The Battalion
Wednesday
October 4,1995
3
The Ross Volunteers
Stew Milne, The Battalion
The Ross Volunteers firing squad performs 21-gun salutes at Silver Taps
and Muster. Only 24 cadets out of the 144 RVs are selected to perform on the basis of responsibility, chivalry and discipline.
Cadets
preserve the
values of
Sullivan Ross
by performing
at Silver Taps
and Muster
By Amy Protas
The Battalion
S oldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentle
man. These are the characteristics
former A&M President Lawrence
Sullivan Ross attributed to the perfect
cadet. They are also the qualities Ross
Volunteers strive to obtain.
Founded in 1887, the RVs are the old
est student organization at A&M. They
were called the Scott Volunteers until
1891 when they took on the name of the
man they revere.
To freshmen in the Corps, the RVs are a
mysterious group that they are not allowed
to inquire about.
Matt Carter, an RV and senior history
major, said the secrecy is one of the reasons
he joined the organization.
“When we start as freshmen, we see the
yellow and white cords and wonder,” Carter
said. “We’re not allowed to know what they
are. I went to Silver Taps and realized what
the RVs were about. They were sharp and I
wanted to be one.”
Carter said as he matured, he realized
the RVs were service-oriented and weren’t
just for show. The group’s service is Silver
Taps, which is held on the first Tuesday of
every month.
Dan Mallory, an RV executive officer and
senior biomedical science major, said Silver
Taps honors those who have died.
“The first Silver Taps was held for Sulli
van Ross in 1898,” Mallory said. “It has now
been molded into a ceremony for students to
show willingness to care — even if they don’t
know the student who died. The firing squad
is out there for the parents, not to show off.”
No one knows which 24 cadets are select
ed from the 144 RVs to be on the firing
squad, except for the cadets themselves.
The selection is based on characteristics
that represent the spirit of Sullivan Ross.
The squad performs a 21-gun salute at
Mustdr as well as Silver Taps.
Cisco Sanchez, RV historian and a senior
psychology major, said he attended a Silver
Taps his freshman year he will never forget
— it was for his brother who had been
killed in an automobile accident.
“My brother was a RV, and the support we
saw was wonderful,” Sanchez said. “We live
six hours away, but the RVs still came to his
funeral. They played Silver Taps for him.”
“We had to go to Austin during finals,”
Harvey said. “It didn’t matter, though. I’m
here for academics, but I hold the RVs close
to my heart over everything. I was willing to
make the sacrifice.”
At Mardi Gras, the RVs are the lead ele
ment in the King Rex parade, which
is the biggest Mardi Gras parade on
Fat Tuesday.
Harvey said the parade has been
one of the most exciting parts of be
ing a RV.
“There were millions of people
"I went to Silver Taps and realized
what the RVs were about. They were
sharp, and I wanted to be one"
— Matt Carter
Ross Volunteer and senior history
In addition to Silver Taps, the RVs serve
as the honor guard for the governor of
Texas. At ceremonies involving the gover
nor, the RVs represent A&M.
This can sometimes come at an inoppor
tune time.
Rick Harver, the RVs public relations
officer and a senior poultry science major,
said the honor of being an RV makes up
for the inconveniences.
major watching us in that parade,” Harvey
said. “It was really exhilarating.
Once we were there, people saw us in our
whites, and they knew who we were.”
The RVs stress discipline, responsibility
and chivalry. Mallory said these are the val
ues he lives by and hopes to give to others.
“The RVs have impeccable values and
character,” Mallory said. “Being an RV has
been beneficial because I hope I can influ
ence someone to live up to the standards I
believe in and hold dear to my heart.”
Students find good conversation and relaxi
Amy Browning, The Battalion
Shane Seay, Rachel Reckner and George Hesketh, three graduate business students, enjoy coffee while study
ing at Sweet Eugene's House of Java.
ng atmosphere at local coffee houses
By Amy Protas
The Battalion
“In hooks, truth. In coffee, life.”
— Latin proverb
T he scene is a familiar one — bohemian
college students sitting in a smoky cof
feehouse sipping java and discussing the
finer points of existence. Even though this is
n’t a typical scene at A&M, the Bryan-College
Station area does have its share of coffeehous
es and dedicated drinkers.
Coffeehouses try to offer something different
in a town filled with pool halls and bars.
Jed Holdredge, a Sweet. Eugene’s House of
Java regular and senior Spanish major, said he
drinks coffee because he enjoys the atmosphere
that accompanies it.
“I come for the intellectual conversation,”
Holdredge said. “When I think of a university,
in the classical sense, I think of openness. I
think a coffeehouse embodies that more than
anything in town.”
Holdridge said Sweet Eugene’s has surround
ings that make patrons feel like they could be in
their own living room. There are couches through
out the coffeehouse and books and magazines.
Although bands usually pack the coffeehouse
on weekends, many die-hard coffee drinkers de
sire to sip their coffee in peace.
Suzanne Stocking, a junior anthropology ma
jor, said she drink coffee quietly with her friends.
“I drink coffee because it’s a relaxing way to
have intelligent discussions with friends,” Stock
ing said. “It annoys me that some coffee shops in
town have bands because I go for quiet time. It’s
nice to be able to hear your companions speak.”
Dead Lazio’s on Northgate offers a quiet and
laid-back environment for coffee connoisseurs.
Sean Merrell, a Lazio’s regular and freshman
general studies major, said the name reflects
the nature of the coffeehouse.
“The owners based the name on a Laverne
and Shirley episode where Squiggy inherits his
dead uncle’s restaurant, Lazio’s,” Merrell said.
“Dead Lazio’s is eclectic, and the owners wanted
to reflect that in the name.”
Smoking is allowed in Lazio’s, but not in Eu
gene’s. This is not the only difference between
the two coffeehouses. Merrell said the attitudes
of the two coffee houses differ.
Neemisha Martin, a Lazio’s regular and a
sophomore math major, said she won’t drink
coffee at any other place in town.
“I started going to Lazio’s out of curiosity,”
Martin said. “I feel like it is the only place here
where I can walk in and not get stares. It’s a lot
less conservative than Sweet Eugene’s.”
Not every coffee hot spot is primarily a cof
feehouse.
Students burning the midnight oil frequent
the International House of Pancakes where they
can drink coffee 24 hours a day.
Nathan Lytle, a senior psychology major, said
he drinks coffee at IHOP when he has to study.
“I always come to IHOP when I have to stay up
late,” Lytle said. “There is never an empty cup of
coffee, and it’s cheap compared to other places.”
Mae Eyre, an IHOP employee for the last
seven years, said the restaurant stays in busi
ness because of the students.
“If it weren’t for the students, we’d just shut
the door and leave,” Eyre said. “The students
are wonderful. They can study or come with a
friend and just hang out.”
For whatever reason, coffee can be an inte
gral part of many students’ college careers.
Matt Beaton, a habitual coffee drinker and a
junior environmental design major, said he
loves coffee but hasn’t been able to solve the
mystery behind it.
“I don’t know what it is about coffee and ciga
rettes,” Beaton said. “It always starts good con
versation. It’s also a cheap way for students to
enjoy themselves.”