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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1995)
The Lady Aggies travel to Houston to take on the defending SWC champions. Sports, Page 7 Littlefield: The verdict of the Simpson trial had little to with O.J.'s innocence. Opinion, Page 11 Students gain experience by gathering data on severe weather. Aggielife, Page 3 Battalion Vol. 102, No. 28 (12 pages) Established in 1893 Wednesday • October 4, 1995 The People vs. O.J. Simpson Simpson freed, vows to find killers 0.). Simpson was acquitted Tuesday of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. □ The nation gathered around televisions and radios to witness the jury deliver the verdict in "the trial of the century." LOS ANGELES (AP) — O.J. Simpson headed home Tuesday, picking up a life of freedom instead of starting life in prison. Acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend, he pledged to track down the real killers who are “out there somewhere.” In a courtroom on the verge of explod ing with emotion, a hush fell as Judge Lance Ito’s clerk, Dierdre Robertson, read the two words: “Not guilty.” Simpson mouthed the words, “Thank you,” at the jury, then clasped his hands to gether and was embraced by his attorneys. Tears of anguish and shouts of joy burst from the three families whose lives were torn apart by the bloody June 12, 1994, slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. “Oh my God!” exclaimed Simpson’s grown daughter, Arnelle, embracing her brother Jason. “We did it!” a family member exulted to lead defense attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. Eerily, the Simpson saga ended much as it had begun, with the fallen football super- star being transported in a white van to his estate while news helicopters tracked him overhead. Tuesday’s televised verdicts were the most-watched event since June 17, 1994, when Simpson, in a white Bronco with his friend A1 “A.C.” Cowlings driving, led police on a surreal slow-speed chase viewed by millions. Cowlings was at the door to embrace Simpson when he came home. Later, fami ly members gathered for a champagne par ty on the lawn of Simpson’s lush estate. “Last June 13, ’94, was the worst nightmare of my life. This is the sec ond,” Goldman’s father, Fred, said at a prosecution news conference. “This prosecution team didn’t lose today. I deeply believe this country lost today. Justice was not served.” At a defense team news conference, Cochran insisted the issue of race, which he played heavily in the trial, did not overcome the facts. “This verdict speaks justice,” Cochran said. “This was a case based upon the evidence.” He denied playing “the race card,” say ing instead that credibility had won out. “Race plays a part in everything in America,” he said. “But this stuff about playing a race card is preposterous.” He said he hoped the Los Angeles Po lice Department would alter shoddy in vestigative practices exposed in the trial. As the words setting Simpson free were spoken in court, his elderly mother, Eunice, seated in a wheelchair, wiped her eyes, held up her hands prayerfully and murmured words of thanks. “1 was always in prayer. I knew my son was innocent,” she said at the de fense meeting with reporters. Across the room, Goldman mouthed the word “murderer” as the verdict was announced. Kim Goldman, who spent most of a year in court honoring her dead brother’s memory, doubled over and sobbed along with a younger broth er and sister. At the courthouse, Simpson’s older son, Jason, read a statement from his father: “My first obligation is to my young children, who will be raised the way that Nicole and I had always planned. ... But when things have settled a bit, I will pur sue as my primary goal in life the killer or killers who slaughtered Nicole and Mr. Goldman. They are out there somewhere. Whatever it takes to identify them and bring them in, I will provide somehow.” Simpson also noted that many will sur mise he is guilty, acquittal or no acquittal. “I can only hope that someday, de spite every prejudicial thing that has been said about me publicly, both in and out of the courtroom, people will come to understand and believe that I would not, could not and did not kill anyone,” his statement said. See Simpson, Page 2 " ... I will pursue as my primary goal in life the killer or killers who slaugh tered Nicole and Mr. Goldman." — read from a statement by O.J. Simpson Reactions to verdict vary □ The outcome of the trial surprised many A&M students and faculty. ! By Kristen Homyk : The Battalion Texas A&M students and faculty ; members debated Tuesday whether ; O.J. Simpson’s acquittal on two counts of murder was correct or possibly the ; result of racial issues. As “the trial of the century” came to : an end, people gathered in the Com- ; mons television rooms, the MSC Flag Room and Hullabaloo to see and hear ; the verdict of the Simpson trial. Students with portable radios inter- i rupted lectures with the news, and verdict announcements were made over public address systems in some ; campus buildings. Some students offered concise reac- i tions to the decision, placing much : faith in the judicial system. Rodrigo deJuana, a freshman me- : chanical engineering major, expressed ; surprise at the decision, but said he ; does not feel too concerned. “The jury saw everything, so 1 fig- ; ure they know a little more than I do,” ; deJuana said. Corey Echols, a freshman business major, also supported the decision of : the jury. “O.J. Simpson was innocent from the I get-go,” Echols said. “The jury sow that.” Other students showed their lack of ; faith in the verdict, suggesting that ; the trial was anything but typical of | the American system of justice. Shaun Schoener, a junior psychol- ; ogy major, said the verdict was an ; example of the justice system failing. “It’s a joke,” Schoener said, “The See Reactions, Page 2 •tBifWr r>: 3i IIMI. »' 1 Fields addresses College Republicans Stew Milne, The Battalion Congressman jack Fields spoke to the Col lege Republicans Tuesday night. □ Congressman Jack Fields focused on national issues during the Tuesday night meeting. By Courtney Walker The Battalion While the Texas A&M Col lege Republicans may have the recent dispute with the Univer sity on their minds, Congress man Jack Fields, R-Humble, had a different agenda at the group’s Tuesday meeting. Along with continually reaf firming the statement “one per son with courage makes a ma jority,” Fields talked about the proposed telecommunications reform bill, his image of the Re publican Party, welfare reform and the proposed tax reforms. Fields argued that Republi cans do care about welfare re form and want to do something positive about the system. “We have to focus on re sources and what we have avail able,” he said. Fields discussed two options on tax reform bills. One option, presented by Con gressmen Richard “Dick” Armey, R-Lewisville, proposes a 17 per cent flat tax rate, and Congress men Bill Archer, R-Archer, pro poses a consumer tax. ‘With a consumer tax you con trol what you pay a tax on, and it would also eliminate the internal revenue tax,” Fields said. Fields stressed the impor tance of students getting in volved and participating in the Republican primary elections. “I hope you’ll debate like cats and dogs in the prelimi naries and then find a com monality at the end and move together as a strong Republi can Party,” he said. Fields said the Republican Party is what people want America to be. “The average American wants to have less government spending, less government regu lation, and to be secure in de fense,” he said. “With strength comes peace.” Republicans seek multiculturalism referendum □The College Republicans want to obtain a student referendum which requires 10 percent of the student body to sign a petition form. By Courtney Walker The Battalion College Republicans is looking past its up coming hearing and planning a strategy to de termine students’ views on the Faculty Sen ate’s proposed multiculturalism requirement. The organization will appear before the Student Organizations Hearing Board Nov. 3 to defend what adviser Dr. Richard Stadel- mann called “absurd violations of right to free speech.” College Republicans is charged with violat ing fund-raising guidelines and providing false information to prospective contributors. The multiculturalism proposal would require students to take six credit hours of courses fo cusing on U.S. and international cultures. A letter sent to former students by College Republicans criticized the Faculty Senate, the administration and the proposed multicultur alism requirement. Stadelmann said the Faculty Senate is try ing to make a more attractive package and of fer more classes so no one will object. But things have not changed significantly, and students will have a narrow range of political ly correct courses if the requirement is ap proved, he said. David Brown, College Republicans presi dent, said the group feels there is no way it can lose the hearing, and the members are See Referendum, Page 5 A&M CELEBRATES 11 9th BIRTHDAY □ Yells and music will be part of the festivities today, and the Traditions council will distribute balloons. By Melissa Keerins The Battalion Texas A&M opened its doors to 40 students and 6 facul ty mem bers Octo ber 4, 1876, and today ■ students will celebrate the Universi ty’s 119th year. A number of stu dent groups will take part in the birthday festivities. The Traditions Council will distribute balloons to day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rudder Fountain, and the Century Singers and “’ll wm Women’s Chorus perform as well. The yell leaders and Reveille VI will be at Rud der Fountain at 12:30 p.m. for a pull-out yell practice. Cindi Ericson, public re lations sergeant for the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and a junior political sci ence and international studies major, said there will also be a special musical interlude at noon. “Albritton Tower will be playing three songs at noon in honor of A & M ’ s birthday,” Ericson said. “They will play, ‘No ble Men of Kyle,’ ‘The Twelfth Man’ and finish with ‘The Spirit of Aggieland.’” Mary Helen Bowers, who is in charge of the bells at Albritton Tower, said the music will last approxi mately 5 minutes.