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8
Q: Where did the Aggie go
to find culture?
A: The yogurt aisle at
Skaggs-Alpha Beta.
Just a few years ago, that
might have been the truth. But
things have changed at Texas
A&M recently.
Today the answer is more
likely to be an art exhibit, a
symphony or a performance
by a local theater troupe.
Bryan-College Station has
been accused of being a
“cultural black hole” by a
regular writer for this
publication whose initials are
K.P., but most students seem a
little more optimistic about the
local scene.
(Some physics majors argue
that black holes are a bit
crowded. “Cultural void”
would be a more appropriate
insult, they say.)
Students seem to
understand that because of its
small size, Bryan-College
Station can’t begin to compete
with the fun-at-every-tum
atmosphere of Texas’ larger
cities. They say they appreciate
the cultural attractions the
University brings.
Claudio Carrasco, a
microbiology major from
Chile, says local culture exists,
but it’s hard to find.
“You have to look for it, ” he
says. “It’s not like it’s going to
come looking for you. ”
Carrasco says the area
provides “the basic cultural
needs,” but he doesn’t think
any trends are going to be set
here.
Basic cultural needs are
hard to pin down. Unlike the
four basic food groups and the
U.S. Recommended Daily
Allowances, each person’s
cultural needs are different.
In fact, culture, like Snickers
bars, can be sliced a lot of
ways. But — dare I say it — in
Bryan-College Station it
doesn’t always come up
peanuts.
Locally, you can find
culture, counter-culture and
even over-the-counter culture.
Or slice it another way to find
painting, sculpture, music,
theater, food, movies and
museums. If you rotate your
knife 90 degrees, you’ll find
planned cultural events and
accidental culture.
Different slices of culture
interest different students. This
is part of what makes culture
interesting.
Bruce Hartweg, a
geophysics major, says he’s
tolerant of different kinds of
culture.
“To the right society, roller
derby is culture,” he says. “But
to some people it’s crass, not
culture.”
If roller derby isn’t your set
of wheels, maybe one of these
culture slices will please you.
Going Through a Stage
Attendance figures at
dramatic performances in
Bryan-College Station indicate
that the efforts of a community
theater group and two campus
groups are appreciated.
The number of season
subscriptions to The Aggie
Players’ productions has
increased from 100 to 500 in
five years, Theater Arts
Manager Mike Miller says.
The Aggie Players, a part of
Texas A&M’s speech
communication and theater
arts department, is currently
working on a production of the
Greek tragedy, “Medea.” The
play will open Feb. 18. Later
this semester, the group will
present “Picnic.”
The Aggie Players will also
sponsor a Spring Semester of
Shakespeare for the second
time. In addition to several
performances by members of
the Royal Shakespeare
Company, the series will
include a lecture or a film on
each Wednesday evening.
MSC Town Hall Broadway
is another student-run theater
group. It brings road shows of
plays and musicals to A&M.
The big advantage here is that
the price is much lower than
you would pay in New York
City.
Appropriately, “Romeo and
Juliet” will be performed on
Valentine’s Day this semester.
“Can Can” and “Windom
Plays Thurber” are the other
events the group has
scheduled this semester.
The community theater
group in the area is
StageCenter. Although the
group currently has no
permanent performance
space, it produces five or six
plays each year.
The classic tale of Sherlock
Holmes, “The Hound of the
Baskervilles” is in rehearsal for
its Feb. 26 debut at the
Aggieland Hotel. “Auntie
Marne” and “A Streetcar
Named Desire” are scheduled
for later this year.
Some of the world’s great
art exists on celluloid. Students
may attend the movies shown
in Dr. Larry Hickman’s
Philosophy of Visual Media
class by paying $15 per
semester. The Thursday night
line-up this semester includes
films by acclaimed directors
Sergi Eisenstein and Ingmar
Bergman.
MSC Aggie Cinema also has
a Tuesday evening
international film series.
Framed and Hung
The sculptures by Texan
artists on display in the center
of campus this semester are
not the only example of fine
arts to be found in the area.
Students who spend most of
their time on campus can find
plenty of art within walking
distance. “Five Centuries of
Italian Painting: 1300-1800” is
on display in Rudder Exhibit
77
by Yvonne l
Hall. Woven hangings can be
found in the Horticulture
Forestry Sciences Building.
Other buildings that house
exhibits regularly are the
Langford Architecture Center
and the Medical Sciences
Building.
Nearby, an art gallery inside
the Brazos Landing restaurant
at Northgate is unexpected but
appreciated. A mural along
one wall was painted by local
artists Ken and Gary Manthei.
Paintings by Ken Manthei and
photographs by Mike Parker
adom the walls of the seafood
restaurant and bar.
Co-owner Hugh Stems says
he wants to provide a different
atmosphere for student
gatherings at Northgate. With
live jazz and blues on
weekends, it’s hard to decide
whether to file Brazos Landing
under classy food, live music
or fine arts.
Farther from campus is the
Brazos Center. Largely
unknown to A&M students,
the center houses the Brazos
Valley Museum and several
showcases.
Eat to the Beat
A broad range of musical
tastes can be fed in Bryan-
CoOege Station, but
sometimes students with
eclectic tastes find tantalizing
morsels, but no real
nourishment.
In this area, especially, it is
obvious that Bryan-College
Station is no booming
metropolis.
Otto Cordray, a senior
environmental design major
who has a weekly shift as a disc
jockey for cable radio station
KANM, says he wishes he
could find some of the
trappings of Austin here.
“What this town needs is a
real record store,” he says.
Classical music needs are
usually met by the Opera and