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Tuesday • November 29, 1994
The Battalion • Page 9
,
A&M Corps experience makes life long impression
JOSEPH
ELCHANAN
Columnist
*4
I t must have
been 10 years
ago when fate
intervened and
changed my life
forever. My family
was on the way
home at night
when our car be
gan to cough. My dad got worried and stopped the
car outside the Texas A&M Agricultural Extension
Service building located near the outskirts of Dal
las. As my father fiddled under the hood, a man
dressed in a dark uniform, medals draped from a
shirt dissected by razor-sharp creases, emerged
from the shadows, his boots snapping at the ground
with each step. Unconcerned about the possibility
of soiling his uniform, the man proceeded to help
may father inspect the engine. He was the first
Corps member I ever met.
I knew I wanted to be in a school that had a great
military organization and was relatively inexpen
sive. A&M fit the bill perfectly and, in the fall of
1990, I joined.
It has never been an easy thing to be a Corps
member. In the old days, men who had initiative
and drive, but little polish or direction, would flock
toward the maroon and white banner the way only
young Texas boys can. While Aggies would serve in
both the Spanish-American War and the World War,
it was World War II that gave A&M its reputation
and my fellow Corps members something to live up
to. During the war, old AMC gained notoriety for
sending 18,000 Aggies to combat the Axis , including
13,000 officers, more than any school in the country,
including West Point and Annapolis. I always fig
ured our predecessors from the Alamo and San Jac
into would have been proud to know that Texans
could still fight.
While the Corps has changed a lot over the years,
it is still basically the same. Its umbrella has spread
over minorities and women, its workload has flowed
back and forth from grueling to just above awful.
But one mission has remained the same; to take
common people and make them extraordinary. I
have found that our former members, on average,
have a strong belief in making a lifestyle filled with
discipline and great expectations for themselves and
helping their fellows achieve this same goal. From
those who went to the Chosin Reservoir and Iraq, to
those that entered the business world, each pro
motes Corps training as the thing that saved them,
that got them to where they are.
The Corps is often misunderstood. Cadets are of
ten perceived as bullying fanatics and delinquents.
These beliefs are based solely on myth and conjec
ture. The Corps certainly has had its share of what
some might consider unorthodox activities. That re
ally has little to do with the whole experience which
is, quite frankly, usually a lot of fun for all involved.
The real tortures are the failures each cadet faces
when he or she fails to perform their prescribed
duty, which tends to lead to losses for the entire out
fit. Every cadet has a day when they break.
The Corps was never about positions or medals,
to most of us it was more about camaraderie and
winning as a team. My time in the Corps was not
always fun. Not all your buddies are friends, not all
your superiors are professionals and not all your
HHHhBBHHhMHI
While the Corps' umbrella has spread
over minorities and women, one mission
has remained the same, to take common
people and make them extraordinary.
longer yours, but belongs to someone else, like
leaving a childhood home.
One of the most important moments of my life
was the night after Final Review my fish year. I
stood on the empty Quadrangle, the night air blow
ing on my face as I looked down the row of trees on
either side of the parallel walkways, their boughs
hanging over what I considered sacred ground. I
stood there for the first time, not worried about some
upperclassmen correcting me for “scoping out the
quad,” as we called such activity, and thought, “I
won!” I would learn later that the responsibility that
came with my new rank meant more trouble then I
bargained for. I would also not realize
IH iiTJH what my “dead” upperclassmen meant
when they said that they wished they
could do it all over again, until now. For
me, it is all just a kind of dream until I
look at my boots. It is then that I remem
ber and hope that I made some sort of
difference, like the change an unsuspect
ing Aggie caused in me so long ago.
subordinates are worthwhile. But some of the mo
ments of the Corps experience are worth every
liter of sweat and pain endured. And when it is all
over, as it is for me now, you feel different, much
wiser and sometimes sad, for that place is no
This is dedicated to my buddies,
C-2 Cocks, Class of 1994
■Josef Elchanan is a senior
business management major
^ r
‘Tis the season to go visiting
Holiday cheer spreads to the places where we bring it
ERIN
HILL
Columnist
M y Thanksgiving Day
was just as Norman
Rockwell might
have painted it, with extra
stuffing and gravy.
Winter vacation will be
no different. There will be
snow where I am going,
which makes it better. Snow
softly falling, softly piling, softly overtaking the front door.
Softly, I sneak away to avoid shoveling the beautiful stuff.
Caroling, shopping, baking, wrapping; every minute is spo
ken for. Frequent parties and get-togethers are good excuses to
buy clothes. Curfews are relaxed and mornings are spent in
bed, recovering from late nights. Honestly, I cannot wait.
For me, it’s a given that my holidays will be filled with
love and cheer. My immediate family celebrates together, and
my extended family is included by way of AT&T. Just like
me, you probably have plenty of gifts with your name on
them and lots of appointments scribbled in your calendar.
It’s a luxury I have, to have lots of people to be with, visit,
talk to and think of.
I have never been forgotten on a holiday, even when I for
get. Friends, more conscientious than I, make sure that I re
turn to school with pretty things and at least a couple of
books I’ve been looking forward to reading.
When I told my mother of my new found dream of becom
ing a folk singer, which means I need a guitar and a book
that will teach me how to play it, she didn’t even blink.
“We’ll go shopping when you come home.”
When I needed a tennis racket, in spite of my painful
lack of coordination and horrible return, my wish was
granted. Likewise, over the years the other material goods
that have tugged at my heart made it into my possession.
Even the pale yellow boots with leather tassels that my 14-
year-old self fell in love with.
The guilt hovers near, especially when I think of people
who don’t have the same amount of presents I do. But what
really gets to me is thinking of people who are missing what
is most important during the holiday season, the company
of loved ones, and I’m not referring to businessmen and
women stranded in an airport on their way home.
I’m thinking of the elderly people in nursing homes and
retirement centers who spend this time of year, and often
the rest of the year, alone.
Not all people who live in these care centers spend the
holidays in solitude. No, there are lots of nursing home res
idents whose families still care, live nearby or make the ef
fort to have contact; but even those who receive phone calls
or visits during the holidays spend many hours alone.
The staff of these facilities also have families to tend to, and
cannot spend extra hours visiting with residents when the shift
is over. We can’t expect them to fill the void completely.
It would be terrific if each of us could grab a friend, or
two, and spend a few hours each week at a nursing home.
Even a few hours each month would be helpful. Each nurs
ing home has a different policy regarding visitors, so it
would be best to call and either make an appointment or
ask a supervisor about good times to visit.
It may be scary to think of spending unplanned, unsched
uled time in a place full of strangers, but it’s not painful at
all. There are plenty of ways you can help.
For example, during one holiday visit to a home for vet
erans, my family performed and sang for a wheelchair-
bound audience.
One of the members of the crowd seemed especially
thrilled that we were there. He sang along with each song
and knew all of the words. He clapped and smiled and
seemed genuinely sad when we concluded our program.
We went up to talk with him, but he didn’t respond to our
questions. One of the aides told us that this man couldn’t
speak, he could only sing. They had been thrilled to see him
expressing himself, because most of the year he was quiet.
Obviously, caroling comes to mind as something to do
during a visit; you don’t have to be musically gifted to sing.
You don’t even need to be musically competent.
Think of all the carolers that have come to your door
through the years. Have they all been miniature Mormon
Tabernacle Choirs? No, certainly not.
In addition to singing visitors, they welcome anyone will
ing to play cards, write letters, push wheelchairs or just lis
ten. Sometimes that is what is most needed. Elderly peo
ple, as we well know, have lived longer than any of us —
through hard times, good times and everything in between.
They have much to share with us, and us them. But we
have to show up first.
Erin Hill is a senior English major
-r-s swS *
Cr\r\j~\-T\f
Texas Rustlers apologize
for stealing MSC flags
We would like to take this opportunity
to sincerely apologize to any students,
faculty or alumni from Texas A&M or UT
who were offended when four of us took
13 spirit flags from the MSC. The
flagnapping was intended as an expres
sion of the friendly rivalry that exists be
tween UT and A&M. From the begin
ning, we intended to return all the flags
unharmed as a sign that this was a good-
spirited prank, not a malicious act. But
since the spirit flags are held in a posi
tion of honor and reverence by many
A&M students past and present, some
looked upon our prank as
mean-spirited; for this we are sorry. We
feel that school spirit and good sports
manship are an essential part of the
character of every student.
We are concerned with the bad sports
manship exhibited by some UT students
at recent football games. Alumni and
fans in attendance have complained
about UT students harassing other spec
tators, throwing ice and cups, and using
vulgar language. This is not acceptable
public behavior and is certainly not to be
expected from college students. It re
flects poorly on our university. Such of-
£ajpc~i&- not conducive to a
healtfiy rivalry nor a spirit of friendly
The Battalion
Editorial Board
Belinda Blancarte, Editor in chief
Mark Evans, Managing editor
Jenny Magee, Opinion editor
Sterling Hayman, Asst, opinion editor
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.
Contact the opinion editor for information I
on submitting guest columns.
‘ ~ ’ .r
Foot in mouth
Helms' remarks not taken lightly
In an interview with The Raleigh
News and Observer on November 21,
North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms
said President Clinton is so unpopu
lar on military bases that “he’d bet
ter have a bodyguard” if he travels to
North Carolina.
Although later that day Helms ad
mitted that his statement was a mis
take, Helms’ statement was inappro
priate for a public official who is
about to take the chairmanship of
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee. Helms also attacked
Clinton’s ability as U.S. Commander
in chief.
Helms’ statement could be inter
preted as a direct attack on the Pres
ident’s well being, as it is apparent
that the President already has the
protection of the Secret Service.
Should a radical individual follow
through on Helms’ warning, he
should be held partially accountable
for inciting violence.
With Republicans now in control
of Congress, it is important for them
to focus their attention on their up
coming agenda, rather than making
public statements about the Presi
dent’s safety.
However, Helms’ remarks appear
to have been more of a partisan at
tack, rather than a declaration of
concern. President Clinton, whatev
er his public approval rating is, was
elected to the presidency and should
be shown the respect that he has
earned — especially from a member
of the Senate who is to assume the
chairmanship of a committee.
On Nov. 8, the voters expressed a
strong desire for bipartisanship.
Now that the Republicans have
gained control of both the House and
the Senate, they must adhere to a
different standard of responsibility.
Not only must the Republicans ac
cept the responsibility of leadership,
they must also learn to work with
both the Democratic Congress and
the Democratic President.
Statements like the one that
Helms’ made, even if they were made
“off the cuff,” have no place in the
legislative bodies.
Helms’ statement has gone so far
as to make other Republican leaders
nervous every time he appears be
fore the media, and is damaging to
his party. To further benefit the
Grand Old Party, Helms should keep
his mouth shut and keep his re
marks behind closed doors.
competition. We believe that the purpose
of team rivalries and school spirit is to
uplift and encourage, not to promote bad
feeling s and hostility. We are concerned
that our prank has been misconstrued as
endorsing such behavior. This was not
our intent. Friendly pranks do not hurt
people or property. They should con
found and amaze, but never harm.
Be proud of the rivalry between our
schools. Let it bring out the best in us,
not the worst.
Let it show that we are good sports
and able competitors^ not mean-spirited,
malicious or bitter. Go ahead and get
carried away in the fun and excitement of
the tradition, and let it demonstrate the
true character of our rivalry — that of
mutual respect and healthy competition.
The Texas Rustlers
The Battalion encour
ages letters to the editor
and will print as many as
space allows. Letters
must be 300 words or
less and include the au
thor's name, class, and
phone number.
We reserve the right
to edit letters for length.
style, and accuracy.
Address letters to:
Tbe Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail:
Batt#tamvm1 .tamu.edu