The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 09, 1986, Image 2
Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, October 9, 1986 Opinion "■inMMMrifrnillirwi—■nnmiMir Wl'iIIIIMBBMBBBMWIlMBBWBrMBnBWWnMBMMaMWIMMMTMrMMMBWMi Corps turns yell practice into tradition of violence At Friday night’s midnight yell practice seve ral students de cided to run out on Kyle Field. Nothing strange about that, it’s tra dition. Several ca dets decided to stop them. Noth ing strange about that, it’s also tradi tion. The cadets usually grab the of fenders and carry them off the field. This time, however, the cadets got a little carried away with their self-ap pointed position as keepers of the Field. In Wednesday’s Battalion, students said they were not only grabbed but also held down on the ground and beaten. According to these students, cadets even used helmets to ensure their punches had the maximum effect. When friends tried to stop the pum- meling, the students said their friends also were thrown to the ground and beaten. They also said the women who ran on the field were hit, thrown to the ground and called derogatory names, showing how well the Corps’ Fine tradi tion of chivalry has survived for 110 years. The Corps sees a traditional right to protect the Field, but traditional rights don’t stand up against legal rights. The Corps’ role as unofFicial protector of the Field does not give it free reign to bash heads. Even police are not allowed to use such violence as a form of crowd control. According to University regulations, the Corps has no right to keep anyone from going onto Kyle Field. Appendix VI, Sec. 5 states that disruptive activity includes: “Obstructing or restraining the pas sage of any person at an exit or entrance to the University or property or at tempting to prevent by force or violence or the threat of force or violence the in gress or egress of any persons to or from said property. “A lawful assembly is disrupted when any person in attendance is rendered in capable of participating in the assembly due to the use of force or violence or due to a reasonable fear that force or vi olence is likely to occur.” Violations of these regulations on dis ruptive activity can result in disciplinary action and possible prosecution. Despite what the cadets say, Kyle Field is not a memorial stadium. The 55 flags that fly over the stadium are there to honor the 55 Aggies who died during World War I, but the Field itself is not a memorial. One cadet told The Battalion, “How would you feel if somebody ran over your father’s grave?” in reference to the sanctity of Kyle Field. To that I say, how would you feel if your father was buried under Astro turf? Why do football players receive special consideration in running across “graves”? I never had much respect for people who run onto the Field. I think it’s silly and childish. But they don’t deserve to have their heads bashed in for their chil dishness. Fortunately, none of the civil ians were injured seriously — only a few bruises, scrapes and cuts. But there are a lot of ill feelings and a damaged repu tation. Some things the Corps does in the name of tradition and being “red-ass” do nothing but make this school look like a collection of mindless apes. No wonder there are so many Aggie jokes. In 1981, cadet Greg Hood did his best to defend tradition by drawing his saber and charging after Southern Methodist University cheerleaders who ran out on Kyle Field to lead a yell fol lowing an SMU touchdown. It’s nice that Hood had access to a deadly weapon in his Fight to save the Field. What would have happened Friday night if the cadets had been carrying sabers as well as helmets? And only two years ago Bruce Dean Goodrich, a sophomore cadet, died as a result of “motivational exercises,” one of the Corps’ Finest traditions. Information about those “motivational exercises” was destroyed by cadet Gabriel Cuadra, who was afraid that the information would hurt the Corps. Cuadra’s actions hurt the Corps much more than the truth. The Corps may be one of the oldest institutions at Texas A&M, but that doesn’t give it the right to physically in timidate other students. The ideals it claims to stand for are lost when it tries to hide the truth in fear that its image might be tarnished. The ideals it claims to stand for die when it uses unneces sary violence to protect them. Like it or not, the Corps is the most visible aspect of the student body at A&M, even though it represents less than 6 percent of the student body. Whatever the Corps does reflects on the entire school. And students will not stand for mindless violence in the name of tradi tion. If the Corps wants a school where those who won’t adhere to its archaic ideals are beaten and persecuted, it might do well to remember its old say ing: “Highway 6 runs both ways.” Karl Pallmeyer is a senior journalism major and a columnist for The Battal ion. News you can use — maybe Did you know: „ • One of eight L@WiS Americans sleeps GliZZOrd in the nude? • Michael Jack- son, who was at the White House to help promote an anti-drunken driving cam paign, locked himself in a bathroom and refused to come out until the president personally asked him to. • Hundreds of Field mice are leaping from Golan Heights cliffs in what Israeli scientists say is an instinctive solution to overpopulation. • There is no mold or mildew in Ant arctica. Of course, you didn’t know any of that. Neither did I, until a publication called “View from the Ledge” arrived by mail the other day. “View,” published by DEADFROM- THENECKUP, Inc. in Washington, D.C., is a newsletter that describes itself as a “Celebration of the Submains tream,” which means it is crammed full of little news items you likely won’t Find in your hometown newspaper. I’m not certain how I got on the “View” mailing list, but I’m most appre ciative. What this country needs is some body out there to collect the outrageous and the unreasonable to keep the rest of us from going insane. Enough in the way of explanation. Let us now celebrate with “View from the Ledge” and its news form the sub mainstream: • QUOTE: “Nuclear war would really set back cable television.” — Ted Turner. • FACT: Rats rewarded in lab exper iments hit the cocaine button two and a half times more than they hit the heroin button. • THERE GOES THE JUDGE: A trial in Kenya was adjourned when a gi ant lizard invaded the courtroom. While the bailiffs tried to kill the lizard, 20 de fendants escaped. • DOWN UNDER: Two hunters in Adelaide, Australia, tied a stick of dyna mite to a rabbit’s back and lit the fuse “just to see what would happen.” What happened was the rabbit ran under one of the hunter’s new trucks moments before the dynamite and the rabbit and the truck exploded. • FACT: A survey of doctors in Ja pan reveals that more than 90 percent cheat on income tax. The worst: gyneco logists. • CRIME NEWS: A Tifton, Ga., man was arrested for driving around nude and slinging lard at women. • DARN THE LUCK: A Los An geles robbery suspect broke into a build ing to hide. It was the kennel of a train ing school for guard dogs. • QUOTE: “We plant roses, we breed chickens, and we eat candy — but before we can eat candy, we must eat the kidneys of our enemies,” — Moammar GadhaFi. • ANOTHER FACT: v In 1895, there were only two cars in the state of Ohio. They collided. If you are interested in receiving “View from the Ledge,” the best idea is to write P.O. Box 57141, Washington, D.C. 20037. If you want to contribute an item, send it to the same address. Which reminds me: A reader in San Francisco recently sent me the following item from the San Francisco Chronicle. I quote directly: “KIDNAPPING: A woman standing at the corner of Kearney Street and Broadway at 2 a.m. was forced into a man’s car. He drove her to his apart ment where he forced her to wash the dishes.” Copyright 1986, Cowles Syndicate Mail Call Mysteries of Sbisa dining EDITOR. Would someone please explain to me the logic of the following rule? I’m in Sbisa Dining Hall. I walk up to the line to get some barbecue, but I don’t have a tray in my hand. I have not yet had a main dish, but the lady tellsmel can’t have a second serving of barbecue. I explain that I’ve yet to eat a first serving of barbecue, but no matter: to get some barbecue I must haveatray.l proceed to get a tray and sure enough, the same lady plops on my plate a helping of barbecue. Question: Have I, by holding a tray, proved I have not had a serving of beef? I assume I have proved it, but I for the life of me can’t Figure out how. This worries me, for I’m in a logic course this semester, and my first testis just around the corner. It’s now dinner time the following evening. I’m once again in Sbisa. Iget in line for some steak. This time I hold in hand a ticket, distributed at the door, permitting only one serving of steak. Once again — why didn’t I learn? — I don’t bring a tray. But I have a ticket, which, of course, shows I havenoi had any steak. But what do you know? The lady (a different one) says I can't have any steak unless I have a tray because — why can I not see the light?- my ticket, which shows 1 have not eaten any steak, does not show that 1 have not eaten any steak. I suppose my Logic 204 text will in a later chapter expose me to this deep process of reasoning, but I’d rather not wait. So would someone please explain it to me now? Andrew H. Pendleton ’88 Three years in waiting EDITOR: We also looked up the word senior. This term means “older or elder”or “member of the highest class in college or high school.” Being a senior is an honor, and we’ve waited three years for the privilege. A student must be a senior and have 92 hours to get his “Aggie Ring.” This should also be true for 50-yard line football tickets. The last two weeks we’ve been stretching our necks to see the middle of the Field while freshmen are standing comfortably on the 50-yard line. We would like to go a step further than complaining and devise a solution to the problem. Giving us a priority day is not giving us priority seats. I suggest seniors still draw on Monday but be given a choice of the seats only between the 40 yard lines on all three decks. On Tuesday, juniors candrawas they do, still giving them a chance for good seats, but second in line to seniors and so on with the low erclassmen. This may sound unfair to the lowerclassmen, but they will have three more years to earn the better seats. Meanwhile, we’ll try to enjoy our 15-yard line tickets so we can support our Aggies to the 1987 Cotton Bowl! Tammy Hedgpeth ’87 Annette Walker ’88 Julie Hitchinson ’88 Jill Kami ’87 Faith healing South Africa EDITOR: . i A few months ago I read an article in a campus newspaper that stated “Over 3,000,000 South Africans, both black and white, gather to prayand fast for their country.” What was more surprising than the sheer magnitude of the event was the fact that the secular news media never bothered to mention it. I knowthatthe government has suppressed the media’s activities, but I wondered howsucha large event could escape their attention. Perhaps the situation in South Africa is much different than the media would have me believe, since one-fourth of the South African population agrees that only God can heal their land. My former roommate is from Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, a province of South Africa. He feels that disinvestment and other economic sanctions are not the solution to his neighboring countrymen’s problems, partlydueto the level of communist activity in his own country. He knows, and I agree with him, that if the people would humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways and pray, then God would heahheir land (and this goes for America as well). As George Washington said in his farewell address: “Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths? . .. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influenceof refined education .. . reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” David Panak Graduate student Deserving recognition EDITOR: I feel that a part of Texas A&M tradition goes highly unrecognized. 1 ant referring to the Fish Drill Team. The drill team is made up of freshmen in the Corps of Cadets whojoinon a voluntary basis. This year, the drill team has its largest number of volunteers. These young men and women devote an extreme amount of time and energy to be a part of this organization. They meet at least four times a week Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. at Duncan Field. 1 feel they deserve to be recognized for their efforts. LanaJones Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves therigh to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, address and telephone numberof the writer. The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Cathie Anderson, Editor Kirsten Dietz, Managing Editor Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor Frank Smith, City Editor Sue Krenek, News Editor Ken Sury, Sports Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting r ated as a community service to Texas A&M andBr tion. Opinions expressed in The Baffa/ion are those of ih< board or the author, and do not necessarily represenltlitfp' of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper foMt^ in reporting, editing and photography classes within ment of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through FriV’ Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and periods. Mail subscriptions are $17.44 per semester, J34.62i* l! ; year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising ram quest. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald!^ Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Second class postage paid at College Station,TX 7784! , POST MASTER: Send address changes to TTieBaW 1 . Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Si* 1 77843.