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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1997)
>er 17 0n ^ a ^ * ^ ovem * :>er I' 7 * 1997 Lifestyles The Air Over There Overseas Development Network allows students interested in working abroad Ihe resources to discover more about opportunities and experiences BvRRAivni Baiiaro CNN news clips to seeing of Agricultural Education and Texas ture, a number of us are busy deve Fort m NMMT ■ a F0H )ITI0NI 1^5 r tA£0. By Brandi Ballard Staff writer couple of years ago, I heard a sociologist say that the world was en- |ring a period of history that will called the ‘Pax Americanus,’ le American Peace, you know, kethe Pax Romanus, that period hen the world made great rides under the stabilizing force If the Roman Empire,” said P.J. anpool, a construction manage- lent graduate student. Vanpool said the idea of the merican Century should be an onor for its citizens. “A huge and humbling sense of •sponsibility should come with iat realization,” Vanpool said. \fter all, what makes us better han anybody at leading plane ary change?" Vanpool is vice-president of the Iverseas Development Network ODN). ODN is a student organiza- ion that brings together people in- erested in international develop- nent issues. Formed in the spring ifl997, ODN provides an opportu- lityforTAMU students who even- ually want to work overseas. “ODN helps speed up your tran- iitionfrom seeing the world through CNN news clips to seeing the whole process of change,” V an p 0 ol said. “When you’re really overseas, of Agricultural Education and Texas Agriculture Extension Service, just returned to the United States after six years spent overseas. “Those in the administration and faculty who are attempting to pro vide students with internation al opportunities are watching ODN closely,” Suhm said. “In the College of Agricul- that change process re quires a knowledge of lots of areas of study and an ability to adjust to how different peo pie see different problems. ODN helps explain the true com plexities of those issues. Grant Suhm, an advi sor for ODN and special project administrator for the Department Hfifl ture, a number of us are busy devel oping a Masters/Doctoral Certificate in International Agriculture and Natural Resources.” Steve Sywulka, president of ODN and a junior agriculture develop ment major, said the organization really brings people together who share an interest in all aspects of in ternational development. “Development means anything that will improve the standard of liv ing overseas.” Sywulka said. “Any major can be applied overseas.” He said farmers can help with agriculture and crops in developing countries, and medical doctors can help cure diseases. Individuals from other areas such as civil engineering are needed so they can assist in the construction of dams and roads. “My main goal is to learn what is going on overseas and what I can do about it,” Sywulka said. ODN is a young organization with around 25 active members. Meetings are held every other Tuesday focusing on a different topic of discussion. “We give an update on global issues at our meetings,” Sywulka said. “Then we can talk about what is going on.” Please see ODN on Page 4. Living in African jungle offers rare cultural perspective for growing up “H ■*L Aaron Meier lifestyles editor om bound. . I wish I was homeward bound” Ahhh, the music of Simon and Garfunkel. There were few constants in my life other than family, Simon and Garfunkel and moving. And when I had finally learned that Simon and Garfunkel had bro ken up, there was only family and moving. I have rarely met anyone else who has moved as much as I have. I have moved so often I cannot remember all the places I have lived. I have visited every state ex cept five. I have lived on four of the six habitable continents. When my family finally moved into a “permanent” home, I was 13 years old, and I had moved 14 times. Most people have a house in the suburbs they have always lived in. For me, the most per manent part of my life was a 1979 Mercury Cougar that my family had since I was three. I later wrecked that car when I turned 16. Ironic, huh? However, moving was al ways an adventure into the great unknown. Never was it more an unknown than when I moved to Africa — Nigeria to be exact. For three years I drank Coca Cola in glass bottles, never talked on a telephone (there was a phone in the capital of Lagos which was a three-hour drive) and generally lived a nor mal life. Or as normal as it could get considering less than 20 feet from my house was a jungle housing poisonous snakes and tribal witch doctors. Despite the lack of American culture and technology that ex isted, life was pretty fun for an 11-year-old kid. What was it like living in Nigeria? It’s like Vincent Vega said in the opening scene of Pulp Fic tion, “It’s the little things.” Please see Meier on Page 4. The Jackal proves to be laugh of a movie for Willis and Gere Bruce Willis stars as an assasin in the new action-suspense film, The Jackal. The Jackal Starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere Directed by Michael Caton-Jones Rated R Showing at Hollywood 16 ★ (out of five) T he Jackal, a movie based on the suspense novel Day of the Jackal, is an attempt to find middle ground between the sophistication of a James Bond flick and the intensity of the Die Hard series. It fails miserably on both accounts. The story is simple enough. FBI agents (most notably Sidney Poiti- er) and NVD agents led by Valenti- naKoslova (Diane Venora) attempt to arrest a Russian mobster in a Moscow club. When the mobster resists and is killed, his psycho brother hires the Jackal (Bruce Willis) to assassinate a high-pow ered government official. The FBI must enlist the aid of ex-IRA sharp shooter Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere) to find and stop the Jackal. Despite the promising opening, the script is an inexcusable insult to intelligence. The dialogue is completely uninspiring. The casu al manner with which intelligence officers disseminate classified in formation and compromise na tional security to the average Joe on the street offers no semblance of reality. The cursory attempts to explore the developing relationships be tween characters should have been left on the editing room floor. Finally, the musical transitions be tween scenes are crafted with all the subtlety of an episode of MTV’s “The Real World” and an noy the audience (especially in the opening sequence) instead of cre ating a proper mood. The movie has precious few bright spots and action sequences and would have done much better if random violence had done more liberally applied. Instead, the direc tor tried to recreate the tense des peration of a cat-and-mouse chase. Unfortunately, the foreshadowing devices are so simplistic, anybody with a functioning frontal lobe knows what is going to happen five minutes before it does. The only reason to see this movie in a theatre is to see a few decently choreographed gunfights on a large screen with loud music. The best option would be to wait for it to appear on the 99 cent rack at the video store. Then you would only be wasting a dollar. — By Stephen Wells MSC Barber Shop Serving All Aggies! Cuts and Styles All Corp Cuts $7. Regular cuts start at $8. Curtis Steele has moved from Northgate Barbershop to the MSC Barbershop. Come see him!, 846-0629 Open: Mon. - Fri. 8-5 Located in the basement of the Memorial Student Center LEARN TO ELY NOW AT UNITED FLIGHT SYSTEMS We’re now located at College Station Easterwood Airport. Learn to fly the Cessna Pilot Center Exclusive Integrated Flight Training System at United Flight Systems, the experienced flight school. I Private thru advanced training I Aircraft rental, Pilot Shop F.A.A. approved 141 school VA Eligible Benefits United Flight Systems, Inc. Easterwood Airport College Station, TX 409 260-6322 Announcing Clements Lecture “From Token to Triumph: Republican Party in Modern Texas” Speaker: Dr. Roger Olien Professor of History and holder of the J. Conrad Dunagan Chair in Regional and Business History at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin Tuesday, November I 8 4:00 P.M. Rudder Theater Texas ASM University A Reception will follow in the University Center Galleries sponsored by the Texas ASM General Libraries Visit OUr web site: -2 weeks of schedules, -email Bill and Ron. http://www. howdyags. com CHECK THE WEB SITE FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION!! SCIENCE MON Nov 17 TUE Nov 18 WED Nov 19 THU Nov 20 CHEM 2-4 CH CH CH 102 PM 19, 20 21A 21B CHEM 4-6 CH CH CH PRAC 107 PM 10 14 15 TEST PHYS 6-8 CH CH CH PRAC 218 PM 10 11, 12 13 TEST CHEM 8-10 CH CH CH CH 101 PM 9 10 11 12 PHYS 10 PM- CH CH CH CH 201 MID 14, 15 16, 17 18 19 MATH 9-11 PART PART PART PART 151 PM 1 2 3 4 PHYS 4-6 PM OR CH CH CH CH 208 11 PM- 1 AM 30 31, 32 33 34 BUSINESS FINC 341 6-10 PM MON Nov 17 TUE Nov 18 PART 3, 4 Ag Defensive Driving iMugV ymm Octet amy. Tte mmslhm dess tm team. 846-0339 7251 Untvanity Drive C A. Ticket Dismissal Insurance Dlsceunt State Appreved Classes: Men/T— at Wert/Hwi 6-8 pm er Sat • an-S:li pm | east $25 3rd General Meeting Wednesday, November 19 MSC 225 @ 7:00pm speaking: Coach Barone and Basketball players 1 Ot MI # \ I IO \f Questions, Comments .suggestions: Please e-mail us at: student@twelfthman.tamu.edu or visit our homepage: www-12thman. la m u.edu/sludenl/i ndex.htm I rrl *0.