8 Focus, The Battalion Thursday, April 30, 1981 Two more Two weeks of hitting the books, finishing up term pap ers and projects. Two weeks of wishing you had time to go outside, or to Colorado, or anywhere but here. To help with your summer plans, Focus presents a preview of sum mer fun — where to go, what to do when you get there and get a sunburn, and what to look forward to if you're staying here. weeks! Aggies gain education, relaxation from travel By Carolyn Barnes Battalion Staff Travel as a mind-expanding experience is still a bargain. Relaxation, exploration and education are all part of the total' experience gained from travel. Promoting Texas A&M Uni versity students' awareness of traveling is the goal of the MSC Travel Committee. Travel com pletes a total education, Theresa Chiang, committee advisor, said. "The more places you go, the more things you understand," Chiang said. Texas A&M students typical ly go to Mexico and Colorado during vacations, Chiang said, because they are close and affordable. Cozumel and Cancun are popular relaxation spots with students avoiding the tourist traps of the big cities of Mexico, she said. Stacy Lankford, Beverly Braley travel agent, said most students will spend $200 to $300, depending on the type of travel package, for three to seven days in Cancun or Cozumel. Beverly Braley Travel Agency is located in the Memorial Stu dent Center and handles a varie ty of travel arrangements for students and professors. Europe still holds an attrac tion for students and many Texas A&M students plan to ex plore it this summer, Chiang said. "Students realize that prices are not going to go down and they might as well go while they still have the advantages of traveling as a student," she said. Most students plan to see Europe on a tight budget of $2,000 (including round-trip air fare), at their own pace with a two-month Eurail pass and a couple of friends, Chiang said. Students can get more for their money in Greece, Spain and Italy, she added. "I would advise girls and guys to travel together," Chiang said, "because places like Italy can be dangerous." Keeping money secure in sev eral different places, such as money belts and small money purses worn inside clothing, is insurance against a premature ly-ended trip, she said. Next year the committee will provide a service to match peo ple with traveling companions, Chiang said. A pilot project, organized by the committee, is sending 17 Texas A&M students to the Dominican Republic this summer. Similar to a two-year Peace Corps project, but lasting only from July 8 to Aug. 11, the stu dents will be placed in jobs that the committee will try to match to their interests and studies. In order to avoid culture- shock, the students have already started an orientation process, Chiang said. Students with minimal knowledge of Spanish are also going through intensive language training. Students will have to pay their own travel and living ex penses, Chiang said, but will be nefit many times over from the experience. Dr. Don Boucher, director of International Services, will be in the Dominican Republic for the first two weeks, and Jim Reynolds, director of the MSC, will be there for the last two weeks for the students to con tact in case of any problems. "We feel like this is just a stepping stone in the develop ment of other programs," Chiang said. Next year the committee will try to get class credit for stu dents participating in the prog ram. Chiang said this will pro vide further motivation for stu dents. Future plans by the commit tee also include a four-week trip to China in the summer of 1982. The committee has already started writing a proposal for the trip, Chiang said, because it will cost about $2500 and they want students to be able to begin planning for it now. And for those staying here... Maybe you can't spend your summer in Col orado, or Mexico, or at home with mom. Maybe you'll be stuck at dear old Texas A&M all summer, trying to avoid attending college on the five-year plan. This might scare you, but don't worry; the social life of Bryan-College Station doesn't get too hectic over the summer. One of the primary spots for nightlife during summer school is the Grove. There, for a mere 25c, you, along with the local mosquitoes, can see a variety of old (or not so old) movies while seated on slatted benches left over from the days of the Inquisition. It's a good idea to take either a pillow, or your own lawn chair, if you value your... seat. And hot sunny days don't always develop into warm summer nights—better wear jeans some evenings. If possible, go with somebody who has already seen the film, so they can tell you what is said while the trains go by. Just hope you don't get the urge to visit the facility—the "little rooms" are located behind the screen. So unless you like making a specta cle of yourself... Suits don’t need people to swim Maybe we should get S.D.C. Ltd. on the problems of dwind ling oil supply. Some mad scientist at that California company has come up with a perfect solution for those who want to strip to skin ny dip — but in the water, not on land. It's the Skinny Dip Clip, which is a popular item at R. Rush and Co., a Culpepper Pla za clothing store known as a "prep shop." Owner-manager Rusty Rush says the $5 device has a simple premise: it's a blue float that dips on to the swim suit, so the prudent skinny dip per can bare in the water. The suit floats peacefully to the top, allowing the swimmer freedom to romp through the water naked as a bluefish. If the sun gets too bright, the swimmer can find the swimsuit floating where he left it, kind of Photo by Sherry Woodard like a good dog when told to stay. Isn't technology wonderful! Rush says he first saw the Skinny Dip Clip in a catalogue in Dallas and dedded to get some just as a fun item. "They've done better than what we expected," he said. Of the 20 he ordered three weeks ago, the store only has two left; 20 more are on order. And, he says, college stu dents aren't the only ones buying the floats — some of the buyers are middle-aged. In most cases, people are giving the Skinny Dip Clips for presents. Rush says no youngsters have come in to buy a dip, but he'd sell a minor one because, "It's not like selling dope." So if you see a blue plastic bubble floating in the pool, please don't disturb it....