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The Battalion
|l. 102, No. 154 (6 pages)
Serving Texas A&M University Since 1893
THE BATT ON-LINE: http://bat-web.tamu.edu
Tuesday • June 25, 1996
Court delays Jones suit
The decision spares Clinton a possible embarrassing trial
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme
Court agreed Monday to put Paula Jones’ sex
ual harassment suit against President Clinton
on hold until after the November election,
sparing him the possibility of an embarrassing
trial at the height of the campaign.
The justices decided to study whether the
lawsuit should be delayed until Clinton
leaves office. They are expected to hear argu
ments this fall or winter and likely will issue
a ruling in 1997.
The court will hear Clinton’s argument
that presidents have “unique responsibili
ties” and almost never should have to face
trial in private civil lawsuits while in office.
Clinton welcomed the development. “The
White House is pleased that the court has
recognized the merits in the petition put for-
ward by the president’s attorneys,” press sec
retary Mike McCurry said while traveling
with the president in Nashville, Term.
Jones’ lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, said
the court’s action “should not be any indica
tion of how they are going to rule. The even
tual decision is going to be a clear affirma
tion that we as American citizens are all
equal in the eyes of the
law. No one is above the
law.”
Jones’ lawsuit alleges
that Clinton propositioned
her in a Little Rock hotel
suite in 1991 while he was
governor of Arkansas, but
that she rejected his sug
gestion.
Clinton has denied ever
having an encounter with
Jones and has said he can
not recall ever meeting her.
Jones filed the lawsuit in May 1994 and is
seeking more than $700,000 in damages.
A federal judge in Arkansas ruled that a tri
al should be delayed until Clinton leaves office
CLINTON
but that pretrial fact-gathering could begin.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals de
cided in January, however, that the case
could go to trial during Clinton’s presidency.
“We hold that the Constitution does not
confer upon an incumbent president any im
munity from civil actions that arise from his
unofficial acts,” the appeals court said.
In the appeal granted Monday, Clinton’s
lawyers said only “exceptional circum
stances” should force a sitting president to
face trial in a private civil lawsuit.
No other president has been compelled to do
so, his lawyers said, adding that a trial could
jeopardize the constitutional separation of pow
ers between the judiciary and presidency.
Jones’ lawyers had argued that a trial
should go forward, adding that a delay would
hurt her case.
Her lawyers said Clinton did not show
that his presidential duties would be im
paired by the case.
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COOL REMODELING
Construction workers gut the inside of one of A&M's cooling tow
ers. They will update the outdated structure with newer materials.
Commandant
earch underway
By Ann Marie Hauser
The Battalion
Ann Marie Hauser
e Battalion
11 Fhree of the four possible candidates to fill the Corps commandant
t0Cl fthn will he on campus for the next three weeks for interviews.
The individuals selected for the interviews are Air Force Maj.
n. Jay D. Blume Jr., Marine Corps Maj. Gen. M.T. “Ted” Hop-
id Jr. and Army Lt. Gen. J.T. “Terry” Scott.
All three general officers are former students of Texas A&M. Scott
i Blume received their degrees in 1964 and Hopgood in 1965.
Corps Commander Steve Foster, a senior political science ma-
said A&M is fortunate to have such high caliber officers apply-
for the position.
“Texas A&M and the Corps of Cadets will be extra lucky to
rearby 'e any one of these generals selected as commandant,” Foster
d, “Their leadership is truly impressive.”
The interviewing process is an opportunity to have an interactive
sion with a panel of 15 cadets and each candidate, Foster said.
^lake McKinney, a member of the panel and a junior biomed-
science major, said he plans to make sure the candidates see
students’ position.
“We want to make sure he understands that the Corps is a student
Snization and academics is our first priority,” McKinney said.
Scott inspected McKinney’s room his freshman year on a visit to
A&M campus.
“He didn’t say much,” McKinney said. “He had a powerful quiet
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See Commandant, Page 2
ne day it's camou
flage, the next it's
Calvin Klein. One week it's
Texas Aggie Youth Camp
counselor, the next it's a
modeling contest at Dis
ney's Epcot Center.
From runway shows for The
Gap to 6:40 a.m. formations on
the quad. Cadet Johnny Madison,
a sophomore biomedical science
major of Dallas, has experienced a
rare first year at Texas A&M.
His modeling work began the
summer before he came to A&M.
At first, Madison said, he
was concerned about upper
classmen finding out about his
modeling because he wanted to
be known for excelling as a
cadet, not as a model.
“Sometimes I wish people did
n’t know, because then it makes
me feel like I’m not the red-ass
fish I thought I was,” Madison
said. “There was no special treat
ment at all from my upperclass
men and that was the best thing
that could have happened.”
Madison’s desire to be an Aggie
outshines his interest in modeling.
In January, he decided to
choose education over a modeling
opportunity in Paris.
Madison made the decision in
New York, where he was about
to make a connecting flight to
Paris. He changed his mind
when he reflected on all he had
established in College Station.
“I had promised my buddies
that I wasn’t quitting and I
would be back,” Madison said.
“My friends and my education
are a priority in my life right
now. Modeling is just for fun.”
According to Madison, model
ing is not always the glamourous
life. He said it can get demand
ing and boring.
One of his least favorite mem
ories of modeling was at a photo
shoot in Colorado, where he had
to ignore freezing conditions and
smile naturally while modeling a
short-sleeved shirt.
“They told me to quit faking
my smile,” Madison said. “I was
freezing and ready to go home.”
Madison admits modeling
does have its moments.
See Model, Page 2
Gwendolyn Struve, The Battalion
Gap model johnny Madison, a sophomore biomedical science major, is
in Florida competing in talent, runway and print modeling competitions.
A&M’s grass roots weed out U.T.’s pump
yle Field’s renovation relies on mother nature
Trii ^ iainr
^ I rhi I
t ir/ 8 ihnV
^yle Field will have a new look
V as it enters the Big 12 for the
1996 football season. The stadi-
astroturf was replaced with
spring.
’exas A&M will be one of five
■Hols in the Big 12 with a natural
field.
ta) Goertz, athletic field manag-
said people have wondered for
taal years when A&M would
<6 the switch from artificial turf
Jatural grass.
The astroturf had reached its
Parity date,” Goertz said. “It was
■6to replace it.”
Goertz said the athletic depart-
U decided to switch to natural
now instead of waiting,
asons for the change to grass
J. Many people believe the grass
Wer.
demiting and safety go hand in
Goertz said. “High school
^ and their parents are concerned
*use they read reports about in-
'68 and astroturf.”
tadre Williams, cornerback and a
for marketing major, said he
srs grass over turf,
there’s no doubt grass feels better,”
Ws said. “If you fall on turf, nine
^out of ten you get burned.”
Sherrod Wyatt, free safety and a
senior agricultural economics major,
agreed with Williams.
“I’m glad we have grass now,” Wy
att said. “It’s softer and doesn’t wear
and tear on your knees as bad.”
The new field is constructed in
layers. There is a root zone mix
made of a special particle-size sand
and peat moss, a layer of gravel and
a layer of drain lines.
The University of Texas switched
Memorial Stadium’s field to natural
grass also, which leaves students to
wonder whose field is better.
Doug Wilson, director of events
and facilities for men’s athletics at
UT, said the main difference be
tween A&M’s and UT’s fields is the
drainage system. Kyle Field relies
on gravity to drain water off the
field, while Memorial Stadium uses
a vacuum system.
“We have the ability to vacuum
water off the field and to subirri
gate,” Wilson said.
Goertz said subirrigation is a bet
ter way to water the field than
sprinklers because less water is
evaporated in the process.
Dr. Richard White, associate pro
fessor of soil and crop sciences, said
both drainage systems should work
equally well if constructed correctly.
Goertz said the gravity drainage
system drains up to 15 inches of wa
ter in one hour.
“We could have a 15-inch rain
storm and in one hour it’s dry,” Go
ertz said.
He said that the subirrigation
system of watering would not be a
good idea for Kyle Field because of
the poor quality of the water in Col
lege Station.
“It (the gravity drainage system)
is a reasonably good choice for our
area,” White said.
Goertz said the athletic depart
ment has had positive feedback
about the switch to grass.
“A tremendous amount of people
a day come by to see the field,” Go
ertz said.
Changes will have to be made in
the use of Kyle Field since the
switch has been made to grass. Go
ertz said the field will become a sin
gle-use facility.
Kinesiology classes and band prac
tice will be held on the astroturf prac
tice field. The Aggie Band will no
longer be on the field at Yell FYactice.
“In the short run there will be ill
feelings because people can’t do the
things they used to do,” Goertz said.
“In the long
run they will ap
preciate it.”
Goertz said the
grass field will
cool the stadium
off during the hot
months.
“Fans will real
ize how much
cooler it is; grass
absorbs heat, turf
reflects it,” Go
ertz said. “It will
be about 15 or 20
degrees cooler
with grass.”
The old astroturf from Kyle Field
is in storage for now. The athletic
department has not yet decided
what to do with it.
“It’s not viable to use as a playing
field anywhere else,” Goertz said.
Goertz said athletic department
officials are considering cutting up
the astroturf and putting it on donor
plaques or selling it to high schools
for use in their weight rooms.
By Melissa Nunnery
The Battalion
SAND & PEAT MOSS
Shane Elkins, The Battalion