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Page]
Thursday • Februaiy20/1
.. Let's give hoops a horselaugl
Come be a part of THE BIG EVENT
April 5, 1997!
Student Participating Forms
Now Available in
SGA, Flag Room, Commons
Sbisa, W. Campus Library,
Evans, and Zachary
FORMS DUE
MARCH 19, 1997
BY 5:00 PM
For more information call 845-9618
B ecause basketball
is a fast-paced,
high-energy
game, it lends itself to a
unique environment.
An enclosed arena,
filled to the brim with
rambunctious fans
overlooking the high
speed action on the
court and incensed by
high-energy music, cre
ates a thrilling, unde-
scribable frenzy. It’s
Sportswriter
Jamie Burch
Senior speech
communication major
similar to cramming people who
have overdosed on Vivarin into a
jail cell while blaring techno dance
music. “It’s fantastic.”
But anyone who attends a bas
ketball game at G. Rollie White
Coliseum is cheated out of this un
equaled experience. The stands
are always empty, the Aggie Band
never plays stadium music and the
yell leaders insist on making the
dreadful situation worse.
To revitalize the nonexistent
basketball environment at A&M,
the causes of the problem must
be addressed.
schools’ enrollments are
far less than A&M’s ap
proximate 43,000 stu
dents, none of whom are
basketball fans.
A&M fans are not
only sparse, they are ig
norant. Of the nine peo
ple who attend Aggie
basketball games, eight
know absolutely nothing
about the sport. The
only time the G. Rollie
Rowdies appear to have
some clue as to how to
face block can bring the sleeping
masses to their feet.
The solution starts with the stu
dent body filling the stands. A&M
fans — start with the Aggie’s last
home game of the season against
Baylor University Saturday. And
when given the opportunity to
cheer, do it. Make so much noise
that even the players riding the Ag
gie bench get tired of hearing you.
Better yet, make so much noise
that the yell leaders will not be able
to stifle the crowd to start a yell.
“Recruiting the Finest for the future of Aggie Football”
(}<wynatcclatc<M<i,
Hello, Is There Anybody
Out There?
Let’s start with the fans. Back
in OF Army, G. Rollie White Coli
seum was known as the ‘Holler
House.’ The name came as a re
sult of the thousands, 7,500 to be
exact, of rowdy fans who filled
the bleachers each home
respond is during the Aggie War
Hymn and yells.
During the War Hymn, these nine
rise to their feet and mindlessly clap
to the beat, as if in a drunken stupor.
The zombies stand emotionless with
a glazed look in their eyes, keeping
up with the slow, methodical beat.
Once the band finishes the final stan
za, the mindless wonders sit back
down. It seems to be the
only logical
thing to do.
God forbid
they work
themselves
back into a
frenzy.
Marching To The Beat Of
Their Own Drum
Another cause of boredom at Ag
gie basketball games is the Aggie
Band. When attending any other
basketball game in the country, col
lege or pro, you’ll hear upbeat, fast-
paced, high-pitched music blaring
from a band or public address sys
tem. The tempo and feel of
the music further adds to
the excitement of the
environment. But in
Aggieland, the
band has a ^
M
to the new
1997-98 Aggie Hostess Coordinators
Head Coordinator- Tonya Moreland
^ Recruiting Coordinator- Robin Rychetsky
Public Relations Coordinator- Leya Bryant
Administrative Coordinator- Cheryl Mosty
:: 'p We hope you have a great year!
Good Luck from the 1996-97 Coordinators:
^ Tracie Multer ^
^ Meg Roberson ^
^ Heidi Feller ^
^ Holly Christian ^
a
r
CC'
The Future of
America’s Fragmentation
A
Roger Wilkins
Professor of History and American Culture at
George Mason University, Pulitzer Prize winner,
and Assistant, Attorney General under LBJ
presented by
# Memorial Student Center #
Student Conference On National Affairs
and MSC Great Issues
Tomorrow in MSC 201 at 10:45 a.m.
Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs. In order to provide
adequate assistance we request three (3) working days notification.
J
game, creating an intense
decibel level. Why anyone
continues to refer to the
now empty and deafen
ing silent facade by its
outdated alias is be
yond reason.
During the ‘90s, the Ag
gies have averaged just over
3,000 fans per game. This pu
trid amount doesn’t even
equate to half-capacity. The
Aggie fans have mustered only
two sellouts in the past seven sea
sons. The so-called Twelfth Man
only rears its ugly head when the
loathed Longhorns come to town.
Compare those numbers with
the attendance figures of universi
ties who actually have basketball
fans. Since 1984, raucous Blue
Devils have faithfully filled the
stands of Duke University’s
Cameron Indoor Stadium to its
9,314 capacity.
The University of North Carolina
averages over 20,000 in the ’90s. The
Tarheels sold out the Dean E. Smith
Center (21,572) more than 50 times
this decade alone. Both of these
The same result emerges after a
yell. The crowd is silenced so the
control freaks in white can synchro
nize a cheer. Once the yell is finished,
the oblivious fans sit back down. Ap
parently, they have never watched or
attended another collegiate or pro
fessional basketball game.
Often times nothing will incite
the stale crowd. Not even an alley-
oop, a slam dunk, or an in-your-
ly different way of‘adding to the en
vironment.’
lust when A&M puts together a
scoring run which forces the op
ponent to take a time out, the few
fans in the stands go nuts. The Ag
gie Band then begins playing its
rendition of Patton, immediately
killing the frenzied environment.
Marching music is the perfect ac
companiment for a football game. In
football, the teams march up and
Lowrance
Continued from Page 7
Lowrance saw A&M in a way most college students
around the country see their schools, as a place to learn,
make friends and have fun.
“I’m not really an Aggie the way you
would think of one,” he said. “But some
of my good friends are.”
Lowrance said he has had discus
sions about his feelings with his die
hard Aggie friends.
“They realize that some things aren’t
for everybody,” he said. “I don’t like to
do that stuff, so I don’t, and they respect
my opinions.”
With all that behind him,
Lowrance has become the Aggies’ top
performer in the shot put. Assistant
coach Juan De La Garza said
Lowrance adds a different dimension to the men’s
throwing team.
“I wouldn't even
consider myself
a two-percenter.
I don't do that
much."
Mike Lowrance
A&M shot putter
have,” De La Garza said. “That’s what makes him unique.”
De La Garza said Lowrance’s ability to step up his
level of performance in tough meets is another of
his attributes.
“His best marks have come in meets where the com
petition has been the toughest,” he said.
This season, Lowrance said he
would like to qualify for the NCAA
Championships, a goal he originally
set for his senior year. He is looking to
this weekend’s Big 12 Championships
as a step towards that goal.
“I feel like everything will click right
this weekend and I will be able to hit 60
feet in the shot,” he said.
Looking back on his decision to com
pete in track and not football, Lowrance
said he has no regrets.
“I quit football because I wanted to
participate in track,” Lowrance said.
“When I played in the Oil Bowl my se-
‘Mike is more intense than any other thrower we
nior year I knew it was my last game and I played as
well as I could. I feel good about what I did and what
I’ve done since then.”
down the field in a battle on fcj
iron. The slow tempo ofmarchi
music helps to paint a metaphi
picture of a battlefield.
But in basketball, marchingiij
sic serves no puqoose buttotte
fan excitement. The dragging
olume 1<
ulous tempo dulls the fansinto : pY MELISSA
transient sleep. The decibelle\ei
drops and the momentum at I
Col. Ray Toler, Directorof f A compute
Bands, said the Aggie Bandeiitvestigated i
mented with dance music,bmliM funds ar
quit after a survey of students I The Unive
found the student body dislikK Brazos Coi
the new style. The questionisllinvestigati
raised: Why hasn’t the Aggiereports frc
taken a survey in recent years. ■Jim Ashloc
To answer this inquiry, aicMsity Relatic
survey by yours truly showed]
student body does not appro,:!
the current practice of playini)
marching music.
Col. Toler also said theAggi
Band does not have many of j
instruments needed toplayd
techno or stadium music.Bu:j
do they call themselves a nac|
ly renowned band if they doi,
have the proper equipmenurj ;
music that any other college it
in the country can play?
Either the Aggie Bandshoa
make another attempt atplaji
more upbeat style of music(fl
athletic department shouldfo
someone who can and will.
Hump It, A-G-G-l-ES!
The problem is further com-
pounded by the yell leaders. Inti
course of a basketball game, te
are numerous time-outs.Thetk'
outs should be filled withtheafe
mentioned fast-tempo, high-eit
music. The crowd frenzy create^
result of the action on the floor
should not be halted so theyeli
ers can count off a yell. What eg?
trie need do the yell leaders n«(
fulfill ? Why must they quietilie:
cous crowci for the Ags tohumpi
My suggestion is theyellleai
should attend a basketball garni
Kansas or Duke. Let themote
how the home crowd begirt
‘Rock Chalk Jayhawk’ chant#
any guidance. Let themobsew
how the Dukies appear tort-
stadium move as theyjumpif®
down on the bleachers, wifc
someone directing them#
To remedy this ill, we need#
the yell leaders out ofGJ "
into the stands.
If you consider yourselfart
ball fan, transfer schools. 1
insomnia, visit G. Rollie to art
ills. But if you consider yourselfi
Aggie, start attending thegan*
demand more bang for your#
Pedophile
ring rocks
Maple Leaf
TORONTO (AP)-Inanoi'
sex abuse scandal to jolt Canai
hockey, an alleged pedophile
of Maple Leaf Gardens en
lured dozens of boys intosrt
offers of tickets, hockey sticks 1
autographs.
One alleged victim says
was part of the sex ring!'
1975 to 1982, in which groi^
took place in the back rooitf
the building — one of hock
most renowned arenas—
times during Toronto M
Leafs games.
rjii
iffij
1 i
Tommy G<
course as pi
Wo m e t
OPEN FORUM
TO EXPLAIN
Texas A&M University
Residence Hall and University Apartments
RENT INCREASE
FOR 1997-1998
otJlesid Gri(
<5
' c e
Trt ^ ,1.1 wff gvcv
A&cM UnW e ' tS
WHEN:THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20,1997 • 6:00 RM.
WHERE: RUDDER TOWER 302
ALL STUDENTS IN RESIDENCE HALLS AND UNIVERSITY APARTMENTS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.
FOR INFORMATION, CALL THE DEPARTMENT OF RESIDENCE LIFE 862-3158 OR SEND AN E-MAIL
MESSAGE TO <HOUSING@TAMU.EDU>
or visit us on the web at http7/reslife.tamu.edu/
J
7B
WHAT’S IT LIKE AT THE PLASMA CENTER 1 A/IS
To the stafF of the Plasma Center,
I would like to start by saying thank you
to each and every employee for making the past
three years enjoyable in a professional, efficient
and courteous environment. As a donor since
•1993,1 have been more than satisfied with every
aspect of your operation, which allows myself and
others to contribute what we can to community
service, all the while being serviced by diligent,
but relaxed, workers. Everyone at the Plasma
Center, from those behind the front counter to
the phlebotomists to the supervisors, have made
great efforts to insure that each donor feels hy-
gienically safe, as well as keeping the atmosphere
light.
Like most, I started coming to the Plas
ma Center for monetary reasons, but I soon de
veloped acquaintances that appealed to me al
most as much as the original need for money,
enabling me to look forward to each donation,
not only for my wallet’s sake but also to see my
By Jo
friends. Like I commented to someone recent i ^ ^
talking to people at the Plasma Center was It iieering careei
getting mail from a far-off friend that you do f J| e ld Saturday
get to do much with, but who you can talk to« W’SL will h
c --cl-- J lops on prof
often as you write. For those acquaintances at | ) et j n g j n e
for your continual services. I would like to that* bific field.
all of those I’ve come to know and appreciate ^rkshops on
the past three years - Emily, and Tracy, Heath# '
Marty, Ada and Josie, etc... more I can’t remeo 1 ad profession
bet or those who have gone on to better thiif eering, will op
So, as I graduate from this great Unite' ^ Seminars a
sity, I bid you all a fond farewell and strong con' 1 Nanc^Ma)
mendations on such a successful blend of qual f inference’s t
ty medical practice and friendly service. Than 1 korld,” stressi
you all and have a great summer. Thanks, Cf L 011 t * le c !
& Jid engineer!]
Magnusser
IIOLOGICAL!
THE PLASMA CENTER
ff the confere
"There is a p
700 E. University^ rice,” Magnus
2 68-6050 ants are praHi
4223 Wellborn Rn
846-8855 | C % staff, ui