3tember 10,15 ^
' /ednesday • September 10, 1997
O The Battalion
PINION
Eaj ain^t nuthm , but a hound doe
st nine ol their las
ieveille grave site controversy complicated by irrelevant debate, discussions
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it much practiced
iwitzer said. "Hei
\
h, the grand
ol’ traditions
of the na
n’s finest univer-
y: the 12th Man,
practice and
e Fightin’ Texas
gie Bonfire. But,
’s not forget dear
d Reveille, our
loved American
llie mascot, who
is given frustrat-
alumni nothing
Jamie
Burch
sports writer
etter to do than waste our valuable
Jne over a few deceased canines and
}e planned Kyle Field expansion.
Lets face it. It doesn't take a rocket
[ientist to realize the mutts are dead,
in six-feet under. They have all bat-
;d the Grim Reaper and lost. How
in you expect Reveilles I-IV to watch
ke Aggies battle on Kyle Field when
^ey have ceased to breathe?
Even if the dogs were living, their
■resight would not he good enough to
se e the scoreboard. The field is 140
1 fcrds from the north endzone to the
1 1^ Usioreboard. Back the dogs up another
, J.ClUl\>y ards to dle former grave sight, and
■ would be impossible for them to see
i s cautious apprdt 6 length of the field, even with the
injury. lew Sony Jumbotron in place. If you
/e want todotherpn’t see the scoreboard, it is difficult
ig extra precauti P keep up with the game.
■ Assuming the dogs could watch,
lat repeated coaMiey would have rolled over in their
nt brain damage ipves with the way the Aggies played
nit startingrooki Mst season at home. A 3-3 record with
nd straight wee; losses to the University of Colorado,
:up. Reserve quaflansas State University and Texas Tech
;ken bone in hisjniversity would’ve had the bitches
estionable thisw*
rst rookie to stan
cisco since Joe
id unflappable ini
hful mistakes. He 1
including a 25-y
'tokes. He was iml
tossing and turning in their eternal
resting place.
So why does it truly matter if Wally
Groff and the administration decided
to give the old mascots a new home?
They have been relocated adjacent to
Cain Hall where they can give the ath
letes support and encouragement on a
daily basis. The athletes in return can
now pay daily homage to their fallen
friends. Prior to the move, the burial
plots rested next to the Eternal Flame
only to be visited on game day.
And did the flustered alumni, who
ought to move to a retirement village
in Florida and leave the rest of the
known world alone, actually think a
few petition letters and phone calls
would reverse the decision to move
the burial plots? If there is one thing
the alumni should have learned about
Texas A&M during their college days
is that the university is a business.
The institution operates for the sole
purpose of making money. Any uni
versity that would build a toll booth
on campus is in it for the profit. It is
all about the bottom line. So why
would the administration scrap the
costly expansion plans for a couple of
decayed canines?
Before all the die hard Aggies call for
an end to the ravings of a stark raving
lunatic, I do realize the symbolic
meaning behind allowing Rev to join
the crusade of the 12th man in support
of the Aggies battle on the gridiron,
also known as Kyle Field. At the same
time you must realize how insane it is
for a bunch of spirited graduates to
rant and rave over one negative aspect
of a stadium expansion which will only
add to the unequaled experience of
watching a college football game in
Aggieland, Home of the 12th Man. Just
consider how much more memorable
the experience will be with an added
8,000 Aggies packed into the confines
of the newly remodeled facilities.
In the spirit of compromise, I and a
group of arbitrators have devised a so
lution that takes into consideration
both parties wishes. Move the dogs
back to the original site and build the
new deck with luxury boxes over the
dogs. The mob used the same solution
for former Teamsters Union President
Jimmy Hoffa. FJoffa is now a season
ticket holder of the New York Giants
and a permanent resident at the
Meadowlands. If it’s good enough for
the Italian Mafia, it must be good
enough for Aggieland.
Jamie Burch is a senior speech
communications major.
Mariucci said, i
‘xperience. The nl
;ity to play, he shol
retch
Mascot problems resolved by introducing a mutt successor
T
lace Mariners.
ie 15th different maj
50 home runs in a
lat has been accoi
ies overall. It has be
rs in a row— McGv
derson did it in 1!
lie did it in 1995-i
i histoiy.
No. 50 on Sundi
the fastest to real
:e Maris and Mid
in 1961.
meanwhile, is
again this season.!
akland before bell
.ouis on July 31,%,
14 more. At the tie
the Cardinals bt
james left than d
ing McGwire a If
at Maris.
>1 or more will tali
tches. Which Grf
londay night, mut
mt of the KansasCi
Dered for him rath
ds.
ie circumstances,
Griffey said. “Ever
o see the homerui
a big thing for basi , B
ot a couple of grjC ampus organizations
m thing thats In response to Dan Cone’s September
lwhlIe - Icolumn:
I Fraternities have the option to
|/eed out the “different” folk, and
ney exercise this option more of-
than not. Instead of a bizarre
tossed salad of buddies and co-
JOHN
Lemons
columnist
I here she was on Satur
day, the First Lady of
Aggieland, prancing
around Kyle Field, barking
at the Sam Houston State
University football players,
and making herself known.
With the beginning of the
fall semester and football
season, Aggies are being
reacquainted with their
beloved mascot Reveille. The
current incarnation, Reveille
VI, has graced the University since November ’93.
While Reveille VI is a recent addition to Texas
A&M, it is never too early to start planning for
the future. When the time comes to find a new
Reveille, the dog chosen to be the next Universi
ty mascot should be a mutt.
Obviously many Aggies will balk at making
the next Reveille a mutt. After all, the single-
most dominant force at A&M is inertia, the re
sistance to change. But a mixed-breed Reveille
is an idea whose time has come.
First, mixed-breed dogs are less prone to the
genetic problems that plague pure-bred dogs.
Although the limited gene pool available to
breeders who breed full-blooded dogs preserves
the desirable characteristics of a breed, it also
preserves undesirable genes.
Reveille VI, herself, suffers from epilepsy,
which she inherited through her parents. Fortu
nately, her disorder is kept under control
through medication.
According to Jeff King, the commander of
company E-2, Reveille VI takes phenylbarbitol
for her epilepsy and has not suffered a seizure
since November ’96. If the dog chosen to be
Reveille VII is a mutt, however, it is unlikely that
she too will suffer from a genetic disorder.
There is some precedent for making Reveille
VII a mutt. While the last four Reveilles have
been inbred ... er, pure-bred American Collies,
the original Reveille was a mongrel.
Legend has it that the original Reveille was
hit by a group Aggies who were driving through
Navasota. The cadets brought the little black
and white colored dog back to campus where
she soon became miss, Reveille, ma’am.
A mixed-breed Reveille would provide A&M
with a tangible tie back to OF Army days. As
A&M is a place that is obsessed with its past, a
mutt would be a friendly reminder of days past.
Moreover, a mutt Reveille would be a market
ing coup. Each year thousands of Reveille T-shirts
and stuffed animals are sold to an adoring public.
The publicity A&M would receive from
changing Reveille’s breed would generate
statewide, if not nationwide, attention. Children
of former students across the nation would
clamor for their very own stuffed Reveille.
As A&M is an institution which embraces di
versity, adopting a mixed-breed Reveille would
communicate a positive message about A&M’s
commitment to accepting differences.
The current line of Reveilles only supports
A&M’s stereotype as an inbred, homogeneous
place. A mascot of mixed-heritage, however,
would emphasize that A&M is willing to pursue
diversity in every aspect of its existence.
Perhaps the best reason to trade out
Reveilles, however, is the example of communi
ty service A&M would provide. By adopting a
mutt from a local animal shelter to be the next
Reveille, A&M will be saving the life of a dog.
Besides, adopting a dog from an animal shelter
is a bargain.
Kathyrn Bice, the executive director of the
Brazos Animal Shelter, said that the shelter’s
adoption package is worth over $150.
“It [adopting a dog] costs $65 and includes a
neuter, the first vaccination, worming, a two-
week health warranty, a leash and coupons for
free grooming.”
Surely, some alumni is willing to fork out $65
to buy the next Reveille. Sixty-five dollars is
well worth the price of keeping a dog from be
ing euthanized.
The reign of the Lassie-dogs at A&M is com
ing to an end. Making the next Reveille a mutt
makes too much sense to ignore. While A&M
hears little resemblance to the school it was 60
years ago, a mixed-breed Reveille is just the in
fusion of‘Ol Army that this school needs.
Besides, if Aggies are willing to paint their
Fish Pond purple, changing Reveille should not
be too traumatic.
John Lemons is an electrical engineering
graduate student.
Mail Call
Aggies first’ details
horts, they find people who act,
think, dress and look just like the
rest of the fraternity members.
Homogeneity may be good for
unity and such, but it’s not the Ag
gie way. People can spout off
about how all Aggies are alike, but
the fact is that those who are in
volved with the different legiti
mate facets of “Aggiedom” are an
swering to only one standard:
School Pride.
Although the different sects of
the on-campus cultures have their
little disputes and rivalries, they
are unanimous in their belief that
all things aside, being Aggies is
what matters — not just Aggies
first (as A&M’s greatest living oxy
moron, the Aggie Greeks put it),
but Aggies, period. The rest is just
something to keep us busy.
I ask everyone; to consider his or
her own response to this situation:
An organization that makes a
point to look down on everything
you stand for has set up camp at a
nearby location for recruiting pur
poses. Would you let the group go
about its business unhindered?
You can rest assured that the
Corps of Cadets wouldn’t look
kindly upon non-regs setting up a
tent in the Quad, encouraging its
fish to quit and come live in a
dorm. Fraternities wouldn’t allow
an “informational display” in front
of their respective houses detailing
the evils of Greek life.
I hope next time Cone will step
around his arrogance and his
narrow views before he starts an
other column.
Brent Ruple
Class of'97
Accompanied by 22 signatures
AtlJ^CMSTtTUTro^
Cynical students give A&M
reputation of bad attitudes
I
Chris
Huffines
columnist
"t’s the sec
ond week
.of class.
By now, the
effects of
Fish Camp
have worn
off and reali
ty has set in.
The fresh
men now
understand
that we’re all
going to die;
die or rot our lives away in a three
by three box, squished in with
other cubicles tighter than
Amnesty International would al
low in the most squalid third
world death camp. Why is this?
Why do we all basically mistrust
human nature, looking for the
knife in the back rather than the
hand extended in friendship? It is
because we are cynics.
This wave of cynicism could be
traced to a number of causes. No
one says “howdy” anymore. No
one uses turn signals. Beer no
longer tastes great, it’s just less fill
ing. Campus bicycle riders seem to
get extra points for pedestrians.
The Oilers moved to Tennessee.
Or, maybe, it’s because we have
become so wrapped up in our own
lives, that what is happening to us
is that we just don’t care enough
about each other to do the little
things that make life better.
Admittedly, not using turn sig
nals will not bring about the kind
of post-apocalyptic freeway gun-
battle we all wish John Wayne and
Lee Marvin had starred in movies
about. The AAA Gestapo will not
come haul you away for not sig
naling a lane change. Signaling
lane changes and turns, however,
reduces accidents, lowers the col
lective blood pressure of drivers
around you and is polite. But
there is no real incentive to use
them either, except for reduction
of the anarchy we call driving in
College Station.
I have to admit that the world
won’t end because students don’t
say “howdy.” Some black and ma
roon ArchAggie of Death will not
come swooping down from Heaven
to rain 50 million volts of penance
on two-percenters everywhere.
But, as the Mail Call whines
with alarming regularity, saying
“howdy” does make other people’s
day that much better. It gives them
a ray of sunshine to know that the
student body has at least one per
son who is not wrapped up in his
or her own selfish world. Admit
tedly, there is no real incentive to
saying “howdy.” You would just
have to do it because you are an
all-around good person.
And, bicycle riders aren’t all de
ranged Hell’s Angels wannabes.
There are kind, considerate people
who ride bicycles. Actually, there
are quite a few. The rest seem to
think that the large distance be
tween classes entitles them to per
form hit and run atrocities with a
fervor not seen since the IRA and
PLO were in direct competition.
Despite this, there will be no
pedestrian-led revolution, where
bicycle riders are guillotined and
their vehicles of pain melted into a
giant sculpture of our victory. Bicy
cles will not be banned from cam
pus. Again, only goodness of char
acter and a desire to help your
fellow man offer any incentive to
act differently.
This cynicism has to stop. The
fact is no one on this campus
seems to think that doing a good
deed for its own sake is worth it.
If students don’t do anything un
less there is something benefi
cial in it for them, why should
others expect anyone else to act
any differently?
Aggies are said to hold to a
higher standard, to be a cut above
the rest, at least that used to be the
description. “OF Army” doesn’t
just mean earlier, it also represents
a time when all students cared. It
represents a time when things
were better because students
chose to make them better, not be
cause there was some tangible
benefit for themselves. Cynicism
will not destroy Texas A&M, but it
will turn the University into a cold
er, darker place for us all.
Chris Huffines is a sophomore
speech communications major.