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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1998)
fuesday • May 5, 1998 mm The Battalion lire Mm n lliil ^Wm m lUH Hni ■ ■ wBBM A&M’sJazz Band gets readij for CD release By Leah Templeton Staff writer N early a month ago the Texas A&M Jazz Ensemble was not quite a full ensemble. Mem bership consisted of 15 people who were looking to perform at events around campus and College Station. What a difference a month can make. The jazz band now has 30 members and an upcoming CD. The group con sists of students who have a desire to play music and give listeners some thing they cannot hear everywhere. Patrick Ash, vice president of the jazz band and a sophomore petro leum engineering major, said the band is a student-run group that al lows A&M to be in on the jazz circuit. “We’re basically a student-run or ganization that represents A&M in the jazz area,” Ash said. “We play a little funk, jazz, we’re not constrict ed. We play a lit tle of everything.” Ash said the jazz band began when he got to A&M and realized there was no jazz band. Along with Derrick Far rell, president of the jazz band and a sophomore genetics and biomedical science major, the band was formed. “We took it upon ourselves to start this organization,” Ash said. Farrell said the CD consists of a variety of jazz styles. “There’s a little Gershwin, some rock, swing; it’s really a mix of every thing with a contemporary style,” Farrell said. Ash said the band recorded the CD at Central Baptist Church and was ex cited with the finished product. “The record is just stuff we put together in the last few weeks, but the sound and quality came out really well.” The band also performed a live jazz combo in the radio studio of KEOS 89.1 recently. Blaine Douglass, a member of the ensemble and a freshman journalism major, said the band is looking for ward to playing upcoming events. “We have a few potential gigs, like the grand opening for a hotel in Col lege Station,” Douglass said. “We also played RHA Casino Night and performed in front of the MSC.” Ash said the jazz band is still making improvements and hopes to gain even more members. Please see Jazz on Page 5. de ‘Ttiatpa cele&iated camfeub By Chris Martin Staff writer T oday is Cinco de Mayo, the fifth of May. For many students it is a day to reconcile with the past—cel ebrated by making up Good Friday’s lost day of classes. But for those of Mexican-American heritage, it is a day to celebrate Mexican culture in the United States. Angie Castro, program advisor for the Committee for the Awareness of Mexican American Culture (CA- MAC), said Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s freedom from French occupation after the Mexican- American War. “The holiday celebrates the day that Mexico won in dependence from Napoleonic rule,” Castro said. “Sep tember 16 is the day of Mexican Independence, but Cin co de Mayo marks the victory of Mexico over France in the Battle of Puebla in 1848.” Castro said the holiday has become an important day to celebrate the culture of Mexicans and Mexican-Amer- icans in the United States. “[Cinco de Mayo] is traditionally celebrated more in our country than in Mexico,” Castro said. “You can al most equate it to St. Patrick’s Day when everyone gets to celebrate being Irish.” Please see Cinco on Page 11. cwjcuid mhanczi itucUnt i [ij-z By Travis Irby Staff writer Texas A&M student possesses a prodigious prize Lwhen it comes to her poetry. Barbara Deakins, a senior English major, was recently ffiamed an alternate to the prestigious Bucknell University ■tadler Center for Poetry Award. She was also one out oflO indents from across the nation chosen to attend the Buck- tcti Bell Seminar for Younger Poets during the month of June. I The students competing for the honors come from top schools like Vanderbilt, Georgetown, University of Jhicago, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania. The award is so coveted that many winners can pick torn the graduate school of their choice when it comes to creative writing programs. I The accomplishment is not bad for someone who took | poetry class on a whim and turned it into a possible career, .ltd Deakins came back to A&M after a long hiatus. While y mr* her major was English, she figured advertising copywrit- sutoingwas to be her eventual career. Deakins said she always wrote poetry, but thought eadM nothing of it. Killnotff “iVe wr itten poems since I was nine, but 1 never kept '"f any of them,” Deakins said. “No one had read my poems ^ iintil the poetry class.” While an audience was new to Deakins, she knew how to impress readers. Dr. Paul Christensen, an English professor and Deakins’ instructor at the time, said he recognized her talent when he read her first poem. “I read her work, and it was excellent,” Christensen said. “It was the best in the class, but I didn’t realize how good it was.” Christensen said that her achievements reflect well on the University. “This is a real honor for not just Barbara, but the Eng lish department and the school.” The encouragement Deakins received from her pro fessors and peers was a fresh experience for her. She is the first person to attend college in her family. Please see Poet on Page 11. Massages offer students a healing touch By Marium Mohiuddin Staff writer S ince we were young we were taught, “This is your space, and this is my space,” and “Don’t touch me, and I won’t touch you.” However, it seems to be that in every other country in the world, touching is the norm. All along the street people can be found hugging, kissing and holding hands between family members and friends. In this society of “no touching” and “elbow room,” tine emergence of massages into the mainstream is the touchiest subject of all, and it has been catching people off guard. Tammy Jones-Hemphill, a reg istered massage therapist, said touch used to be very common centuries ago, and more people are becoming aware of how thera peutic massages can be. “I know everyone is afraid of touch,” Jones-Hemphill said. “That is because we don’t take a lot of time to be touched. Touch is vital; there is a great need for it. There is no re placement for the human touch.” Jones-Hemphill said she saw the rewards from massages when she was going to school. "Being an ex-Aggie I know how much massages have helped me with school,” she said. “It made school easier. It helped me to cope with financial, educational and personal problems. It just relaxes you. It is a great way to keep the body in balance.” Jones-Hemphill said her in volvement with massages in school led to her training as a registered massage therapist. “I got involved because I wanted to go into physical thera py school, and I had to do some volunteer work so 1 decided to do it in massage,” she said. “At first, I just thought that massages were an asset to physical therapy. I grew to love it because I love working with people and making a differ ence in their lives. “There is so much stress in this society and so many worries that there has to be something to re lieve this,” Jones-Hemphill said. “This is anti-stress therapeutic treatment. It helps people relax and lower their stress level. The profession is purely therapeutic.” Kristi Murphy, a registered mas sage therapist, works at a physical therapy center and said people do not associate massages with this kind of profession. "Physical therapy is not just ex ercises,” she said. “We do a lot of dif ferent things like working on headaches and head injuries. To help people with these pains we give them head massages. We don’t do full Swedish body massages. We do trigger-point therapy.” Please see Massage on Page 5. AGGIE RING ORDERS THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS CLAYTON W. WILLIAMS, JR. ALUMNI CENTER ATTENTION: JUNIOR & SENIORS If you will be eligible to order your Aggie ring after either May ‘98 graduation or the May final grades are posted, please do the following: 1. Visit the Ring Office in the Alumni Center beginning May 8th between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. to complete an application for eligibility verifi cation and to receive order information. If you are a qualified May or August degree candidate, please inform the staff per son when completing your application. 2. Upon completing the application, you may request a mail order form if you will not be in the Bryan-.College Station area to place your order in person between May 27 - June 12, 1998. Undergraduate Student Requirements: 1. You must be a degree seeking student and have a total of 95 undergraduate credit hours reflected on the Texas A&M University Student Information Management System. (A passed course, which is repeated and passed, cannot count as additional credit hours). 2. 60 undergraduate credit hours must have been completed in residence at Texas A&M University if your first semester at Texas A&M University was January 1994 or thereafter, or if you do not qualify under the successful semester requirement described in the following paragraph. Should your degree be conferred with less than 60 undergraduate resident credits, this requirement will be waived after you graduate and your degree is posted on the Student Information Management System. 30 undergraduate credit hours must have been completed in residence at Texas A&M University, providing that prior to January 1, 1994, you were reg istered at Texas A&M University and successfully completed either a fall/spring semester or summer term (I and II or 10 weeks) as a full-time stu dent in good standing (as defined in the University catalog). 3. You must have a 2.0 cumulative GPR at Texas A&M University. 4. You must be in good standing with the University, including no registration or transcript blocks for past due fees, loans, parking tickets, returned checks. ATTENTION: GRADUATE STUDENTS If you are a May ‘98 degree candidate and do not have an Aggie ring from a prior degree, you may place an order for your ring after you meet the following requirements: 1. , Your degree is conferred and posted on the Texas A&M University Student Information Management Systerm: and 2. You are in good standing with the University, including no registration, tran script or hold blocks for past due fees, loans, parking tickets, returned checks, etc. Visit the Ring office in the Alumni Center beginning May 8th between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. to complete an application and receive order information.' ATTENTION: AUGUST ‘98 GRADUATES August undergraduate degree candidates who complete all of the ring require ments in May ‘98 and pay their diploma fee no later than May 20th, may receive their ring approximately August 13th; provided, however, the ring order is placed with the Ring Office on May 21 - 22 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. If you are an August ‘98 masters or doctoral degree candidate and will complete allot your degree requirements (including being cleared by the thesis clerk) prior to June 12th, you may request a “letter of completion” from the Office of Graduate Studies (allow at least 5 days). The original letter of completion, with the seal, will he accepted by the Aggie Ring Office in lieu of your degree being posted. Please visit the Aggie Ring Office in the Clayton Williams Alumni Center between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on May 8 - 18 to complete an application. (Orders placed between May 27 - June 12 will be delivered in September). Hopes Creek Music presents Haywood Tuesday, May 5th $5 Cover Doors Open at 8 Drink Specials 8-Close Show Starts 9 pm Sharp 18 & Up EVANS LIBRARY'S HOURS FOR FINALS May 3 - May 13 OPEN 24 HOURS (Opens May 3 at Noon/Closes May 13 at 7:00 p.m.) Interim Hours May 14 - May 31 Mon. - Fri. • 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sat. & Sun. • 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. PAVILION SNACK BAR HOURS Thurs., May 7 open 7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Mon. - Tues., May 11-12 open 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Complimentary beverages and snacks available after close until 10:30 p.m. Coffee Finals Special! 25% OFF. ALL DRINKS ALL DAY & May 3rd • Your Coffee Paradise! • • Now with More Seating • • A Great Place to Study- • Bring your Friends! • •not valid with any other offer Station ALL NIGHT May 13th 907-A Harvey Road Next to The Tap 694-2844 11 am - 1 am 7 Days a Week Stressed Out Over Finals? The Following Food Services Locations will be Open to All Students for Quiet Study during Finals Week: Locations open late Thursday, May 7 and Sunday, May 10 through Tuesday, May 12. Pavilion closed Sunday. Commons and Sbisa Dining Centers Open 8:00 pm - 2:00 am Complimentary Coffee will be available Bemie’s Place and Stone Willy's Open until 1:00 am for late night pizza Hullabaloo Open until 10:00 pm Complimentary Coffee will be available 4:00 pm to close Meeting Room close to MSC Front Desk Complimentary Coffee will be supplied by MSC Food Services at the MSC Front Desk The Pavilion Snack Bar Thursday, May 7 open 7:30 am - 2:00 pm and Monday - Tuesday, May 11-12 open 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Complimentary beverages and snacks available after close until 10:30 pm It's our way of helping and saying thanks for letting us serve you this semester. PROFITABLE NUMBER! The Battalion Classified Advertising