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The Battalion
Serving Texas A&M University Since 1893
THE BATT ON-LINE: http://bat-web.tamu.edu
Tuesday • July 2, 1996
irged with
Supreme Court lets ‘HopwoocP stand
to course Washington (ap) — The
j lupreme Court on Monday left intact
nded a ruling that threatens all affirmative
aition programs at state-run colleges
Recht for it three Southern states,
thought and | The justices let stand a federal ap-
against ieals court ruling that struck down
ire course. It lie University of Texas law school’s
ion-alarmist abrmer affirmative-action admissions
cussions Ban to boost enrollment of blacks and
ty and its Bexican-Americans.
it we needirl The court rejected appeals in which
ublic discus Hexas officials and two civil rights
se a person fc-oups had urged it to decide whether
uality Bate schools nationwide may continue
lly accept- Ising race or ethnicity as a factor in
iomeone to Beir admissions decisions,
isideration V The appeals court ruling is binding
a close- Bw for Texas, Louisiana and Missis-
lippi, and it could influence other
parts across the nation confronted
hael Spillen nth similar disputes.
Class of’It
Today’s action was taken without
any comment by the full court.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in a
brief opinion joined by Justice David H.
Souter, noted that the program invali
dated by the appeals court has long
been abandoned by the law school.
“We must await a final judgment on
a program genuinely in controversy be
fore addressing the important question
raised in this petition,” Ginsburg said.
Theodore Shaw of the NAACP Le
gal Defense and Educational Fund
said Ginsburg’s opinion “makes clear
that the court is not endorsing the ap
peals court’s radical view and that af
firmative action, while still under
siege, is alive.”
Shaw said he did not expect anoth
er such case to reach the high court
soon, but added, “What we do know is
that the opponents of affirmative ac
tion are not going away.”
A three-judge panel of the New Or
leans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals ruled last March that the law
school’s 1992 admissions policy dis
criminated against whites.
The school had set lower test-score
standards for black and Mexican-
American applicants, and provided a
separate review board for those appli
cations. The plan was aimed at ob
taining an entering class consisting of
at least 10 percent Mexican-Ameri
cans and 5 percent blacks.
A federal trial judge and the ap
peals court ruled that the quota sys
tem violated the rights of four unsuc
cessful white applicants.
The appeals court went further and
ruled that a landmark 1978 Supreme
See Ruling, Page 2
A&hi reacts to ruling
By Pamela Benson
The Battalion
Yesterday, the Supreme Court up
held the decision of the 5th Circuit
Court of Appeals denying the use of
race as a factor in admission criteria to
universities and colleges in Texas,
Louisiana and Mississippi.
In a press release from his office,
Texas A&M President Ray Bowen said,
“Texas A&M will continue to employ an
admission process based upon multiple
criteria, including academic, geograph
ic, economic and the potential for suc
cess at this University.”
The press release also said the
Supreme Court's decision creates an
uneven playing field since it only ap
plies to three states.
However, some students Eire more con
cerned with the uneven playing field
they believe is being constructed by the
admission policies at A&M. Minority ad
missions are already down by 33 percent.
In April, Bowen said the decrease
was caused by a change in University
application procedures, and minority
See Reaction, Page 2
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Militia members charged with
ylotting government bombings
WASHINGTON (AP) — Twelve mem-
fers of a private Arizona militia unit
'ere arrested Monday on charges of
dotting for more than two years to
tomb government offices in the Phoenix
frea, federal officials announced.
Attorney General Janet Reno said the
12 had trained to use explosives to destroy
Gildings housing the federal Bureau of Al-
tohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the FBI, the
Eternal Revenue Service, the Immigration
^Naturalization Service, the Secret Ser-
jee, the Phoenix Police Department and
Arizona National Guard.
The paramilitary group, which called it-
tolf the “Viper Militia,” engaged in field
Gaining exercises in which members made
j'ld detonated ammonium nitrate bombs
^d rockets, according to a seven-count in-
detment unsealed in Phoenix. The grand
’fy said several members also trained
'fth automatic weapons.
Ammonium nitrate was used in the
that destroyed a federal office build
-in Oklahoma City, but there was no
’'dication of any connection between the
*0 incidents. The indictment said the
'-zona conspiracy began at least as early
^May 30, 1994, almost a full year before
- Oklahoma City bombing.
The indictment described a videotape
—de on May 30, 1994, by the group in
-ich a member discussed approaches, se
curity measures, communications equip
ment, fences and adjacent structures at the
various target locations. The tape also pro
vides suggestions for placing explosives so
that they cause the buildings to collapse.
For instance, the grand jurors said,
the videotape described a Phoenix build
ing that in May 1994 housed the ATF,
FBI and other federal offices.
“The tape’s narrator identifies supports
for the building and advises that the
building would collapse if the supports
were destroyed,” the indictment said.
“The tape advises that the placement
of ‘anti-personnel’ devices in mailboxes
shown near the entrance of the building
could harass U.S. Treasury employees.
The tape advises that the destruction of
a water main shown near the building
could inhibit firefighting operations if
the building were on fire.”
The tape also shows multiple views of
the exterior of the building housing the
IRS while the narrator discussed the
shift change schedule of building securi
ty guards and other security measures.
Showing the headquarters of the
Phoenix Police Department, the tape
narrator says it would be difficult to
take over but that “it would be a ‘major
political statement’ if it were taken over”
and the records and equipment inside
“would be invaluable.”
Ogden introduces helpline
to assist Texas motorists
maintenance. The brochure also sug
gests moving a broken-down vehicle as
far from traffic as possible, turning on
the hazard lights and exiting the car on
the passenger side. DPS also suggested
raising the hood and tying a light-colored
cloth to the antenna or door handle.
Garmon said the helpline can give
people a way to help stranded mo
torists without the fear of stopping in
an unknown location.
“By calling the helpline, motorist
can help others without having to get
involved with the situation,” Garmon
said. “If a passerby sees someone
stranded, we encourage them to use
their cellular phones to call the
helpline. If it’s dark and you’re 70
miles from the nearest town, how are
See Motorists, Page 2
Exchanging Ideas
Architecture program
brings Guatemalan
students to A&M
By Amy Protas
The Battalion
Sometimes a vacation can yield more than just a suntan.
Harwood Smith, a former Texas A&M student and architect,
began taking yearly trips to Guatemala in 1949. Along the way he
became friends with members of the Universidad Francisco Mar-
roquim Board of Directors.The Guatemalan Exchange Program
developed from that friendship in 1988. The program allows stu
dents from the Universidad to study architecture at A&M for five
weeks every summer.
Marie-Andree Fournier, a Ph.D. student and assistant
lecturer in architecture, said although the original program
also allowed A&M students to study abroad in Guatemala,
this has temporarily been halted.
“It used to be that Texas A&M students would also go to
Guatemala,” Fournier said. “But because of the ban from the state
on students going to Guatemala because of dangers, that has ended.
Hopefully they will start it again when the ban is gone because
there is a really good relationship between the two universities.”
The 15 students chosen to study here earned the highest grades
at the Universidad. Michelle Neutze, a Guatemalan student, said
she wanted to come to A&M to add diversity to her education.
“I heard how good of a school Texas A&M is,” Neutze said. “I
See Program, Page 2
By Brandon Hausenfluck
The Battalion
Texas motorists will soon be more
secure in their highway travels.
In an effort to publicize the toll-free
Stranded/Disabled Motorist Helpline
operated by the Texas Department of
FHiblic Safety (DPS), State Rep. Steve
Ogden and DPS trooper Eddie Garmon
held a joint press conference on Mon
day. They announced that motorists
can use the helpline to call for assis
tance in case of a breakdown or to re
port drunk drivers, criminal activity
and road hazards. The 24-hour helpline
can be reached at 1-800-525-5555.
Ogden, who serves on the Appropria
tions Committee, authored a rider on
the 74th Legislature’s Appropriations
Bill designating DPS as the lead state
agency to help motorists whose vehicles
are disabled on a public road.
Ogden said traveling on Texas
roads should be safe
and worry-free for
motorists.
“Driving on Texas
highways is a privi
lege essential to the
freedom and well-be
ing of all citizens,”
Ogden said. “Safe
passage on highways
is especially impor
tant as Independence
Day approaches and
highway traffic in
creases.
In a brochure about the program,
DPS said the first step to ensure safe
holiday travel is preventative vehicle
OGDEN
VMI, Citadel to catch up with A&M
By Ann Marie Hauser
The Battalion
Single-sex education at state-support
ed military colleges is headed for extinc
tion with the Supreme Court’s ruling re
quiring the admission of women.
The Virginia Military Institute
(VMI) and The Citadel will soon expe
rience changes West Point, the Naval
Academy and Texas A&M underwent
over a decade ago.
See related EDITORIAL, Page 5
The Supreme Court ruled 7-1 last
Wednesday that VMI must admit
women or forfeit state funding.
The federal mandate also affects
another state-supported military col
lege, The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Strickler, public relations di
rector at VMI, said the school’s pro
gram is a leveling process of incoming
cadets, and the admission of women
would drastically alter this.
“No exceptions are made with the in
troduction of cadets,” Strickler said. “We
would have to make them with women.”
Changes will include the issue of pri
vacy, but Strickler said they will contin
ue with the equality of treatment.
Females were first allowed into the
Corps of Cadets at A&M in 1974 as a
segregated outfit.
Cadet Autumn Leveridge, a junior
bioengineering major, said VMI and
The Citadel are missing out by not
admitting women and thinks cadets
need experience in dealing with all
types of people.
“It’s not a question of being male or
female,” Leveridge said. “But it’s a ques
tion of how good a leader you are.”
To maintain their all-male status,
both schools would have to become
private institutions.
For VMI, this option will be dis
cussed and decided when its Board of
Visitors meets on July 12 and 13.
Eric Tangeman, a senior cadet at
The Citadel, said he was not sur
prised by the decision and plans to
take it in stride.
“The standards need to be equal for
all cadets, whether male or female,”
Tangeman said. “But there will be a ma
jor difference at The Citadel once fe
males are admitted, no matter what.”
Tangeman briefly experienced gen
der integration last August with the
admittance of Shannon Faulkner into
his company.
The issue of integration was ad
dressed by commandant candidate
Maj. Gen. Ted Hopgood at an open fo
rum for students.
When asked his opinion on the sub
ject, Hopgood said integration is the
wave of the future, and VMI and The
See VMI, Page 2