Aggielife
The Battalion
Summer School, Break or Burden?
Students struggle to balance work and school y while others enjoy their time off
opts to spend the beginning of summer at home in Dallas and the
rest in Aggieland.
“I think it’s nice going back home for awhile,” Simpson
said. “It is a change of pace and it really feels good to live
where you grew up before heading back to A&M. When I am
at home I get to see more friends
from high school, which is
always great.
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Local residents look to Starlight Music Series as their summer escape
Page 3 • Thursday, June 6, 2002
By Kelcey Rieger
THE BATTALION
Lazy days of summer are gone for college students.
Attending class, working and volunteering are signs of an
Aggie’s summer. For many students at Texas A&M, what once
was considered a summer break has become a summer burden.
Tiffany Bradfield, a junior agriculture major, had her dream
summer all planned out, but unfortunately, not all dreams
become a reality.
“I would love to spend all summer at the beach, any
beach,” Bradfield said. “Just hanging out and having fun
with no job or school to worry about. It would be about
having a good time. But staying at the beach doesn’t get you
college credit and I know getting a tan does not equal making
money. So, I’m working a part-time job to earn a little extra
money, while taking some summer courses to get some of my
classes out of the way.”
Bradfield considers herself to be an active person and when
summer rolled around she knew she wanted to keep her summer
eventful with activities, such as playing for a co-ed softball team
in College Station.
In an effort to have a productive summer, students
attempt the infamous summer job search and will find t |
employment is at times, anything but pleasant. < •%
“One of the worst summer job experiences I have f'- / ^-
ever had was when I worked at the fiscal office for the
City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation,” Bradfield
said. “First, the building I worked in was a remodeled giraffe j
pen, which was strange in itself. The lighting was terrible, the ^
work was boring, and it was close to 50 degrees inside,
so I was always freezing. It was depressing having
to be stuck inside while everyone was outside hav
ing fun at the zoo.”
Aggies do not have to be at A&M to be bur
dened with a full summer. Students who head back to their
hometowns might find work there or take classes at a local com
munity college.
Chris Simpson, a sophomore business administration major.
know when I get back up to College Station it is going to get
crazy.”
Simpson says this summer is anything but a break for him.
“I am taking a mini-mester and Summer Session I in Dallas,”
Simpson said. “Then I plan on heading back to A&M for
Summer Session II where I am going to live in a residence hall
on campus. I’ll be taking six hours of classes plus I plan on being
involved in OPAS and the Aggie Orientation Leader Program.”
Aggies often look for opportunities during the summer
to volunteer or get involved with organizations to
pass the time during the long days of summer.
Carolina Balderas, a junior chemical engi
neering major, figured she would donate her
time to something that she thought would be
interesting and worthwhile.
“I volunteered at the Dallas Museum of
Art a couple summers ago,” Balderas said. “I
thought I would be either helping guide tours,
recruiting other volunteers or something
along those lines. I was dead wrong. I had to
sweep the floors and clean restrooms because
the museum didn’t have enough money in the
budget for a janitor. Needless to say, I didn’t stay too
long.”
In past summers Balderas found herself burned out from
her rigorous summer activities and wanted to enjoy this one.
“I felt like taking a break from school, activities, and adults,”
Balderas said. “In past years I volunteered at organizations like
the Girls and Boys Club of Dallas, worked, and took classes.
With so much going on, I got short fused and ended up disliking
what I was doing.”
Balderas says summers are a time of playing outdoors,
sno-cones, and utter joy, not to be overrun with the bur
dens a college student’s summer entails.
“Everyone seems to be lighthearted and nice around
this time of year,” Balderas said. “Past summers I packed
my schedule too tightly with things to do and I ended up
helping no one and annoying everyone,” Balderas said.
“This summer I’m not going to school, so that relieves
one stress, but I will be working with children, which hopefully
will turn out okay. Definitely an ideal summer for me and hope
fully a happy one.”
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By Melissa Stephenson
THE BATTALION
College Station has found its own
response to summer tours with the
Starlight Music Series, held at Wolf
Pen Creek Ampitheater, and all of
College Station, especially A&M stu
dents, are showing their appreciation.
From the B.Y.O.B (bring your own
blanket) concept, to the freedom that
goes with outdoor venues. Aggies have
discovered that aspects of an open-air
concert can be just as enjoyable as an
indoor show, if not better.
Among the numerous fans to attend
the Starlight Music Series kickoff was
Ashlee Davis, a junior animal science
major, who said being outside added to
the mood of Jerry Jeff Walker’s per
formance. For her, lounging under the
stars in the cool grass is what country
music is all about.
“Wolf Pen is great because you can
bring blankets to sit on and hang out
with friends,” Davis said. “It’s like
having a concert in your back yard."
For Davis and other College Station
residents. Wolf Pen Creek is their back
yard, literally. Davis is one of the for
tunate people who can enjoy the music
of Wolf Pen from the balcony of her
nearby apartment. She said although
the music resonates throughout the
area on concert nights, she still likes to
be on the theater grounds to get the full
effect.
Unlike an indoor concert, Davis
said the picnic aspect provides a much
more social and relaxed atmosphere.
During summer months, many stu
dents need a break from the structured
and organized events of daily life, and
outdoor theaters often serve as a thera
peutic escape.
“Being outside at Wolf Pen, every
one at the concert was much more
care-free than it would have been in
Reed Arena,” Davis said.
Unfortunately, with a care-free
atmosphere, there’s a possibility things
may get out of hand. Davis said that
the highlight of the evening at the
Starlight Music Series kickoff, aside
from the music, was when one of the
concert goers fell into the moat that
surrounds the stage of the amphithe
ater. She said she could only assume
that it was just a crazed fan of Jerry
Jeff Walker.
Willie Bennet, coordinator of the
Starlight Music Series, estimated there
have been 24,000 people to attend the
first five shows of the series, averag
ing about 4,800 people per show. He
added the crowd has been a combina
tion of students, local residents, and
families. The College Station commu-
JOSHUA HOBSON • THE BATTALION
Concert goers enjoy the sounds of Ruthie Foster at the Starlight Music Series at Wolf Pen Creek Ampitheater.
nity is taking advantage of the free
concerts provided by the Starlight
Music Series. Upcoming shows for
the Starlight Music Series are:
June 8-Vince Vance and The
Valients.
June 11-Trout Fishing in America
with Ruthie Foster
June 15-KORA’s Back Porch 2nd
Anniversary.
June 22-Ian Moore with Hadden
Sayers
June 29-Big Otis
July 29-Killer Bees with Bobby
Hall
IMMANUEL & HELEN OLSHAN
TEXAS
Around the World
in 30 Days!
MUSIC ” t ?9tcc46C'
FESTIVAL
f9
JUNE 3
^MOORES SCHOOL
^ MUSIC
JUNE 24, 2002
UNIVERSITY OF
HOUSTON
TICKETS!
845-1234
Student $5 - Regular $10
Monday, June 10, 7:30pm
Chamber Concert
Bush Conference Center
An evening of chamber music by Chinese com
posers, includes Ding Shan-De's Piano Trio,
Ching Yi's lovely Xian Shi, The Light of The Angel
for Solo Piano by Hua Yang, Bright Sheng's Stream
Flow for Solo Violin, and Ma Szu Ts'ung's Piano
Quintet. Performers include the Western Arts
Trio.
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