Monday, February'
: Cabinet, said the0
as “unrepresentath
ans” and should
tely.”
st underscored di
ice’s major Protes
nionists, for an i:
armament,
it allow any pan
■publican or (pro-1
ain in existence w
plosives," said KenD
ah's Ulster Unionist
’arliament. “Evenifi
r own cease-fires,
rwill inevitably end
ssidents."
uity IRA began
IRA called a
ywy group’s sporadi
ed only minor inj
t has never called a
y last month, police
sh Republic arrested*
lily IR A activist mp,
oaded with weapor:
TUESDAY
February 8, 2000
Volume 106 ~ Issue 86
12 pages
oura m t i«iei ea =cmi* -
70s important time in A&M history
H
Clockwise from J
top left: Mario
Brown, Fred L
Mclure, and Mike Frazier.
i n
BY JULIE ZUCKER
The Battalion
By the late ’70s, there were 66 African-American students — out of
21,000 — at Texas A&M, but one in particular was making his mark.
Fred McClure, Class of 1976, was the first African-American stu
dent body president at A&M.
After McClure graduated, he interned with President Gerald Ford’s
administration and later became an assistant to President George Bush.
In 1994, McClure was named
-—g t j one of Time magazine’s “50
Mfw tnveiUg*tei asm | ! Most Aspiring Leaders Age 40
for pooi dHtnbutfon j or Under,’’ along with Bill
n9 , 979 j Gates, John F. Kennedy Jr. and
Curtis Hftu inducted Oprah Winfrey,
into a&m Athletic The '70s opened other
fam * doors for African-American
mmimmmmmmmmmmmmm j groups at A&M.
■■■■■■ —— In 1970, the Black Student
GABRIEL RUENES/ I mi B vl IAl.lON
Affairs (BSA) committee was formed with only seven African-Amer
ican students.
The BSA fought for more African-American literature, more
African-American athletes, an equal ratio of African-American and in
ternational students and more African-American professors for a more
“well-rounded University environment.”
According to University documents, there were a few racial
demonstrations before BSA arrived on campus, and administrators
at A&M wanted to work with the students of BSA to avoid further
complications and improve student-administration communications.
“As long as A&M tries to solve the black problem, 1 can foresee
no violent action,” one BSA member said. “But if [the University]
chooses to ignore the problem as other colleges have, I don’t know
what w ill happen.”
The Black Affairs Committee (BAG) became a University-ap
proved student organization on campus.
In 1971, BAG hosted Sen. Barbara Jordan, and in 1972, Wayne De-
Vaughn, the BAG chairperson, worked w ith Sbisa Dining Services to
create a “Soul Food” day.
BAG hosts a week-long examination of African-American culture
and history in the Memorial Student Center called “Black Experience,”
which has been a tradition at A&M since 1973.
By the spring of 1974, the MSG Council approved more fund
ing for BAG programming.
However, funding for African-American students became a prob
lem for A&M by the end of the ’70s.
In 1978, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW)
reviewed 18 colleges and universities in Texas for discrimination through
distribution of available funds.
A&M and Prairie View-A&M were two of 18 schools under in
vestigation for racism and segregation through funding and, accord
ing to University documents, “were in serious jeopardy of losing fed
eral funds.”
A&M received more funding than Prairie View — a predominately
African-American school. By 1979,1IEW increased funding by $500,000
for the lacking programs.
After the HEW investigation, A&M Chancellor Frank W.R. Ilubert
used a formula from North Carolina and Florida to raise minority enroll
ment and increase recruitment.
See History on Page2.
Gross anatomy
Group to address issues
ruary 10
^DP)
ithwestern Bell
Inc. (UCS)
STUART VILLANUEVA/Tmi- Batiai.ion
Junior heath major Katie Graves and junior sports management major Jason Adam explore a cat’s
anatomy in their zoology lab on Monday.
A&M finally under compliance
BY BRADY CREEL
The Battalion
I After three years of scrutiny and examination, the U.S. Depart-
fient of Labor’s pffice of Federal Contract Compliance Program
(0FCCP) has declared Texas A&M Uni
versity to be pursuing affirmative action “in
compliance with their obligations under Ex-
‘cutive Order 11246.”
The order took effect in 1965, stating
hat federal contractors “will not discrimi-
late against any employee because of race,
:olor, religion, sex, or national origin.”
It also ordered contractors to take “affir-
native action to ensure that applicants are
inployed and employees are treated during
mployment without regard to their race,
olor, religion, sex, or national origin.”
Larry Garza, district director of the
Oi CCP’s San Antonio office, said the audit
Ipertnined whether A&M was operating in
Hccordance with affirmative action laws by
Examining University documents such as
Tie University’s affirmative action plan and
■records, sorted by race and gender, of ter-
Bninatiohs, promotions, hirings and trans
fers. Garza’s office then conducted on-site
interviews with faculty and staff at A&M.
I “At the on-site reviews, we reviewed personnel files [and] inter
viewed administrative staff as well as faculty members,” Garza said.
E “We tried to approach this as a learning exercise,” said Larry
Eotts, A&M’s Affirmative Aption Officer and associate director of
Human Resources. “We wanted them to support us in a consulting
role to make our affirmative action program stronger.”
A&M’s Affirmative Action Plan states that “the compliance
posture of Texas A&M is not measured by whether all goals are
met, but rather to what degree a good faith effort is made to do so.”
“We continue to work on those goals, but
we are not going to reach them in one year,”
Potts said. “It is a long term proposition to
reach those goals.”
Dr. Mitchell Rice, president of the
African-American Professional Organiza
tion and director of the Race and Ethnic
Studies Institute, said the University needs
to continue seeking out qualified minority
faculty and professionals to make the Uni
versity a better learning environment for
both faculty and students.
“I am pleased to hear that the Univer
sity was within compliance,” Mitchell
said. “But at the same time, the Universi
ty does realize that it does need to take ad
ditional steps and initiatives to improve
the number of minority faculty and pro
fessionals on campus.”
Mitchell said members of the Universi
ty’s faculty should not be satisfied by only
meeting compliance.
“The University should not be satisfied
with strictly meeting compliance,” Mitchell said. “The Univer
sity must use this compliance as a means for improving faculty
diversity at the University. If the University is satisfied with com
pliance, then where do we go from here?”
"The University
should not be satis
fied with strictly meet
ing compliance. The
University must use
this compliance as a
means for improving
faculty diversity at the
University."
— Dr. Mitchell Rice
President of the African-American
Professional Organization
BY DANA JAMUS
The Battalion
A new activist group. Queer Aggies, wants to fight al
leged discrimination against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered (GLBT) population at Texas A&M.
“The need for an organization like the Queer Aggies has
existed for a long time,” said Jason Patton, president of
Queer Aggies and a sophomore biomedical science major.
Queer Aggies was formed to protect and promote the
visibility and rights of GLBTs at A&M through educa
tional and political means, Patton said.
Queer Aggies, which currently has 20 members, be
gan when a group of students met at the Memorial Stu
dent Center to watch “The Times of Harvey Milk,” a doc
umentary' of the nation’s first gay elected official.
“We decided then and there that nothing would change
for us here (at A&M] unless we did something about it,”
Patton said.
“Currently GLBTs are discriminated against, in that
they could be fired from their jobs, not hired at other jobs,
evicted from their apartments or expelled from A&M due
to their sexual orientation,” said Amy Hinze, vice presi
dent of publicity for Queer Aggies and a junior political
science major.
“There is a hostile environment at A&M for people
who aren’t straight,” I lin/e said. “We can't go to a bar on
Northgate without the fear of being beaten up.”
“When two men or two women are seen together on
campus it is very usual for them to receive nasty looks and
remarks.”
Hinze, a bisexual, realized her sexual orientation at the
age of 16 when she when she fell in love with a woman.
She accompanied her girlfriend to her high school’s prom,
and said “all hell broke loose.”
She said many gay people are harassed and forced
to leave homes, and there is a very high suicidal rate
among gays.
“That’s why all this (Queer Aggies] means so
much to me.”
The group expects to gain recognition as a University-
approved student organization by Wednesday or Thursday.
“Even if the University denies the group recognition,
they will still exist as an unrecognized organization,” said
Megan Wright, a member of Queer Aggies and vice pres
ident of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Ag
gies (GLBTA).
Because GLBTA gained its recognition in 1985 alter
a court decision that refused to hear the University’s ap
peal to keep GLBTA off-campus, Queer Aggies are not
anticipating any resistance from the University.
A&M president Dr. Ray M. Bowen denied the inclu
sion of sexual orientation as a basis for discrimination,
citing a Texas state law that also does not allow for the in
clusion of sexual orientation as a basis for discrimination.
Bowen said A&M is an "all-inclusive institution,” and
that it welcomes and provides support for all its-students.
See Activist on Page 2.
Retreat center considered
BY KENNETH MACDONALD
The Battalion
Next week, Texas A&M officials will meet with ar
chitects to design a student leadership retreat center to be
built just west of Easterwood Field.
A memorandum circulated in 1998 outlining the in
tention for the retreat center, but the idea has only recent
ly been re-energized, said Kevin Jackson, director of Stu
dent Activities.
"It has been my experience that it is difficult for stu
dents to find retreat sites that are affordable. MSC Hos
pitality and [the Residence Hall Association] must plan
months in advance,” Jackson said. “Larger student
groups are finding it more and more difficult to utilize
retreat sites.”
The retreat center should hold about 500 retreaters.
The price for groups to go on retreats at other locations de
pends on many factors, such as the quality and quantity of
the food provided and the number of rooms needed.
The new A&M facility will “provide [an] efficient al
ternative to the costly and distant travel that now exists,”
Jackson said.
The administration will eventually be seeking student
input on the retreat center through focus groups.
Every April, the RHA takes the new hall leadership on
a retreat to help them get acquainted and prepare them for
the new year.
Julie Cast, president of RHA and a junior marketing
major, said a retreat center closer to campus would have
financial benefits.
“If a new retreat center was built, it would definitely
help with the housing and transportation costs,” she said.
It costs about $50 per person to go on RHA’s annual
retreat. Most of'that cost is covered by the hall councils.
But, Cast said, if costs were cut, the hall councils will
have more money to spend on other programs.
“I lowever, with the center being so close to campus,
members of groups may be tempted to arrive late and leave
early from retreats,” Cast said.
“Organizations can definitely benefit from the new
center; groups can use it for just individual programs and
day retreats. Even trying to reserve a room in the Memo
rial Student Center can be difficult if you don’t plan in ad
vance,” said Collin Poage, MSC Hospitality executive and
junior business administration major.
Girl found slain;
two teens arrested
MAGNOLIA, Ark. (AP) —A 15-year-old girl was found beaten to
death near a freshly dug grave, and two of her high school classmates
were arrested and charged with murder.
Sheriff Wayne Tompkins said the boys had planned the slaying for days
or even weeks and had dug the 3-foot-deep grave hours beforehand.
The sheriff gave no motive.
The body of Brittni .lone Pater was found early Saturday near a log
ging road. Prosecutor Jamie Pratt said an autopsy showed that the girl
was pregnant.
Matthew Ryan Elliott, 16, and William E. Davis, 17, were charged
Monday as adults with capital murder.
Columbia County Circuit Judge Larry Chandler denied bond and
entered innocent pleas on their behalf.
Robert Depper, Davis’ attorney, said he would file a motion to have
his client’s case moved to juvenile court and said Elliott’s lawyer would
file a similar motion.
Depper would not discuss details of the case.
“We don’t know what all the evidence is,” he said. “It’s really too
soon to be having any comments.”
The sheriff said authorities believe Elliott picked up the girl outside
her home Friday night.
When her body was found, a shovel was stuck upright in the dirt,
he said.
Both boys are juniors at Magnolia High School and Pater was a
sophomore.
The victim and Elliott were members of the band.
INSIDE
ns ■
•Ags host
UTS A in home
opener|F .
ifti ,5' ™'
•Tunnel vision
The mystery of A&M's
steam tunnels.
Page 3
A kilo of
revention
Should
women addict-
d to drugs get
aid to receive
birth control?
£igeU
•Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at
1:57 p.m. for details about
the Kaplan group settlement
•Check out The Battalion
online at
battalion.tainu.edu