■HEHI
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^ HE Battalion
Cetera
hursday • Marcli
Wind beneath my wings
‘General Hospital' romance be;
with date rape scene 20 years
GREG MCREYNOLDS/The Battalion
Nick Wilson, a senior aerospace major, tightens a bolt on the aileron of the Black Horse model airplane at the
wind tunnel. The model is a group project for the AERO 429 class.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 20 years ago, Luke and
Laura of “General Hospital” became daytime televi
sion’s most popular couple after what the show ro
manticized as Luke’s “seduction” of Laura.
The writers glossed over how it really happened: Luke
raped Laura on the floor of a closed disco late one night.
Now “General Hospital” is revisiting that episode
from its past, in part to illustrate how attitudes to
ward date rape have changed since 1979 and to make
clear that the story would not be handled the same
way today.
“My first reaction was that it was a big can of worms
that could eat us alive. I was terrified, basically,” said
Anthony Geary, the actor who plays Luke Spencer.
In the original story line, Luke was tormented by his
lust for Laura. Feeling he had nothing to lose upon
learning the mob had a contract out on his life, he
forced himself upon her.
Much to the show’s surprise, the two characters
were a big hit with viewers. So the writers had them run
off together, fall in love and get married. "General Hos
pital” subsequently referred to the disco incident as a
seduction, angering many women.
Luke and Laura are still together and have a 16-year-
old son, Lucky.
In Friday’s episode, Lucky is told that his father once
raped his mother.
Complicating matters even lunher-
this is a soap opera 1 ucky learns abourk
arch-enemy, the illicit offspring of his e?
man with whom she had an affair.
“For us, it was a great opportunity,
Riche, executive producer. “We diSnlaJI
‘let’s make amends.’ We didn’t feel guilty w
had to.”
But Riche acknowledged that thesatr-
a woman falling in love with her rapist-*
pass muster with viewers today.
“It would be different,” she said. “The
ferent. What they audience perceives and
pect is very different from what it was
They are more conscious date rape is tins: 1
In future episodes, Lin k\ will confroiy?
win i tries to explain i* &
“We are going to s
ing with rape in a mi
propriate way. and a
ther did,” said Robert
"General Hospital
popular daytime dran
to No. 3 in the ratings
vorite show bv reader
rtn nly, thattfun^]
i bettei way,an. er l
.n li healthierw ’ re
11,’, i head writer:
ias aired since
dm mg the Life “iel
ut last week was rs
I Soap Operai V h
,o|
Allen sues after
traffic accident
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — "Home
Improvement” star Tim Allen is su
ing a California man for $12 mil
lion over a tabloid account of a
traffic accident.
Henry Armstrong, a 72-year-old
retired film librarian, told the Na
tional Enquirer that he was hit by
Allen’s Ferrari in Studio City, Calif.
He filed a suit there against Allen,
who was not ticketed.
“He stood over me as I lay on the
ground in agony,” Armstrong was
quoted as saying.
“He was bleary-eyed and un
steady on his feet, and he never
uttered a word, never mind said
sorry.”
Allen, who has a home in subur
ban Detroit, sued on Tuesday, claim
ing Arrmstrong falsely portrayed him
as heartless and under the influ
ence of drugs or alcohol.
In June, Allen was fined for dri
ving while impaired in Michigan.
Secret of Fox’s
‘Simpsons’ told
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The for
mer animator and director of “The
Simpsons” says the secret to the
show’s success is not in the stars
but in the moon.
“Fox would prefer we have more
naked butts, please,” David Silver-
man said before a recent appearance
at the University of Nebraska.
He said whenever a character’s ex
posed rear was shown, Fox used it to
promote that week’s episode.
“If it was on any other network,
The Simpsons’ would not be what it
is today,” he said.
Silverman directed “The Simp
sons” when it began nine years ago.
He left in 1996 to work for Dream
Works SKG.
Questions from the crowd of most
ly college students ranged from
whether the character Smithers is
gay — Silverman said yes — to how
long the series will run (another year
and possibly longer, he said).
•What's Up
Thursday
Graduate Fellowship of Intervarsity
Christian Fellowship (IVCF): Bible
study for graduate and on-tradition
al students, followed by fellowship
will be held at 7:30 p.m. See our web
site for location and map at
http://stat.tamu.edu~inlow/ivcf.ht
ml. Call Mark or Jennifer at 764-1552.
ATM Womens Rugby: Come join!
No experience needed. Practices
are from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the pitch
on the corner of Texas Ave. and Uni
versity. We will host a tournament
on March 7 at 9 a.m. Be there to
support your women's athletic club
sports, and catch the men’s game
against UT at 2 p.m.Call Nikki at
694-0084 for information.
Association on Baptist Students: A
meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at
410 College Main. Call Bobby at 846- skill levels are welcome. ( all Steve at
3223 for details. 847-7905 for further information.
Alpha Phi Omega: Meet to go to the
Boy’s Club at 3:30 p.m. in 133 Koldus.
Catholic Students Association:
There will be a daily mass at 12:05
p.m. in the All Faith’s Chapel.
Aggie Speleological Society: A meet
ing will be held at 8:30 p.m. in Koldus
146. Call Travis at 693-4088.
Study Abroad Programs Office: An
informational meeting to promote
the Italy Spring ’99 program will be
held from 3 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 154,
161 Bizzeli Hall West.
ATM Roadrunners: Will run three to
four miles starting in front of G. Rol-
lie White at 5:30 p.m. All students and
Korean American Student Associa
tion: There will be a general meeting
at 7 p.m. in Room 231 of the MSC.
Call Jesse Ko at 847-1579 for details.
Resurrection Week: There will be a
general meeting at 7 p.m. in MSC 228.
Aggie Guide Dogs & Service Dogs
(AGS): Maribel Schumann will be
speaking to us about life with her ser
vice dog, 1 lonor, at 8:30 p.m. in Rud
der 707. Call Lynda at 693-1198 for
more information.
Campus Crustide for Christ: A
meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in
Read 274. Call the CRU office at 696-
8289 for details.
ill be helc.ic'a
•of
Biomedical Science Association- at 845-3313.
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be -. p m it d s|
Lh
Pagan Student Aswast
meeting
Rudder 707.
>na|
Friday anc
su
Alpha Phi Omega: Mt- At|
1 u-tirementl c *^ (
itiol
ei l
WhaT > Up is a liatUtliorJ z
lists non-profit studen
r\ L‘nP .mil ai livitirv ,
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he submitted no latf j ^
days in advance of the:
dale. Applit ationdeac^^g
tires are not eventsait£<
run in What’s Up. IIkl re |
questions, please call! ( g p
p.m.
witfi the
TfXAS A&ftl SNOW SKI CLUB
This Spring Break
Trip includes: 6 night/5 day luxury condo stay, 4/5 day lift
ticket, round trip transportation on luxury sleeper coaches
Price: $495, for more information, call Chuck at 694-2726
Anchor Splash
Saturday, March 7
from 2pm - 5pm
<g> the Rec Center
indoor pool
... come support your favorite
fraternities and corps outfits
at the pool.
Evmnt sponsored tty Delta Gamma.
Proceeds support ttim Delta Gamma Foundation and
Service for Sight
...it
the
7 ^ '
V
Trank Show thru. March 8
./III dresses registered
Open on Sundays and late on Wednesday # Thursday
505 (University Ur. 8
70°/o off all of the
end of season merchandise
TEXZVS ZY&IVI
&
★tuhbiisigeisi
Are offering a reciprocal exchange
program that allows TAMU students
with 4 semesters of college German to
spend the 1998-99 academic year in
Germany!
IJNF GKJVlA t lGJNAi. JVLHii l llNCJJS:
Wednesday 3/4 4 :00-5:00pm
Friday 3/6 10:00-11 :OOani
Tuesday 3/10 4:00-5:00pm
Room 154 Bizzeli Hall West
Requirements: 3.0 GPR,TJ.S. Citizen, and Junior
status at time of exchange.
ELECTIONS
MARCH 2-6
9am-5pm
IN ROOM 149 KOLDUS
VEIL LEADERS-STUDENT SENATE-
CLASS COUNCILS-STUDENT BODY
PRESIDENT-RHA OFFICERS
hHp://www.tanui.edu/sga
If you need special assistance, please
(t^
estl 845-3051
Campus efeclions arc sjwiisarad by the Election Commission.
BE AN EXCHANGE STUDENT IN
PUCBJLAa, MEXICO
(JNIVERSfDAD DE LAS AMERICAS
FOR SCHOOL TEAR lOOS-VQ
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS:
THURSDAY. 3/5 AiOORM
FRIDAY. 3/0 1:00PM
RM 358 BIZZEEE HALL WEST
i viriv)
REQlMREAtrNTSi 3.0 CPR. U.S. CfTIZCM. JUNIOR
STATUS AT TIME OF EXCHANGE. PROFICIENCY
OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
161 DIIIELL HALL WEST 845-0544
I? Ml ii
M" j.
It
Tiffany Inbody, Editor in Chief
Helen Clancy, Copy Chief
Brad Graeber, Visual Arts Editor
Robert Smith, City Editor
Jeremy Furtick, Sports Editor
James Francis, Aggielife Editor
Mandy Cater, Opinion Editc'
Ryan Rogers, Photo Edltof
Chris Huffines, Radio Pr#
Sarah Goldston, Radio Pr®
Dusty Moer, Web Editor
Aaron Meier. Night News ft
Staff Members
Citi- Colleen Kavanagh, Amanda Smith, Rachel
Dawley, Stacey Becks, Susan Atchison, Kelly
Hackworth, Lyndsay Nantz, Jennifer Wilson &
Julietta Amanda Jordan.
Science - Jill Reed.
Sports - Assistant Editor: Jeff Webb; Michael
Ferguson, Chris Ferrell, Travis Harsch, Robert
Hollier, AI Lazarus, Colby Martin, Aaron Meier, Katie
Mish, Philip Peter, Jeff Schmidt & Michael
Taglienti.
Aggielife - Marium Mohiuddin, Rhonda Reinhart,
Chris Martin, Leah Templeton, Travis Hopper, April
Towery, Brandi Ballard, Travis Irby & Stephen Wells.
Opinion - Len Calloway, Adam Collett, John Lemons,
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Night News - Joyce Bauer, Jaclynn fl» l:
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Photo - Assistant Editor: Brandon BolW
McKay, Greg McReynolds, Mike Fue0
Francis & Jake Schrickling. *
Graphics - James Palmer, Chad Malls*
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Cartoonists - Ed Goodwin, John Lemo«>
Hoffman, Gabriel Ruenes, Victor Vansd
Nordfelt and Quatro Oakley.
Copy Editors - Leslie Stebblns, Jennlls'
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Veronica Serrano.
Radio - Andrew Baley, Jody Rae Sartin l; |
& Karina Trevino.
Web - Anita Tong & Jeremy Brown
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M Univeisity in the Division of Student PubtoWl
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