The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 01, 1987, Image 2
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, April 1, 1987 Opinion Enthusiasm for tradition has obscured factset Call them ideal ists, dreamers or just plain gullible, but the people who tell you that Texas A&M’s tra ditions are waning have heard Grandpa Aggie’s stories one too many times. After spending a few nights ■ looking through old 2,000 cadets were generating daily com plaints. The truth is that Aggies never were the perfectly polite, refined young men many of us envision. They booed and yelled obscene things at sporting events and were even vulgar toward actresses in campus plays. Mike Sullivan editions of The Battalion dating back to the late 1800s, I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the biggest traditions at A&M is talking about traditions. Much of the rhetoric we hear today about our once-friendly campus and how polite, clean-cut and honest Aggies used to be isn’t very original. Students at A&M have been voicing concern about the loss of these values for at least 65 years. In 1924, a student wrote in The Bat talion, “We must admit that there is a certain element in the student body which is a disgrace to the school when it goes into action in theatres and other public places. “. . . That this is a serious problem and demands immediate action as is in dicated by various complaints we hear every day.” Student behavior must have been a legitimate concern during the Roaring ’20s when you consider that less than In 1933, The Battalion wrote in a review of the ca det’s behavior at a play, “. . . we find that this same Corps of Cadets has been erro neously charac terized and that the following (which included most all of them) to stop being so rude toward the motorists who gave them rides. Evidently, their behavior was causing motorists to stop picking them up. “When we learn to give motorists the benefit of doubt, to display even a mite of courtesy, and to respect the rights of And there was vandalism back in A&M’s good old days, too. A 1948 Bat talion editorial explained, “Some stu dents . . . entered the band’s dormitory and opened a hot water line on the top floor. The escaping steam and water ru ined instruments, radios, uniforms and other personal effects to an estimated value of $ 1,000. revive this tradition which wason^ prevalent on this campus.. li may have been prevalent mikfe^ 1800s when the entire student Cl • consisted of cousins and friends oft] but by 1932, and of course tea ins. “. . . we find that this same Corps of Cadets has been erroneously characterized and that the following terms — discorteous, undisci plined — fit the cause better with the addition of moronic, banal and asinine. ” — The Battalion, 1933 “. . . Even our fa vorite term of two- percenter fails us saying “Howdy” to everyone you on campus is not only impractical,n terms — discorteous, undisciplined —fit the cause better with the addition of mo ronic, banal and asinine.” A 1931 editorial exposes similar problems with student behavior. “It is easier to be graceful winners than los ers, but before we can consider our selves sportsman-like and gentlemanly, we should train ourselves to be able to accept defeat without rudely expressing our sentiments to our guests.” I only looked through about 60 old Battalions, spanning almost 100 years, but I found enough editorials on such topics to safely say that students’ bad manners were a big issue back in the early days. At one point, The Battalion even made a plea to hitchhiking cadets Tradition missing at A&M Editor’s Note: The following anonymous editorial originally appeared in The Battal ion April 10, 1919 and was entitled “What does A. and M. lack?” Ask yourself this question. Answer it for yourself after excluding all minor and insignificant trivialities. What is vi tally missing? What would make this in stitution greater? What would make you love it more? What would make its grad uates love it more? What would make all people respect it more? Is it not TRA DITIONS? Not in the sense of tales of the past. But in the sense of something that would connect the present with the past history of the school. Something that would touch deep below the surface of commonplace matters. Something that would fill the freshmen with awe and the graduate with love. Something that would make your college a place in your heart and give you something to carry away with you that all thru life would thrill you at thoughts of your Alma Mater. with his name interwoven in another story to go down to the coming classes. The new man has not the respect for the institution that he had years ago. The man leaving the institution has not the thrilling and exciting adventures to re call that were for the men of other days. Something must be done. We offer the following as a possible means of supplying this lacking charac ter to some extent: F.very great school and college in the world has its traditions. They are sacred to its sons. To a great extent these tradi tions are lacking at A. and M. Too many students come for a year or two and go their way lightheartedly. Too few of those who enter remain until they de part as graduates. Too many fail to see the seriousness of a man’s college. Too many take the daily incidents and occur ences as all that the college has to offer. Too few consider that this is their step ping stone to life and that manhood comes to them while in the Halls of this old institution. What can alter these conditions? What can change matters? What can create traditions for the college? What can create an atmosphere of serious ness, age and love about the institution? This is a most difficult question. This school is different from most great collges. Conditions are not the same as are found at the universities, the very names of which stand for all that could be desired along this line to every citizen of the country. We must work out our problem for ourselves. Would iunot be a great thing for the College if every class that graduates in the future leave some permanent me morial on the campus for the daily ob servation of the new classes? Would it not be a greater thing if every class that has gone out from the old halls should return to leave a similar memorial of themselves? If these two things were done, would not the freshman be met with something that touches deeper than the belt and bayonet of farmer days? Would not the man leaving the college have more in his heart to re member and love than as things now are? Would not the graduate feel more interest in his Alma Mater if he knew that the symbol of his class was being da ily honored and respected by the stu dents in school? Would there not be a more inviting atmosphere for an occa sional return of graduate classes? Would there not be inspiration for re unions at the college during active ses sions when the young men in atten dance would meet and greet the older ones who have gone before? On the whole, would not a student at the col lege take himself and his school more seriously? Would there not be an inde scribable something constantly at work on his conscience urging him to stick the fight out and do his best? Would there not be an elevated standard at the col lege in regard to all things if such condi tions could come to pass? There was a time when the retold tales of various fights, trips and games served this purpose. That day is long past. We have outlived our name of “Roughnecks.” Such things are past his tory. The telling of such incidents no longer thrill the Fish and give him a consuming desire to leave the college Think it over. If you believe what has been said, work for it. Keep on working. Read what will be said in future editions concerning this phase of the college. The officials of the institution will be asked to contribute their opinions from time to time. Consider them. And if the traditions of the A. and M. College can be revived and presented in permanent form to the coming classes and if the graduate can be made to love his Alma Mater more, you yourself will come to love and appreciate the years of your life spent here as will never be possible otherwise. The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Jou rnalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Loren Steffy, Editor Marybeth Rohsner, Managing Editor Mike Sullivan, Opinion Page Editor Jens Koepke, City Editor Jeanne Isenberg, Sue Krenek, News Editors Homer Jacobs, Sports Editor Tom Ownbey, Photo Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper oper ated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Sta tion. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Depart ment of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $17.44 per semester, $34.62 per school year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on re quest. Our address: The Battalion, Department of Journalism, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4111. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, De partment of Journalism, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 77843-4111. our touring hosts, the possibilities of our hitch-hiking opportunities will increase immensely,” an Aggie wrote in 1949. Even the Aggie Code of Honor —Ag gies don’t-lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do — was violated enough to merit editorials. A 1940 editorial entitled “Thou SHalt Not Steal” proclaimed, “It is difficult to reconcile oneself to the fact that ther^ are thieves among the student body ot A&M. “. . . Yet, certain petty thefts occur ring from time to time, as well as rarer larger ones, form conclusive evidence (that there are thieves) . . .” The editorial sounds strikingly simi lar to some of the responses The Battal ion got from students when we ran a story this semester about A&M having more thefts for the 1985-86 school year than any other Southwest Conference university. here.’ I also happened to land on an inter esting 1933 edito rial about vandal ism. It seems that some students kept iversit puses in J shooting out with their rifles a lamp on campus called “Prexy’s Moon.” Appar ently, it was extremely expensive to keep replacing the “traditional” light and the editorial writer said that if the students didn’t stop breaking the lamp, “it would be relegated to the ranks of has-beens and become only a memory." tuder Japan as proves ci A&M pre It’s funny how looking at ourselit! a nun Grandpa’s mirror makes usfee!iA&M. th we’re not living up to the lofty stai 1H g , of yesteryear when, in fact, Aggiep Th e l carrying on today as they alwaysU Trade E: only in greater numbers! If. 3 ™* 1 ; ^ ' ° latinos lie Japane It's easy to glorify A&M’s past<j dents wo talking late at night with frier,:! campuses showing our parents around ( j but as one Aggie wrote in 1933 the quality of the Aggie hand, times . . . we are inclined toallowoui thusiasm to obscure the actual fact! I guess vandalism replaced “Prexy’s Moon” as tradition because no one I’ve talked with has ever heard of the once- famous lamp. Mike Sullivan is a senior jourau major and the Opinion Pageedk The Battalion. As ‘th( B And then there’s one of my favorite tradition topics — the “Howdy Tradi tion.” Aggies have been fighting the tide with that “tradition” since at least 1932. Sounding much like a modern-day Mail Call writer, an Aggie explained in 1932 that the “Howdy Tradition” had fallen, saying, “Let’s think it over and ixplor. I hc Farmer’s Write co/trmnkife fK-.ir in Thursday's issue fromtm l.rwis Ct is/aixl will no longerrur^ ^ ( OS i Richard ('.ohm 's columa wilhpfc: nai | ts kil| ( Monday. Wedncsdas and Fndii& s j on wert . dons \ new feature, Once upfci astionaui Hint m Aggiriund . .wtfl apperi Tuesday i Tuesday editions beginninpv McCaill week. The new feature will cofisu support f< old columns and editorials miifcz gram. Sp< m The Battalion rnanv yearsayo. tors Socie est<-d in h(unan u pared the explorers He con dies expk past. TMagell ott pai Pole, and price over i;: “You ji known wit ■■■ Mail Call Catcall tradition EDITOR: I became extremely disappointed while doing a bit of studying in my dorm room. Sitting by an open window, I heard shouts of approval — and a few of dissapproval — coming from neighboring windows while members of the opposite sex crossed the parking lot below. “Just a few guys afflicted with spring fever,” I thought, feeling sure they would quiet themselves soon. Up until this time, they had kept their remarks turned down, anyway. As more buddies joined in the “fun” though, the catcalls became a little ruder and much louder. My tradition suffers; I don’t “whoop,” nor do I particularly get a thrill out of standing for a whole footbal game. I do know, though, how easy it is fora few individuals to negatively influence the reputation of almost any institution. Right now, I’m part of this one. Mark Figart ’90 Break tradition And all this time I thought this was a University (you know, where you go to get an advanced education after you’ve conquered the basic how-to’s of life). You know who you are, guys. Surely I need not take this space to explain those basics on common courtesy. And since it will take more time than I have to teach you that genuine interest, not just courtesy, can be a motivator of kindness, I must ask you to rely on what I assume you know about — consideration for other persons. (Yes, I know what might happen because I assumed). Just try to remember to be nice. Not every body is sd lucky-to be as “popular” as you are. To put it in a perspective not so personal, imagine this: Mr. and Mrs. Proudly happen to be walking through this parking lot with their pretty teen-age daughter who can’t wait to become an Aggie. They unmistakably hear someone scream, “Hey, Buffalo, Sbisa’s that way!” To comfort their not-so-chubby daughter (well, she is a bit hefty), they convince her the remark was certainly made toward the 5’10” 135 lb. tan model on the red scooter. Suddenly, however, Mom and Dad aren’t so convinced that A&M is the place for baby Sal’ to goj We (A&M students) get a bad reputation because );ou goofed. EDITOR: Spring has come to Bryan-College Station, andloveis in the air. In these next few months, as in years past,man' Aggies will fall in love, become engaged and get married Many gentlemen will display their devotion to theirlaefc through the gift of a glittering diamond ring, which isa lovely token of affection. But do not be misled by the diamond’s charms — for all its surface dazzle, thediamoid is cruel at heart. The overwhelming majority of diamonds boughtand sold in America come from the mines of the mostungodl' nations in the world: South Africa. South Africa is a country where the black majority cannot even vote for change. Black workers labor under miserable conditions for small wages, while the white minority sells the diamonds for their own enrichment and to fund the continuation of their opressive system. Marriage is perhaps the oldest tradition in the world, and to many of us the diamond engagement ringseems# essential part of that tradition. But, please, think a bit more before you buy that diamond. Wouldn’t another stone be just as beautiful and mea ingful? And wouldn’t you feel better about yourself? Shoshana Kaminsky, visitor to campus Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial si serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make evert (jf 1 ' maintain the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and must includelli/‘ f sification, address and teleplume number of the writer.