/Sri ADVENTURE TRAVEL "V Specializing in Cruises, Scuba> Ski and International Travel Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. / Sat 10 a.m. to 2 p.rh. 313 College Main 3 Blocks North of Texas A&M Post Office (409) 260-1131 Page 6 The Battalion Friday, February 22,195 Powell enjoys penning dp cartoon By Chris Whitley The Battalion ADULT VIDEO 603 Texas Ave. College Station Movies-Magazines-Books Gift Items-Novelties Ladies Welcome Movies for rent or sell. OPEN 24 HRS. - 7 DAYS A WEEK Twice a week for 14 years, a car toon character has appeared in the sports pages of The Battalion. His name is dp. Actually, dp stands for the name of his creator, Donald Pow ell. Together, dp and Powell have formed a comic strip that has be come a Texas A&M institu- Donald Powell tba & Snow Ski A Scuba & Snow Ski Over Stocked Sale All bags & B.C.'s 10-50% off Ski Clearance up to 50% off Dive computers: Oceanic Datamax Sport $310.00 All prices good on in-stock items only, while supplies last. 693-0104 (•« ® bo 817 S. Texas tion. “I e nj o y drawing them,” Powell, Class of ’56, said. “I’ve always been a cartoonist. I’d like to draw cartoons all day long, if I could.” However, Powell usually has little time for drawing. He spends most of his time serving as Director of Busi ness Services for the University. The Department of Business Services oversees all of the busi nesses connected with Texas A&M, including the bookstore, all of the snack bars. University Center, the Printing Center, and many others. Even though Powell is a busy man, he always has enough time for his cartoon. “I’ve never missed a deadline, ev er,” Powell said. “I have to be clever sometimes to be able to say that. “I have been known to bring in a character called Fred, who is the jan itor in dp’s studio. Fred, occasion ally, has to draw the cartoon.” Fred’s drawings are AGGIES CATCH SPRING BREAK FEVED fl AT TEXAS’HOTTEST RESORT. A WITH COOL PRICES, STARTING FROM $30* Hit the road to Port Royal in Port Aransas for Spring Break and chill out in the world’s largest lagoon pool. An awesome 500-foot long wet and wild playground with swim-up cabana bars, hidden grottos, cascading waterfalls, whirlpools and our normally done by Powell’s daughter. dp has al ways had a positive tone to it. Rarely does it overcri ticize the sta tus of Aggie sports. That idea is one Powell takes to heart. “When I went to school here^ that’s what we learned — that you support your team, no matter what,” Powell said. “They (the team) always win. They’re sometimes outscored, but they always win, so dp always tries to find some positive thing to say, re gardless of what’s going on.” Powell said that keeping positive has been tough this winter as the basketball team struggles through the conference season. In the strip, the Aggie basketball player fell beneath the bottom line of the cartoon during the team’s winless streak. Several characters lent a hand in pulling the player back into sight. They finally succeeded when the Ags won their first conference game against Texas Tech on February 6. This is not the first time that dp has portrayed bad times in Aggie- land sports. One year, when the football team was in a similar predicament, the border of the cartoon was drawn as a zero. The characters had picks and jackhammers to tear down the zero which happened when A&M finally won. dp also has a serious side. When A&M was under scrutiny from the NCAA during the last months of the Jackie Sherill regime, Powell drew dp looking out the win dow into the black night sky saying, “Why does it hurt so much?” Powell said he received many fa vorable comments from that car- Yet to Powell, dp is a labor of love. When it started in 1977, it filled a void that he had sinct he was a stu dent. “Jim Earle, who did ‘Cadet Slouch’ in The Battalion for many years, and I were both students at the time,” Powell said. “He got to be cartoonist for The Battalion, and I didn’t. And so, all those years I felt bad about not being a cartoonist for The Battalion.” tion. In a crowd of mostly younJ long-haired spectators, there v turned heads when a middlea; man in a three piece suit walkedkf But Powell doesn’t mind. FREi Powell got a second chance when he finished graduate school and took a position with the University. “I had an idea for a sports car toon,” said Powell. “And so, I went to the editor of The Battalion and said, ‘Here’s a couple of samples. I can improve what you have.’ And he thought I could, so in 1977, we started the cartoon.” “I’ve always been a cartoonist. I’d like to draw cartoons all day long, if I could. I’ll keep doing it as long as the Batt wants it, as long as people enjoy it.” — Donald Rowe toon. T hrough fourteen years, dp has been a popular feature of the Battal ion. Several years ago, dp was even pictured on a T-shirt, with paint brush in hand, drawing the A&M Powell has had a fascination with comic books and cartoons through out his life. He collected them as a child and said he only stopped buy ing them recently. He noted that it felt awkward for him to attend a comic book conven- “Sometimes I think I'm world’s authority on comic book! he said. Powell plans to keep the dp trejj tion alive as long as possible. “It’s something 1 can contritei back to the University,” Powellsij, “ 1 ’ll keep doing' it as long as theB;l wants it, as long as people enjoy it ; super water slide—all just steps from the white sandy beaches of Mustang Island. Plus: • Luxurious suites with built-in stereos, wet bars,washers & dryers, kitchens & sundeck terraces • Poolside party with live music every Wednesday • Special rates on horseback riding • Free tennis & beach volleyball • Restaurant & bar on premise • “Sunset cruises & buck beer” • Greyhound races So when school’s out, come hang out at the biggest and best pool in Texas. Hickey makes most of his turn in the limeligh PORT RTfAI. in By Anthony Andro The Battalion Most of the preseason spotlights focused upon returning Aggies like Ronnie Allen and Travis Williams. But now, it is Mike Hickey’s turn to shine. Park Road 53, Mustang Island Port Aransas, Texas 78373 1-800-242-1034 ♦Price based on 6 people per 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom suite. Stay 7 nights, get one free. Athlete’s Foot Study Individuals to participate in an investigational drug research study. Must have symptoms of athlete's foot. $150 incentive for those chosen and who complete the study. Pauli Research International® ySiso 776-0400 Stsoj The sophomore shortstop-outfielder had a career game Monday against West mont College. During the 31-2 rout, Hickey went 6- for-7 with two home runs, 10 RBI and had 21 total bases. Hickey set school re cords for most hits in a game, most RBI and liiiiM Mike Hickey most total bases. The RBI mark was also a South west Conference record. Going into this weekend’s series against No. 1- ranked Louisiana State, Hickey leads the Aggies in every offensive category with a .472 batting av erage, three homers and 16 RBI. Hickey wasn’t shocked by his record-setting performance. “I’m not surprised,” he said. “I was playing to the best of my ability to help the team.” The Hickey family should not be too surprised either. Hickey’s mother was a Korean Olympic bas ketball player in the 1960s and his uncle was a placekicker for the University of Alabama. The only concern Hickey had was about how he would play to start the season. “The good start was kind of lucky,” Hickey said. “But, I know that I’m going to have both good and bad days. “Games like that can really happen to anyone.” The anyone almost wasn’t Hickey. Hickey transferred to A&M after playing his freshman year at the University of Oklahoma, where he hit .312 with five homers. The reason Hickey said he transferred was be cause the Oklahoma baseball coaching staff was fired after his freshman year. “When you go to school, you start to feel com fortable,” he said. “Then they go and fire the coach.” After a new coach and staff came to Okla homa, Hickey said he met with them and they tried to convince him to stay. Hickey said he de cided he did not like the new situation and was going to transfer. AUS" ards lefi day to a Mexicar Richa a possib vironmt See Hickey/Page 8 ?Adult Sore Throat Study')' ONE DAY STUDY, NO BLOOD DRAWN Individuals 18 years & older to participate in an investigational drug research study. $100 incentive for those chosen to participate. Pauli Research International® 776-0400 Sioqj t) MSC OPAS PRESENTS Urinary Tract Infection Do you experience frequent urination, burning, stinging or back pain when you urinate? Pauli Research will perform FREE urinary tract infection testing for those willing to participate in a short investigational research study. $100 incentive for those who qualify. Pauli Research International® ysioo 776-0400 SiooJ Orchestre D E Paris Semyon Bychkov, Music Director & Conductor High Blood Pressure Study Individuals with high blood pressure, either on or off blood pressure medication to participate in a high blood pressure research study. $300 incentive. BONUS: $100 RAPID ENROLLMENT BONUS for completing study. Pauli Research International® vV $30 ° 776-0400 n§§^ Featuring Pianists KATIA & MARIELLE LABEQUE Thursday FEB. 28 • 8 P.M. Asthma Study Individuals 18-55 with asthma to participate in a short clinical research study with an investigational medication in capsule form. Pauli Research International® VjSaoo 776-0400 SzoqJyj Rudder Auditorium TICKETS: MSC BOX OFFICE, 845-1234 FOLEY’S Post Oak Mallf CASINO 91 DANCE AUDITIONS THERE WILL BE A PRACTICE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 FOR CASINO ’91 DANCER AUDITIONS FROM 11 a.m. TO 1 p.m. IN ROOM 267 REED. THIS WILL BE THE LAST PRACTICE BEFORE AUDITIONS. ANY ON CAMPUS RESIDENT IS WELCOME TO COME. NO PRIOR ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED, ◄ ENGINEERS ► SPEND SIX WEEKS IN GERMANY NEXT SUMMER Through this TAMU/Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Program TAMU Engineering Students can earn up to 7 hours of credit while studying in Germany. ELIGIBILITY: a. Declared engineering major a Student in good academic standing a Must have completed Freshman year at time of participation COURSES: (all coarse* taught In English) a German language a Germany within the European Community a Engineering in Germany and Europe Application Deadline - March 1, 1991 ACT NOW! STUDY ABROAD OFFICE, 161 WEST BIZZELL HALL, S-tS'# 544