Page 2 • The Battalion
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(^AMPUS
Friday • September^
K Sepren
Law strives for equality in rape cases
By Tracy Smith
The Battalion
Women raped their husbands may fi
nally see justice as a state law, which went
into effect Sept. 1, strives for equality in
rape cases.
Marital rape cases have been taken to
court since 1987, but a conviction in those
cases required more evidence than if the as
sailant had been a stranger or acquaintance.
Furthermore, the assaults that were pros
ecuted as marital assaults were restricted to
only those involving physical harm.
The 1994 law did away with all distinc
tions between sexual assaults caused by the
marriage partner and those caused by a
stranger or acquaintance.
Sherry Hostetter, public education direc
tor for the Brazos County Rape Crisis Cen
ter, said she hopes the new legislation will
get more women to report marital assaults.
“Many women don’t report these assaults
because they feel they don’t have a case,”
Hostetter said. “Now we need to educate
women about the change in the law to let
them know the law is on their side.
The Tragic Facts
Sexual assault programs in Texas
reported 2,131 marital rapes be
tween October 1 991 and Septem
ber 1992.
—Texas Department of Health
About 61,000 women a year are
raped by either their husbands or
ex-husbands.
—National Women's Study
“It will take awhile to get the word out be
cause the change is so new,” she said. “The
more the public knows, the better off they
are. Women have to know that it has been
passed and in their favor.”
Debby Tucker, executive director of the
Texas Council on Family Violence, said it
will take 10 years for the change in the law
to become well-known.
“Sometimes it takes a very long time for
attitudes to catch up with these things,”
Tucker said. “It will take a brave woman
and a feminist prosecutor willing to articu
late that a marriage license is not a hitting
and raping license.”
Thad Stachowiak, associate director of
the A&M Student Counseling Services, said
one of the problems with any legislation
changing a law is that many people don’t re
ally understand the change and how it will
impact them.
“Knowing about a change doesn’t neces
sarily mean understanding the issues in
volved in the change or how it could affect a
person’s life,” Stachowiak said. “Right now
this issue needs a lot of education and re
peated exposure to let women know that in
timacy doesn’t have to be coercion.
“This is a good piece of legislation for an
issue that is growing in concern,” he said.
“It will take time before it becomes complete
ly visible to society, but recognition needs to
be made that one person doesn’t own anoth
er person in a relationship.”
Yellowpots vow to ‘clean up’ Sbisa yell
By Amanda Fowle
The Battalion
Friday afternoons before football games have been a big mess in
Sbisa in the past, but Bonfire yellowpots agreed Thursday to try to
keep Sbisa Yell cleaner.
Sbisa Yell, a Northside tradition, is a yell practice led by the
Northside yellowpots that begins when Sbisa opens for dinner on
Fridays before home football games.
Another tradition at Sbisa Yell are food fights between residents
of different halls and the yellowpots being “groded,” in which fresh
men throw yellowpots in the mud after yell practice.
Janette Gamer, Sbisa Dining Center manager, Owen Ross, RHA
President, and Rusty Thompson, assistant director of Residence
Life, met yesterday to discuss ways to eliminate the problems en
countered at past Sbisa Yells.
Ross said he wanted to preserve the tradition of Sbisa Yell, but
reduce the destruction it causes.
“We asked ourselves how can we best preserve this tradition
without having the problems,” he said.
The yellowpots will attempt to reduce the destruction of Sbisa’s
front lawn and will limit profanity in their yells. Also, food will not
be thrown.
Mike Tippit, Schuhmacher Hall president, said he and several
friends helped clean up after Sbisa yells last year.
“When we stayed and cleaned up,” he said, “it only took about ten
or 15 minutes because we were all working together.”
The yellowpots also agreed to tell the freshmen to take them back
to the area around their halls to grode them, instead of destroying
the lawn in front of Sbisa.
Gamer said students will still be allowed to throw napkins, but
not food, during Sbisa yell.
During the yell practice, students beat cups and dishes on the ta
bles to make noise, occasionally breaking dishes. Gamer said that if
any property is destroyed, the students will have to pay for it.
“They can make all the noise they want,” she said. “It’s the de
struction of property caused by the noise that we don’t want.”
Students who do throw food, or break other rules, will be subject
to punishment, Ross said.
“It’s like speeding,” he said. “Everyone may be speeding, but
maybe only one person gets caught. Some people are going to be
punished as examples.”
Students who do break the rules will have their ID cards taken
and will be referred to the Conflict Resolution Center.
The first Sbisa yell will set the tone for the rest of the year, Mcln-
nis yellowpot Ryan Busse, said.
“The first yell practice sets the precedent for the rest of them,” he
said, “so how we act Friday will determine how the rest of the yells
will be.”
Ross said that Sbisa Yell could be ended if the students do not co
operate with the newly established rules..
“Sbisa yell is a privilege,” he said. “It could be cut out because
many parts of it are in violation of dining policy procedure.”
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Woodworking, anyone? iti° r|lie;
John Oliver, a senior kinesiology major, works on a co‘ < -|) (
table in the University Plus woodshop. University Plus ofcfj;.]TiN (At
classes in pottery, woodworking, jewelry making and more. se: offend
—Bide regi;
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A&Ms First Midnight Yellofcr
the season to be held tonight 1.'''^“™
■from prise
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Texas A&M University will continue an age-old traditionFr[ting, auth
day as the University holds its first Midnight Yell Practice oftifT the uni
season. Rftt a samp’
The tradition, which occurs the night before a football gai [c< all said
will take place in Kyle Field. ■ 2l> ; ^'■l 0 start ai
Alcohol is not allowed at the event, and access to the trat jT] said the
surrounding the field is restricted. University police officers r T] grants }
be on hand to ensure that order is maintained. : sexual a
For people driving to yell practice, a representative oftheD! a Ij e that he
partment of Parking, Transit and Traffic Services said thattkJJ ^ j-, e j ei
should park their cars in Parking Area 61, across the raitaHj me ^ a t
tracks.
A&M’s first home football game will start Saturday at 4 pi'
as the Aggies take on Oklahoma University.
Do you have what it takes to be a
S.T.A.R.?
Find out at OPEN HOUSE!
Sunday, September 11, 1994
2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Come see us at the table for:
( HH‘E EJL CE9&E3L
Center for Drug Prevention and Education
222 Beutal Health Center
Texas A&M University
845-0280
MSC Political Forum
• “ * ’ f ’ »
)
Presents:
Democratic
Candidate for U.S. Senate
Richard Fisher
Wednesday, September 14, 1994
7:00 p.m.
Rudder Theatre
A Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs.
We request three (3) working days prior to the event to enable us to assist
you to the best of our ability.
The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of MSC Po
litical Forum, The MSC, or Texas A&M University.
The Battalion
BELINDA BLANCARTE, Editor in chief
MARK EVANS, Managing editor
HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor
MARK SMITH, Night News editor
KIM MCGUIRE, City editor
JAY ROBBINS, Opinion editor
STEWART MILNE, Photo editor
DAVE WINDER, Sports editor
ROB CLARK, Agg/eWe editor
Staff Members
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Fehlis, Eloise Flint, Amanda Fowle, Melissa Jacobs, Lisa Messer, Angela Neaves.Su!
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Painton, Nick Rodnicki, Amy Brown and Carrie Thompson
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Keddie
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Office Assistants— Heather Fitch, Adam Hill, Karen Hoffman and Michelle Oleson
Writing Coach - Timm Doolen
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DOUGLAS JEWELERS
Texas A&M
University Watch
by SEIKO
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dials. Electronic quartz movement
guaranteed accurate to within fifteen
seconds per month. Full three year Seiko
warranty.
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pocket watch 0245.00
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