The Battalion
OPINION
Thursday, September 28, 1989
iiiiiiiiK
...MO IN A NOT TOTALLY UNEXPECTED
MOVE, THE AilA BOARD OF REGENTS MAS
DECIDED TO SUBCONTRACT THE BUILP/NG
OF THIS I/EAR'S BONFIRE TO ONE OF
THEIR GOOD OL-BOy ALUMNI FRIENDS...
Greeks share
spirit, too
Lately, there have been many opin
ions flying back and forth about the
Greeks and the Corps of Cadets. Being
a fraternity president, you would proba
bly expect me to start in on some “Corps
bashing,” but it is beyond me to start
slamming an organization that I feel de
serves the respect of all Aggies. I like the
Corps, and I don’t get into throwing
mindless falsities at organizations just to
make them look bad.
I guess you could call me one of those
“manipulative” Creeks. (You know the
type.) 1 am one of those Fish Camp di
rectors, and 1 have been and am pretty
involved in many of the student activ
ities here at A&M. And I was picked for
each and every position I have ever
achieved solely because I am a member
of a fraternal organiztion. Right?
Surely this is not so! I would like to
think I am qualified for every position I
aip selected for.’And to think, if this is
true, I have actually been able to “retain
my own identity” and at the same time
been able to support A&M. (Cet this!
I’ve even been to Silver Taps, to Muster
(every year), been active in Student Gov
ernment committees, been involved in
Fish Camp, etc ... (DO WONDERS
EVER CEASE?)
But seriously, I feel it is my duty as an
Aggie and a fraternity member to dispel
many of the myths about Creeks that
abound here at A&M.
Contrary to popular belief, many
Creeks are interested in Aggie Tradi
tions and activities. Creeks actively par
ticipate in bonfire, Silver Taps, Muster
and many other A&M traditions. The
list goes on an on. Just because we don’t
always wear our letters, doesn’t mean
we’re not there. And how many times
are Creeks ostracized just because they
do wear their letters to traditional A&M
events (like bonfire stack)?
It’s not just A&M activities that we are
involved in. Creeks participate annually
in philanthropic events, charity func
tions, social service projects and com
munity action programs, to name a few.
Many Creeks are active in 111 e i r
churches and synagogues, too. To lie
honest, being Creek is far from having
an excise to hitye parties all the time.
(Yes, I do Own clothing other than
mixer T-shirts.)
Much of the controversy surrounding
Creek organizations involves their
membership selection. Anyone who
wants to join a fraternity can do so if
they wish. The selection process is a mu
tual one; rushees are encouraged to go
where they are most comfortable, while
fraternities and sororities look for mem
bers who are potential assets to their or
ganization. Here at A&M, there is a fra
ternal organization for everyone. It
seems to me that I have been through a
few interviews for many of the A&M
committees and activities in which I was
interested.
Or how about those financial require
ments that everyone always points a fin
ger at? Guess what? It is not a require
ment to drive a BMW, or for your
father to make over $80,000 a year or to
be handsome or pretty to be a member
of a fraternity or sorority. When I went
through rush, I was never handed a
questionnaire asking any of these things.
House maintenance, rush activities, par
ties, alumni contact, intramurals, social
service projects and many other activ
ities cost MONEY. It would be impossi
ble for fraternal organizations to func
tion without an income. And unlike
many student organizations, we receive
no monetary support from the Univer
sity.
To think that Creeks are out to de
stroy other student activities or to ma
nipulate the campus into being some
sort of Creek utopia is absurd. Unlike
many non-regs on campus, we do not
advertise against our fellow Aggies. We
actively support A&M and its traditions,
and consider our blood just as maroon
as the blood of any other student at
A&M.
It is wrong to stereotype Creeks, just
as it is wrong to stereotype the Corps,
minorities, women or any other group.
There are those Creeks who are apa
thetic two-percenters who live for their
Creek organizations, just as there are
those Corps members, non-regs and just
plain people who are closed-minded to
the ideas and interests of others.
The 3,000 Creeks here at A&M are
just as diverse as the student body itself,
so try to be open-minded. Try to accept
Aggies for who they are instead of what
they are involved in, and maybe we can
put an end to this endless controversy
that has added itself to the list of Aggie
Traditions.
Damon Arhos is a senior journalism
major and a columnist for The Battal
ion.
Age of campus trees documented in
Many words have been written and
many others spoken on campus as well
as in the community about trees, some
supposedly famous and others not, on
the Texas A&M campus. A few of the
words have been based on fact, but
many of them simply have repeated
myths without any basis on truth. This
column should help clarify some of
these myths.
One popular myth is that the large
live oak tree between the Academic
Building and Bolton Hall is well over a
century old. In fact it is quite popularly
known as the Century Oak and has been
referred to as such since before the
A&M Centennial in 1976. Several pieces
of irrefutable evidence, as well as one
piece of oral testimony, show that the
tree is not that old.
Early photographs of the Texas A&M
campus, one as earlv as 1 883. reveal that
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Scot Walker. Editor
Wade See. Managing Editor
Juliette Rizzo, Opinion Page Editor
Fiona Soltes, City Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Chuck Squatriglia,
News Editors
Tom Kehoe, Sports Editor
Jay Janner, Art Director
Dean Sueltenfuss. Lifestyles Editor
Nadja Sabawala. Makeup Editor
Charles R.
Schultz
University Archivist
the campus was truly a bare prarie at
that time. Other photographs in the
1890s and the early 1900s give evidence
of basically the same thing.
The March 1, 1923 issue of the Daily
Bulletin, which was published each
school day by the Publicity Department,
contains a lengthy article about Uncle
Dan Jackson, a popular Black custodian
who assisted in building the first build
ings on the campus and then worked
continuously for A&M. In the article,
Uncle Dan is quoted as saying that the
first tree on the campus was the old ce
dar tree in front of the Civil Engi
neering building that is now named Na
gle Hall. We may conclude from this
that no tree existed anywhere on the
Editorial Policy
The Bultulion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa
per operated as a community service to Texas A&M and
Brvan-CCollege Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battu/ion are those of the
editorial board or the author, and do not ncccssarilv rep
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fat
uity or the Board of Regents.
The Buttulion also serves as a laboratory newspaper
for students in reporting, editing and photography
classes within the Department of Journalism.
The Batta/ioit is published Monday through Friday
during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holidav
and examination periods.
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Our address: The BulUtliun. 230 Reetl McDonald.
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POSTMASTER; Send address changes to The B.illnl-
ion. 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Universiu . Col
lege Station TX 77843-41 1 1.
2,416 acre original campus until after
1876.
The December 18, 1918 issue of the
Reveille, which has succeeded the Daily
Bulletin, has a reference to an 1895
photograph in the 1918 yearbook. The
anonymous author of the article com
ments that “the most conspicuous fea-
true of this picture is the remarkable
muddy road leading up to the old build
ing. Then, too, the view is impressive in
its aspect of loneliness. The College
Campus was originally a bald prarie,
and the picture referred to above re
veals very little change in that respect in
the first 20 years of the life of the Colle
ge-”
Another popular myth is that certain
trees in the area in the proposed expan
sion of the MSC also are very old. Some
have even claimed they are between 150
and 200 years old. The same evidence
cited in reference to the so-called Cen
tury Oak can be used to help refute the
claims of the age of these trees. Other
pictures in the Archives, dated into the
1920s that show the area of the MSC
and at least part of the proposed expan
sion area, are also useful in helping to
determine the age of these trees.
A close examination of all the avail
able appropriate photographs in the Ar
chives leads one to conclude that live
oak trees were introduced to the Texas
A&M campus between 1900 and 1910.
One of the trees in the proposed MSC
has been given the name Rudder Oak
by opponents of their transplanting or
removal. Other people refer to several
of the trees as Rudder Oaks. From avail
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Thu
Howdy! Whoop!
Gig ’em! etc.
Texas A&M is a university rich in tra
dition, yet many think the traditions
have pulled the University down from a
“world-class” status. This is false. The
traditions we hold to in these times of
change put us above other schools that
are supposedly close to our caliber.
Yes, we could take the easy way out
and just concentrate on books and re
search, leaving tradition to die. But then
we would conform to a “regular Joe”
university. That’s not the way it is here.
Students have in the past, chosen to
keep tradition alive, and they will in the
future. Because of bonfire, Muster, Par
ents’ Weekend, Silver Taps, Fish Camp
and T-Camp, Yell Practice, observance
of memorials and especially Aggie
friendliness, Texas A&M is the students’
University. No other University allows
its students as much voice in activities
that affect the campus as A&M does.
I am writing this to compliment the
student body for supporting the tradi
tions, the football team and the volley
ball team. The participation and atti
tude the Twelfth Man displayed atthe
LSU and TCU football games was great.
LSU didn’t know what hit them after
the opening kick-off, and you all didn’t
even let them get up. The volume of
noise on the field and the enthusiasm
with which the Twelfth Man yelled,
showed the Tigers the real power of
Kyle Field.
In Washington, we sure needed the
Twelfth Man. You would have made the
difference, but that’s the past and we
have plenty to look forward to. At TCU,
the Frogs must have thought they were
in College station, because the Aggies
rocked the TCU stadium. That kind of
spirit pulls the game our way.
Way lan
Cain
Head Yell Leader
I I ust
javel
the
lere v
of the
re ii
studer
rowi
The attendance and
the Twelfth Man at
games also has been awesome
crowd definitely makes a different!
these games.
My <
neb<
Many teams overlook the strengitj
emotion. This emotion comes
players and the students on hand. ?
need to motivate each other. Witti® 11 , 1 "
Aggie Band and the Twelfth Man.; ■ 1 '
never be at a loss for motivation. \,
■hen \
fall.
Non-Regs, Creeks and theCorpil
have a hand in this, and mustworiBstuc
gether to keep the Twelfth Man am
and working.
lollegi
This necessary involvement in
University is what enables Aggiesit
called “boss” four years after grad
tion. The leadership needed for si
positions may seem to be learnedal
price of frustration and maybe ale
grade or two, but it is a small pritt
pay for the friends made and thei
influenced — especially the enhar;
ment of your own life.
like sto
it:
Let?
hong
m
BIT
Ags, keep tradition alive at
get involved, stay motivated, keepi
Micl
fclumr
iform
thumbs up, don’t forget to say“H® coin
dy,” and let’s deafen Southern
sippi and beat the hell outtathem.
dore.
First
[reeks
buildin
Archives’ photographs
able oral testimony it appears that it was
an architect named D.D. Matthews who
originally proposed that the 1970s ex
pansion of the MSC be altered to save
several trees. Since the proposed change
in the plan put forth by Matthews would
provide more square footage of space
without any additional cost, President
Rudder immediately approved the
change. If this is really the case then
perhaps the tree or trees should be
named for Matthews rather than Rud
der, if they should be named for any
one.
total endorsement of the concept of'
full destruction of trees or a totals
demnation of oral tradition. Rather,
intended as a reminder that all sour
of information, all possible documt
need to be examined and that old [1
tographs in the Archives can freejuf
provide information not available in
written form.
Another bit of information that can
be gleaned from the photographs of the
A&M campus between 1883 and the
1920s is that trees have been planted
and removed from the early days and
will probably continue to be planted and
removed. This is probably as it should
be. Trees after all are a renewable natu
ral resource and were never intended to
live or be in the same location perpetu
ally.
To be truly consistent the opponents
to the moving or removal of the oaks in
the vicinity of the MSC should be
equally opposed to the bonfire for which
several thousand trees will be cut down
during the next few weeks. Where are
their words about the bonfire?
For many years historians and oi
researchers have considered pb
graphs solely as things to includf
their books to break up the text?:
and more now such scholars arek*
ing that photographs are real A
ments and can provide good, accm
and dependable information. Afef
no one made a written record of*
particular trees were planted on
campus other than that group of
rial trees on the perimeter of the Si-
son Drill Field. Even there confW
records exist as to which tree isamf [
rial to a given individual and ever
which are the real memorial trees.
No one has come forward with funds
to save the Rudder Oak, which some ex
perts say is in stress and has been for
some time due to the wall built around
its trunk and the dirt piled upon its
roots some years ago. From looking at
the tree it is evident that it is not as
healthy as other trees on the campus.
This column is not intended to be a
Since there is no written record
plantings, only oral tradition andpt*
graphs exist to document the ages'4
trees, but that does not appear tobfj
able option at this point. When oral®
dition and photographs agree. :
there is no problem with the accurar
either source of information. When
tradition and photographs presenj
ferent information, then there has
a question of the accuracy of oral
tion.
The photographs and other i
ments referred to in this columnar
exhibit on the second floor of the' 1
ling C. Evans Library.
Mac