All photos by Bill Schulz
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The At Ease staff would like to introduce a
few people to you — a friendly priest, a hard
working nurse, a choir director and several
more. Each person featured on these pages is
special in some way — it could because of
their job or a personal characteristic. Repor
ters spent the day with each individual to
find out what a day in their life is like. What
follows is a collection of the stories. We hope
you enjoy learning about these special peo
ple. We did.
The sight of Texas A&M lifts me up. I can
hardly wait every morning to get out here.
I'm going to do this until some senior
says...'Hey, fish! Go get a wheelchair and
get Ruth.' — Ruth Hunt, the Fish lady.
by Ronnie Crocker
Battalion reporter
She sits at a corner table
downstairs in the Memorial
Student Center, a silver-
haired lady in the midst of a
group of freshmen in the
Corps of Cadets.
The lady — Ruth Hunt —
has been bringing happi
ness and a little bit of home
to Texas A&M students for
nearly 15 years.
Every Monday through
Thursday, from about 9
a.m. until Hunt goes to
work at the Ramada Inn at 2
p.m., she sits in the MSC,
talking with the cadets and
anyone else who cares to sit
and visit a while.
Hunt said the biggest
problem at the beginning of
the year is homesickness,
but by this time of the year,
the freshmen are pretty well
accustomed to the way
things are done here and
can come and just have a
good time visiting at the
"fish table."
When Hunt first came to
College Station she went to
work at the Ramada Inn
which at that time was a
popular hang-out for
cadets. She became friendly
with several of them, in
cluding some of the football
players. And she soon had a
following that called itself
the "Ruth Club."
That Christmas, Hunt got
a card with one ticket to Dal
las and another to see the
Aggies in the Cotton Bowl.
"I felt like a queen," she
said. "I started living
again."
In the early 1970s, the
Ramada Inn was sold, and
Hunt came to work at the
Rudder Tower dining hall.
When the Ramada was
bought back, she returned
and is still works there —
except when she's at her
same MSC corner table.
"The sight of Texas A&M
lifts me up," she said. "I can
hardly wait every morning
to get out here.
"I'm going to do this until
some senior says...'Hey,
fish! Go get a wheelchair
and get Ruth.'"
Jeanne Norton is a
broadcast journalist.
Along with being an
instructor for a
broadcast news writ
ing course, she is re
sponsible for the
weekday news pro
duction at KAMU—
a simple title for a
complicated job.
by Joel deGuzman
Battalion reporter
Another KAMU news
day begins for Jeanne Nor
ton as she closes the door to
her Dodge station wagon
and walks briskly toward
the KAMU building back
door. She has a preoccupied
expression, constantly
thinking. She would prob
ably make a good poker
player.
Norton is a broadcast
journalist. Along with being
an instructor for a broadcast
news writing course, she is
responsible for the weekday
news production at KAMU
— a simple title for a compli
cated job.
At 8:30 a.m., she is usual
ly the only one in the news
room. Her only companions
early each morning are a cof-
feemaker and a rattling Tele
type machine spewing out
the latest wire stories.
As the morning progre
sses, Norton's student staff
wanders in to report for
duty. Like a police dispatch
er, she sends out crews to
record the events in Bryan-
College Station. She has to
juggle the work and class
schedules of each indi
vidual. But, she says,
there's never enough time.
The morning reporter
and photographer report in,
and she sends them to inter
view a new Bryan city offi
cial. Two students from her
class arrive, and she directs
them to the Teletype to re
write some wire copy for the
evening's newcast.
By now three of the four
telephones in the room are
ringing just out of reach of
the nearest reporter. And by
10 a.m., the newsroom is up
to its normal noisy stan
dards. Despite the bom
bardment, Norton keeps the
same calm expression.
continued on page 13
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It's not like we see a illegally parked car and
jump on it. We try to be as lenient as possi
ble, but parking is a problem. It makes me
proud to be a police officer when I help
someone in trouble. — B.J. Hooper, Texas
A&M police officer.
by Susan Poole
Battalion reporter
Officer B.J. Hooper, clad in a blue-gray uniform, walkie-
talkie in hand, makes the campus rounds in a white Ford
LTD, country music whining from the radio and a cigarette
smoking in the ashtray.
But Hooper is not the typical Texas A&M police officer.
She is one of only nine women in the police force.
Hooper said she became a policewoman because she
admired women in uniform. She enjoys her work and plans
to stick with it.
Hooper, who has been a certified police officer since 1978,
said being a female in a male-dominated field has its hard
ships.
"You have to make people understand that you are se
rious and deserve the respect a male officer would get," she
said.
Hooper, who attended the Harris County Sherriff's
Academy in Houston, felt the academy was tougher on
females than males because they wanted the females to be
ready for future problems.
Hooper came to Texas A&M from the University of Hous
ton when her husband was transferred here. She has been
with the University Police Department since August of 1981.
Hooper said the best part of her job is working with the
public.
"If there is something I can say to make the relationship
between the students and the department harmonious, I
will do that," she said.
Hooper said some students think that all the police depart
ment does is write tickets and tow cars. However, she feels
ticketing is irrelevant to the job.
"It's not like we see a illegally parked car and jump on it,"
Hooper said. "We try to be as lenient as possible, but park
ing is a problem."
Hooper said the main job of the University Police is to
make sure the campus moves as smoothly as possible. Dur
ing her shift, Hooper makes sure everything looks normal,
doors are locked and students are escorted home after dark.
"We can't be everywhere at once," she said, "People
should be aware of what is going on around them so they can
call us if anything suspicious happens."
Serious matters such as crimes and accidents are her big
gest challenge. Hooper said.
"It makes me proud to be a police officer when I help
someone in trouble," she said.
One of her objectives is to make students understand
there is more to being a police officer than writing tickets,
Hooper said.
"Td like to think they feel good about us and would call us
if they need us," Hooper said.
Television shows such as "Charlie's Angels" and "Chips"
have glamorized life as a police officer, but, according to
Hooper, it's not that easy.
Hooper said the hardest part of her job is working the odd
hours.
"I used to work the night shift frdm 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., butl
could never get Used to sleeping during the day," she said.
Hooper, mother of two boys, said she has a normal family
life despite her rigorous schedule.
"I have to cook and clean like everyone else," Hooper
said.