Opinion
Tuesday, March 1,1994
The Battalion Editorial Board
JULI PHILLIPS, Editor in chief
MICHAEL PLUMER, Managing editor KYLE BURNETT, Aggielife editor
BELINDA BLANCARTE, Night news editor DENA DIZDAR, Aggielife editor
HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor SEAN FRERKING, Sports editor
TONI GARRARD CLAY, Opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, Photo editor
JENNIFER SMITH, City editor
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EDITORIAL
Olympic glory
Winter games display human spirit
The 1994 United States Win
ter Olympics team melted the
hearts of the country, as well as
the ice and snow in Norway,
with the hottest performance in
team history. Terms like "glo
ry" and "domination" are nor
mally reserved for the Summer
Olympics team, but for once,
the winter team grabbed a little
glory of its own.
None of the 13 medals won
by the U.S. team seemed to
come easily. All of the medal
ists seemed to have a John
Wayne "True Grit" attitude that
commanded respect.
When the games began,
everyone expected speed skater
Dan Jansen to easily win the
500-meter race, and when he
slipped the entire world
mourned. So the stage was set
for the-final race of Jansen's il
lustrious career — his last
chance to bring home a medal.
He wasn't a favorite to win.
Americans just love drama.
In truly American fashion,
Jansen won his race, claiming
the world record, the,geld
medal and the hearts of every
one in the arena. The poignant
image hit home with a shot of
Jansen's wife, her tear-streaked
face turned towards heaven.
saying, "Thank you, God."
Bonnie Blair claimed her
place as the most decorated
woman in U.S. team history
winning two gold medals, for a
career total of five Olympic
golds. This was her last
Olympics as well, and she went
out with a bang.
Tommy Moe came out of
nowhere, winning two medals
(a gold and a silver), making
the cover of Sports Illustrated
and receiving a birthday sere
nade from the Norwegian
crowd. Not bad for a guy from
Alaska of whom no one ever
had heard before the Olympics
started.
The success stories go on
and on — thirteen of them to
be precise. There are also the
athletes who didn't win medals
but, nevertheless, did their
country proud.
The people of the United
States should come together
and thank every athlete, from
the hockey team to the figure
skaters and everyone in be
tween, for the outstanding per
formances they gave. These
athletes weren't performing for
their own personal glory —
they were bringing glory to the
folks back home.
The Battalion Page 9
Where do you think of such dumb stuff?
Columnist embarks on quest for the perfect subject
hile I was
walking
across cam
pus the other day, I
accidentally bumped
into a fellow pedestri
an. After apologizing
for my failure to
merge right, my vic
tim gave me the
strangest look.
Victim: Hey, you
look familiar. Where
do 1 know you from?
Me: You probably
recognize me from my
column in The Battal
ion.
Victim: That's where I know you from.
You know, your columns really suck. Where
do you think of such dumb stuff?
My mind creates all that dumb stuff, but it
is not as easy as it looks. It takes countless
hours of research and numerous "Three's
Company" reruns before I even start to think
of a topic. Every day is a quest to write the
perfect column.
8:00 a.m.: Turn off alarm and immediately
start thinking about a topic for my next col
umn. Roommate pushes the snooze on his
alarm.
8:27 a.m.: Step into shower after falling
asleep while brushing my teeth. Make a
mental note to remove clothes before actual
ly stepping into the shower.
8:41 a.m.: Look through morning paper
for columns to plagiarize as I head off to
class. Roommate pushes the snooze on his
alarm.
9:18 a.m.: Get back statistics test with a •
grade of 59. Spend the rest of the class think
ing of columns and drawing stick figures.
10:12 a.m.: Go to The Battalion offices to
try to see if any of my ideas will work. Spend
most of the time staring at a blank computer
screen.
10:47 a.m.: Score 23 points and grab 10 re
bounds as the conservatives defeat the liber
als in The Battalion Finals of 3-on-3 desk
chair basketball.
10:56 a.m.: Go back to computer and try to
think of the perfect column beginning.
"A topic that usually makes people laugh
hysterically is a column about..."
"A humorous subject that practically
writes itself is a column with ..."
11:10 a.m.: Go to my next class. Ask a guy
if I can borrow his notes sometime and leave.
Make a mental note not to ask the professor
next time.
11:17 a.m: Arrive home just in time to get
a call from my friend, Dennis.
Dennis: "Dave, when are you going to put
my name in your column? You've put all
your other friends in columns. Why not me,
Dave?"
Me: "You know, Dennis, I would love to
put your name in my column, but my editor
wants me to start writing about serious stuff.
Maybe some other time, all right?"
11:56 a.m.: Look at list of serious column
topics.
• Great moments in dental floss.
• Country songs with "foreplay" in the ti
tle.
Leave for next class. Roommate pushes
the snooze on his alarm.
2:07 p.m.: Go back to The Battalion offices
to work on column some more. Try to start
typing but end up talking about the Winter
Olympics.
"All I want to know is who came up the
idea for the two-man luge competition. I
mean, were some guys just sitting around
one day bored to death? Just imagine what
that conversation must have sounded like."
Sven: "Hey guys — why don't we do
something instead of being bored to death?"
Olav: "Yeah! Let's all put on skintight
body suits, lay on top of each other and go
down an ice track on a sled." (Thunderous
roar of laughter.)
3:22 p.m.: Still staring at blank screen.
4:49 p.m.: Two new leads for columns.
"When writing a humorous column one
can not pass over the subject of ..."
"A rabbi, a priest and a minister all walk
into a bar ..."
5:31 p.m.: Look at Lewis Grizzard and
Dave Barry books trying to find something
to plagiarize. Ask editor if she will reprint
last week's column.
7:02 p.m.: Tell parents about the 98 on my
statistics test. Promise father that I won't
make fun of him in my columns anymore,
then tell him where to look for the remote
control. Roommate pushes the snooze on his
alarm.
10:17 p.m.: Come up with the perfect lead
for a column.
"While I was walking across campus the
other day, I accidentally ..."
11:44 p.m.: Finish column. Roommate gets
up to go to classes.
Dave Winder is a sophomore journalism major
DAVE
WINDER
Columnist
Editorials appearing in The
Battalion reflect the views of the
editorial board. They do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of
other Battalion staff members, the
Texas A&M student body,
regents, administration, faculty or
staff.
Columns, guest columns,
cartoons and letters express the
opinions of the authors.
The Battalion encourages
letters to the editor and will print
as many as space allows. Letters
must be 300 words or less and
include the author's name, class,
and phone number.
We reserve the right to edit
letters and guest columns for
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Contact the opinion editor for
information on submitting guest
columns.
Address letters to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald
Mail stop 1111
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College Station, TX 77843
Fax: (409) 845-2647
A few words on the world famous Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
few days
ago, my
roommate
and I were rushing
to Blocker, when
out of the blue ap
peared a film crew.
"Do you two
have a couple of
seconds?" asked
two men with a
camcorder and mi
crophone. My
roommate was be
hind a nearby bush
before I could say
"No comment" so
it was up to me to
appease the filmmakers.
"Sure," I said.
"Great! What do you like best about the
Aggie Band?"
This caught me off guard. I was expect
ing a more current topic, maybe something
about figure skating or regents or now-de
funct athletic conferences. I blanked.
The first image in my mind was the
block "T," so I blurted, "I like the block
T/"
"OK," he said, obviously searching for
the deeper meaning behind that apparently
stupid comment. "What about it do you
like?"
This was becoming complicated.
"I like the way they move within the 'T'
yet stay in the same shape."
"Cool," he said, "What else do you
like?"
What else do I like? Is this twenty ques
tions? More importantly, was I going to ap
pear on any kind of program, and if so
could I brush my hair?
I said, "I like watching them at the foot
ball games ... really, I do ... uh, um ..."
They said thanks and left, and I put my
brief moment of fame out of my mind.
Until I remembered that this is the cen
tennial year of the Fightin' Texas Aggie
Band. I reflected more upon the question
"What do you like most about the Aggie
Band?" and came up with lots of things.
Then I started to worry. What if the tape
was for a centennial birthday party, a trib
ute to 100 years of greatness?
Could I make a new statement, please?
Sure, everyone loves the band, but I RE
ALLY love it. I always say if I'm in a terri
ble mood either bring Reveille over, or let
me watch the band.
I had never heard of A&M growing up
in Minnesota (I hate to admit this) and had
definitely never seen a band like our band.
The band isn't just about
music or marching but
represents precision and
discipline. It provides a
link with the history of
Texas A&M.
So imagine my reaction during the half
time of my first football game. I was in
awe of those cadets "now forming on the
north end of Kyle Field." When I fell, I fell
hard.
On the videotape I could have talked
about about the road trip to the football
game against the University of Oklahoma.
After our band marched, the Sooners in
our section were wide-eyed and open-
mouthed. One Oklahoma fan said the
Sooner band ought to just stay on the side
lines, and our Aggie hearts swelled.
I could have told those guys about
watching the Cotton Bowl '94. At my insis
tence, everyone sat down in front of the TV
during halftime. My family and friends fi
nally were going to see the pulse of Ag-
gieland, and I was excited.
First NBC showed the Notre Dame
band — every long minute of it. Interest
waned and people drifted back toward the
kitchen. Then I saw military uniforms lin
ing up.
"EVERYONE COME HERE THIS IN
STANT!"
The crowd reappeared, food in hand,
expecting something special. They weren't
disappointed.
Then NBC flashed to broadcasting
headquarters for pregame reports on the
Orange Bowl. They cut off my band, and I
wasn't taking it well.
"WHAT is going on here?! I want the
Fightin' Texas Aggie Band back and I want
it back RIGHT NOW."
My family consoled me, insisting they
had seen enough to appreciate the band.
"But you didn't see the block 'T' or hear
the War Hymn ..."
Frankly, I was surprised by the intensity
of my disappointment. After all, I could
buy a videotape of the band. But uncon
sciously I had been counting on the band
to show everyone in Minnesota what A&M
was about.
For me, the band isn't just about music
or marching but represents precision and
discipline. It provides a link with the histo
ry of Texas A&M. To me, it is tradition,
stepping together and following the stick.
No matter from which angle you view it,
our band is special.
That's what I should have said.
Erin Hill is a senior English major
ERIN
HILL
Columnist
Holler House crowd
important tonight
Saturday afternoon and tonight at 7
p.m., the Texas A&M men's basketball
team will play two of their most impor
tant home games in the last five years.
Victories in these last two home games
will clinch a share of the Southwest
Conference Championship.
Attendance at G. Rollie White has re
ally been lacking this season, especially
considering the success of the Ags.
However, we can make up for it these
last two home games by filling the coli
seum and making it the "Holler House
on the Brazos" once again. If just one-
fourth of the people with all-sports
passes come to the game, we'll have a
sellout.
Thank you for your support, and
we'll see you at the game.
Scott Torn
Yell Leader, Class of ‘95
Scott Wlritaker
Yell Leader, Class of '95
Batt headline insults
Kappa Alpha, Greeks
I am writing in response to the Battal
ion's cover story and the anonymous let
ter in the Feb. 28 edition dealing with
the four KA's in the yValker case.
Although this is a very unfortunate
incident, and I only hope Mr. Walker the
best, I feel that The Battalion's handling
of the Feb. 22, article and the anony
mous letter fail to see the damage done
to the Kappa Alpha fraternity and the
A&M Greek System. In no way should
an organization (fraternity, sorority,
club, department, etc.) be included in
the headlines of a cover story if a minor
ity of its members were involved. I
know that The Battalion is not pro-
Greek, but I saw the headline to the
Walker case as another attempt by The
Battalion to belittle the entire Kappa Al
pha fraternity and further damage the
already "critical" image the Greeks por
tray on this campus. So, I hope the Batt
enjoys their little escapade, but I guess
its just another day at the "frat-daddy"
slaughter house for them.
Michael Cordova
Class of '95
Gun control bullseye
Frank Stanford's column on gun
control (Feb. 24) was very well thought
out. Reading this article, I understood
for the first time why many people hold
a pro-gun stance. Also, by comparing
gun control to drug and alcohol con
trol, he introduced some very scary
possibilities that could result from
making guns illegal.
Greg Mormolejc
Class of '94
Enlighten liberal arts
I cannot believe what I read in the pa
per on Thursday. The College of Liberal
Arts has decided in its infinite wisdom to
ignore the Interim President's decision.
Why does Liberal Arts insist on ignoring
everyone's opinion but their own? Why
not ask students what we think? I would
guess that the majority of the students
don't believe in a multicultural require
ment. But we really don't know what is
good for us and the College of Liberal Arts
does. I think the College has decided to
ramrod the requirement through, and
anyone who disagrees has been "clearly
politicized" or needs to be enlightened.
Since the College of Liberal Arts has decid
ed to be my mom, I wish they would help
with the bills instead of rounding out my
personality. Thank God I'm an engineer!
Jim Anders
Class '93