Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1928)
4 THE BATTALION THE BATTALION Published every Wednesday night by the Students’ Association of the Agricultural and Mechanical Coliege of Texas. Subscription price $1.76 per Year. ALL ADS RUN UNTIL ORDERED OUT Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Bryan, Texas, under the Act of Congress March 3rd., 1879. All undergraduates in the College are eligible to try for a place on the Editorial Staff of this paper. Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors who are interested in journalism for its own sake, are urged to make themselves known to some member of the Staff. EDITORIAL STAFF E. L. ANDREWS R. H. SHUFFLER . . . W. C. MORRIS H. C. GIVENS A. PAEZ J. M. HOLMES P. A. DRESSER F. W. THOMAS, JR. . . G. M. WRENN W. T. COLEMAN J. J. LOVING H. W. TOEPPERWEIN Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor . Sports Editor . Associate Sports Editor . Assistant Sports Editor Literary Editor Associate Literary Editor Exchange Editor Columnist L. W. JOHNSTON News Editor J. E. TEAGUE Associate News Editor J. M. GARCIA Assistant News Editor W. P. PATTON, JR. L. HANKS V. A. BUESCHER . BUSINESS STAFF Business Manager Assistant Business Manager Circulation Manager This claim of civilization has long been denied at our college. Our mess hall at meal times sounds more like an overgrown hog pen or a Fiji Island celebration than anything comparable to a human eating place. Just why a cadet, upon entering the palatial emporium of nourishment of this institution, should give a perfect imitation of Kipling’s “inji-rub- ber idiot on a spree,” is a thing that the civilized visitors to the campus have often wondered, and occasionally asked. In an institution of higher education, of all places, a place where the civilization and culture of the future is supposedly being developed, it is decidedly unseemly for such utterly unnecessary and crudely barbaric orgies to be the custom. Is decency at meal times too much to ask of the exuberant youth of the college ? Can’t an Aggie be human, if not gentle manly? Of course, decency in table manners would be too much to ask, but can’t we at least make little enough noise to appear human to vis itors. IN THE MESS HALL. In the mess hall Monday morning some “fish” splashed milk on a sen ior. When the senior arose from the table the “fish” made their usual rush for the untouched food and in the resulting scuffle the senior, who was standing nearby preparing to leave, was deluged with a spray of milk. The incident showed, on the part of the “fish,” a lack of courtesy to ward a senior and a complete disregard of the canons of ordinary decency. Though unintentional, it is not excusable on any grounds. Good manners should dictate their conduct in the mess hall as well as at home. No one should be guilty of such uncouth actions anywhere. It has reached the point where such actions cannot be tolerated any longer. In the future, if the “fish” do not refrain from making themselves obnoxious, some method will be devised to compel them to do so. However, it is hoped the fish will take the initiative and relieve the seniors of the disagreeable task of making and enforcing restrictive regulations. AN INVITATION TO THE STUDENT BODY. Among the institutions on the campus that have attempted to influ ence the intellectual development of the student body the Science and Social Science Seminars have for some time held a high place. Just what degree of influence they have exerted in the past may be questioned, be cause of the seeming indifference of a major portion of the students. How ever, a number of men have attended the meetings of the seminars, from time to time, and the benefits derived therefrom are above question. Last year the Seminars started out on a program or bringing to the campus prominent men, the best in their respective fields, to lecture to the entire corps. These men, Louis Brown and Will Durant, lectured to large groups, and succeeded in arousing a decided interest in the work of the Seminars. Following up this program, the Social Science Seminar has announced this year a program of speakers which will include William Allen White, one of the leading journalists of this country, and Henry Goddard Leach, editor of the Forum. A number of other outstanding men from some of the larger universities of this section will also speak at the regular meet ings of the seminar. An invitation has been extended by the seminar to all members of the student body who may care to attend any of their meetings. Topics in many fields of interest will be discussed by men who are recognized as authorities, and it is the desire of the seminar that as many of these be heard by the students as possible. The benefits of attending these meetings are obvious; it is hoped that they will be well attended by tbe student body as a whole this year. OUR COLLEGIATE CYNICS. The older and more mature members of the Campus intelligeneia have a habit of pointing out, with sarcastic remarks and many wry smiles, the budding collegiate cynics on our campus. These youths, their beard less lips besmirched with exaggerated sneers, and with a ready store of sharp and cutting Menckenisms ready for use on any occasion, do, in truth greatly resemble at times that famous beast belonging to Balaam. However, they are to be protected and defended, rather than made the ob jects of bitter mirth. Any unsuspecting lad, fresh from the untouched backwoods of our native land, upon having his deams shattered by a slight contact with dis illusioned men or upon reading some of this damning modern literature, will become bitter. These outstanding “little Menckens” of the campus have just been made more bitterly aware of their illusions than the rest. Who, upon finding for the first time that all was not truth and beauty, and high idealism, as he has been taught, would not revolt and turn a doubting eye upon the world in general? These same men, although they may never settle down to being God fearing, law-abiding, conventional good citizens—may the Gods protect them from such a calamity—will some day learn to look upon the wild ness of their youth with the same questioning eye you now cast upon them. Fear not, dear brothers, we will never turn out an H. L. Mencken, a George Jean Nathan, or even a Bertrand Russell from this institution. A few more years here will dull that wild gleam—if not the mind—too much for that to ever happen. CIVILIZATION In the old days, back before the dawn of our present civilization, our savage ancestors celebrated before each feast with wild war dances and weird barbaric howls of delight. Today, dogs growl over their soup bones, cats fight over milk, and all lower animals make uncouth noises when eating. Man, it has often been said, has advanced beyond this primitive stage and can partake of his food—with the possible exception of soup— in a noiseless and altogether agreeable manner. »:«3imiiMiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiii[]iiiiiiiiiiiiuii[iiiiiiiiiHiii]fNiiiiiuiii][iiii]iiuiiiiiiiinioifiiiii!i!iuiiiiiiiiiiiiuimiiiuiiiuiiiuiimiiuiuiHimHt:nti<i FOB, YOTJB COLLEGE WOBK | YOU SHOULD USE A | Sheaffer Life-Time Pen | Or Desk Set. We Have them in all models and Scrip Ink in all colors. j SANKEY PARK j H>X«,XXX03n_CX!W . SSxX'^T'Oir . \A/ EE fc ?mHiHi!iiiiiiiumii!ii!Miuii<!iii!!HiHi!wmimcnwiiiiiuiHiimMituuiiiiHii!muuii!iiii!i!nMrtiiii!iHnnmmmt[>uunnuiunHHiii!ifei& OiiimiiiiiiiDiiiiimiiiiDiiminiiiiuiiiimiiiiiDiimiiiiiiieimiiiiiiiiiDiiiiHiiiiiiDiiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiiiiiiciimiimnciiiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiimiDin^ = — Drawing Material j VICTOR AND BRUNSWICK TALKING MACHINES AND RECORDS g R. C. A. AND ATWATER KENT | Radios | ROYAL, CORONA AND REMINGTON PORTABLE | I TYPEWRITERS HASWELL’S BOOK STORE |