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THE BATTALION
Page 2 College Station, Texas Thursday, December 19 ,1963
CADET SLOUCH
BATTALION EDITORIALS
by am Earie ]\j os i Beautiful TradMon
Two Aggies Are Dead;
Will There Be More
Chills Editor Year Around
Death has raised its black, ug-ly hand twice this week
to point an icy finger at the A&M campus. In both cases
death selected as its tool of death one of the most lethal
weapons our society knows — the automobile.
We can pray that we have suffered all the loss that
is intended for us during the holiday season. However,
we have no assurance that other students will not meet a
similar fate before we return to school in January.
Let these two Aggies’ deaths be a warning to all —
you can die in a traffic accident. The vacuum which rests
in the lives of the families of these two men might be partly
filled by the knowledge that another man’s life might have
been saved by the example projected by the tragedy which
tore a wound in their hearts.
Each Aggie should dedicate himself to safe driving.
He should take as his individual responsibility to save at
least one life during the Christmas Holidays. There are
a few simple things that he can do that will go a long way
in assisting him in such an effort.
Safe arrival at one’s destination is much more important
than an early arrival. Being one hour late on the deer
hunt, on the dance floor or at the table with a home cooked
meal will not mar the vacation for family and friends in
any proportion at all to what a funeral would do to dampen
the festive season.
A Perfect Gift
The Christmas season is a time that has been accepted
for years as one of the few seasons during the year when
the family is expected to “get together.” We feel sure
that this year will be no exception.
As we go back to our homes for these few short days,
there is one gift that we can take back to our parents.
So often a student is guilty of rushing into his home passing
a quick hello and then rushing on his way. Much time
will go into what to buy the parents for Christmas. This
is always limited by what they would like to have and what
we can afford. However, we feel that we have hit upon
a gift this year that any parent would like to have and any
student can afford.
Aggies, as you take off for the holidays this year,
promise yourself that you will spend at least one full evening
at home visiting with your parents. It will be a gift they
will always treasure.
FOR SALE
SURPLUS BUILDINGS
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Sealed proposals for the sale and removal of a one-story wooden
frame cottage with accompanying garage located on the Texas
A&M University Campus will be received at the office of the
Physical Plant, 600 Sulphur Springs Road (FM 60), Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas, until 2:00 p. m., January 9,
1964, and then publicly opened and read aloud.
Instructions to bidders and proposal forms may be obtained
from the Director of Physical Plant. The University reserves
the right to waive any technicalities and to reject any or all bids.
183tl
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Friday^ Featuring Our
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All the fish you can eat for $1.00 at 12:00 noon and
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Book Your Banquets and Special Parties Early.
Accomodations From 10 to 200 Persons
THE BATTALION
Ovinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
student writers only. The Battalion is a non tax-supported,
non-profit, self-supporting educational enterprise edited and
operated by students as a university and community news
paper and is under the supervision of the director of Stu
dent Publications at Texas A&M University.
Members of the Student Publications Board are James L. Lindsi
McGuire, College of Arts and Sciences ; J. A. Orr, Coll<
Holcomb, College of Agriculture ; and Dr. E. D. McMurry, Coi
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.
dispatches credited to
spontaneous origin pu'
in are also reserved.
cond-Class postage
College Station, T
paid
exas.
MEMBER:
The Associated Press
Texas Press Assn.
Represented nationally by
National advertising
York
Service, Inc., New
City, Chicago, Loi
geles and San Francisco.
Mail subscriptio
All subscri;
Address:
News contributions may be made by telephoning VI 6-6618 or VI 6-4910 or at the
editorial office. Room 4, YMCA Building. For advertising or delivery call VI 6-6415.
DAN LOUIS JR .... EDITOR
Ronnie Fann Managing Editor
Glenn Dromgoole News Editor
Jim Butler i Sports Editor
John Wright i Asst. News Editor
Marvin Schultz Asst. Sports Editor
Mike Reynolds, Robert Sims Staff Writers
Juan Tijerina, Herky Killingsworth Photographers
By DAN LOUIS JR.
Battalion Editor
“ . . . I think you’ll be glad to know that we’ll be driving at
a safe speed on th’ way home!”
Bulletin Board
THURSDAY
Hometown Clubs
Dallas will meet in Room 108
of the Academic Building at 7:30
p.m.
El Paso will meet at 7:30 p.m.
in the Art Room of the Memorial
Student Center.
Fort Worth will meet in Room
107 of the Academic Building at
7:30 p.m.
All Houston Clubs will meet
at 7:30 p.m. in the Ballroom of
the Memorial Student Center.
Matagorda County will meet in
the Social Room of the Memorial
Student Center at 7:30 p.m.
Midland will meet at 7:30 p.m.
in Room 203 of the Academic
Building.
Pasadena will meet in Room
308 of the Academic Building
at 7:30 p.m.
San Angelo-West Texas will
meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room 3-B
of the Memorial Student Center.
Wichita Falls will meet in the
Biological Sciences Building at
7:30 p.m.
JANUARY 4-5
MSC Chess Committee will
sponsor Texas Junior Chess
Champions in the Social Room of
the Memorial Student Center.
How many times have I gone through
this same experience? I really don’t remem
ber. Back down the line somewhere I lost
count. I believe it might have been in the
spring of ’62 that I stopped counting. That
was a bad one, that Aggie’s date also died
in that wreck.
But, unfortunately it’s time to observe
one of Texas A&M University’s most beauti
ful traditions again. The one tradition that
everyone wishes was never necessary. It’s
10:20 p.m. and time for Aggie Silver Taps
— this time for two students, both victims
of the automobile.
I’d better double check and make sure
that all the lights are off in the office. It’s
really going to be dark out there tonight,
with all the lights turned off and no moon.
Well the lights are off and all the boys are
out in the hall waiting. At least I guess
they are. Funny how a bunch of newspaper
people who were chattering and rushing
to get a paper put together can suddenly
become so solemn, so sober, so aware of the
loss of a fellow Aggie at 10:20 — Silver
Taps time. Of course three of those fellows
had the job for talking with police, hospital
officials, the victims’ friends and, most un
forgettable, his family while they pulled the
story together about the accidents.
The clickety-click of the Associated
Press wire machine is only temporarily in
terrupted by, what is in the basement of the
silent YMCA Building, a deafening clunk
of the lock of the office that has such a
final sound to it as The Battlaion staff moves
out for Silver Taps. The shuffling of soften
ed steps can be heard outside even before I
reach the door and the steps which take me
to the sidewalk.
One can almost hear the cutting north
wind whisper a warning to all Aggies that
are about to take to the highways for the
Christmas Holidays. There is a deathly
silence on the campus. As never in the past,
Aggies are observing the tradition of not
speaking during Silver Taps or while going
to and coming from the ceremony.
The soft music being played over the
Memorial Student Center public address
system is broken only by a cough just ahead
of me. I wonder was it a cough, or a buddy
of one of the dead Aggies choking off tears.
I’m on the lawn in front of the Aca
demic Building. The crunching, no it’s
more a munching sound, of wet leaves cat
be heard under my fellow students’ feet
after I assume my position and become in
voluntarily rigid and attempt to stop the
sound of my own breathing. There’s the
sound of that strange cough again.
I can hear the scraping, clicking sound
of the taps on the boots of the Ross Volun
teer firing squad members as they march
into position for their part in the cere
mony. Silence shouts once again when the
squad halts. Soft inaudible commands are
followed by staccato striking of rifle butts
against concrete as the Aggies position
themselves and prepare to point their rifles
to the heavens and fire.
I feel my self growing even more rigid
than I’ve been before this moment. I know
what to expect. Then it come — a row
of short, brilliant flames jump toward the
heavens and then a sharp crack of rifle
fire pierces my ears with such impact after
the prolonged silence that therd' is a tingling
throughout my entire body. Immeriately
behind the first, comes two more loud cracks,
21 rifles have fired all totaled — seven at
a time.
The deadly silence drops on the campus
again. Then from on the upper chambers
of the gray-looking Academic Building
comes the slow, mournful tone of taps -
Aggie Silver Taps. Three times through,
I can’t help it, my mind begins to shout
over and over again, Why? Why?Why!
Why did these Aggies have to die? Their
lives were ahead them. There was much
they still had to accomplish. Before I have
time to find an answer to the age old ques
tion, I find myself clearing my throat along
with several thousand other Aggies. I’m
reluctant to turn away. There must be an
answer. But, I know there isn’t, so I turn
slowly and begin to drift back to the office,
I wonder, does everyone else feel as I do at
that moment.
Pn
GU
I’m half way back to The Battalion
office before I’m really aware that I’m
moving.
Another question has started to $11
over in my mind as I watch the movements
of the Aggie ahead, Who will be the next
one, me or him? Or will it be you?
WORRY
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