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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1989)
Page 4 The Battalion Friday, February 17,1989 Oneplcx Odeon AND PUTT THEATRES $3.00 BARGAIN MATINEE DAILY ALL SHOWS BEFORE 6 PM AISELECTEO THEATRES CHECK SHOWTIMES OST OAK THREE 1300 Harvey Road Her Alibi pg 7:10 9:20 The Burbs pg 7:00 9:15 Bill & Ted pg 7:20 9:30 The Fly Hr 7:159:15 Harry Crumb pg-13 7:20 Tap pg-13 9: 10 True Believer r 7:00 9:05 SCHULMAN THEATRES AFTERNOON TIMES LISTED BELOW ARE FOR SAT & SUN ONLY 2.50 ADMISSION DENOTES DOLBY STEREO I. Any Show Bofora 6 PM 2. Tuesday - AH Seats 3. Mon.-Wed. - Local Students With Current ID's |4. Thur.-KORA -Over 30 nighf ♦BEACHES Pc-i* THE ACCIDENTAL TOUBST pg PHYSICAL EVIDENCE r ♦MISSISSIPPI BURNING r SCROOGEDr DANGEROUS UASON R DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDREL po-i* 2002 E. 29th SCHULMAN 6 775-2463 226 Southwest Pkwy. PLAZA 3 693-2457 $ DOLLAR DAYS $ Manor East Malt MANOR EAST 3 Contact Lenses Only Quality Name Brands (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve) $ 7000 pr *_ STD DAILY wear soft lenses $ 99 00 pr. *-STD. EXTENDED WEAR SOFT LENSES $ QQOO pr. *-STD. TINTED SOFT LENSES 5757 DAILY WEAR OR EXTENDED WEAR SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES Call 696-3754 for Appointment CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D, P.C. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY 707 South Texas Ave., Suite 101D College Station, Texas 77840 1 block South of Texas & University * Eye exam & care kit not included AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL RUDDER THEATER FEBUARY 20, 1989 7:30 PM TICKETS AVAILABLE AT RUDDER BOX OFFICE 6:45pm $2.00 w/TAMU ID PRESENTED BY MSC CAMAC AND AGGIE CINEMA UP BIG SAVINGS! Buy and Sell Through Classified Ads Call 845-2611 .K. i hom ‘5,000 people died one day. . . ’ u eath Former Ethiopian revolutionary remembers struggle for freedofc iSOCIATED P By Sharon Maberry STAFF WRITER Revolution, persecution and star vation are not simply newspaper headlines, but a tragic episode in the life of at least one Texas A&M stu dent. A first-year A&M veterinary stu dent was forced to flee his country or face prison and probable death. Ayalsew Mekonnen, 32, spent most of his life in Ethiopia with his family. The third child of eight, he lived in central Ethiopia until he was 13. He then went to live with his un cle in northern Ethiopia where he graduated from high school. Follow ing graduation, Mekonnen lived in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, un til a bloody revolution forced him to flee his country. In 1979, Ethiopia’s monarch of forty years, Hilleslasse, was deposed by a military regime. “They said they wanted to change the system,” Mekonnen said. “They said that they were representing the people, but they really came from different military groups through out the country, including police, army, air force and marines.” In the beginning, about 10 mem bers of the regime held the real power, Mekonnen said. “It was a revolution,” he said “People were demonstrating, asking for economic, social and political change. Every part of the society wanted change. It was a kind of chads. Peasants were asking for land, workers wanted higher wages and students and teachers wanted re forms. The whole society was dem onstrating against the system.” In an effort to quell demonstra tors, the military resorted to force. “That’s when so many people were killed (bv government offi cials),” he said. “Five thousand peo ple died one day in one demonstra tion in Addis Ababa.” As open opposition of the govern ment became more dangerous, un derground organizations began forming. Workers, students, teach ers and women started organizing and Mekonnen joined in. “When a society is deprived of its rights, it creates its own organiza tions to practice those rights,” Me konnen said. “In America, you can say whatever you want. But we couldn’t do that in my country.” The government responded with imprisonment, torture and murder of the protestors. “I had three close friends impriso ned,” Mekonnen said. “Two of them were beaten so badly in prison that they had scars all over their bodies. I was shocked to see that. One of them was in prison for about six months and they killed him.” Shortly thereafter, a friend of Me konnen was coming to visit him. During the 26-mile walk, he joined another traveler and began dis cussing Ethiopia’s plight. Mekon- nen’s friend told the stranger about some underground activities in an effort to win the man over for the cause. However, the traveler was a gov ernment official and upon reaching Mekonnen’s city, his friend was im prisoned. When he was tortured, lie gave officials more information about government dissenters, in cluding Mekonnen’s involvement. Through various connections, Mekonnen heard that the govern ment soon would be coming for him. “I knew then that I would be next and I would go to prison,” he said. I fled, although I didn’t know where to go. I stayed in hiding for two days until a friend arranged for me to go where people wouldn’t know me.” Graduation in 4 years becomes less common By Sherri Roberts STAFF WRITER Texas A&M tradition says stu dents become “dead zips” upon reaching the fourth year of their col lege education. However, more than a few seniors are prolonging life at college beyond a four-year degree plan. Although the actual statistics will not be available until later this year, many University officials agree the number of undergraduates who take more than four years to graduate is increasing. “As a rule, students are taking longer to graduate,” Daniel Orozco, assistant director of the Placement Center, said. “The trend is four-and- a-half to five years.” Orozco said reasons for the trend vary among students. Students involved in the cooper ative education program often take longer than four years to graduate, he said. The program requires stu dents to include in their degree plan three semesters of work experience at a company related to their career interest. Because of the difficulty of their curriculum, many students prefer to take fewer hours per semester than the number required to graduate in four years, he said. William Von Gonten, professor and head of the petroleum enging- eering department, said students en rolled in the College of Engineering receive undergraduate degrees in an average of four-and-a-half years. In order to graduate in four! years, students must complete at least 18 hours each semester. Be cause the courses they take are de manding, many engineering stu dents take fewer than 18 hours a semester in order to maintain a good grade-point ratio, he said. Orozco said students often choose to take fewer hours a semester be cause they work or want to devote time to extracurricular activities. In general, recruiters do not look negatively upon students who have taken more than four years to grad uate, he said. Most prefer to hire these students if they have been in volved in extracurricular activities, rather than students with little extra curricular involvement who are graduating in four years, he said. Often prospective employers feel students who have been involved in extracurricular activities will be more likely to adjust to their com pany than those who have not, he said. Orozco said graduation is delayed for some because they take classes outside of their curriculum require ments. Paul Parrish, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said students who have been exposed to a wide va riety of curricula often are perceived as being well-rounded by potential employers. “Professionals in a variety of fields say students with a wide background are better for it,” he said. Parrish said the attitude ol stu dents has shifted from the attitude of many students who attended col lege in the 1960s and 1970s. Whereas many individuals of the past two decades attended college for vocational and practical careers purposes, many current students perceive college as being more than a training ground for a particular ! , he said. ■Britain prot Thursday over llomeini’s ore Rilshdie, the au Vines,” and r Ran threatenec The bounty fi Irn writer was ran, and Britan w British Airv xfrity follow! igainst some llij llhe death tl lie, whose tx unced across sphemous, i ” by the U.! leading Islai iposes the hoc omeini erred Photo bv Phelan M. EbenkJr t Keachance to i Ayalsew Mekonnen, a former political subversive, nowisa student in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Mekonnen traveled by bus and walked for eight hours to reach his destination. When he finally located the man with whom he was to stay, he said he had received no message, so Mekonnen stayed in a nearby ho tel. The message about Mekonnen came die next day and the man brought him to his home. Mekonnen stayed with him for live days, during which two other government dts senters joined them. On the fifth day, a rainstorm washed out the roads and several military troops were lorced to sta\ in the village. While there, they became suspicious of Mekonnen and his companions. “That evening, the guy w'e were staying with told us we were in trou ble and we had to gel out," Mekon nen said. “But there was nowhere to go We started at about 8 p m. and walked through a rainstorm almost until morning when we readiel place where a friend’s relatives They were surprised to see us lj were wet, tired and hungry, "We staved there for two I Rushdie, a pose novel has Its from I slat i canceled a ] :book in the jiins in hiding |fe, Marianne ports said the Sard in Britain I hey didn’t want to tellusweliiil go, but they were very poor;., nothing to offer us. We didu M^ os ^ ems sa ) anything Mends their f On the second das. Met(j:M°P^ et and his two friends disguisedifc selves as peasants and waitedli man w ho was to lake them to other sale place. Bui the wii weather had caused the riven Hood before the mancouldtt Mekonnen " I he people we were sjayinti said we could go another twod journey and stay with someont for at least foui months untiliht ers subsided," Mekonnen said had no choice.” When the men arrived an See Mekonnen ying tr ligion; that Isla ves as prostii wrote the K iving it from * The British oned Iran’s 1 n, told him I atally unacc ecial proteci nbassy, and I plomatic rela ite. 'age: “We recoerni In Advance jlhers may ha’ he contents of C avalry travels to Houston toi rodeo, parai 1 he Parsons Mounted Cavalry will travel Ur Houston this week end to participate in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo parade and grand entry. Thirty-five cadets, 26 horses, two mules, the wagon and the cannon will participate in the 10 a.m. parade Saturday through downtown Houston on Main Street. “The Washington parade was fun, but parades are more fun in Texas,” Matt Lindsey, a senior member ol the Cavalry, said. “They know how to have them." Eleven mounted riders also will be participating in the grand en try of the rodeo in the Astrodome Sunday at 4 p.m. The cadets will have Saturdav afternoon and Sunday morninf free to enjoy the livestock sho» exhibits. “It’s always a fun tr ip,” Lindse said. “There will be a lot of Ag gies there and a lot of horses.” Ihe Bryan-College Station “Go Texan" Committee is helpingthe Cavalry raise the $500 needed for transportation. The parade and grand entry will be televised bv Houston television stations and can be seen locally on cable. British Foreigi ney Howe saic [oned Irania phammed B. (“However, i 50 incite peopl soil or ag iyatollah Klu [tally unaccep Phone line provides financial aid information I he Texas Association of Stu- On Feb. 18 and 19, theassoda dent Financial Aid Administra tors can help students in search ol information about scholarships, loans, grants, part-time jobs and other options to pay for college. lion will have its third annual Pav ing for College Informaton Line People can call 1-800-253-898 for toll-free financial aid infer mation from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Educators learn about needs of gifted children The 1989 Conference for Early Childhood Educators, “Un locking Giftedness in Young Chil dren,” is being held today and Saturday in the MSC and Rudder Tower. The conference will begin to night with a reception for partici pants including performances by the Kim Family String Quartet and magination Station. Dr. Nancy Robinson, director ol the Center for the Study of Ca pable Youth at the University of Washington, will he the keynote speaker at 8:30 a.m. Saturday Robinson will speak on matching the needs of gifted children wiili their instruction. Workshops will he ottered for teachers, administrators and par ents on identifying ability in gifted children and planning cur riculum to aid social and emo tional development. The conference is sponsored by Texas A&M’s Institute fortlie Gif ted and Talented and the Ed ucation Service Center, Region VI in Huntsville. For more infor mation. contact Din Patrida Haenslv at 845-1802. GE Supply Distribution Management Program Interviewing May 1989 Business and Industrial Distribution Graduates Wednesday 2/22 * /q .O A O A -On\ Thursday 2/23 V® ^ 4-OUj Reception to be held Tuesday, February 21 at 7 p.m. in the College Station Hilton All students interested in a Distribution Mgmt. Career with General Electric are invited to attend. Students not on interviewing schedule are encouraged to bring resume and complete an application. For more info please call Tony Dalessandro, (713) 939-5265 MSC CAMERA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1989 7:00 P.M. 146 MSC Special Guest: fony^tydzewski will speak onThe visual art of photography. He is a graduate of the L.A. College of Design and a photographer for Texas A&M. Ail members of the TAMU community are invited to attend.