BATTMEN
Freshmen Corps members serve unique
role in Battalion distribution.
Aggielife, Page 3
ibdi;
IDEOLOGICAL INCONSISTENCY
Taylor: Conservative views are often consid
ered "closed-minded" by the "open-minded"
Opinion, Page 11
HOME COOKING TURNS SOUR
The Texas A&M women's tennis team is
routed by Oklahoma, 8-1.
Sports, Page 7
/ol. 101, No. 116 (12 pages)
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“Serving Texas AdrAf since 1893 ”
Thursday • March 23, 1995
A&M System schools hold forum on race relations
Students represent
ing the system schools
agreed that improving
race relations within
their campuses is a
primary goal.
[Eleanor Colvin
The Battalion
I Representatives from schools in the
Texas A&M University System agreed
(Euring a forum Wednesday that re-
iruiting and educating a diverse facul-
|y, staff and student body are their ul
timate objectives.
I The Race and Ethnic Studies Insti
tute of Texas A&M organized the fo
ra on improving race, ethnic and hu
man relations.
The forum let students express their
views on race and diversity on Texas
A&M University System campuses.
Dr. Gail Thomas, director of REST,
said the forum would address some of the
commonly ignored issues on campus.
“People often suffer from a lack of
candid and frank dialogue on major is
sues,” she said.
Dr. Don Rochon, assistant professor
in the College of Education, said the fo
rum could benefit everyone if people
shared what they learned with others.
“This dialogue can be fruitful for
each of us,” he said. “The issues are
not only relevant here, but nation
wide. Each of our departments and
extended families we come in contact
with, after we leave here, can gain
from this exchange.”
During the forum, student and facul
ty representatives from the seven Texas
A&M System schools spoke with five
A&M student leaders via the Trans
Texas Video Network.
The representatives discussed how
the school could recruit and retain a mi
nority representation proportionate to
Texas’ minority population. Several rep
resentatives said students need minori
ty role models on campus.
Christine Vasquez, president of the
Committee for the Awareness of Mexi
can American Culture, said diversity is
important at A&M.
“When I walk into a room and see no
people of color, I feel intimidated,” she
said. “Seeing another student or profes
sor of my ethnicity or gender would en
courage and motivate me.
“A&M’s lack of cultural diversity dis
courages students and faculty minori
ties from coming here.”
Reggie Deal, a member of Networks,
an advocate organization for people
with disabilities, encouraged students
to be involved with diverse groups.
“We need to stress the importance
of interaction at the student level,” he
said. “The only way to open minds is
to participate with others of unique
and different backgrounds. Texas
A&M needs to encourage growth
through involvement.”
The representatives unanimously
decided that education and interaction
are the answers to solving diversity
problems.
Jeff Wilson,
vice president
of the Student
Government,
said co-pro-
gramming
among organi
zations helps
bridge many
cultural gaps.
“Co-programming effectively builds
ties among groups of different back
grounds,” he said. “I support this type
of student-based education by groups
like CAMAC, U-ACT, ExCel and the
Southwestern Black Student Leader
ship Conference.”
Rochon said education is mandatory
for change.
“We must seek out information to
dispel myths and the aura of ignorance
many people have regarding others,” he
said. “Many people are against some
thing they really know nothing about.
Instead of educating themselves, they
subscribe to the multicultural and gen
der issues’ propaganda.”
Amy Kardell, president of the Grad
uate Student Council, told the repre
sentatives that hard work is the key
for success.
“There’s no magic pill to solve the
problems fast enough,” she said. “We
must work harder than ever before.
“Challenge your professors and ad
ministration if they do not live up to
your expectations of them.”
ealth Center director explains
consolidation fee referendum
□ Students will be able
to vote on the referen
dum next week.
By Tracy Smith
The Battalion
Dr. Kenneth Dirks, director of
the A.P. Beutel Health Center shed
light on the health care funding is
sue Wednesday by explaining the
importance of consolidating all stu
dent fee funding for the health cen
ter into one fee.
“By consolidating all the money
that students pay for health care
into one fee,” Dirks said, “students
will get a better idea of where their
money is going.”
Currently, Texas A&M stu
dents are charged a $25 health
Center fee and a $15 student ser
vice fee that also goes toward
health care. The health center’s
proposal would combine both fees
ipto a $40 health center fee.
“The amount of money would be
set at $40 in 1996 and would allow
for a more clearly marked fee state
ment,” Dirks said. “Students have
(jften asked why they are charged
health center fees on two places on
the statement, and this would alle
viate the problem.”
Students will be able to vote on
a student referendum next week
that could allow for such a
change, as well as other changes
geared toward improving the
health center, Dirks said.
The referendum also proposes to
increase the ceiling on the health
center fee from $25 to $75.
However, Dirks explained that a
passage of the referendum would
not mean a huge hike in student
fees; increases would be limited to
no more than 10 percent each year.
These increases would also require
approval from a student referen
dum each year.
“What the referendum is
proposing would provide for stu
dent input and recommendation
on any future health center fee in
creases,” he said. “This way the
students aren’t locked into a 10
percent increase each year.
“If students in 1997 decide that
they want no increase, then there
will be no increase.”
Dirks said that if the referendum
passes, it would allow the health
center to provide better consumer
information, more student input and
better accountability of funds.
“Quality health care is our
main focus at the center,” he said.
“And realizing a student’s budget,
we want to keep students’ costs as
low as possible.”
According to the center’s 1995
See Referendum, Page 1 2
Amy Browning/THE Battalion
The Three Stooges
Sophomores Chris Cooper, a biomedical science major. Tommy Brown, a political science major, and Chris Clinkscales, a
biochemistry major, play the Ford Comedy Quiz at the CBS fair Wednesday afternoon. The fair will continue in front of the MSC
until the end of the week.
Voelkel stresses academics, honesty,
leadership as new Corps Commander
He will be the first Aggie Band
member to hold the title of com
mander of the Corps of Cadets.
By Gretchen Perrenot
I The Battalion
I.
I For the first time in A&M school history, a
| member of the Texas Aggie Band will become the
| commander of the Corps of Cadets.
I, Tyson Voelkel, Class of ‘96, will take command
of the Corps in May.
Voelkel said he is the first band member to make
Corps Commander in the unit’s 120-year history.
“One of the band directors from years ago gave
toe a call to congratulate me and said he didn’t
think there had ever been one either,” Voelkel said.
Maj. Gen. Tom Darling, Corps Commandant
•ond chair of the board that chooses the Corps
'Commander, said Voelkel was selected because of
|his accomplishments and because he is an out-go-
people-oriented individual.
“He comes out of the band, which is interest
ing,” Darling said. “None of us on the board can
femember when someone came out of the band
and rose to be Corps commander.
We certainly want to give the band members a
hance, and Voelkel was the perfect candidate.”
Darling said he’s followed Voelkel’s college ca-
eer and was impressed by Voelkel from the first
ime he met him.
“He’s a fine leader and seems to have the po
tential for Corps Commander,” Darling said.
“You look at his list of achievements and it’s
pretty impressive.”
Voelkel is a member of the Ross Volunteers,
ollege Republicans, Aggie Pathfinders and sev
eral other organizations and committees. He is
Iso a platoon honor graduate from Army Para
chutist School.
Darling said that choosing a Corps Commander
from the 11 candidates was a tough decision.
“Every one of the candidates could have assumed
the job and done it well,” he said. “They will all hold
key positions in the Corps, and some have already
been chosen for other leadership positions.”
Voelkel said his goal as Corps Commander is to
follow in the footsteps of the institution’s present
leader. Corps Cmdr. Matt Segrest.
“The Corps Commander last year set down an
excellent foundation for me to pick up on and I’m
lucky to have that,” Voelkel said. “He set down a
precedence for academics and recruiting so that
we could have more cadets and more people in
volved in student activities.”
Voelkel said he will pursue the Corps’ ultimate
recruitment goal of 2,600 members. The Corps
currently has about 1,800 cadets.
Voelkel said he will also follow Segrest’s and
the Corps’ three main goals of instilling the impor
tance of academics, leadership and honor into the
See Commander, Page 12
Amy Browning/THE Battalion
Tyson Voelkel, the new commander of the
Corps of Cadets, stands against a backdrop of
the A&M campus.
Abortion issue divides GOP on welfare reform
□ Anti-abortion Repub
licans threaten to block
their party's bill to over
haul the welfare system.
WASHINGTON (AP) —
House Republicans overcame an
anti-abortion insurgency within
their own ranks Wednesday to
push ahead on a far-reaching
plan to reform welfare and re
duce out-of-wedlock births.
Anti-abortion lawmakers said
the legislation, the keystone of
the GOP’s social agenda, would
encourage abortions. They sided
with most Democrats in a tense
attempt to block further debate
on the bill.
The move failed, by a vote of
217-211, to derail the legislation
and the House began consider
ing the first of 31 amendments
and two Democratic substitutes.
Democrats and some Repub
licans complained that House
leaders had gagged debate on
the sweeping bill, which
squeezes $66 billion out of the
federal welfare budget, by re
fusing to consider amendments
that would have tempered re
strictions on aid to poor women
and children.
“I am deeply concerned that in
the otherwise laudable drive to
reduce illegitimacy and depen
dency, we are poised to enact leg
islation that is likely to increase
the number of abortions per
formed ... while also making chil
dren more impoverished,” warned
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.
The GOP’s bill bars states
from increasing the cash bene
fits of women on welfare who
have additional children.
It also denies cash welfare to
unmarried teen-age mothers
and their children and rewards
states that reduce out-of-wed-
lock births. Critics say the for
mula in the bill to determine
whether states have succeeded
in reducing unwed births,
known as the “illegitimacy ra
tio,” is actually a bounty on
abortions.
Tempers quickly rose on the
House floor as the debate got
under way.
Cult-like group denies role in subway poisoning
□ Police are still looking for clues
in Monday's attack which killed
ten people.
TOKYO (AP) — Police seized nerve-gas solvent,
$7.9 million in cash and 22 pounds of gold Wednes
day at two dozen sites linked to a secretive reli
gious sect that calls itself the Sublime Truth.
Several sect members were arrested in a kid
napping case, but police refused to say whether
they were also being questioned in Monday’s sub
way attack. Ten people were killed and nearly
5,000 sickened by the poisonous gas released
during rush hour.
The cult-like group Aum Shinri Kyo has de
nied any role in the attack. There was still no
known motive and no claim of responsibility.
In a chilling development, the sect’s leader,
Shoko Asahara, was reported to have delivered
an apocalyptic-sounding message Tuesday to fol
lowers in the Russian Far East.
“The time has come at last for you to awake
and help me,” Asahara said in the message,
broadcast Wednesday night by Japan’s NHK
television. “You must act to ensure you do not
have any regrets about death.”
The police raids provided frightening evidence
of the sect’s hold over its followers.
At a cult compound in the wooded foothills of
Mount Fuji, police found about 50 people who
were weak and ill, and six were hospitalized.
Doctors said they were probably suffering from
malnutrition.
Other sect members were bizarrely dressed
and appeared disoriented. And a 23-year-old
woman sect member was reportedly rescued from
a container where she had been confined.