The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 11, 1992, Image 1

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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.