-opinion
Aggie mums cause
joy and problems
by Denise R. Patton
If you are an Aggie and have been to a
football game with a date, chances are
very good you have either bought or re
ceived an Aggie mum.
If you are female and have been given
an Aggie mum, then you have gone
through the debate as to what to do with
the mum after the football game. Sure,
you can keep them in your refrigerator
for a while, but this does not prevent the
flower from turning brown. Besides,
roommates prefer to open the refriger
ator and see food and drinks, not a rot
ting flower and maroon and white rib
bons occupying an entire shelf. It also
tries the patience of even the best room
mates to have to stuff the ribbons back
onto the shelf every time the refrigerator
door is opened.
During the game, there are several
good uses for an Aggie mum. One of the
best uses is to place the mum in a location
so that it hides a stain on your dress. This
can be awkward if the stain is on the back
of your dress.
Mums also can be used to send your
date a message, or even as self
protection, (if you think of your date in
less than favorable terms). A girl can
wear her mum on her waist, secured onto
her belt — thus preventing her date from
hugging her TOO much during the
game. If you notice that the girl you have
taken to the game wears her mum right
up until the time you deliver her to her
door, that could be an indication that she
does not want to be hugged or kissed
goodnight.
Okay. Mums do serve good purposes
during that game, but what about after
the game and after the flower turns
brown in the refrigerator? Some girls
have a “mum wall.” To the dismay of
some roommates, some girls hang the
ENTIRE thing on the wall — dead flower
and all! If you have been at this Universi
ty for any length of time, chances are you
have many, many dead flowers on your
wall.
Rather than hanging the ribbons on
the wall, some girls find other uses for
them — such as adorning packages. It is
best to save the maroon ribbons for
Christmas time, but white ribbons can be
used for any occasion. So, the next time
you receive a package from a female
Aggie and it has a white or a maroon
ribbon on it, inspect it closely to deter
mine if it was once part of a mum.
I’ll bet no one has ever thought of re
cycling the mums. Of course the flowers
could never be saved but the ribbons
could be used time and time again.
Maybe the student body could authorize
“mum boxes” and have them placed
around campus — and every Monday,
girls could put their mum ribbons in the
boxes for use the following week. Not
such a bad idea. Perhaps this would even
reduce the cost of the mums.
Then, if mums were cheaper, girls
might not feel compelled to tell their
dates not to buy them a mum. Chances
are that if a girl tells you not to get her a
mum, she is practicing a formality and
being nice. Your date might be very sur
prised if you take her seriously and show
up at the door empty-handed. If you do
take a date to the football game and do
not buy her a mum and she is upset about
it, just tell her that you think she is pretty
enough that she doesn’t NEED a mum.
Now, some girls might try to tell you
that they really, really don’t want a mum,
they might even tell you that they are
allergic to them. Don’t believe her — this
probably means she would prefer roses
(along the line of one dozen).
Maybe you received a mum with your
name embossed on the ribbon in silver
glitter. If enough girls wore this kind,
then the reflection of the sun off the glit
ter would light up the entire stadium,
thus making it unnecessary to turn on the
lights in Kyle Field at all. But not enough
girls wear the glitter version because the
guys usually only give these mums to
dates they either know and like very well,
or to dates they have not taken out before
and this is their way of impressing you.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
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Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson
Associate Editor Denise Richter
City Editor Bernie Fette
Assistant City Editor Gary Barker
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Assistant Entertainment Editor ......... Colette
Hutchings
News Editors Rachel Bostwick, Cathy
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Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Susan
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Ryan,
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Texas A&M must evolve
In the early part of this century, a man
named Henry Ford started an auto
mobile company. He was enormously
succesful, of course, and soon was the
largest producer of such vehicles in the
world. This of course led to other people
entering the business as well.
But old Henry was the biggest. People
were satisfied with the solid, reliable pro
duct he made and bought more of his
autos than any others. Of course, as time
progressed, so did peoples’ tastes and
ideas. But not Henry.
He believed that what he had to offer
was good enough. He had a basic model
and color scheme: black, black and black.
So somebody else decided to give the
people what they wanted, different col
ors. Of course, the rest is history. General
Motors was born and took away a market
share that Henry’s company has never
taken back.
Well, big deal you say. Damn right it’s a
big deal. Texas A&M has to change too.
If it doesn’t, it won’t survive in a fashion
that’s worth mentioning.
In the late 1960’s, it finally allowed
students to enter as non-military stu
dents. From that point, the school took
off to become one of the fastest-growing
universities in the world. The only prob
lem is that the size changed faster than
the ideas.
A&M can be related to an at
company? In more waysthanl
tion in a column. Down througli
the ones who have refused
have been the ones that are
known as lost civilizations. Ch;
herent to the survival ofthes)
have to accept that as the fact
We have been too resistant to change
lately. Every time somebody mentions
the idea of women in the Aggie Band or
says that a particular tradition is wrong,
people break out in hives. The newspap
er gets a rash of letters from each side of
the issue with the same basic messages.
They hate each other.
I’m not arguing the merits of women
in the band or certain traditions. I really
don’t have any gripes one way or the
other. But the simple fact of the matter is
that if we don’t let Texas A&M change, it
won’t survive. If we don’t start sitting
down and logically looking at some of the
changes being proposed, we’re going to
be in trouble.
You ask how the evolution of Texas
, by She!
U Battali
Although 1
If we accept it and sit down
some serious looks at th? pos®P u
then we can help steer the chanl^.. 81 0 y t a
direction more desirable. Butiht^s the uj
to budge every time someonesUAnd, C.l
anything, we’re going tobeinlrojlcM Univer*
years down the road. ianager, saic
Of course, some things can’tarjar'shurrica
change. Certain values and ifc|hti there is
survived centuries. Thesewon’ileMf^ 8 ^ as
the accepting of some newways.lL
they will probably survive bettenL^ rate j ntt
f° re ' er Texas co
So lets face it, we have tochanjieBryan-Cc
school is growing too big and too iere would
to change. We are taking on![ii)d gusts o
from all over the country as wt | n tial rains,
world. That has to bring aboutd ?§> i * ent Y^
ideas and attitudes. f| ut ’ a f 0 '
Certain traditions and gioilfcj 5 sa ^
change along with it. But thai!lwj’ estruct
mean they might not be for die labile home
If we choose to ignore and to tepid be mo
look at these changing ideas thet^e flooding
signing our own death certiftt|)articularly
Another e
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FOR ONLY $5,.. HOWaN
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Ron Sasse.
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UNTHIC1
Letters: Arguments called irrational
f majority
lotorcycle
■obile drivei
toring the r
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In a poll b\
■of the j
Editor:
This letter is in response to another
written by Kevin Johnson which
appeared in the October 5 issue of The
Battalion.
Mr. Johnson:
I am not writing this letter in order to
inform you of my opinions on blacks or
even of my opinions of your opinions.
Rather, I am simply informing you of
how irrelevant many of the examples
used in you letter are toward your gener
al argument.
coriate the reputation of a man who is
very much responsible for yours, mine
and several blacks’ chances of gaining an
education at this fine institution.
Granted, Mr. Johnson, racial discrimi
nation is a serious problem and one to
which I am deeply opposed, but how can
you expect anyone to accept your argu
ments in a rational, intelligent manner if
you refuse to present them in such a
manner.
for making our stay a completelyrl
lous social and academic success. I
°undation, f
^pondents 5
Robert M. ZweigJT AL
Stop bickering
Editor:
Qual
First of all, the slave auction held in
front of Sbisa made not even an implied
reference to the black race. If you will
review your European History, the first
case of slavery based soley on racial dif
ferences was when European expediters
were captured by African natives. Cen
turies earlier, slaves were determined as a
social class with no regard to skin color.
Rob Drury ’84
Compliments
Editor:
As for as library files are concerned,
later listings are filed under “blacks” be
cause this is the contemporary reference
used in identifying a member of the Neg
ro race. It would be absurd to expect a
library worker to waste his valuable time
in rearranging existing files over a simple
matter of colloquial diction.
And finally, and certainly most impor
tantly, there is the reference to the statue
of Lawrence Sullivan Ross. This man is
not revered today because he persecuted
blacks; he is honored as a former presi
dent of this institution, as governor of
our great state, and as a military hero
(which side is quite irrelevant now). How
have you, Mr. Johnson, the right to ex-
As the President of Clean Fuel Insti
tute, I would like to compliment the offi
cials of Texas A&M for the excellent re
ception for our group during our visit to
your campus September 15 through 17.
Our team of three scientists were able
to associate with your student body and
faculty during the three day seminar on
hydrogen vehicles. As some of you may
have seen, we enjoyed demonstrating the
hydrogen-driven Dodge D-50 pickup
truck during our stay.
We were especially impressed with the
high level of academic endeavors at your
University. The hospitality and personal
response was overwhelming.
For those of you who were not able to
appreciate the demonstration, we are
making tentative plans to return to your
campus at a later date for a longer period
to visit.
Major Perez, Colonel Allen and myself
would like to express our sincere thanks
and appreciation to the faculty, adminis
tration and student body of Texas A&M
Recently we have observed the
volume of mail, (aw heck, bickd
over two seemingly unrelated iss“
one being traditions vs. acadenWB
the other being the role of women 11
Corps.
Our question is “Whats ittoyaj
don’t go to Silver Taps or take my
at the game (even after being
asked to do so), it’s my choice,
same token if I chose to be a female
Corps and as a senior wear my
proudly as other seniors in thepasi
& female) then it is also my choice
Our point is that if it doesn’t get 11
way of what you want to do or wltf
enjoy then ignore it.
If Texas A&M falls from its st*
and joins the ranks of universities su 1
t.u.. Rice, and UH it won’t be becau*
traditionalists, women in the Corf'
those who oppose them, it willbebetf
of petty bickering like that whidt
been seen in The Battalion rece !
Please let’s argue abot something
calls for intelligence, and let’s stopat*
ing each others values.
Dalene Perkin
Debbie Hooc