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&M waits for approval of journalism
Iduate program.
Opinion
MELISSA MEGLIOLA: The national debt is not going
to bankrupt us, but it is not going away.
Page 11
Sports
Wide receiver Ryan Mathews leads
a new air attack against SMU this
Saturday in San Antonio.
Page 7
FRIDAY
October 28, 1994
Vol. 101, No. 45 (12 pages)
ince 1893”
NEWS
RIEFS
Clinton turns down
Visit to shrines
■JERUSALEM (AP) — President
Glmton opted out of a visit to
Jerusalem’s holy places Thursday
ler a tentatively planned tour stirred
up a political ruckus between Israelis
anc Palestinians.
■ Both Palestinians and Israelis
claim the city as their capital, and
both insisted on being Clinton's sole
jscori on a walking tour of Christian,
Muslim and Jewish shrines in the
mailed Old City.
1 Jerusalem’s Jewish mayor, Ehud
Ejlmert, said he was sorry the tour
ps scrapped, and the Palestinians
aimed a diplomatic victory.
]Clinton's wife, Hillary, however,
jus not bound by the same rules of
ptocol, and she went to the Old City
jseethe Western Wall, Judaism’s
iliest shrine.
*AND®j ; When the tour first turned up in
cANfwtoi' official Israeli schedules of Clinton’s
ernightstay in Jer salem, it caused
1 P 86 - N° serving U.S. president has
ne to the holy sites, to avoid being
jen as recognizing Israeli sovereignty
r yi Ben as it
M uer Arab
east Jerusalem.
■h near!
ilogical W
lo good news for
Denver airport
I DENVER (AP) — It's not funny
lymore.
The soaring new Denver
iternational Airport has worse
blems than a baggage system that
juts bags. Ten independent
ivestigations are looking into
ilegations of shoddy construction,
uence peddling, misled bond dealers
end mishandled government funds.
Beleaguered city officials are
responding to the cascade of bad
news by hunkering down, trying to
information and turn criticism
ick on the critics.
Mayor Wellington Webb last month
|l)voked executive privilege to deny a
Wuest for city records from U.S.
Sen. Hank Brown, R-Colo., then had
staffers deny he had done so.
I One Denver radio station’s legal
jfialyst says city attorneys threatened
osue him after he reported on air this
sommer that the mayor’s office was
refusing to produce documents
regarding delays at DIA.
Bolivia gears up for
solar eclipse
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A solar
eclipse will plunge an area from
Bcuthern Peru to Brazil into darkness
lext week, and thousands of tourists
end scientists are coming to Bolivia
a good view.
Bolivians boast that the clear skies
often found on the altiplano highlands
in the Andes make it the perfect place
ferviewing next Thursday’s eclipse.
Chile feels otherwise and Bolivian
scientists and politicians angrily
eccuse their western neighbor of
trying to steal their show.
'Some Chilean officials in a
abusive and malicious manner are
making Bolivia disappear from the
South American map across which
Ibe eclipse will pass,” said the
National Committee for the Solar
Eclipse in a statement.
"They want people to believe that
jjhile will be the privileged area to
'atch the eclipse and that Bolivia
fees not exist.”
looding caused $700
million in damages
Community works to rebuild Bonfire
Students, residents of B-CS, merchants
pitch in to complete stack in seven days
Stew Milne/THE Battalion
Aggies look on as the rebuilding of Bonfire takes shape.
By Lisa Messer
The Battalion
Hundreds of members of the
Texas A&M community are of
fering time, food, money and
equipment in the dash to rebuild
Aggie Bonfire in the next week.
Zack Coapland, chair of the
Bonfire Advisory Committee,
said people’s reactions to the de
cision to completely rebuild Bon
fire shows the true Aggie Spirit.
“The response from the com
munity and Aggies everywhere
since Wednesday’s decision to
dismantle the Bonfire and start
over again has been tremen
dous,” Coapland said.
Kathryn Noser, a junior
pinkpot, said 500 to 600 people
came out Wednesday night to
start rebuilding Bonfire.
“That’s in comparison to the
100 to 200 people that come out
at most regularly,” Noser said.
“We’re hoping that many people
continue coming out.
“We want everyone to know
that it doesn’t matter if you’ve
never helped build before, if this
is your first year or if you’re a
seventh year senior, everyone is
welcome. Without everyone’s
help we can’t get it done.”
Matt Segrest, commander of
the Corps of Cadets, said the
Corps is canceling night forma
tions and shortening call to
quarters by one hour through
next Thursday so the cadets will
be able to help rebuild.
“We want every cadet out
there at least one to two hours
each day,” Segrest said. “Most
people are out there five hours a
day. The Corps will be out in
mass. Until Bonfire is built, the
Corps is in constant push.”
Coapland said the students
working to rebuild Bonfire are es
pecially appreciative of the food
and drink donations coming in.
“They’ll be working 24 hours
a day from now on, so everyone
will be very grateful for food and
drinks,” Coapland said.
Noser said area businesses,
such as Domino’s Pizza, Albert
son’s and Wings N’ More, are do
nating breakfast, lunch and din
ner each day for the 30 to 35
Bonfire coordinators.
Stephen Williams, a manager
at Domino’s on Holleman Drive,
said Domino’s wants to support
Bonfire the best it can.
“We’re all a bunch of Aggies
over here,” Williams said.
“Since we can’t get out and
work, this is the next best thing
we can do.”
Noser said students and
members of the community have
brought trays of sandwiches to
the Bonfire site.
She said people are calling
with money donations, bringing
money by the Bonfire office and
dropping money off at the Bon
fire site. She estimates hun
dreds of dollars have been do
nated so far.
Kathy Vonderhaar, with the
Association of Former Stu
dents, said they have received
work and money offers from
Aggies across the state who
want to be a part of the re
building of Bonfire.
Noser said H. P. Zachry Con
struction has donated cranes,
the city of College Station drilled
the new hole for centerpole and
the city of Bryan donated the
new centerpole.
Noser said the work that reg
ularly takes 24 days will be fin
ished in only seven because of
the dedication and determina
tion of everyone involved.
“Too many people have
worked too long and too hard not
to have a Bonfire,” Noser said.
“It’ll bum on Thursday.”
A&M football
player faces assault
charge in court
By Lisa Messer
The Battalion
Texas A&M linebacker Antonio Armstrong faces
an assault charge Thursday in the College Station
Municipal Court.
The assault charge stems from an early morning
altercation on April 10 between Armstrong and
A&M senior Jason Wirt at J.D.
Wells on Harvey Road.
Armstrong is charged with a
Class C misdemeanor, punishable
by up to $500. No jail time is in
cluded in a Class C misdemeanor.
According to a College Station
Police Department report, Wirt re-
ceived a cut on his lower lip and a
BMn \ —y bump on the lower left side of his
Armstrong head.
Wirt said his injuries, however,
ended up being much more extensive.
“When I went to the doctor because of headaches,
I found out I had a bruised skull,” Wirt said. “I was
bleeding from my eye, too.”
Armstrong, who is a finalist for the Butkus
Award, an award given to the nation’s top line
backer, confirmed that he received a court sum
mons Monday, but denied he was charged with an
offense, saying he was being called as a witness.
Alan Cannon, sports information director, said
he thought that Armstrong’s summons to appear in
court is the only information Armstrong received
from the city.
A&M head football coach R. C. Slocum said he
See Trial/Page 4
Nick Rodnicki/THE Battalion
Halloween Corps style
Juniors and seniors of Company C-2 march toward
Duncan Dining Hall while guarding the ‘Great Pumpkin’
so that he can break through a wall of freshmen in the
Aggie Band late Thursday night.
tmmm vmmtmmm nsBgsBaMe&mMMonoeoMMoc
HOUSTON (AP) — The torrential
in and floods that gripped Southeast
was has exacted a $700 million toll
>far, according to state estimates.
There have been 23,000 claims
Jbmitted to private and federal
surers for damage to homes, vehicles
id property, but that number could
imb to 35,000, J. Robert Hunter,
Wnissioner of the Texas Department
j Insurance, said Wednesday.
| The total doesn’t include still-
idetermined uninsured losses, and
I unter cautioned that the tally was only
n estimate based on an expected
wage of $20,000 per claim.
Flooding spawned by three days of
eavy rains last week killed 20
eople, forced some 14,000 people
om their homes.
Classified
ixtra Mail Call
Opinion
iports
loons
leather
Mat's Up
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10
11
7
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9
“6
Operation Lone Star to inform
state about Texas A&M system
By Michele Brinkmann
The Battalion
Texas A&M Chancellor Barry Thomp
son is ready to launch Operation Lone Star
in a statewide effort to reconnect the Texas
A&M System with the people of Texas.
Thompson said the Texas A&M Sys
tem needs to “get back to its roots” and
improve its service to the people of Texas.
Thompson said he designed Operation
Lone Star to be a simple plan to execute.
“We need to concentrate on teaching, re
search and helping college graduates suc
ceed,” Thompson said. “This is a publicly
supported system so we need the trust,
confidence and affection of the people.”
The purpose of Operation Lone Star is
to tell people specific information about
what the A&M System does.
“We need to let them know that their
lives will be better because of us,” he said.
Thompson said he will ask System uni
versities to gather materials, including
general information about the A&M Sys
tem to send to citizens of Texas, but said
his goal is to talk to people to make the
communication more personal.
“I do not want a sterile approach,”
Thompson said. “I want a hands-on
approach.”
He plans to make statewide television
and radio broadcasts explaining how
what goes on within Texas A&M actually
affects people outside of
the System. For exam
ple, the broadcasts will
inform people of the lat
est technology being de
veloped and the latest re
search being done that
could affect the lives of
the people of Texas.
He plans to reach
every county, senatorial
district and school dis
trict explaining what A&M’s complex sys
tem does.
Thompson, who said he is cautiously
optimistic about the upcoming legislative
session, plans to hold town hall meetings
around the state so A&M officials can ad
dress concerns of legislators and citizens.
Thompson thinks these meetings will
give A&M a chance to answer concerns
and explain what A&M is doing to help
solve these problems.
Thompson
See Lone Star/Page 3
Student groups debate political
platforms of Richards, Bush
By Amy Lee
The Battalion
Aggies for Gov. Ann Richards and Ag
gies for George W. Bush touted the cre
dentials of the candidates they will en
dorse during the upcoming governor’s
race at a debate Thursday.
The debate was part of an on going ef
fort by both clubs to more fully inform
students about the two gubernatorial
candidates and their platforms.
Moderated by Dr. Kurt Ritter, a
speech communications professor, the
debate was attended by about 50 people.
Aggies for George W. Bush kicked off
the debate by lauding Bush’s plan to im
prove the economy of the state of Texas.
Travis Leonard, a freshman bio-engi
neering major, said Bush’s plan will set
Texas on the course it should be on.
“He has a 17-point plan,” Leonard
said. “First hold the line on taxes. Sec
ond, pass tort reforms. Third, stop explo
sive growth of government jobs by cut
ting back.”
Richards’ supporters said the best
way to improve the economy is to boost
job growth.
Kris Krueger, a junior political science
major, said Richards’ current programs
will be sufficient to accomplish the feat.
“Project Quest and the Smart Jobs
Fund cost the public nothing,” Krueger
said. “The Smart Jobs Fund provides
people who want a job a chance to get
trained for a future job. It is paid for by
private corporations.”
Leonard said, however, the only way to
boost job growth is through tort reforms.
“No more frivolous lawsuits will help
keep jobs in Texas,” he said. “It will also 1
limit state government and encourage ■
businesses to come to Texas.”
Both Democrats and Republicans!
agreed that education will be a major’
factor in the upcoming election.
Woodrow Wagner, a junior speech i
communication and political science ma- -
jor, said that education is the most im- -
portant issue to Richards because of her'
past as a school teacher.
He said Richards has already had a
positive impact on education.
“Test scores are the highest they’ve
been in 14 years,” Wagner said. “The num
ber of dropouts has gone down by 43,000.”
See Debate/Page 5