The Battalion
LIFESTYLES
The Battalion
Monday, September 11,
University Plus
offers Aggies fun
By Don Kopf
Of The Battalion Staff
Perhaps you’ve always wanted to
try something new, different and ex
citing, such as bellydancing, beer
brewing or herb gardening, but you
never knew where to learn about
these things.
Well, have no fear — University
Plus is here. In fact, it has been here
since 1985. The organization offers
a number of classes that teach new
hobbies, crafts and skills to anyone
who is interested in learning about
them. Some of the more unusual
classes offered include those pre
viously mentioned as well as yoga,
Tae Kwon Do, wine tasting and im
proving assertiveness.
More popular classes include aer
obics, country and western dancing,
and computer and business classes.
Although these courses fill up
quickly, other less conventional
classes, such as yoga and bellydanc
ing, fill up even more rapidly, often
by the first class meeting.
Classes are held once a week for
one to eight weeks depending on the
nature of the material taught. For
example, while defensive driving
programs can be taught in two
classes, beginning accounting for
small businesses requires eight meet
ings.
University Plus does not just offer
classes either. Located in the base
ment of the Memorial Student Cen
ter, the office also operates a craft
center. Within the craft center are a
pottery area, a fully equipped wood-
shop, a sand blaster, a full set of bicy
cle tools and many craft supplies for
various hobbies.
For a small fee, usually about $5
per semester, students and others
may use the center’s facilities. Sup
plies for the various hobbies are sold
almost at cost and generally are
cheaper than supplies available from
local retailers.
The two areas within the center
that receive the heaviest use are the
bike shop and pottery center. While
the pottery area has the heaviest use
because of the long term hobbiests
involved, the bike shop has the most
number of people signed up to use
it. Both the bike shop and pottery
area have nearly every tool necessary
to make a pot from scratch or to
mend a broken bike.
Wayne Helton is MSC programs
manager in charge of running the
University Plus office. Helton
helped start the organization by
Photo by Jay Janner
John Laskowski, a junior civil engineering major from London,
England, checks his bicycle wheel at the MSC craft center.
bringing two programs, MSC After
Hours and the MSC Arts and Crafts
Center, under one roof. The MSC
After Hours Program ran classes for
various skills while the crafts center
ran programs for hobbies and crafts.
Under pressure of state budget
cuts, it was decided that the two pro
grams could be run more efFiciently
under the management of one of-
Fice. Helton has been director of the
program since its beginning in the
summer of 1985.
New programs are constantly be
ing added, and old ones are re
worked to keep them fresh. Helton
said that new programs are created
through a number of different ways.
Sometimes students request that a
particular program be offered. If
enough students request the same
program, Helton tries to Find an in
structor for the class. Other times,
people approach him and request to
teach a class, he said.
In either case, the prospective tea
chers are interviewed to make sure
they are qualified to teach the class
and to make sure they have a per
sonality suited to teaching. If they
are qualiFied, then a class is set up.
Funding to run University Plus
comes from two sources. Office em
ployee salaries are paid for by the
student service fees while all class in
structors and supplies are paid for
by students enrolled in the pro
grams.
Photo by JayJami'
Derek Gay, a civil engineering graduate student from Trinldai
and Tobago, makes a stoneware bowl at the MSC craft center,
A&M University Press publishes more than professors’ efforts
Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack
John F. Setter, Texas A&M University Press director, displays
one of many books awaiting distribution across the country.
By Katsy Pittman
Of The Battalion Staff
Although some people might
think otherwise, the sole purpose of
the Texas A&M University Press is
not just to produce a pile of publica
tions for A&M professors seeking to
improve their credentials.
In fact, only a small percentage of
its literature comes from local au
thors. Currently included on its pub
lication list are books by a Japanese
economist and a French environ
mental historian.
Local author’s occasionally do get
their workpublished, however. For
instance, “The Frontier Experience
and the American Dream,” recently
released by University Press, was ed
ited by Mark Busby, an associate
professor of English at A&M.
According to Gayla Christiansen,
marketing director for University
Press, it does not matter where the
authors come from, as long as their
books are top-notch.
Christiansen said publishing a
large quantity of books is not the or
ganization’s primary goal.
“We would much rather advance
knowledge than make big bucks,”
she said.
And it’s a good thing, too, because
University Press has been a non-
proFit organization since its begin
ning in 1974.
“A sign of maturity to a college is a
university press,” Christiansen said.
“But most university presses are not
that big. I’d say 90 percent of them
are rather small.
“Most people have heard of the
big ones, like Oxford and Cam
bridge. As far as A&M goes, we’re
pretty much in the middle. That’s
why we don’t cover all topics. It
works better for us to specialize.”
Although only of average size
compared to other university
presses, A&M’s University Press has
grown a lot in the past 15 years. It
originally published 16 to 20 books a
year; now it publishes about twice
that many.
If that amount doesn’t bowl you
over, consider this: the University
Press rejects more than 90 percent
of its submissions.
Hopeful authors can increase the
chances of having their books pub
lished if the books’ themes center
around Texana or Western Amer
ica. A popular subject is history, in
cluding American, environmental,
military and natural history. Nauti
cal archeology and women’s studies
are also in heavy demand, but so far,
not a single book on poetry has been
published.
All hope is not lost, however, for
submissions that do not follow popu
lar book themes.
“Each book is looked at on its own
merit,” Christiansen said. “The most
important things we ask ourselves
are ‘Is it well-done?’ and ‘Does it fit
the audience’s demand?’ ”
\
ing that the book, already drawing
rave reviews, will become another
one of their best sellers.
One of their previous best sellers
has been “Landscapes of Texas”
which is adorning coffee tables
across the state.
Their other biggie is “Fishes of
the Gulf of Mexico,” contributing to
both scientists’ knowledge and fish
ermen’s catches throughout the
Southwest United States.
These big sellers are only two of
300 books available through the
University Press.
Surprised that A&M’s own Uni
versity Press publishes so many
books? Then you also might be in
terested to know that University
Press distributes books for four
other schools, including Texas
Christian University, Southern
Methodist University, Rice Univer
sity and The University of North
Texas. University Press also distrib
utes books for the Texas State His
torical Association.
If you are an A&M student and
interested in purchasing a book pub
lished by the University Press, luck is
on your side when it comes to money
and convenience.
All A&M students get a 20[
cent discount on the books, and
books can be found at the MSC,I« j
bookstores, and at the Univefl
Press. ^
If you are curious about Unit f
sity Press, why not go ahead ande I
a tour?
“We love visitors,” Christiaitv
said. “But we do prefer schedi
appointments for groups.”
The University Press buildinf
located on Louis Street behind Df 1
can Dining Hall. For reservatie
call 845-1436.
,b.
One of the University Press’ new
est books to hit the stands certainly
breaks the nautical archeology
mode. It’s called “Safe at Home” and
is an autobiographical account of a
professional baseball player’s family
and their demanding life on the
road.
University Press officials are hop-
Bad acting, lack of plot make
‘Kickboxer* a movie disaster
By Todd Stone
ders through horrible acting and de-
>io
Of The Battalion Staff
“Kickboxer” is a terrible movie.
An “El stinko.” The kind of film that
stays bad no matter how much beer
you drink.
“I feel dumb coming in here,” said
one person in the theater before the
movie started. His worst nightmares
about this Film probably came true.
Karl (Jean Claude Van Damme) is
the brother of the U.S. Kickboxing
champion. When Karl’s brother is
paralyzed by Thailand’s champion,
Tong Po, Karl learns the ancient
velops a plot that only exists to get
from one Fight scene to another.
However, the filmmakers appear to
good fight. This battle doesn’t cause
pulse rates to soar and is likely to be
a better tranquilizer than valium.
for ex-
iple, the dialogue when Karl wor
ries about his brother fighting Tong
Po:
Karl: “I gotta bad feeling about
this one.”
Brother: “A kick is a kick. We
came to fight. Now go get some ice.”
This was one of the better acted
scenes.
Of course a movie like this is not
made for plot or acting. The Film is
for people who want to see Van
Damme, the new Chuck Norris, beat
the stuffing out of everybody for a
couple of hours. “Kickboxer” fails to
satisfy this demand as well.
The First hour of the Film mean-
However, the filmmakers did re
member the blood-thirsty movie
goer in one respect. The Fighters
glue broken glass on the top of their
wrapped hands to make the fight in
teresting. If you want a little blood,
you at least get that.
The Film was directed by Mark
DiSalle and David Roth. They suc
ceeded in providing little action
throughout the Film and also failed
to take advantage of the exotic scen
ery of Thailand.
take the plot seriously, which would
be laughable if you weren’t paying
S5 to see the movie.
There are only two fights before
the Final battle. In those two Fights,
Van Damme briefly slaps around a
few guys who put up less of a fight
than my grandmother would. Bor
ing!
Van Damme is an abysmal actor,
but that would not have mattered if
the action and fighting was as excit
ing and constant as the advertisin
promises. The supporting cast
unknowns is completely inept and
fte
of
will probably stay unknown after this
movie.
hope
final battle with Tong Po who looks
mean enough to give Van Damme a
How bad is this movie? You would
probably rather watch the Washing-
ton-A&M game again, pick up bro
ken glass with your tongue or stick
your hand under the refrigerator
and see what you find before you
would risk wasting your time to see
this Film.
How’re you going to do it?
“Afy chem lab report is due Monday.
My English lit. paper is due Tuesday.
My economics paper is due on Wednesday.
And the big games tomorrow.”
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