Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1997)
citfiliaiMlwifh ivincwoil 1 ,,, <iMA( ' The Battalion r 1, 1997 ■Monday • September 1, 1997 atro Aggie freshmen invited to test their campus savvy ocal residents, merchants adjust to students’return H owdy, fish! FED'I Mell By Marujm Mohiuddin Staff writer tis crowded.” “It is uncomfort able.” “There is too much traf fic.” These statements are often by Texas A&M students return- j|to the Bryan-College Station area ; ;|)egin the fall semester. However, beyond the dorms and tains of the University lies a city dty of people, many of whom ivenothing to do with A&M. Every these residents experience lyinconveniences as 40,000 stu nts pour into Aggieland. Laurinda Lin, a sophomore biology jor, has experienced life in the ran-College Station area during summer and fall terms. The fall is serious and very struc- , so it keeps me very busy,” Lin “However, the summer atmos- ereis perfect. There are less peo- i, it is laid back, and I am not as tssed out.” ‘The campus was empty, and it felt mierand more personal,” tin said. Lin said she would take the bus to ipus and found it to be a calmer ride at during the regular school year. ‘It felt like I was being chauffered to house,” Lin said. "During the sum- a. everyone was nicer and relaxed.” Lin said with fewer students at- tding school during the summer, nas many of her friends were in mto socialize. Sasha Cooke, a sophomore at A&M asolidated High School, said for Col- !?e Station natives, the start of the aoolyear means big changes. ‘The city does get crowded,” Cooke *iLIt becomes difficult and uncom- SON OF Michael Schaub columnist fortable to move around in the town be cause of the enormous flow of students. On the other hand, A&M provides valu able education and interaction be tween the two campuses.” Pamala Wells, a College Station resi dent and mother of two, said she has a unique perspective on the massive stu dent return. She said when the fall semester is in full swing, she has to leave earlier in the morning to beat the 8 a.m. rush to class. She also said she comes out of her house at “odd times” to do school shop ping for her children to avoid traffic cre ated by students. Despite the many inconveniences returning students pose to the com- QUATRO OAKLEY/The Battalion munity students bring economic ben efits to the area. David Herrick, assistant manager of the College Station Kroger’s, said with the return of students, sales increases 30 to 40 percent. Herrick said Kroger adjusts the size of its staff to acommodate the fluctuat ing student population. The students leaving for the summer allows the Kroger’s staff to take summer vacations. This is a valuable amenity for Bryan- College Station residents. The students are an asset to the com munity. The natives realize this town is for the students. Nevertheless, residents say they love to see them come, and they love to see them go. OK. That was a trick. If you said — or even thought — “howdy” in re sponse, you are lost. Put this down now. For those freshmen left — those of you who sur vived Fish Camp with san ity intact, those of you who can hear someone say “2001” without throw ing your hands in the air and shouting “Ayyy!” like a football referee with a Macarena fetish — welcome to Texas A&M. A&M, by any reckoning, is a pretty swell place. Many national magazines rank this insti tution among the 25 finest in the United States. Others rank it right above Bob’s College ’n’ Ribs in Kansas City (“Come for the brisket, stay for the history department”). But no matter. If you are going to make sunny College Station your home for the next four or five or 17 years, you have to be prepared. So herewith is a little “true or false” quiz. No Scantron necessary. 1. Aggie blood runs deep maroon. 2. The Corps of Cadets is the pulse of the beat of the veins of the blood of the heart of Aggieland. 3. The Dixie Chicken is a swingin’ place to hang with your homeboys. 4. The Battalion is a communist, liberal rag that advances subversive, un-American ideas. 5. “Two-percenters” are the minority of A&M students who do not participate in Aggie traditions. 6. The Aggie “Code of Honor” is, “Aggies do not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do.” 7. Highway 6 runs both ways. 8. Dropping a coin at the feet of the Sul Ross statue will give you good luck. 9. That “little school in Austin” is full of hip pies and drug addicts. 10. Steers and queers — no place but t.u. Time’s up. Pencils down. Here are the answers: 1. TRUE. Incidentally, everyone’s blood runs deep maroon. Actually, it’s more crimson, but let’s not quibble over vocabulary. 2. FALSE. Nothing like hazing and assault charges to ruin your PR. 3. FALSE. In: Friendly coffee shops. Out: Urine- soaked, Confederate-themed faux honky-tonk dens of intoxicated urban cowboys. 4. FALSE. This lie makes me so mad, I could down an entire bottle of Absolut vodka and plot the violent overthrow of the bourgeoisie. 5. FALSE. Every semester, some would-be true believer whines to Mail Call: No one says “howdy” anymore, liberals are taking over, no one goes to cut for Bonfire. It’s beginning to seem like only two percent of students here do participate in traditions — so, dammit, they’re the real “two-percenters.” 6. FALSE. They do. They just blame the media. 7. TRUE. And if you were brainy enough to wangle the necessary SAT scores to get here, you’d realize that most highways do, indeed, run both ways. 8. FALSE. Only if you’re a slave owner. 9. FALSE. The only difference between their student body and ours is no one in Austin will give you directions. Bastards. 10. FALSE. This charming little homophobic bumper sticker ignores studies that have proved many universities — including this one — have cows and homosexuals. Rumor has it A&M has some homosexual cows, but the dean of agriculture denies it. To be frank, you will run into plenty of stri dent “super-Ags” who may be eager to exclude or mock you in the name of tradition. But you know what? Screw ’em. You paid tu ition. You paid $362,000 in fees so engineering students could use extremely complicated computers. This school is yours, and it has plenty of room for everyone, from the red-ass tradition hound to the perpetually bored, apathetic daydreamer. And it is not just a school for the conservative, the traditional, the heterosexual. So if you want to learn all the words to the “Aggie War Hymn,” great. If not, great, too. And if anyone has a problem with that, remind them that Highway 6, like all highways — ah, you know. Jm J What’s THE PRINCETON REVIEW EE OR DIB* GRE IENIR. © score? irchases. Space is Limited - Classes filling now Welcome Back AGGIES !! ! The GRE is moving to a new format - the computer adaptive test - or CAT * There are only two pencil-and- paper tests left and one of these is on November 1st. This is your last chance to take the kind of test you’re used to ... if you’re graduating in Decem ber or your application deadlines are in early Spring. Do yourself a favor - CALL US. *The CAT shouldn’t be let out of the bag just yet. Ask us about prepping for the pencil and paper GRE in November THE us @ W PRINCETON 409 / 696-9099 r REVIEW 800/2REVIEW (iet An Edge! THE fNH us @ PRINCETON 409 / 696-9099 REVIEW 800/2REVIEW OK© Phi Kappa Theta Give, Expecting Nothing Thereof 1997 Fall Rush Schedule Sept. 1 • Pool Shoot Yesterdays Pool Hall Sept. 2: Informational Kyle Field Press Box Sept. 3* Lasertag TJ. s Laser Tag Sept. 4: Formal Dinner.... Crazy Cruzs Cajun Restaurant ••• All events are from 7:00 - 9:00 PM ••• Sept. 5 : Bid House Systems Building ••• Time to be announced ••• For questions call Peter Shukis: 693-1885 or BJ Danek: 696-7969 ### For All the Right Reasons