Texas A & M University
I4 1H YEAR • ISSUE 71 • 16 PAGES
*11
COLLEGE STATION • TX
TODAY TOMORROW
See extended forecast. Page 2.
FRIDAY • DECEMBER 12 • 1997
losses on a
ipus already
ing change.
DAVE HOUSE/The Battalion
iormer President George Bush responds to the thousands of Aggies
ith President Bill Clinton at the opening ceremony for the George
ush Presidential Library and Museum November 6.
]jarry Mauro: Glad I’m not
estiing with killer’s fate
A ; JSTIN (AP) — Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Garry Mauro said
mrsday there’s one reason he’s glad he’s not governor right now— the
tproaching execution of the first woman in Texas since the Civil War.
1 iWatching Gov. Bush wrestle with that decision, that’s the only thing
Mi think of right now, the only reason I can think of right now that
gplad I’m not governor,” Mauro said.
B have not wrestled with that. I do not know what I would do. It’s a
fugh issue. I wish him well on coming to a resolution on it,” the De-
ocrat said.
■arlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected what could be
le final appeal of Karla Faye Tucker, one of seven condemned
|ten in Texas.
tucker, 38, has been on death row since her conviction in the pick-
f slaying of Jerry Lynn Dean, 27, at Dean’s Houston apartment during
■rglary. Dean’s companion, Deborah Thornton, 32, also was killed
Ith the 3-foot-long ax, which was left embedded in her chest.
■he case has received nationwide attention, and there is a chance
at Republican Gov. George W. Bush would have to decide whether to
I are Tucker or let the execution proceed.
PBush will decide this case exactly as he has all the others during his
l w trn, gubernatorial spokeswoman Karen Hughes said.
WpHe will wait until the Board of Pardons and Paroles makes a rec-
bmendation. He will review that and ask two questions: Is there any
icstion about the guilt of the individual? Have the courts had ample
•portunity to review all the legal issues?”
The Battalion will resume publication on
Tuesday, January 20, 1998.
looking back on
By Colleen Kavanagh
Staff writer
A year of events at Texas A&M was highlighted by the dedication
of the George Bush Presidential Library and the George Bush
School of Government and Public Services, which brought the
national spotlight to College Station in 1997.
George Bush Presidential Library
Former President George Bush was joined by more than 25,000
friends, family, dignitaries, students and the public to celebrate the ded
ication of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Nov. 6.
President Bill Clinton, former presidents Jimmy Carter and Ger
ald Ford, and former first lady Nancy Reagan spoke at the dedication
honoring the 41st president of the United States.
The 69,000-square-foot facility is the 10th presidential library and
contains official records, personal papers and memorabilia of George
Bush and the Bush administration.
The library and museum complex holds 38 million pages of doc
uments, one million photographs, audio and video tapes and mul
tiple volumes of information documenting Bush’s life and career.
Exhibits include aTBM Avenger Aircraft, a 1947 Studebaker Coupe,
a history of Operation Desert Storm and a piece of the Berlin Wall.
The library and museum was estimated to cost $82 million pro
vided by private funding.
The ceremony ended with the presentation of the key of the li
brary to John W. Carlin, the archivist of the United States.
George Bush School
The dedication of the George Bush School of Government and
Public Services was celebrated Sept. 9.
After the dedication, former President Bush met privately with the
charter class of graduate students in the Bush School.
The Bush School of Government, which opened for fall classes
Sept. 1, is designed to provide a professional degree for students in
terested in public service and government.
Fish Drill Team
The Texas A&M Fish Drill team was disbanded Aug. 5 after 16 A&M
students faced hazing charges from the University.
The Brazos County grand jury returned 60 indictments of hazing
and assault charges against nine advisers of the team. The nine stu
dents also faced University charges this summer.
Maj. Gen. M.T. “Ted” Hopgood said that although it is difficult to
separate the impact of one event on the Corps of Cadets, the Corps’
performance has been exemplary after the disbandment.
“Next semester we are going to do a wide-ranging evaluation with
regards to the pros and cons of having a drill team,” he said. “The an
nouncement was made Aug. 5, so we have a year to make a decision
about a drill team.”
Fires
An early morning apartment fire killed one A&M student and in
jured two other residents of Kensington Place apartments in College
Station in January.
Paul Meleony, a sophomore electrical engineering major, was
found dead on his bedroom floor. The preliminary autopsy showed
the cause of death was smoke inhalation and hot fire gases.
Please see Reflections on Page 9.
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FILE PHOTO/The Battalion
Construction on the Reed Arena special events center will be completed in
Spring 1998 in time for the Muster Ceremony. The arena will be used for
graduation commencements, concerts, basketball games, and other spe
cial events.
llllllliai
si
DAVE HOUSE/The Battalion
Former first lady Lady Bird Johnson, former first lady Barbara Bush and
first lady Hillary Clinton wave to the crowd of over 25,000 students, dignitaries,
friends and family at the opening of the George Bush Presidential Library and
Museum November 6.
World mourns death of Princess Diana;
U.S. avoids conflict with Middle East *>,
By Rachel Dawley
Staff writer
T he deaths of Princess Diana and Moth
er Teresa, the turmoil in the Middle
East and the largest mass suicide in
history are a few of the events that made
1997 a year to remember.
Princess Diana
“Goodbye, England’s rose” and the voice of
Elton John poured through Westminster
Abbey at the funeral of Diana, Princess of
Wales. Millions wept as they witnessed the fu
neral, most via television, for the princess who
was killed in a car accident in September.
“Diana profoundly influenced this nation
and the world,” said Rev. Dr. Wesley Carr, the
dean of Westminster.
Mother Teresa
A few days after Diana’s death, Mother
Teresa, a woman who devoted herself to the
poor and sick of the world, died of a massive
heart attack in Calcutta.
Lauren Donohue, Class of’97 and an em
ployee of St. Mary’s Catholic Student Center,
said the life of Mother Teresa provided the
world with an image of service and love for
one another.
“Everyone understands how Mother
Teresa’s life and service towards the poor and
the sick help the world,” Donohue said. “She
showed us that anyone can serve and can
help in small ways. She encouraged people
and gave them hope. She was a simple
woman who changed the world.”
Hussein Backs Down
The world turned its attention to the
Middle East this year. When Saddam Hus
sein refused to let inspectors into the coun
try, the United States replied with sanctions
and military threats. Russian Foreign Minis
ter Yevgeny Primakov wanted sanctions
against Hussein lifted so Iraq could repay the
$7 billion it owes Russia. President Bill Clin
ton said he wanted to maintain economic
sanctions and stand up to the threat of Hus
sein’s germ warfare. Saddam has agreed to
let inspectors back in but he is limiting ac
cess to possible chemical and biological
weapons sites.
Heaven’s Gate Mass Suicide
A mass suicide occured in March in Ran
cho Santa Fe, a California suburb. The 39
members of Heaven’s Gate swallowed pheno-
barbital-laced pudding chased with vodka in
order “to shed their coverings” and follow the
comet Hale-Bopp. The group ranged in
age from 26 years old to 72 years old.
Closing the Books on
TWA Flight 800
After a 16-month investigation,
the U.S. government concluded
that TWA Flight 800 was not
downed by a missile or a terrorist
bomb. Having found no evidence
of criminal activity, the FBI formally
suspended its inquiry into the cause
of the July 1996 crash. The National
Transportation Safety Board is set to
present its conclusion that the accident
resulted from mechanical failures.
El Nino
The World Climate Research Pro
gramme of the United Nations termed
this year’s El Nino the “climatic event of
the century.” The chain of events leading
to El Nino began when trade winds that
usually blow across the Pacific from east
to west diminished. As a result, a bulge
of warm weather that the winds keep
“bottled up” near Indonesia slosh back
towards South America.
Please see Events on Page 9.
Henry Cisneros indicted on 18 felony counts
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former
Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros
was indicted Thursday on 18 felony
counts of conspiracy, obstructing
justice and making false statements
to the FBI about payments to a for
mer mistress.
Three other people, including
the former mistress, were also
charged in the 21-count indictment
brought by Independent Counsel
David M. Barrett in U.S. District
Court for the District of Columbia.
Barrett alleged that Cisneros
made the false statements to FBI
agents conducting a background in
vestigation when he was nominated
to President Clinton’s Cabinet in
1993. Cisneros allegedly lied about
the size and nature of his payments
to former mistress Linda Jones.
The 66-page indictment issued
Thursday also referred to an un
specified number of other extra
marital relationships Cisneros al
legedly lied about.
“Cisneros continued to pay
(Jones) in order to ensure her pub
lic silence regarding, among other
things, their relationship and the
nature, purpose, and extent of his
payments to her and to another
woman, so that he could be nomi
nated, confirmed and serve as sec
retary of HUD,” it said.
Cisneros served as secretary of
Housing and Urban Development
during Clinton’s first term, resign
ing in November 1996. He is now
president of the Univision, a Los
Angeles-based Spanish television
network.
“While Mr. Cisneros and his
family do not relish the prospect of
further public airing of private
events beginning a decade ago, he
will defend himself vigorously and
expects complete exoneration after
a trial,” said Cisneros’ attorney,
Cono Namorato.
The indictment made Cisneros
the second Clinton Cabinet secre
tary to be indicted. Former Agricul
ture Secretary Mike Espy was
charged in August in a 39-count in
dictment with accepting illegal gifts
and lying to investigators. Ron
Brown, the late commerce secre
tary, also had been the subject of an
independent counsel probe.
Clinton, on a fund-raising trip in
Miami, issued a statement praising
Cisneros’ “distinguished career of
truly dedicated public service.”