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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1995)
n hursday r eside|iovember 9, 1995 'a vest >nt of ^ncerni male of-l ons, a said iley two wo 1 ifent iarti y fern; lid. “Si lie, >r fern; Residi ostino Nov.: e fora reside; s ares: ite no* ins sal: gure It arture decisi® positive ard The Battalion 3 heads! iu Micas ting os his an- mpa:§: iecisk for fe |i > indii? I it to Of f i oft::I uld ' ly, C: I hose is nt i repre icaUon- re Eai ity Coie / refusir. za plac| ea, whi resider; s coniE id f ou ha' ne put f a ba: ry abe :a plac e’s hapf stin w luid be imers iugh h La ft' loke 0' JS to Stc 1909 £ s a stf re doiti 3 ry out , doest iron TOR iPITOI : KniTOi 11 or -3 Wilt 1 ' llier ice,o j ' [rin It* nvn,-'' 1 I ia P' ,tl ' sts: Bn* 1 F/t/V /WAV Happy Holidays from THA DOCC POUND November 9,1995 Senator Bob Dole United States Senate Washington D.C., 20510 Dear Sen. Dole, Album Re\ Tha Docgg Pound Dogg Food Death Row Records ★ (out of five) Hi Senator. I figured you were sitting around in your mansion just looking for a new CD to put between De La Soul and Eazy E in your "Alliums to criticize" section. I bet you're waiting for the new Dogg Pound album to start World War III. But calm down. Have a drink. Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Dogg Food is not the first sign of the apocalypse, and it is not the end of the world as we know it. Now we all know that you're not exactly a big fan of rap. Your efforts to silence the "mainstream deviancy" of gangsta rappers are well known, and these efforts possibly even prompted Time Warner's dumping of the rap-dominated label, Interscope Records. We're sure we won't see you sipping coffee with Ice Cube, smoking blunts with Cypress Hill or walking your dogs with Snoop Doggy Dogg. But despite pressure from C. Delores Tucker, William Bennett and your bad self, rap is still alive and well. It's not going anywhere. Which brings us to Tha Dogg Pound. Ever since your rap tirade brigade started up in June, speculation has run rampant about the duo's debut album. And I'll have to agree wit'cha Senator. Dogg Food is a big disappointment. Instead of building on their promising contributions on Snoop's "Doggy Dogg World," L)az and Kurupt rely too heavily on the C-Funk sound of Dr. Dre. The beats are there. The lyrics and rhyme skills are not. Of course, the formulated gangsta style is there. Daz and Kurupt promote themselves as the new kingpins of misogyny, especially on the ultra-sexist "If We All F—" and "Some Bomb Azz P—y." By subscribing to the 2 Live Crew method of treating women, they reduce the male intellect to the lowest common denominator. A bit tamer, but still Bob Packwood-ish is the first single, "Let's Play House." The song is perhaps the best sounding track on Dogg Food. But that's not saying much. Even worse, the talents of Nate Dogg and Michel'le are grossly misused on the unmelodic melodies. And the nursery rhyme choruses miss the boat completely. Ironically, a guest appearance by Snoop (Daz's cousin) on "Smooth" shows just how far behind the Dogg Pound is in comparison to their mentor. Snoop's unique rhythmical drawl is a drastic contrast to Daz and Kurupt's sleepy monotone vocals. What is most interesting about the album is that despite the controversies surrounding its release, it is surprisingly not as violent as expected from a gangsta rap album. So you see Senator, there's really nothing to worry about. I doubt those evil fellows in Tha Dogg Pound will invade your Kansan turf any time soon. Your pretentious bubble of white-bread America probably won't be penetrated by those evil African-American males of gangsta rap. Not yet anyway. Best of luck in '96, '7s Rob Clark, The Battalion On the road again ■ ; , d $777, 7 * Mi. The Baitai ion KssiS Gwendolyn Struve, Lalo Sanchez, a freshman mechanical engineering major, follows the A&M Motorcycle Club. Motorcycle enthusiasts share their hobby in new Motorcycle Club By Amy Uptmor The Battalion T hey say there is a club for everyone at A&M. And if riding around the state on a motorcycle to unknown destinations is your thing, then there is a motorcycle club for you. In its first full year as an official club, its members scoff at the idea of being A&M’s official “motorcycle gang.” “If you saw us, you’d see that we’re the far thest thing from a gang,” Ronnie Hay, a senior electrical engineering major and member of the motorcycle club, said. The club was organized last fall and was rec ognized as an official university organization in the spring. Most of the members found out about the club through word of mouth. The club’s activities range from meeting at Sweet Eugene’s House of Java every Thursday to taking rides across Texas together, including to day’s trip to Houston for the Rice game. The club has close to 100 members, about 40 of which are actively involved. The club also has its own web page, which has a news group mem bers use as a source to go on spontaneous rides. “Sometimes we ride just to see where we can go,” he said. “Then we find our way back.” The club has taken road trips to small Texas towns like Round Top, Carlos and Caldwell, and it also rides to away games together. “Going to away games is something we’d like to make into an occurrence every time there’s an away game if we could get the people together,” he said. Before the club leaves for the Rice game, it will have a motorcycle show from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rudder Fountain. Some members will be pre sent to talk with people about their motorcycles. “There will be a good number of bikes out there for people to see,” Clayton Mclnnis, presi dent of the club and a senior business manage- rnent major, said. The club members have also worked as corner workers at a motorcycle race at Texas World Speedway. Rick Boss, vice president of the club and a ju nior finance major, said the job was a fund raiser for the club, which is still in its beginning stages. “We’re still young, but we’re trying to get a core group of people together,” Boss said. Mclnnis said the club would like to set its sights on even bigger things. “I want to see the club grow to have enough people to make an impact,” he said. “We’re trying to plan two big rides. There’s a Harley Davidson Toys for Tots ride in December that some people have shown an interest in, so we’ll see.” Mclnnis also said he would like to see the club participate in activities like Big Event. The club is primarily composed of men, but Mclnnis said many women have also joined so they can go riding with the club. “We call them our Aggie Bike Chicks,” he said. The club members would like to re-establish a Motorcycle Safety Foundation in College Station. Boss said the foundation offers beginner’s training courses that are required to get a motorcycle driver license for those under 18. The course can now sub stitute for a driving test. "It's pretty nice to be able to leave 10 minutes before class and find a close parking spot." — Rick Boss vice president of the A&M motorcycle club “That’s something we’d like to get in the next coming semester,” he said. Mclnnis said the club is more about people who like to go riding together than avid motorcy cle collecting. “We just got together to have other people to go riding with,” he said. “Motorcyclists tend to be strong individuals, but it’s good to get together with others. We like to take off riding whenever the weather’s good.” Many of the members have been riding motor cycles since they were young. Boss said he has been riding since the age of 12. Such a young age is not too young to start riding, since most mo torcyclists start off riding dirt bikes and three wheelers, Boss said. But not everyone in the club is an experienced motorcyclist. Boss said some of the members do not yet have motorcycles, or had them at one time and are hoping to get one again. It’s not hard to wonder why some one would want to have a motorcycle, Boss said. “The benefit to a motorcycle is that it’s rather in expensive compared to a car,” he said. “There’s usu ally better parking than handicapped spots. It’s pretty nice to be able to leave 10 minutes before class and find a close parking spot.” ;allow4 ive , & Titfanl ity i 11 5-2M7 I aw 3 <1 , - and *>'■ fnll R ,1( ' :cept on |)0St'lg e s A&'d Spirit of Aggieland inspires The Maroon Collection By Jan Higginbotham The Battalion t: -L 1 lec wo he Aggie Spirit has inspired many people to great works throughout the years, but now it has inspired two artists to create an entire col lection of works depicting Aggieland and its spirit. The Maroon Collection, an exhibition of original l )|)iC |^ or ks by Texas artists Tammie Bissett and Timothy ’ ! Vanya, is on display at Gallagher’s Gallery in Col lege Station. From images of Reveille and Bonfire to tributes to The 8* Tie Corps of Cadets, the Aggie and and Parsons Counted Cavalry, each work attempts to capture a special part of the unique spirit and tradition of sig Texas A&M. Vanya said the camaraderie and spirit of A&M lave been an inspiration to him. “A&M is unique to any place I’ve ever been,” he 'aid. “My heart has just been captured by this ichool. That innate quality that makes A&M what it s is like the fountain that, I drink from.” Vanya attended art slhool at the University of Houston but said he has become a transplant Aggie. “I had to study art at the University of Houston,” he said, “but I came to A&M for my inspiration.” Bissett did not attend Texas A&M, but she said she has been caught up in the Aggie Spirit since her husband entered school at A&M’s College of Veteri nary Medicine two years ago. She said the school and its students have provided an ideal subject for her work. “The traditions make A&M a great subject be cause the Aggies are so supportive of the Universi ty,” Bissett said. “That is a rare quality. You can see it in everyone at A&M. It catches them in the heart.” Bissett is licensed through the Norman Rockwell foundation and is trying to bring Rockwell’s special touch to her A&M pieces. “I’m trying to bring the Rockwell flair and the spirit of A&M together,” she said. Bissett used the Rockwell flair in one of the pieces on display at Gallagher's. “Anticipation” depicts a member of the Corps of Cadets picturing himself in his senior boots. Vanya is working on a special piece depicting the Singing Cadets. The piece attempts to show the Singing Cadets of past and present. “Home of the 12th Man” is a piece by Vanya on display at Gallagher’s. The picture combines fall and football in a special tribute to the 12th Man, the Southwest Conference and the new Big 12 Conference. “It’s a simple piece,” Vanya said, “but I think there’s a lot of emotion in it.” Kim Mallet, manager of Gallagher’s Gallery, said the Maroon Collection has received a positive re sponse from the community. “The collection captures the true Spirit of Ag gieland, and people appreciate that,” Mallet said. James Phillips, a junior management major, said the collection captures many of the qualities that make A&M unique. “The works are a special tribute to what it really means to be an Aggie,” Phillips said. “You get a spe cial feeling each time you look at any of the works and realize what a wonderful school this is.” Vanj^a and Bissett are both continuing to work on more pieces depicting the Aggie Spirit. Vanya Evan Zimmerman, The Battalion Works by Texas artists Tammie Bissett and Timothy Vanya are on display at Gallagher's Gallery. said he has at least 15-20 drawings he would like to do. “I hope this is something that I’m doing when I’m an old man,” Vanya said. “I’m just very thankful for the opportunity to draw for A&M.” Bissett also has several more A&M pieces in mind for the future. “Once it’s in your blood,” she said, “you feel like an Aggie and get caught up in it.”