The Battalion
STATE & LOCAL 3
Monday, October 8,1990
Sister Aggies’ spirit sparkles
By SUZANNE CALDERON
Of The Battalion Staff
Although they can’t say “Gig ’Em”
because there are no such words in
the Japanese language, Texas
A&M’s students from the sister cam
pus in Koriyama, Japan, had no
trouble showing A&M spirit this past
week in their visit to College Station.
The entire student body of 50
from A&M at Koriyama, located 120
miles north of Tokyo, made the trip
to College Station.
They spent the week touring the
campus, attending classes and learn
ing what it means to be an Aggie.
The students, most of whom
never had been to the United States,
also got a taste of Texas beyond Col
lege Station when they visited NASA
in Houston and Six Flags Over
Texas in Arlington.
The Koriyama students went to
yell practice Friday and to Saturday’s
A&M vs. Texas Tech game with
their student hosts from the MSC
Hospitality Committee and the MSC
Jordan Institute for International
Awareness.
For most students, it was the first
American football game they’d at
tended, and most agreed the game
was the highlight of their week.
Seiichi T akizawa, a freshman
physical education major, said the
football game and yell practice defi
nitely were the best parts of the
week.
(The football game) was very ex-
citing, very' nice ... you don’t ever see
such a big thing in Japan,” Takizawa
said.
The students also were surprised
at the size of the campus.
Akiko Maruyama, a freshman lib
eral arts major, said the Koriyama
campus is only one building with
eight classrooms, a student lounge
and a library. She said she was sur
prised at the number of buildings
and people on the College Station
campus.
Atushi Irumagawa, a freshman
aerospace engineering major, got a
different perspective of life at A&M.
Irumagawa stayed in the Corps
dormitories with his student host,
Rick Shanahan, a junior member of
Squandron 12. Irumagawa said his
favorite part of the week was the
Corps march in before the game.
Shanahan said he almost talked
Irumagawa into getting a Corps style
haircut as a reminder of his visit to
A&M, but Irumagawa said coming
to America gave him other ideas
about what he wanted to do with his
See Koriyama/Page 13
‘Gourmet club’ displays diversity at
A&M, Koriyama students participate
ByBILLHETHCOCK
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M students from Ko-
riyama, Japan, visited A&M's Col
lege Station campus to see what life
in Texas is like.
The Japanese students also got a
taste of Spain at Friday night’s
“gourmet club” dinner sponsored by
the International Student Associa
tion.
The gourmet club is a monthly
program put on by the ISA.
Students from a different country
get together each month to make
traditional food from their country.
The host country also provides
recipes to other ISA members who
want to cook food from that country.
Ran Jan Natarajan, gourmet club
director and Indian student, said
diners can compare food made by
the hosts to food made by the others.
Besides food, the host country
also provides entertainment. Two
bands and dancers from Mexico
provided Friday night’s entertain
ment.
This gives people an opportunity
to express something aoout their
culture through the food and pre
sentations,” Natarajan said.
Sriram Vadlamani, ISA’s vice
president of programs, said the
gourmet club has been a “tremen
dous success.”
“By eating and listening to music,
you can learn a lot about other cultu
res,” he said.
Inviting the students from Ko
riyama allows them to see the cultu
ral diversity of the University, Vad
lamani said.
“We want them to get a complete
idea of what Texas A&M is,” he said.
“This gives them a side of A&M be
sides the normal traditions. It shows
that, at A&M, you will experience
many other cultures.”
The Koriyama students will at
tend classes for two years in Japan,
then transfer to the College Station
branch for their last two years.
Hideki Yoshiola, a Koriyama stu
dent, said he enjoyed the Spanish
food and the Latin-American bands.
“The food was good and the mu
sic is very exciting,” Yoshiola said.
Masaya Kitagawa, another Ko
riyama student agreed.
“It is different, but I like it,” he
said while watching the dancers. “It’s
not like this in Japan.”
More than 100 people, including
the Koriyama students, attended
Friday’s gourmet club.
Natarajan said the dinners usually
draw 50 to 70 students.
Photo by Frederick D. Joe
Koriyama Aggies sawing varsity’s horns off during Midnight Yell Practice Friday at Kyle Field
A&M honors former student
By LIBBY KURTZ
Of The Battalion Staff
President George Bush is prepared to keep U.S.
military troops in the Middle East as long as nec
essary to ensure freedom of Kuwaiti citizens, Air
Force Lt. Gen. James S. Cassity Jr.,said.
A classroom in Texas A&M’s Military Science
Building was dedicated Friday in Cassity’s name.
Cassity, Class of ’58, is director of command, control
and communications systems for the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
The classroom dedication is part of the Air Force’s
Project Warrior, an attempt to rekindle young peo
ple’s knowledge of Air Force missions.
“There are Aggies in Iraq in the Army, Navy, Air
Force and Marine Corps on hand to ensure free
dom,” Cassity said. “Every generation has to partici
pate in the defense of their country. I’m totally con
vinced that a country that’s prepared to defend it
self ensures freedom for its citizens.”
Cassity said although no one can predict how or
when the Middle East crisis will be resolved, the eco
nomic blockade imposed on Iraq by the United Na
tions Security Council is working.
“We can see various reactions from Saddam Hus
sein,” he said. “It appears that the blockade is put
ting pressure on Hussein.”
He said the United States Armed Forces are pre
pared to fight.
“Our Armed Forces have trained in a desert envi
ronment for years,” he said. “We have an extensive
training program in Death Valley. It’s not a very hos
pitable environment. We train in Alaska, and we
train in deserts; we’re prepared to fight and defend
freedom anywhere.”
Female soldiers aren’t allowed to serve as war
fighters because of a Congressional decree, he said,
but they support the military in many other areas,
especially in communicarions.
“It’s kind of like females here at A&M,” he said.
“When I was a student, females could only attend
summer classes. Some of my classmates were upset
about their attendance. Females have come to A&M
and excelled. Females in the military are doing the
same.”
Cassity served as the Corps of Cadets reviewing
officer before the A&M and Texas Tech University
football game Saturday.
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TICKETS: $2, available
at the MSC Box Office
US CONCEPTS r JC.
8 «s<-
presents
Ware Price
Day
Wednesday
Date
October 10
Time
8:00 p.m.
Location
Rudder Auditorium
Come see what’s become of Skippy from
"Family Ties". Cheek out his anti-gimmick
stand-up comedy geared for college students.
Look for the PONTIAC EXCITEMENT CENTER
and check out the latest PONTIAC cars. Win
tickets, T-shirts and enter a sweepstakes for a
chance to win a PONTIAC Sunbird Convertible.
G/WAC
PONTIAC.
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