slOJ
i i
Texas A&M University
urn
STM. ■
Today
Tomorrow
See extended forecast, Page 2.
(lume 103 • Issue 172 • 6 Pages
College Station, TX
Tuesday, July 29, 1997
\ms
Briefs
Doctoral degrees to minorities increase
/20'show to feature A&M ranks No. 9 among U.S. universities
haeology program
ihipwrecked artifacts recovered
ivers from the Texas A&M-based
tute of Nautical Archaeology
i) will be featured on Friday’s
lode of ABC’s “20/20.”
20/20" anchor Hugh Downs and
Dduction crew filmed parts of the
wat INA’s Mediterranean head-
rters in Bodrum, Turkey, in July,
hey interviewed the INA Presi-
tGeorge F. Bass and went to the
rum Museum of Underwater Ar-
eology, where the artifacts are
lisplay.
towns and the crew took “20/20”
leras 100 feet underwater to film a
century A.D. wreck being excavat-
iy20 A&M graduate students, fac-
and volunteers from A&M’s Nauti-
tohaeology Program.
is a non-profit scientific and
cational organization that has
ducted more than 20 archaeo-
cal projects around the world. It
been headquartered at A&M
e 1976.
nvo still missing
i helicopter crash
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — Res-
crews Monday searched for two
rine aviators after their attack he-
pter crashed in the Atlantic.
The two-person AH-1W Cobra went
vn Sunday night seven miles
otheast of New River Inlet during a
exercise.
The Marines, the Navy and the
astGuard searched by air and sea
Capt. Clark A. Cox of Iowa City,
va.andCapt. Jerrell H. Boggan of
iskell.Okla. The cause of the crash
las under investigation.
>octor: Addiction
psychological
e pleasure and the pain:
ttoos are becoming less of
trend and more of a standard.
See Page 3.
LIFESTYLES
OPINION
ONLINE
%//bat-web.tamu.edu
'sten to
le Battalion
Wo show
Hine.
By Robert Smith
The Battalion
Texas A&M ranked ninth in the nation in the
number of doctoral degrees awarded to minori
ty students during 1994-95, according to the July
24 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education.
A&M tied with Stanford University for ninth over
all and placed seventh in the number of doctoral de
grees awarded to Asian Americans, eighth in the
number to Hispanics and was tied for 26th in the
number awarded to African American students.
A&M awarded 81 doctoral degrees to minori
ties in 1994-95, improving from last year’s 20th
place ranking.
A&M President Ray Bowen said the Universi
ty takes pride in this year’s No. 9 ranking.
“It’s something we like to brag about,” Bowen
said. “[The ranking] represents a significant im
provement over last year’s ranking of 20.”
Bowen said the quality of the University’s gradu
ate program is the reason for A&M’s improvement.
“If you have a good doctoral program like we
do,” Bowen said, “students are going to want to
be a part of it, regardless of race.”
Dan Robertson, director of graduate studies,
said the ranking reflects positively on A&M and
the state of Texas.
“We’ve worked really hard at recruiting and re
taining our students,” Robertson said. “I believe
what we are doing is really healthy for a state
where the minority will soon be the majority.”
Robertson said A&M’s ranking is significant be
cause the study only includes those who graduate.
Robertson estimates that one third of gradu
ate students in the United States do not complete
graduate school.
“We have a problem with people who start but
never finish,” Robertson said. “I believe we are
doing a good job of retaining our students.”
Please see Degrees on Page 4.
TOP MINORITY DOCTORAL DEGREE PRODUCERS
LOS
Univ.
va Soutiteastern Umvem-
k Uni Yes-sky
>aji ~ Aim
of Texas - Austins
il - College
9 Texas A&M University * —
9 Stanford University a
81
SOURCE: Black Issues In Higher Education, analysis of U.S. Department of Education data
Graphic: Stew Milne
UPD readies for move across campus
AUSTIN (AP) — Forget the egg
frying pan. Dr. Don Vereen
ys he has pictures of real
Jins on drugs — pictures he
ysshould change the way ad-
fsare treated.
Vereen is a special assistant to
director of the National Institution
Drug Abuse, a federal agency. He
ddrug addiction is not simply a re-
tofa bad environment or only a
ichological problem.
’Addiction is a chronic, relapsing
disease,” Vereen said Monday
fore addressing a conference spon-
edby the Texas Commission on Al-
toland Drug Abuse.
People experimenting with il-
!al drugs should not take so-
ein the fact that the amount
drugs varies before addiction
; ksin, Vereen said. He said ad-
tion can happen with one puff
dose, depending on people’s
dies, their environment and
iny other factors.
' ' ''V:
Photograph: Tim Moog
Carpenter Larry Elman and Sgt. Vicki Jarrott look at the construction site of the
new UPD headquarters at Research Park. The move is scheduled to begin Aug. 18.
By John LeBas
The Battalion
The University Police Department, the De
partment of Environmental Health and Safe
ty and the Human Resources Department are
moving during the next few months to a
building under renovation at Research Park.
The UPD will begin moving equipment
and staff on Aug. 18 to the unnamed building
at 1111 Research Parkway. The building, pur
chased by the University in 1996 for $800,000,
was formerly known as “One Research Park.”
The Department of Environmental
Health and Safety, which shares a 58-year-
old wooden building at Houston Street and
George Bush Drive with UPD, will begin its
move the last week of August. The Human
Resources offices in the YMCA Building will
move in December.
The UPD building will be torn down in
September, and a $10 million home for the
Texas A&M Foundation will be built.
Elmer Schneider, associate director of
UPD, said the new facilities will be bigger
and make more efficient use of space than
those the department is leaving behind.
“[UPD’s space] has been designed with
a police agency in mind,” Schneider said.
“On the first floor, where there was no
structure, we could design as we saw fit.”
The building is just south of the north
gate of Research Park on University Drive.
Dr. Jerry Gaston, vice president for admin
istration, said renovations will cost $1.3
million. Each department was given in
structions to remodel using as much of the
existing facilities as possible.
. But this criteria still left the UPD with ef
ficient design options, Schneider said.
The UPD will occupy about one half of
each the first and second floors, about
16,000-17,000 square feet, of the two-sto-
ry building, Schneider said. The station
will house all police and security opera
tions and feature training facilities and a
communications office that could oper
ate independently should a severe cam
pus emergency arise.
Please see UPD on Page 4.
A&M-Galveston
gains new status
as branch school
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Board of Regents declared A&M-
Galveston an official branch campus of the Texas A&M
University System last Friday. Before Friday, A&M-Galve
ston was only considered a member of the system.
As a branch school, A&M-Galveston will be able to
become more involved in the A&M system and will re
ceive more funding and recognition of its programs.
A&M-Galveston was an independent maritime
academy in the ’60s and was not affiliated with A&M.
After becoming a college of A&M and regaining in
dependence, the school became A&M-Galveston in
the ’90s.
The institution’s purpose is to instruct undergradu
ates in marine and maritime studies. A&M-Galveston
had an enrollment of 1,128 undergraduate students for
the 1996-1997 academic year.
Other changes at the branch include the appointment
of a new chief executive officer and
vice president.
Michael Kemp, associate dean
of Texas A&M’s College of Science
and a professor of biology, was
named the new vice president
and chief executive officer of
A&M-Galveston, the highest po
sition at the campus.
Kemp said he will focus on the
continued improvement of the
Galveston campus and will enjoy
working with the main campus.
“I’m delighted to have been appointed to this posi
tion,” Kemp said. “The Galveston campus offers Texas
A&M a unique opportunity to continue to expand and
extend its expertise and intellectual resources in mar
itime and marine education, research and service.”
Kemp came to A&M in 1975 as an assistant profes
sor of biology. His research in College Station has fo-
Please see Galveston on Page 6.
Kemp
Bullock may donate remaining
campaign funds to universities
ancis: Immigrants discover
Deface of America as they
'ter a country of violence.
See Page 5.
FORTWORTH (AP) — Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock
likely will donate the rest of his multimillion-
dollar campaign war chest to Texas universi
ties when he leaves office in January 1999, the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Monday.
Bullock, 68, announced last month that he
will not seek a third term in the state’s second-
highest elective office. The lifelong Democrat
still had at least $2.85 mil
lion in his campaign cof
fers at the time, according
to records on file at the
Texas Ethics Commission.
According to state law,
officeholders may not
keep unspent campaign
donations. They may re
turn the money to
donors, give it to other
candidates or give it to
charities or schools.
In an interview last week, Bullock told the
newspaper he was reluctant to discuss his
plans for the money, but he conceded that he
has deep affection for Texas Tech and Baylor
universities, both of which he attended.
Whoever ends up with the money, there
will be no strings attached, Bullock said.
“I don’t want it given to be called the Bob
Bullock Fund or the Bob Bullock Chair, or all
of that,” Bullock said.
“I want to make sure that they can use it
as they want to use it.... I don’t want to sound
Bullock
corny, but this state has provided me with so
much, and I have had every honor you can
give an individual.”
Bullock’s campaign finance disclosure re
ports show that his political organization has
raised about $14.4 million and spent just over
$11.5 million since Bullock took office in 1991.
State law requires candidates and office
holders to dispose of unspent campaign con
tributions six years after either leaving office
or filing a final disclosure report with the
ethics commission.
SaraleeTiede, an aide to Bullock’s predeces
sor, Bill Hobby, said that after her boss left office
in 1991 he gave his unspent campaign money
to political allies and charitable causes.
Last year, Hobby closed his account by turn
ing over more than $700,000 toward the effort to
rebuild Houston’s performing arts center.
Like Bullock, Hobby was a successful
fund-raiser and generally had an easy time
winning elections. Therefore, he left office
with a well-stocked war chest.
Bryan Eppstein, a Fort Worth political
consultant who has done work for Bullock,
predicted that the lieutenant governor will
take his time disposing of the funds.
“The law gives him six years to parcel it
out, and I suspect he’ll take the full six
years,” Eppstein said. “He’s got a number of
interests — charitable causes as well as po
litical causes — that will probably benefit
from his benevolence.”
Charges against priest dismissed
SINTON (AP) — Sexual assault charges
were dismissed Monday against a South
Texas priest accused of sodomizing an altar
boy, after prosecutors said they could not
corroborate the accuser’s story.
The move came as jury selection was set to
begin in the trial of the Rev. Jesus Garcia, who
still faces a civil lawsuit brought by the alleged
victim and four other men.
In the criminal case, Garcia, 39, was ac
cused of assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 1992
during an overnight stay at the rectory of Sa
cred Heart Catholic Church in Mathis, 30
miles northwest of Corpus Christi.
The teen, who came forward two years later,
alleged Garcia slipped drugs into a glass of milk,
then sodomized him when he was sleeping.
At the time of the alleged incident, state
law held that prosecutors could use the un
corroborated testimony of sex crime victims
14 and older only if they came forward with
in six months of the alleged crime.
Because Garcia’s accuser came forward
two years later, and there was no other evi
dence to prove the teen’s story, the case was
dismissed, said prosecutor Grant Jones.
“Corroboration means evidence that
tends to connect the defendant to the crime
that is independent of the victim’s testimo
ny. I had no corroboration and therefore had
to dismiss,” Jones said.
In 1993, the law was changed so that the
six-month reporting requirement applied
only to alleged victims 18 and older. Howev
er, the judge in Garcia’s case ruled the law
could not be applied retroactively.
Garcia, who maintains he was out of the
country at the time of the alleged assault, said he
was gratified by the last-minute turn of events.
“It’s a great relief,” said Garcia, who has been
residing at a Corpus Christi parish since being
released on bond last December. “I am so
thankful to God and so many good people... be
cause they always believed in my innocence.”
It was not known whether Garcia would be
able to return to the Mathis church. A
spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Cor
pus Christi did not return a telephone message.
^ ^ We are not going away.
We are encouraged by what
happened in Dallas.”
David Berg
Plaintiffs' attorney
Garcia’s attorney, Tony Canales, said he
would now turn his efforts to the civil case.
“We’re chomping at the bit to go at that,” he
said. “His (Garcia’s) position is going to be the
same: It didn’t happen.”
Plaintiffs’ attorney David Berg vowed a
more vigorous pursuit of the civil lawsuit in
light of the outcome of the criminal case.
“We are not going away. We are encouraged
by what happened in Dallas,” he said, referring
to last week’s record-setting $120 million civil
judgment against the Catholic Diocese of Dal
las and a suspended priest accused of molest
ing 11 men.