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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1993)
1993 at Lifestyles mmm l R i Tuesday, March 2,1993 The Battalion Page 3 New Miss Texas A&M begins reign By MELISSA HOLUBEC The Battalion Leslie Fisher says she sees her new role as Miss Texas A&M as an opportunity to help other people. "You're not just the winner of a beauty pageant," she said. "You're not just an image or a role model that people go to to ask questions. You're actively partici pating and representing Texas A&M University." Fisher, a chemical engineering major from Cincinnati, Ohio, was crowned Miss Texas A&M on Feb. 13. "I've always been a real in volved person," she said. "Serv- ine as Miss Texas A&M will be a different aspect of involvement." Fisher, a fifth-year senior, began her official duties Saturday as a judge and co-host of the Brazos County Youth Livestock Show Queen pageant. Thursday she will ride in the Grand Entry at the Houston Live stock Show and Rodeo to kick off the performance by country and western singers Brooks and Dunn. This Saturday at the MSC All Night Fair she will perform the gymnastics routine she used in the Miss Texas A&M pageant and will sit for a time in the Wiley Lecture Series dunking booth. Fisher has set several goals for the time she will be Miss Texas A&M. She plans to work with a drug and alcohol prevention pro gram, give motivational and goal setting speeches to high school students and do community and charity work. She said she wants to empha size environmental concerns and awareness. "With a background in chemical engineering, I want to pursue a see the glamorous side of the woman too." Eleven years of gymnastics pre pared Fisher for the talent portion of the competition. She per formed a gymnastic dance routine to a country and western tune similar to Old West saloon music. Along with talent, the contes- "You're not just the winner of a beauty pageant. You're active ly participating and represent ing Texas A&M University." - Leslie Fisher, Miss Texas A&M Fisher career in environmental safety," she said. "I believe public aware ness will help solve the environ mental problem when coupled with the three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle. By educating the public on these important topics, I nope to increase community recy cling of plastics, paper and other solia wastes." Of course, Fisher is looking for ward to formal events as welL "I'll be able to do sophisticated things where I have to dress up formally and represent A&M, she said. "Even though Miss Texas A&M is not a beauty pageant winner, people want to tants are judged on sportswear, evening wear and an off-stage in terview. Fisher said she feels that the pageant committee puts more em phasis on the talent and interview portions of the competition. Once making it past the audi tions in October, Fisher and 11 other finalists and three alternates met weekly to learn techniques and discuss pageant technicalities. "We spent one Saturday from 8 to 5 going from the interview room to the fashion room to the make-up room," Fisher said. "It gave me more confidence because it gave me a better idea as to what I was getting into." Fisher said the hardest part of the pageant for her was the end, when the winner was named. "I didn't want to think I had it because I didn't want to be disap pointed if I didn't make it," she said. "It could have been one of eight girls, but they called my name and number. It was one of the best feelings I've ever had." Fisher will speak at Muster and take part in Parents' Weekend ac tivities. "I want to do more thanjust be presented," Fisher said. "I'd like to sing at baseball games and oth er events and give goal setting and motivational speeches to or- f anizations like Aggie Leaders of bmorrow and programs like Fish Camp and T-Camp.' Fisher has served as the presi dent of Aggie Wranglers, coun seled sixth graders on the dangers of drugs through Students Making Awareness a Real Topic and been a member of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and a Fish Camp counselor. She also served as special events coordinator for Keathley Hall and represented Miami Uni versity witn Model United Na tions. Currently, Fisher is a member of the Society of Women Engineers, the American Institute of Chemi cal Engineers and Aggie Wran glers and serves as director of pro ductions for the MSC Variety Show. / Army / charges into the deliberately absurd By RONSON PAGE The Battalion "Army of Darkness" Starring Bruce Campbell and Embeth Davidtz Directed by Sam Raimi Rated R Playing at Manor East Mall "Army of Darkness" is a bad film- exactly as its director intended. Audiences will enjoy the offbeat approach as long as they realize the movie is deliberately absurd. Though the film is actually a sequel to the spoofish 1987 "Evil Dead 2" (a remake of the scary, low-budget "The Evil Dead"- an other story altogeth er), it is packaged as an entirely new film for mass appeal. A discount store clerk, Ash (Bruce Campbell), finds him self transported to me dieval times to save a castle and its inhabitants from an evil force. Ash is first seen staggering captive through the fourteenth-century wastelands. His arrival in this period is told through flashback (or more completely in "Evil Dead 2"). It seems he was sucked through a temporal vortex while trying to dispel the evil force from his own time. Naturally, Ash wants to go home, but to do so he must find the Book of tne Dead, which contains the incantations needed to send him back. However, Ash must correctly recite a magical phrase before he can take the Store clerk Ash (Bruce Campbell) is sucked through a time vortex in 'Army of Darkness.' book, and when his memory falters his prob lems (and the appropriateness of the movie's title) really begin. Sam Raimi, who directed the first two "Evil Dead" films and the cultish "Darkman," pro vides numerous lines and scenes worthy of laughter and incredulous head shakes, as well as some stylish cinematography. Through the course of his film, Raimi pays homage to almost every movie genre. A movie buff will be able to pick out bor rowed lines from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Excalibur," plus a Three Stooges gag sequence, among otners. Look also for a clip reminiscent of the opening of the old "Ri fleman" series. Campbell, who also co-produced the film, plays Ash in a way similar to Leslie's Nielsen's character in the ^Naked Gun" movies. Ash passionately delivers every euphemistic phrase with utter seriousness; a scene in which ne refers to a captured enemy leader as "Mr. Fancypants" is priceless. His expressions al ways complement whatever he's saying with equal absurdity. ' r * As in "Evil Dead 2," Ash has a penchant for inviting a beating, but always seems to recover remarkably; the loss of a hand hardly fazes him. Not many actors could pull off such a role without looking really foolish; Campbell's acting is one of the best reasons to go see this movie. Embeth Davidtz has a sizable part as Ash's medieval love interest, Sheila. Sheila is your stereotypically sweet, beautiful and slightly feisty princess, until she is swept up and away by an apparition of the evil force. Most of Davidtz s scenes are not too challenging, but her looks and mannerisms are well-suited to the role. Musician-turned-composer Danny Elfman ("Batman") deserves mention for the film's ex cellent score. "Army of Darkness" is zany and wacky, comical and clich6d. Some will undoubtedly miss the point, and leave the theater thinking it is a bad movie. But many will recognize that "Army of Darkness" is very clever, due in large part to how bad it appears. And that's the whole idea. Professional Computing 505 Church St. College Station Ph. 846-5332 (One Block North of Kinko’s Copies) Featuring a complete line of Hewlett-Packard Scientific and Business calculators HP 48SX Expandable Calculator HP 48S Programmable Calculator * 32K Built in RAM * Combined Graphics and Calculus Functions * I/O ports for data transfer to and from a PC * SX features Expansion Ports for plug-in Applications Pacs and RAM cards HP 19B1I Business Consultant * Algebraic or RPN Logic * Graphics for cash flow and Statistical Analysis * Menus and Softkeys HP 17BII Financial Calculator * Choose between Algebraic or RPN Logic * Menus and Softkeys for easy access to solutions * Over 250 functions for real estate and finance Business Hours Mon.-Fri. 8:00-5:30 Sat. 10:00-3:00 m HEWLETT PACKARD Authorized Dealer ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 Orientation Student Assistants (OSAs) needed for ExCel ‘93: “Aiming for Achievement-- Destined for Success” a> O X LU co o> "a> O X LU Applications Now Available at the Student Services Building & the Multicultural Office (MSC 146) Due March 5th in Multicultural Office. Sign-up for an interview there. ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 ExCel ‘93 l j!U —k i " T -V-yv-yr- v ,,^ -.,<uDU | :| ) S : S i. L(ii ' JM'I To ‘Worship, Or 9{pt To ‘Worship? DEBATE followed by questions from the audience Agnostic & Atheist Student Group VS. Campus Crusade for Christ Wednesday, March 3 7:30 pm 200 Heldenfels Inside the ranks Book recalls life in the Corps By SUSAN OWEN The Battalion "The Spirit Within" Dan Quinn, Class of '81 Insite Press, Bryan, $11.95 Anyone who's ever wondered what it's like to be in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets should read "The Spirit Within," by Dan Quinn, Class of '81. The book is a retelling of Quinn's experiences with the Corps from the day his family drops him off in College Station, through three and a half years in the Corps, to Final Review of his senior year. Quinn gives an honest and emotional reaction to life in the Corps and its effects on his per sonality. His detailed descriptions of life on the Quadrangle will satis fy the curiosity of anyone who's ever wondered, "What goes on over there?" It should also stir up many memories for those wno have been through the ex perience. Quinn shares his memories of experiences few A&M students for iractices Iping light Aggie At a hook signing on Feb. 26 in the MSC Texas A&M Book store, he said the book is not in tended to represent exactly what goes on in tne Corps, but to de scribe his own feelings. "It's not the way tne Corps is, it's the way it was to me," he said. "I didn't want to say 'This is going to happen to you, you're going to do this many pushups.' I wanted to say 'This is how you're going to feel.'" Quinn said he knew nothing about the Corps when he got to A&M, and wrote the book pri marily for high school students who are considering joining. The first few chapters describe Quinn's arrival at A&M, deci sion to enter and introduction to the Corps. "Did I really want to subject my self phvsically and itallv to dates if I cut my hair as short as these guys." Many civilian students won der why members of the Corps decided to join. Quinn explains in detail the influences and emo tions that led him to join and stay with the Corps. "T simply knew that this is what I wanted to do," he says in the book. "I no longer wanted to be on the outside looking in." Quinn spent his first semester at A&M living off campus and joined the Corps in his second semester. He does an excellent job of let ting the reader feel how uncer tainty, endless rules and peer pressure formed the freshmen of Squadron Two into a cohesive unit— those who didn't drop out. He describes his anxiety and misgivings during activities like doing pushups wearing rain gear in a steam shower, but also tells how such undertakings gave him pride, self-confidence and the determination to push himself further. Several chapters of the book concentrate on Quinn's fresh man year. "That's where most of the memories and most of the learning experiences come from," Quinn said. However, he said that it was only after that first semester that he understood fully why he stuck to his decision. "Talk to any senior," he said. "I never in my life talked to one guy that made it all the way through the Corps and said T wish I hadn't done it.'" Quinn held leadership posi tions such as squadron guidon bearer and senior yell leader. The book fast-forwards through Quinn's upperclass days, describing memorable events such as handing down the guidon, or outfit flag, and Fi nal Review. He also relates anecdotes of cadet life, describ ing pranks played and friend ships made. Quinn's writing is unpolished but effectively communicates his affection for the University and his days here without beii cloyingly nostalgic. "The Spirit Within" is a blank, honest retelling of one man's memories of the Corps of Cadets. It is valuable as a photo- of a moment in the istory of a unique interesting as a side its ranks. m x O (D CO CO m X O 5L to CO m x o ffi. to CO m x o to co University PLUS workshops Come by the MSC Basement and fill out an application to teach Summer 93 courses. Good pay - Great hours - Good folks Call 845-1631 •First Aid •Interviewing *Yoga *Watercolor •Landscaping *Public Speaking *Guitar •Voice Training *Interior Design •Accounting •Clay Sculpture *Bird Watching and more... JJu JJU Special Meeting Tuesday, March 2 8:30 PM Room 410 Rudder ^TIhe LARqEsr Science FiciiON/FANTAsy Convention In tIie SoutIhwest^