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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1988)
londay, October 31,1988 The Battalion Page 5 [Oca-Cola delivery man has pecial ties to A&M campus By Lesa Y Smith Reporter Just off Martin Luther King Jr. Boule- rd in Bryan an old gravel twists and ms past an old army-green two-room Ihanty. Dust settles around an old couch Icing the open front door. A sign with large fluorescent orange letters is nailed tithe front wall: “Beware of dog.” Ly- |ig in the dirt is a large red dog. J Among other houses on that twisting Aad, one’s bright yellow sidings shine like the sun through the mass of hanging plants that adorn the front porch. Grass etches to the sides of the house as if to ;h for the warmth of the sun. An Inpty bird cage, an old red lantern, a gword and an old Coca-Cola barometer corate the back porch. Many years ago, no grass grew in that lyard and the house’s foundation was weak. ■ Today, due to hard work, family unity, love for each other and love for a untry, the house no longer is decaying. | has renewed life and its life represents : life of Antonio Mosqueda. You may not be familiar with the })use, but you are familar with the man. That is if you’re an Aggie — a thirsty ■ggie. 1 You’ve seen him many times on the Texas A&M campus. He’s the guy who Bives the big red truck you see every Pay You know, the one with the big phite swoosh on the side with “Coke” Slashed across it in fancy white letters. Hie truck that reminds you that you’re Hirsty and have to have a drink or re- Hinds you of that extra dose of caffeine ||ou need to stay awake through that bor- Hg history class you have in five min- Hes. ■ Antonio Mosqueda is the “Coca-Cola Jjan.” He delivers Coca-Cola products to 72 ke machines on campus. “I refill the machines every day,” he id. “They may not be empty but they iways need refilling.” I Classic Coke is the best seller, he said, Diet Coke second and Dr Pepper third. ( ■"My favorite is Coke,” he said. ■ Antonio has been delivering Coca- | Cola products to campus for 12 years but bis previous job was vastly different. He worked in Irapuato, Mexico, as a ffic officer for six years and was pro- ,oted to a state detective in the Mexican police force where he worked for five gars. The job was very dangerous, he said, id he wanted a change. have many cousins who live in "^pBryan, and they told me to come here •' %n>i they would get me a job,” he said. ■ They told him his life could be better in the United States and he would have ioreopportunties. Six of his 14 children died in Mexico cause of illness and poor medical care. Four died before reaching the age of one, d two were miscarried. “1 have seen the University grow just as 1 have seen my children grow,” he ■id- — WANT TO HAVE FUN AT HALLOWEEN? DRY ICE 1 Adds To The Fun {m Call To Reserve Yours Today CEN-TEX ^ Fire 8c Safety 693-8593 1501 FM 2818 Ste. 327 Behind K-Mart May Drink or Use for Special EfFect...The Hotter The Liquid The More the Effect Battalion Classifieds Call 845-2611 I. i Complete Computer System Antonio Mosqueda Today the University is big, he said. The number of dormitories has increased and they have become more modern. The buildings are progressive and there’re more of them. Now, there are more cars and students. There are people from countries. In 1971, Antonio took his government l.D. card to the border officials and they gave him permission to enter the United States. He lived with his cousins and worked in the main Coca-Cola plant for a year before he went back to get his fam ily. “1 suffered a lot during that year,” he said. “1 couldn’t sleep many nights be- I have seen the Univer sity grow just as I have seen my children grow.” — Antonio Mosqueda cause I missed my family very much. The temperature is hotter in Texas, and I had no air conditioning.” In Irapuato, the temperature may rise to 90 degrees during the day but at night, the temperature is very cold, he said. In 1972, Antonio returned to Irapuato to bring his family to Bryan. “I hoped Bryan would offer my family and me a better life,” he said. They moved into a run-down, three- room house in Bryan, and later moved into another tiny, badly constructed three-room house and decided to rebuild it. “When we moved into the house nine years ago, it was very small and had no air conditioning,” he said. “It took my sons and me three years to finish repairs and remodel the house. We worked after I returned from my job and late into the night. “My sons installed central air condi tioning and heating and repaired the plumbing.” Now, there are eight rooms. Photo by Fred D. Joe Photographs of his family cover the walls like wallpaper. A long hallway leads to the large kitchen that contains a large variety of appliances. A lithograph of Christ hangs on one of the. walls in the living room, and another wall is deco rated with two brilliantly-colored som breros. His 17-year-old daughter, the baby of the family, has her own room with the typical decor of a teen-ager — posters of rock-and-roll stars on the walls, a day bed and clothes on the floor. “It’s fun to be the youngest,” Linda said. “My dad treats me to all sorts of things. He has always brought me food after school and gives me money when ever I ask for it. He works very hard and is always there when I need him.” Antonio said that during the summer, when they first lived in Bryan, the whole family worked in the cotton fields pick ing cotton. “We picked cotton for four summers, and the money we made from picking cotton was used to buy the children clothes and school supplies for the new school year,” he said. In 1975, the U.S. government ap proved his family’s citizenship papers, and they received nine green cards. Linda was born in the United States, so she is a citizen and doesn’t need one. All of my children have good jobs, he said, and they go to good schools. In addition to his eight children, Anto nio has eight grandchildren. Today, Antonio has many reasons to smile. His life and that of his family is healthy and happy. His,home is a happy home, and his country is a beloved coun try. When he sits on his front porch and gazes at the old, two-room, army-green shanty, he knows no longer is he forced to live that way. And as he turns and glances at the tombstones scattered in the cemetery next door, he looks back at the flowers hanging from his porch, touches them and smiles. ❖ $1255 * Students, staff, faculty, Depts. Texas A&M retail over $2000 • Monitor-512k Memory DOS computer • Letter Quality Printer • 2 Disk Drives • Word Processor (monitor arm not included) The supply Store “Everything for the Office” j 123.E; 25fH, William J. Bryan Parkway, Bryan A.B.E. Office Systems 779-0057 n!"':I or'I .«rl What's missing from this picture? YOU! Last chance for juniors, seniors, vet, med and grad students to get their yearbook pictures taken for the 1989 Aggieland The deadline has been extended one week until FRIDAY NOV 4 GET IN THE BOOK! Yearbook Associates 401 C University Above Campus Photo on Northgate 846 - 8856 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. TIME: DATE: PLACE: 8 =00 P.M. TUESDAY, NOV. 1 110 HECC PROGRAM: DR. ZENAIDO CAMACHO BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE CD MSC GREAT ISSUES presents adman CR0NAUER *»!!!: AT asm SUNDAY NOV 6 4:00pm $2 ADMISSION RUDDER AUDITORIUM TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW AT THE MSC BOX OFFICE o MSC Pottttcal Forum Election *88 Series: presents ELECTION AWARENESS DAY 1988 Come get information about the candidates and vote in our mock election. Wednesday, November 2 10-4 p.m. MSC Hallway This program is presented for educational purposes, and does not constitute an endorsement for any candidate. ^Tr