LI O ^UIU3y\3f S , ^ LI O >j 31 Cl
Friday, December 3, 1982
Man behind the voice of Aggieland
by Kelly Krauskopf
Battalion Reporter
Most people don't recognize
him at first glance. They know
they've heard that voice, but it
takes some thought to place it.
Then they remember that he can
be heard above thousands of
screaming fans at Texas A&M
University football, basketball
and track events.
His name is Roger Feldman,
the Texas A&M public address
announcer and he is probably
known more by his voice than
his name or face. Feldman, an
associate professor of veterinary
Since Feldman has been
announcing at Texas
A&M, his voice has
been heard by as many
as 60,000 spectators at
once.
pathology at Texas A&M, has
been the public address
announcer for Aggie sports
events and commencement
since 1969.
Feldman started working
with Texas A&M athletics in
1968 as a press box statistician at
football games. The following
year, he began interior press box
announcing, which is announc
ing action to the sportswriters.
That same year, Feldman work
ed Aggie basketball games and,
in 1977, he took over the outside
press box announcements at
Aggie football games.
Feldman's first experience
with this type of announcing
was as a sophomore in high
school.
"I was in the band and I did
the announcing for the football
games," Feldman said. "Since
the band only played during
halftime, I could announce dur
ing the halves."
Since Feldman has been
announcing at Texas A&M, his
voice has been heard by as many
as 60,000 spectators at once and,
despite the noise contributed by
fans and yell leaders, Feldman
says he tries not to let the excite
ment influence his job.
"I think a public address
announcer is one that relates the
facts as they are accumulated
without adding your own en
thusiasm, criticism or emph
asis," he said. "The only time I
try to add any bit of excitement
or enthusiasm in my voice is
when announcing the starting
lineup."
Feldman said that when he
announces, he tries to maintain
an air of equality and fairness
between the teams. That may be
one reason he has been chosen
for the past three years to
announce the men's Southwest
Conference basketball tourna
ment.
"All the coaches recognize
the fairness I display when
announcing," he said. "I have a
very good standing with them."
As well as announcing men's
sports, Feldman also works the
women's basketball and vol
leyball games.
"I have tried to make myself
available within the Athletic De
partment for anything else that
would be beneficial to the prog
ram," he said.
Feldman is in his first year of
announcing women's vol
leyball, which he says, is the
most difficult sport to
announce.
"It's hard to anticipate what's
going to happen in volleyball,"
he said. "The ball goes back and
forth so fast sometimes that it is
hard to pick up on who scored
the point or who blocked the
ball. I hope to improve on it."
"I feel that what I do
makes the games more
enjoyable for people
and because of this, I
find it very worthwhile
for me to do it." — Ro
ger Feldman.
Working as a public address
announcer means having to deal
with a variety of names and pro
nounce them correctly. Feldman
has been reading graduate's
names at Texas A&M com
mencement exercises for the last
12 years. This has helped him
learn how to pronounce diffe
rent names, he said.
"I read roughly half of all the
graduates names that go
through here every year," Feld
man said. "As a result, it is really
very rare that someone's name
will give me a problem."
Feldman says that public
address announcing brings him
great personal satisfaction.
"I feel that what I do makes
the games more enjoyable for
people and because of this, I
find it very worthwhile for me to
do it," he said. "If I didn't feel
that what I was doing was being
received well and was tasteful to
people, then I don't think I
could continue doing it."
Roger Feldman — the voice of Aggieland in action.
Local store provides Christmas year-round
by Dana Smelser
Battalion Staff
As the end of semester press
ures build, it may be hard to get
into the Christmas spirit. Vi
sions of dancing sugar plums
may be in competition with the
formulas you are learning for
final exams.
But if you want to shake the
finals bluei.and dream of Santa
and his reindeer again, escape to
The Christmas Store and experi
ence a Christmas fairyland.
The Christmas Store is more
than just a place to buy Christ
mas ornaments and tinsel for
your tree. The homey atmos-
here encourages shoppers to
rowse at their leisure and enjoy
the Christmas spirit.
Almost everything needed to
make a Christmas complete is in
the specialty store on Harvey
Road.
"You can decorate your
house, buy Christmas presents
and have them wrapped — all in
one stop," Manager Cecile
Roberts said.
Christmas items range from
the traditional tree skirts and
wreaths to hand-painted china
which pictures St. Nick smoking
a pipe. Special ornaments can
capture Christmas 1982 with a
personal flavor such as a Merry
Christmas from Aggieland. Or,
commercial designer Bicker
Cain III can arrange a personal
ized wreath to fit your ideal
Christmas.
But the store carries more
than the traditional popcorn
strings and holly wreaths.
Those who feel all creatures
should be treated equally can
buy a Christmas tree for the
four-legged members of their
family. No pet could help but
get the spirit when it has a tree
decorated with dog and cat
food, chew sticks and play toys.
Greedy animals might also want
the pet wreath, adorned with
dog biscuits and special treats.
The Christmas Store has trees
for people, too.
For those who love carnival
life, a white artificial spruce de
corated with circus lions,
clowns, colorful confetti and
balloons might be the appropri
ate tree. More conservative
tastes might enjoy the Victorian
tree graced with real porcelain
dolls.
Other trees include the west
ern tree — decorated with mini
ature saddles, cowboy hats and
bandanas — and the music tree
— adorned with drums, violins
and brass horns.
The store, which opened
Nov. 15, also sells reindeer sta
tues, nativity scenes, cards,
stockings, candles and wrap
ping paper.
Tentative plans are to make
The Christmas Store a seasonal
shop open from September
through December, but Roberts
said the owner is considering
keeping the store open all year.
Don't let the name fool you,
however. The Christmas Store
stocks many other items, parti
cularly antiques.
"Besides being a Christmas
store, it's a gift shop," Roberts
said.
Roberts displays and sells
many antique items that she has
collected. These include antique
jewelry, crystal, silver and furni
ture. A fifty-year-old toy train
and an antique dollhouse are
among the more precious items.
The dollhouse comes com
plete with a working chandelier,
a tiny toy train circling a minia
ture Christmas tree and a bath
room with a porcelain pull-chain
toilet.
If you are looking for a present
for a roommate or a relative, the
store also carries stuffed anim
als, dolls, curios and speciality
items.
These include a ceramic vil
lage of a barn with a silo, a coun
try house with a chimney, and a
church and hand-made soap
attractively wrapped in calico.
If that special Christmas feel
ing hasn't quite hit you, browse
through The Christmas Store
and let the cheerful, holiday
atmosphere help you through
your finals.