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Could A&M have chosen a better spot
for the event?
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Michael
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Jason
Loughman
tan Duncan Field. I applaud the
lision to move Bonfire. It has been
accident, literally and figuratively,
ting to happen. However, I feel the
[mg site was picked. The committee
mid have placed the Bonfire on the
Jt side of campus, i.e., across the
iformatioril 1 ^ 8 ' ^ or severa l reasons. But first,
hy their choice is bad.
2ES: Gajf est ^ e ^ cs - ma t n entrance to
heClm® 38 A&M should be the most
om varioiisr ut ^ u ^ an< ^ inspiring spot on
churche'| m P us - ^ i s through that entrance
12 Rud(te! at many people get their first
irmation. feression of our school and home. If
ny of you who have been to Duncan
x/ to Ttuplci, it looks like a place where a
fhan fteKe fire has been built and burned,
cfate. WJwplace where thousands and
her o((thousands of people have trampled. It
Battalio ,:) oks pathetic. Sure, having the
activity ymbol of Aggie Unity and the desire
frsf-sef\;3.beat t.u. at the front entrance will
lill run. inspiring between October and
a at ^Turkey Day, but what about the rest
^ the year? Do we want an area that
,ooks Jike a combat zone instead of
e lush, wiling gre^n we have now as
irst impression of A&M today? No.
Image. I love Bonfire. But let's face
a lot goes on out there that is not
ictly our "best." From the Red Pot
ack (or shanty as I think it looks
to the language to the clothing,
r lack thereof. Maybe this new
tion will cure that, but I doubt it.
raffic. The new location may cure
parking problems, but what will it
o to traffic along Texas and
riversity Streets? Come Bonfire
ght, will parts of Texas and
iversity be shut down like George
sh Drive was in past years? If not,
re is more potential for wrecks and
ffic jams. If they are, good luck
ting anywhere.
inally, the same problems will
face regarding ashes and the areas
campus, there will be complaining.
\nd now for reasons why a site at
st campus should have been
ected. No one enters there, and
refore won't see the aftermath of
ifire or the goings on of building.
?re is less traffic, so less chance of
ffic problems. Further, there is a
h lot and a lot of open space for
iking. There are no neighborhoods
ousinesses in that area, so that
oblem is totally removed. The
ngle area between the football
ds behind the track, the proposed
of the Bush Library, and the Pig
m come to mind. There is a
;hway and several roads near that
i of campus, making it accessible to
ichinery. It is still accessible to
idents. And why couldn't the
)tball fields be relocated to the
>posed Bonfire site?
I wish the Bonfire Committee and
xt year's Red Pots luck in making
dr choice work, because I know
^ will have to work hard for it to.
ie
Sullivan is a senior
English major
In the wake of
Wednesday's
announcement of
the relocation of
Aggie Bonfire to
the polo fields,
there is sure to be
angry dissent and
disagreement. All
too often, when confronted by the
prospect of change, especially change
in that which has become routine and
familiar, people reject the new and
desperately cling to the old.
In the case of the bonfire move, such
knee-jerk reaction is especially
baseless. The new site actually confers
several important advantages to those
who enjoy building, burning or
watching this time-honored symbol of
our "burning desire to beat the hell
outta t.u."
First of all, this move alleviates
concerns about the possibility of
burning embers from the stack igniting
nearby buildings. At the polo fields,
there are no nearby buildings. The
closest structure to the new location is
four times as far away as previously, at
Duncan Field. Perhaps more
importantly in this regard, there are no
residential areas in close proximity to
the polo field. Homeowners who no
longer have to water their roofs in
anticipation of hot sparks blowing their
way may leave the ranks of those who
harbor antipahy towards this valued
tradition.
Additionally, even students most
involved in the construction of bonfire
agree that the new area will be more
accessible for the trucks, tractors,
cranes and other heavy equipment
used in building bonfire.
Those in the Corps who may miss
the convenience of walking right out
the back of the quad to Duncan Field
will find ample room in one of the
parking areas adjacent to the new
location, as will dorm students from
northside, should they wish to drive.
The polo field location will also offer
increased accessibility to students and
visitors on bonfire night.
The west campus location is not an
acceptable solution for several reasons.
There does not appear to be the same
accessibility in terms of either
entrances, roads, or parking that the
polo fields offer. A west campus
bonfire would also be somewhat
hidden, secreted away beyond the
railroad tracks. We must remember
that bonfire is not only a school event,
but is also a community event. The
progress of the stack, growing upward
and outward in the weeks leading up
to the end of November, is an exciting
thing to see. If Bryan-College Station
residents can see that as they drive by
the school, they may share in that
excitement. Finally, locating bonfire too
far in the back of west campus moves it
outside of reasonable walking distance
for all but the most hard-core students.
This would make it even more difficult
to motivate students to come out and
"build the hell outta bonfire."
Those of us who support the
Fightin' Texas Aggie Bonfire can all
agree on one thing for sure. It will burn
in a new place, but at least it will still
burn. Keep in mind that there are those
who would prefer that it was not so.
Loughman is a senior
journalism major
MAf&OLIBS
THE R&nep
A weekend to remember
Getaway offers new perspectives on sharing with others
Weekends come and go, often
blending together in our memories as
time goes by. Occasionally, however,
there comes to mind weekends which
are different from all others. For me,
this past weekend possessed the
necessary characteristics to be
emotionally worthwhile for the long
term category of my memory.
This weekend I had one of the best
weekends of my
entire life. There
was nothing
particularly
exciting about it.
I didn't go
dancing. I wasn't
entertained at an
exclusive club.
And I didn't dine
at one of the
area's most
elegant
restaurants. What
I did do was
spend the weekend at my Lambda
Sigma retreat in the very nearby town
of Wellborn, Texas.
The accommodations consisted of
merely an old, isolated plot of land
with an outdoor pavilion and a very
rustic meeting room marked by
hardwood floors which became
especially cold with the lack of central
heating. There were indoor
bathrooms, but they were not
complete with light fixtures. I could
go go on. This picture is hardly what
most people would pick for an exotic
week-end getaway, but it is one
bursting with personal meaning, for it
was under these conditions that I
rediscovered a very important lesson
in life: share and celebrate life.
At the beginning of the retreat, I,
along with others, was guilty of
noticing the negative aspects of our
situation. I wasn't sure if I could have
Lori
Saddler
fun since I didn't know a single
person in the organization. It was also
just my luck that it happened to be
raining a tremendous amount (even
for College Station), so outdoor
activities were out of the question.
None among us had any high-tech
stereo equipment, a T.V. game
entertainment system to play, or even
a television with clear reception, but
collectively we still had one of the
most valuable pieces of equipment in
the whole world: we had our deep
down inborn abilities to reach out to
others and share the experience of
being a human.
Human beings have an exceptional
capacity to relate to each other and
impact other's lives. Unfortunately,
we often forget this and end up
spending too much of our time doing
time-consuming odd jobs that really
do not matter in the overall scheme of
things. For example, I constantly find
myself caught in a rut where I am so
worried about finishing every item on
my daily "to do list" that 1 forget to
take time out to enjoy the things
around me. On Saturday, I realized
that I should spend more hours of the
week communicating with people
Just simply conversing with other
humans offers many exciting gifts all
wrapped into one package. It allows
us to absorb more information about
what is going on in the world, and
what different people think about
these happenings. On a deeper level,
it enables us to meet our human need
for companionship and personal
relationships. Overall, it grants us a
fuller life.
There are many less-fortunate
people who would simply love to
share their gifts with even one person
if they only had the chance. For
example, I remember the last time I
visited my grandfather in Florida.
Here is a man with many old-age
dilemmas, who cannot do very much
physically, and whose life surely is
not exciting by college students'
standards. But he is also a man
bubbling with intense emotions and
nearly a century of real life
experiences to share with mankind.
Unfortunately, people like my
grandfather have extraordinary gifts
which go unclaimed by humanity.
Although we as students do not
always have many chances to visit our
relatives, there are many people in the
community who are just as willing to
exchange gifts of the soul with us,
many just waiting for us to show that
we are interested or actually care.
Around this time of the year, there
are many worthwhile fund-raisers or
community service events which are
excellent occasions in which to
encounter some of these people.
Upcoming events in April include the
community-wide Big Event, the
Special Olympics and Dance for
Heart. These and others are all good
opportunities for us as students to
help out those who may be lacking in
certain areas. They are also chances
for us to learn and experience what
other human beings have to offer once
we get past the surface level.
If you're not already active in a
club or organization which is taking
part in one of these activities, get
involved with a couple of friends or
sign up individually. Whatever you
do, do not miss out on your daily
opportunity to enrich your life and
the lives of others. For that is what life
really is all about. It's about
celebrating and sharing the
experiences we have as human
beings. This is what my weekend
taught me.
Saddler is a sophomore
psychology major
Violence against homosexuals confounds reader
Have an opinion?
Express it.
The Battalion is interested in hearing from its readers. All letters to the
ditor are welcome.
Letters must be signed and must include classification, address and a
aytime phone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be
ublished.
The Battalion reserves the right to edit all letters for length, style and
ccuracy. There is no guarantee that letters will appear.
Letters may be brought to 013 Reed McDonald, sent to Campus Mail Stop
111 or can be faxed to 845-2647.
Most everyone has an opinion on
homosexuality. "It's wrong. It's right.
It's ok, just not for me." But how many
of us take the time to make an informed
decision? How many gays or lesbians
do you know?
As a speech communication
graduate student, I took advantage of a
class assignment to immerse myself in
the lesbian/gay culture in
Bryan/College Station. What I found
were individuals just like you and me -
trying to get a degree, worried about
getting a job, and wanting to go out and
have a good time. But I also discovered
that lesbian and gay people also face
some unique challenges.
For most students, going away to
college means freedom from parents
and restrictions. It is a time to get in
touch with different parts of oneself.
For many gays and lesbians, it means
fully accepting their homosexuality.
That brings on many challenges. One
must tell friends and family members.
This coming out process can be painful.
Jeff expressed fears of telling his
family about being gay at a Gay and
Lesbian Student Services meeting in the
fall:
"I've told my roommate and my
brother (I'm gay)," Jeff said. "I have to
tell my Mom. I don't know how she'll
react - she's very religious. Telling
Mom will be the hardest part. When I
told my brother, he left the house for
two days. We had no idea where he
went. I needed support from someone.
He didn't give me that. He's having to
work through it."
During the time of turmoil. Gay and
Lesbian Student Services members
provide support for one another. They
form a "family" while the natural
family is adjusting. Most family
members come to accept the fact that
their relative is lesbian or gay and often
their relationship is closer than before.
One aspect of being lesbian or gay
that scared and amazed me was the
almost constant fear homosexuals live
under. Gaybashing is violence of any
sort against gays and lesbians. This was
the topic of one GLSS meeting last
semester.
Brian Reinhardt, GLSS president,
introduced the evening's topic by
saying, "All of us in this room have
been victims of harassment by the gay
bashing on our GAYLINE." One of the
messages left on the answering
machine was a death threat. "Even in
this community there is a lot of hatred
and gay bashing on the verbal level."
Reinhardt introduced the evening's
guest speaker, Mark, who had been
beaten severely in Denver earlier in the
year. Mark described the incident. "The
man to my right grabbed me by the
•throat. The other man grabbed a two-
by-four. The first blow came across my
face. I don't remember most of it. It
smashed my nose. I had stitches in my
face and concussion. I was black and
blue from the waist up."
"I want people to realize this does
happen. I've been in dark alleys from
Houston to New York and not thought
about it," Mark said. "I've lived
through it, and I'm here to let you
know it is still going on."
Gaybashing affects the lives of local
lesbians and gays as well. Last summer
early in July, Paul Broussard, a 1985
graduate of Texas A&M, was stabbed to
death in Houston just because a group
of teenagers thought he was gay.
These stories and many others of
actual violence amaze me because of
the level of hatred they reveal.
Why would a person take such
deliberate steps to harm another over
such a private matter as sexuality?
Sinclair James is a speech
communications graduate student