■HR
The Battalion
Thursday, June 17,1
Our hope, our future
Sports program offers guidance
social development to local kids
By MARGARET
CLAUGHTON
The Battalion
RICHARD DIXON/The Battalion
Christopher Thompson (front), Torrance Johnson, Kenneth Drones and Marco Joshua wait outside Medical
Sciences Saturday for a free physical. The youths are participating in the National Youth Sports Program.
R.C. Slocum football camp.
Lady Aggies basketball camp, golf
camp, baseball camp, tennis
camp- of all the summer pro
grams Texas A&M offers, one is
geared for a different group of
kids. The National Youth Sports
Program (NYSP) provides a free
summer sports camp for under
privileged youths 10 to 16 years of
age.
The NYSP works with institu
tions, such as Texas A&M, to pro
vide kids from low income areas
the opportunity to visit major uni
versity campuses. With the help
of the Texas A&M Department of
Health and Kinesiology, the local
NYSP camp works with youths
from Calvert and Hearne as well
as Bryan-College Station.
"Some of these kids have never
come on campus before this pro
gram," said Dr. Frank Ashley,
project administrator for the
NYSP. "By bringing them to the
university, we want to show them
'Hey, four to six years from now
you can come here and get an ed
ucation.'"
To be eligible for the NYSP
camp, youths must meet the Fed
eral poverty guidelines. Through
school counselors, low income
youths are identified and sent
NYSP applications.
"We learn to get
along with people bet
ter here and outside
the camp."
— Derrick Brooks,
Calvert High student
progrc
ad ski]
tion and skills development in
sports such as basketball, football,
soccer, golf and swimming. Each
camper can choose to participate
in three activities. Trained coach
es and student athletes supervise
the sports instruction.
Personal and social develop
ment is also a part of the camp
schedule. Each day, campers at
tend 45 minute enrichment ses
sions addressing topics such as al
cohol and drug prevention, nutri
tion, job responsibilities, sex edu
cation, and AIDS awareness.
"We can cover the topics that
the schools can't," Ashley said.
"Kids coming from economi
cally disadvantaged environments
are more likely to encounter prob
lems in these areas," said Ashley.
"We're really hitting the high risk
kids."
Campers attend the NYSP pro
gram from 1-5 p.m. everyday for
five weeks.
"The session is longer than
most summer camps," said Rose
Schmitz, education director for
the NYSP. "This makes it easie
for counselors to get closer to til
kids and make a real difference."
Counselors involve the kids
simulated job interviews an
gameshow scenarios to maintai:
the youths interests. Older youtl
perform educational skits fo
younger groups in the camp.
"They kids are more recepft
to their peers," Rose said.
Derrick Brooks, a 15-year
Calvert high student attendin
NYSP for the second year, said
though football is his favoril
part, the enrichment sessions a
fun as well.
"We learn to get along wi
people better here and outside tli
camp," Brooks said.
Guest speakers are anothi
part of the enrichment session
Fourteen-year-old Brandi Shaw,
second year camper with NYS1
said the most influential parte
her camp experience was a vis
from some female prisoners.
"A lot of people talk ton
about drugs and stuff," Shat
said. "But it makes you realize
can really happen. It changed
lot of peoples minds."
Support for the NYSP stem
from the U.S. Department
Health and Human Services am
the NCAA. With the help of fed
eral funding and the cooperatio;
of several major universities, tlii
NYSP has grown from two insti
tutions in its first year to 175to
day.
9\[ewfotl<i artist
John Qorha zoitC
perform Saturday
By MARGARET
CLAUGHTON
The Battalion
Get ready folks!
Folksinger-songwriter John
Gorka will perform Saturday,
June 19 at the Stafford Opera
House.
"His music is a little bit of
blues mixed with a little bit of
folk," said Kyle May, employee of
the Stafford.
Gorka uses his acoustic guitar
and deep baritone voice to sing
songs of both a serious and funny
nature. His lyrics address topics
ranging from the thoughtful and
heart wrenching, as in his song
"Semper Fi," a tale of a soldiers
prospects on coming home from
war, to the light hearted and hu
morous, as in his song "Prom
night in Pig town."
The Fort Worth-Star Telegram
calls Gorka's songs "subtle humor
with a razor sharp edge."
Gorka said his music was in
fluenced by artists such as Jim
Croce, James Taylor and Judy
Collins.
A&M media law professor finishes writing novel
Inspired by Grisham’s ‘The
Firm,’ professor creates media
story called ‘The Tape’
By JENNIFER SALCE
The Battalion
Folksinger John Gorka performs
Saturday night at Stafford.
f
Rolling Stone titled Gorka
"the preeminent male singer-
songwriter of the New Folk
Movement."
He won the 1984 New Folk
Award at the Kerrville Folk Festi
val.
His latest work, "Temporary
Road," was released last summer.
"Gorka's music is the kind you
can sit down and listen to," May
said, "I think the college crowd
will really enjoy it."
The Stafford Opera House will
open it's doors at 8:00 p.m.
Teaching media law isn't the only thing on
the mind of journalism professor Don E. Tom
linson.
After a year of juggling his career, personal
life, and other responsibilities, Tomlinson has
just finished writing a novel.
Tomlinson said the novel entails many as
pects of journalism such as media law, media
ethics and television journalism. It also touch
es on politics, government and human rela
tionships.
"The Tape" is about ethical and personal
decisions that have to be made when a little
girl unknowingly videotapes a couple plotting
to frame a congressman.
He said writers pull from their life experi
ences to develop the characters and the plot.
"I incorporated my life experiences outside
my profession and all the professional things
that I know and love," said Tomlinson.
His inspiration came from John Grisham's
novel, "The Firm." Tomlinson read the novel
fhursc
i
Informal
zations.
c
Rudder
1234.
Mondai
Starts at
clarinet;
Wheelei
Garrett,
Flaying
Dohnar
“Dow
Carnegh
For infoi
Friday -
pie Trio
Cor
continue
perform
The t
sprightl
evoked
Even if
your us
movem<
The f
tured v\
and Pa
more d
Mendel
also pro
Strau
for Vio
played
marvel*
well di
Harth, \
ter for 1
orchestr
concert,
Ne
on
BILL Y MORAN/The M*’
Texas A&M media law professor Don Tomilson recently finished writing a novel about little g
that unknowingly videotapes a couple plotting to frame a congressman.
last July.
"For the first time after reading a novel, I
said to myself there is nothing in here that I
could not have done," said Tomlinson.
Although he admits he may not be as good
a writer as Grisham, Tomlinson said he viewed
himself as having some similarities to him.
He said the writing and the ideas came easy
to him. The novel is about all the things that
he is comfortable writing about.
Tomlinson said writing the novel took a
tremendous amount of time out of his life. In
addition to teaching media law, Tomlinson is a
mediator and a legal consultant.
"I wear a lot of hats," said Tomlinson. "Bu
writing the book was a labor of love."
Tomlinson is searching for a literary a gen'
If encouraged by a literary agent, he said h*
would like to write another novel in the futurt
He said he is going to be patient and perse
vere.
"If you can't be patient and you aren't
ing to persevere, your chances of success art
slim to none," he said.
Tomlinson said he considers his noveli
great accomplishment.
"I saw the project through and I am proud
of it," he said.
O
Reviews
CHOMPING, STOMPING!
Spielberg scores again
By JOHN BAYLESS
The Battalion
Film
"Jurassic Park"
Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dem,
Jeff Goldblum and Richard
Attenborough
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Rated PG-13
Schulmann 6
Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and
Lex (Ariana Rhichards) confront a
Tyrannosaurus Rex in Steven
Spielberg's "Jurassic Park."
I stood in line for more than a
hour to see "Jurassic Park," won
dering if any movie, especially
one with this much hype, was
worth the wait. Well, it was
worth waiting for and it would
be worth waiting for again. AND
AGAIN. AND AGAIN.
Dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park"
live and breathe - they run and
move with smooth reptilian sinu
osity and are true to the "new"
vision of dinosaurs as quick, ac
tive creatures. They aren't the
See Jurassic/Page 5
Texas Music Festival, second concert
Delightfully splendid
Young’s new ‘Unplugged’ album
By BARBARA GASTEL
Special to The Battalion
Concert
Texas Music Festival
Sidney Harth, violin; David
Tomatz, cello; Timothy Hes
ter, piano and Erik Ralske,
French horn
Classical
Performed at Rudder Theater
lively close.
Abounding with memo
rable melodies and rhythms, this
well-known trio was performed
by violinist Sidney Harth, cellist
David Tomatz and pianist Timo
thy Hester. The three musicians'
individual playing as well as their
interaction made for an engaging
See Concert/Page 5
Composer Robert Schumann
was right about Felix
Mendelssohn's "Piano Trio No. 1
in D Minor, Op. 49".
Praising the trio, first per
formed in 1840, Schumann pre
dicted it "will still delight our
grandchildren and great-grand
children."
Such delight was apparent
Monday evening, when the trio
brought the second concert in this
year's Texas Music Festival series
at Texas A&M University to a
A timeless sensation
By JACQUELINE AYOTTE
The Battalion
Music
"Neil Young Unplugged"
Neil Young
Rock
Reprise Records
Album courtesy of Marooned
Records
Mary Macmanus/The Battalion
Monday night, violinist Sidney
Harth played an engaging
performance at Rudder Theater.
The only thing I missed while
listening to "Neil Young Un
plugged" was a cold beer from a
local bar. Nothing else could top
off the timeless sensation this mix
ture of songs from 1967 to 1993
creates in the mind of the listener.
Young has done it again. But
this time it's even better.
The "Unplugged" version of
his song, "The Needle and the
Damage Done" is a bit slower
than the original, but the fact that
it's done live gives a breath of life
to his long-lived classic. The gui-
'Neil Young's Unplugged' is
a lively return to the past.
tar sounds stronger, crisper, and
practically begs you to preserve
the moment.
Another famous tune by
Young, "Helpless," cries out to
you in that familiar way. With
the intensity of his harmonica, the
See Young/Page 5
or so it 1
lure. Ps'
therhooi
cribe to
dying, h
dme at t
No, tl
'BIC
Me
de
'T'S A
More
You c
Qood
4 PER
^ollege
Culp