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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 1998)
Manisha Parekh Staff Writer I t is midday and the Texas sun is beating down on Joe Ag gie as he trudges across campus. The temperature is soar ing into the 100s as he makes it to his oven-like car. As sweat pours down Joe's neck, the only thing on his mind is figuring out how to beat the heat. When the mercury starts to rise in Bryan-College Station, students flock to area businesses in search of the ultimate way to cool off and quench their thirsts. From slushes to smoothies, everyone has a way to beat the heat. Mike Perry, a junior meteorology major, said he is not too picky on how to cool down. "I drink slushes and frozen drinks," Perry said For those slush fans out there, refreshment is as close as the corner convenience store. The E-Z Mart on Northgate, which carries several differ ent slush flavors, is a favorite of many students. Other pop ular slush stops include Sonic, Texaco and Chill Out snow cone stand. Fresh fruit smoothies are extremely popular with the col lege crowd. Adam Demasellis, an A&M graduate who works at the Zuka Juice on Texas Avenue, said since Zuka Juice just opened up in town this year, he cannot compare the num ber of customers during the summer season with the win ter season. However, he said he knew which flavors were the most popular in town. "The Cranberry Splash is the most popular smoothie we sell," Demasellis said. "Most women seem to like the Caribbean Passion." Other smoothie shops in the area include Smoothie King and Taste of the Tropics. Chris Collins, a sophomore speech communications ma jor and employee at Taste of the Tropics, said that business shoots up during the summer. "It's like a big, long event because all the kids are out of school and it's hotter," Collins said. According to Collins, most customers prefer the straw berry-banana smoothie. Many students prefer to cool off with a ice cream cone or sundae from an area ice cream shop. Swenson's, Marble Slab, TCBY and Dairy Queen are just a few of the tempting options for overheated students. For those afraid of the dreaded ice cream headache, there are always non-traditional ways to keep cool in summer. Shannon Baugh, a junior industrial distribution major, said she likes to cool off several different ways. "My favorite is popsicles. I have to eat popsicles," Baugh said. "I also like to eat fruits and veggies straight from the fridge." Jonathan Osteen, a junior industrial distribution major, prefers a different way to cool off. "I drink cold beer because it tastes great and is less fill ing," he said. But when all else fails to keep a student cool, sometimes the best ways are those from childhood. "I saw the ice cream man the other day," Baugh said, "and I almost ran after him." Photo By Jake Schrickling/ The Battalion College Station resident Mitzi Mills sweats out the hot afternoon sun with a cold smoothie. By Marium Mohiuddin StaffWriter T he halls of Blocker are common to most students. Whether it be the computer lab, the coffee shop or the floors full of advisors, every student has seen their share of the building and the classes. However, even though masses of students have climbed the stairs, there is still a se cret lurking around the second floor which is trying to be kept hidden. James Hannah, associate professor of English and coor dinator of the creative writing program, has recently been selected to receive the first Texas Writing Fellowship in Fic tion. The fellowship is awarded by the Texas Commission on the Arts for three categories including poetry, creative non fiction and fiction. The judging was conducted by a panel outside of Texas. "When I was notified that I had won another state award, I was pleased and humbled," Hannah said. "One is always thankful that somewhere out there, one's work makes contact with total strangers who understand and appreciate the effort. "The three judges are out-of-state publishing writers, who judged the submissions blindly and chose on the sole base of literary merit." Brian Vastag, graduate student in science technology and journalism, said he has had the opportunity to read some of Hannah's short stories. "He talks about people who are in situations that are hard to deal with," he said. "He could be pigeonholed as a real ist, but it is more than that. He talks about people and how they handle their lives. It is obvious that he puts a lot of ef fort into his writing." Hannah said he has been told that his stories are realistic and dark, but believes his stories present hope and possibil ities in small ways. "My stories show characters seeing themselves in a new way, or, in ways that enable then to find the possibility of changing their lives," he said. "However, once they're out of my hands, the reader get his turn. As for realism, it's sim ply what I do best. My greatest influences have been realists: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Hemingway. "But if the reader reads carefully, he'll see places where I've given myself over to bits of fantasy, improbable situa tion, impossible speculations," Hannah said. "I sometimes find realism too constricting, too confining. "I want to see my fiction become something different. Fic tion takes the ingredients of life, adds the essential element of artifice in plot and so makes life mean something." Hannah said creative writing is a craft demanding time and effort. "Writers must be observers, they must be sharp," he said. "Inspiration is everywhere, in overheard cafe conversations, in newspaper obituaries, in history books, novels and short stories by others. Too often students treat fiction as the per fected outcome of some mystical system of inspiration." "I often liken literature students and teachers to architects who admire the form without appreciating the hammering and nailing," Hannah said. "I want young writers to understand the building as if they were the carpenters," Hannah said. "Hammers, nails, saws, phrases, tone, characterization. I believe strongly in the process." Hannah said many students have misconceptions about English, the liberal arts department and A&M. "A university this large lacks many of the attributes that would make it the sort of place many students and admin istrators already believe it, mistakenly, to be," Hannah said. "With no art department, little emphasis on the fine arts, and a small music program, the university can prove a dis appointment to many," Hannah said. "Fortunately, over the last five or so years, the growth in our programs in creative writing has been rather amazing," Hannah said. "Many students come here thinking they be long in one of the sciences, only to learn something amazing about themselves." Vastag said the award is merited and will give the liberal arts department a well-deserved boost. "This university is great with agriculture and engineer ing, but the English department gets over looked," he said. "The English department is one of the few departments that has to service the whole university. This is not found in en gineering," Hannah said. "Everybody has to take an English class, and for a de partment that does not have a lot of money, they do an amaz ing job. There is so much quality." Leanne South, communications coordinator for the Col lege of Liberal Arts, said the fellowship is a great opportu nity for the English department to get recognition. "He is a wonderful writer and probably one of the best kept secrets," she said. "We have several award winning professors. Many of these treasures do not get much play because we have a tradition of not having a strong liberal arts department." Hannah said he has taught many students from various degrees and has found talent not only among English majors. "Many of my best students come from, say, landscape de sign," he said. "They have gone on to prestigious M.F. A. pro grams and have won national competitions. A large per centage of my undergraduate classes are not English majors, but students from across the whole spectrum. I'd say many are starved for the delights liberal arts can offer them." Student Counseling mSJietp£in Student Counseling Service • Texas A&M University 845-2700 www.unitedflight.com LEARN TO 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. Private thru advanced training Aircraft rental, Pilot Shop FA.A. approved 141 school VA Eligible Benefits United Flight Systems, Inc. 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