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....