Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1980)
lyj^uQiJZAVs^^^jL, z/ui&^iyjuu^) Ol oBBfj Mail sorter has unusual job By JANE G. BRUST Battalion Reporter Valerie Vickers said it used to be nerve-wracking to work alone in the small windowless room. She said she used to feel closed in, especial ly when she could hear people talk ing outside but not see them. In spite of the cramped, cluttered room, however, Vickers said she likes her job. In fact, she said she’s seen some interesting — and sometimes funny — things. Vickers is a student worker in the Commons, where she sorts and distributes mail each day for stu dents living in Mosher and Aston Halls. ‘There was a package the other day,” the senior said, “with air holes punched in the top and sides. It was shoe box size and it was labelled ‘Living.’ I couldn’t get any noise out of it, so I don’t know what it was.” Vickers, who is working with the mail for her second year, said women get "thousands of pack ages” while men don’t get as many. Women often get clothes and items for their rooms, she said, while men often get cookie packages - Vickers said more such “CARE” packages from home come in around mid term examination time. Throughout the semester, men send off for a lot of records, Vickers said, and women send off for a lot of makeup. Some women get little books from Frederick’s of Holly wood as well, she said. In addition to the books advertis ing daring lingerie, women receive catalogues of china selections and honeymoon trips. “That’s how you know who’s get ting married," she said. Vickers said she learns a lot of little things about the residents at the other end of the mailboxes. She said she can tell who is studying to be a CPA, who is an education major, who is a pre-med major — based on the mail they receive about their fields. “CPA’s get a lot of review things for exams,” she said, “and educa tion majors get a lot of teachers’ aids.” Vickers also knows when some one is a having a birthday or when someone is going on a trip. “It’s neat to see their airplane tickets come in — I always wonder where they’re going,” she said. Spending one hour each morn ing sorting the mail, and another 30 to 40 minutes stuffing the boxes, Vickers said she not only sees but also hears some interesting things. “People don’t realize there’s a person back there in the mailroom,” she said. “I hear all kinds of things in the hallway and in the lounge. “If people don’t get mail,” she said, “they have one of two reac tions. They either get mad and slam the door shut, or they get sad and say, ‘My mother doesn’t love me anymore.”’ Sometimes students think GTE doesn’t love them either. “I hate putting out the phone bills,” Vickers said. “Everybody wants theirs all at once, and then they say, ‘Oh, my God, I’m dead! I couldn’t have talked that long!" Certain other kinds of mail bring more positive reactions. “You can tell when someone gets a check from their parents,” Vickers said, “because you can hear them say, ‘Well, they finally came through.’ Then the guys say, ‘Let’s go party!’ and the girls say, ‘Let’s go shopping!’” Having sorted through thousands of scented envelopes, overseas postcards and miscel- Photo by Dillard Stone Vickers puts the mail in Commons boxes. laneous parcels, Vickers said she’s learned a lot about how the postal system operates and a lot about how people operate. She said mail is pretty important to college stu dents, especially when they’ve just had a big test. While Vickers does not personal ly know all the individuals receiving mail she distributes, she said she would like to meet the students who receive the more unusual pieces— especially “Sexy So-and-So” who gets letters from “It Better Not be Anybody but Me.” MORNING 11:00 60 THE JEWS OF HUNGARY: A STUDY IN SURVIVAL AFTERNOON 12:0060 THE DEVIL AND DANIEL MOUSE This animated fantasy tells the story of a young mouse who sells her soul to the devil in exchange for success as a folksinger, and her long-time partner who must bail her out of trouble; singer-songwriter John Sebastian performs four original tunes. 12:300 THE JEWS OF HUNGARY: A STUDY IN SURVIVAL A look at how Hungarian Jews have maintained their religious life and traditions in a Communist nation is presented. 1:000 GIRLS OF THE SOUTH WEST PAGEANT 2:00 0 THE INFORMATION SOCI ETY Marc Porat examines the opportunities, advantages and risks resulting from our bur geoning computer society. (R) 3:00© DON’T FORGET THE KHMER Filmed on location at a refugee camp in Thailand, this documentary focuses on the plight of the Cambodian people -- the violence they have been subjected to and the uncertain ties that the future holds for them. (R) 3:30 HBO THE BEACH BOYS IN CONCERT The pop music group, which has spanned nearly two decades with tunes of romance and fun in the Cali fornia sun, performs such clas sics as "California Girls” and "Surfin’ U.S.A.” 4:30 HBO HBO SNEAK PREVIEW EVENING 7:00 0 © ffi CATASTROPHEI NO SAFE PLACE Hosts Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland pres ent footage of the most violent earthquake and ensuing tidal wave to hit the North American continent, a real-life Brazilian towering inferno, a U.S. harbor disaster and a plane crash on Prison Island. 0 YELLOW CAB Detectives patrol their New York beat with a yellow cab in this real-life dra ma. 9:00© PM MAGAZINE SPECIAL EDITION 11:00© JAMES ROBISON SPECIAL "Wake Up America” MORNING 10:00 O FRED AKERS 11:00 0 TOM UNDRY 11:300 ©NFL TODAY AFTERNOON 12:00 0 O © NFL FOOTBALL New Orleans Saints at Washington Redskins 2:00 ©BUM PHILLIPS 2:300 ©NFL '80 3:00 0 © NFL FOOTBALL Cincin nati Bengals at Houston Oilers O O © NFL FOOTBALL Chi cago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles 0 NFL FOOTBALL Regional coverage of Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders; Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Oilers © WORLD AMATEUR TEAM GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENING 8:00 0 © ffl NFL FOOTBALL San Diego Chargers at Dallas Cowboys © COLLEGE FOOTBALL Rice vs. Texas A & M 11:300 GRANT TEAFF 0 TOM WILSON 12:000 MERRILL GREEN whereabouts of a young prince from an oil-rich Mideastern kingdom. 3:00© ★★’A “Way, Way Out” (1966) Jerry Lewis, Connie Ste vens. A meek astronaut is pro pelled into space with a pretty female companion to operate a lunar weather station. 4:00© ★★Vi “In Search Of Ancient Astronauts” (1974) Narrated by Rod Serling. 5:00 HBO “You Only Live Twice” (1967) Sean Connery, Donald Pleasence. Secret agent James Bond travels to the Orient to learn who is behind the hijack ings of American and Russian space capsules while they are still in orbit. (PG-1 hr., 57 min.) EVENING 7:000 0© “Sophia Loren Her Own Story” (Premiere) Sophia Loren, Rip Torn. Screen actress Sophia Loren stars as herself and as her mother in this film adaptation of her auto biography. n O© “Fatner Figure” (Prem iere) Hal Linden, Timothy Hut ton. A man who had been sepa rated from his sons by divorce years earlier struggles to re establish a relationship with them when he regains custody after their mother dies. HBO "Every Which Way But Loose” (1978) Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke. A two-fisted trucker and his orangutan com panion take off in pursuit of a pretty country-western singer, while a vengeful motorcycle gang pursues them. (PG-1 hr., 54 min.) 9:00 HBO “Dracula” (1979) Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier. In a 1913 English coastal town, an aged professor seeks ven geance against the centuries- old vampire who murdered his daughter. (R-1 hr., 49 min.) 10:300 ★★’/2 “Double Kill” (1975) Gary Collins, Penelope Horner. The conniving husband of a wealthy woman devises a plan for her murder. © ★★V£ “Alex And The Gyp sy” (1976) Jack Lemmon, Genevieve Bujold. A middle- aged bail bondsman arranges the release of a young, outgo ing gypsy girl and ends up fall ing in love with her. 11:00 HBO “Hooper” (1978) Burt Revnolds, Jan-Michael Vincent. 11:15© ★★★ “Torn Curtain” (1966) Paul Newman, Julie Andrews. In order to obtain a secret formula necessary for perfecting a new weapon, an American physicist pretends to defect to East Germany. © ★★ 1 /2 “Billie” (1965) Patty Duke, Warren Berlinger. A stubborn male chauvinist dis covers his daughter to be a better athlete than any boy around. shopping centef/Across from i MM7U KROMReCT lUKti Some Mms you watch, others you feel Poramounf Pcfives Presents aVVriawood i ntorpr-sesProduction Ordmorv People' I )onot(J Sutherland. Mary Met Moore • Judd Hirsch. timothy Hutton Music Adapted by Marvin Homltsch Screenploy by A ton Sargent. t ‘reduced bv Uorratd l Schwary Directed by Pobert Bedford APotomountlvrluro isii STARTS FRIDAY! 5:10 73S 9:48 ■WIIIKIMHIMUI “DCATHSROR'r (R) It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent Fritters MORNING 10:30© ★★Vi “The Woman Hunt er" (1972) Barbara Eden, Rob ert Vaughn. A wealthy woman fears for her life when she suspects that she is being fol lowed by a jewel thief and mur derer. AFTERNOON 12:30© ★★ 1 /2 “Harum-Scarum” (1965) Elvis Presley, Mary Ann Mobley. A movie star becomes involved with intrigue and a beautiful princess while travell ing in the Middle East. 1:30 HBO “Hooper” (1978) Burt Reynolds, Jan-Michael Vincent. A professional movie daredevil regarded as “the greatest stunt man alive” jeopardizes his romance and risks his life in planning a spectacular car leap with a younger rival for his title. (PG-1 hr., 39 min.) 2:00© ★★★ “Masquerade” (1965) Cliff Robertson, Jack Hawkins. A private detective is hired to discover the n n p n o Trrrn it 1 n nnnnT),U.U’ OKTOBERFEAST WEEKDAY LUNCHEON SPECIAL With each $2.50 or larger food and beverage purchase have an Ice Cream Soda or a Treasure Island Float (your choice of Root Beer or Coke) ABSOLUTELY FREE!! Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ONLY SAVE $1.25 to $1.65 SWENSEN’C EXPIRES 10/31/80 Culpepper Plaza • College Station 693-6948 cm fed