Page 2
THE BATTALION
College Station, Texas Tuesday, October 24, 1961
CADET SLOUCH
BATTALION EDITORIALS
Silver Taps
Twice in the past six days, Aggies have reverently stood
in front of the Academic Building at Silver Taps, paying last
tribute to a fellow Aggie passed on.
Silver Taps is Texas A&M’s most sacred tradition, and
any Aggie will tell you it is the most sacred of any school
anywhere.
Because of this, certain rules of conduct have been set
down for students to follow during the Silver Taps ceremon
ies. All of these rules are part of the great tradition.
First rule is that no one speaks either to, during, or re
turning from the ceremony. And unless it is totally ne
cessary to break it, silence is maintained until the next
morning.
Second rule concerns lights on campus. All lights
should go off as the ceremony starts, and not come back on
until daybreak unless it is also ultimately necessary. It has
always been a common and acceptable practice for students
having necessary studying to do, to hang blankets or other
devices over their windows to keep light streaming out at
a minimum. «* •
Reverence is emphasized in these rules, which aren’t
really rules at all, but privileges. They provide a means
through which students may honor the memory of a de
ceased comrade.
But twice in the past six days, these privileges have been
violated. Perhaps the violations stemmed from ignorance;
some more apparently originated from carelessness and
apathy.
Silver Taps, above all other traditions of A&M, should
not be disgraced by improper conduct. Each student should
consider it his personal responsibility to maintain the atmos
phere of reverence symbolizing the sacredness of the cere
mony.
by Jim Earle
' 'C-.. v '' 'W* yy l
Job Calls
“ . . . I’d like to have your name on this petition to th’
S. W. C. Committee to make football games 55 minutes
instead of 60 minutes long!”
The following firms will inter
view seniors at the Placement
Office in the YMCA Building:
Wednesday
Humble Oil and Refining Co.
and Esso Research and Engi
neering Co.—Chemical, mechani
cal, petroleum, civil and electric
al engineering, geology and
chemistry (B.S., M.S. and Ph.D.);
electrical and industrial engi
neering (B.S. and M.S.); geolog
ical engineering (B.S., M.S. and
five-year degree), and account
ing, business administration and
marketing (B.B.A. and M.B.A.).
Texas Instruments Inc. — Elec
trical and mechanical engineer
ing and physics (B.S., M.S.,
Ph.D.).
Chemstrand Corp. — Chemical
and mechanical engineering and
chemistry (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.);
industrial engineering (B.S.,
M.S.), and physics (M.S., Ph.D.).
U.S. Navy Hydrographic Of
fice—Civil and mechanical engi
neering, chemistry, mathematics
and physics (B.S., M.S.).
Wednesday—Friday
Monsanto Chemical Co.—Chem
ical engineering and chemistry
B.S., M.S., Ph.D.), and mechan
ical engineering (B.S., M.S.).
Union Carbide Chemicals Co.
—chemical, electrical, industrial
and mechanical engineering tand
chemistry (B.S., M.S.).
Summer Work
Humble Oil and Refining Co.
and Esso Research and Engl
neering Co. will interview jun
iors Wednesday for summer jobs
in chemical, electrical, geolog
ical, mechanical and petroleum
engineering.
PLACE YOUR
ORDER FOR YOUR
FOOTBALL CORSAGES
CONGDON’S
Townshire Shopping Center
On Campus
Kith
MsxShukan
Sound Off-
(Editor’s note: May’s letter
was dated Oct. 18, the night of
Silver Taps for Ernest Rodgers
Jr., ’61, killed in an automobile
accident Oct. 17 in Bryan.)
Editor,
The Battalion:
For two years now, I have at
tended the most solemn ceremony
that the Aggies have—Silver
Taps. This very serious mo
ment is designed to honor one
of the deceased of our student
body and is the only time which
we have as Aggies to pay our
last respects to this person who
is no longer with us.
The ceremony tonight was
everything but that for some
people. This is a memorial serv
ice and should be regarded as
such. Instead, some of the Corps
of Cadets simply find it is an
interruption in their studies.
Some cadets simply dropped what
they were doing and same as
they were—in blue jeans, tee
shirts and even a few in shower
robes. This is not quite the
proper way in my mind for a
person to attend a memorial
service for a deceased person.
Other people acted like it was
a pain in the neck to attend the
few moments we were over there
in front of the Academic Build
ing. They stood around and
smoked cigarettes, talked, and
acted like they would be glad
when it was over so they could
return to the activity that was
interrupted.
Both going and coming, some
few members of the Corps horsed
around and chased each other as
if they were out to have a good
time or going to a picnic. There
was no seriousness on the part
of a good many of the people
present at the solemn occasion.
When they arrived, they stood
around with their hands in their
pockets and slouched like they
were about to go to sleep on
their feet. When the first vol
ley was fired by the Ross Vol
unteers, the only change some
made in their position was to
shift to their other foot.
After the last time through
Here It Is!!
DON’T BE ENVIOUS OF THE OTHER FELLOW GO
TO THE DANCE, AFTER THE GAME IN YOUR NEW
WHITE UNIFORM
$44.95 complete $25.00 down $1.00 per week OR RENT
ONE FOR A LOW PRICE OF ONLY $5.00 per week
end—AT—
LOUPOTS
THE BATTALION
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the stu
dent writers only. The Battalion is a non-tax-supported, non
profit, self-supporting educational enterprise edited and op
erated by students as a journalism laboratory and community
newspaper and is under the supervision of the director of
Student Publications at Texas A&M College.
Publications, chairman;
Truettner,
McMurry,
The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A.&M. is published in College Sta
tion, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and holiday periods, Septem
ber through May, and once a week during summer school.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all news
dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of
spontaneous origin published herein. Bights of republication of all other matter here
in are also reserved.
Entered as second-class
t the Post Office
e i
tie
gress of March 8, 1870.
matter at
in College Station. Texai
under the Act of Con
MEMBER:
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Texas Press Assn.
Represented nationally by
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News contributions may be made by telephoning VI 6-6618 or VI 6-4910 or at the
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BOB SLOAN EDITOR
Tommy Holbein Managing Editor
Larry Smith Sports Editor
Alan Payne, Ronnie Bookman News Editors
Sylvia Ann Bookman Society Editor
Bob Roberts Assistant Sports Editor
Gerry Brown, Johnny Baughman Staff Writers
Johnny Herrin — Photographer
a taps, they immediately reached
for a cigarette if the one they
were holding through the firing
and playing of taps had gone
out.
Immediately after the cere
mony was over, the academic
area of the campus lit up like
a Christmas tree. The top floor
of the Academic Building gave
enough light to read a paper on
the ground outside. Other build
ings were lit up immediately
after the ceremony was over,
some to the point that the group
had not started to disperse be
fore the lights were on.
It appears to me that the
people responsible for these
lights could at least have enough
respect for the person honored
to leave the lights off for 10 or
15 minutes. Is time so valuable
that these few seconds cannot
be given over to the memory of
someone who is no longer to
walk across our campus ? To
someone that had very close
friends among our student body?
The whole thing smells strongly
disrespect.
Upon return to the dormitory
area, lights were on all over the
place. Some windows and blinds
were open, the lights on, and no
one in the room. It would have
taken the OD more than an hour
to collect the names of all those
who were responsible. This vio
lation of the Articles of the Ca
det Corps could result in ten
demerits up to Cadet Court.
Still, is this solving the problem
when we call the responsible par
ties up for discipline? Everyone
should feel the actual purpose
of Silver . Taps and be very glad
to Comply to the letter, not from
the threat of punishment.
I hope that I never have to
attend another Silver Taps, but
if I do, I hope that some people
at least try to realize what the
purpose of the gathering is and
try to carry out to the best of
their ability their part in paying
i
*7 !*"#1v™ ea tre
TcHIIWEN UNDER 12 YEARS- FR£E
Tuesday
Walt Disney’s
‘‘NIKKI”
plus
‘From Here To Eternity’
with Burt Lancaster
PALACE
Bryan 2'S#79
LAST DAY
“Armored Command’
Starts Tomorrow
Paul Newman
in
“PARIS BLUES”
.
QUEEN
NOW SHOWING
Paul Newman
In
EXODUS
respect to the person who is no
longer with us. Just try to keep
this one thing in mind: What
would you want the Corps of
Cadets and the civilian students
to do if you were the one to be
memorialized by Silver Taps ?
Leonard May, ’63
P.O. Box 4984
9c
PER PRINT
Black & White
Snapshots
A&M PHOTO
North Gate
CAMPUS
STARTS TODAY
aiggimesit of forgotten men
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER presents
GEORGE LUANA ARTHUR
^RICHARD
BOONE - HAMILTON - PATTEN • O’CONNELL
m A ROBERT J. ENDERS PRODUCTION
-- f ^-aZI2523H3
UcO-STARRING
.CHARLES BRONSON-RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN
DIRECTED E
JAMES WARNER BELLAH • JOSEPH NEWMAN
'in CinemaScope and METROCOLOR
And Introducing
DUANE EDDY
Top Recording Star
CIRCLE
DRIVE-IN THEATER
LAST NIGHT
Tonight 6:30
“Two Ride Together’
& “Silver Chalice”
{Author of “I Was a Teen-age Dwarf”, ‘‘The Many
Loves of Dobie Gillis”, etc.)
THE DATING SEASON
I have recently returned from a tour of 950,000 American col
leges where I made a survey of undergraduate dating customs
and sold mechanical dogs, and I have tabulated my findings
and I am now prepared to tell you the simple secret of successful
dating.
The simple secret is simply this: a date is successful when the
man knows how to treat tlie girl.
And how does a girl like to be treated? If you want to know,
read and remember these four cardinal rules of dating:
1. A girl likes to be treated with respect.
When you call for your girl, do not drive up in front of the
sorority house and yell, “Hey, fat lady!” Get out of your car.
Walk respectfully to the door. Knock respectfully. When your
girl comes out, tug your forelock and say respectfully, “Good
evening, your honor.” Then offer her a Marlboro, for what
greater respect can you show your girl than to offer Marlboro
with its fine flavor and exclusive selectrate filter? It will in
dicate immediately that you respect her taste, respect her dis
cernment, respect her intelligence. So, good buddies, before
going out on a date, always remember to buy some Marlboros,
available in soft pack or flip-top box in all 50 of the United
States and also Cleveland,
4 Girf lm b) k tikeit b t&ce
2. A girl likes a good listener.
Do not monopolize the conversation. Let her talk while you
listen attentively. Make sure, however, that she is not herself
a good listener. I recollect a date I had once with a coed named
Greensleeves Sigafoos, a lovely girl, but unfortunately a listener,
not a talker. I too was a listener so we just sat all night long,
each with his hand cupped over his ear, straining to catch a
word, not talking hour after hour until finally a policeman came
by and arrested us both for vagrancy. I did a year and a day.
She got by with a suspended sentence because she was the sole
support of her aged housemother.
S. A girl likes to be taken to nice places.
By “nice” places I do not mean expensive places. A girl does
not demand luxury. All she asks is a place that is pleasant and
gracious. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, for example. Or
Mount Rushmore. Or the Taj Mahal. Or the Bureau of Weights
and Measures. Find places like these to take your girl. In no
circumstances must you take her to an oil-cracking plant.
4- A girl likes a man to be well-informed.
Come prepared with a few interesting facts that you can drop
casually into the conversation. Like this: “Did you know,
Snookiepuss, that when cattle, sheep, camels, goats, antelopes,
and other members of the cud-chewing family get up, they al
ways get up hind legs first?” Or this: “Are you aware, Hotlips, 1
that corn grows faster at night?” Or this: “By the way, Lover-
head, Oslo did not become the capital of Norway till July 11,
1924.”
If you can slip enough of these nuggets into the conversation
before dinner, your date will grow too torpid to eat. Some men
save up to a half million dollars a year this way.
@ 1901 Max Bhulmao
To the list of things girls like, add the king-size, unfiltered
Philip Morris Commander. Girls, men—in fact everybody
with a taste bud in his head—likes mild, natural Commander,
co-sponsors with Marlboro of this column.
PEANUTS
By Charles M. Schuls
PEANUTS
PEAR great Pl/MPKlA/,
Man/ mave iou
we Are L00KW6 FoKwARD
io Your come hmlo^ee^
NIGHT U/ITH Ytk/R 0A6 FULL
OF PFE5FMT5.1 HAVE TRlEvTo
Be A 60op boy all VeAR.
PEANUTS
Candthen.sauvA
ON HALLOWEEN
NIGHT, THE GREAT
PUMPKIN APPEARS!/
H£ FLIES THROUGH THE AlR,
AND BRINGS TOVS TO ALL THE
CHILDREN OF THE WORLD]
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