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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2002)
THE BATTALION king inued from t t°r >ill comrr Neuman said, 'bc'rthy Road e <-l from Reed - Bush Dn\c Campus a f S is doing ui modate student uiges. Bisor cn though ■ s are come' mvenient tors;, . he said. University has h the Cits of to lease 250 *n the Colie, garage. Th^i ig offered tocr l ts, and I rs ss ho are cune; waiting list.Hij >ed at the sai i-e;uiipus gart immodatiori' ) be made t I few semeste construction Idle repair t New Mam 1 reel is currer d is not sche tion until isor s;ud. tional projec May and} -ate a temrv Friday, March 8, 2002 atch your back Students offer safety tips for spring break travel By Amanda Trimble THE BATTALION Kathleen Strait's study abroad trip to Spain began with a ad experience. iBtrait, a junior English major, had just arrived in Madrid and called eBad to let him know everything was OK. Four hours later she called im back because her wallet was stolen on the subway. 'Spain had just won a big soccer match and the whole city was isaiK ’ Strait said. "Inside the subway, there was a lot of celebrating and eople jumping up and down. There were people pressed against me, but didn 't think anything of it because it was so crowded.” Strait said after she got on the train, her purse felt lighter and she oliced her wallet was gone. She said she was lucky Hiuse she had just exchanged some cash and put it in icrpocket, but the thief had stolen all of her credit cards. "I used to let my purse hang behind me ” Strait said. Her that, when I was in crowds I would hold onto it ” Spence Sir:: |*p r jng break and summer vacation take stu nt vanoi |ents everywhere from the Texas coastline to over- ,eal. Regardless of how far students travel, safety K^fcautions should be practiced, especially in ireps frequented by tourists. _ A pamphlet issued by the U.S. Department of State :ontains several tips for students traveling abroad. H (,rci| ng to the pamphlet, students should leave copies Hieir itinerary with friends and family, never leave Uggane unattended in public areas mid avoid drugs and ilcohol while in foreign countries. ^■'he state department travel Website, Hd-state.gov, offers Consular Information sheets for ie itied fror md we co. gh ai pe certificate' its and gro rn out a>: »ur withal midnight, ntly, Aggie initiative.:: jsal for an' Committee it idea hi If you re not pay ing attention, it’s so easy for them to pick pocket you. Plus you’re a target be cause you’re dressed like an American. — Becky Couch Senior International Studies Major ever country. These contain valuable information such as warnings wont high crime areas and phone numbers for U.S. Consulates and the U.S. Embassy, which are helpful in case students encounter trouble with local law enforcement. Students traveling to Mexico are subject to the same precautions as those going overseas. Judith Moore, a sophomore elementary education In the MS ma i 01 :,t Blinn College, has spent many spring breaks in her hometown oWadre Island. Moore said it is popular to cross the border into Mexico during spring break since the legal drinking age there is 18. ]® l Be careful when you cross the border because when you get drunk in tin over there, you’re dealing with the Mexican officials and they're more u ill hne i strict "Moore said. “You’re not in the U.S. anymore.” c things MjlMoore said U.S. officials will be checking visitors to Mexico as ialmon sai ^ corne into the U.S during spring break. If a minor is publicly ee bowling ts — wlrH went ulents cansl chains, tai second p program im 9 a.m. intoxicated, he or she can be taken to jail. Using caution when consuming alcohol is an important tip to remember, however students can encounter difficulties by simply being unaware of their surroundings. This is especially true in Europe, where pick-pocketing is common. Becky Couch, a senior international studies major, traveled, to Spain two years ago. Although she did not have anything ^stolen, she said cither members of her group would bump into someone and feel them trying to pick their pockets. “If you’re not paying attention, it’s so easy for them to pick pocket you,” Couch said. “Plus you’re a target because you’re dressed like an American.” Couch suggested putting a small lock on a back pack while walking around the city because they are easy to open in crowds. She also recommends learning some of the local language. Couch said during her trip, her group was walking home from a bar when a group of drunken men started following close behind them and catcalling. “We kept walking faster and they kept following us,” Couch said. “Finally one of the girls turned around and said in Spanish, ‘Go away!’ Then they stopped and left us alone.” Angela Carmena, a senior marketing major at Texas Christian University, studied in London last spring. She had a similar experience while walking home with a friend one night. Cannena said she noticed a group of guys following too close behind them and pulled her friend toward her and away from them. _ “All of a sudden, her lipstick fell out of her purse,” Cannena said. “The guys behind us had gotten her purse unzipped and were going to steal her wallet. I had stopped them when I pulled her over.” Pick-pocketing attempts do not happen just at night. Carmena said there is a street in Barcelona, Las Ramblas, which is famous for its street performers and thieves. “I had to be really careful there,” Carmena said. “With the street performers, someone usually works with them. So while the audience is mesmerized with the show, their cohort is pick pocketing people.” Sarah Cray, a senior agricultural science major, went to Vietnam last year and said children can be pick-pockets, too. “We were there for New Year’s, and they had a big celebration,” Cray said. “In the crowd, we would feel the little kids’ hands in our pockets.” Don't Miss 2 for 1 Ticket Offer in Tuesday's Bait! activities^ pancake he MSC ' :ility. id of live to try to p > will pert’ 1 ] " Salmon je Nigh 1 ' ell as "the: the ideal- to hold i ;ry Friday n ’Inis Duke.it science f MSC0P.U ; a great ainment □me hang 1 ' 1 nds, 2hts is a gr] ] hope thatt will come. PORGY AND BESS Musical or Opera? Both! ech Editor rts Editor iorts Assist" 1 • Chief t Director hoto Editor Jio Produce' lio Assistanr ’ebmaster through Frit during , is A&M PER: Send College its at Tenar | lent ofJoC e - 845-33$ • thebatt.com or endorse^: :all 845-262 ; - ReedMcW $45-2678. 3 sA&Mstud ? ' lesW^. over, or 1 While the classification of George and Ira Gershwin's masterpiece has been debated since its premiere over 65 years ago, MSC OPAS invites you to judge for yourself. Experience the exuberance of Gershwin's enduring melodies like "Summertime," "I Got Plenty 'o Nuttin'," and "My Man's Gone Now" as sung by the inhabitants of Catfish Row. Decide for yourself! Is it an unforgettable night at the opera or a magical night on Broadway? MSC OPAS presents PORGY AND BESS Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19 and 20 at 7:30 PM in Rudder Auditorium. For tickets, please call 845-1234 or purchase on line at opas.tamu.edu. PATRICIA S. PETERS LAGNIAPPE LECTURE SERIES Join us for an informal discussion previewing PORGY AND BESS. Part of the Patricia S. Peters Lagniappe Lecture Series and presented by The OPAS Guild, the discussions will be held prior to each performance at 6:30 PM in the MSC's Forsyth Center Galleries. ... MSC rtSaii OPAS PORGY AND BESS Tues and Wed, March 19 and 20 at 7:30 PM Rudder Auditorium T 1C k E T SY caii 845-1 234 Online at opas.tamu.edu ADRIAN CALCANEO * THE BATTALION KBTX-TVjgj 98,3^K0RA 3^ vjj V: PizzaworksJ ©ijxBCBdaQ All you can eat Peproni Rolls™ $ 3.99 6pm-9pm Dine in only *add salad bar & drink for $ 1.99 or *domestic longnecks $ 1.50 3505 Longmire Dr. 2002 E. 29th Next to Blinn ??©£>~[D®T7C1 919 Harvey Woodstone Cener 2©©=ISa\I7B Northgate This year take a break in the lap of luxury! $89* Deluxe guest room $99* Room + breakfast for two Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Bayfront and Marina 1-800-TIIB-OMNI www.omnihotels.com •Rates are per room, per night. Taxes and gratuities not included. Not applicable to groups, conventions or special discount offers. Some restrictions may apply. Rates are seasonal and subject to change.