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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1997)
February The Battalion )lume 103 • Issue 92 • 12 Pages The Batt Online: http:// bat-web.tamu.edu Thursday, February 13, 1997 impson rejects Goldman's offer 7 ictim's father offered to forfeit lillions for a 'ritten confession rom Simpson. jers, The Bad it, a senior jots on IANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Simpson rejected a challenge (ill Fred Goldman on Wednes- ^ that would have allowed the ball great to Avoid millions in Jnages if he signed a confession tting he is a killer. No matter how much money I offered, I would never confess i crime which 1 did not com- Simpson said through attor- I Phillip Baker. jKoldman earlier told The Asso- iated Press in a telephone inter- ievr: “I don’t want to play games. But if he wanted to sign a confes sion with all the details of his crime and broadcast it all over the coun- tiy and publish it all over the nation, I would drop the judgment.” The aggriev ed father, who never accepted Simpson’s mur der acquittal and doggedly pursued him to civil court, added: “All I ever wanted is justice. It’s nev er been an issue about money.” Goldman had acknowledged the chance of Simpson taking him upon the offer was slim to none. “Easy to say, easy to do, never go ing to happen,” Goldman predicted when he first revealed the offer Tues day on the Dallas-based Salem Radio Simpson Network. “This person hasn’t owned responsibility for any of his actions through his lifetime.” Alan Dershowitz, who was on Simpson’s defense team at his murder trial, said he was not sur prised the offer was rejected. “He will go to his grave maintaining his innocence adamantly.” Simpson swore on the witness stand it was “absolutely untrue” that he slashed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman to death on June 12, 1994. But a civil jury that did not be lieve him found him liable for the deaths and socked him with com pensatory and punitive damages totaling $33.5 million — more than double what even his accusers pre dicted he could ever pay. Goldman stands to collect at least half of $8.5 million in compensatory damages and $12.5 million in puni tive damages. He has to split both with his ex-wife, Sharon Rufo. Ms. Simpson’s estate, whose beneficiaries are the two children she had with Simpson, gets $12.5 million in puni tive damages. Goldman’s attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, backed his client on the offer, even if it meant he would have to give up his contingency fee if Simpson accepted. “I think Fred is right on target,” Petrocelli said. “We’d be more than happy to rip up the judgment if Mr. Simpson wants to sign a confession saying he committed these murders and giving details of how he did it.” “It would also do a great deal to heal the wounds in this country if we could put this to rest.” Rufo’s attorney, Michael Brew er, said he supported Goldman’s desire to have Simpson claim responsibility. See Simpson, Page 6 lying that said David of the alth and Hi :hild ■; thee is a case in largest 1.4 million, 16 millionin s to system isridt ivvs and dot i ids. found J nltants that tssentiiK arn f#!’® orked JV'' led. lacked ate paid IQtTQQO foil ob., auditoisj jd nothing! 1 Alpha Phi Alpha Flower Power Ryan Rogers, The Battalion Tara Boston, a senior industrial distribution major, arranges roses in a vase for the Valentine's Day festivities at Aggieland Flowers Wednesday afternoon. student crowned Miss Black St Gold By Joey Jeanette Schlueter The Battalion Tainisha Nicole Butler was wned Miss Black & Gold of Texas i&M by the Alpha Phi Alpha frater- y on Feb. 1. This was the first pageant Butler lad competed in. The junior civil en- ineering major said she was hocked when she was announced p the winner. “Before they announced the win- ier, I told myself that no matter at, I did my best,” she said. | Butler said her father jumped out ihis seat when she was announced he winner because he was so happy. ■ Sean Williams, president of Al pha Phi Alpha and a senior politi cal science major, said he is excit ed for Butler. S “She is an outstanding woman who represents the beauty and char acter of black womanhood,” Williams said. Pageant contestants were judged on character, beauty and poise. In the interview portion of the pageant, Butler quoted a scripture from the Bible and focused on shat tering myths about black people. “Being black is something I am proud of,” she said, “and my speech came easy because it is what I feel deep inside.” In her interview, Butler was asked what changes she would make if she were president of A&M for a day and why. “I would try to change the face of Texas A&M to have more multicul tural attitudes,” she said. Butler, who is 21 years old, said she has known about the pageant for a long time, but she never considered giv ing it a try until this year. “The pageant is a big deal around campus and in the black community,” she said. Butler said, among other role models, Harriet Tubman has al ways inspired her. “I admire Tubman because of her strength and focus on becoming free,” she said. “I want to incorporate her strength in my everyday life.” Butler said college has been a good experience for her and that Butler high school prepared her well for it. She was National Honor Society president in high school and was in volved in drama. Butler received a $1000 schol arship with her victory and will compete at the state-level Black & Gold pageant in Fort Worth on Feb. 28. The state winner will go on to compete at the regional level. The next step would be the na tional pageant. Williams said the majority of male members of Alpha Phi Alpha will escort Butler to the state confer ence and pageant to wait on her hand and foot. Butler’s duties as Miss Black & Gold include representing the A&M chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and host ing the Black Women’s Conference and Retreat. Committee adds roll-call criteria By Laura Oliveira The Battalion New criteria have been added to be eligible for Texas A&M Campus Muster roll call. The Muster Committee added two criteria, which will be in effect at the event on April 21, to accom modate more Aggies. Ann Leslie, roll call and family sub-chair and a sophomore agri cultural development major, said in years past, family members of de ceased Aggies who did not meet the criteria have requested their names be called at Campus Muster. The committee wants to allevi ate confusion by publicizing the cri teria, Leslie said. “We do not want anyone’s feel ings to get hurt,” she said. Leigh Jones, Muster Awareness sub-chair and a junior marketing major, said publicizing the criteria will help people understand why names are included in the specific ceremonies. “It is such a big ceremony and a lot of people have questions like, ‘Why does that person get called here and that person in Dallas?,”’ Jones said. “It should comfort them (families) that their [loved one’s] name will be called somewhere, which is the important thing about Muster.” MUSTER Criteria for roll-call LUfcifcff una teiluiteh The tieee oT the Toil Wf 1. Currently enrolled student iirv\N i*' //*•' \ 2. Former student who was residing in Brazos County y/Jf p . i) Hi* * « 4) 3. 50-year class reunion members \\* * ° 11 .'{serypA-- -T $ 4. Former student whose immediate family lives in B-OS area ' >’ fA imj? 5. Former student whose immediate family member is a currently enrolled student U Stew Milne, The Battalion Campus Muster, held in G. Rol- lie White Coliseum, allows for about 120 names to be called dur ing the ceremony. The new criteria will not increase this number, but will allow for Aggies whose names previously would not have been called at Campus Muster to be in cluded in the roll call. The candlelight service honors former students who have died in the past year. About 7,000 people at tend the Muster ceremony on cam pus each year. See Muster, Page 12 Businesses adjust for Valentine's Day By Joey Jeanette Schlueter The Battalion Friday is Valentine’s Day and restaurants and florists have been gearing up for the holiday all week. Don Lewis, owner of Baskets on the Brazos and Popabilities, said he has extended business hours and asked all employees to work overtime. “We know this is the single busiest day of the year for us,” Lewis said. “And we prepared for it by rent ing extra space.” Lewis said his businesses will make at least 500 deliveries on Valentine’s Day and have between six and 10 vans running at all times for the occasion. The various Valentine gifts will be delivered by men in tuxedos. Baskets on the Brazos’s most popular gift is already sold out, Lewis said. “The Budweiser ‘I love you man’ 6-pack bouquet and balloons went fast,” he said. Other florists are also experienc ing a holiday rush this week. Meher Rahman, owner of Flowerama in Post Oak Mall, said she expects to be sold out of ros es by Friday. “The specialty of the flower busi ness is that nothing is prearranged,” she said. “All flower arrangements are done at the last minute so they are fresh.” Bryan-College Station restaurants are also anticipating a busy day. Tina Parish, sales manager for the Olive Garden, said many people will be dining out on the famously romantic holiday. lames Vineyard, The Battalion “It is our busiest day of the year,” Parish said. “We expect there will be an hour wait or longer all night long 'till close.” Suzanne Hughes, a senior jour nalism major, said she and her boyfriend plan to begin the evening with dinner. “We are going out to dinner,” Hughes said, “and then we are go ing to the Moscow Festival Ballet.” Hughes said she is looking for ward to the romantic evening. Other Valentine’s day options include: • Freudian Slip will perform a special Valentine show at 10 p.m. in Rudder Theater — $5 • MSG Film Society will show “Casablanca” at 7 p.m. in Rudder Theater — $3 •MSG Forsythe Gallery will pre sent live piano music performed by the Bryan-College Station Music Teacher’s Association from 6 p.m. to midnight. Proceeds benefit the restoration of the 1922 grand piano in the gallery. There will be door prizes and desserts. Admission for couples is $10, singles $6. • Internet site http://www.web- fair.net/valentine/ lets students chat with others about the holiday. • Internet site http://www.ne- treach.net/~trishy/vday.html is for those disenchanted with the holiday. The Battalion INSIDETODAY 4/7ti?0 (0h only. m PLAYTIME: Students recall the toys they loved — and hated — as children. Aggielife, Page 3 'if Co $} Toons Sports Opinion Page 5 Page? Page 11 Architecture students design theater sets By Rebecca Torrellas The Battalion Architecture students in third- year design studio constructed the sets for ‘magination Station’s production of “To Kill a Mocking bird” and will showcase their work Friday when the show opens. Eighteen students in Mardelle Shepley’s architecture design class planned and built two houses and a two-sided set which rotates to serve as both a jail and a courtroom in the play. The set took a week to design and a weekend to construct. Claire Shell, vice president of productions for ‘magination Sta tion, said the sets are some of the most complex the theater compa ny has presented in over ten years. “Mardelle Shepley wanted her students to work in a real-life situ ation and thought this would be a great opportunity,” Shell said. Shell said it was an ideal match because the pro duction needed a big set and ‘magi nation Station would not have been able to get enough volun teers to build it. The students were given a bud get of $150 out of the $250 the the ater had reserved for the whole pro duction and were able to stay within their limit. The students combed the Bryan-College Station communi ty for materials for the set, includ ing old lumber for the run-down houses in the play. Shepley said the project will be beneficial to the students. “In design classes you don’t often get to con struct things,” Shepley said. “Some used pow er saws for the first time.” Shepley thought it would also help her stu dents to parallel arts and architec ture, as well as real-life experi ences with clients. Tom Woodfin, an associate professor of landscape architec ture, is playing the defense attor ney, Atticus, in the production “The set gives out a few hours of illusion, which is different from the usual, permanent architecture,” Woodfin said. “It evokes fantasy.” Twelve-year old Chris Miller, who will be playing Atticus’ daughter Jem, said the architec ture students did a wonderful job. “It wouldn’t have been as good without their help,” Miller said. The eighteen design students also created their own T-shirt lo gos for the theater, which will be voted on by the audience during performances. The shirt with the winning de sign will be sold to the public dur ing ‘magination Station’s produc tion of “Camelot” in April. Shell said she is pleased with the way the set turned out and hopes the students will volunteer to work on future productions. “We’d love to have them again,” Shell said. “The set gives out a few hours of illusion, which is different from the usual, permanent architecture.” Tom Woodfin Associate professor Dave House, The Battalion Tom Woodfin, a landscape architecture associate professor, plays Atticus Finch in ’magination Station's production of "To Kill a Mockingbird."