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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1994)
l X * Septemb, Tuesday • September 13, 1994 e r 13, Aggieltfe The Battalion • Page 3 r rin. Ostriches, emus nectn-neck in net’ meat industry Farm-raised birds served around state sr goal of being an of ic Corps was noik : the Corps. i ,,f | ne it withoiff/#/ ali said, “l.jkiitj They’re abouttrafr a real family." ie is pleased witiilii has made, ns have given meti ay in school twojeffi people,” Vessalist with everythingnf| school. I don’tb" aren’t here.” Stew Milne/TnE Battalion By Margaret Claughton The Battalion Chicken isn’t the only drumstick on the market anymore. Not only are os triches and emus big birds, but they’re big birds in the meat industry. And people with a taste for the new and nu tritious are flocking to eat them. Craig Morris, a graduate student in Texas A&M’s Department of Animal Science, said in a recent article that American consumers’ food preferences have changed in recent years, causing a major revolution in the meat industry. This revolution, he said, opens the window for new products, primarily os trich and emu, to establish themselves as meats of choice. “Many people are looking for some thing new,” he said. “And I think this may be what they are looking for.” The birds are expected to appeal to people because they are low in fat, high in iron, high in protein and taste more like a beef product than a poul try product. Many area ranchers have begun rais ing these birds in the hope that their meat will eventually become big sellers. In fact, Larry Ruffino, owner of Read- field Meats in Bryan, said approximate ly 60 to 70 percent of all emu breeders reside within a 100 mile radius of Con roe,Texas. Readfield Meats has processed 70 emus in the last year. Ruffino said he expects the number of processed birds to increase three or four times in the next year in response to the increased demand for the birds. Although both ostrich and emu are eaten throughout Texas, ostrich has gained more recognition and is found in more restaurants statewide. Ostrich meat is a rich red meat that appeals to beef lovers, Ruffino said. But unlike beef, ostrich meat is very low in fat. A recent article in American Ostrich magazine said a cut of ostrich similar to the eye-of-round cut of beef contains 2.74 grams of fat, while the beef con tains 6.51 grams of fat. The same quantity of chicken breast delivers 3.57 grams of fat. Penny Lynch, vice president of Tops Inc. which markets ostrich meat, said ostrich appeals to many health con scious people. “Especially the people who are trying to eat heart-healthy,” she said. “Some one who can’t eat beef will be able to eat ostrich because it is so low-fat.” In his article “Ostrich Meat Mar ket Challenges,” Morris said 60 per cent of consumers consider fat content the most signifi cant factor in influ encing health. Ostrich and emu are not only mar ketable for their nutritional attrib utes but for their taste as well. The Texas A&M University’s Ostrich Meat In dustry Develop ment Project con ducted a study in which four cuts of ostrich meat were compared to Choice beef top loin steak. Dr. Rhonda Miller, one of the researchers who conducted the study, said ostrich compared very well as far as flavor and tenderness. The National Culinary Review said ostrich has the potential to be “the pre miere red meat of the next century.” Chef Randall Warder of the Mansion on Turtle Creek restaurant in Dallas, said the taste of ostrich has been very well received by their customers. “People enjoy its taste and that it is low fat,” he said. “It tastes like a cross between beef tenderloin and venison, but it doesn’t have a gamy texture.” Warder said customers pay approxi mately $40 a piece for ostrich plates. Morris said the target markets for ostrich meat are the finer three, four and five star restaurants primarily be cause of its price. The price is high due, in part, to the cost of breeding the ani mals and slaughtering them. “We know it is an expensive product right now,” he said. “It is mostly for white-tablecloth restaurants. This type of low-fat clean cut meat, appeals, to The high income consumer.” Though both meats are somewhat in demand, Morris said they are not about Stew Milne/ l m Battalion to replace or even compete with beef or chicken in the meat industry. Although the American Meat Insti tute estimates Americans will con sume 6.93 million pounds of meat in 1994, the high retail price of ostrich will keep it out of the mainstream. According to Morris, beef, pork and chicken retail for $1 to $6 per pound while ostrich is somewhere between $20 to $30 per pound. Despite the success of ostrich, Ruffi no said he thinks emu meat will even tually be more widely accepted. “I think ostrich is a little more pop ular because it was the first market ed,” Ruffino said. “I think emu will get bigger however, because the animals are less wild and easier to raise.” He said he hopes emu and ostrich meat will become more popular so the local breeders’ hard work will pay off. “I’ve had ostrich ^in^Jt^was terrific,” he said. “And emu sausage made with 1/3 -pork is very tasty. I think it has good potential.” Koriyama students jump cultural hurdles 3e reading days, at . n Wednesday i ;dnesday. les will begin to Jan. 15, unless' Jr. Day falls ly. In that case/ i Monday and . Day will be obsef 7. eek of classes, Thur® on Tuesday, wedn® ill be reading days! on Friday and c:n: ■ Wednesday. By Jeremy Keddie The Battalion There are many adjustments students spending their first semester away from home must make, but for international students from Japan, adjusting may take a little more time, John Norris, director of the Koriyama Support Office said. "We do a lot of hand-holding and mother hen," Norris said. Norris, who received his doctoral degree in 1984 from Texas A&M, said there are about 230 students from Japan studying at A&M. To help prepare the international students to study abroad, A&M created a school in Koriyama in May 1990. Stu dents who wanted to study at A&M, spent their first year at Koriyama before coming overseas. Norris said the pro gram at Koriyama prepared the students for a higher education in the U.S., and also taught some of the traditions of First semester is hardest, director says A&M. Last fall the school had a bonfire for the students. "Many more of them knew what it meant to be a Texas Aggie than some of the typical freshman," Norris said. However, Norris said because of funding difficulties which were centered around Japanese politics, the school closed in August. Japanese students who want to study at A&M will now have to apply through the same process as other U.S. citizens. Norris said he admires the interna tional students for their courage. "When they chose to study abroad, they went totally against the grain," Norris said. He said students who studied abroad in the past would have difficulty in finding a job when they came back, but employers are now beginning to ac cept the trend. "I think they see the huge influence of Japan in the United States, if they have an employee that's bilingual they will hire them," Norris said. One of the biggest cultural changes these students face is their appetites, Norris said. "Making the adjustment to American food is difficult for them," Norris said. He said many of the students are used to eating dishes with rice two to three times a day. For such reasons, many of the Japanese students who live on campus choose to cook their food, rather than eat at the dining halls. Learning to be comfortable with the mannerisms of American students also is difficult, he said. Norris said most Japanese students tend to be quiet and to them, American students seem loud, boisterous and informal. However, Izumi Mitsumoto, a 21- year-old A&M student, studied at Ko riyama before coming here. "American students are friendly, and I think that is good," he said. A majority of students have said that dorm life is noisy, and most would prefer to move out, Norris said. And moving out may not be as much as a problem for them as it is to Americans. But Mitsumoto said he feels proud to be studying here. He said his parents are worried about his medical care and safety, but believed that it would be good for him to study here. "Perhaps Japanese companies will hire me because of English," he said. The cost of an international educa tion Norris said, is 10 times greater for the Japanese students than it is for stu dents from Texas. But it is still less ex pensive than it is in Japan. "Here, everything is so inexpensive for them ," Norris said, "they can buy anything at a fraction of what it costs in Japan. He said that most Japanese students do not want to be singled out, and are embarrassed when it happens. Norris said they are not accustomed to receiv ing awards as individuals, but rather in groups. "There's a saying in Japan," Norris said. "The nail that sticks up gets ham mered down." Despite the adjustments to Ameri can cuisine and attitudes, many of the students said an American education may help them in their Japanese careers. ON chief , Opinion editor .NE, Photo editor R, Sports editor ^ggielife editor Stephanie Dube, Stacey esser, Angela Neaves, Susa" slam, Jennifer Montiel, aby, Tim Moog, Gina mpson r Gressett and Jeremy ;a, Aja Henderson, Erin Hit Seorge Nasr, Elizabeth Pr# Dakley nelle Oleson iy during the fall and spring axcept University holidays^ College Station, TX //EM onald Building, TexasAiW A&M University in the . Editorial offices are inOli sroom phone number is fH- ndorsement by The Baltalf' dassified advertising, call aurs are 8 a.m. to 5 p.n. Stereotypes plague ‘A Good Man in Africa’ Oscar-winning director disappoints with new movie By Anas Ben-Musa The Battalion “A Good Man in Africa” Starring Colin Friels, Sean Connery, John Lithgow, Diana Rigg and Louis Gossett Jr. Directed by Bruce Beresford Rated R Playing at Hollywood 16 * 1/2 (out of five) When a director has two Oscar winners (Sean Connery and Louis Gos sett Jr.), a two-time Oscar nominee (John Lithgow) and a Tony award win ner (Diana Rigg), it’s a great opportu nity to create a quality film. So what can go wrong with a such cast in the film “A Good Man in Africa?” Well — everything! Director Bruce Beresford man ages to create a film full of stereotypes and old cliches, which is unusual for Beresford, who directed the Oscar win ning film, “Driving Miss Daisy,” a poignant film that broke down many stereotypes with its rich characters. But with “A Good Man in Africa,” the characters are shallow, and little or nothing is known of their past or what they feel in the present Based on the acclaimed novel by William Boyd, “A Good Man in Africa” is a story of political intrigue and how one man can change a nation. Mid-level British diplomat Mor gan I^eafy (Colin Friels) is frustrated about his career in the small west African nation of Kinjanja. His only passion is alcohol and women. And that’s how his career takes a turn for the worse. The British High Commissioner Arthur Fanshawe (John Lithgow) orders Leafy to befriend soon-to-be Kinjanja president, Profes sor Sam Adekunle ( Louis Gossett Jr). The British want exclusive rights to large oil fields that have been discov ered on the coast of Kinjanja. Leafy tries talking to Adekunle, but he only succeeds with Adekunle’s wife, Celia. That’s when things get a little messy. Leafy gets caught in bed with president-elect’s wife, Celia Adekunle (Joanne Whalley- Kilmer). Adekunle gives Leafy an ultimatum. Leafy needs to “con vince” Dr. Alex Murray (Sean Con nery) to pass a plan to construct new buildings at the local universi ty or else. Unfortunately, Leafy cannot bribe Murray. He is the “Good Man in Africa,” a man of virtue and strong moral character. He refuses to help Leafy because it would make Adekunle a rich man. With such an intriguing sto ryline, there is potential for a qual ity film. But the movie is plagued with stereotypes, stereotypes, stereotypes — boring, pompous British diplomats, superstitious, ignorant-looking Africans and sex- crazed women who all want Leafy. Beresford succeeded with “Driving Miss Daisy,” but he didn’t Alex Murray (Sean Connery) examines a young patient in the do anyone a service with A Good „ -i n /r • k r • » Man in Africa ” Gramercy Pictures release, A Good Man m Ainca.