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THE BATTALION
Published every Wednesday night by the Students’ Association of the
Agricultural. and Mechanical College of Texas.
Subscription Price $1.75 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.
Member of National College Press Association
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
L. W. JOHNSTON
J. M. GARCIA
J. E. TEAG'UE
Y. B. GRIFFIS
STAFF
. . . Associate Editor
. . Associate Editor
P. A. DRESSER
F. R. McKNIGHT
Assistant Snorts Editor
M. H. HOLLOWAY
Columnist
(Staff not yet
completed)
BUSINESS
LESTER HANKS
J. A. REYNOLDS
STAFF
. Business Manager
. Circulation Manager
FORESIGHT.
At a time like this there comes to the hearts and minds of all of us
the question as to whether or not our football team will have a successful
and winning season or not. The only answer that can be seen, in spite of
the outcome of this last Saturday’s game, is in the positive.
Of course it is not easy to support a losing team, but our team is not
losing; far from it. The Tulane game has no effect whatsoever on our
conference standing, and this game, being our first real competition, only
served to show the coaches what material we have and the ability of the
individual players to make a football team.
Also at a time like this numerous persons on the campus, cadets not
excepted, are prone to criticize the coaches and the players for their
actions in the game without stopping to consider - even a moment that
under stresses and crucial periods it is difficult for one to act from the
force of habit and even more difficult to think.
We must consider the fact that we have as yet a comparatively green
team with new coaches, and also that perfection and machine-like pre
cision do not come on the moment, but only through gruelling practice
and dilligent application.
talked about on every side. The critics are not narrow, and they are not
purposely mean. They just don’t know the facts.
Morality, right-thinking, and decent living are not things of the
past. Ideals have not been thrown to the winds by the youth of our coun
try. There is a certain small percentage of the boys and girls, the type
described as “sheiks” and “flappers,” who are following a decidedly down
ward path; but such conduct is not confined to the youngsters. Far from
it. The owner of a large cafe in San Antonio gave a statement to the As
sociated Press to the effect that, from experience, he has found there
are more middle-aged offenders of the dry law than are young people.
Both in and out of our American colleges one will find a predomi
nance of happy, joyous boys and girls who still exist on decency. The
majority of the youth of today are clear-headed, think for themselves,
and have high ideals. But it is not this type who get the publicity. It is
the necking, cigarette-smoking, hooch-drinking crowd that make the most
sensational newspaper stories and the most spicy conversation. Naturally,
public attention is drawn to this latter type, and the former are consider
ed extinct.
The sins of a few are getting all the publicity while the majority
of our boys and girls are being unfairly criticzed. Don’t consider them
guilty when the chances are they are innocent. Look, at it the other way
and give our youth the benefit of the doubt. The boys and girls are all
right. The trouble is that sin is just getting more publicity.
A DUTY, YET A PRIVILEGE.
We speak of traditions and customs as elements which retard civiliza
tion in its progressive course—this we do when the history of China flash
es through our minds—but we fail to expand on the important and valua
ble effects which these two phases of human behavior have had on our
present day society.
Going back to the time of bai'baric tribes we find that the only means
by which they could exist was by having a code of customs to regulate
their actions. For a time it continued in such a state. Increase in population
and greater necessities made it vital that these customs be made laws.
The final result was the compilation of a code of laws and statutes. While
heretofore it had been merely a custom that a man should not kill his
friend in cold blood, now murder was made an offense punishable by law.
This drifting of thought brings us back to our own institution. Tra
ditions have been accumulating here for fifty-three years, all of them
having a considerable influence on the students attending A. and M. Some
are worthy of our respect and obedience and others may be doubted be
cause their purpose is not clearly defined. Many of these customs have
to do with the life of the freshmen while they are such, and up to this
year have been adhered to in spite of outside influences.
One of the principal customs to be observed by freshmen is the one
that has to do with their introducing themselves to upperclassmen. This
question has been given the proper discussion and has been found to be
the easier method by which better understanding and development of friend
ship can be obtained.
This year there seems to be a disregard for this important phase of
freshman activities, a tendency that will lead to a disruption of the friend
ly spirit that has characterized the cadet corps in the past.
Freshmen, we are asking you to meet all persons with whom you come
m contact. No one will harm you for doing so and you will certainly feel
more at home in a crowd when you know its members.
AN OBSERVATION
Once a great man said that there is no such thing as an education
unless culture was one of the constituents. Now culture is defined as
the training of the mental and moral powers; the result of such training
being shown in intellectual development and aesthetic refinement.
There are some things here on the campus which, though thought
lessly committed, show utter disregard for public property and the well
being of others. To be candid about the matter, the things referred to
are the striking of matches on the walls of the main and other buildings
and the expectorating of tobacco juice in the assembly hall and at Yell
Practice.
It seems as if some students take great delight in seeing how unsight
ly and unpresentable they can make our campus, without considering the
fact that the appearance of our school reflects just about as much
on our discipline and home training as does our personal appearance and
conduct.
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I The Campus Cleaners & Tailors I
HENRY LOCKE, Mgr.
Welcomes you back to School
The Complete Cleaning Plant — Convenient too
OVER THE EXCHANGE STORE
AMERICAN YOUTH.
There they go! A pair of youngsters. A slim, clear-eyed, merry girl
and a flippant, a bit arrogant boy, full of secret, earnest plans for suc
cess. They enjoy their own company. They go to shows, they dance, and
they quarrel together. Her eyes shine when she speaks of him, and he
has thoughts of being her protector. Some of these days they’ll be grown
up. Those fearless youngsters will be man and wife.
You are interested in youth. Old folks may forget, at times, that
they were once young, but they all wish they could be so again. The
young folks are in the midst of the most talked-of age of history, and
they know it.
The greatest indoor sport of today is the criticism of our boys and
girls. Their clothes, their actions, their very desires are written and
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“IF ITS NEW, WE HAVE IT’
BRYAN, TEXAS
PHONE 839
JOE KAPLAN & CO., INC.
BRUNSWICK, COLUMBIA, OKEK AND
Victor Portables and Records
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