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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1976)
III? ie 8A THE BATTALION ’ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1976 ■ # ■ bills’ woodcarvings on permanent display By MARY ALICE WOODHAMS typical research project — t wasn t jnslating ideas of A&M history: the rps, science, tradition, agriculture and hnology, into six intricate carved walnut jiels. But College Station’s Susan and dney Hill completed their task in two the Centennial woodcarvings on fmanent display in the Memorial Stu nt Center. yVhen the Hills’ commission came from rj Association of Former Students and the ntennial Committee, they were given general areas to cover. The designs de- ^oped after five months of sifting through Ta, interviewing campus department ads and “living in the university ar- ives.” “Rodney is the one who digests the ma- jial,” said Susan. “One of us has to get the j.sign going.” “But she’s probably done most of the vings on those panels,” replied Rodney, good 60 per cent.” i ■ ! The series begins with campus buildings rough the years: from the days when the hool was located in “that dewberry patch uth of Bryan. Hill included the old trol- • car which ran to Bryan, “tent city,” and nificant buildings which are no longer anding. “They (the committee) wanted any Aggie am any point in time to be able to recog- ze the buildings he used to go to,” said ill. The panel dedicated to the Corps shows ie evolution of the uniform, cadet slang, hd various insignias. Hill visited the lorps guard room to make sketches from oe small collection of uniforms, and Susan oints out that the man in the upper-left ‘orner is Sam Houston’s son. This panel Iso contains the only woman represented i the woodcarvings: a female cadet stand- 'ag near the center of the piece. Vincent and Liza Minnelli “I had to fight to get it in there,” said Susan. The third panel depicts sports and tra ditions: songs, yells and more slang. “A lot of these things the present-day Corps doesn’t know because they’ve changed meaning,” said Rodney. Their ideas here came from old athletic jerseys, yell books and photographs (perhaps explaining the solemn faces), as well as important traditions and mess hall slang. Hill gathered information for the re maining panels by “asking deans what they considered the most significant contribu tions in each area.” The agriculture panel contains a fruit fly, boll weevil, and an engorged female fever tick, representing the pests A&M research has controlled. To the left the Hills carved the stages of the moon, and below are vari ous examples of farm machinery. Fields from the agriculture panel lead into the veterinary medicine and science carving, which contains A&M’s nuclear reactor, the Oceanography Building, and a contour map of the Gulf of Mexico. The final panel portrays A&M’s con tributions to technology. “One of the astronomers gave me the formula for the hole (in the upper left part of the carving), ” said Rodney, “and it was a whole series of funny numbers. It really didn’t look right, and when we checked the last two digits out — it was the page number.” The panel contains elements from geol ogy, engineering and architecture, as well as symbols of the College of Liberal Arts. “The only trouble we had was finding something to represent liberal arts,” Hill said. Rodney Hill is an associate professor ol environmental design, and has taught at A&M for seven years. He graduated from Texas Tech, then went to the University of Agricultural section of Centennial woodcarvings. Battalion photo by Ruth Marie Cowie bike ol .chii Bacin bra sSi .he mor can atte cert lor California at Berkeley where he studied the behavorial and social aspects of ar chitecture and earned his master's degree. “When I was working my way through Berkeley, we did toilet seats,” said Rod ney, referring to the carved seats (“Passing Fancy,” “Birch John”) the couple sold at the start. But the serious work began when he produced a carved staircase for a house he worked on as an architect. The Hills have created welded sculptures, carved doors, and church furniture. And a project done for the Highland Park Methodist Church in Dallas required illustrating spe cific biblical verses. Susan, who worked as a physical therapist, has also studied art and sculpture. “I started out majoring in zoology at Duke,” she said, “but I got my degree in anthropology from Sophie Newcomb Col lege in New Orleans. Then I went to physi cal therapy school at Stanford.” She enjoys the combination of physical therapy, carv ing and family work, saying “you never feel like you get into a rut.” The Hills and their two children, Bunker and Brooke, live close to the campus in a house they remodeled. Inside the walls are covered with artwork and antiques, while in the rear stands an annexed two-story greenhouse filled with plants that date back to 1957. Their current project is a door for a com poser in Dallas that has music, a piano, and an accordion among the carvings. And there’s no rush — they work leisurely, only when they have the time. Old virtues taught Making ends meet with only $3,000 “We told them it would take two years — and that was two years ago,” said Rodney. By DANIEL Q. HANEY Associated Press Writer ASHLAND, Mass. — First, they slaughtered the pig in their classroom. Then the students cut it up, fried it and sat down at their public high school desks to eat it. We can’t hire anyone to help woodcarve — it would take so long to train them. But we really enjoy doing’it. With architecture, it’s a nice balance. These are not agriculture students, but suburban younsters taking a course with a much less likely goal — learning how to support a family of four on $3,000 a year. Soon they will carve up the steer they killed a month ago. Before the semester is over, they will castrate roosters and watch a calf be born. 1 jFather-daughter team disappointing By SHEPHERD GRINNAN A movie with the awesome combination 5>f Liza Minnelli, Ingrid Bergman, Charles p3oyer and directed by Vincent Minnelli shouldn’t go wrong, yet “A Matter ofTime” does because of an over-reliance on stereotypes. First of all, the movie begins with the .stereotypical printed words saying “the fol lowing is a true story. Yet the ending cred its are contradictory stating in Dragnet fashion, “any resemblance of any character in this movie to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.” Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of a long line of stereotypes (whether true or not). This is a “rags to riches” story of a young Italian maid. Nina’s (Liza Minnelli’s) “magic mo ment” finally comes which transforms her into a movie queen. If this “magic moment” transformation sounds familiar, it is because director Min nelli (Liza’s father) is presenting a Cin- Movie Review derella story. And like all Cinderellas, Nina has a fairy godmother in the form of the aged Contessa (Ingrid Bergman). The Con- tessa, once the “love goddess” of all Europe, serves as a senile mentor to young Nina. She loads Nina with memories of past glories and Nina loves it. She also loads her with platitudes of the wise such as “you are only what you wish to be.” There is nothing really wrong with these stereotypes except that they combine to make a rather shallow picture of an intrigu ing situation. This shallowness is continued by Nina herself, who spontaneously breaks into song a la Barbara Streisand. One won ders whether this “magic moment” has to do with “The Sound of Music” or Walt Disney. The primary problem of “A Matter of Time” is that the director tries to cram every “piagic” stereotype possible into it. These include sounds like an Italian movie (all you need is subtitles), “true story,” breaking into song, Cinderella and a god mother. Yet there are strong points to the movie. Rome is beautifully photographed. Ingrid is good as the Countess and adds depth and style to an otherwise lacking film. It is also good to see Charles Boyer again as the Countess’s ex-husband. He adds class with his presence alone. In a word, “A Matter ofTime” is a movie bogged down with stereotypes. Liza is good as the maid, yet she seems to be over acting perhaps because her father is direct ing. She is especially weakened by taking Not everything is messy. There are also lessons in wiring a house, chopping a tree and planting a row of peas. The course, being taken for credit by 24 students, offers a return to old ways and all.-but-forgotten virtues. And though most of the teen-agers will probably never set up homesteads, their teacher says they at least will know how to fend for them selves. “My philosophy is to create indepen dence and teach self-pride,” said Kenneth Hayes, the red-bearded teacher who de-1 signed the course. “It bothers me to see kids get up to their I necks in mortgages and hills and then work! their backs off until they die,” he said. But Hayes admits that the satisfaction of ^ independence does not come easily. “You have to give up a lot of the absolute! luxuries, like, say, dishwashers, he said. J “A lot of the leisure time you’d ordinarily,! spend watching TV, you have to be out | doing things like chopping wood.” In the model life that Hayes teaches, he said it is possible to live on $3,000 a year® outside income by creating from scratch® the necessities that most people are used toll buying in packages. First, the homesteader must be able to a live rent- and mortage-free. Following 9 simple plans, Hayes said, a house can be 9 built for $5,000. And the course teache.' I carpentry, wiring and plumbing. One of the most obvious ways to save h 1 on food. The students learn to plant vege | tallies, milk cows and raise chickens. ( They learn that heat comes from wood, sweetening comes from bees and that clothes are sewn at home. KANM’s playlist HITS every opportunity to sing. Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer are excellent as old dis- T „ _ tinguished citizens aware of their past and ^ e PP e ‘ m ^ Song Remains the Same confronting the problems of the present. RISERS It is unfortunate that “A Matter ofTime” was so shallow. It had great potential. Lynyrd Skynyrd One More From the Road Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees The Doobie Brothers Best of the Doobie Brothers Carpenters’ special airs tonight By JAY SHARBUTT AP Television Writer LOS ANGELES Recommended to night: “The Carpenters,” ABC’s special starring Karen Carpenter and brother Richard, who’ve shown that a gentle sound can survive in a music world where loud means a hit. Granted, they’ve been knocked by as sorted pop critics as too gentle, too mild in their music to be anything more than a pleasant, forgettable hum on radio stations with easy-listening formats. Yet, put your headbone close to the speaker; you’ll find solid musicianship by both, not to mention quite subtle, often surprisingly inventive vocal and instru mental arrangements by Richard C. Much of that — plus sly, unexpected flashes of whimsy — is on display in to night’s show, which has pianist-comic Victor Borge and singer John Denver shar ing the bill. True, you may groan when the Carpen ters launch the hour with what seems a lip-sync rendition of their “Top of the World,” which has been played so often it should be led away and shot. But stick around. Vast improvement sets in when we’re told Richard is a big fan of the late Spike Jones a superb musician de spite his loony legend as head of the en semble called the City Slickers. The Carpenters then say they’ll do their first hit — “Close to You” — in the Jones manner. Whereupon they and their’ guests demolish the tune with kazoos, whistles, pots and pans. Weird. Funny, too. Another fine whimsy moment: Richard drives a fantasy race against two big-name professionals and makes an emergency pit stop — to replace an eight-track stereo car tridge. Sister Karen, who at times shows a deft touch for visual comedy, also checks in with a rousing display of her jazz-drumming ability, the Carpenters started as a jazz group. While not quite in Buddy Rich s league, she still gets the swinging job done in a round of tunes you’d not expect to hear on a mod music show — George Gershwin’s “Strike Up the Band,” “S’Wonerful” and “Fascinating Rhythm.” Borge has little to do, other than a funny piano duet with Carpenter. Which is a shame, but it’s still good to see him at work. Denver, who always has struck me as the leading exponent of folk Muzak, does a forgettable solo, yet more than redeems himself later in a lovely duet with Miss Carpenter. Tonight’s effort is superior in writing, musical arrangements and pace, compared with other specials of this kind. Let’s hope it causes a return engagement for the Carpenters. They have the imagina tion and taste. All they need now is more new material. Merry? Christmas By GEORGE ESPER Associated Press Writer HARTFORD, Conn. — Watch out for the Christmas blues. A psychiatrist says that while Christmas brings joy to many, it stirs feelings of sad ness in others — especially single people living alone. “There is an increase in what we call neurotic depression as distinct from another kind of depression which is called psychotic depression,” said Dr. John P. Callan, 37, director of the psychiatric crisis clinic at Hartford’s St. Francis Hospital. Callan said neurotic depression, unlike the psychotic kind, tends to last a short time. “Very often it will resolve shortly after the holiday season without any partic ular treatment,” he said. Why do some people feel blue at Christmas? “Christmas tends to be a family time and if people are not with their family, they can very often feel unloved, neglected and de pressed,” Callan said. “My impression is that around the holiday season the persons at the highest risk are the single people who live alone, people who really don’t have that much contact with others, perhaps away from their families, away from loved ones.” Callan suggested that single people can avoid the Christmas blues by getting in volved with other families and participat ing in community activities that offer con tact with other individuals. Elton John Blue Moves The Steve Miller Band Fly Like An Eagle Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac Boston Boston Al Stewart Year of the Cat Rod Stewart A Night on the Town Electric Light Orchestra A New World Record Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life Pure Prairie League Dance , Black Sabbath Technical Ecstasy The Band The Best of the Band Kansas Leftoverture Frank Zappa Zoot Allures Leon Russel Best of Leon Robert Palmer Some People CanDoWhol They Like Dave Mason Certified Live Jean-Luc Ponty Imaginary Voyage The Charlie Daniels Bind High Lonesom Kinky Friedman Lasso from El Paso George Harrison Best of George Wamsos FADERS Ted Nugent Free for All Mott the Hoople Greatest Flits Be Bop Deluxe Modern Music Judy Collins Bread and Roses Phoebe Snow It Looks Like Snow Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive Gordon Lightfoot Summertime Dream Rush All the World’s a Stage Stanley Clarke School Days Linda Ronstadt Hasten Down the Wind The Stills-Young Band Long May You Run Ambrosia Somewhere I’ve Never Traveled NEW ALBUMS The Crusaders The Best of the Crusaks Alphonso Johnson Yesterday’s Dream Rick Derringer Live in Cleveland The Earl Scruggs Revue Family Potlni Valdy and the Hometown Band Valdtjf the Hometown Band Mark Aston Mark Aston Hubert Laws Romeo and Juliet Dalton and Dubarri Success and Faikt Threepenny Opera Threepenny Open Loggins and Messina The Best of F# Foghat Night Shift Faces Snakes and Ladders-Thc M Faces 44 Not a Word On It for precision guitar v By PAUL MUELLER Once upon a time, when someone asked me who my favorite guitarist was, I could usually come up with a quick and fairly definite answer — Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, or any one of several others. These days it’s getting a little harder to do that; good new guitarists seem to turn up practi- usual degree of smoothness andfluidP possessed by most guitarists, and it t nicely here. “Foxfire” is not as good a song as so® 1 : the album, but it does give the restot 5 band a chance to show off a bit. Hai' 1 Aren’t you glad elephants don’t fly? Battalion photos by Bert Bivings Monster gets name Music Review Thompson’s sax gets some time here adequate but not brilliant. The sonp makes use of the synthesizers that are! | sent (and somewhat overused) on mo) the album. Thousands of migrating birds have arrived in Col lege Station within the past few weeks. Great tailed grackles, common grackles, brown- headed-cowbirds, starlings, sparrows and a few other species fill the trees around the campus at night to roost. Although most of the birds will eventually move on to warmer regions, the evi dence of their presence will remain on the sidewalks and benches at A&M for some time. m * . ^ ’*”*1 ^ - * *» t ^ ** ’*r, \ " T Mm 4*«r <%■ w ^ W* I «*. ; „ f$. A? «. 'Si r. Associated Press NEW YORK — They’re going to name it “Nessiterris Rhombobteryx” — if they find it. “It” is the Loch Ness monster, or Ness as it is known to Scotland’s schoolchildren. Dr. Robert H. Rines, dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, N.H., and leader of the 1976 Loch Ness photographic expedition, claims to have seen the legendary monster in the Scottish lake in 1972. Before addressing the Massa chusetts Institute of Technology Club here, he told reporters: “I’m absoluately convinced the monster exists. We know there are more than one down there.” The problem is finding Nessie or some part of its remains. During a slide presenta tion, Rines and three other Americans who accompanied him explained the major dif ficulty in locating “the wonder of Loch Ness with the diamond shaped flipper.” The lake, 24 miles long and 900 feet deep, is filled with murky water and sur rounded by high craggy walls which make up the sides. It provides miles of hiding unsociable monsters. cally every day. One of the best of these that I’ve heard is Pete Carr, whose new album is entitled “Not A Word On It.” The album’s title was chosen for a good reason: it’s all instrumental, with no vocals at all. It is also a very fine album for anyone who likes good guitar music, and might even please a few people who are not guitar fanatics like myself. Until now, Carr has worked mainly as a studio musician at Muscle Shoals in Alabama, backing up other artists. This album proves, however, that he is more than capable of making it on his own. His band consists of Lenny Le Blanc on bass; Roger Clark on drums; Tom Roady on per cussion; Harvey Thompson on saxophone; and Tim Henson, Clayton Ivey, and Chuck Leavell (formerly of the Allman Brothers Band) playing keyboards. Carr plays guitars and wrote all the songs on the al bum, and also produced, arranged, and co-engineered it. If this all sounds like an ego trip for Carr, it’s forgivable in light of the skill with which he has performed all his roles. The album’s first side is the better of the two, but not by much. It begins with “Tus- cumbian Lover,” a beautiful song that fea tures the full range of Carr’s musical abil ity, from slow lyrical blues lines to fast riffs. Throughout all of Carr’s work is the un- “Journey With The Breeze” is anotfe the album’s better cuts. It features an likely mixture of pseudoreggae and jazz; the two forms alternate in short! sages throughout the song. It is follow) a slightly funkier piece called “On Luc! Knee,” highlighted by Thompson’s sai‘ Tom Roady’s bongos. The side ends “Theme From Sparkle,’ which is rc® cent of a few things the Allman Brot- have recorded. This is no doubt duet 1 presence of Chuck Leavell, who does*- fine piano playing here. The second side has more of a jazzl than the first; a lot of this is due to them keyboards and synthesizers. “Trapped! Bubble” sounds typical of a lot of jar? being recorded today, using a varW instruments and musical styles. “Br Stone” is not quite as free-form, rel ( instead on a nice guitar/piano combinst “Race of the Computers” comes asa prise, as it employs a more radical s® keyboard style than the rest of the alb In fact, some of the special effects s0 more like Emerson, Lake, and Pall (remember them?) than anything ek< recent memory. The album’s last song is “Twisted H? which also shows a little Allman Brc influence. Thompson’s sax and Carr’s excellent guitar make for good (but nitely not “easy”) listening. fm m