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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1988)
Friday, February 19, 1988^The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local WMsnnraBEsm em ence iets German in g favoi ime an all ^ strom st chanct Victi- lie yes inaifjj scores, 1 tes knor, rse, Midi f'terthe.v] h lor tliej id out t Hit defe| rnalismiE ion. West Point restriction brings student to A&M ICIint Woodburn, George Gaentnen, Arnold [Krammer, Sam Coinen display their works on the Photo by Russell James case provided by John Houseal at The Captain’s Oyster Bar. Business hallows bookcase or authors, editors of B-CS By Marcena Fadal Reporter Oysters on the half shell, mugs of eerand books in a bookcase? That’s right, Captain’s Half Shell )yster Bar, located at 206 E. Villa |Maria Road, has dedicated a book case by Gene Cheatham to the au- Ithors and editors of Bryan-College IStation. “1 have wanted to do this for a lyear now,” John Houseal, manager lof the boat-shaped restaurant, said. |“1 think it is a good idea as a focal Ipoint for the community.” “I talked to Walter Buenger, one lof the authors, about this and he [gave me the courage to do it,” [Houseal began. Four of the'five original contrib- luting authors attended the event, along with Bryan Mayor Marvin Tate and College Station Mayor Larry Ringer. “I think this is really exciting,” Ringer said. “It’s true that there is a lot of talent in the community. There are some people I’m going to try and get in touch with to contrib ute to this display.” All current and former Bryan- College Station residents are encour aged to contribute to this “Local Au thor’s Only” bookcase, Houseal said. Arnold Krammer, author of three of the displayed books and history professor at Texas A&M, told how he came upon the idea to write “Nazi: Prisoners of War in Ameri ca.” “I was driving through Hearne, and I asked directions for some thing,” Krammer said. “And they told me to go past the old German prison camp. I couldn’t believe that there was a prison camp in Hearne.” From there, Krammer researched the prison camps and found that they were located in various areas across the United States. Another local author, Walter L. Buenger, associate professor of his tory, also attended the event. His book, “But Also Good Business”, is about banking in Texas from 1886- 1986. Houseal said he hopes for more local professors to donate their works to the bookcase. “Every professor with tenure has a book,” Houseal said. “Also, there are some ladies who write short sto ries for children whose works we would like to have. By Jamie Russell Staff Writer Rejection is a tough thing for a person to accept, but sometimes out of rejection stems a stronger, more ambitious person. Such is the case for Xochquetcal Carreto, a high school student who, because of her lack of legal residency in the United States, is unable to go to the U.S. Military Academy. At tending the academy — commonly known as “West Point” — has been Carreto’s dream since she was in eighth grade. Since she will not be able to attend West Point immediately, Carreto plans to enroll at Texas A&M in the fall semester and join the Corps of Cadets. Carreto, a senior at Pinkston High School in Dallas, was denied en trance into West Point because she has not been a legal citizen of the United States for five years. She will be eligible for admission into West Point in 1990. Carreto, born in Mexico, has lived in the United States for about 14 years. She obtained her residency in 1985, which only began her path to citizenship. Because of her family’s poor finances, she had to wait to ob tain her official residency. In 1976 the immigration depart ment said Carreto’s mother could not get legal status for all her chil dren because she was not making enough money. “My mother was working at a laundry folding towels and sheets,” Carreto said. Carreto’s mother obtained legal status for the two oldest girls so they could help make money for the fam ily. In 1978 Carreto’s mother tried again to get legal residence for Car reto only to fail once again for lack of money. In 1985, Carreto finally received her “green card” and became a legal resident. In a phone interview with The Battalion, Carreto said she was upset about not getting into West Point. “She has a big heart and she’s smart. She sees an opportunity to do some thing with her life, an op portunity her brothers and sisters didn ’t have. ” — Col. John Meek, Junior ROTC director “I felt angry about being turned down because it was nobody’s fault I was born in Mexico,” Carreto said. “But I want to try harder and not give up.” Because of her 3.90 grade-point ratio and her probable status as vale dictorian, Carreto was offered one of A&M’s President’s Achievement Award Scholarships, a four-year award for outstanding minority stu dents totaling $10,000. Carreto’s qualifications make her more than eligible for the award, and she has decided to make A&M her new home. “I decided it (A&M) is the place for me,” Carreto said. “But my ulti mate goal is to go to West Point.” One of the many requirements to enter West Point is five years of U.S. citizenship. Col. John Meek, Junior ROTC program director" at Pinkston, said Carreto has a chance to obtain her citizenship early if a special bill pre sented to the U.S. Congress is passed. She could become a citizen in three to six months, maybe less; otherwise, she will have to wait until 1990, he said. “Basically, the special bill will al low Carreto to get her citizenship early,” Meek said. Even if the bill does pass, allowing Carreto to obtain her legal cit izenship early, she would still have to wait an extra year to apply to West Point, because application deadline for next year is already past. ❖ MSC RLL NIGHT FRIR :e relaWI I'hevtt ions Hart 3*1 k itely ft ^ ip ters. lifT RND THE ORIGINAL NEW YORK SELTZER A has 1^1 '<■. i i S' has f I <x vi, ers , M iiessiiiij the f ■ , ilexfl vt ford « £ J he A e gp and -j ate they ^ | ^ P £ ' nei PRESENT bungle JUNGLE FEBRUARY 20, 1988 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Memorial student center But Carreto keeps an optimistic outlook, Meek said. “She has a big heart and she’s smart,” Meek said. “She sees an op portunity to do something with her life, an opportunity her brothers and sisters didn’t have.” Carreto is the only one in her fam ily who speaks fluent English. Her six older brothers and sisters never graduated from high school, leaving her to be the first to walk across the stage in the family. Her ambition is exceeded only by her willingness to learn. Meek and Ed Castillo, a former Pinkston counselor and A&M stu dent, encouraged Carreto to join A&M’s student body, she said. “My school counselors told me about how great A&M is and that it has a great ROTC program,” Car reto said. Carreto said she became inter ested in ROTC in eighth grade when recruiters came to her school to try to recruit high school students. “They (recruiters) talked about drills and firing guns — something challenging, something new,” Car reto said. As a member in the ROTC, Car reto has learned the fundamentals of the military, especially leadership, Meek said. “ROTC has turned a shy young lady into a mature young woman able to communicate,” he said. Carreto has proven to be a success in her high school class and is eager to apply her ability in college. Carreto said she may stay at A&M, but right now everything is up in the air. “Right now I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” she said. “I’m very con tused because there is so much going on.” Carreto is determined to fulfill her dream of obtaining a West Point education and a commission as a U.S. Army officer. “I’m going to keep trying,” Car reto said. “I’m not a quitter.” CUSTOM TSHIRT^DESK^