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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1997)
Mnn(l;iv • October 13, 1997 Tibet's strength lies in its production Seven Years in Tibet Starring Brad Pitt Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud Rated PG-13 Playing at Hollywood 16 ★ ★★ (out of five) iOLLOM/ts jildsaloj: By Aaron Meier Lifestyles editor he new political drama, Seven Years in Tibet, is a perfect example of the Hol- ^vood production machine in tion. It has a glorious romance at ends tragically, exotic loca- ns and a fifty-year-old mystery uncovered, and that is just the production of the film. ■ For those people who live in a vacuum where no entertainment i^ws exists, or for those people 10 have enough of a life to not ve to stay up until 2 a.m. itching Bob Goens shake his id uncontrollably on "Enter- Hinment Tonight,” here is the saga of Tibet. I First, the former first couple of Hollywood, Brad Pitt and (livyneth Paltrow, broke off their engagement during production pf this film. ■ Then, the production of the movie was forced to film the eath-taking mountain scenes the Andes Mountains as op posed to the Himalayas. Finally, the main character of Tibet, Hein rich Harrer, was discovered to have been a member of Hitler’s S.S. while he lived in Austria. All this press and the movie hadn’t even finished filming yet. A textbook example of Hollywood in a feeding frenzy. Under this whirlwind of media hype and shattered hearts lies a story of political struggle that will outlast Bob Goens and Mary Hart both. Seven Years in Tibet tells the sto ry of Harrer, an Austrian mountain climber, who escapes from a British POW camp in India during World War II. He then flees to Tibet where he befriends and tutors the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists. Behind this tragic political backdrop, lies the story of a man who must make a journey to find himself. Pitt, once again, breaks out of the limits of the “Sexiest Man Alive,” and proves he is the pre mier actor of the ’90s. In Tibet, Pitt adopts an Austrian accent with as much ease as Meryl Streep or Dustin Hoffman. How ever, anyone can watch old episodes of “Hogan's Heroes” and copy an accent. Pitt gives depth to the tradi tionally stoic Teutonic people. Harrer is a complex man with an internal anger and broken spirit to boot. Not many actors could portray that anger and pain in such a reserved manner, but Pitt gives the anger a face. The screenplay for Tibet is hauntingly beautiful. While writer Becky Johnston sometimes paints the Tibetan people as overly-simple, she does give sev eral characters texture and soul. Please see Tibet on Page 9. Lifestyles Health Nuts Local businesses offer a variety of healthier foods By Chris Martin Staff writer C ollege may be the best place for people to feed their brains, but often the body is neglected in the process. When time becomes a precious commodity, taking the time to eat regularly and healthy goes the way of the McLean Deluxe burger. Many students eat unhealthy food because it is convenient. Late night pizza delivery and drive- through tacos form the nutritional foundation for a busy body. Junk food is cheap and readily available for everyone’s most vulnerable times. While eating healthy may seem to be a difficult and time consuming route, Bob Atkins, who co-owns the Brazos Natural Foods with wife Janis Atkins, said the time spent creating a healthy diet can be worth it. “If you want to begin a healthier diet, jump right in,” Atkins said. “It will pay dividends now, and even more in the future.” Students may often find it diffi cult to know exactly how to begin eating right. Atkins said that variety is the main ingredient in a healthy diet. “Eating a variety of foods will cov er a large base of nutrients,” said Atkins. “Add more fruits and vegeta bles, particularly raw ones. Subtract fried foods, processed foods, soft drinks and most dairy products. They do have good marketing, but don’t necessar ily do a body good.” Atkins said marketing plays an important role in what foods stu dents decide to eat. “Most foods on the supermarket shelves are designed for marketing, rather than nutrition,” Atkins said. “Processing depletes and destroys most of the nutrients that were built into the food.” When it comes to choosing u Most of the foods on the supermarket shelves are designed for marketing rather than nutrition.” Bob Atkins Co-owner of Brazos Natural Foods healthier foods in the supermarket, Atkins said it is always a good idea to read the labels. “If the list of ingredients makes the food look like it came from a chemistry lab, then you want to avoid it,” Atkins said. “Those chemi cals aren’t there for nutritional value, A couple from Austin stop at the Farm but for shelf life. It can sit there for months, and the bugs won’t even eat it. If there’s nothing in there that the bugs want, then there’s nothing in there for you.” When it comes to finding healthy food choices in the area, Atkins said a little looking around can yield high gains. “In Bryan and College Station, finding alternatives isn’t easy,” Atkins said. “Try to choose foods that aren’t fried or processed. Choose whole grain breads rather than enriched. Nature was a much better food de signer than Nabisco.” Price may also be a concern for students who want to eat healthy. Atkins said although organic foods may cost more, they are of bet ter value to the body in the long run. Susan Cheney of Vegetarian Times, a national magazine for veg etarians, recommends a little extra care in selecting basic fruits and veg etables at the supermarket. “If possible, choose organically grown over picture-perfect produce that is full of chemical sprays and waxes,” Cheney said. “Fresh produce is always preferable. The less time that elapses from field to market, the more flavor and nutrients.” If shopping for organic foods at the far mer’s market sounds too time- consuming or costiy, students may RONY ANGKRIWAN/The Battalion Patch for fresh fruits and vegetables. opt to try one of the quick health bars around town. Leyenda’s Fruit Juice Bar offers freshly squeezed orange juice and smoothies made with water, milk or yogurt. Jim Phelan, manager of California Smoothies and Supplements, said smoothies are a nutritious and low- fat alternative to whole meals. “A smoothie may be only a few hundred calories, or around seven or eight hundred calories depending on what kinds of powders and nutrients we put in them,” Phelan said. “Some people want the extra calories to bulk up, and some people want a low calorie meal replacement.” Phelan said smoothies beat fast food hands down when it comes to price and nutrition. “Smoothies are really quick and really cheap,” Phelan said. “Our av erage price is around $5, which is comparable to fast food, but think about what you’re going to get. Smoothies fill you up and give you natural energy.” Best of all, Phelan said, smoothies taste great. “When people think of health foods they normally think about wheat grass, things that taste awful,” Phelan said. “We make smoothies with fresh fruit, and that’s what peo ple like.” IT SYSTEM wood Aif^ /e Integ: Brazos Malley Wargames Paintball Come and try one of America’s fastest growing sports! it System >od Airpi Station >0-631 We specialize in large groups and have group rates. jit: Your rental includes: 1. Tippman Prolite semi-automatic paint marker \ ^ oggles . ( , , , , For more information call 775-6272 3. Constant air ror the whole day . 4 100 p intballs http://rersonalWebs.myriad.net/tshannon The Veritas Forum at Texas A&M TODAY! 'Throwing a (Monkey) lA/rench into Darwin's Machinery" The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution Monday. Oct. 13th. Rudder Theater. 7:00-8:30 p.m. Another Monday presentation— Dr - Michael Behe "A Scientific Defense for an Intelligent Designer" Biochemistry 108, 4:00-5:30 p.m. The Veritas Forum is presented by The Christian Faculty Fellowship of Texas A&M and over 15 area churches and recognized Christian student organizations.