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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
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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
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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.
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I Aircraft rental, Pilot Shop
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VA Eligible Benefits
United Flight Systems, Inc.
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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
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