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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1994)
mber2, I994 " Frontiers Researchers in A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine attempt to create a genetic blueprint of cattle. Page 2 Opinion ELIZABETH PRESTON: Clinton has provided enough gossip to keep the tabloids boiling over with excitement for years to come. Page 9 Sports lo provide help for services, on- ilwork and the 2 Rudder. For ihnson Alexander ng auditions from ation call 845-5974. p Seminar on “how sk will be held at 2 i call Julie Agee or at 8:30 p.m. in 410 at 847-0291. s will be held at 8 rrmation call o all residents will and execs need to enda at 847-6480. ig of the year will be pics include re information call 5. 5 miles Monday Meet in front of G. rdless of running 696-2464. g for the 94-'95 35B Zachry to ’or more sts non-profH ios Items should in advance of the es and notices are :'s Up. If you have om at 845-3313. Sophomore tailback Iceland McElroy helps A&M tame the LSD Tigers in Death Valley. Page 5 MONDAY September 5, 1994 101, No. 6 (10 pages) “Serving Texas A&M since 1893” ilbert charges A&M officials with misconduct rged not to operate with CAA, he says n staff and wire reports aimed Texas A&M booster Warren ert Jr. charged Sunday that Univer- officials urged him not to cooperate . the NCAA in its investigation into fcummer jobs scandal that led to the pall team’s five-year probation, p. Gilbert told the Dallas Morning [s in a copyrighted story Sunday that ler A&M vice president Robert Smith, U head football coach R.C. Slocum (other A&M officials encouraged him i meet with NCAA investigators. lr. Gilbert said in the article that |th and Slocum continued to contact even as the University told the that Mr. Gilbert had ceased com- lication with A&M. Evidence of institutional representa tives being untruthful during an NCAA investigation would be grounds for the NCAA to reopen the probe and possibly sanction those involved, according to NCAA rules. Mr. Gilbert said Slocum advised him how to answer questions from NCAA inves tigators. “The only thing R.C. told me was, ‘Here’s what the questions are going to be and here’s the way you ought to answer them,”’ Mr. Gilbert said. Pattie Gilbert, Mr. Gilbert’s wife, said she and her husband “spent days, weeks and months of either Robert Smith or R.C. calling to say, ‘Warren, shut up. Don’t say anything. Well handle it.’” “Every time Robert Smith would call me, his statement to me was. You do not reveal anything to anybody or talk to anybody until I tell you. Don’t tell any body anything until we get our final re port in to the NCAA,’” Mr. Gilbert said. Smith’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, told the Morning News that Gilbert’s accusa tions were, “a damn lie” and that Smith was "incensed” about the allegations. According to DeGuerin, Smith said "Every time Robert Smith would call, his statement to me was, 'You do not reveal anything to anybody or talk to anybody until I tell you/" — Warren Gilbert, A&M banned booster there are documents that show the efforts of both himself and the University to get Gilbert to cooperate. Mrs. Gilbert told the Morning News that at one point she had to keep a list of all the off-campus phone numbers used by Slocum. She said Slocum was evi dently afraid of violating the directives of Smith. Smith, then vice president for fi nance and administration, was in charge of the University’s in-house probe. Mrs. Gilbert said she once met with Slocum in a darkened parking garage in Dallas so that Slocum wouldn’t be seen with Mr. Gilbert during the investigation. Mr. Gilbert said he went public with the charges because he thought he was being used as a scapegoat for the scandal. Mr. Gilbert said he thinks A&M officials in tentionally laid the blame solely on him to ~ avoid greater penalties. In January, the Uni versity disassociated Gilbert from A&M athletics in order to comply with sanc tions handed down by the NCAA after the organization found he paid nine foot ball players for work not done from 1990 to 1992. As a result, the NCAA placed the athletic program on five years probation. In the article Mr. Gilbert said he was aware that if he if he implicated A&M of ficials in any cover-up it could lead to fur ther penalties against the University such as a potential NCAA sanction that could suspend the football program. “I didn’t want to do one thing to cause the death penalty to the Universi ty,” he said. “That is one reason I de layed ever wanting to testify before the NCAA.” Gilbert said he never hired anyone that Slocum didn’t ask him to hire. The Gilberts told the Morning news they agreed to talk about what they per ceived to be a cover up because of outrage over the University’s initial refusal to send them their allotment of four season tickets. Mrs. Gilbert received her tickets Wednesday, but was told by the Univer sity that if her husband used the tickets NCAA rules would be violated. A&M head football coach R.C. Slocum and A&M athletic director Wally Groff could not be reached Sunday. University President Dr. Ray Bowen said A&M officials will meet today to dis cuss Mr. Gilbert’s charges and the course of action the University should take. Metmrv Affirmative action ruling brings focus on universities’ policies By Stacey Fehlis The Battalion A federal judge’s ruling which upheld affirmative action has drawn attention to the necessity of affirmative action policies in universities, even though the de cision found the University of See Editorial, Page 9 Texas’ policy in 1992 discrimi nated against four white law students. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks ruled the 1992 admis sions policy violated white appli cants’ constitutional guarantee of equal protection. After ruling their rights had been violated, Sparks also recog nized the need for affirmative action policies in universities and upheld the school’s right to use affirmative action. “It is regrettable that affirma tive action programs are still needed in our society,” Sparks wrote in his decision. “However, until society sufficiently over comes the effects of its lengthy history of pervasive racism, af firmative action is a necessity.” Gary Englegau, executive di rector of admissions and records at Texas A&M, said the need for affirmative action policies is ob vious by comparing the number of minorities in Texas public schools to the number of minori ties in Texas universities. “Looking at 1992 and 1993 profiles of Texas public elemen tary and secondary schools, there is no majority,” he said. “No race constitutes 50 percent or more. “Most universities, including Texas A&M, are no where near that,” Englegau said. “There is a definite majority.” Jay Jacobson, executive direc tor for the American Civil Liber ties Union (ACLU), said diversi ty is a very important compo nent of a learning environment. “Diversity brings something to the student body to open the eyes of other students,” he said. Please see Action, Page 4 International cultures requirement study to conclude in fall semester % J W Watching the Aggies Roll A&M’s mascot Reveille VI watches the football team defeat the LSU Tigers 18-13 in Baton Rouge, La. on Saturday. By Stephanie Dube The Battalion A committee researching the addition of U.S. and international cultures requirements to Texas A&M’s core curriculum is expected to conclude its study this semester. According to a proposal by the Faculty Senate, the U.S. cultures requirement will focus on the mi nority perspective of U.S. history. Thirty-three per cent of any course applicable to this requirement must cover minorities or women. Similarly, 33 per cent of any course applying to the international re quirement must address international issues. Dr. Paul Parrish, an English professor and for mer associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said former Interim President Dr E. Dean Gage asked former Provost Benton Cocanougher to ap point a committee to review the larger issues of these requirements. Dr. Sallie Sheppard, the chair of the ad hoc com mittee studying the proposals, said the committee is reviewing the requirements’ possible impacts, in cluding their cost and academic efficiency. “The committee consists of faculty, students, and administrators with the president of the Association of Former Students acting as an ex officio mem ber...,” she said. “We should finish the study within the month.” Before the study is finished, Sheppard said, the committee must determine several factors, including if there will be enough classes available for students to have a wide range of choices when picking classes to fit the requirements. The committee must also determine if each course will have sufficient seating to accommodate student enrollment. Dr. Ray Bowen, A&M president, said once the committee finishes its study, he will consult with Please see Requirement, Page 4 few complexes to help housing shortage lamber of Commerce estimates P,000 units available by end of ‘94 Angela Neaves Battalion ’he housing shortage that has Tied Texas A&M students in past several years is coming halt with the construction of r multi-family complexes in an-College Station. 'CA,OK.,T^flrtBWA May’s Ba jjassified 4 bntiers 2 Opinion 9 ports 5 bons 3 [feather 3 hat's Up 10 Allison Smith, coordinator of the office for Off-Campus Stu dent Programs, said the con struction of several new apart ment complexes in Bryan-Col- lege Station has had a major im pact on the availability of hous ing. “The new complexes have eased the pressure,” Smith said. “Also, some new duplexes have been built in the area which have also eased that pressure.” Smith said last year at this time, housing occupancy in the area was at 100 percent capacity. She said of the 13,322 housing units registered with the off- campus office, 532 units are still available. “This makes for a much easi er, quicker process when looking for housing,” she said. The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents re quested a study of student hous ing in Bryan-College Station last year after students and parents complained about the shortage. The study showed that 4,744 multi-family units were con structed in the area from 1982 to 1992, but Texas A&M enroll ment grew by 6,397 students, which caused a shortage. In late 1993, construction on several new apartment complex es began in Bryan-College Sta tion, according to a report from the Bryan-College Station Cham ber of Commerce. The Enclave at Holleman, a 340-unit luxury complex featur ing controlled access gates, mi crowaves, washers and dryers, ceiling fans and other amenities, is one of two large housing com plexes which opened for occupan cy this semester. The 104-unit West University Oaks complex in Bryan began leasing in May. The Chamber of Commerce report said duplex construction in the area is also on the rise. University Tower, a private dormitory on Texas Avenue, an nounced in February it would no longer offer its hotel accommoda tions and will lease all rooms as dorjnitories. According to the Chamber of Commerce report, more than 19,000 housing units are expect ed to be constructed and avail able for occupancy by the end of 1994. Ted Jones, chief economist for the Texas A&M University Real Estate Center, said increased housing availability does not nec essarily mean lower rental rates. “If construction costs go up, rental rates will rise,” Jones said. “To compete with the amenities new complexes are of fering, some complexes might need to raise their existing rental rates. For students not willing or able to pay top dollar, that could pose a problem.” Smith, however, said the in creased availibility will cause rates to go down. “As a result of there being more availability, we’re seeing the rates go down,” she said. “It has a lot to do with the occupan cy rate.” Compromise on birth control very close’ CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - On the eve of the opening of the U.N. population conference, a U.S. official said Sunday that a compromise on the sensitive is sues of abortion and birth con trol was “very close.” . . Pope John f Paul II, j meanwhile, capping one of the most heated cam paigns of his 16-year lead ership, blast ed the gath ering anew with an at tack on the “dangerous shortcut” of reduc ing birth rates by any means. The pope’s diplomatic and religious crusade against abor tion and contraceptives, which has allied the Vatican with fun damentalist Muslim states, has captured headlines. But sup porters of a tough plan for slowing the world’s population boom are fighting back. The world’s current popula tion of 5.7 billion people is ■ wing by more than 90 mil- i a year. Timothy Wirth, a U.S. un der-secretary of state and Washington’s top official on population issues, told re porters that a “very promising’ compromise was being worked out on the thorniest issues in the conference’s final docu ment. Vice President Al Gore, ar riving in Cairo, said the Clin- ton administration opposes lan guage suggesting there is an international right to abortion. “We have continuously made it clear that we will insist on language that the subject of abortion is one that each indi vidual nation should deal with,” he said.