The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 23, 1998, Image 4

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    Page 4 • Friday, October 23, 1998
Aggielife
TheBi
The Bai
TAMU Outdoors offers
community members,
students great escapes
BY MEREDITH MIGHT
The Battalion
T he Bahamas, the Rio Grande and Colorado Bend
State Park are just a few of the destinations on the
Texas A&M University Outdoors Ultimate Adventures
Series schedule.
TAMU Outdoors, a service of the Student Recreation
Center, offers a variety of outdoor activities varying in
length and destination.
The trips are geared for beginners and are planned and
led by a staff of about 15 students.
Josh Norris, a trip leader for the program and a senior out
door education major, said the trips are typically offered at
a lower price than other outdoor adventure services.
“I work for another guide service and this is less than half
of what they charge. That’s one of the reasons this organi
zation is so cool,” he said. “There’s quality guides at an out
standing price.”
Patsy Kott, director of TAMU Outdoors, said most of the
trips are offered at cost to participants.
“Basically we try to budget out the cost of the trip, like
equipment and transportation,” she said. “We try to keep
the cost as low as possible.”
Messina Hof Winery host'f
murder-mystery dinne
BY TRAVIS IRBY
The Battalion
Tom Reber, the senior associate director for the Depart
ment of Recreational Sports, said every attempt is made to
keep the trips cost-efficient.
“TAMU Outdoors is funded through the Student Services
Fee,” he said. “They also generate income through the trips
and retail sales, like renting a tent or a sleeping bag.”
Norris said he works mostly with kayaking, backpacking
and climbing excursions.
“In May, I will help lead a high altitude mountaineering
and multi-pitch rock climbing expedition in Colorado,” he
said. “There are very tall rock routes — one is 600 feet tall.
the other is 500 feet tall.”
Corey Bowes, a senior mechanical engineering major, said
he recently went on a windsurfing trip offered by TAMU Out
doors in conjunction with the Brazos Valley Windsurfers and
he would like to attend another trip.
“About 14 people went,” he said. “We windsurfed all day
Saturday and half the day Sunday. I think I’ll go on another
trip. It would be neat if they started windsurfing with the
Sailing Club.”
Kott said trips are chosen based on a variety of factors.
“It’s a combination of things,” she said. “We sit around
and brainstorm and get feedback from people who have
been on trips. We take into account what students want in
an outdoor program.”
Reber said student input is valuable.
“As long as Aggies keep challenging us to do new and cre
ative things, we’re going to do our best to meet their needs, ”
he said.
Upcoming programs include a horseback/hiking excur
sion on Oct. 31 and a backpacking trip to Colorado Nov. 7-
8. Future trips include a sailing and diving trip to the Ba
hamas for August 1999.
More information on upcoming trip dates and registra
tion deadlines is available at TAMU Outdoors, which is lo
cated behind the Rec Center facing Olsen Field. TAMU out
doors can also be reached at 845-4511.
T he guests take their place at the dining table.
A dead body is discovered. Dinner is served.
While such a scenario may be uncommon
during the average meal, it is commonplace at
Messina Hof Wine Cellars’ Murder Mystery
Gourmet Dinners.
The event allows diners to take an active role
in murder mystery while eating their meal. They
become characters who may or may not have
something to do with the murder.
Leah Huckert, manager of Designer events for
Messina Hof, said the winery came up with the
idea of creating their own murder mystery dinner
after observing others around the country.
"We wanted to have fun with wine, so we took
the concept and applied to the winery setting,"
Huckert said. “The victim is a wine maker.”
Huckert said this is the fourth year of the
murder mystery dinner. Four dinners are held
per year, one every quarter.
Murder mystery dinners are open to the pub
lic, but private dinners can also be held for or
ganizations, such as fraternities or businesses.
When guests arrive, they are notified of a
murder, and they receive a clue about who is re
sponsible with each course of the dinner.
As many as 100 people attend the event, with
eight to 10 people at a table.
Each table must try to solve the mystery be
fore dinner is over.
The diners are the characters in the mystery.
They receive character assignments a few days
before the dinner.
Huckert said the experience allows for peo
ple to do things a little differently.
“They become a different personality for the
night,” she said. “They also have to work with
the others at the table.”
She said the dinner’s atmosphere allows the
guests to interact with others and meet new people.
“It has a good participation, one that is
unique and interesting,” Huckert said. “You
might meet a new friend.”
Darren Valentine, a waiter at theMessi
dinner theater and a sophomoregenetalj
maior, saui tlu'groups mesh welltogefel
' I'he seem to enjoy it," Valentines]
food and wine tend to make it morertk
Valentine said the diners seemtotak:
roles seriously.
“They really get into the role-playing
of them even dress up,” he said.
Each time Messina Hof holdsaraunlt
tery dinner, it has a central theme.
This quarter's dinner is being usediott
the release of TexZin, a new red zintadeir
The mystery setting is on a yacht,!
event is actually held in the barrel room
the wine is bottled. Props and cost®
used to enhance the mood.
Huckert said the feel of thebarreln
tributes to the game.
“It is very gothic and dark," sites
Brandy Doiron, a senior speechcoi
tions major, said this will be herfirstt
ticipate in the dinner.
“I think it will be entertaining,by;
you to step out of your shoes,” Doirons
Huckert said eating the meal istheeasvpj
solving the mystery can prove to beqiieadi|
“They can be very tricky, but you’ll pass:
pay attention,” she said. “It is not inti
She said sometimes recruitingcompad
the dinner’s mystery to gauge
prospective employees.
“The firms use it to observehowreH
dents use deductive reasoning,” Huckena
The meal is finished and themysteiyii
ally solved in three hours.
Huckert said practice makes perfectwls)
comes to the production.
“We’ve been doing it (for) four years, s:
have it down to a science," she said,
don’t even have to get up.”
Valentine said the meal is worthtM
and effort.
“It is like going to a play or thesymptai
he said. “People get dressed up. It create^
tique and gives people entertainment."
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