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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1994)
\ggielife exasA&M Career and Placement enter helps graduating seniors prepare irthe real world. PagG 3 Opinion DUELING EDITORIALS: The Battalion and The Daily Texan wage war of words before the big game. Page 11 Sports No. 8 Lady Aggie Soccer defeats No.5 SMU 5-2 Page 7 THURSDAY November 3, 1994 Vol. 101, No. 49 (28 pages) “Serving Texas A&M since 1893” hinese leader dis- ppears, believed ill if: mmmmmmmm BEIJING (AP) — If the leader of any er major nation dropped off the face- the Earth, it would be highly ipicious. Except in China. Detailed health reports on China’s Headers are not news. So the virtual appearance of senior leader Deng aoping, not seen in public since nuary, is just another challenge in i art of China-watching. The official press offered this clue ednesday: a report on the second inting of two volumes of Deng’s lected works that said Deng himself d approved various revisions of his rlier writings. Deng, 90, has been variously mored-this fall to be suffering from mcer, Parkinson’s disease, in a ma. In other words, in no condition to approving lengthy manuscripts. The unusual presence of police luipped with riot gear, bulletproof istsand tear grenade launchers at jveral points throughout the city cently suggests that whatever Deng’s ealth, the Chinese leadership has sgun bracing for the end. Vork in Haiti far from iver for democracy VERRETTES, Haiti (AP) — tdelia Dulcinet found a handwritten rote on the ground outside her door ifewdays ago warning her to lehave or else. The note told Dulcinet, a pro- lemocracy activist, not to seek too eany changes in the government, irmy and other institutions ruling i/errettes, a town of 5,000 people about a three-hour drive north of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The message, scrawled in pen on a scrap of paper, was similar to ' o/ter to/s received by backers of )ean-Bertrand Aristide, the exiled Resident who returned to Haiti on Jet, 15 with the help of thousands of J.S. soldiers. A climate of fear persists in many oral parts of Haiti, despite the iresence of the U.S. forces whose fiission it was to restore democracy, iaitians afraid of reprisals by ilary-backed thugs are still in iding. Jury selection goes on for Simpson trial m -- SB® | LOS ANGELES (AP) — O.J. 1 limpson is no “Jekyll and Hyde” Personality, his attorneys told Mential jurors Wednesday, while a frosecutor implored panelists to 'esist Simpson’s famous image and ijcore the "odd-ball theories” about fcr killers. The comments set the stage for feremptory challenges, which allow either side to excuse "up to 20 Prospective jurors without stating a eause. There’s been a question here of •hether ... he’s far different off tamera than on camera,” defense %ney Johnnie Cochran Jr. said. You understand there is no evidence that O.J. Simpson is a tekylland Hyde personality.” Deputy District Attorney Marcia Clark also discussed the image of factor and former football star. This is not a popular case for the P'osecution to bring,” she said. No tax increase, state budget leaders say AUSTIN (AP) — State budget Baders said Wednesday they face a Mtibillion-dollar budget shortfall in he upcoming legislative session, but hey can get by without a tax increase. "There’s going to be a lot of "ailing and gnashing of the teeth. There always is. But I think this discipline is important. We simply must contain our growth and live Whin our means,” said state Senate finance Committee Chairman John Wontford, D-Lubbock. Montford estimated that the gap between projected spending growth needed in major budget areas and new money available will be about S2.7 billion for the 1996-97 budget period. Today's I > Classified 8 Campus 2 Opinion 11 Sports 7 Toons 1/L 1 1 ~ 5 zr What's Up 5 Trial of former VP continues By Michele Brinkmann The Battalion Despite repeated delays Wednesday, the trial of former Texas A&M vice president Robert Smith will continue today in a Brazos County court. Prosecution and defense attor neys argued for four hours whether evidence regarding inci dents that occurred prior to the time Smith is accused of soliciting gifts should be admitted. Despite objections from Smith’s attorney, senior judge Oliver Kitzman decided to al low the evidence. Smith is accused of using his public office for personal gain while negotiating a contract with Barnes and Noble Book stores, Inc. Smith took his wife Pat with him on several trips to New York during negotiations with Barnes and Noble. Smith made the trips between 1990 and 1993. The indictment, however, charges Smith with so liciting gifts in 1993. Smith’s attorney Dick DeGuerin, who has represented Kay Bailey Hutchison and David Koresh, argued the trips before 1993 should not be dis cussed in the trial. If Kitzman would have ruled against the prosecution, Brazos County District Attorney Bill Turner said his case would have been severely restricted. “The judge decided if com ments made prior to 1993 should be allowed,” Turner said. “The judge needed to decide if these comments would help the jury make a decision or if it would be unfair evidence to the defense. “He decided it was more impor tant to hear it.” Turner would not speculate about how long the trial will last or any specifics about the case but did acknowledge the case is confusing. “It’s a complex case,” Turner said, “so are the rules of the law.” In his opening statement, Turner told the jury he will prove that Smith invited his wife to New York at the ex pense of Barnes and Noble Bookstores, Inc. “Mrs. Smith was not in volved in the business,” Turner said. “Barnes and Noble didn’t invite his wife, Robert Smith invited her.” DeGuerin told the jury that Smith was given permission by the Board of Regents to negotiate the contract with Barnes and No ble because the company was “better across the board for Texas A&M University.” He said Barnes and Noble paid for Smith and his wife while they were in New York because the company was repaying Texas A&M for the time Barnes and No ble officials visited Texas A&M. “When Barnes and Noble came down here we rolled old the maroon carpet for them,” DeGuerin said. “We showed our Texas hospitality.” “It was a return of hospitali ty,” he said. “Yes, Smith and his wife went to New York and there was nothing wrong with it. Robert Smith believed law fully because the law provides food, transportation and enter tainment can be accepted.” “That is what this is .about,” he said. “Robert Smith is no more guilty of soliciting gifts from Barnes and Noble than you or I are.” The jury heard a 30-minute testimony by Patrick Maloney, vice president for store opera tions for Barnes and Noble stores in the western portion of the United States. If convicted. Smith could face up to one year in jail and a $3,000 fine. A&M flags shanghaied from MSC By Amanda Fowle The Battalion What was supposed to be a prank could turn out to be costly mistake for four Uni versity of Texas students who stole 13 flags from the Memorial Student Center late Saturday. A group of students calling themselves “The Rustlers” who claimed to have stolen Reveille VI four days before the Cotton Bowl last year are facing sanctions from the University of Texas and pos sible criminal theft charges. Bob Wiatt, director of the University Police Depart ment, said that because of the value of the flags and bronze poles that were stolen, the See Flags/Page 2 Bonfire seen all over earth via Internet By Amy Lee The Battalion Aggies around the world have been watching Bonfire ’94 go up, down and up again; not on television, but on Internet through the World Wide Web. The Texas A&M Computing Services Center and the Energy Systems Lab set up a video camera in a building adjacent to Bonfire. Every ten minutes the image of Bonfire is sent over to the World Wide Net server. Tonight, when Bonfire starts to bum, the snapshots will speed up to one shot every minute. The technology that is being used is not new to A&M. “The College of Architecture has been using a similar system for some time,” Robert Sparks, assistant research scientist for the energy systems lab, said. “No one has used it as an infor mation service. I think that giv ing information to the public is what is new.” The images have been broadcast in cyberspace since Oct. 17. Since then, over 100,000 accesses have been made to the server, said Bill Ambrose, systems analyst for the computing services center. “It’s unbelievable how many people have expressed interest,” Ambrose said. “Aggies all across America have been send ing E-mail messages saying how grateful they are.” So many accesses were made to the page where Bon fire is that it had to be moved, Ambrose said. HTTP://termi- nator.TAMU.edu/bonfire/ is the new address to see the See Internet/Page 5 Nick Rodnicki/THE Battalion Finishing touches for Bonfire Sophomore Aggie Band members Greg Holland, Cleve Ford, Pat Williford, Chris Sartor and John Engler constructed the outhouse for this year’s Fightin’ Texas Aggie Bonfire. Rushing one hundred miles for Texas A&M By Tracy Smith The Battalion Squadron 17 is used to run ning, but this time they’ll be run ning all the way to Austin. The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets squadron is getting ready to take the football for the A&M- University of Texas game to Austin after Bonfire tonight. Commanding Officer Stephen Phillips, a senior computer engi neering major, said the tradition of running the Aggie’s game foot ball to Austin is designed to raise money for the Brazos Valley Boys and Girls Club. “We are trying to do our part for the community by raising money and showing our spirit for the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Bon fire,” Phillips said. Each of the 50 members in Squadron 17, also known as Challenger 17, will run two miles at half-mile intervals, be ginning at Texas A&M’s Fish Lot and ending at the Memorial Stadium in Austin. Phillips said “Run the Ball to t.u.” started in 1986 when Corp of Cadets Challenger 7 first ran the Aggie football to Austin. When Challenger 7 and Aggressor 17 merged and became Challenger 17, the new outfit’s members de cided to continue the tradition. “The Squadron participates in their ‘Run the Ball to t.u.’ for all the away football games in Austin,” Phillips said. “It always brings the outfit closer together before we beat the hell outta t.u.” Mark Jones, Squadron 17 public relations sergeant, said that when Bonfire is lit, R.C. Slocum, A&M’s head football See Squadron/Page 4 Plan ahead, roads scheduled to close early for Bonfire Map courtesy of the city of College Station This map shows the areas to be closed this evening for Bonfire. By Tracy Smith The Battalion While Texas A&M students are excited about going to Bon fire Thursday night, getting there should be something stu dents also consider. Tom Williams, director of Parking, Transit and Traffic Systems, said parking may be difficult because of classes. “With classes running on schedule, many of the parking lots will stay full,” Williams said. “We hope more people will ride A&M shuttle buses to Bon fire instead of trying to park.” Williams said shuttle buses will operate from West campus to the Fish Pond, starting at 6 p.m. and running until around midnight. “The shuttle buses will be out as long as we’re needed,” Williams said. “We want to keep everyone safe and as away from the traffic as possible. “Bonfire is a time for students to celebrate being Aggies, so we want to make getting there and back as convenient as we can.” For those students walking to Bonfire, the College Station Po lice Department will be at the major intersections to help peo ple get across. Lt. C.R. Smith, of the College Station Police Department, said Bonfire goers would be smart to ride the shuttle buses. “The traffic is going to be ter rible, so if people want to get there on time, they should ride one of the buses,” Smith said. “The convenience of being dropped off right in front of Bon fire should also be an incentive.” The Brazos Transit also will provide shuttle services for peo ple who want to go to Bonfire. Loise Gossby, lead driver for the Brazos Transit, said that at 6 p.m. buses will provide trans portation from Manor East Mall, Sam’s Wholesale and K- Mart parking lots. The buses will unload in front of the Wisenbaker Engineering Re search Center. She said it will cost $1 for a round trip, and the buses will run until everyone is safely to their cars. Several streets around the site will be closed during all or part of the day to make Bonfire safer and more assessable to students, spectators and emer gency vehicles, Williams said. Scheduled closings include: the intersection of University Drive and Bizzell Street, closed starting at 6 p.m.; University Drive entrance to Parking Areas 50 and 51, closed when the lots fill; and the intersection of Ross Street and Spence Street, closed at 6 p.m. Polo Road will remain open un til 3 p.m.; after that time it will be reserved for special purposes. Parking Areas 50 and 51 will be open for public parking at 5:30 p.m., but specific areas within the lots will be reserved for special purposes. Handicap parking spaces and platforms for disabled persons will be available in these lots. Parking will be allowed along the outside curbs of New Main after 8 a.m., which will be the preferred area for recreational vehicle parking. From 5:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m., streets will be blocked off to through traffic to the residen tial areas bounded by Texas Av enue, Kyle Avenue, Munson Dri ve and Cooner Street and Do- minik Drive. These areas will be blocked off by manned barri cades, and only those with proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or some other identifica tion, will be allowed to proceed.