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The Battalion • Page 3
Rememberin
Ixhibit features campus through, student eyes
By Amy Collier
The Battalion
"magine returning to Texas A&M after a
20-year absence to find it has completely
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Eddy Wylie/ The Battalion
class, the preservation of campus buildings
has become a reality through artistic recre
ation.
The results are being displayed in “Re
membering A&M” in the J. Wayne Stark
University Center Gallery until May 13.
The exhibit features original drawings and
computer models by 54 first-year architec
ture students of various buildings and sculp
tures around campus.
Mary Saslow, professor of the class, said
the exhibit is a gift from her students to the
University that will benefit everyone.
“What my very talented students are do
ing is providing a show by students for stu
dents,” Saslow said. “This is a window on to
undergraduate life.”
When she assigned the three-week project,
Saslow said she gave her students the liberty
to choose what site on campus they wanted
to draw.
“I said to my students, ‘Why invest all of
this time and energy for three weeks of your
precious life to draw a place you don’t care
about?’ This is our show, done by our own
talented students, with their love of our Uni
versity as the subject,” she said.
This is the first time the Stark Gallery has
displayed work by A&M students, and
Saslow said there were several reasons why
she wanted this to be a first.
“We needed to honor our talented stu
dents,” she said. “We needed the rest of the
University to know that the architecture col
lege is here, and we wanted to have a show
on our campus that was about our campus to
attract people into the museum,” Saslow
Albritton Tower portrayals by Michael
architecture students in J. Wayne Stark
said.
Saslow
said the
students
were
brave to
display
their
skills.
“You
have to
see what
is actually
in front
of you,
which is
not easy,”
Saslow
said.
“The first thing I tell my students is, Tf you
don’t know how to draw, then you’re in the
right place.’ Before they know it, they can
draw an entire place.”
Chris Cashion, a sophomore environmen
tal design major, has a drawing of the Eter
nal Flame in the exhibition.
Cashion said he drew this sculpture be
cause it symbolizes what Texas A&M is all
about.
“It’s probably my favorite thing at A&M,”
Cashion said. “To me, it’s really neat to show
the traditions at A&M.”
Cashion said he hopes the exhibit will
broaden student’s perspectives about A&M.
“Hopefully, people will be inspired and want
to do more art and also see more things on
campus,” Cashion said. “People will hopefully
Eddy Wylie/ The Battalion
Fearl (upper left) and other pieces from first-year
’s presentation of “Remembering A&M.”
see all of the different views of campus.”
Robert Oldfather, a sophomore environ
mental design major, drew a picture of the
Administration Building for the exhibit.
“I like the area out there,” he said. “It’s a
good place to sit and study.”
Oldfather said he thinks it is fascinating
to see the different interpretations of the
campus.
“I always appreciate what other students
do, no matter what it is,” Oldfather said. “It’s
always interesting to see what other people
your age do.”
Saslow said she has high expectations for
the exhibit.
“I expect to see this museum full the next
time I’m here,” Saslow said. “If students
don’t come for this show, then there’s no
hope.”
Mediocre romantic comedy revives tale of a mythical lover
By Amy Collier
The Battalion
Don Juan DeMarco
Starring Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp,
Faye Dunaway and Bob Dishy
Directed by Jeremy Leven
Rated PG-13
Playing at Hollywood Cinema 16
★★★ (out of five)
Life would be full of love and pleasure if it was lived like the
world’s greatest lover Don Juan.
Set in Queens, N.Y., Don Juan DeMarco is a romantic comedy
about a 21-year-old man (Johnny Depp) who believes he is the title
character but is met by opposition in today’s society.
After seducing over 1,500 women, DeMarco is distraught over
the loss of his one true love and feels there is no longer a reason to
live.
He is discovered by the police while balancing on top of a bill
board high above a street. The masked, cloaked man with a raised
sword tells the police he is Don Juan, and he demands to be killed
in a sword fight.
Dr. Jack Mickler, played by movie veteran Marlon Brando, is cho
sen to be the doctor to persuade this deranged character to live.
Mickler is a burned-out psychiatrist who planning on retiring. But
he is intrigued by DeMarco’s case, has him committed and is al
lowed to examine his new patient.
During these long days, Don Juan recounts his magnificent tales
of adventure and romance, slowly convincing his doctor that only
the real person could recount such realistic and historical stories.
Don Juan’s attitude and outlook on life slowly rubs off on Mick
ler. The psychiatrist realizes how important love is and rekindles a
long-lost romance with his wife, Marilyn (Faye Dunaway).
The movie is light-hearted and cute, but ends up missing the
point. Most of the movie is filled with scenes of Don Juan scoring
with women all over the world, making it extremely repetitive.
The constant flashbacks between the past and the present are
tiring, and make the movie seem tedious.
Saving the movie are the performances by Brando, Dunaway and
Depp. They each have a great talent to play convincingly unrealis
tic characters without laughing.
Brando is great as a tired husband and psychiatrist. Adding to
his tired look was the pound of makeup covering his face. His chem
istry with Depp and Dunaway make his scenes entertaining.
Although the movie is about a man who believes he is someone
who no longer exists, the movie also tells the effective story of a
couple who can still find love after years of marriage.
Johnny Depp stars as Don Juan DeMarco (above).
Marlon Brando and Faye Dunaway (left) star as a mar
ried couple who rediscover the meaning of romance.
A. New Generation of Codntry Music
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Herndon plows path to success
By David Taylor
The Battadon
Ty Herndon
What Mattered Most
Epic Records
★ (out of five)
Every once in a while, an artist comes on the
radio who you are pretty sure to hear from
again. Here is a name for you that probably fits
the bill.
Ty Herndon’s debut album. What Mattered
Most, has just hit the stores. There is already a
buzz surrounding the title track, the first single
from the album.
Herndon claims that his strong first effort
comes from his own personal experiences. In a
press release, Herndon said, “There isn’t a song
on this album that I haven’t lived in some way
or another.” Herndon says the title track and
“Hat Full of Rain” hit especially close to home.
Ty Herndon was raised in Alabama and spent
time in Nashville, but like many new country
artists, he came to Texas to make it big. Hern
don has been playing Texas honky tonks for sev
eral years while spending most of his time in
Dallas.
Herndon’s album includes several uptempo
cuts like the Jim Croce classic "Don’t Mess
Around With Jim,” “I Want My Goodbye
Back,’’and “Love At 90 Miles an Hour.” Each of
these are solid and well suited to Ty’s voice.
Herndon’s real strength, however, is in his
ballads. “What Mattered Most” only scratches
the surface of his ability to convey feelings and
relate them to his listeners.
Such cuts as “Summer Was A Bummer,” “You
Just Get One True Love,” and especially, “Heart
Half Empty” are all great examples that will
probably do well on country radio.
Herndon has both a good voice and strong
musical skills. And Herndon’s stage presence
compares with Garth Brooks in his early days.
Brooks revolutionized country music with his
high energy concert style. Herndon is similar in
his ability to get the audience involved with his
emotional style.
This strong performance ability, combined
with Ty’s emotional voice, resulted in his being
honored as the 1993 Texas Entertainer of the
Year.
Herndon’s story includes a lesson to ambi
tious young performers. After being rejected
many times in Nashville, one person went so far
as to recommend, “Son, you go back to Alabama,
get on your little red tractor and stay there.”
Herndon decided to believe in his family
rather than this cynical critic and, as a result,
stuck with learning his trade.
What Mattered Most is proof that this road
was the correct one.
Old Enough reflects real life
By David Taylor
The Battalion
Wade Hayes
Old Enough To Know Better
Columbia Records
★ ★★ (out of five)
If country music owes its strong appeal to the
real-life stories found in its songs, Wade Hayes
has a bright future.
Country music demands that
new talents bring their own expe
riences into each song.
Hayes is no exception.
His unique style comes from his
upbringing in a strong musical fam
ily. Hayes’ father was a professional
musician who played in clubs all
over Oklahoma. This, combined with \|
some rock and blues, makes Hayes T
one of the new generation of country
talent who are pushing the borders of
the genre.
Good music has to be matched to
the voice. It naturally follows that
Hayes’ strongest songs on the CD are the three
written with his co-writer. Chick Rains. These in
clude his first two singles and “It’s Gonna’ Take a
Miracle.”
Many of the other songs do not seem appropri
ate to Hayes’ style. The exception being Hayes’
remake of the late Keith Whitley’s “Kentucky
Bluebird,” recorded with Patty Loveless.
Hayes seems to have a gift for relating to
many real-life situations. For example, any senior
who has gone out on Thursday despite having an
exam on Friday can see themselves in “Old
Enough To Know Better.” “Old enough to know
better / But I’m still too young to care.” he sings.
Hayes hits the rebound scene
in “I’m Still Dancing With You.”
He sings, “I could hold her in my
arms for the rest of the night /
But I’d just be leading her on.”
He concludes, “Even when I’m
holding someone new / I’m still
dancing with you.”
Country music traditional
ists will appreciate Hayes’
heavy use of slide guitars,
pedal steel guitars and fid
dles throughout the album,
not to mention his tribute to
Keith Whitley.
Those who enjoy “new coun
will be able to hear Hayes’ rock and
blues influences in songs like “Don’t Make Me
Com£ to Tulsa” and “Steady as She Goes,” which
was written by Brooks and Dunn.
Hayes’ strong style propels Old Enough To
Know Better into an album that represents a fine
first effort from an artist with an extremely
bright future.