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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 1992)
i \ The Battalion Vol. 92 No. 10 (8 pages) “Serving Texas A&M Since 1893” Friday, September 11, 1992 Father-son duo to lead Aggie reunion band By CHERYL HELLER Reporter of THE BATTALION A father-son drum major team will lead the Texas Aggie Band Association's Reunion Band in its annual performance during this Saturday's football game against Tulsa at Kyle Field. Richard Alexander of the Texas A&M University Class of '65 and Chris, Class of '91, will lead more than 150 members of the reunion band when they march from the Quadrangle down Joe Routt Blvd. to Kyle Field and around the track to perform from the stands. Jonathan Alexander, Class of '93, will perform with the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band as a member of the bugle rank. The reunion band, which rep resents band members from 61 of the 98 years of the Aggie Band's history, and will include a perfor mance from H. Durwood Thomp son, Class of '32, will perform the Aggie War Hymn, the Ballad of the Green Berets, and probably The Noble Men of Kyle, according to reunion band drum major Chris Alexander. The reunion band has per formed during the annual reunion of the Texas Aggie Band Associa tion every two years from 1983 to 1987, and every year since then. This year's band will have a new feature. "The reunion band doesn't have a bugle rank like the Aggie Band," said Dr. Donald Powell, vice-president and acting execu tive secretary of the Texas Aggie Band Association. "I wanted this year's reunion bugle rank to really stand out. "This year I had special bugle banners made in the style of the bugle banners of the 1940s for the reunion band's bugles. They're brand new and haven't been un veiled yet, and should really be an attraction to the band." The band association's 1,300 members and guests will meet for a luncheon at Duncan Dining Hall Saturday at 11 a.m. when Texas A&M President William H. Mob ley and Coach R.C. Slocum will speak to the group. After the luncheon, reunion band members will meet outside the E.V. Adams Band Hall for a rehearsal. "It's surprising to see how well the reunion band members play after only about an hour of re hearsal," Powell said, "but anyone who has ever been a Texas Aggie Band member never really forgets how to perform." Powell believes that the band members who return to play for the reunion have a lot of pride in the band due in part to the close friendships formed while attend ing A&M. "The Texas Aggie Band is dif ferent than the bands at other col leges," Powell said. "Our band members live together, as op posed to members at other col leges, and therefore we have a ca maraderie that other colleges don't possess." Powell said that the Alexander father-son team isn't all that un usual for the reunion band. "We have a lot of second- and third-generation reunion band members," Powell said. "The Alexanders aren't the only family group we have play ing in the band this year," he said. "I think the amount of family members we have playing in the band shows the pride that the band members possess." Chris Alexander isn't sure how he and his dad were chosen as drum majors for the reunion band. "I think it's because of Jonathan," Chris said. "When I was a senior in 1990- 91, my dad was one of the drum majors for the reunion band, and I think the Association wanted to give us a chance to perform to gether during Jonathan's last year," Chris said. The reunion band's perfor mance is the most visible part of the Texas Aggie Band Associa tion's annual reunion. Reunion events will begin Friday with reg istration and a reception in Room 201 of the Memorial Student Cen ter. Registration continues Satur day morning outside the E.V. Adams Band Hall, and events continue with the luncheon at 11 a.m. in Duncan Dining Hall. Positions open for freshmen Class of '96 elections start Monday By MARK EVANS Staff Writer of THE B AIT A U ON Six class council and seven Stu dent Senate positions will be up for grabs as registration for fresh men elections opens Monday. Registration for the Class of '96 officers and freshman senators will take place Sept. 14-18. Elec tion Commission co-chairman Michelle Cook expects 120-125 students to sign-up as candidates. Last year, approximately 100 freshmen participated. "We're hoping that we got the word across to people a little bit better this year," she said. Serving on class council or in the Senate offers freshmen net working opportunities among current student leaders as well as exposure to leadership skills which can be used throughout life. Cook said. Michelle Campbell, Election Commission co-chairman, agrees. "These kind of leadership roles gear them (freshmen) for the fu ture," Campbell said. "It's a great opportunity for the freshmen. "A key thing we need to do with the freshmen is get them in volved because they're the lead ers of this university in the fu ture." As a member of the class coun cil, freshmen will work on the class ball, a freshman awareness week and service projects. Fresh man senators will have a voice in the goings-on at A&M and the ar eas in which Student Government is involved. Though the primary role of freshmen is one of learning the ropes and watching how things are done, Campbell said. "They're in a learning stage at the freshman level," she said. "Their freshman year is more of an opportunity for them to devel op leadership skills. Their duties will grow as the years pass." "Being a member of the Senate is just a great way to get involved with the whole university," Cook said. Freshmen can register to run for office in room 139 of the Stu dent Services Building across from Rudder Tower between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. There is a small filing fee to offset the costs of running the election. In addition, candidates must obtain student signatures in order to be placed on the ballot. The number of signatures needed ranges from 25-100, depending on the office for which the student is running. Institute supports multiculturalism By TANYA WILLIAMS Reporter of The Battalion As we approach the 21st cen tury, the changes in demo graphics include the increase of various ethnic groups. And ac cording to S.T.E.P O.N.E., for students to be fully prepared for the workforce, it is impor tant for them to relate to other cultures and ethnic groups as well as understand them. The S.T.E.P. O.N.E. Institute, Starting to Eliminate Prejudice while Offering New Experi ences, wants to assist students in doing so. S.T.E.P. O.N.E., formerly R.A.P.- Racial Awareness Pro gram, lists its purpose as the need to increase interaction be tween students from diverse ethnic backgrounds while de creasing myths and stereotypes through awareness and educa tion. The institute, which is spon sored by the Department of Multicultural Services, is oper ated entirely by students-. In the spring of 1989, the De partment of Multicultural Ser vices felt a program should ex ist for students of different eth nic backgrounds to assemble and address racial and ethnic concerns. In the fall of 1991, R.A.P. was converted to S.T.E.P. O.N.E. to further explain the program's goals. \ The institute includes five training sessions including speakers, games, and discus sions over a ten week period, with one session every other Sunday in the University Center Complex. The first one will be held this Sunday, Sept. 13. "This will be a positive expe rience for students to learn about one another in a safe and neutral environment," said Dr. Emily Santiago, adviser to the program. Some of the topics that will be discussed include awareness of other cultures, prejudice, and the University's stance on cul tural issues. The executive director, Patri cia Hollis, hopes that students will gain useful information from the institute. "S.T.E.P. O.N.E. should have a positive affect on all of its par ticipants," Hollis said. "Students will benefit by gaining knowledge." Hollis also says such a pro gram is necessary on college campuses. "An organization such as S.T.E.P. O.N.E. is necessary be cause it allows for diversity at Texas A&M," Hollis said. "It in dicates that we are a world- class institution that is willing to explore different cultural is sues." There are still spaces avail able to take part in the program and if interested, students should call the Department of Multicultural Services at 845- 4551, or stop by Room 137 in the Memorial Student Center. JEN LOCKARD/The Battalion Chris Craig, a freshman biomedical science major, gives Wendi skydiving club. The club meets every Saturday and Sunday at Seitchik, a freshman biology major, information on the A&M Colter Field. tax reduction Bush's economic plan offers THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DETROIT — President Bush on Thursday laid out a repackaged economic manifesto less than two months before Election Day, suggesting a 1 percent across-the-board tax cut would be possible if Con gress followed his spending recommendations. Bush also proposed cut ting the pay of federal offi cials making over $75,000 a year by 5 percent, saying "Americans have tightened their belts and so should bet ter-paid federal workers." And he promised to slash spending at the White House by a third. Bush set as "a grand goal" the nearly doubling of the nation's $6 trillion economy, to $10 trillion, "by the early years of the next century." "I know that times have been difficult, very difficult, for many Americans," Bush told the Detroit Economic Club. He suggested his "agenda for change" was superior to that of Democratic challenger Bill Clinton. "The world that we knew as children, no matter your age, will never be the same," Bush said. "America will change. How it will change will soon be decided." During a question-and-answer period, he said he would debate Clinton although the Bush campaign so far has refused to accept a bipartisan committee's proposal for three pres idential debates. "I'm not a professional debater. I'm not an Oxford man," chuckled the president. He gen tly mocked Clinton's debating style, saying, "I think he is good at that. I mean, he's got more statistics than there are problems." Bush's economic speech was accompanied by release of a 29-page booklet entitled "Agen da for American Renewal." The booklet was to be offered free to Americans by Bush in a five- minute campaign ad focusing on the economy. The ad was airing on major television net works Thursday night. Bush himself noted that his suggestion of a 1 percent tax cut was "just an example" of what could be accom plished if Congress would go along with $130 billion in spending cuts he said he'd already recommende d. "Promises, promises," said George Stephanopoulos, Clinton campaign communi cations director. "Four years ago he promised no new taxes and 30 million jobs and what we got was no new jobs and more than 30 new taxes." New elements of Bush's package include: — The idea of the 1 percent cut in income tax rates. Bush said such a cut could be fi nanced by the $132 billion in spending cuts over five years. Some of these budget savings would come from the president's proposed freeze on mandatory benefit programs other than Social Security. — A 5 percent cut in salaries of federal em ployees making over $75,000 a year. Bush Off-Campus Aggies plan social JULI PHILLIPS Reporter of THE BATTALION The Off- Campus Aggies will sponsor a welcoming party at the Cain pool this Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., hoping to get off- campus students off to a semester start in a socially, relaxing setting. Ten Heimer, OCA's social af fairs director, said the party is aimed at all off-campus Students, and is a good ice-breaker for freshman and transfer students. "Many of the off-campus stu dents, especially transfer and freshmen students, need this type of opportunity to meet people," Heimer said. "It's harder for off- campus students to meet people since they can't just walk across a hall." J Heimer said the OCA has abandoned their usual Fajita Fest for this year in favor of this party because the pool party offers more activities in which the stu dents can involve themselves, and meet more people. Warren Talbot, president of OCA, said OCA is more than just a social organization, although a lot of the activities the organiza tion takes part in are social. Since its inception in the spring of 1979, OCA has made it a tradition to take part in the Ag gie Blood Drive, Big Event, food drives. Special Olympics, Big Brother and Big Sister programs for elementary school children, and lobbying for improved apart ment conditions. The organization also puts to gether intramural teams and a haunted house. They have so cials before home football games and also help build Bonfire. "Mardi Gras will also be a big party we will continue with this year," Talbot said. A live band will provide enter tainment, and swimming, vol leyball are other activities the OCA officers have planned dur ing the pool party. Refreshments and hamburgers will be served for a $5 donation. For more information visit the OCA office in the Student Ser vices Building, Suite 130, or call 845-0688.