Page 4
The Battalion
Thursday, June 3,1993
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By MARGARET CLAUGHTON
The Battalion
The sounds of Mozart, Beethoven and
Strauss will soon fill the air as distinguished
artists from around the world perform at
Texas A&M during the Texas Music Festival
Chamber Concerts.
"The essence of chamber music is it's indi
viduality and intimacy," said the Coordinator
of the Music Festival Werner Rose. "The inter
action of the players makes the music more
personal."
The concerts are scheduled for June 7, 14,
21, 28 and July 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Rudder The
ater. Performers such as Ray Still, world
renowned oboist of the Chicago Symphony;
Parisian Harpsichordist, Brigitte Haudebourg
and award winning cellist, Takayori Atsumi,
will perform challenging masterpieces by cele
brated composers in the traditional chamber
music fashion.
"We hope people will experience the plea
sure of chamber music during these concerts
and enjoy the different messages it sends,"
Rose said.
The chamber music concerts began in the
Houston area as the Lyric Art Festival pro
gram organized in conjunction with the Hous
ton Museum of Fine Art. The program ex
panded to Bryan/College Station in 1988
when the Texas A&M College of Liberal Arts
affiliated with the Festival to present five
weekly summer concerts. In 1990, the Lyric
Art Festival became the professional Chamber
Music Series of the Texas Music Festival, a
program providing pre-professional training
on the University of Houston campus to gifted
young orchestral musicians and pianists.
Members of the Festival staff include guest
artists, conductors, and members of the Hous
ton Symphony, all of whom perform in the
Chamber music programs.
The Brazos Valley Medical Center has pro
vided a grant annually to sponsor the concerts
in Bryan/College Station since 1990. Addi
tional financial support from the Arts Council
of Brazos Valley, the Texas Commission on
the Arts, and the University Honors Program
has helped provide this chamber music per
formance to families and young people
throughout Bryan/College Station.
The Texas Music Festival Chamber Concerts will host in the next five
weeks such prominent artists as Ray Still, oboe; Sidney Harth, violin;
Brigitte Haudebourg, harpsichord; Jorge Velazco, conductor and
Fredell Lack, violin. —Check Around Town, page 5, for first concert.
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Volunteer program helps new international students adjust to a new world, new
By JENNIFER SALCE
The Battalion
For international students,
coming to Texas A&M not only
means dealing with registration
and other common student prob
lems, but living in a different cul
ture, a different country.
"It is a shock to come to a new
country when you don't know
anything," said Tushar Desai, a
former student from India.
"You have to learn to adjust to
simple things like the money sys
tem here. It is a total new world
and new culture. Everything is
different."
With the help of volunteers, the
Texas A&M International Student
Orientation program helps newly-
arrived international students
deal with their transition.
"The volunteer program is a re
assuring point of contact to newly
arrived internationals," said Julie
Cain, the staff assistant of the In
ternational Student Services. "It is
"You have to learn to adjust to sim
ple things like the money system
here. It is a total new world and
new culture. Everything is differ
ent."
Tusher Desai, former student
"The volunteer program is just a
start for the internationals to make
friends and feel comfortable here."
— Julie Cain,
staff assistant for International
Student Services
a way for them to come into con
tact with other nationals who can
share experiences such as adapt
ing to new cultures, campus life
and other local activities."
Desai said he likes to volunteer
because he enjoys interacting with
foreigners. Desai attended the
Fall 1990 orientation and has been
a volunteer since the Spring of
1991.
This summer, Desai was in
volved with the campus tours and
the welcome party. He said he
thinks the orientation and check
in assistance is very useful for the
new students.
The students are informed on
issues that range from banking,
buying cars, shopping and the
slang here in the United States,
Desai said.
"In India, we use cash to buy
everything," Desai said. "So, it
was difficult learning about check
ing."
Claudio Sousa, a graduate stu
dent from Brazil, said he volun
teers because he wants to'give the
new international students the
help and attention that he was
given when he came to Texas
A&M in 1992.
"It is scary in the beginning,"
Sousa said. "There are many lan
guage and cultural barriers. But
as time goes on barriers are bro
ken."
Sousa said, although they may
not realize it now, the orientation
is very important for the students.
He said they are given a great
amount of information and by the
middle of die day it is easy to be
lost and confused.
Keeping your own culture is
important, Sousa said. He also
said it is equally important to cre
ate and become a part of the
American culture.
"The orientation is a way for
the students to begin to under
stand the differences between
what you were and you are going
to be," Sousa said.
Desai said that the internation
al students should try to have an
open mind.
"Things are very different here
than in other countries," Desai
said.
"The people here are friendly.
They say 'howdy' to strangers. So,
just return the gesture."
Sousa encourages the new stu
dents not to miss the international
week activities. He said that the
new students should participate
in everything available to them,
"You learn to realize that your
not so different from other peo
pie," Sousa said. "Keep knocking
the doors and you will find the
answer to your questions."
The summer international
dent orientation provided services
to approximately 95 international
students, Cain said. She said the
volunteers helped the students
with their immigration checkin
and their registration.
Approximately 20 volunteers
were available for the students to
give campus tours, take them
shopping and answer questions
about life at Texas A&M.
International Student Orienta
tion Week concluded on May 21
with a welcome party organized
by the-vblunteersl
"Students are encouraged to
continue getting involved with in
ternational associations," Cain
said. "The volunteer program is
just a start for the internationals to
make friends and feel comfortable
here."
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Little humor, dialogue
hinder Stallone s ascent
By JOHN A. BAYLESS
The Battalion
"Cliff hanger"
Starring Sylvester Stal
lone, Michael Rook
er, Janine Turner
and John Lithgow
Directed by Renny Harlin
Rated R
Playing at Cinema III
Sylvester Stallone stars in the
new action thriller, "Cliffhanger."
Sylvester Stallone's
"Cliffhanger," has every
thing a die-hard action fan
could want — bullets,
blood, and two hours of
testosterone-induced hys
teria.
If you're a Sylvester
Stallone fan, and liked his
"Rambo" movies, this is
more of the same.
Although the movie
did have a few low points,
it is worth seeing, if only
for the scenery and stunts.
The movie was partial
ly shot on location in the
Italian Alps, and the
scenery is spectacular.
The special effects were
done with the aid of a
new IBM computer sys
tem, which merged shots
of the Alps and studio
footage. It's easy to forget
Stallone isn't really dan
gling over bottomless
chasms or scaling vertical
rock faces.
Renny Harlin, the di
rector of "Die Hard 2,"
provides "Cliffhanger"
with the same fast and fu
rious action which made
"Die Hard 2" a mega-hit.
Unfortunately, the movie
lacks the element which
made both "Die Hard"
movies great — the hu
morous dialogue of Bruce
Willis. Dialogue in
"Cliffhanger" is sparse
See 'Cliff'/Page 5
Coont’s new novel is good, but not perfect
‘Red Horseman falters from lack of detail
By JOHN BAYLESS
The Battalion
"The Red Horseman"
By Stephen Coonts
Previous works: "Flight of the Intruder," "Under
Siege" and "The Minotaur"
Pocket Books, $23.00
"The Red Horseman," Stephen Coonts' latest espionage
thriller, contains almost all the elements that made his four pre
vious works of fiction bestsellers. But something's missing.
Coonts weaves a tense tale of suspense which places his hero
Jake Grafton in the midst of a plot involving the CIA, Saddam
Hussein and the remnants of the Soviet military elite.
Grafton, in charge of a mission to monitor the destruction of
Soviet missiles, uncovers a web of intrigue which reaches far
outside the bounds of the former Soviet Union. Grafton and his
sidekick Toad Tarkington must act to keep the warheads off the
See Coonts/Page 5
Stephen Coonts wavers in his latest
novel, 'The Red Horseman."
No sugar and spice
for McKone’s debut
By JACQUELINE
AYOTTE
The Battalion
"Vivienne McKone"
Vivienne McKone
Rhythm and Blues
slyGrai
PofyGram Label
Vivienne McKone's
voice is soft and sexy.
But, on the whole. I'm
afraid there's only one
way to describe her first
album, "Vivienne McK
one" — oatmeal with
out sugar.
Produced by Stewart
Levine (Simply Red), the
album is good , but
there's something miss
ing.
The songs don't
sound a bit overdone.
They come from Vivi
enne's heart; however, it
seems like every song
sounds exactly like the
first.
The first song, "Sing,"
is a subtle upbeat jazzy
tune that makes you re
ally listen to her delicate
voice. The only problem
is the background music.
Though strong in the be
ginning with that good
See McKone/Page 5
Long creates vivid character
Great ending saves
‘Made in America’
By JACQUELINE AYOTTE
The Battalion
"Made in America"
Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson, Will Smith
and Nia Long
Directed by Richard Benjamin
Rated PG-13
Playing at Cinema III
Soft and sexy voiced
McKone debuts her new
album.
Vivienne
self titled
I hated the painfully stupid beginning of
"Made in America." But I forced myself not to
abandon my popcorn, and stuck around. And
Tm glad I did because by the end of the movie I
wanted to hug the screen.
"Made in America" is not about black vs.
white. It's about love, family, and sperm. Yes
sperm. Sometimes it's the simple things in life
that can make people so miraculously color blind.
Sarah Mathews (Whoopi Goldberg) is an
independent and free-spirited African bookstore
owner who has to explain to her daughter, Zora
(Nia Long) that she was conceived by artificial in-
(L-R) Ted Danson, Nia Long, Whoopi Goldberg
and Will Smith (aka Fresh Prince) star in "Made
in America." I
semination.
This is where the sperm comes in — Hal Jack-
son (Ted Danson), a crazy "white" used-car sales
man.
Danson is adorable and being a "Cheers" fan,
it was difficult to listen to Danson try to talk with
a Southern accent while wearing a tacky cowboy
outfit. I started to miss Sam Malone, but after a
while, a deep admiration for Hal's character grew.
When the Hal and Sarah first meet, it's pure
See 'Made'/Page 5
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