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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1979)
SI1 Westerns distort ^ er true United Press International Western novels and movies often have distorted or glamorized the history of the American West and have left readers and viewers with , International ^ feeling they have been “conned by the storytellers,” says a writer E d xt ^j of Western history. Zt f K I C-I-'- Sonnichsen, senior editor of the Journal of Arizona History 1 .| 1 ' and author of numerous books and articles on Western history and ica > an p iit era t ure has published a book he hopes may help put Western htc.ngthe^fktion in its proper perspective. lena Heseattl said. The book, “From Hopalong to Hud: Thoughts on Western Fic tion,” published by the Texas A&M Press, is a collection of 11 essays 1 in which Sonnichsen looks at both popular and “serious” fiction, act Incaust The book suggests reader interest in western fiction is declining iusc, aocor because of the way in which most are written, but that a turnabout — rescan n or a re t urn the valuable books already written — could occur if ramzatipn, writers chronicle the virtues of the true heroes of the western move- investigatc tnent. ors and adt “Western novels are indeed here today and gone tomorrow, and than mere there are some special reasons for reader indifference, he says. “One is the feeling that we have been conned by the storytellers and ort of lignts: scenarists who give us wrong answers about how the West was won. much wee “They have ignored the landgrabbers and exploiters and played up e receivedt as f ron tier Galahads, a gang of barroom characters and part-time lain physical peace officers whom the Kansas and Arizona historians have revealed who claim It;T n their true insignificance. ” •tact to tat;; To show how far the flight from idealized fiction, including West- I eni fiction, has gone, Sonnichsen cities the case of Larry McMurtry, nee of Ai whom he describes as a “properly disillusioned writer.” alentieh diw His novel “Horseman, Pass By” (“Hud” in the movies) prompted II green ligl many honors, including a top award by the Texas Institute of Letters lit Inis trie a nd Wallace Stegner and Guggenheim fellowships, sst, he said ■“With all this impact, one would think, it would have sold 50,000 an cxplanati or 100,000 copies,” Sonnichsen said. “It sold about 1,500. pearance* 1 Sonnichsen says, however, the decline of the Western novel may don t yeti hi only temporary. ion will be it “In years to come,” he said, “the novels which are overlooked something# today may be historically important as a line between what was and it, he said what is to be. Much gritty realism, exemplified in the work of Larry McMurtry and his disciples, shows how far behind we have left the hopes, ideals and scruples of our forebearers. Sonnichsen says the Western novel is often defined in terms of the frontier, the formula and the legendary Wild West, “but it is much, much bigger than that, and it needs to be plumbed and measured. IS Pickin Paradise Campus Names ■ Aft? Zerle L. Carpenter new department head Dr. Zerle L. Carpenter, a teacher and researcher in the meat sciences field, is the new head of Texas A&M University’s animal science depart ment. “As head of this key department, Dr. Carpenter will have a vital lead ership role in the future of the live stock industries of Texas,” said Dr. Perry L. Adkisson, vice president for agriculture. Carpenter has been acting head of the deparment since last April. He came to Texas A&M as an assistant professor in 1962 and has been a professor of animal science since 1971. Associatiofi of Meat Purveyors and the 1977 Distinguished Service Award from Gamma Sigma Delta. Carpenter is past president of the American Meat Science Association and the Texas Section of the Insti tute of Food Technologists. Susie Williams enters state pageant False fined THE BATTALION TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1979 Page 9 76 grad\ research nationally honored His research and teaching have focused on improvements in beef quality and tenderness and beef packaging and distribution. Carpenter’s early studies formed a basis for U.S. Deparment of Ag riculture revision of pork standards as a reference for scor ing pork color, firmness and marbl ing. He is author or co-author of more than 230 scientific publica tions. Among his honors and awards are the 1970 Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching from the Texas A&M Association of Former Students, the 1972 Meat Science Research Award from the American Society of Animal Sci ence, the 1975 Outstanding Educators Award from the National Helen H; Ligon, a ’76 graduate of Texas A&M University, has earned national recognition for her doctoral dissertation, “A Comparative Analysis of Design Concepts for Large Scale Information Systems.” Her dissertation is among the 100 chosen from tens of thousands in re cent years for publication by the University Microfilms International Research Press. The collection aims to promote wider recognition and use of re search by promising young scholars. Du Juana Lyn (Susie) Williams, a senior agricultural journalism major from Hemphill, will compete in the Miss Texas Rodeo Pageant in San Antonio Saturday through Wednes day. She will enter under the title of Miss Texas Prison Rodeo 1978 and is being sponsored by the Texas De partment of Corrections. Williams graduated valedictorian of her high school class in Hemphill in 1975 and is attending Texas A&M on a four-year College of Agricul ture scholarship. She was recently awarded a scholarship by the Texas Cowbelles for the spring semester. She has been a Distinguished Stu dent at Texas A&M for six semes ters. She is a member of the Alpha Zeta — National Agricultural Honor Society; Sigma Delta Chi; Women Communications; the TAMU United Press International DOVER, N.H. — A man who al legedly pretended to be a member of the Kennedy family — using their name to buy airline tickets and rent a fraternity house room — has been fined $50 each on three theft of ser vices charges. Edgar Berube, 22, of Some- rsworth, was found guilty Friday ‘Kennedy’ $50 in * u ^ ' and fined by Dover District Cduft" t l r .i Judge Ovid Viel, He appealed tl\e-’ verdicts to Strafford CouiitnC' Superior Court. ** * Berube was arrested last month.) *} Police said he posed as a Kennedy to; 5 sign credit card applications, buy )} $8,000 worth of airline tickets tothe- Bahamas and rent a University of) -J New Hajnpshire fi at house room . - ) ^ y*„ Ligofrs Work is one of ten in the series “Research for Business Deci- Her book, published under the title “Successful Management In formation Systems,” establishes a set of criteria for the conceptual de sign of a large scale information sys tem. She demonstrates how the criteria apply to three large informa tion systems. Ligon is director of the Casey Computer Center and. professor of quantitlattve analysis at fray lor Uni versity. Horsemen’s Association; Saddle and Sirloin Club; Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society; and Gamma Sigma Delta — the Honor Society of Agriculture. She has competed in area and state horse shows for 10 years and has won numerous awards. She has been queen of numerous fairs and rodeos. About 40 contestants are ex pected to compete in the Miss Rodeo Texas and Miss Rodeo Texas Teen contests. Prizes for Miss Rodeo Texas include a $1,000 schol arship, use of a new pick-up truck and horse trailer, and a hand-made saddle. TV tetric medi t life with a World’s largest country music college is in Texas dec, || United Press International t m the ste LEV elLAND, Texas — More mlant an, jan x rni , es from Nas hvill e , on tCjAat expanse of the West Texas as lain, is the world’s largest college- P a ,, 1 ivel country and bluegrass music ’ a I z . llu It wasn’t here four years ago, but e (Hybsonfl itherwasJohnHart . n nal). . . Hartin, 36, was teaching guitar in ackfrlUh orfolk. Neb., in 1975, when he i elated i c k ec l U p a country music magazine ge —tlic' 1C | no ti ce( I an interesting item in nighei | e j 0 k listings. the eiH-ct yVichita, Kan., native, who 'OS educated in Iowa and taught men s femuitar in Nebraska, responded and are being iinded the job in West Texas over- [ full dedf ein E a Kentucky bluegrass and who is rf( as ^ v ^ e " soun< ^ niusic program. ,/ af yin ' “I’ve enjoyed myself immensely, ” . . , itartin said recently, his voice bet- U . ° tying the pride he feels for the ex- '' ,l 111 aiiding program on the South ral generiiljgins College campus. in this cor The 2,400-student school, located nedteatiom the southern edge of this table- fe with a wit town, is just a hayride from H deck. >untry star Waylon Jennings’ nmetown at Littlefield, 24 miles . And it’s about the same dis- ffects follow tance from Lubbock, hometown of the late country-rock legend, Buddy Holly. About 40 students are enrolled in the two-year country and bluegrass sequences at the school, Hartin says. And that’s about 20 more pic kers than he expected at this point. But magazine ads have provoked inquiries about the program from throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, Hartin says, and he expects enrollment to reach 100 in a few years. The director, whose wife, Patty, runs the couple’s downtown music store, says he derives personal satis faction when an ex-student makes his mark in the professional blueg rass or country field. “We have hopes for all of them, actually, that they’ll get to pursue a career in entertainment or music that they really enjoy,” he says. Toby Hise, a former South Plains College student and a promising country singer from Haskell, Texas, wrote Hartin recently. “He sent me a copy (of a news paper article about Hise) and said he thought his two-year training here put him five or six years ahead of where he would have been had he not had it,” Hartin says. Those two years at the college aren’t necessarily easy ones, though. One Alabama bluegrass guitarist said she figured on coming to South Plains College just to “pick. “But I had to learn to read music- through the program, and that’s hard, she said. “If you’re going to have any suc cess as an artist, you do have to be extremely talented and well- trained,” Hartin says. But “luck is a big factor for a lot of people,” he admits. “Just so many are never recognized because they re not at the right place at the right time. The spring 1979 bulletin lists courses in country arranging, country-bluegrass composition and country-bluegrass music today. Arid Hartin says there’s also music- theory instruction, as well as indi vidual instruction on banjo, bass guitars, dobro, double bass, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and pedal steel. For students hoping to obtain a bachelor’s degree in music from a WHEN YOU BUY A CALCULATOR, THINK ABOUT WHO’S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT. At Loupot’s, We’re One of The State’s Largest Calculator Dealers For A Reason — We Look Out For Our Customers. Buy A Calculator From Lou. If Anything Goes Wrong With It Within 30 Days, He’ll Replace It With A New One. Or Loan You Another Calculator Free While Yours Is Being Repaired. Our Business Is Built On Friendship — Isn’t That The Way It Should Be? 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ACROSS FROM THE POST OFFICE 4 DISCOUNT 1 /2 PRICE Dominguez : Arciniega 7: Students, Faculty & Staff $8.15 THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE delivered to your dorm, apartment or house every day for the entire spring semester. :l; 'Vy,' 4 January 15 - May 11 - $8.15 January 15 - May 31 - $10.25 EXCLUDING 8 DAY SPRING BREAK INCLUDING SPRING BREAK Just call 693-2323 or 846-0763 Houston Chronicle These LPs “Every Way But Loose” Soundtrack (With Eddie Rabbitt, Charlie Rich, Mel Tillis) 8.98 List $ STEVE FROMHOLTZ “Just Playin’ Along” DIRE STRAITS “Dire Straits” DAVID BROMBERG ‘My Own House” NICOLETTE LARSON “Nicolette” JEAN MICHAEL JARdE “Equinox SPIRIT “Live In London” PARAPHERNALIA ERIC CLAPTON ‘Blackless”