The Battalion
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sivon from the streets
Volunteers, including students from Texas A&M,
make the Boys and Girls Club in Bryan a safe
place for area children to play, study and grow.
Page 3
Monday • January 27, 1997
Amy Dunlap, The Baitai ion
Markieth McGill plays foosball at the Bryan unit of the Boys and Girls Club.
By Melissa Price
The Battalion
T housands of kids across the
nation are picking up a Boys
and Girls Club membership
card instead of a gun or needle.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of
America, whose mission is to pro
vide a safe, fun environment for at-
risk youth, has continuously grown
in popularity and size since it
opened its doors to disadvantaged
children in the 1860s.
While clubs across the nation
join together to ensure a positive
place for kids, the Boys and Girls
Club of the Brazos Valley is making
a difference to the youth of Bryan-
College Station.
Angela Ware, director of educa
tion at the Bryan unit of the Boys
and Girls Club of the Brazos Valley,
said the purpose of the Boys and
Girls Club is to enhance the chil
dren’s lives socially, academically
and athletically. Ware said she
works at the Boys and Girls Club for
one reason — the kids.
“Wherever there is a child, that’s
where we’ll be,” Ware said.
For only $8 a year, children ages
6-18 can take part in the activities
that the club offers. Despite the low
cost of membership, no child is ever
turned away for financial reasons.
Children can play a variety of
sports such as basketball, flag foot
ball, pool and laser tag, but the ad
ministrators at the Bryan Unit stress
the importance of education as
well. Students have access to tutor
ing, a large library and a full-
equipped computer room.
Ron Rolett, executive director of
the Boys and Girls Club of the Bra
zos Valley, said he has been involved
with Boys and Girls Clubs since he
was six years old. He got involved
because it was convenient for his
mother to drop him off there when
she needed to run errands, but soon
Rolett found himself going there
every day after school.
Rolett recently visited the Little
Rock, Ark., Boys and Girls Club unit
he had gone to as a child. He then
realized how much the Boys and
Girls Clubs of America had done for
him and other children. He said the
reason the Boys and Girls Clubs of
America are so successful is be
cause of the people who wofk there.
“We have a caring, professional
staff totally dedicated to youth de
velopment,” Rolett said. “That is
what sets us apart from others. To a
lot of kids we serve, we may be the
one solid thing in their life.”
While some of the kids come to
the Boys and Girls Club of Biyan to
play sports and get help with their
homework, others come for differ
ent reasons.
Amanda Towell, a fifth-grader at
Kemp Elementary who has been
going to the Boys and Girls Club for
a year, said she loves going to enjoy
all the organization has to offer.
“The only thing I don’t like about
this place is that my mom picks me
up too early,” Towell said. “But there
are a lot of ftm games, and they have
good pickles in the snack bar.”
Patrick Austin, an eighth-grader
at Stephen F. Austin Middle School
who has been going to the Boys and
Girls Club for six years, said the Boys
and Girls Club of Bryan has done a
lot for him and his sister Patricia.
“It will keep some of the kids off
the street,” Austin said. “It is a good
place to go when you don’t have
anything else to do.”
Even though most of the chil
dren go to Boys and Girls Club for
a good time after school, one of
the main reasons the children at
tend because of the caring staff
and volunteers.
Traci Thomas, director of pro
gram operations at the Boys and)
Girls Club of Bryan, said working
there has given her a greater out
look on life.
“You may talk to 10 kids and
reach only one of them,” Thomas
said. “But that is one more child you
are helping.”
See Club, Page 4
rrow Mj
jcted Low
14°F
:sy of TAMSO f
Metzer's devotion helps steer Student Activities
score?
By Kimber Huff
The Battalion
G enerations of students pass
ing by the Student Activi
ties’ main desk have found
Mtiendly smile and a kind word
from Janie Metzer. Metzer has
3een the secretary and adviser for
he Student Activities office for al-
ost 20 years.
She began her career at Texas
J&M In 1978 because, as her chil-
Iren got older, she had less family
esponsibilities.
“I never-worked before because
got married young,” Metzer said.
So I went back to high school and
ooksome business courses.”
Metzer said a friend told her
bout an opening in the Student
Activities office, so she applied
md got the job.
Raising a family, working with
teighborhood children and teach-
ng Sunday School gave Metzer ex
perience with young people, and
nade her enthusiastic about get-
inga job at A&M.
“My expectations have been ex-
eeded,” Metzer said. “Working
ith students here has been the
ost fulfilling part of my life.”
Besides being the receptionist
for Student Activities, Metzer han
dles room scheduling for Student
Activities and composes the
monthly activity list. She also keeps
schedules for the yell leaders during
the summer. In addition, Metzer is
the secondary adviser to several
groups, including
Aggie Wranglers,
Tau Kappa and Sig
ma Phi Lambda.
Metzer said she is
constantly busy do
ing different things.
“That’s what
makes it so neat,”
Metzer said. “I
wouldn’t like doing
the same thing all
the time.”
Metzer said she
has seen many
changes in her job over the years
as the Student Activities office out
grew the MSC and the Pavilion, fi
nally moving to Koldus. However,
Metzer said the quality of students
attending A&M is one thing that
has not changed.
“They’re still just great kids,”
Metzer said. “I’ve always been im
pressed by their caring and
thoughtfulness. I see the same thing
as each generation comes up to
take over. We have a lot to be proud
of in our students.”
Metzer said she considered get
ting another job at one time, but
decided against it.
“It’s wonderful working for Dr.
Caroline Adaire. She
has always been
there for me. It’s a
joy working with
students. That’s why
I’ve stayed here,”
Metzer said.
Cody Bowman,
a senior animal sci
ence major, has
worked with Met
zer in the Student
Activities Office.
“She’s a wonder
ful woman,” Bow
man said. “She’s always got a nice,
cheerful smile when you walk in.”
John Bynum, a student worker
and a senior business major, said
Metzer has a great personality.
“She’s one of the sweetest peo
ple I’ve ever been around,” Bynum
said. “She pretty much loves every
body and knows everybody, and
everybody likes her.”
“She’s one of
the sweetest
people I’ve ever
been around.”
John Bynum
Senior Business Major
Bowman said Metzer tries to
cheer up students who are having
a bad day, and she always gives out
candy that she keeps on her desk.
He said Metzer is always helpful.
“You always know that if you
need anything, you can go to her,”
Bowman said.
Metzer said the best part of her
job is working with students and
talking about things that are going
on in their lives.
“I’m more like a mom to a lot of
them,” Metzer said. “I’ve always
enjoyed being there for them.”
Sometimes former students
come back to visit Metzer, bringing
their children or stories of new jobs.
“It’s really great to see how far
Aggies go,” Metzer said.
She said another great experience
at A&M was having a Fish Camp and
aT-Camp named after her.
Metzer said there is a common
thread running through all Aggies:
They always think about what
they can do to help others. She
said this contributes to the suc
cess of A&M graduates.
Overall, Metzer said she has
had a wonderful 18 years at A&M,
and the students are the best part
of the job.
Janie Metzer
has been the
Student Ac
tivities secre
tary and ad
viser for
nearly twenty
years. Stu
dents say
Metzer, who
also acts as
secondary
adviser to
several stu
dent organi
zations, goes
out of her
way to be
friendly and
helpful to
students.
Tim Moog, The Battalion
2ity Editor
Sports Eo* !
3|nion Editor
/eb Editor
i Editor
iartoon Edto-
, jn jhe Division
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"he Battalion
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