Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1997)
The Battalion )lume 103 • Issue 121 • 12 Pages The Batt Online: http:// bat-web.tamu.edu Thursday, April 3, 1997 urvivor speaks about Holocaust \ustig stressed the importance of learning about past events By Kathleen Strickland The Battalion Vrnost Lustig, who survived the Nazi Jcentration camps Terezin, Auschwitz ild Buchenwald, recounted his experi- les with Texas A&M faculty, staff and stu- ipts Wednesday at the “Unexpected En- iountersWith the Holocaust” conference. Mlo be stronger mentally and intellec- jually is one of the purposes of this con- Rnce,” Lustig said in his keynote speech, “What We Will Never Understand '■but the Holocaust.” Four feature films based on his novels have been made in his home country of Czechoslovakia, two of which have won major European film festival awards. The film shown to conference attendees, Transportfrom Paradise, is based on his tril ogy of novels, Children of the Holocaust. Fol lowing the film, Lustig discussed his feelings on the film and the Holocaust, as well as his experiences living in Czechoslovakia fol lowing the war. Joy Sylvester, assistant professor of French and co-organizer of the conference, said she was pleased with the attendance and the message delivered by Lustig. “He hits on certain universal truths that come through in all his works, both in films and books,” Sylvester said. “He takes these truths and relates them to our lives today, as well as the time of the Holocaust.” Lustig said that a lack of knowledge could allow an event similar to the Holocaust to occur again. It is vital stu dents today are taught the events of the past, he said. “If I would die today and God would ask me, “What did you discover?” after 50 years of reflection after the Holocaust, I would tell two things,” Lustig said. “I would say that during the Nazi era there was a worthlessness, a lack of value of hu man life, and second, that evil got differ ent measures than before. After Nazis, evil can be measured differently.” “We know that man is the greatest ene my of man.” Daniel Jimenez, a senior environmen tal design major, said the film made him aware events like the Holocaust could happen to anyone. See Lustig, Page 12 Amy Dunlap, The Battalion Amost Lustig, who survived the Holo caust, recounted his experiences with Texas A&M faculty, staff and students Wednesday. I# iaz mm R?lPt m 4 MM WF& 1 .. Sign Me Up Tim Moog, The Battalion Doug Holland, a senior chemical engineering major, picks up a summer schedule book in front of Heaton Hall Wednesday. Both summer and fall schedule books are available. Mil addresses Hopwood ruling ►For the bill to be successful l the Legislature would need to I approve more funds for schools [ to offer financial aid. AUSTIN (AP) — A bill attempting to address a urt ruling preventing Texas colleges and universi- fes from using race-based admissions received bixed reviews before winning approval from the Senate Education Committee Wednesday. I, The bill seeks to use academic and socioeconom- |factors in university admissions decisions to try to roll diverse student bodies. But at least one member of e committee and an attorney presenting the Mexican nerican Legal Defense and lucational Fund doubted the 11 would achieve its goals. “This bill still allows univer- ties to use standardized tests, td as long as the universities |y heavily on standardized sts, the percentage of minori- -s goes down. It’s an almost surmountable barrier,” said A1 Kauffman, an at- tney representing MALDEF. Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, said, “I cau- ^n myself about being optimistic. If you don’t tve the leadership pushing to get the job done, it °n’t get done.” Don Brown, of the Texas Higher Education Co- dinating Board, said for the bill to be successful, e Legislature would need to approve more funds Morales for schools to offer financial aid. “If ethnicity and race are not included in consid eration for admissions, the amount of financial aid would need to be doubled or tripled,” Brown said. Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, a cosponsor of the bill, said the measure could lead to an even greater number of minorities in Texas colleges and uni versities than when the state was able to consider race in admissions. “If all the assumptions hold true, we should be able to zero out the affects of the Hopwood decision and increase the diversity in our state,” West said. The federal court case named after lead plaintiff Cheryl Hopwood led to policies prohibiting consid eration of race in Texas university admissions, fi nancial aid and student retention programs. In the case, a federal appeals court last year struck down the University of Texas law school’s former admissions policy, which was meant to boost enrollment of minorities. Texas Attorney General Dan Morales subse quently issued a legal opinion, which carries the force of law, saying the court decision means Texas’ public universities cannot use race or ethnicity as factors in admitting or assisting minority students. Morales, who testified before the committee on Wednesday, was criticized by Assistant U.S. Secre tary of Education Norma Cantu, who said the court ruling only concerned the University of Texas and “should not be used to invalidate” other affirma tive admissions programs in the state. Morales responded in a letter to Secretary of Ed ucation Richard W. Riley on Wednesday. “We believe your Department’s position on these issues is incorrect on all counts and your interpretation of Hopwood is legally flawed,” Morales wrote. Women executives share success stories The speakers gave tips and advice on entering the work force. By Jackie Vratil The Battalion Women, The Myth? The Legend? The Reality. In con junction with Women’s Week, the Executive Lecture Series invited three women to speak Tuesday night about the re ality of moving up the corporate ladder. Linda Baughman, Dr. Lesia Crumpton and Kathy Haden gave accounts of how they achieved their current status. Will Hurd, chair of the Executive Lecture Series and a sophomore computer science major, began by saying most of the time, men hold the top positions in the workplace. “We need for more women to be mentors for students,” he said, “because there really are so many successful women out there.” Crumpton, an assistant professor of industrial engineer ing at Mississippi State University, said Aggies have a head start in accomplishing any type of goal because they are in stilled with brilliance, energy, spunk and tenacity. “I have what I call the Crumpton guarantee,” she said. “If you follow my secrets to success and you do not suc ceed, I will pay you five dollars.” Crumpton’s success secrets include setting goals, believ ing in oneself, realizing mistakes can be learning experiences, and worrying about the big things, not the little things. “Take the time to think about if you want to ‘rush it or Amy Dunlap, The Battalion Dr. Lesia Crumpton, an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Mississippi State University, speaks as part of the Executive Lecture Series Tuesday night. flush it,”’ she said. “Realize that there is always going to be more out there than you will be able to experience, so be wise on what you decide to embark upon.” Haden, a partner with Anderson Consulting, said throughout her life, she always asks, “Am I still learning and am I still having fun?” See Executives, Page 12 PTTS, Bus Operations plan new West Campus bus stops The new shelters will resemble those used at the Olympics. By Rebecca Torrellas The Battalion A new bus stop will be built to re place the Wehner bus stop to keep stu dents from having to step off the bus into the mud. Olsen Road will be closed from May 19 until the beginning of August to con struct a permanent bus stop where the greenhouses currently are, around the corner from the present stop. Kathy Mathis, associate director of Bus Operations and Parking Traffic and Transit Services, said students have complained about the absence of a sidewalk at the bus stop. “The Wehner bus stop was a tem porary stop,” Mathis said. “We knew we needed a permanent one.” Mathis said the idea was pro posed by the Student Services Com mittee as part of the West Campus construction project. Tom Williams, director of PTTS, said there will be four bus stop Ipcations at the Wehner location, each with a 10-by- 12-foot trash receptacle shelter. “The shelters will have phones, lighting, tables and benches,” Williams said. The idea of the design came from Texas A&M bus drivers who attended the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, he said. “They came back raving about the bus stops there,” Williams said. “The design is the same.” James Newman, an employee of Bus Operations and a senior agricultural business major, attended the Olympics. “The bus stops in Atlanta were sep arated, and some of the stops were covered,” Newman said. Gary Jackson, manager of bus op erations, said the new Wehner bus stop will be more efficient and conve nient for students. “It will help the flow of traffic and make the area safer for students,” Jack- son said. “That area is too congested.” The new bus stop should be com pleted by the start of the fall semester. Beginning May 19, the Wehner bus stop temporarily will be moved around the corner from the Rudder bus stop, next to Kleberg, until con struction is complete. Deep in debt. Democrats bank on Clinton The Democratic National Committee is $12.7 million in debt WASHINGTON (AP) — Mired in debt, President Clinton’s Democratic Party is so focused on escaping the fund-raising taint of 1996 that some activists fear critical future planning is being ignored or shortchanged. Hanging over every effort to pre pare for the 1998 congressional and gubernatorial elec tions is this daunt ing fact: 25 cents of every dollar raised by the Democratic National Commit tee this year is ear marked to erase debt or to refund il legal or questionable contributions accepted last year. Democratic leaders acknowledge a fair amount of worry and grum bling in the party ranks, but say it is mostly unfounded. “The momentum is there, the donors are supportive and the ener- Clinton gy that I feel among the grass roots of our party is palpable,” said Steven Grossman, the Massachusetts busi nessman who serves as national DNC chair. Moving ahead with party fund raising efforts, Clinton was the headliner Wednesday night at a cozy $750,000 Democratic Business Leadership Council dinner. There, just under 60 people paid between $10,000 and $15,000 each for beef tenderloin and a 20-minute speech. Clinton repeatedly stroked the donors with gratitude. “Again, let me say I’m proud of you. I appreciate what you’ve done and I hope you will continue to make your voices heard,” he said. The DNC is $12.7 million in debt, and the party has committed to re turning, by June 30, some $1.5 million in 1995-96 contributions. “It would be nice if we could keep all the money we raised for cam paigns,” said Illinois Democratic Chairman Gary LaPaille, head of the Association of State Democratic Chairs. “But it does no good to sit and cry that the sky is falling and hang your head low. Our job is to keep morale up and get our coffers filled.” Party officials say the first-quarter 1997 numbers were encouraging. The Battalion INSIDETODAY STRESSED?: Toys and scents may offer the perfect cure for tension and worry. Aggielife, Page 3 Weather Sports Opinion Page 2 Page 7 Page 11