The Battalion
[day - January 30, 1998
In ’Da House: Bathroom
By Chris Martin and James Francis
Staff writers
’■H routine trip to the bathroom may
appear to be the burdensome curse
; , 3Lof biology, but deep in the bowels of
te human psyche is the need for sanctu-
ry For many, the bathroom is that safe
lace, it can be a place to flush the mind,
5 well as the body.
Like a high-school locker, a chrome
tapper on a cheap car or a pair of canvas
11-Stars, the bathroom cries out for perso-
alhation. Individual personalities maybe
kplessed as simply as blue quilted toilet
apt r or as radically as a custom-molded
ide . Mothers have the monopoly on pot-
oiu ri and cross-stitch, but the currency of
□lilgiate expression is humor.
• THE COLLEGE DECOR
.
* G mrtney Koch, a sophomore environ-
lieiftal design major, uses humor to per-
Fbnaiize her bathroom.
“My roommate last year gave me some
ost< rs, like ‘computer technology is all relat
ed 1 to the toilet,’ like inflow-outflow,” Koch
said. “I have a ‘no dumping’ sign,
and I have a Dave Barry
article and some
Koch said she is not afraid to poke fun at
this most private ritual.
“Everybody goes to the bathroom — we
all do it, and it’s like a taboo to talk about.
It just seems like it’s easier to me to make
light of it than to be embarrassed about it.”
• THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE
NIGHT
Sometimes unexpected guests in the
bathroom are quite welcome, like a rare ap
pearance from the toilet-paper-refill fairy.
Other guests may be cause for alarm, espe
cially the guests with six legs. Chris Den
nett, a senior computer engineering major,
discovered just such a guest one morning
in a Dunn Residence Hall bathroom.
"I can think of only one bad experience
in the bathroom. This was last semester,
and 1 had just gotten up for cut on a Satur
day morning. I went to the bathroom to go
brush my teeth, and lo and behold, a cock
roach was climbing on the head of my
toothbrush,” Dennett said. “Needless to
say, I threw the toothbrush out and got my
bug spray to deal with the perpetrator. I
guess in some ways I was lucky that I did see
it, rather than come by five minutes later
and brush my teeth with that toothbrush.”
• THE BIG PARTY
“Reluctantly crouched at tl
starting line... Engines
pumping and thumping in time ... The
green light flashes, the flags go up... Churn
ing and burning, they race for the cup ...”
Although this excerpt from one of Cake’s
more memorable tunes might seem to be
talking about a NASCAR racing event, it ac
tually lends credibility to the average, col
lege party scene. Reluctantly crouched,
with beer-laden stomachs and tequila-
shots buzzing the brain, partygoers stand
in line for the one available bathroom
where the party is being held. They i
tap their feet on the floor, not to the
booming music, but to keep /
their sanity and their bladders
from exploding. JP
Travis
Irby
staff writer
ean Koontz’s
Phantoms avoids
the Stephen King
Syndrome by creating a
taut, chilling film that
defies many horror
movie clichds.
The film starts with
two sisters coming home
to their small town to find
it completely deserted,
save a few grossly disfig
ured bodies.
The two girls are frightened as they search
the town for any survivors.
During this time, they stumble across a
sheriff and his deputies investigating the
mysterious disappearances.
The band of survivors, unsure of what is go
ing on, get a line out to the army, and soon the
requisite scientist and soldiers are on their way.
Before the cavalry arrives to help the party,
a couple of members are killed by a strange
and unseen enemy.
When the military arrives with scientist
Timothy Flyte (Peter O’Toole) in tow, it is
soon apparent that none of the parties in
volved are prepared to face what Flyte calls
the “ancient enemy.”
The script for Phantoms is fairly faithful to
the novel, which is not surprising considering
Koontz himself handled the adaptation. His
touch shows as the film does a good job of
Phantoms
Starring Peter O’Toole, Joanna Going
and Ben Affleck
Directed by Joe Chappelle
Playing at Post Oak Cinema
Critique: B+
bringing the chills of the book to the big screen.
The direction is well-paced and uses shad
owing and darkness effectively to set the mood
of the piece.
Special effects are good, yet surprisingly
muted for this type of film. Yet, the film still
manages to tingle the spine with a truly scary
“bad guy.”
The A-list class of young stars is solid, if un
spectacular in their roles.
Joanna Going defies the horror stereotype of
the cringing and crying damsel in distress. She
avoids the usual histrionics given to actresses
in this type of role.
Rose McGowan is a far cry from the tight-
shirted slasher victim on screen as the thought
ful and scared younger sister.
The film, while boasting two attractive fe
male leads, keeps the cheesecake factor low by
keeping the actresses cloistered in parkas and
winter gear throughout the film.
Ben Affleck plays the handsome sheriff
who helps save the sisters. Although the role
isn’t much, Affleck is competent enough to
keep it interesting.
Leiv Shreiber plays Affleck’s slimy deputy.
His role is small, but Shreiber delivers his
usual creepiness.
Peter O’Toole probably does the most act
ing as Flyte. He makes the boozy, broken sci
entist believable.
It is not Lawrence of Arabia, but it pays
the bills.
Star Gazing: Sigourney Weaver *
By James Francis the tough, go-getter
Aggielife editor from Alien, Weaver ■Mr
has portrayed a jjJF
By James Francis
Aggielife editor
In human terms, she only would be 18 years
old. In tales of fiction, her lifetime spans more
than 200 years and covers a galaxy filled with
monsters more terrifying than what parents tell
their children are not hiding underneath the bed.
She is femme fatale to the extreme, the hero
ine whose never-ending struggle is to rid the
world of evil and someone to reckon with when
she carries futuristic weapons to protect her crew
and close friends.
This is First Class Warrant Officer Lieutenant
Ellen Ripley ... the sci-fi intellect and action fig
ure who seems to have more lives than a cat of
nine tails.
But the person behind the character is none
other than Sigourney Weaver.
* Her Life
Born on Oct. 8, 1949, the name given to her
was Susan Alexandra Weaver, although had her
father had his way, she would have been called
Flavia — he had a deep interest in Roman histo
ry, which explains why her brother was named
Trajan, after the Roman emperor.
Some say that in a family of unique names, it
was nat ural for Weaver to changer her name, and
after reading'The Great Gatsby,” she took it upon
herself to go by the name of one of the minor char
acters; thus, she became known as “Sigourney.”
• Her Career
During her time in college, Weaver worked on
her acting skills. After completing her education
at Stanford and Yale Universities, Weaver began
a search for a career in film.
In 1973, Weaver made her theater debut in the
play “Watergeite Classics,” and in 1977, she made
her film debut in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, for
which she earned $50 for her appearance.
With a breakt hrough and alarming performance
in Alien, Weaver proved she would be a force to be
reckoned with in Hollywood as time went by.
Even though many people characterize her as
the tough, go grt Ut
from Alien, Weaver
has portrayed a jjjlF V*
wide variety of char- ■r
acters to cover the |
spectrum of inter- |L
esting roles. Two H
performances that SB|
stand out include i
her role as a dedi ^ jjjg
cated animal Hi -
Livist in Gorillas in f| v? j|H|
the Mist and her ^ HH|
portrayal of a
st fa ight-fo rward,
conniving business-
woman in Working Girl.
For both of these feature films, Weaver earned
critical acclaim and Academy Award and Golden
Globe recognition.
Even with this success, one of Weaver’s most
notable appearances was in the independent
film Jeffrey. The film is about a man dealing with
his homosexuality, and Weaver plays a neurotic
counselor. Although the role was brief, her talent
proved she can turn even the smallest of roles
into memorable times of her career.
Acclaim is not the only thing that has changed
for Weaver recently. When she made her debut in
Alien, she received a mere $22,000 for the role
that skyrocketed her acting career. In 1997, with
the release of the fourth installment of the Alien
series, Weaver garnered $11 million, which may
still not he enough to compensate her larger-
than-life screen presence.
• Plans for the Future
With the success and good feedback from her
latest film, The Ice Storm, Weaver is definitely on
the track for continued accomplishments.
Coming up next for Weaver is a role in Rafael
Yglesias’ Dr. Neruda's Cure for Evil, but after that
she has no other plans.
The world is keeping a close eye on Weaver
these days, and it is all for good reason. She rep
resents an actress of brilliant talent and someone
people can always count on for a good film.
Nominate Your Parents
For
Aggie Parents of the Year
Mandatory
Informational Meeting
You must attend one meeting
to receive an application
londay, Feb. 2 Tuesday, Feb. 3 Monday, Feb. 9
7:00-8:00 p.m.
[SC 230
7:00-8:00 p.m.
MSC 226
7:00-8:00 p.m.
MSC 504
Nominees must meet
) specific requirements!
Applications Due by:
Friday Feb. 27 @ 5:00 p.m.
Questions??
:al 1 Erin in the SGA office at 845-1320 or at home at 696-5544.
email: evh3830@unix.tamu
ALL.
IF YOU SEE THIS PLACARD DISPLAYED
IT MEANS THE FOLLOWING:
This person is
designated as a
“safe person” for
someone who is
gay, lesbian,
bisexual, or trans
gender to talk to.
The person is
committed to
provide support
and to maintain
confidentiality.
The person is
committed to people
with a gay, lesbian, or
bisexual roommate,
friend, or family
member who may
wish to speak with
someone.
February 8, 1998, 1-4 p.m.
Contact Becki Elkins Nesheim at 845-1741 to RSVP and for the location.
Indicate any special accommodations needed when calling.
If you would like to become an ALLY, you are invited to the next ALLIES ADVANCE
on Feb. 8th. The workshop is a 3 hour interactive session where participants learn
about issues affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. After
completion of a workshop, participants will have the option to receive a placard
indicating their involvement in the program to display in their residence or workplace.
Takinothe
GftE
in April?
2 reasons to
sign up for
The Princeton
Review NOW:
1 The Princeton Review students average 212 pts.
1 improvement on the GRE. *
2 Sign up by TODAY, 1/30/98, andSflVG $50 on
the most complete, best course available!
You deserve every advantage.
This could be your ticket
into grad school.
*GRE score improvement based on 1996 ICR study. ■
THE
PRINCETON
REVIEW
(409) 696-9099
(800) 2REVIEW