Page 4/The Battalion/Tuesday, January 22, 1985
■\AGGIi:'A\ S /A f C,NEMA/.
QTATF ANfl\ I nr*AI
...all it
takes is
a little
Confidence
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Rudder Theatre
Against All
oddS
Friday, January 25 ONLY
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Rudder Theatre
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January 25
Midnight
Rudder Theatre
$1.50
Costa takes routine out
of Bryan School Board
By JENS KOEPKE
Reporter
Wendy Costa believes in public
service.
“I’ve always felt very privileged; I
have taken a lot from this country,”
she said. “I don’t have a lot of money
to give back, but I do have time.”
Costa, 33, spends her time serving
on the Bryan School Board, teaching
English and history at Blinn Junior
College, and taking care of a hus
band and two sons.
“I was very concerned with the
schools here, because I was teaching
all the (high school) graduates at
Blinn,” said Costa.
“I also thought the school board
being all men with the same back
grounds was not good for the com
munity.”
After losing an election bid in
1983, she reorganized her cam
paign, and in 1984, was elected to a
3-year term on the board.
The curly-haired, blue-eyed
woman laughed lightly as she re
counted that many people consid
ered her a radical in the ’83 cam
paign. The community was
surprised that a woman was taking
:h an outspoken role in civil af-
such an outspoken role in civil
fairs.
“Because I’m the first woman to
be elected to the school board, I’ve
been something of a curiosity to the
community,” she said.
Her directness surprises many
people. They do not expect such
candor from a charming, personable
woman.
Her dedication to the community
together with her singular views
make Costa a fresh new face in local
politics.
“People who are likely to call me
wouldn’t call another school board
member,” she said.
But Costa confided, “I’ve been
surprised at how much I liked the
‘good ole boys’ on the school board.”
She said that the board is concen
trating this year on implementing
the school reforms directed by the
Texas Legislature.
“I was in agreement with 95 per
cent of the Perot report,” said Costa.
“Pm pleased that the school board
• and the school district administra
tion are really behind the reforms.”
A tone of optimism and sincerity
surrounds her words as she de
scribes the school district.
“There’s a new youthfulness in
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“I also thought the school
board — being all men
with the same back
grounds — was not good
for the community.” —
Wendy Costa, a member
of the Bryan School
Board.
this district; an excitement gener
ated by the younger people, said
Costa. “I think there’s a new em
phasis on academic excellence.”
With all her obvious enthusiasm,
Costa characteristically has her own
plans to improve the school board.
“I think that the most important
thing we can do to improve the equal
ity of education for every child is to
bring down class size,” she said.
“As of next year, 22 students will
be the maximum in kindergarten
through second grade,” said Costa.
Based on her own substantial tea
ching experience, Costa has advised
the school district to attract and keep
qualified teachers.
“Public schools everywhere need
to hire people who have academic
degrees in their fields,” Costa said.
She said more significance should
be placed on the quality of the read
ing material used by teachers.
“I‘d like to see this district become
outstanding,” said Costa.
Such commitment to the commu
nity is quite remarkable, considering
Costa’s initial reaction to life in
Bryan.
“I thought it was pretty ugly,” said
Costa, “and that there was very little
to do.”
Raised in Connecticut, she at
tended Vassar College and grad
uated in 1972 in independent stud
ies — a combination of literature
and history.
After marrying a native Spaniard
in 1973, Costa went on to receive her
master’s in American history from
Columbia University.
In 1976, she abandoned her half-
finished doctoral work and accom
panied her husband to central
Texas, where he had accepted a job
offer as a Spanish professor at Texas
A&M.
“My first impression of Bryan was
that there were no good restaurat
concerts or movies,” she said.
She said Bryan still hasadisiii
lack of affordable cultural entetlj
ment for a community of its size,
“When 1 first came, it was
hard to be a part of the commua
unless you had lived here foreve
said Costa. “Also, 1 didn’t likethti
titude, ‘Highway 6 runs both wap
If you don’t think this is them
wonderful place in the world, ii
should leave,’ ” said Costa. “I s
don’t like the attitude.”
This attitude, she said, kept Bn;
f rom matching the improvemeni!
the parks system and in zoningb
that College Station had instituted
the last decade. It was also one old
reasons she ran for theschoolboar
“If Ron Blatchley had not befl
elected mayor, we would prohai
have movecl to College Station,'a
Costa.
m
"It wasn’t that importantinitse lfeeir<
it was kind of symbolic. I
they don’t elect him, that meami
will never have good parks, thaii
town is never going anywhere."
T hus began a great turnaroundi
Costa’s view of the community.
She said seeing people at Ta
A&M who had never adjustedt
Bryan-College Station, caused httl
decide to make the best of it.
Oi
“I decided after a while," s
Costa, “that this was homeandli
going to live here. I wasn’t goiogl
blame the things I didn’t like
other people, but try to chq
them.
“And things are getting better
any objective measure, this com
nity looks a lot better than itd
eight years ago. T here aremoreg
dens and the people have fixed
their houses.
th
Day h
Irieyj
guest
more
Wilka
tig<
thi
F<
made me like this place. ‘‘Childti
represent your commitment tod
future.”
Costa has survived the culta
shock and is now placing her cons
erable talents at the foot of thei
munity.
71
fot tit
of 19*
suppe
Ny
iyn 1 f
“I’d like to be on the schoolboi
a while,” said Costa. “I feelveryca
milled to Bryan.”
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A great way of life.