The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 30, 1995, Image 15

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    Thursday
November 30, 1995
^The Battalion
Opinion
15
Pests busy ant-tagonizing students
T hey invade our
homes, steal our
food, and attack us.
The totalitarian regimist Erin
ants will stop at nothing |-
until they rule Aggieland. rITZGERAL
On this anthill we call
campus, the ants don’t just Columnist
go marching one by one.
They march in herds.
The Corps of Cadets is passive and
few compared to this army. With light
ning-fast speed they scurry across lecture
halls in masses.
They’ve aborted their plan of simple
survival. Operation Red: The ants have
launched a counterattack to take back
their homeland.
I first noticed the siege several months
ago while buying a Coke in the Academic
Building. Inside the vending machine, a
line of ants marched from one side to the
other. No longer will these freeloaders
passively wait for our trash.
They ambush scholars at the least
likely moments. Often a red warrior has
crawled up my leg during a lecture. Even
worse, I see them crawling on the backs
of my classmates.
What do you do? The Aggie bond is too
strong to passively watch your neighbor
assaulted by insects.
Two weeks ago my roommate came in
from class, dropped her backpack and
slouched in a chair. Unaware she had
been another victim of the ant militia, I
asked, “Bad day?”
Hysterically, she jumped to her feet
and began to re-enact the scene.
She ex
claimed,
“Some
thing
needs to be
done about
the ant
problem
pus
There I am sitting
in the middle of
class taking notes,
when all of the sud
den an ant crawls
out of my sleeve!”
The experience left her
mentally traumatized.
Understanding the
threat ants pose to the
campus, Tarlac
Williams, lead singer of
the local band Indica,
strives to educate the com
munity about this issues
through music.
Venting his anger in an orig
inal composition, he sings,
“Ants, we f—kin’ hate
‘em / Ants, we muti
late them.”
Near the end of
the song he con
tinues, warning,
“But they’re only try
ing to find a little
snack/ Cruising
around the kitchen floor with crumbs
held on their back / But I know they’re
f—kin’ game / Scuttling in the ground/
They want to eat
and interrupted their way of life.
It wasn’t enough that we built
on top of their dwellings.
We also dug deep into
the land.
Starting
with this town.’
Yet, I can understand
the reasoning behind the
ants’ revolt. Over a hun
dred years ago, we took this land
away from the ants, invaded their homes
,ii!
there
by destroying
their sense
of commu
nity.
With
capitalist mo
tives, we replaced
the natural resources
with impenetrable steel
and concrete.
Consequently, they
are fighting for what was
once theirs.
The ants began by attacking what
hits closest to home.
Basement classrooms, like those
found in Bolton Hall, Scoates Hall
and the Animal Industries
, building, have experienced
the worst of the infestation.
During classes, you’ll find stu-
dents unable to concentrate. We
guard our belongings, continually
stomping on the creatures. Feet
move more than pencils.
Fifty minutes later, the once plain
linoleum floor is speckled
with ant carcasses.
Compared with our size and
strength, the pests seem not to have a
chance, but we may be in for a shock.
Although the ant life span is short, hu
mans can’t compare with their birth
rate or poisonous birthright.
Our weakness is that we underesti
mate the power of their venom. One ant
may cause only a small irritation, but in
great quantities ants become dangerous.
Last spring I experienced such a
case. I mindlessly laid on and aggra
vated an ant hill.
Within seconds my knee began to
bum and sting. I stood up and find a cou
ple hundred little red soldiers viciously
attacking my leg.
My friends rushed me to the emer
gency room. Upon my arrival, the nurses
admitted me before a man with a broken
ankle. Different fluids were injected into
my body as I swallowed various pills.
I spent the next month applying med
icine and going to the health center to
have the bites professionally popped.
The scars that remain on my leg from
this experience are a constant reminder
that Aggieland is on the verge of a vio
lent war between humans and ants.
It’s time we unite and take action —
set aside a day devoted to extermination.
The University must decide if it wants to
nourish our minds our continue to nour
ish the ants by looking the other way.
Erin Fitzgerald is a senior
political science major
Anti-Bonfire arguments usually weak
Opposition to Bonfire stems from misplaced environmental concerns
C ertain things in life Eire
predictable. For example,
let’s say your inspection
sticker is expired — purely hy
pothetically, of course.
And, just for fun, let’s say
that you have avoided driving,
but you just have to go some
where on, oh let’s say Monday.
If all these things are true,
then it’s predictable that a friendly neighbor
hood police officer will be driving along
Southwest Parkway just as you Eire pulling
out of your parking lot.
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Back in the real world, other things happen
like clockwork. The sun will rise tomorrow -
usually several hours before I want to see it.
Finals will suck, and Bonfire will bum.
Of course, Eilong with bonfire comes a whole
set of other predictables. Every year, someone
writes to The Battalion who is shocked to learn
that we use wood in our Bonfire.
And, as sure as I’m going to have an 8 a.m.
final, someone who wouldn’t know a post oak
from a poinsettia will cry about ‘Turning
down most of the virgin forest remaining in
the Northern Hemisphere.
And we do all of this just so we can show
our burning desire to beat the (bad word) out
of The University of Texas (“t.u.” is far too
derogatory for such a fine institution).”
Then comes the predictable Aggie re
sponse, “Highway 6 runs both ways.”
Next the reformist claims, “See, you Aggies
are just intolerant of other opinions.”
OK, time to insert fact into the argument.
Let’s take this one weak idea at a time.
Wesik argument number one: the trees
used for Bonfire come from old-growth forest.
Fact: Well, sort of. Texas A&M is located
in what is called the post, oak savannah. A lit
tle historical research shows this area origi
nally was a rolling prairie with small groves
of trees, mostly in creek beds.
Back then, prairie fires
would come along every once
in a while a wipe out most of
the post oaks.
Of course, we prefer not to
let prairie fires bum
unchecked anymore, so post
oaks and other species
have grown at will.
In other words, our
clearing for Bonfire is simply a case of
doing for nature what nature used to
do for itself. But I guess some people
know better than nature.
Weak argument number two: The
trees burned for bonfire could be used
for other, more worthwhile pursuits.
Fact: Not really.
Most of the wood used for Bon
fire is post oak. Apparently, post
oak has very few building uses.
Most post oak winds up as low-
quality paper, railroad cross
ties or firewood.
What a handy coincidence.
Furthermore, the trees for
Bonfire trees came from pri
vate land slated for clear
ing and development.
This wood was about
to become fire kindling,
anyway. But hey, if
anyone wants to build
a house out of post
oak, feel free.
Weak argument
number three:
Bonfire re
leases carbon,
i.e. pollution, into
the atmosphere.
Fact: Sure. Bonfire, however, should be
last thing anyone is up in arms over.
As I just mentioned, fire is nature’s way of
cleaning up after itself. If you want to help
fight air pollution, figure out a way to in
crease the efficiency of fossil fuel burning en
gines. Some reports claim up to 70 percent of
air pollution comes from fossil fuels. I wonder
how much comes from Bonfire.
Weak argument number four: If you Ag
gies spent as much energy helping Habitat
for Humanity — or anything else — as you
do on Bonfire ...
Fact: It’s called The Big Event. Maybe
you’ve heard of it: The largest single ser
vice project in the country.
If there is one thing Aggies don’t need
a lecture on, it’s providing service to each
other and to the community.
As for the “Highway 6 runs both
ways” argument — and it does, I just
drove on it over* Thanksgiving — think
a bit more about it.
Remember: When in Rome, do as
the Romans do. And if you don’t,
don’t be surprised if they continue
to do what they have always done.
Now I d6n’t mean to imply that
Texas A&M is like the Nation
of Islam, quite the contrary.
But I keep reading letters
from people with, shall we say
“alternative viewpoints” who
feign shock that most
here in Aggieland dis
agree with them — I
guess we just have
closed minds.
Or maybe not.
Maybe those “alterna
tive viewpoints”
we keep hear
ing about re
garding Bonfire just
need to get the facts. But then agsdn, I guess
some things are just predictable.
David Taylor is a senior
management major
David
Taylor
Columnist
NAACP intended
to grab attention
In a time that sees this cam
pus sitting on a racial powder keg
waiting to explode, why would
the NAACP choose the promo
tional strategy that it is using to
promote its upcoming program?
I believe anyone who has
taken a marketing class would
agree that a successful promo
tional campaign should grab
the attention of the intended
audience, which happens to be
white students who may feel
they are experiencing the ef
fects of affirmative action.
Stereotypes do exist. Accentu
ating stereotypes, however, does
not necessarily mean promoting
them, as was suggested in Eliza
beth Preston’s Nov. 29 column.
So what makes this different
than the insensitive and down
Mail
right scandalous situation that
involved the College Republicans?
Well, the fliers are designed to
raise a question, not to make a
statement, and the NAACP will
not run away from its responsibil
ity to educate people at its pro
gram Thursday night.
But why is the NAACP al
ways so angry, you may ask?
Why not? We have met with
every administrator on campus
concerning racial issues, and we
have never claimed a victory.
Maybe we’re just asking for too
much. It has been explained to
me by campus officials that
A&M would love to drop the
good old boy label, but then the
good old boys may stop giving us
their good old money.
So the good old NAACP should
just keep its mouth shut and let
young, CEiring white students fall
victim to one of A&M’s most sa
cred traditions: Racism.
I don’t think so. Not while we
still have breath in our bodies and
money in our bank account.
So, I challenge you to go
against the norm and attend an
NAACP function. Show that spir
it that makes A&M so great.
You may get laughed at, and
you may have hell to pay, but
you will be a better person for it.
Shawn Williams, president
Texas A&M Chapter of NAACP
Elephant Walk a
solemn tradition
In Old Army days. Elephant
Walk was a way for seniors to re
member their college days and all
the good and bad times they had
experienced together.
In recent years though, the
tradition of Elephant Walk has
been marred by “groding,” or
trashing of the seniors.
Unfortunately, groding itself
has become a tradition, which
results in the trashing of the se
niors, as well as widespread
vandalism to cars, personal
property and even Kyle Field.
Even though Elephant Walk
is suppose to be a fun time, it is
also a solemn time. We would
not trash Reveille or Sul Ross or
any other symbol of Aggie pride
or tradition.
The Class of 1997 is trying to
clean up E-Walk. We wish to
leave it to seniors, as it should be.
Please remember juniors that
when you purchased your shirt,
you signed that you “understood
the meaning behind this great
tradition and promised to re
spect it as you would want oth
ers to respect your Elephant
Walk next year.”
Please juniors, don’t trash
the tradition!
Julie McConathy
Class of ’97
Shannon Habgood
Class of’97
Fund raising committee chair
Editor’s note: All 1421 juniors
who purchased E-walk shirts
signed a contract promising to
respect the tradition.
The Battalion encourages letters to the
editor and will print as many as space al
lows. Letters must be 300 words or less
and include the author's name, class and
phone number.
We reserve the right to edit letters for
length, style and accuracy. Letters may be
submitted in person at 013 Reed McDon
ald. A valid student ID is required. Letters
may also be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald Fax:
Texas A&M University (409) 845-2647
College Station, TX E-mail:
77843-1 111 Batt@tamvm1 .tamu.edu
The Battalion
Established in 1893
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views
of the editorials 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 on
submitting guest columns.
Editorials Board
Rob Clark
Editor in Chief
Sterling Hayman
Managing Editor
Kyle Littlefield
Opinion Editor
Erin Hill
Elizabeth Preston
Assistant Opinion Editors
Walk On
Elephant Walk is a tradition
we can all enjoy (in moderation).
We all know the story,
whether or not we are upper
classmen. In Old Army days,
on the day before Bonfire, se
niors walked through the
campus, reflecting on their
years in Aggieland.
This activity evolved into
the tradition known as Ele
phant Walk. On the day be
fore Bonfire, seniors still
gather together and prepare
to walk through the campus.
During the walk, seniors
do not talk. This is because
Elephant Walk is a solemn
occasion intended for quiet
and thoughtful reflection.
Through the years, juniors
— who probably regret it when
it comes their turn — have
started a new tradition to ac
company Elephant Walk and
disrupt the peace: groding out
the seniors.
Juniors lie in wait Eiround
the campus, armed with food
stuffs and various substances
designed to make a mess.
When the elephants ap
proach, the juniors leap out of
their hiding spots and soil the
clothing, hair and faces of the se
niors, not only disrupting this
solemn occasion, but wreaking
havoc all over Aggieland too.
But why shouldn’t they? Ag
gieland is filled with traditions
which are extremely solemn and
militaristic. There are other oc
casions to remain quiet, like Sil
ver Taps or Aggie Muster.
Elephant Walk, and Bonfire
after it, give students a chance
to have a little fun. This is col
lege, after all.
In recent years class councils
have encouraged a return to the
Old Army style of Elephant
Walk, and the tradition has been
cleaned up considerably.
This is beneficial for the tra
dition and the campus, but it
need not be carried to an un
healthy extreme.
Surely there is a happy medi
um between complete silence
and complete chaos.
We can have fun without
trashing everything in sight.
Have fun, but don’t go overboard.
All students should think a
moment on the solemn occasion
of Elephant Walk. Then get
ready for the mess.