police Department, said a
few of his officers were at Fish
Camp teaching a Crime Safety
and Security Program the day the
accident occurred, but did not wit
ness Hart’s injury.
“When Chris went back to his
room he became disoriented and
began vomiting,” he said. “A
young man in his room ran out
yelling for help.”
Kibler said Hart's accident was
a very unusual circumstance.
Please see Fish Camp, Page 5
Susan Owen
The Battalion
The University has mailed
out pamphlets to former stu
dents titled “Guide to NCAA
Rules” in an effort to keep
alumni informed of NCAA
guidelines.
See Editorial, Page 14
The 14-page booklet is a con
densed version of the NCAA
regulations involving contact
between former students and
current or prospective A&M
athletes.
Copies of the pamphlet have
been sent to A&M clubs, A&M
mothers’ clubs, and about
10,000 members of the 12th
Man Foundation, which spon
sors athletic scholarships.
According to the booklet, any
former student, friend or fan of
A&M is defined as an athletic
representative of the Universi
ty, and is therefore subject to
the NCAA’s rules.
The regulations summarized
in the pamphlet cover situations
such as contact with high school
athletes considering A&M and
the restrictions placed upon
A&M student-athletes.
For example, an athletic
representative is not allowed
to contact a prospective stu
dent-athlete in person, by tele
phone, or in writing. Student-
athletes may not receive any
benefit not available to the
general student body.
The booklet is published by
A&M’s Athletic Compliance Of
fice. The office is run by four
full-time employees who keep
track of NCAA regulations and
monitor and investigate A&M’s
athletic programs.
The compliance office pub
lishes information about NCAA
rules in A&M-related maga
zines and newsletters, sports
media guides and game pro
grams. The office also puts to
gether information segments to
be broadcast during game half
times and coaches’ shows.
Tedi Ellison, NCAA compli
ance director, said the “Guide
to NCAA Rules” is part of an ef
fort to spread information
about NCAA rules to everyone
associated with A&M.
“I think when more people
have information, there’s a
greater understanding,” she
said. “We don’t want to have
anybody pressured into doing
anything they don’t feel is ethi
cal or correct.”
Ellison said the start of the
fall semester is the busiest time
of the year for the compliance
office, as the workers check
athletes’ eligibility to play for
A&M. New student-athletes
fill out a number of forms, in
cluding an eight-page mini-bi
ography. Athletes’ housing,
employment, financial aid, and
academics must be within
NCAA regulations.
Please see NCAA, Page 5