Ags Meet Steers In Season Finale Thursday
Che Battalion
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Page 7
Volume 61
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1966
Number 373
Bonfire To Burn
7:30 Tonight
Timber Expected
To Top 85 Feet
1 1
1966 BONFIRE NEARS COMPLETION
Work continues on the 1966 Aggie Bonfire in preparation for tonight’s activities which
begin at 7:30.
Aggie Band Preparing
For TU Halftime Show
Texas A&M's 272-man “Fight-
in’ Texas Aggie Band” is drilling
harder than usual this week to
prepare for the big one.
In this case, the “big one” is
the 734-minute halftime show at
the Turkey Day football game be
tween A&M and the University
of Texas at Austin’s Memorial
Stadium.
The Aggie Band will march in
the parade preceeding the game.
A “45 Crossthrough” will be
the spectacular for this Thanks
giving Day special. In this ex
travaganza, the band splits into
two even-ranked rows on the 50-
yard line. Each of these executes
a double delay from the center,
then divides again into two sec
tions, one on each side of the
field. Then each section marches
through the other about midfield
at a 45-degree angle.
TRADITIONALLY, the Aggie
Band marches onto the field play
ing the “Aggie War Hymn”. Next
comes a stirring version of “The
Green Beret”, followed by a live
ly rendition of “Ponderosa”.
Then the band strikes up the
“Aggie War Hymn” for the
famed block “T”.
Col. E. V. Adams is in his 21st
G-l, Not Band,
Had No. 1 Log
Last Wednesday’s Battalion
carried a story attributing the
contribution of the first 1966
Bonfire log to sophomore mem
bers of the Aggie Band. A
telephone call to the Battalion
office in response to the arti
cle has shown the error of our
ways.
Gene Riser, senior yell lead
er and a member of the Bon
fire committee, pointed out that
the first log was actually
brought in by Company G-l.
He said the big log had been
chopped down Oct. 26, left in the
woods for the night and brought
to the campus before dawn the
next morning.
The outfit put the log on
the Bonfire site behind Dun
can Dining Hall, where it re
mained for the rest of the day.
After a display on the Hender
son Hall lawn, the log was
returned to the stacking area.
Beat t.u.
season as bandmaster. The band
was first formed by a Czechoslo
vakian cobbler and a dozen other
musicians in 1894.
Aggie Band performances have
become increasingly complex this
fall, with usual late-season ma
neuvers installed by the fifth
game. The band’s trademark—a
40-yard-tall block “T”—went in
for the first halftime appearance
and a midfield criss-cross appear
ed four games earlier than usual.
“We had the first two weeks of
the season off,” Colonel Adams
explained. “It allowed us to get
basics down earlier than usual.”
The band puts spread entrances,
minstrel turns, intricate counter
marches, 10-yard high, field-long
words and the “T” in its shows.
THE AGGIE BAND plays
continuously during its show. A
rigid 120-beats-per-minute cad
ence is maintained with the sen
ior-booted bugle rank leading the
nation’s largest military band
through its complicated maneuv
ers.
The Aggie Band prepares its
halftime shows during four hours
of rehearsal each week, before
and after classes. Practice is
extra-curricular for band mem
bers, who receive no material
compensation for membership.
The 272-man roster includes 123
freshmen.
Drum majors are William M.
Hensley of San Antonio, Free
man J. Jarrell of Dallas and Don
ald C. Burleson of Pasadena. Jim
Davidson of Poteet is combined
bands commander. David A. Ko-
cian of Hallettsville commands
the White Band and Andrew Ti
jerina of San Angelo, the Maroon.
Beat T.U.
BY BOB BORDERS
At 7:30 tonight, the yell lead
ers will set the torch to the
world’s largest bonfire, the sym
bol of Aggieland’s flaming de
sire to beat the hell outa T.U.
The 85-foot structure is a re
sult of the combined forces of
corps and civilian students and
the equipment donated by area
residents and Aggie exes. Mas
sive logs have been hauled in
from the cutting area south of
the campus and stacked around
the center pole with the help of
two large cranes.
An estimated 2000-3000 gal
lons of napalm and diesel fuel
will be used to ignite the bonfire
this year.
Preceding the ignition of the
pyre, the band will march in and
there will be a yell practice.
AS THE BAND plays “The
Spirit of Aggieland,” no one will
stand straighter or prouder than
those who have spent many
grueling hours to make the bon
fire a reality.
For all students, but especially
for them, the blaze will reflect
the undying flame of love that
every loyal Aggie carries in his
heart for the school.
The Aggie bonfire was initiat
ed in 1909 as a 12-foot pile of
trash.
As late as 1942 the structure
measured only 25 feet, and the
center pole was not added until
1949.
THE CLAIM of the “world’s
biggest bonfire” was first made
in 1949 when the pyramid
reached the unheard-of height of
65 feet.
In 1955 the bonfire was moved
from the center of the drill field
to the present site behind Dun
can Hall because more space was
needed.
An all-out effort in 1960 raised
the bonfire to the record height
of 101 feet.
Following the death of Presi
dent Kennedy in 1963, there was
no bonfire.
Ample parking space will be
provided in the Kyle Field park
ing area and in the area near the
Navasota parking lot. Spectators
will be kept 100-150 feet from
the bonfire before it is ignited.
Smoking and flashbulbs will not
be permitted in the area.
Beat t.u.
Spoonful
To Follow
Bonfire
An “after the Bonfire” Texas
A&M Town Hall presentation
Tuesday night features “The Lov
in’ Spoonful” at G. Rollie White
Coliseum.
The combo, which includes four
musicians in their early 20’s, has
among its top tunes “Summer
in the City,” a miniature sym
phony of urban hubbub which was
the number one record in the
nation last summer.
Other better-known songs of
the foursome are “Do You Be
lieve in Magic,” “You Didn’t
Have to be So Nice,” and “Did
You Ever Have to Make Up
Your Mind.”
THE TOWN HALL Extra will
immediately follow the Aggie
Bonfire yell practice. There will
be no reserved seats, announced
Chairman Sammy Pearson ,and
season Town Hall tickets will
not apply for this performance.
Tickets are $1.50 for students and
$2 for everyone else.
Here’s a candid description of
“The Lovin’ Spoonful” from the
Nov. 22 issue of Time Maga
zine:
“As they walk onto the stage
to the frenzied screams of the
teeming teeny-boppers, they look
like everyone’s idea of a rock
group: John Sebastian in blue
denims, mop haircut and steel
glasses; Steve Boone, a broom
stick with hair; drummer Joe
Butler, a seraphic head over an
empboidered Mexican shirt; and
clownish Zal Yanovsky, a 10-gal
lon hat on top, no socks on the
bottom and a rubber puppet’s all
nose face in the middle. They
could be pure Mersey.”
Beat t.u.
THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL
The Lovin’ Spoonful are featured in a Town Hall Extra
after tonight’s bonfire at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Cadet Corps Plans Parade
Down Austin’s Main Avenue
Austin will recognize the Texas
Aggies Thursday morning when
the Corps of Cadets begins its
parade down Congress Ave.
The parade starts at 9:30 a.m.
on East 2nd St. and will travel
the length of Congress, dispers
ing in front of the Capitol. Lt.
General Ralph E. Haines, Jr.,
USA, will review the cadets at
the corner of Congress and 7th
St., in the following order: Corps
Staff, Band, First Brigade, Sec
ond Brigade, Air Division, Mari
time Academy, Fish Drill Team.
Uniform for the parade will be
Class “A” Winter with Garrison
caps and white gloves. Sabers
will be carried and seniors will
wear boots.
COMPANY COMMANDERS
will arrive at the parade site at
8:30 a.m., when they issue .‘'Cdibrs
and guidons. The remairider of
the cadets will assemble at "SiOp
a.m. and depart at 9:30.
Units will be dismissed at the
Capitol. They will turn rigfet or
left on 11th St. as directed-^The
parade yill be graded. i
V-Cadets have been advised^ not
#/;^itd^Wilk directly back to fcfle re-
‘viewing stand, as this would lead
to a congestion of people in that
area. Units should be prepared
to break column in the event a
train crosses Congress.
AFTER THE parade, all col
ors, rifles, and guidons are to be
turned into the Band Van, parked
at the dismissal area on the East
side of the Capitol.
Units will march in company
and squadron formations, with
an eight man front. In case of
inclement weather, no change in
uniform will take place except for
the addition ol raincoats. No ex
cessive cadence will be counted
during the march parade, but
jody calls will be permitted from
East 2nd St. to 5th St.
Beat t.u.
Battalion Quits
For Holidays
- Today’s edition of the Battalion
will be the last until classes re
sume Nov. 29. The staff wishes
its readers a pleasant and safe
holiday.
BEAT THE HELL OUT OF
T.U.
Reveille III Makes Memorial Stadium Debut
Editor’s Note: This story was
submitted to the Batt by Pan-
chita Jones, a junior journalism
major at t.u. She dates Joe
Blackmon, a senior Ag.Ed. maj
or and she is a gung-ho Aggie
admirer.
By PANCHITA JONES
The Queen is dead! Long live
the Queen! When one era ends,
another starts.
Reveille III, reiging queen of
the A&M Corps of Cadets, makes
her Memorial Stadium debut
Thanksgiving.
A frisky pup only seven months
old, Rev has already whisked
away with the hearts of those
who see her. Though not as
oriented to her duties as her pre
decessor, she tries harder and
youth is her excuse.
Each of the three mascots
which has served Aggieland has
been witness to eras of great
change.
In 1931 a lumbering lurching
Model T Ford hit a small mon
grel pup. The Ags on their way
back to College Station piled
out of the car, and even the most
stouthearted could not resist the
pup with its watery brown eyes
and bloody paw. When she held
the paw up for inspection, who
could tell whether it was in
saluate or a handshake of friend
ship.
After prompt treatment, the
pup was hustled into the dorm for
the night, an act forbidden by
regulation. In her long career,
this was just the first of a series
of rules to be broken and changed.
The next morning the sound
of the bugler blowing reveille
greatly annoyed the lounging lady
who replied with her own special
round of bays and howls. Thus
she was dubbed Reveille, a name
which has remained for 35 years.
Attired in a maroon and white
warmup jacket, she attended foot
ball games, unescorted she wand
ered in and out of classrooms,
and in the company of her fri
ends, she rode on corps trips in
her own train seat. On one such
trip, a conductor inadvertently
tried to roust her out of her
place arguing that she did not
have a ticket. The gentle pro
tests of a carload of the Farmers
persuaded him not to however,
and on the seat she remained,
ticketless or not.
She had broken the no dogs
in buildings rule, the no dogs on
trains rule, and she even was
allowed to eat in the dining hall.
Her death in 1944 left a void on
campus which was not to be
filled until 1951.
REVEILLE III
She had paved the way for her
successor, but plenty of changes
were still to come. Rev II, this
time a purebred Shetland Shep
herd, saw her title change from
“only girl at A&M” to the “only
girl in the Corps of Cadets.”
Even this meaning was new since
the two terms were no longer
synonymous, but the football bat
tles were still waged and her
fan club increased as the school
grew from a college to a univer
sity.
Even ladies tend to become
angry, and Rev II was muzzled
following such a rendering of
feminine wrath. Taking the
fighting spirit to heart, she nip
ped an assistant coach of the
TCU team.
After 14 years with the cadets
Rev II was put to sleep. She and
her predecessor now lie near the
entrance of Kyle Field. As an
Aggie explained, “They are there
so they can see the score board,
and know how the game is go
ing.”
Reveille III, a purebred Collie,
made her first official appear
ance at Final Review last year
when Rev II retired. Each week
brings another time for the pup
to learn her duties and the prob
lems attached to being a symbol.
If it isn’t enough to watch the
intricate patterns stepped off by
the 272 member Aggie Band, Rev
puts on her own halftime per
formance.
An exhibitionist, she relishes
attention and feels her power
over an audience. At the Texas
Tech game she was the self-ap
pointed greeter of the Tech
cheerleaders.
During the halftime of the
Arkansas game the pressure of
being the reigning queen closed
in on her and she decided to
just sit this one out, much to
the dismay of her caretaker unit
Company E-2. The Cadets soon
caught her attention with bones
to retrieve, and exercising the
feminine pregogative of changing
her mind, she was off and running
once more.
Becoming a lady has its prob
lems, and the pup, roommate of
John Harris of San Antonio and
Chris Seay of Austin, still carries
off senior boots and hides spurs
and belts left in her reach.
The future looms brightly
ahead, and Rev can look for
ward to an enlarged Kyle Field
and the completion of A&M’s
cyclotron.
Though only a pup, Rev III is
the new symbol of an old fighting
spirit, a spirit which remains in
tact in a progressive campus in
a changing world.