Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1978)
enough that,, t lt> Muggia^ ‘e viewed (L ln g thing to7 •' G in animal w turn up any sj j lat system. M ?eond g ene ra | t . at have aclj ‘g ' es — clerk!, some teacie itenance costs i ted dollar is i i marks. ate having (j U haveajfk n ndjustmet'; feting unless i )es said e affected k; as sent the a Hing since I •out 1.75 imi THE BATTALION Page 9 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1978 Kyle Knox, a junior cadet, does pushups on the quad by the Corps of Cadets living area. He and 71 other juniors partici- Oldest student organization pated in “black belt day’ teers last Thursday. Battalion photo by Michelle Scudder initiation drill for the Ross Volun- Volunteers’ duties varied By Candice Hill Battalion Reporter Most students at Texas A&M University know that the men who fire the guns at Silver Taps are members of the Ross Volunteer Company. But many do not know that this the oldest student organiza tion on campus; nor do they know the functions of the company. The year 1887 marked the begin ning of the Ross Volunteers. They were first called the Scott Volun teers in honor of Col. T.M. Scott, then the business manager of the College and an agent of the board of directors. This name was used until the administration of Lawrence Sul livan Ross which began in 1890. The name was changed to the Ross Vol unteers in 1891. The name of the company changed twice more to honor each current president. Finally, in 1905, President M.T. Harrington, Ross’ son-in-law, requested that the com pany be given the permanent name of Ross Volunteers. The Ross Volunteers serve as the honor guard for the governor of Texas. They are present at all inau guration ceremonies with their color guard and a saber arch for the gov ernor. Similar duties are performed at the Governor for the Day serv ices. The company also participates in the annual Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. Each spring, prior to Aggie Mus ter, a firing squad composed of 21 juniors is named. It is commanded by the company executive officer. This squad serves as the firing squad for Muster and Silver Taps services. Many students at Texas A&M re spect the Ross Volunteers and be lieve it is an honor to be in the com pany. But others believe it is more like a fraternity. This attitude may stem from statements such as the one made re cently by a Ross Volunteer, “We are the elite of the elite.’’ Bryan Couch, another member of the company, commenting on that statement, said he believes that those who have completed two years in the corps are elite in their own way and when the Ross Volun teers choose only 72 from a large junior class it comes down to choos ing the “elite of the elite. ” Executive Officer John Bonn said the company is elite because it is a military organization but that does not mean those who belong are the best in the University. Woman gets self off death row, apparently by ‘cooperation,’ plea T United Press International WHARTON, Texas — The only woman on Texas’s death row saved herself Tuesday, first winning a new trial on capital murder charges and then entering a bargained guilty plea to a lesser charge in the insur ance murder of her father. State District Judge Neil Caldwell sentenced Mary Lou An derson, 35, of Lake Charles, La., to 50 years in prison for ordinary mur der in the shooting of Steve Ander son of Sugar Land. It was an apparent reward for her testimony — after her capital mur der conviction Aug. 29 and sub sequent death sentence — against triggerman Feryl Granger, 29, of Lafayette, La. Acting on prosecutors’ recom mendations, Caldwell granted a mo tion for new trial, accepted her plea of guilty to ordinary murder and sentenced her in one brief hearing. Caldwell also dropped a pending charge against her in the death of her step-mother, Margie Anderson, in the same execution-style shooting at the couple’s home Jan. 3. Granger, whom Anderson al legedly promised a share of life in surance money she planned to use for restitution on Louisiana bad check charges, was convicted of cap ital murder and sentenced to death Oct. 22. Defense lawyer Charles Cate said he opposed Anderson’s guilty plea. “She did this over my objection,” Gate said. “I felt there was reversi ble error in the case. They had con victed her already. They used that to persuade her.” State District Judge Neil Caldwell said “it was and it wasn’t” a deal. Lawyers did not “flat out say so” but appearances indicated a deal for her testimony against Granger. “They could not have convicted Granger without her testimony,” Caldwell said. “If you have a woman on death row and a triggerman walk ing free, it wasn’t a bad bargain just from the standpoint of the citizen. ” Caldwell said Anderson would be returned to the Texas Department of Corrections where she would be removed from death mediately. row im- LAKEVIEW CLUB 3 Miles N. on Tabor Road Saturday Night: Tony Douglas & The Shrimpers From 9-1 p.m. STAMPEDE DANCE Every Thursday Night $2.00 per person All Brands, Cold Beer 45 Cents 8-12 i i Watch Sunday Af ternoon and Mon day Night Football While Sipping Your Favorite Drink With ALL Your Friends at The Aggieland Inn. BIG Draft beer SCREEN!!! Highballs 75c The SOFT TOUCH ELEGANCE IN LINGERIE 707 TEXAS , BUDGET ^s & REc Oy&„ Open 10-7 Mon.- =i ^ 315 Unlv. Dr. at Northgat< (713) 846-5515 These *7.98 List LPs This Week MCA Records Presents: H SINGH MAN FLTIIN JMIN _ ELTON JOHN A SINGLE MAN” * 4 POLYDOR Records Presents: 10 C.C. “Bloody Tourists" PARAPHERNALIA ...•asssr On MCA Records: LYNARD SKYNARD * First And Last” st BLANK TAPES SOUND CARE PRODUCTS BUY, SELL, RENT . . . Battalion Classified Pull* ‘Where Everybody Meets” 813 Old College Rd. Bryan-College Station’s Big City Disco 846-110G WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS HAPPIEST HAPPY HOUR! FEATURING GREEK NIGHT TONIGHT! ^4 PRICE I Brinks !’ b !'