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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1994)
ay 3,1994 Aggielife luesday, May 3, 1994 The Battalion Page 3 harbat. iity y ne,” d her ing d aspi- Tsonal ie,” r in ’age 5 A long-awaited degree r Member of Class of ‘78 to receive diploma this month By Margaret Glaughton The Battalion When Marsha Pugsley, Class of 78, married 2nd Lt. Tom Owen in 1977, she left her studies at Texas A&M and followed her new mate to Germany. Though the couple did not return to College Station for 15 years, Marsha never gave up her ambition to complete her theater arts degree at A&M. "I was never interested in at tending any other school,” Mar sha said. “I always hoped we would eventually come back to A&M.” In 1976, at the age of 20, Mar sha was a theater arts major from Fort Worth with 92 hours toward her degree. Also an active mem ber of Aggie Players, Marsha was performing in “Man of La Man cha,” the only Aggie Player pro duction ever performed in Rud der Auditorium, she said. She met her one and only during the production. He was playing a muleteer (rowdy, raucous man) and she was playing the barber. The two dated for six months. When Tom learned the army was transferring him to Germany, Marsha decided to follow him and they were soon married. While overseas, they had their two children Brent, now 16 and Lia, 14. For the next 15 years, the Owen family lived in Germany, Oklahoma and North Carolina. During their travels, Marsha held several different jobs. Kyle Burnett/TTie Battalion Tom and Marsha Owen met at A&M in 1976, were married and left College Station within a year. Fifteen years later, the Owens returned, allowing Marsha to complete her theater arts degree. “I’ve done everything except work in fast food,’ she said. “I’ve taught aerobics, worked at a fit ness center and worked overseas as a bank teller with 18 different currencies.” But as busy as she was, she still kept the hope of graduating from A&M. “I know she really regretted having to leave school,” said Tom, now a lieutenant colonel. “I felt bad about us having to leave. Honesdy, I didn’t think we’d ever come back.” But in 1992, Tom was trans ferred back to Bryan. And in the spring of 1993, Marsha finally got her chance to finish school. “We didn’t know how long I would be stationed here,” Tom said. “I knew she wouldn’t have time to go to school full time, so we tried to work it out so she would be able to complete her degree in two years.” Marsha jumped right back into the swing of things and said she has enjoyed not only coming back to school but rejoining the Aggie Players as well. “I love being back,” Marsha said. “I did the makeup for ‘Frankenstein’ and I was in ‘Pyg malion.’ I really enjoy being back. I wish there was some way I could keep doing it after I grad uate.” The only downside Marsha has experienced, Tom said, was the one math class she had to take. “I think it was tough because she hadn’t been in math for 15 years,” he said. “That was the one course that made her wonder if she should be back in school.” But in a matter of days, Marsha will complete her theater arts de gree, only 16 years behind sched ule. Whine & Cheese Batt columnists compile book of A&M experiences, reflections By Traci Travis The Battalion People think of the craziest things at 3 a.m. over a few glasses of wine and some cheese. Some graduates dream of selling everything they own, running off to Ja maica and opening their own coconut stand/used car dealership. But for three Battalion columnists, a little wine and cheese paved the road to a different sort of idea — compiling a book of their writings. The book, “Voices From A&M: A Survivor’s Guide To Love, Life. . . And The Pursuit Of Sanity,” is a collection of approximately 40 of the best columns that have run in The Battalion over the last couple of years, with an emphasis on this year’s columns. Toni Garrard Clay, a senior speech communication major and Battalion opinion page editor, said even though the idea for the book got its start over a bottle of wine, this frivolous atmosphere is not reflected in the work. “We have put everything we have into this,” Clay said, “and I think the final product will show it.” Several of the book’s columns are award winners, she said. Along with these are columns that have received the most response from students either through The Battalion’s Mail Call section or through personal contact with the author. Robert Vasquez, a senior journalism major and one of the book s authors, said students should be able to relate with the contents of the book. “There are students out there who are experiencing the same things we are — tests, deadlines, bills,” he said. “And it’s nice to hear from someone who is going through these same things and can laugh at them, or cry about them.” The subjects of the columns involve mostly A&M student experiences. How ever, they are not limited to just A&M, Clay said. Feducia Garrard Clay See Voices/Page 5 We offer Affordable, transferable classes Outstanding faculty Here's all you need to do: Pick up a schedule and application at any HCCS location Bring an unofficial transcript showing all college work to registration (grade reports from the spring are O.K.) Provide TASP scores or evidence of exemption MAKE THIS SUMMER A STEP TOWARD GRADUATION! Houston Community College System Call C-O-L-L-E-G-E Houston Community College System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or handicap. Xt'$ every Vs/ ^ iere yxy\x ‘WcTrit ^o be. © Visa U.S.A. Inc. 1994r