The Battalion
s
Vol. 102, No. 156 (6 pages)
Serving Texas AdrM University Since 1893 THE BATT ON-LINE: http://bat-web.tamu.edu
Thursday • June 27, 1996
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Court orders VMI
to admit women
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
Supreme Court ordered the Virginia
Military Institute to admit women or
give up state funding Wednesday in
a decision that shattered the school’s
157-year males-only tradition and
added muscle to protections against
sex discrimination.
The 7-1 ruling also will affect The
Citadel, South Carolina’s state-run
military school, which has a similar
all-male policy and alternative pro
gram for women.
“Women seeking and fit for a
VMI-quality education cannot be of
fered anything less, under the state’s
obligation to afford them genuinely
equal protection,” Justice Ruth Bad
er Ginsburg wrote for the court.
Noting that VMI aims to produce
citizen-soldiers, Ginsburg said,
"Surely that goal is great enough to
accommodate women.”
A separate, unequal program for
females offered by Virginia relies on
stereotypes about women and does
not provide an equal education, she
added.
Justice Antonin Scalia, the lone
dissenter, wrote, “Today the court
shuts down an institution that has
served the people of the common
wealth of Virginia with pride and
distinction for over a century and a
half.”
“I do not think any of us, women
included, will be better off for its de
struction,” he said. Scalia, who at
tended a military-style high school
in New York City, said the ruling
could cut off all government support
for single-sex education.
Justice Clarence Thomas, whose
son, Jamal, attends VMI, did not
participate in the case.
Virginia Gov. George Allen said
after hearing of the ruling, “It’s not
surprising. We will comply with the
opinion.”
“It’s a great tragedy,” said Robert
Patterson, a VMI graduate and one
of the attorneys who represented the
school.
Attorney General Janet Reno said
the high court “has given life to the
promise in the Constitution that all
of us deserve an equal shot at educa
tional opportunity.”
The court bolstered protection
against sex discrimination by saying
there must be an “exceedingly per
suasive justification” for any govern
ment action based on gender.
But the justices stopped short of
saying sex-discrimination cases
must be judged by the same strict le
gal standard used in race-bias cases.
The ruling left open the possibili
ty that some separate and truly
equal educational programs could be
approved. But the court made clear
no such alternative could be created
for VMI, which has the nation’s
largest per-student endowment.
VMI, founded in 1839 in Lexing
ton, Va., and The Citadel in
Charleston, S.C., are the nation’s
only all-male, state-supported mili
tary colleges.
Beutel excuse policies
put on examining table
An impending bill calls for stricter rules on doctors' notes
By Amy Protas
The Battalion
Skipping tests and classes because of
health reasons may soon be a lot harder.
The Faculty Senate is currently waiting
to hear whether Texas A&M University
F*resident Ray Bowen will approve the
bill calling stricter excuse rules at A.P.
Beutel Health Center.
Dr. Don Freeman, a staff physician
at the health center, said a committee
was developed in Fall 1995 to discuss
class excuses.
The committee included students,
representatives from the health center
and Student Affairs and several facul
ty members.
“We did a survey at the health cen
ter for two weeks and averaged 100
students a day there for nothing more
than a class excuse,” Freeman said.
“That’s an ultimate waste of personnel
and time.”
Freeman said if students have the en
ergy to go to the health center, they
should have the energy to go to class.
Some students questioned Free
man’s assertion.
Josh Mullin, a senior environmen
tal design major, said that he does not
believe the health center can make
that determination.
“I don’t see how they could change
the policy because it’s hard to know who
is really sick and who is not,” Mullin
said. “Just because you’re not deathly ill
doesn’t mean you’re still capable of tak
ing a test. A small migraine can put me
out of commission for a day.”
Another complaint came from the
students on the committee.
“It is not fair to the students who
have to take [an] exam, and those who
don’t because they have an excuse from
the health center,” Freeman said.
“You’re competing in a class, and it’s not
fair that others get extra time to study.
That’s what the student representatives
brought up.”
After making its recommendation, the
Student Senate and the Rules and Regu
lations Committee approved the measure.
Then, the bill went to the Faculty Senate,
and now it faces Bowen’s approval.
The Student Senate decided students
should only be eligible for health center
excuses if they are too ill or contagious
to attend class.
Freeman said weak claims will no
longer suffice.
“Cutting a class because of a sore
throat is not confinement due to illness,”
Freeman said.
Steven Oberhelman, speaker of the
Faculty Senate, said the Senate ap
proved the bill because the Student Sen
ate made a wise decision in relation to
the policy.
“I believe the students acted really
responsibly in drafting changes to the
policy,” Oberhelman said. “This is why
the Rules and Regulations Committee,
the Academic Affairs Committee and
the Faculty Senate all endorsed the Stu
dent Senate bill.”
He said the Academic Affairs Com
mittee of the Faculty Senate voted un-
aminously to endorse the bill.
Kriss Boyd, director of general acade
mic programs and a member of the
Rules and Regulations Committee, said
it takes Bowen’s approval for the bill to
go into effect.
“It’s still in the channels of the pres
ident before it gets printed in the
Rules and Regulations. That doesn’t of
ten get printed until Aug. 15 because it
has to go through so many channels,”
Boyd said.
Joe Weinman, a senior business
analysis major, said he thinks the policy
is unfair.
“I think this is ridiculous,” Weinman
said. “If you have to go in as a walk-in
and it takes three to four hours and you
miss a class, then how are you supposed
to tell your teacher where you were if
they don’t give you an excuse?”
Weinman said he also thinks the
policy discriminates against those who
are sick.
“I understand trying to get people
who abuse the system,” Weinman said.
“But I think a majority of the people
there (Beutel) really are sick because it’s
not a fun place to be, and they’re pun
ishing those who really are sick.”
Redpots search for
Bonfire cut site
By Brandon Hausenfluck
The Battalion
Work on the 1996 Aggie Bon
fire is already underway, but the
organization needs some help.
Redpots, the students in
charge of Bonfire, are searching
for a cut site with 200 to 250
acres of mature oak trees needing
to be cleared. Although the orga
nization has some prospective cut
sites, no final decisions have been
made.
Jason Burnett, senior redpot
and a senior agriculture economics
major, said although cut sites are
always found, it usually takes
some time to locate the ideal site.
“Right now we have two or
three real good prospects for sites
pretty close to campus,” Burnett
said. “We usually don’t find one
right off the bat. And we want to
find a site that will be most bene
ficial (to Bonfire).”
The cut site needs to have a
high percentage of hardwood
trees, eight to 24 inches in diame
ter, that can start being cleared
at the beginning of August.
Kevin Jackson, Texas Aggie
Bonfire staff adviser in the divi
sion of Student Affairs, said the
organization is working hard to
find a cut site.
“We’re hot on the trail,” Jack-
son said. “We need 200 acres,
more or less, with mature oaks
and a landowner who wants them
cleared.”
Burnett said the junior redpots
still need trucks, trailers, tractors
and fuel before work can start.
“A few trucks have been donat
ed,” Burnett said. “But they (ju
nior redpots) are still looking for
and accepting donations.”
Christopher surveys
Saudi wreckage
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia (AP)
-One day after the deadliest ter-
or attack against Americans in
)e Persian Gulf, U.S. Secretary
; if State Warren Christopher vis-
jed wounded survivors Wednes-
iay and surveyed devastation
iiat stretched for blocks.
Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd of-
ired condolences to the United
jtates and a $2.7 million reward
ir those responsible for the explo
sion of a truck filled with 2 1/2 tons
explosives, which killed at least
^Americans and wounded hun-
ifeds.
Chunks of
oncrete from
'he eight-story
Gilding, mat-
fesses and
shattered glass
ttered the mili
tary housing
area where two
aien parked the
f uck bomb
■uesday night. CHRISTOPHER
Saudi securi-
i’ forces cordoned off the bomb
scene Wednesday to allow res-
pe teams and investigators to
search the wreckage,
i In Washington, flags were
!?wered to half-staff at the
phite House, and the order was
jfiven to do the same at U.S. in
stallations worldwide.
Witnesses compared the build
ing’s shattered facade to the
gouged-out front of the Oklahoma
City federal building, ripped open
in a truck bombing last year.
U.S. officials said Tuesday’s
blast left 270 people injured, all
American, but Saudi officials
said 386 were injured, including
147 Saudis. The Pentagon ini
tially reported 23 people were
killed but later lowered the total
to 19.
The Air Force was expected to
begin evacuating the less serious
ly wounded victims Thursday to
their base in Ramstein, Germany,
said Tech. Sgt. Jim Duvall, a
spokesman there.
President Clinton ordered an
FBI team to the site. But he was
awaiting reports from U.S. com
manders before considering
whether to visit the scene him
self, White House press secretary
Mike McCurry said.
“Anyone who attacks one
American attacks all Americans,”
Clinton said Wednesday. “We will
not rest in our efforts to find who
ever is responsible for this out
rage, to pursue them and to pun
ish them.”
Tuesday’s attackers apparently
were spotted moments before the
blast, but there was not enough
time to completely evacuate two
nearby apartment buildings.
Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion
CHOW TIME
Two Western Kigbirds feed in front of the Langford Architecture Center Wednesday.
Iverson goes No. 1, Marbury traded for Allen
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Just
when the NBA draft was looking pre
dictable, along came a shocker.
Stephon Marbury and Ray Allen, two of
the nation’s best guards, were selected as
the No. 4 and No. 5 picks Wednesday night
— then were traded for each other.
“I can’t believe it,” said Marbury,
who left Georgia Tech after his
freshman season. “It happened
so quick. I was with Milwau
kee for like a minute.”
Many of the early opportu
nities for suspense at the
Meadowlands seemed to have
passed when the Philadel
phia 76ers opened the draft
by choosing Allen Iverson.
The Toronto Raptors then
decided on Marcus Camby and
the Vancouver Grizzlies were
happy to get Shareef-Abdur Rahim.
“Now I get to play with Kevin Garnett
and it’s a better situation,” Marbury said.
“That’s how you start a championship team
— with a big man and a guard — like the
Lakers did with Magic and Kareem.”
Marbury was one of five teenagers taken
in the top 14, and only two seniors went in
the top 14. The first seven picks were un
derclassmen and the youngest play
er drafted was 17-year-old high
school phenom Kobe Bryant, the
son of former 76er Joe Bryant,
who went to the Charlotte
Hornets at No. 13.
The NCAA champion Ken
tucky Wildcats had three
players taken among the first
19 picks.
There were plenty of trade
_______ offers made to Philadelphia,
Toronto and Vancouver for the
One hour later, though, commis
sioner David Stern walked to the podium
and delivered the big news — a trade of
Marbury, who had just been chosen No. 4
by the Milwaukee Bucks, to the Minnesota
Timberwolves for No. 5 Allen and a future
No. 1 choice.
Marbury and Allen strode back on
stage, swapped caps and smiled for the
cameras again.
first three picks, but all three
teams ended up making safe choices.
Iverson, a point guard from Georgetown
with exceptional speed, leaping ability and
scoring proficiency, became the first guard
drafted No. 1 since Magic Johnson was
picked by the Lakers in 1979. The 6-footer
also supplanted former 76ers coach John
Lucas as the shortest player ever picked
first overall.
“It a very easy decision,” general manag
er Brad Greenberg said. “Allen Iverson is
the most exciting player in college basket
ball and after a lot of research and investi
gations, it was very, very clear to us that
the most talented player was Iverson.”
Toronto general manager Isaiah
Thomas flirted with the idea of choosing
19-year-old Abdur-Rahim, but he decided
on Camby — the consensus college player
of the year at Massachusetts.
“Isaiah showed me that he’s a man of his
word,” said Camby, who was told two
weeks ago — before Abdur-Rahim re-en
tered the draft — that he would be picked
second overall.
The Grizzlies, who wanted Abdur-Rahim
badly, got him with the third pick. The 6-
foot-10 forward from California, who
changed his mind twice regarding whether
he’d enter the draft, was the first freshman
selected player of the year in the Pac-10.
The Bucks took Marbury, a 19-year-old
point guard, and the Timberwolves took
Allen of Connecticut, considered the best
shooting guard in the draft.
The Boston Celtics, who were expected
to draft a center after trading Eric Mon-
tross to Dallas last week, instead chose
Kentucky’s Antoine Walker with the sixth
pick, going with perhaps the best all-
See Draft, Rage 6