Thursda)
mm
S < *«%r vr .-'■“W
Page 4
The Battalion
Thursday, July 22,1993
MARYMACMANUS/The Battalion
Dr. John Cairney (left), assistant professor at Texas A&M's department of forest science, A&M staff member
Maria Magallanes-Cedeno and Dr. Ronald J. Newton, A&M physiologist, examine some plantlets.
Stronger Trees
A&M researchers identify
drought stress defense genes
By MARGARET CLAUGHTON
The Battalion
Approximately 250,000 Texans transport, sell or
directly use wood products in their businesses. In
fact, timber is one of Texas' top three cash crops.
Southern pines comprise almost 100 percent of
the Texas timber crop. Each year, millions of dollars
are lost when trees are damaged or killed.
A group of Texas A&M professors involved in a
pine biotechnology program are working to develop
southern pine trees more resistant to drought stress.
About 25 percent of all pine seedlings planted in
Texas die annually. Half of those seedlings die from
drought alone.
The three-year-old program has generated re
markable results. Scientists have isolated a number
of genes "switched on" as part of the defense and re
pair response in trees.
Dr. John Cairney, molecular biologist in the A&M
department of forest science, explains that certain
genes are "switched on" when a plant is under stress
to help the plant tolerate whatever stress is experi
enced.
The genes that encode stress related proteins are
identified, isolated and can eventually be transferred
to genetically alter less tolerant trees.
"Results in our lab show it is possible to transfer
genes of choice and generate a genetically altered
tree with enhanced tolerance," Cairney said.
Once the preferred genes are isolated, they can be
introduced into a cell with a gene gun, thus geneti
cally altering that particular cell. The cell then must
be grown into a tree plantlet.
The program has developed a quick efficient way
of growing trees to speed up the research process.
Normally, cross-pollination is used to genetically al
ter trees. In order to successfully complete the
cross-pollination process, however, trees must reach
sexual maturity, which usually occurs in seven to 14
years. Scientists in the pine biotechnology program
have figured out a way to grow a pine plantlet in the
lab. This process takes about eight months.
The important genes have been identified and
plantlets can be grown in the lab. Thus, the program
is ready' to combine the two achievements.
"We're at a stage right now where all the technol
ogy is developed," said Dr. Ronald Newton, physiol
ogist in the A&M department of forest science.
"Now it's a question of tying it all together."
Genes involved in drought tolerance have been
found to play a role in fungal and insect resistance as
well.
Fusiform rust disease and damage from the
southern pine beetle are the second and third most
common causes of pine tree deaths. Pine beetle dam
age alone cost $50 million in 19850.
"Many stresses 'switch on' similar genes," Cairney
said. "We can apply the knowledge from the drought
study to other stresses such as fungus or beetles."
The pine biotechnology program was initiated by
Temple Inland Company and Texas A&M. It has re
ceived three grants from USDA.
Dreyfu;
By J
“Another
Starring I
Directed 1
Rated I’G
Starts pla
My ex pi
when 1 v\
Stakeout."
another rt
order of "
"Naked Gi
would any
movie six;
But I w
by this filn
the best co
As a Di
tainly bio
lease, "Ho*
Chris L<
and Bill R
are two ha
surveillanc
tion of As:
Gina Garn
A battle
O Play
eviews
701 North Mi
July 22, 23
Tim Kelly.
hJder Tbeati
July 23-25
-dinner s
matinee —
A mystery or a comedy?
StageCenter’s 'Slack Abbot' shows off local talent with silly script
By JACQUELINE AYOTTE
The Battalion
"Mystery of the Black Abbot"
By Tim Kelly
Starring Steve Mize, Scott Kelly, Connie
Ricks and Stephen C.E.S. Wilson
Directed by Amy Elizabeth Smith
at Bryan's StageCenter Community
Theatre, 823-4297
Playing £
Like a game of "Clue," "The Mystery of
the Black Abbot" offered riddling charac
ters, wondrous mystery and the need to
ask yourself the inevitable question, "Did
the butler do it?"
The only drawback to the mysterious
ness was trying to figure out whether this
play was a comedy or a mystery.
When the audience reacted to the
bloodiest scenes of the play with a storm
of laughter rather than a crash of fearful
screams, I wondered if the play intended
to be humorous.
If this was purposely meant to happen,
I can sense the actors were picked with
care. Otherwise, it would be quite a
shame to see such talent wasted on a blood
curdling, corny script.
The play is set in the Chelford manor,
home of the very curious and very preoc
cupied Englishman, Harry Alford (Steve
Mize.) The manor is haunted by the ghost
of a murdered abbot and the ghost stories
interest Harry so much, he refuses to leave
his huge mansion. Obsessed with finding
ancient treasure buried on the estate, Har
ry constantly studies maps and books to
find out more.
He wants this treasure, but could care
less about finding gold. Life water, a mir
acle medicine from the Aztec is what Har
ry wants - not his secretary Mary's (Aly
Harding) flirtations or his fiancee Leslie's
(Mauria Finley) attention. He's even too
naive to realize that all his half brother
Richard (Stephen C.E.S. Wilson) wants is
to get his hands on the ancient treasure.
One night the abbot strikes and kills
Harry, leaving a mystery to be solved and
a number of new characters to lead the au
dience into the going on of Chelford
Manor. And yes, this includes the going
on of the "late" Harry.
The setting for the entire play took
place in a plain English living room. I
sensed the look of old money right away,
with the typical grandfather clock, wood
en furniture, and printed carpet. The most
interesting feature of the set was a secret
doorway the audience discover the same
moment the characters do.
The actual playing out of Harry's death
was both embarrassing and funny. The
blood looked as fake as paint and the
struggle was worse than a 70's western
movie. The audience laughed aloud rather
than screamed once the maid saw the mur
der and let out a deafening scream.
Luckily, the laughter turned to curiosity
as the mystefy of each scene prevailed.
Each character, with his/her own distinct
English personality, unraveled the clues
scene by scene.
The "late" Harry was played out with
such wonderfully peculiar enthusiasm,
Mize began to fool the audience as well as
the other characters.
Richard's character started out weak,
but suddenly transformed into a believ
able greedy English crook.
Connie Ricks plays the part of Ms. Lyn
wood, the estate's appraiser. Her seem
ingly insignificant role does not hide her
impeccable talent for playing the curious
yet quiet, beautiful businesswoman.
The biggest roar of laughter went for
Kelly's performance of the charmingly
dry, bearded English detective. Monkey
Puttier. His limp adds to his roughness,
his accent is utter perfection, and even his
name will make you chuckle. This man
can really act.
Haight played Leslie's brother Arthur
with such obvious energy, everything he
said and did forced out a laugh.
Despite the confusion between corn and
true grit, the actors made up for it in their
performance.
"The Mystery of the Black Abbot"
could have been done more professionally,
but with the amount of effort coming from
local volunteering actors, the talent dis
played was a success in itself.
M
hr more in foi
'Chinese !
Review
1 “Cotto
Time
Idle Hair
'“ConeJ
starring
"Saturda
'“Poet j
of on Aft
R&B/Pop
NICOLE ROHRMAN/The Battalion
Richard Alford (Stephen C.E.S. Wilson, left), half brother of Harry Alford (Steve
Mize) wants the treasure of Chelford Manor and will stop at nothing to get it.
^Restaurants
Aggie land’s piece of Chinese cuisine
Confucius offers wide range of delicacies
By JOHN BAYLESS
The Battalion
Confucius Chinese Cuisine
Chinese Food
The owner of Confucius Chi
nese Cuisine and his family emi
grated from Taiwan to the U.S.,
and brought with them their
knowledge of Chinese foods.
Since Taiwan is inhabited by' peo
ple from many different parts of
China, a wide range of cooking is
practiced there. And food from
many regions of China is also
served at Confucius.
Inside, the restaurant is rela
tively spacious, with room around
ANGEL KAN/The Battalion
the tables. There are tables sized to
fit any group, from two to ten peo
ple. The lights are dim, and the
walls are decorated with reproduc
tions of art by Chinese masters.
I tried several dishes at Confu
cius, and enjoyed them all. The sub
gum fried rice (a mixture of pork,
shrimp, and chicken fried rice) was
very tasty, and there were gener
ous quantities of meat in it.
The second plate I sampled
was Kung Po beef. Kung Po beef
is labeled "hot and spicy" on the
menu, and they're serious. It put
the hottest Mexican food I've ever
had to shame. Whoooo!
Another dish I tasted was
chicken with cashew nuts. It was
also excellent, if a little heavy on
the cashews and light on chicken.
Soup comes with most meals at
the restaurant. I had the opportu
nity to try two types, the egg-drop
See Chinese/ Page 5
o
Cavitt Street Grill and Beer Garden offers offbeat, at ease atmosphere
No nicknames, just a good ole’ hamburger
By MARGARET
CLAUGHTON
Tire Battalion
Cavitt Street Grill and Beer Garden
Burgers &: fries
All right, burger lovers-you
need to check out the Cavitt Street
Grill and Beer Garden. This is not
your average cheesy burger joint.
No nicknames like moo-burger
deluxe or Mcburger juniors. If you
want a hamburger, you ask for a
hamburger. Cheeseburger? Same
thing. This is an old fashioned no
nonsense beef bar and grill. The
patties aren't the skimpy beef pan
cakes served in the fast food world.
These are honest chunks of beef on
a nice thick bun.
The french fries are crunchy
and crinkled. These accordion
like chunks of potato are crisp, but
not greasy. Don't ask for french
fries though; at Cavitt Street they
are potatoes by no other name.
The atmosphere of Cavitt
Street is quite original. Artwork
ranges anywhere from a glossy
Elvis picture showing the olu
Elvis, the young Elvis, and the
one in between, to an unknown
artist's interpretations of Joe Mon
tana, James Dean, and Randy
Travis. The prize, however, must
be the picture of JFK surrounded
See Burgers/ Page 5
mm
$
MOi