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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1989)
A \ The Battalion OPINION atcKILT tme- oMaarmi or T&ft Jcuu miL Mail Call Save the oaks EDITOR: [he Battal A couple of weeks ago I was at the Facilities Building to see a model of the new aerospace building being built in the northeast part of campus. I also saw a model of the proposed additions to the MSC. First, let me say that I am happy to see growth and expansion occur on our campus. It indicates Texas A&M’s movement into the future. I am upset because the proposals for the MSC, as presently planned, will cost us a valued tradition: the loss of our Rudder Live Oak! 1 he Rudder Live Oak is located near the northeast corner of the MSC. The oak has been saved form destruction once before, by J. Earl Rudder. When the MSC' was expanded in years past, this live oak was supposed lobe cut down. Mr. Rudder discovered this and issued memoranda, and the plans were changed to save the oak. Since that day of salvation, the oak has been known as the Rudder Oak. The architects and adminstrative personnel planning the MSC expansion have chosen to minimize this fact. The tree will be cut or an attempt will be made to move it. This is not the only tree that will be destroyed or moved. In all there are 1 7 trees, ranging in trunk diameters of 1 0-42 inches, that will be removed from the MSC' area. What will happen to our precious shade and beautiful old oaks? What do we get in return? An open, hot, paved plaza. Boy, I’ll bet you can’t wait to congregate there in May or September at noon! There are many reasons to save the Rudder Oak and other trees at the MSC. J. Earl Rudder thought so, and look how we are regarding his wisdom, courage and tenacity. David A. Kenyon ’89 Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff resenies the right to edit lettm for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author's intent. Each letter must be signed ad must include the classification, address and telephone number of the writer. Iy Richard TAFFWRIT Opponents &M’s p« ss ' oldings in S ther during ale Society’ ight. Two speak jr each side lent. A&M has t ollars invest orations th outh Africa. David Luc olitical sciei ;hristi, spoki ivestiture, s outh Afrit partheid. “This Uni Com close By Juliette Aggie Band just doesn’t know when to stop playing The Aggie Band has never embar rassed me before. But I guess there’s a first time for everything. The behavior of Lt. Col. Joe T. Ha ney and his charges at the Southwest Conference Postseason Classic, March 10 and 11 was pathetic. I would have ex pected such actions from any other band in the conference, but I always have considered our men as being be yond reproach. It was a rude awaken ing. For those of you who were not pre sent that weekend (and that, by the way would involve practically all of you, but that’s another story), let me set the scene for you. The conference basketball tourna ment is notorious for several things. The most obvious one is the huge gath ering of Arkansas fans that find their way to Dallas to support their Razor- backs. A related phenomenon is the am azing dearth of support for any other school except, on occasions, Texas Tech. Hal Hammons Assistant News Editor mous but no less annoying, is what I have termed “The Battle of the Bands.” During every game of the tournament the fans are sure to be treated to a de cidedly unharmonious din resulting from two bands trying to play at the same time. it’s worth. The result is surprisingly con sistent: One band starts playing, the other apparently considers the audience deserving of better music and starts in as well, each tries to drown the other out, nobody gets entertained, and ev erybody gets hacked at the other guys. The band of Team A is supposed to play during one time-out, and then Team B gets its turn during the next one. Before the game the bands alter nate songs, and afterward each plays its closing fanfare. It’s stupid. It’s rude. And worst of all, it appears to be permanent. If you weren’t there that weekend you may find this hard to believe, but the only band with any class was Arkan sas’. arranged for some entertainment be fore the next game — a group of men calling themselves The Blues Brothers who did a remarkably good choreogra phy routine to music from the movie of the same name. The Blues Brothers took the floor on their cue after the Hog Wild Band finished their song, ready to do their stuff. The Aggie Band, however, wasn’t fin ished. The Aggie Band did OK for a while, but after the semifinal game against the Razorbacks they lost it. Like it or not, it must be admitted that “The War Hymn” in its entirety is a very long song. And the band played every note of it. The main purpose behind it all is to give each one the opportunity of equally supporting its team without — and pay attention here, this is the important part — without making it more annoying than humanly possible. A third yearly occurrence, less fa As I said, this method is fine in the ory, but when it comes down to actuality it obviously becomes more trouble than As if to get in one last shot before tak ing off to Padre, Col. Haney started the band in one last rendition of “The War Hymn.” Never mind that the Arkansas band was still playing, and that it was the band that about 13,000 of the 16,000 people there wanted to hear. No, the Aggies had to give all them Hawgs a going-away present. And it got worse. The conference had Two tournament officials were yel ling at Col. Haney for the entire second half of the song, trying to get him to cut the band off. You could almost read the colonel’s lips as he kept directing. “Just a minute. Just a minute.” And when they finally finished, he turned to the official screaming in his ear and seemed to an swer back, “There. Satisfied?” No, Colonel, she wasn’t. And neither was anybody else. It was a shameful dis play of selfish disregard for others. And it’s Aggies, of course, who can not understand why the rest of thestaii and conference hates Texas A&M much. Who can figure it? At least Aggies usually can passi noxiousness off as “tradition.” But not traditional to play “The WarHyn' after basketball games. It’s noteventra ditional to finish the song once it started. I have heard the song intei rupted numerous times. There is eva an obvious stopping point, right in middle after varsity’s horns have bee: sawed off. But for some reason it was extremel important to play the entire song, eluding the part that hardly aiiyom knows the words to about there being hot time in Austin tonight.” I’ll tell you, 1 was appalled. I’venevti been a spectator at an Aggie gamew I didn’t sing the words to “The 1 Hymn.” But I didn’t participate time. I just wasn’t in the mood. Hal Hammons is an assistant new editor for The Battalion. bed option to eat mg Halls. Duncan, t facility, week with tl schedule as schedule is a mg STAFF WRI1 The Conn oeen closed and will reop serve studen Students v the Coi mons. Breakfast is from 7:1 served from Dinner is s p.m. The only Ai Tl When roommates The call from my roommate came on a cold, dark, January night. “Timm, this isn’t easy for me to say, but I’m leaving you.” I was shocked and stunned. “You’re kidding,” I said. “I can’t believe this. How can you do this to me?” “I feel it’s the right thing to do. I just can’t stand our living arrangement any more,” he said. I was almost speechless, until a real ization hit me. “But what about ...” “The fish? I’m suing for full custody,” he said. There was spite in his voice. It came as quite a surprise. After all our months together, my roommate was filing for an alternate living situation. “I don’t feel like we’re truly in cohabi tation anymore, like when we were newly-roommates. I’ve already gathered my things from the dorm room. I need my freedom, my space. That’s why I’m moving into an apartment. I guess I’ll see you in court. Bye.” Russell and I had both been through Timm Doolen Columnist the procedure before. Russ had a room mate before me and he was my third roommate. But it was different this time, because we had mutually decided to have fish, and they would suffer the most from our separation. Ingo and Keith, the swordtails, were several months old, so they could han dle the trauma. But Jason and Ron, the twins, the poor little guppies, were only weeks old. Their future could be for ever damaged. Looking back on the situation, I see how it all fits into place. I had always wondered where Russell was going when he’d slip away for hours on va rious afternoons. I later found out he’d been apartment hunting behind my break up, their fish suffer back. I’d heard nasty rumors that he was searching for another roommate, and now I knew they were true. The trial began in late February. Rus sell had won temporary custody of the fish, and every day he’d dress them up in a fancy bowl with fresh water and bring them into court. I’d peer at the bright blue bowl and I’ll swear I could see little f rowns on their four faces. During the court proceedings, the ugly details came out about how Russell had slept (just slept) in dozens of houses, apartments, and dorm rooms (excuse me, residence hall rooms) all over campus. He slept around more than a cheap sorority girl. Sometimes he’d get wasted at parties just so he could “spend the night” there. By the finish of his escapades, Russ had seen the interior of almost every apart ment complex in the Bryan-College Sta tion area. A few weeks into the court battle, I noticed that Russell quit bringing Jason to court. After a few days of Jason’s ab sence, I confronted Russell outside the courtroom. He told me that Jason was very sick, and that it was best for him to stay home. I demanded to see him and, reluctantly, Russell let me go out to his new apartment and see my baby fish. Jason was floating on his back at the top of the tank. I tried to feed him, but he just continued floating. His eyes were closed so I nudged him, trying to wake him up. His body was cold. He was dead. I don’t know whether it was the constant exposure to his guardian’s im proprieties, or underfeeding, but he had swum his last mile. I was outraged at Russell for letting it happen, but 1 knew 1 could do nothing to bring Jason back. I could only hope for the continued good health of Ingo, Keith, and Ron. After Jason’s death, a cloud hung over the rest of the trial. Though the trial only lasted another month, it seemed to drag on for at least a month and a half. The judge ruled in Russell’s favor. He was awarded half of everything we mutually owned, which consisted of some laundry detergent and some gro cery items, which had gone bad by then. But most importantly, he won custody of the fish. In his decision, the judge cited ili fact that Russell had bought the fish(l» had receipts to prove it) and technical owned them, so I had no legal right# keep them. But can one ever reallyo«i another living being? And can mylo'f for those fish be described in legli terms? I was devastated by the decision. Tl# judge as going to leave those thret young fish, that needed their tad changed regularly, with a man ™ couldn’t be trusted to clean the sink?! disregarded my own feelings and wof ried about their future. Would the' have normal personalities growing uf without two parents? Would they gt' into a respectable school? All is not lost — I get to see the fishot alternate weekends and for two weeks® the summer, on the “army reserve”cus tody plan. When I pick them up, iti great to see their puckering faces, bull know it’ll never be the same for me,® them, again. Timm Doolen is a sophomore cow puter science major and a column!} for The Battalion. Carat -m- 1.78 1.61 1.51 1.43 1.33 -1.21 Aiiliquf 1.18 1.17 1.11 1.03 1.06 1.03 1.03 1.00 1.00 .95 .93 .92 .91 .90 .89 .85 .84 .83 .81 .76 .72 .70 .64 .64 .62 .60 .57 .56 .55 .55 .53 .52 .52 The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Becky Weisenfels, Editor Leslie Guy, Managing Editor Dean Sueltenfuss, Opinion Page Editor Anthony Wilson, City Editor Scot Walker, Wire Editor Drew Leder, News Editor Doug Walker, Sports Editor Jay Janner, Art Director Mary-Lynne Rice, Entertainment Edi tor Editorial Policy 77ie Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa per operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. 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