1 •
Opinion
Page 2/The Battalion/Monday, Movember 19, 1984
Digging for the roots
of college beer riots
Alcohol horror stories at college campuses abound,
the Associated Press reported this weekend. At least
one in five college students have a serious drinking
problem bordering on alcoholism. Over half of all van
dalism on campus is alcohol-related. It goes, almost
without mentioning that alcohol-related automobile
wrecks — i.e. drunk driving — kill more college-age
people than any other cause.
Now, drinking has led to another phenomenon on
campus, it has been called the beer riot.
At Illinois State University more than 1,000 stu
dents hurled rocks and eggs at the town’s city hall.
Why? Over a city ordinance passed to curb large par
ties and excessive drinking.
At Purdue, a crowd of 800 students pelted police
with rocks and bottles after a party got out of hand.
At Kansas State, 8,000 students clashed with police
after a street party turned into a drunken brawl.
Alcohol awareness programs have been set up at
colleges across the country, including Texas A&M. But
the widespread drinking problem across the country
must be attacked at its roots, not its branches. Aware
ness is important, but it’s more important to determine
why such a high incidence of drinking occurs on col
lege campuses.
Is it a lack of morality? Is it a lack of strength? Is it a
lack of purpose? Do college-age people today just tend
to drink more than their parents?
Or could it be, that universities have lost sight of
their purpose. That universities are no longer places to
learn, to gain knowlege, but instead just places to begin
competition for the job market.
As the pressures of the end of the semester ap
proach, of final projects and final papers and final ex
ams, don’t be overwhelmed by the grading system and
hit the bottle. Instead, remember the purpose of a uni
versity: a place to pursue knowledge. Maybe some of
your professors will too.
The Battalion Editorial Board
Artrain in local area
for short whistle stop
Trains. The word
sends shivers down
my spine since the
two accidents earlier
this semester.
Marcy
Basile
I discovered it by
accident. While traveling down Welborn
on my way to the Hall of Fame, I no
ticed a train parked along the side of the
road. Hoping that no one had been
killed again, rubbernecking I discov
ered the Artrain.
Now, this is no ordinary train. Plas
tered along the sides of each car is an art
gallery name. Standing alongside the
train are police. No mundane train
would recieve such attention.
This was the train I had heard about
almost a month ago. A month is a long
time to ponder over seeing an art ex
hibit. Nonetheless, I couldn’t wait to
board the Artrain.
Parked at the intersection of Welborn
Road and F and B Road (between Uni
versity and Villa Maria), the Artrain
seems out of place, surrounded by
shurbs, flags and canopied areas. Be
lieve me, it’s just what Bryan/College
Station needed.
Being from Houston, Pm no stranger
to art museums. Yearly fieldtrips to
Houston’s Fine Arts Museum made the
place seem like home. Somehow
though, Artrain trancends typical art
museums. Maybe I liked the Artrain be
cause I went on my own — not because
Mrs. Teacher said it would benefit me
on the next test. Perhaps it was the nov
elty of the idea behind the train that at
tracted my attention.
Whatever it was, it worked.
Artrain has been around since 1971.
The Michigan Council for the Arts had
been looking for a way to take art to the
people and to stimulate community art
development. Thus, Artrain.
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Guess who's coming to dinner
Inmates visit Texas A&M
I was surprised to
see an old friend of
mine the other day. I
know that’s not too
unusual.
He was one of two
Daryl
Davidson
speakers to address myjournalism class.
That’s not too unusual, either.
What was unusual is that my friend is
currently serving time in the Ferguson
Unit of the Texas Department of Cor
rections.
It’s not unusual that the Ferguson
Unit has inmates. But to actually know
one of them, to me, is a new experience.
To be honest, it’s an uncomfortable ex
perience.
We were all seated when the inmates
and two guards walked into the room.
They were seated in the front of the
room. As I glanced at the inmates, one
of them looked strangely familiar. Not
having seen my friend in three or four
years, I couldn’t be sure it was him. Be
sides, I’ve never been reunited with a
friend while he was wearing a white
prison uniform. That’s not the normal
situation in which to reacquaint yourself
with someone.
As we made eye contact, he looked
away.
Again our eyes met.
Immediately, as he lowered his head,
I was certain he had recognized me. Not
quite knowing what to do, I nervously
looked away.
I knew it was inevitable that we ac
knowledge each other’s presence. The
next time he looked at me, he mouthed
the words, “I’m sorry.”
Again, he lowered his head.
At that moment, I experienced per
haps the most peculiar thing I’ve ever
felt. I remembered our tour of the Fer
guson Unit last week and the way of life
that we were exposed to on that trip.
To think that a friend of mine was ac
tually living that life — I honestly felt
guilty for having the freedom to sit in
that classroom and listen to him tell of
his life behind bars.
I realize, just as he expressed to our
class, that he has “earned” his place in
the prison system through bad decisions
he’s made in his life.
Still, l couldn’t help hut feel sorry lor
him. You never want to see your friends
in a bad situation. And, needless to say,
prison is a very bad situation.
As my friend answered the questions
of our class, I became more comfortable
and relaxed. I was very excited to find
out that he is expecting to be released
any day.
My view of prison inmates was drasti
cally changed that day. Granted, a lot of
them may be hardened criminals. But a
lot of them may be people, just like you
and me, who have simply made some
mistakes along the way.
I felt much better about my friend’s
situation after hearing him talk to our
class. We even talked a little after the
session. I felt real good about being able
to chat about things like home and fam
ily.
However, as I left him that day, the
reality of our circumstances again hit
me. I could walk out the door to freely
go about my way. My friend could not.
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Daryl Davidson is a senior journalism
major.
LETTERS?
For awhile Artrain traveled in Michi
gan, exposing art to communities it visi
ted.Eventually, word got out that Michi
gan had this great art museum on
wheels. Other states invited the Artrain
to tour their towns and cities. Every
where Artrain went, it was a success.
Here are a few facts about Artrain:
• Artrain has made over 250 com
munity visits in 25 states
• Texas was the 25th state to invite
Artrain to visit.
• Artrain has exhibited works of art
as old as 2,500 years and as valuable as
$250,000.
• Even though it is a train, Artrain is
wheelchair accessible with electric
wheelchair ramps at each door.
Five railroad cars comprise Artrain.
These cars are filled with works of art
from all over the nation, with one car re
served for resident Artrain and commu
nity artists to show off their work.
Each car houses a different theme of
artwork. Upon entering the train, you
are treated to a seven-minute film on
the history of Artrain. From there, the
group travels single-file through the in
terior of the train, viewing the works of
art at your leisure.
One car of Artrain was devoted to
Texas artists. This was my favorite car
— even though the Remington sculp
ture was housed in a different car. The
Texas car boasted one unusual painting
where the characters followed you with
their eyes as you traveled through the
car. Talk about spooky.
Artrain, which is free, will be here
through Tuesday. If you get a chance,
go through the exhibits. You won’t re
gret it.
Bums congratulates
A&M volleyball team
EDITOR:
The Dunn Hall bleacher bums would
like to congratulate the A&M women’s
volleyball team for the great success
they have accomplished this year. It has
been our pleasure to yell for a team with
such a winning desire, and even though
the bums have added their special touch
of support, it is the girlsand the coaches
that deserve all the credit. So look out
UCLA, the Ags are knocking on the
door for a trip to the final four.
deepest desire of many Christians that
the resources necessary for both of
these goals to be realized for all man
kind were available.
Bucky Lee Turk, Jr.
Class of ’83
service and stature to the foundations of
A&M.
A&M to be conference
volleyball champs in ’85
Matt Powell, ’85
David L. Reck, ’84
EDITOR:
How ’bout that women’s volleyball
team? I only wish that I could be there
to see them take the SWC crown in
1985!
Tomas Rokicki
Class of’85
The second day of October in the
year of our lord, one thousand nine
hundred and eighty-four will be a last
ing impression in my heart, not just an
other long day. For this Aggie spirit was
truly inspired within another student,
corpsman and individual. This person
will always be an Aggie, while yet being
a Tennessean.
Fish Grindstaff
Class of ’88
Lane should watch
700 Club not attack CBN
Silver Taps gives
lasting memories
Marcy Basile is a sports writer for
The Battalion.
EDITOR:
A note to M. Lane:
Sorry to see that you missed last
nights (11-14-84) broadcast of the 700
club on CBN. Pat made an appeal for
funds to help the poor. He said, “Every
penny donated to help the poor
through this appeal will be used for that
purpose, all operating and administra
tion costs will be paid by CBN.”
With regard to the starving in Etho-
pia, any relief group (Interfaith, Catho
lic Relief, World Vision, etc.) must
spend some money on administration
and educating people here about the sit
uation so as to solicit donations, seems
networks newpapers, magazines, etc.
don’t want to donate their time!
As far as CBN’s other programming,
its net result is encouraging Christians
(and non-Christians toward Christ) and
generating revenue that enables them to
further their ministries.
Saving a life is ot utmost importance,
but so is after saving that life to bring it
to a realization of having the choice of
accepting Jesus Christ as savior. It is the
EDITOR:
What is Silver Taps? No one can truly
say unless the name of one of your
friends is embedded beneath the glass
which rests at the base of the flagpole.
Many questions were aroused in my
mind; why do we pay tribute to these
who have died? Am I coming because I
have to? What good does this do? These
and many more questions were asked
time and time again in my mind. I still
came up with the same answer: A blank.
The rounds that were fired at the last
Silver Taps struck hard within me. The
shots fired this time seemed appropri
ate. They seemed to mourn the Aggies’
deaths. And when the bugles began to
play the special “Silver Taps,” it bore
through to my heart.
It finally sank in. Then new questions
arose in my mind; would they do this
for me? Would I be remembered if I
died?
The time honored tradition no
longer seemed a tradition, but an ode.
An ode in love and honor, and memory
to those Aggies who were faithful in
The Battalion
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Member of
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Sout Invest Journalism Conference
In memoriam
Bill Robinson, 1962-1984, Editor
The Battalion Editorial Board
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Bonnie Langford, News Editor
Ed Cassavoy, Sports Editor
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