The Battalion
OPINION
Monday, December 4, 1989
Bonfire? No thanks, I’ve stopped smoking
I didn’t go to bonfire.
Now, don’t go calling me a two-per
center. 1 had lots of good reasons for
not going.
• I was afraid of being arrested. No,
I wasn’t drunk. Just afraid. All the talk
about paddy wagons and on-site arrest
processing centers and judges staying
up late to take care of all the arrests
scared me. What if I stumbled at the
wrong time and an undercover cop
whisked me off to the paddy wagon and
1 ended up spending the night in jail
just because I’m clumsy? 1 didn’t want to
take the risk.
Actually, I was a little disappointed.
Only 16 arrests and 79 citations. From
all the talk, I expected at least a third of
r m
V -- I
* 4 km. ■
Ellen
Hobbs
Opinion Page Editor
the crowd to be rounded up and thrown
in the ‘clink.’
• / don’t like drunks. I should proba
bly be more specific. I don’t like ex
changes like this:
Mail Call
Walker misinterpreted beer ad
Bxiitor:
I am writing in response to Scot Walker’s column about the Michelob Light
ad in Wednesday’s paper.
Nowhere in the ad did it say to take beer to the bonfire site, as Scot implied it
did. In fact, Anheuser-Busch has the only ad playing on the radio reminding
people to act responsibly on bonfire and know when to say when if drinking.
“Light Up the Night with Michelob Light” does not mean to drink danger
ously at bonfire. It, in combination with the caution to know when to say when,
means to drink in moderation if you drink as a part of the festivities.
I feel Scot would have objected to any beer advertisement, regardless of its
content.
Stacy L. Hilliard ’93
Injured builder supports bonfire
EDITOR:
Two recent articles, one in The Battalion and one in the Eagle, have dis
cussed Campus Ministry Association’s opposition to bonfire. People have been
complaining about Bonfire for years, so this is nothing new or out of the ordi
nary, but something about these articles caught my attention.
Both of them mentioned, but gave very little information about, some poor
fellow who lost two fingers. This made me think that someone might wonder
what this unfortunate goof had to say about the whole matter.
Well, here it is, straight from the goof:
There are two parts to bonfire, building it and burning it. The former takes
two months, the latter took under twenty minutes last year. This would seem to
indicate that the building is the main part of the event. The three thousand peo
ple who build bonfire generally feel taht the forty thousand who just watch it
miss out on a great deal. To many of the builders all the hoopla about “burning
desire” is just a bunch of hoopla. Many of us believe bonfire burns only to clear
Duncan for next year’s construction. We watch it burn only to see the end of a
job well done. There may be a problem with alcohol when bonfire burns, but
please excuse the few who build it; for them, it’s Miller time.
So let’s get to the heart of the matter. I lost two fingers building bonfire by
making the stupid mistake of putting them where they didn’t belong. I will read
ily admit that building bonfire is somewhat dangerous, and everyone that helps
build it knows that there are dangers involved.
So why do we build it despite the danger? We might just think it’s fun. Build
ing bonfire is a form of recreation and should be treated as such. Bonfire can be
dangerous, but so can skydiving and mountain climbing.
People say bonfire is a waste of human resources; this is called goofing off
and is part of the definition of recreation. The effort could be put to better use,
but for the non-regs it is our effort and we will put it to whatever use we want to.
No one forces us to build bonfire.
Falling grades have been blamed on bonfire, but whenever people spend too
much time having fun, their grades suffer.
In short, leave us alone. We’re just trying to have some fun.
Brian Norrell ’92
t.u. vandals were probably t-sips
EDITOR:
Before you start in on the standard Battalion Aggie bashing over the vandal
ism at t.u., let’s look at several facts that clearly indicate A&M students were not
the likely culprits.
First, it is not in the Aggie style. While Aggies have been known to steal items
of interest (such as mascots), I challenge you to show through A&M history
where Aggies marked up another school’s buildings. If the logo from the middle
of Memorial Field was missing, it would be a different matter.
Second, it is in the t.u. style. The police chief at t.u. admitted such conduct
was common (Bryan-College Station Eagle, Dec. 1). More importantly, the t.u.
people marked up the Memorial Student Center grounds no less than two weeks
ago.
Their motivation is not hard to identify — bonfire. Unlike the past, the point
of their actions is serious and damaging to A&M: Motivate the t.u. students to
come to the Aggie bonfire where they will drink and start fights. When picked
up by the police, they will claim to be Aggies; the police will not bother to check
I.D.s.” The t.u. students will laugh all the way back to Austin. Bonfire will be
blamed.
Leonard Quiram ’67
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right 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 number of the writer.
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Scot O.Walker, Editor
Monique Threadgill,
Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
Melissa Naumann, City Editor
Cindy McMillian, Lisa Robertson,
News Editors
Richard Tijerina, Sports Editor
Frederick D. Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting
newspaper operated as a community service to
Texas A&M and Bryan-College .Station.
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
administ rators, faculty or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory news
paper for students in reporting, editing and pho
tography classes within the Department of Journa
lism.
The Battalion is published Monday through Fri
day 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 request.
Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed McDon
ald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
77843-1111.
Second class postage paid at College Station. TX
77843.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The
Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni
versity, College Station TX 77843-41 I 1.
Typical drunken Aggie, who is feel
ing rather ‘red-ass’ because of the occa
sion: Uncover! That means take your
hat off, ★*# -t-h^face!
Typical drunken two-percenter, T-
sip or insecure balding guy: I’ll take my
hat off when I *&*®!-well want to!
Drunken Aggie: Take your *# + y*
hat off or I’ll kick your $# -I- *★!
Other drunk: + *#<£]
• It was on TV. It was on the radio,
too. TV was better, though. You could
see the fire. They just described it on
the radio: “Yeah, Mike, this bonfire
thing is really big.”
• There were no lines at any restau
rants. There were a whole lot of people
here ihis weekend, and the waits at res
taurants were awful. But at 8 o’clock on
Friday night, I was able to get a table
right away. And it was really near the
TV, too, so I was able to watch bonfire
with ease.
• Smoke inhalation is hell on my
lungs. My eyes swell up, my nose runs.
It’s really unattractive.
• Porta-potties aren’t real bath
rooms. I prefer real bathrooms. The
real bathrooms in the surrounding
buildings are always packed with people
after bonfire. And, if you do get in,
there’s no toilet paper.
• It was cold and wet. Bonfire was
just too close to finals this year to brave
the damp cold weather and risk getting
sick. That’s the same reasoning I used
when I didn’t go to Elephant Walk.
Sometimes it’s even the reasoning I use
when I skip class.
• I thought I would be able to use the
copy machines at the library. 1 was
wrong, of course, there were still long
lines at all the working copiers. 1 think
that this substantiates the theory that
A&M actually hires people to stand in
line for the library’s copiers to prevent
efficient student use.
• Tm still holding a grudge about my
shoes being stolen. My freshman year I
wore these horrible 4-year-old hij
aerobic shoes with holes in thei
bonfire because I knew they woulJ
all muddy. When I came bad,
were really gross, so I just set then
side my^ dorm room door so ihej
could dry and 1 could getsomet
the next day. They were goneinttj
minutes.
• I think we should use i/iei
they burn at bonfire to build hom
the homeless and all those peoplt
work on it should donate that (id
volunteei work, and not onlythad
pollution-generating lire iiazard
kidding. 1 really don't think that.
I support bonfire. 1 support ill
business it brings to tile city,
leadership skills and comraderyilj
developed by the people who word
and for the* spirit of unity it build
Texas A&M students.
But I didn’t go.
Student finds success in parkin
Recently, designated parking spots
for off-campus students (blue) and ran
dom staff (brown) have efianged on the
west campus. I want tell you how these
changes came about so you can learn the
successful way to make your voice heard
in the Department of Parking, Transit
and Traffic.
Many of us who learned about the
new parking arrangements before the
semester began quickly took our com
plaints to Tom Williams, director of the
Department of Parking, Transit and
Traffic. He listened patiently and said
all comments would be used in parking
rearrangements for Fall ’90, no sooner.
Others gathered petitions and sent
them to The Battalion or to Traffic and
Parking. These people also deserve
great accolades, but their petitions as
well as the phone calls were placed in a
file. They were the evidence Williams
would need to increase campus parking
in the future, not a mid-semester rear
rangement of parking.
After trying to talk to Williams de
cided that he required some explaina-
tion of our need for more blue parking
on west campus before Fall ’90. I went
to the Board of Regents. Two people
brought up parking at that meeting,
College Station Mayor Larry Ringer,
and myself. The Board expressed their
surprise that NO group, NO organiza
tion and NO other people came to tes
tify on this subject. I walked in, wrote
my name down and they gave me a po
lite 20 minutes.
Wiliams was quite flexible after that
and talked of changes for Spring ’90.
After a follow-up call to Williams a
week later word came from everywhere
and nowhere that I should stop these
weekly calls. This ‘word’ stopped just as
fast as it started.
During the next two weeks, the medi
cal school kept Traffic and Parking
quite busy. Those involved at the medi
cal school apparently provided the
proper stimulus to get changes for their
students. Changing any parking was still
a dream prior to Spring ’90 until they
got involved.
On Sept. 28 Williams told me told
that an inventory of available spaces in
Marianne
Oprisko
Guest Columnist
West Campus staff and random lots
would occur Sept. 30. Any free spaces
would be rearranged and assigned the
first week of October to relieve parking
pressure if it was required. When asked
to elaborate on this unbelievable
statement, he said that Carol Rhodes,
Parking Coordinator for area 10, had
not reported a lack of student parking.
If she didn’t report it, it didn’t exist.
Carol Rhodes is also the of fice man
ager for the department of Soiland
Crop Sciences. When she learned of Mr.
Williams’ statement, she was quite su-
prised. Since she currently did not have
any petition or proof of student parking
L et’s remember who
applied the initial force that
started the whole process,
the Board of Regents.
Their open meeting plan
allowed for student needs
to be addressed, not
through intermediaries, but
directly.
needs, she could not initiate a request.
Working with Rhodes on the exact
wording, a petition was circulated in
that department over the weekend. This
petition with its 1 1 names, which stated
that graduate student research, teach
ing and classwork had been disrupted
by the lack of blue parking, was the otdy
one used by Rhodes to get a rearrange
ment.
Area 10 parking consists of lots 65-
68, 70, 71, 74, 86 and Agronomy Road
parking between University and Joe
Routt. Rhodes worked closely with
Kathie Mathis, a parking administrator,
for three weeks on this rearrangement.
Rhodes fought for two designated blue
rows in lot 61, next to Kleberg, but with
one small petition it was denied until
sufficient evidence couldbe gathere|
is still under negotiation. Mathis wo
with Rhodes for three weeks lora#
lion. Williams was working on
ger problem of an overall incral
parking space and gave Mathis then
semester rearrangement of parfaj
problem.
I have tried to park since ther
rangement on west campus at allli
of the day, during all the daysi
week. Only once have 1 hadtoj
third lot. Lot 71, although pad|
usually had at least one space freed
ing those times. We have a majorp
lem of state vehicles incorrectly pad
in lot 71. Rhodes is currently
locate the offending departments!
relieve this situation. Any petition^
11 I ml; hi i t hci 11 .in ingements
west campus should be given#!
and the wording checked with'htrij
forehand. If things get difficulti 1 !
just take it tthe Board of Regentsa
This mid-semester parking
occurred because of constant presj
from students, pressure from abo«|
determined medical school and twf
dies who did their job.
The unsung hero’s of this storyt
Rhodes and Mathis, who workedj
and implemented the best plan fori
documented need in the shortest!
possible.
Let’s remember who applied the:]
tial force that started the whole prot
the Board of Regents. Their open id
ing plan allowed for student needstej
addressed, not through intermediary
but directly.
I, however, have a lot of worktoci
plete by this semester’s end. I hoped
report will allow someone else suttfj
This requires a person who is notaf|
to respond to a challenge. You’ll b|
who you are when someone says toil
“Highway 6 runs both ways” and you]
spend “Great, let me show you toil
car.”
As with all columns, opinions i
pressed by Guest Columnists arc
necessarily those of The Battalion, f
sons interested in submittingguestil
umns should contact the Opinionl
Editor at 845-3314.