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Lifestyles
Tuesday, April 6,1993
The Battalion
Page 3
a little hope
By DENA DIZDAR
The Battalion
After a year of delays and negotia
tions, two Texas A&M faculty mem
bers may soon be able to give a
home to the Romanian orphan they
want to adopt.
Dr. Richard Shafer, assistant pro
fessor of journalism, and his wife. Dr.
Jill Shafer, an extension associate in
the department of consumer and
family sciences, spent their spring
break in Romania finalizing the
adoption they began in June 1992.
Dr. Lynne Walters, an associate
professor of journalism, had given
the Shafers the name of a friend who
had adopted two Romanian chil
dren. Armed with only the name of
a city, the couple headed for Europe
last summer.
"I'd always had an interest in east
ern Europe," Richard said. "It al
ways seemed exotic. So, finally Jill
said, 'Let's go to Europe.'"
The trip began that way - as a ca
sual driving trip through Germany,
Poland, Hungary, and what used to
be Czechoslovakia. But in the back
of their minds, said Richard, they
thought they might go to Romania
and see the situation there for them
selves.
They had read stories describing
the ban on birth control there issued
by executed dictator Nicolae Ceaus-
escu, and the abundance of unwant
ed children that resulted.
If they could get there, they
would.
"In Germany, the people said,
'Well, you really can't go to Roma
nia,'" Richard said. "It's sort of like
someone here saying they're going
to drive to El Salvador. Everybody
thought that it was impossible and
not very bright, but we just kept
driving."
An elderly British couple in
Poland who had just been to Roma
nia told them it "wasn't any big
deal." The closer they got to their
destination, Richard said, the more
reliable the information got.
As they travelled on, they made
their way across the Romanian bor
der by train - but not before encoun
tering some trouble.
They had not gotten visas and had
to buy them before they could enter.
But because no one spoke English,
the message had to be communicated
through hand signals. The armed
guards eyed the pair, Richard said, as
they tried to resolve the problem in a
mimed dialogue.
As a peace offering, Richard gave
the customs official a Kennedy half-
dollar and hoped the incident would
be over, he said. A few minutes later
the official knocked on the window
of the train and handed Jill a bou
quet of roses.
"That's how things went," Richard
said. "It would be kind of crazy and
then they would do something in
credible."
They finally arrived in Deva, the
city they had been told about.
Richard described it as "the ultimate
socialist-planned town." But the city
and its surrounding provinces held
something more for the Shafers than
perfectly-spaced apartment build
ings and "charmingly dilapidated"
hotels. That something was a 9-year-
old boy named Lucian.
Richard said "good karma" led the
couple to a bar called the Tropicana.
The bar's owners, Calin and Nicolet-
ta Laza,
would become
instrumental
in cutting
through the
red tape that
sometimes
slowed down
Lucian'
adoption.
Calin was
an engineer
for the state
before Roma
nia's revolu
tion, and
Nicoletta is
still the prose-
cuting attor
ney in their
district. The
DARRIN HILL/The Battalion
couple's bar is Lucian, a 9-year-old Romanian boy, is in the process of being
one of the first ac J 0 pt ec J by A&M faculty members Drs Jill and Richard Shafer,
capitalist ven- r 7 7
tures in Romania since Ceausescu's
execution in December 1989, Richard
said.
"They were very interested in
helping us," said Richard, "which
later turned out to be quite brave be
cause of all the bad publicity about
adoptions coming out of Romania.
See Adoption/Page 10
Depeche Mode
stuck in the '80s
on latest album
By JENNY MAGEE
The Battalion
Depeche Mode
"Songs of Faith and Devotion"
Sire Records
Album provided courtesy of Marooned Records
• pa
the
music scene for me. They served tfteir purpose in
that time period effectively, and it seems sad to
think that while Depeche Mode is offering its
"Songs of Faith and Devotion," I am ready to say
goodbye.
Depeche Mode's disappointing new album
"Songs of Faith and Devotion" has provided the
music industry with one more catalog of the band's
never-ending obsession with darkness and religion.
In the band's 11-album history, from "Black Cele
bration" through "Violator" to ^Songs of Faith and
Devotion," consistency in style seems to be the
band's one-sighted ambition.
David Gahan, the lead singer, may have long
black hair and a goatee now, but his distinctive
gloomy voice and style haven't changed.
It never seems to fail that a Depeche Mode song
will either be perfect music for sitting through a rain
storm or it wul be "danceable" and appear on alter
native clubs' rotation list at least 4,000 times a night.
The danceable tune from "Songs of Faith and De
votion" is "I Feel You," which followed in the path
of its most recent ancestor, "Personal Jesus," and
made a pre-album debut on several radio stations.
"Get Right With Me" is one of the more ad
mirable singles on the album. Incorporating a
background of gospel singers, the song takes an ap
pealing turn from DM's Gothic-architecture-set-to-
music sound.
Songs like "In Your Room" and "One Caress,"
with its intricate string accompaniment, seem to
lack vitality and passion in lignt of earlier works
such as "Master and Servant" and "Strange Love"
that uses the same theme of obsessive love.
The best tune on the 10-song album is "Judas"
primarily because it differs from your standard,
everyday DM song. It doesn't repeat the song title
endlessly for the chorus, which always seems to
See Depeche Mode/Page 10
W ^ J § § A ♦ v J.*.- ♦ - • -C':.-.:'-:!-- -'••.•t'*"-.-"■ ♦ ♦ ;
.Book orrers practical advice, touching reminders
By ERIN HILL
The Battalion
"#552. Remember that everyone you
meet is afraid of something, loves
something, and has lost something."
So says H. Jackson Brown, the au
thor of "Life's Little Instruction Book,
Volume II," which is every bit as de
lightful as its predecessor.
When Brown dropped his 18-year-
old son Adam off at tne University of
Tennessee in 1990, he presented him
with more than a few parting words of
fatherly advice.
His list of 511 "suggestions, observa
tions and reminders'^ formed the first
"Life's Little Instruction Book," which
contained such thoughts as "#221.
Don't major in minor things," and
"#226. When some
one hugs you, let
them be the first to
let go."
Brown originally
intended the compi
lation only for his
family, but it ended
up in a publisher's
hands. A year to the
day after he
dropped Adam off
at school. Brown's Brown
book appeared on
the New York Times bestseller list and
he was in business.
Though some have tried to rain on
Brown's parade, like the parody book
"Life's Little Destruction Book,'
Brown says he's in a state of "euphoric
disbelier over his success.
During the past two years he has
also published "A Father's Book of
Wisdom," a collection of letters he re
ceived from his father, and "P.S. I Love
You," a similar collection of his moth
er's thoughts and letters.
Despite his career as president and
creative director of an advertising
agency in Nashville, Term., he hasnt
abandoned "The List" (see "#942.
Don't trust your memory, write it
down"). He continued adding on and
when he reached 512 entries, one more
than the first volume had, he sent the
manuscript off to his son, who liked it
better than the first one.
"Volume II," starting with #512 and
ending at #1028, is not a sequel but a
continuation of practical advice and
touching reminders of what makes life
worth living. According to what
Brown told his son, the public can ex
pect a new installment of the instruc
tion book every two years.
Since he thinks often of his son at
school, many of Brown's tips are espe
cially suitable to the student set:
"#544.When you go to borrow mon
ey, dress as if you have plenty of it," and
"#696. Don't believe all you near, spend
all you have, or §leep all you want.- •
There are those on campus who
can't understand why "#643. Take the
stairs when it's four flights or less,"
isn't widely headed, especially in Ster
ling C. Evans Library. When lines'get
long at the Pavilion one wishes that
those in front were reading "#588.
Every so often invite the person in line
behind you to go ahead of you."
"Volume II" has a blue plaid cover .
to match the red plaid of the first vol
ume and will look nice on the book
shelf. It should make fans of the first
book, who include Katie Couric and
Ross Perot, very happy.
As the plaid cover says, the
thoughts contained inside are sugges
tions, observations, and reminders on
how to be happy and how to make
others happy.
You might think "I could have writ
ten this," but you didn't and Brown
did. It certainly isn't earth-shattering
stuff but giving credence to even a few
suggestions can give some clarity to
students preparing to embark on life's
journey.
Take for example: "#649. Don't con
fuse comfort with happiness," and
"#650. Doh't confuse wealth with suc
cess."
Didn't that just focus your priorities?
Even if it didn't, "Life's Little In
struction Book, Volume II" is a perfect
gift for a graduating senior because it
only costs $6 and it really is helpful.
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Feeling
like
this
lately?
Tired of studying?
Losing sleep?
Satisfied with your
CURRENT
study habits?
When Was The Last Time You UPGRADED your Reading Skills?
How Would You Feel if You Could:
Finish all your reading?
Improve your G.P.A.?
Get more sleep during finals?
Enjoy your break after semester is over?
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And
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Thur. Apr. 8 Rudder Rm. 501 5-6 pm or 7-8pm
Sponsored by: Alpha Delta Pi For more information call
Effective Reading Centers 268-0076
NOTICE
PHYS 202 bps been added to the list of courses to be taught in
Summer 1993. It will be a ten-week course with lecture and lab times.
Lecture: MWF 8-9:25 a.m. (ENPH 202)
Sect. SOTlab: MW 12-2:50 p.m. (HELD 217)
, Sect. 302 lab: MW 2-4:50 p.m. (HELD 217)
These sections are established on the SIMS system
and are available for student registration.
EFFECTIVE READING CENTERS
CONGRATULATES
Our first group of students who have REDUCED READING
TIME 50-60% and IMPROVED COMPREHENSION 20-30%
Bedia, Juan
Griffin, Brian
Pritchett, Sean
Bloomer, Pamela
Haile, Daniel
Ravn, Andrew
Bradford, Chris
Helms, Steven
Reed, Kim
Brice, Clinton
Hendricks, Chris
Robinson, Leslie
Bruns, Charlote
Holtam, Alishia
Rodriguez, Ruben
Callender, Jeff
Howie, Kim
Sanders, Tim
Chavarria, Robert
Jackson, David
Sharp, Neil
Cochran, Amy
King, Timothy
Sanchez, Francisco
Contreras, Elizabeth
Lehmann, Mark
Sien, Then
Crabbe, Clay
Lipaser, Steven
Stagemeyer, Tom
Cruthirds, Greg
Malone, Kevin
Stone, Scooter
Davila, Sandy
Maness, Karl
Sun, Adam
Dela Cruz, Anthony
Minch, Jeffery
Taylor, David
Doss, Todd
McRay, Teresa
Temple, James
Dunn, Hunter
Morse, John
Voss, Chris
Essma, Anthony
Nold, Ray
Voelkel, Tyson
Fanning, Christ
Oellrich, Stacey
Walker, Marth
Francis, Marc
Oglesbee, Robert
Walter, Chad
Ford, Roy
Paz, Maria
Walton, Erica
Garner, William
Phillips, Shanna
Whitesel, Dean
Goff, Brandon
Prindle, Justin
Wamack, Kevin
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