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October 3, 1995
The Battalion
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Disregard for tradition makes frats
P eople have always been sus
picious of groups. For in
stance, the Grateful Dead,
the Colorado Buffaloes and, for
some reason, the National Orga
nization for Women.
It’s practically human nature
to cast critical attention on large
groups of people gathering for
whatever reason.
We, as Aggies, are in no way above human na
ture, and in that respect we delve annually into de
bates on Bonfire, Gay and Lesbian student groups.
Corps activities and never-forgotten fraternities.
This year, I feel obligated to stir the pot.
When I first came to A&M, I was fairly open
to the idea of fraternities. Some of my friends
had decided to rush, and I was only moderately
offended that my friendship could not offer them
what they seemed to crave.
I became indignant toward fraternities when I
began to realize that the more I was involved
with Texas A&M, the less I was involved with
my friends who had chosen the Greek path.
When I decided to write about the subject, I
asked a few people what their big problem with
fraternities was. The responses I got were cate
gorically the same, and spoken with the same
fervor I hear my Greek friends speak with.
The core of the anti-Traternity movement lies
in these arguments, and it is for the purpose of
clarity that I include them.
The first argument against fraternities I en
countered is the idea that they offer nothing that
Texas A&M did not offer before their presence
here. Unity and brotherhood have and hopefully
will always be a part of this University.
This can be found in dormitories, Bonfire, stu
17 4 y>§s5
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dent activities and in the abounding
traditions at Texas A&M that seek to
unite individuals as Aggies.
All of these institutions were here
to gel our student population nearly
a century before someone decided we
needed fraternities to make the sys
tem failsafe.
Fraternities have long since ar
gued that service to the community
justifies their existence, but the Corps of Cadets
with March to
the Brazos and
the incredible inde
pendent turnout
during Big Event
both serve to show
that Aggies were
capable of commu
nity service before
fraternities rallied
around it.
The ensuing bad
press to Texas
A&M which seems
to build with the
expansion of the
Greek system is an
other reason people
choose not to sup
port fraternities.
In the past sever
al years, fraternities
have flocked to trou
ble like Bryan gang
members to a mon
ster-truck rally.
Every semester
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there is, at least, one blatant incident of wrong
doing by fraternity members that ends up in the
major newspapers dragging Texas A&M down
with them.
Last spring it was group of fraternity mem
bers that broke into a police officer’s house who
made the front page. This summer, a fraternity
was caught selling drugs. It goes on and on.
Aggies are tired of
their name being
A tarnished by a fac
tion of gentlemen
who seem un
able to conduct
themselves with
the integrity ex
pected of students of
this great University.
Lastly and most im
portantly, many stu
dents feel that frater
nities do not treat the
traditions and ideals of
Texas A&M with the
respect they deserve.
When tradition is
the common link
among A&M students
everywhere, those
who do not actively
support these tradi
tions, as a rule, com
mand less respect.
Every year I read
the publications sent
to incoming freshmen
by fraternities. Usu
ally I am shocked
unpopular
when I come to the part that expounds on all the
activities the fraternities support.
I know from involvement in student activities
that they have greatly inflated their role or, in
fact, directly lied to incoming Aggies.
I am sometimes dismayed at members of fra
ternities when they show careless attention to
A&M honor and tradition, but I am angered
when their disregard does not seem to embarrass
them whatsoever.
Recently, I was standing behind two fraternity
members at a local club. When one asked the
other whether he was going to attend Muster, he
replied in a clear voice, “No, that’s a dead Aggie
thing.” I’m sure he was joking.
Last year a fraternity chose to hold a mixer
during the first Silver Taps. Do you think they
would have been partying if they had lost one of
their own?
Two years ago a fraternity sat en masse in the
Kyle Field end zone at every home game. Maybe
there were already enough Aggies standing.
In no way am I saying all fraternities act in
poor taste.
Many of the fraternity members I know are
exceptional Aggies. They realized a long time ago
that the only way to win Texas A&M over was to
be above reproach.
This is a respectable attribute for anyone re
gardless of their social inclinations.
No other school in the nation supports its own
the way we do.
The idea that someone has to be anything
more than an Aggie to gain acceptance is sad to
Aggies old and new.
Alex Miller is a senior
bioenvironmental science major
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A senior reflects
on A&M quirks
I came to this University as a
fish in the fall of ’92.
Since then, I have grown a lit
tle older and a little wiser, but
there are still some questions I
would like answered.
For instance, what is that
malodorous white stuff blowing
out of the man-holes on West
Campus and Northside?
Is it just smoke seeping past
the gates of hell, or A&M’s cold
fusion/alchemy experiments
flushed down the drain?
Since I was a fish I have won
dered why the premier engineer
ing building on campus (Zachry)
has so many broken, wobbly,
mismatched seats with tiny
right-handed desks.
This is the very reason lefties
have to curl their hand up-side
down to write.
Perhaps there should be a
left-handed awareness class to
learn how to deal with them.
“Dining on campus is fun!”
Does anyone believe that yet?
While we are talking about
Sbisa, is there any way the Stu
dent Senate can outlaw pimen
tos in all of the vegetable dishes?
Where does the University
get toilet paper? Russian mili
tary surplus?
There are bicycle lanes for a
reason, Ags. Can we use them?
Where did all of the cars in
fish lot come from? Back in ol’
army days (1994) there was
acres and acres of parking in
fish lot.
I don’t know where off-cam
pus people park anymore.
At least the state’s largest
grackle population is gone.
Maybe the evil white clouds
killed them all.
Can Moses Hall show a little
class at Midnight Yell and hush
up during the good bull story?
The sidewalks — who de
signed those? Someone from
Venice who didn’t understand
that canals are not cool in
Texas?
How hard can it be to make
water run off the sidewalks?
While we are at it, does it re
ally make the grass any greener
when you run the sprinklers in
the rain?
FITS — I really do not think
the “S” stands for service. What
about the truth in labeling act?
How about just ITT — Parking
Ticket Troopers.
Why do University-educated
People step out in front of bus-
es ? F j us f can’t be safe to step
° n u t t , 1 " Font of 18 tons of steel
those do keS tHat SOUnd the wa y
Before someone writes the
traditional October letter saying
that the “Howdy” tradition is dy
ing, let me just say that it is not
dying, it just hits a seasonal
slump.
Folks are just a little less
chipper when it is 45 degrees
and they have just been screwed
by a calculus test.
I have recently become aware
of a small problem of Aggies who
are unfamiliar with some tradi
tions.
I propose The Batt publish a
traditions supplement including
the proper wildcats, Aggie slang,
no wave on Kyle field, E-Walk,
12th man and Bonfire.
As a closing statement, I
would encourage everyone to
write in and liven up Mail Call a
little bit this year.
P.S. This is not a Frat, CT or
College Republican rebuttal.
David Halvorson
Class of ’96
Reason for Dial-
A-Ride bike policy
I am writing in regards to
Missy Mitchell’s letter in Mail
Call on Oct. 2.
I am sorry about her particu
lar situation, but I have several
points to make.
1) Dial-A-Ride is for the
safety of the students, 2) it was
not our fault that your meeting
ran long 3) it was not our fault
you were on a bike 4) and it’s
not our fault you were locked
out of your building.
Did it ever occur to you that if
we allowed people to put bikes
on the bus it would only be n
matter of time before everyone
would ride with their bikes.
You could just leave your
bike, get on the bus, ride home
in total safety and then get your
bike the next morning by catch
ing a Rudder bus.
Being a freshman, you still
have four years at this Universi
ty, you should learn how the
system works before you criti
cize it.
I am a bus driver and have
been for almost four years.
I have heard many com
plaints, but the fact is that your
poor planning caused your mis
fortune.
We would have been more
than happy to take you home,
just not your bike.
We also could not compromise
the safety of others by allowing
your bike on the bus.
Sean Kilgore
Class, of ’95
accompanied by 8 signatures
CAN’T THE
LESS JUST
JOBS???
Size weighs heavily on student minds
W aiting on the curb
for my parents to
pick me up from
the airport after my first se
mester of college, I watched
as they continuously circled
the passenger pick-up area.
It was obvious that they
were looking for me, but
even as I tried to flag them
down, they still passed me by. Didn’t they
see me?
The car suddenly halted and flew back
in reverse. At that moment I realized that
my 30 pound weight gain had altered my
appearance. My parents didn’t even recog
nize me.
Come to think of it, I would hardly rec
ognize myself.
At the time I was unable to recognize my
problem, but I continued to eat. One day I
sunk so low I just stayed in bed.
Unlike anorexia or bulimia, the disorder
that overwhelmed me isn’t often spoken of.
It’s called overeating, and believe it or not,
it’s a disorder like these.
The National Association of Anorexia
Nervosa and Associated Disorders states
that there are 7 million females and 1 mil
lion males in the United States that suffer
from eating disorders.
The scary part about overeating is that
you don’t immediately recognize it as a
problem. It sneaks up on you like a shark.
Then you realize that you aren’t eating to
fulfill physical needs, but emotional ones.
Anything fattening, rich or good old junk
food became a regular part of my day. Food
was no longer only for survival — food was
a cure.
Not only was food always present at vari
ous social occasions, it could be
found in my dorm room, my
purse and backpack.
The cycle of junk food didn’t
end there. Food cured me when
ever I was sad, mad, depressed,
stressed, angry, happy, excited
or just plain bored.
As a matter of fact, eating
when I wasn’t hungry became as
much a part of my life as brushing my teeth.
Not only had my body changed, but my
attitude had as well. I was withdrawn and
bitter, and friends stopped coming around.
My behavior had driven my friends away.
My family tried to be supportive, but my
actions and the emotional roller coaster I
was constantly on drove them crazy.
They constantly walked on eggshells try
ing not to offend an over-sensitive me.
Making the situation worse, my older
brother, who had spent the majority of his
life overweight, had begun a new health ac
tion plan on which he lost 70 pounds.
The positive comments I once received
about my appearance were all concentrated
on him. My jealousy drove me deeper into
my depression.
Finally my parents stopped walking on
glass to please me and bluntly told me to do
something about my weight.
They were tired of seeing me depressed,
and my attitude brought unnecessary stress
to their lives.
Realizing that I was hurting myself and
my family, I knew it was time to begin a
health action plan.
I started focusing not only on weight loss,
but also on self-improvement.
Regular visits to a local health club and a
complete change in lifestyle started me on
my way to recovery. I use the word recovery
because I honestly was sick.
It took more than eating vegetables and
drinking several glasses of water a day to
cure my problem.
My attitude, my self esteem and my
overall image of myself needed restructur
ing. It only took a month before I started to
see results.
The weight eventually began to fall off.
The first time I got on the scale, I had lost
five pounds. It only took that one time to
hook me. After working hard, the results fi
nally began to surface.
It was only a matter of time before the
real Pam came back to life.
I’m still going strong 26 pounds later. It’s
not just about the weight loss, it’s about feel
ing good about myself.
Some people notice the weight loss, some
don’t. The important part is I have a new
walk, a new talk and a new outlook.
I feel like I’ve been paroled and its great.
The best part about it is that I like myself
again, and I know that I’m the only person
who can control how I look and feel.
Four years ago, I would have never
thought that a weight gain could tear me
down. I can’t say that I would want to expe
rience that problem again.
But I do guarantee that I will never ever
forget the pain I put my family through and
the damage I did to myself.
Over-eating is a dangerous disease that is
often overlooked in modem society. My war
against it was successful, but difficult.
I will never again depend on food for emo
tional support.
Pa mela Benson is a junior
journalism major
Pamela
Benson
Columnist