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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1997)
i er 22,199 Monday • September 22, 1997 Lifestyles uatr« \>. f \ >i\ KX / \f\ '* '' V: ‘ 'v \^S --X M • ■ VI ■. ,\1 American Pride Texas A&M Veterans Association reminds Aggies of their military heritage “0 JEI By Michelle Voss Staff writer h, say does that Star-Spangled Ban ner yet wave?” The American flag did not hang in the Memorial Student Center until the Texas A&M Veterans Association took matters into their own hands. “Two years ago, some of the original officers of the Veterans Association came into the MSC to have their pictures taken in front of the Unit ed States and Texas State flags. After a tour of the whole building, they could not find them,” said Todd Milburn, president of the Veterans Association and veteran of the United States Marine Corps. On Veterans Day in 1995, the association fixed the oversight and hung the two flags in the MSC Flagroom. “Unto this day, nobody knows if the flags were here in the beginning, or what happened to them if they were,” Milburn said. “They’re now posted proudly.” One of the goals of the organization is to help veterans make the transition from military life to student life, to provide unity, said Terry Dahlke, secretary of the Veterans Association. “We don’t sit around and talk about the politics of conflict,” he said. “We’re beyond that, really.” Milburn said considering A&M’s history of mil itary tradition, it is actually odd and perplexing that the MSC had no American or Texas flags. “We’re the whole reason why this building is here,” said Laura Busch, a United States Marine Corps veteran. Aggies know they should remove their hats in the MSC and should not step on the grass sur rounding the building. Yet, the reason is some times forgotten. Established two years ago, the Texas A&M Veterans Association is here to help students remember. “We’ve been approached by MSC directors to become an MSC recognized organization, and ‘/oo RYAN ROGERS/The Battalion Terry Dahlke, Todd Milburn and Laura Busch stand in front of the flags in the MSC Flagroom. They are all members of the Texas A&M Veterans Association. we have strong interest in that area,” Milburn said. “The Memorial Student Center is for the Ag gie veterans who have gone to war and died for our country, and we want to be involved in that.” Milburn said many veterans arrive on cam pus and feel lost. ‘“Gee, I’m already older than most of the people who are graduating, and I just sortafeel out of place. Where do I need to go?”’ Milburn said. ‘“This is a big university! We’re used to being on bases where units take care of us.’” In an effort to remind Aggies of their military heritage, the Veterans Association’s continuing project this year is the addition of the five branch flags of the armed forces to the MSC Flagroom. The estimated cost of hanging the five branch flags is $7,000, and the Veterans Association is seeking help to raise the funds. “We’ve spoken with some former Ags that have looked into our project as a gift to the Uni versity,” said Laura Busch, treasurer of the Veter ans Association. “We’re also planning some fund raisers like a bike-a-thon. Mainly, just getting people to know about us will help raise money.” Dues to join the association are $ 15 for the se mester or $30 for the year, according to Busch. “A portion of the dues will go towards a schol arship fund we’re establishing for the veterans here at A&M,” Busch said. “We’re all students at Texas A&M, we’re all working towards receiving some type of degree and we’re spread out all over the University,” Milburn said. “But, we all have two common bonds: We’re older than the average student and we’ve all been in the military.” “It’s a camaraderie thing that you don’t have with someone sitting next to you in class, because they don’t understand what you’ve been through,” Busch said. “They don’t get your boot camp jokes.” “In the Marines, we had that philosophy, ‘Once a Marine, always a Marine,”’ Milburn said. “Here at A&M, we also have that, ‘Once an Aggie, always an Aggie.’ There’s that network there, and the Veterans Association is just an additional net work,” said Milburn. Milburn said the Veterans Association esti mates 700 veterans attend Texas A&M and they are hoping to reach all of them. “Our main focus in the association is getting through an education program and moving on with our lives,” he said. Loving and leaving: Students discuss why breaking up is hard to do By Travis Irby Staff writer T he great breakup. The grand fi nale. It is a common theme to anyone who has ever felt their heart beat for another. “A boyfriend dumped me be cause he said God told him to,” said Sandy Strickland, a sophomore ac counting major. “I bought Eric Clapton tickets for my ex-girlfriend, and I was rewarded with her going out wkh an ex boyfriend,” senior biology major E. Allen Mantanona said. “I asked why, and she replied, ‘S— happens.’” “Breaking up is hard to do,” goes the famous tune, and for many peo ple it is true. Anyone who has been in a serious relationship can probably relate to the tales of woe born of the demise of such pairings. Most peo ple leam to move on after the end of a serious relationship, but some peo ple have a much harder time. The combination of school stress with relationship stress can affect everything from personal health to grades. Dr. Brian Williams, a psychologist with Student Counseling Services, said there can be many unhealthy re actions to a breakup. “Depression is a very common side effect of the end of a serious re lationship,” Williams said. “Someone may sleep a lot more or less, eating patterns might change — they just end up in a funk.” Cynthia Quick, a psychological intern with Student Counseling Ser vices, said the behaviors can go too far. “Some students may react by go ing out partying and drinking an ex treme amount; some might just sleep all the time and miss class,” Quick said. Breaking up is not easy for even those with the best of mental health, after someone has paid a certain emotional price to their significant other. Leaving the relationship can result in a serious void. Quick said the void might be the hardest part for a person to overcome. “Once a person leaves a longtime relationship, they find most of their support net was tied up in the rela tionship,” Quick said. Williams and Quick said the biggest challenges facing someone leaving a serious romance is estab lishing a social existence outside of the former boyfriend or girlfriend. It can be difficult if a circle of friends is shared. A person must figure out how to deal with their former love. “Many people tend to fall into the same patterns of choosing a rela tionship,” Quick said. “So to help bet ter deal with a breakup, they need recognize and change those pat terns.” Williams said Student Counsel ing Services offers help to those who need it. “We offer a weekly focus group, meeting on Monday afternoons,” Williams said. “It is designed to help talk about issues associated with breakups and many students find it very helpful.” Williams said there is a limit of eight allowed in the group, but open ings are still available. One of die biggest problems with students who suffer at the hands of the breakup is they do not realize the effect it has on them. “Many students will come af ter making an ‘F’ on a test won dering what is wrong,” Williams said. “Then when you ask them what is going on in their life, and they casually mention, ‘Oh, my girlfriend or boyfriend just broke up with me,’ it just sets off a warning light.” Please see Breakups on Page 4. Graphics Editor j ■, Radio Editor ^ht News Editor , Web Editor | 'eb Editor Office Manager as A&M Univeisitywlti| i. News offices are ii x: 845-2647; E-nufl or endorsement by Il«|| ’696. For classifiedadi id office hours are8a.» student to pick upasiij : fall or spring semesteiai n Express, call 845-26111 riday during the fall spii except University t aid at College Station,! 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