Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1981)
m 1861 '01 JaqiudDaa 'JepsjnilL uofieueg sruo.-J Aggie Ohristmas list Austin carols lack the spirit By Cathy Saathoff Battalion Staff "The Austin Christmas Collec tion" sounded like a good idea. The album is a collection of Austin's finest musicians singing traditional and origin al Christmas songs. But the Austin carols just don't cut it. I expected to hear Christ mas songs with a slight coun try twang. What I heard was your basic heartbreak-getting drunk-trains-and-prison brand of country lyrics, set during Christmas. The collection is definitely not conducive to Christmas spirit. An example: in “Christmas in a Honky Tonk," Bill and Bonnie Heame moan "Tm spending Christmas in a hon ky tonk, new year's drunk in jail." Christmas should be eggnog and carolling, not beer and carousing. It's just not right. The general label of "Austin music" covers too many di verse styles here for one lis tener to enjoy them all. Gary P. Nunn opens side one with "Pretty Paper," a song that is reminiscent of Christmas in a Nashville bar. Nunn's melancholy voice is enough to bring tears to your eyes. But who wants to cry at Christmas? Rockin' around the Christ mas tree could be replaced by shufflin' around the Christ mas tree in Rusty Wier's re ndition of "Santa Claus is Back in Town." Unless you're a Corps Type, in which case you would probably polka. But most Christmas trees just don't have room for either step.(It's also a good song for driving fast with the windows down.) Julie Christensen's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christ mas" sounds like Streisand's "Evergreen." "We Three Kings" by Beto and the Fair- lanes sounds like Lawrence Welk trying to do disco. "The Christmas Song," by Steven Fromholz, almost sounds like the Firestone Christmas re cords your parents have, and comes closest to capturing what many people think of as Christmas spirit. But in most songs, Christ mas is nothing more than a word in the chorus. Rudolph, the groovy rein deer, is now a red-nosed red neck, in Bob Livingston's song. The idea has potential, but the final product sounds like a second-grade schoolyard re-wording of the original. The album brings to mind a bunch of misplaced rednecks holding a Christmas memo rial service at the site of the old Armadillo World Headquar ters, where so many of the performers featured on the album delighted fans of Au stin music with their own combination of country/jazz/ rock. Give me Bing Crosby and "White Christmas" anyday. Everybody has their own Christmas list; the Battalion staff's is on page 3. Other lists include stereos, cars and jewels; some are less adventurous, listing books, re cords and clothes. Most Aggies would be happy to settle for lots and lots of grade points. But some want more. In case Santa should get a hold of this issue, we've in cluded a list for other folks around campus. The University: a special events center. David Cassidy could play a hall the size of G. By Tom Solomon Battalion Reporter Rollie, but Aggies deserve better. H.R. "Bum" Bright: A new nickname. Someone this impor tant in Texas A&M's pecking order should not be named "Bum." Frank E. Vandiver: many years of job-security at Texas A&M and many more wonder ful reasons to give students the day off after the tu game. Tom Wilson: a Bowl of cotton, for next year. Reveille: a lifetime supply of Alpo. Aggie Band: an absence of foreign whistles at out-of-town football games. Corps of Cadets: perma-shine on all brass, shoes and boots. Prarie film: to be put out of its (and everyone else's) misery. College Station: cold weath er, so everyone will know it real ly is Christmas. Snow would be a nice touch. But no more rain. Sterling C. Evans Library: in vincible, unbreakable copy machines with unlimited supply of paper, five on each floor. Dorm residents: a kitchen in every room. Students: A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and all the grade points you need to stay in school. While many Texas A&M students have their minds set on final exams and the coming Christ mas holidays, some are working to gather food, clothing, and toys for the poor in Bryan-College Station. The Saddle and Sirloin club, a group of animal science majors, has a canned good drive going. The club will have a box for donations in the Kleberg Building lounge until about Dec. 20, Deidra Cypert, club president, said. The club is also accepting money donations, and the club will give all donations to a needy Bryan-College Station family, she said. Hobby Hall on the Texas A&M campus is plan ning a toy collection. "It's our Christmas service project," Nicole Williams, Hobby Hall president, said. Each floor of the dormitory is collecting toys. The two girls in each room are asked to buy and donate together a toy worth about $5, she said. They should put the toy in a bag, write on the outside if the toy is for a boy or a girl, and what age group it would be appropriate for. All the toys collected will be given to the Bryan Girls Club, Williams said. "It's kind of a big sister-adopted little sister thing. Everyone in the dorm is encouraged to participate. I think we'll get an excellent re sponse," Williams said. Twin City Mission at 500 N. Main in Bryan is also accepting donations for gift baskets for the needy. The mission gave 76 baskets away during Novwember, and expects to distribute up to 125 baskets this month, Joan Sebesta, executive sec retary of the mission, said. "We give baskets all year, not just at Christmas time," she said. "We try all year long to put a chicken in each food basket. During Christmas and Thanksgiving people donate more turkeys, and we can put tur keys in each basket." Several Texas A&M student organizations col lect food and give it to the mission for distribution to the needy, she said. "Thanks to A&M we stored up on canned goods for Thanksgiving. I don't know what we'd have done without student groups like Circle K." Circle K is a service-oriented student organiza tion connected with the area Kiwanis club. Twin City Mission also accepts clothing and furniture donations for the poor, Sebesta said. "We give anything that people really need." The mission will have its annual Christmas par ty for needy children Dec. 20 at 2:00. The mission is expecting 150 children at the party. Each will get a gift and a bag with candy, fruit and nuts, Sebesta said. They will be served punch and cookies, and an area church will give a puppet show telling the story of Jesus, she said. "Aggie Owned & Operated" SM&i Do-Nuts ft Open Late Finals Week! Qpen Til Midnight Sun., Dec. 13 — Thurs., Dec. 17 Serving Fresh DoNuts & Special Orders OPEN 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. 6 a.m.-ll p.m. Fri.-Sat. 7 a.m.-ll p.m. Sunday 3310 S. COLLEGE South of Villa Maria 811-4096 “After 9 Special” 2 FREE GLAZED DONUTS (With the Purchase of Reg. Hot Coffee, Tea or Cocoa) (After 9 p.m. Finals Week With Coupon Only) Charities offer food, clothing for Christmas Renaissance plans improved facilities This year's Texas Renaissance Festival had its share of rain show ers, but even despite the downpours, 219,000 ate, drank and were merry at the festival. A festival information report said crowds attending the festival consumed in mass quantities: 29,150 gallons of beer, 47.5 tons of turkey legs, 10.5 tons of corn, 10.5 tons of baked potatoes, 11 miles of spicey sausage, 82,000 large soft pretzels, 11,840 gallons of Dr. Pepper and 18 tons of coconuts for Pina Coladas. Festival officials say they are already planning for next year's festival. The most major of the changes are the new privys (flush toilets) being installed in festival privy areas. 4