The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 17, 1997, Image 7
ober 171 ould i not fee! ;oingtofiday • October 17, 1997 We O The Battalion PINION coordit.. services, isment e Student arity on pots brings about a s harass; led theyd she sale ave repoi;| l or haras onfiretc The chile er a gone tionship -aid inii apportfe ; ationshi; tends dec Just be a;, ise are 0® ihysicala; mental i ; , . st rampa; may , at (409)81 tion. ic sponc ce with' nee Anip 1 targett: he Braze s Photography by Rony Angkriwan & Brandon Bollom 'OS, ?ton, n countit ’w B \R ities. d be ater Mandy Cater assistant opinion editor onfire. It is, per- haps, the "greatest physical ex hibition of regie spirit, in advanced 61118 sd run j^prifice cation iii|i urs - to notices ;h u ild it, s andrfB mni j n crowd into dar. If;,tBllege Sta- luestions ^00 to see it and t-sips cower in he news^ ear °f it. 1313. But there is a dark side be hind the burning flames, one |iat might shock many Aggies o are not in the know. J! Texas A&M prides itself on be ing a shining star where traditions are concerned. Tradition is said to be what sets this university apart from all others, what makes this AC) flluniversityspecial. Participating in traditions can be a bonding experience for stu dents, introducing them to new pends and strengthening Ichool pride. But what happens when carrying on a tradition gets out of hand, when the ac- tions of a few overzealous indi viduals overshadow the true of the tradition? The Aggie Bonfire tradition parted in 1909, and was official- ■i^^ly^taken over by A&M in 1935. The flaming stack is said to symbolize the “burning desire” to beat the University of Texas at p. m . Meaning their annual match-up. The wearing of hard hats, or “pots” has been a Bonfire tradi tion for decades, as well. Student workers’ positions and responsi bilities are noted by the color of their pots. In recent years, however, an other less spirited practice has jaded the “pot”-wearing tradi tion. While walking around cut site or stack site today, though, one might wonder what burning desires are actually being sym bolized by the pyre. Bonfire pots are commonly decorated to indicate workers’ groups, dorms or units. Today, however, the pots seem less like advertisements for stu dents’ housing locales, and more like ads for some 9-7-6 number. The comments pass the boundaries of good taste by miles, putting new meaning to the term blatantly sexually offensive. Sadly, this disgusting new tra dition seems to have permeated the cut and stack practice. A recent voyage to the polo fields yielded quite a crop of vul gar examples of this less than pristine practice. For instance, one male work er’s helmet proclaimed that he would “work for fellatio.” Not a very shining invitation to the average female student. Another male stacker indicat ed that he would work for an even more colorful part of the female anatomy, displaying his fervent sexual appetite. Even Crew Chiefs seem to en dorse this new trend, as one sported a hat saying that “girls with big tits do it better.” The average person might not understand what exactly there is about cutting and stacking logs that requires that women have big breasts, but I’m sure a Crew Chief would know. For years, women have fought to be respected for their contri bution to building Bonfire, con sistently arguing that female “pots” are equal to their male counterparts. Apparently, women have tak en this supposed equality to the same pathetic extreme, choos ing to embrace the potty mouthed pot practice. One of the female Bonfire vol unteers, for example, chose to have her helmet proclaim that she “don’t want no short” man. Her concern with shortness, however, was focused on penis size, not height. Another woman decided to get straight to the point, her helmet simply reading “Sex, sex, sex.” The only word appropriate to describe these tasteless toppers is disgusting. Aggie Bonfire, a tradi tion which already faces enough derision for its environmental repercussions, simply becomes an embarrassment. Visitors to Bonfire number annually from 30,000 to 70,000 people. These include students, parents, former students, ad ministrators and guests from other universities. Bonfire rests on A&M proper ty, with big trucks beside with the words “Aggie Bonfire” slathered across them. That is what makes this pot decorating practice so disturb ing. It is almost as if the Univer sity just shrugs it off as a given, regardless of the fact that these crude individuals are supposed to be representing University pride at its finest hour. The real message these lewd pots are sending is that Bonfire and sexual promiscuity go hand in hand, that sexual harassment is okay. In the end, one must remember that traditions are only beneficial as long as they are for the good of the school and its students. When supporting a tradition, people must not just play follow the leader; they should apply a sense of morality and use their discretion. Succumbing to a tasteless group mentality does not make a good person or a good Aggie, it only makes for a spineless follower. And while people’s right to ex press themselves should be pre served, one would hope that by the time a person reaches col lege age, he or she would be able to distinguish between tasteful and tasteless. Mandy Cater is a senior psychology major. The Battalion Editorials Board Established in 1893 Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the editorials board members. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, re gents, administration, faculty or staff. Columns, guest columns, cartoons and letters express the opinions of the authors. Contact the opinion editor for information on sub mitting guest columns. Helen Clancy Editor in Chief Brad Graeber Managing Editor James Francis Opinion Editor Mandy Cater Assistant Opinion Editor Shattering the Tradthon Bonfire deserves honorable participation, not vulgar displays. Every year it seems that Bon fire is associated with a contro versy — racism, sexism or envi ronmental destruction. However, the obscenities seen on the pots of Bonfire partici pants this year are among the worst violations of decency on campus. And according to Head Stack John Gallemore, it hasn’t al ways been this way. By sponsoring Bonfire, the University is sanctioning the sex ist and vulgar messages implied by the words so proudly dis played on these helmets. This blatant behavior creates an atmosphere of exclusion, tar nishing a tradition that Aggies have embraced for many years. This cheap disrespect toward sexuality and gender is unaccept able at an institution of higher ed ucation. The Bonfire site is open to the public—visitors of A&M who wit ness such backwardness can not be impressed by what they see. We cannot be a “World Class Univer sity” when participants in an offi cial University activity display statements such as “will work for cunt” as a part of their uniform. Some University groups dis miss the lewd comments associ ated with Bonfire by saying “boys will be boys.” However, the Fish Drill Team also adopted this irre sponsible attitude in regards to hazing — and has since tainted A&M’s image due to the resulting lawsuits. In order for the student body to respect the Bonfire tradition, participants must respect it themselves. The Fish Drill Team was dis banded because of hazing — we could lose Bonfire due to imma ture, senseless vulgarity. The inappropriate atmos phere encouraged at Bonfire would not be accepted at any other forum. For instance, a large outcry would occur if our football team printed “will work for fellatio” on their helmets. Generally, this campus prides itself in its conservative values, yet overlooks the negative be havior associated with Bonfire. Those who choose to take the moral high ground on issues such as homosexuality and abor tion are conspicuously absent from opposing this activity. If the University will not ad dress this issue until a lawsuit oc curs, it is up to students to take proactive measures to amelio rate this situation. Bonfire was founded almost 90 years ago, and aspects of it have evolved into destructive ac tivities. Students of all back grounds are present at A&M now, and traditions must accommo date the unique perspectives they represent. Although the University ad ministration proclaims itself as the champion of diversity, its ac tions reflect different motives. It is aware of the appalling phras es on the Bonfire pots — that they perpetuate negative stereo types — yet fails to take action. The University claims to re cruit the best students, only to encourage them to participate in morally degrading functions. Vulgarity at Bonfire is an un acceptable part of A&M in 1997 which must be changed — we can no longer look the other way. If administrators cannot take ac tion, students can. And if they re spect A&M traditions and want to . see them preserved, they should take action. Students can choose to cele brate Bonfire in the manner in which it was meant to be cele brated: as a symbol of pride and spirit. Traditions are sacred at A&M, and students need to address the insensitive activities perpetuat ed by some Bonfire participants. A tradition that offends students is not one worth keeping. ,eret MAIL CALL ise fee! Californians decide to vote for change fowert I On the opinion page of the Oct. 15 Battalion, it said, ‘Welcome to ..pektown, U.S.A.’ and I felt like I fnU.CCqvas there when I read Donny Fer- s^s^^guson’ column on medicinal mari- HMM 0^)uana. This column seemed more Jke an attack on the majority of _ the voters’ intelligence for not sid- S ing with the columnist’s opinion EARS on prohibition of grass. i The Californian voters may have taken into consideration fac tors that show grass to be non-ad- I dictive and less dangerous than other legal drugs like alcohol and OcAllilobacco. Maybe they decided to i;—C stop putting the seemingly harm- jRW - r less drug into the control of mod- JRVV 2^em-dayAl Capones. /ISC 22l Court precedents allow us to 'Q\M 1 as we P^ ease with our own bod- ^ KVV1 ies as long as unborn children are JRW * not murdered and no pot is jRVV jfeioked. These laws should not be confused with right and wrong. People in California who voted for 215 were not suckered into voting ’er con p r0 p OS iti on i n t 0 law, Donny m b ingeniously discovered. C The voters actually thought for WEEKS themselves and voted for what they $20 pc ' believed in rather than voting how a (. they were told to think. The Cali fornian voters voted for liberty. —They refused to take their pipes to Amsterdam from behind a book shelf and hid from fascists who would have everyone think from the same perspective. Sending pot smokers to overcrowded prisons for breaking silly laws is not right and California has taken a step in the right direction to put an end to this. These not so well thought argu ments have been accepted for a long time thanks to the ‘war on drugs’ and all the propaganda that has gone along with and inspired this witch hunt. California has tak en a step to distinguish decent citi zens from a real and dangerous criminal underworld. Once the distinction has been made people will begin to see the problem is not the drug, but in the system that forces it in the control of criminals. Randal Scamardo Class of’98 Bonfire feature misses the mark In response to Michelle Voss’Oct. 15 Lifes tyles fea tu re: Voss was in error stating that there are no women Crew Chiefs. Although there is not one this year, there has been a woman Off-Cam pus Aggie Crew Chief for the past three previous years. These women earned their pots through hard work and ded ication to Bonfire. This is a trend that will proba bly continue as more women be come involved. Do not forget that Lechner and the Fowler-Keathly-Hughes Com plex are coed residence halls with ac tive female participation. The women who continue to go out to cut and stack have true grit. They are both recognized and appreciated. Michael Spiders Class of’98 Tradition brings students back to nature N ature calls. And for the Bonfire crowd, it sounds something like, “%<§>#$!”. Every Aggie has their stereotypes, but for the Bonfire crowd, they manage to live up to common perception. The University di vides into camps about how to view Bonfire. Strict, uptight conservatives gasp in horror as half-nude freaks streak by, cov ered in mud and proudly displaying lewd comments on their clothing. Rugged outdoorsy types can appreciate Bonfire for the simple communion of na ture and man. Freudians see Bonfire as a mere phallic symbol, a monument to testosterone. Others just stare in bewilderment with crinkled brows and pursed lips thinking, “O, that was tacky.” No matter how one perceives Bonfire, all Aggies cannot forget that our sacred Bonfire tradition would not exist if those handful of dedicated Ags quit sacrificing their time and energy to Bonfire. To explain this split in the student popu lation, two classifications can best describe the general sentiments towards Bonfire. Either students see Bonfire from a Thoreau perspective, let’s go back to nature, or students take a Puritanical view of the crude behavior associated with the event. Initially, we have the Thoreau approach: Bonfire brings students out to nature, which is inherently positive. For our non- English majors, here’s a little background on Thoreau. Thoreau wrote Walden 150 years ago as an account of why he left the city for the woods. Thoreau thought that nature could provide an escape from the stifling worldli ness and materialism of his contemporaries. Viewing his fellow men as conformists to a life of “melancholy responsibility,” Thore au basically thought Americans were bor ing, self-righteous and greedy. So, Thoreau said, “Turn it out doors, Into the moors.” In other words, Americans need to stop and compare their stale, con ventional codes of morality with the dy namic laws of the universe. For Bonfire participants, wandering out to the woods for cut is an escape from the banality of life. A little bit of wood-chop ping can purify. Try some honest, manual labor for a day. Use your hands instead of trying to extend yourself through the modern holy ma chines of commerce. Our precious hunks of wires and metal do nothing to create self-reliance or self- worth. Thoreau wrote, “We need the tonic of wildness, we need to witness our own limits transgressed ...” Returning to nature for a day can put life into perspective. By testing yourself against the rugged wilderness, you become more aware of simplicity. Bonfire equals freedom for many. Mi grating to the woods for a day provides a mental release from the flat and dreary pro gram of life. The fresh air is free from the toxic confinement of the “student” label, and the vibrant hues of the woods drown out the plague of four white walls. In direct contrast, Puritans saw the woods as Satan’s playground. In the eyes of the Puritans, only evildoers would gather in the woods to conjure spirits of Lucifer, con duct pagan rituals and dance naked through the trees [well, certain groups at Bonfire might do this last one.] Puritans saw the woods as a symbol of moral depravity. It is interesting to draw a correlation be tween this Puritanical view of the woods and how some students perceive Bonfire participants. Today, the Bonfire crowd is seen as a group of lunatics and social degenerates. With their grungy, smelly clothes, socially unacceptable behavior and bizarre jargon, students often view Bonfire participants as amoral barbarians. Yet, an even more interesting observa tion is the annual ritual of Bonfire. Regard less of how one perceives Bonfire, all stu dents arrive on the eve of the t.u. game to watch this over-sized fire burn. Oddly enough, everyone takes credit for the stack of logs, whether they helped build it or not. Bonfire becomes a point of unity. All Ag gies watch the blazing fire and feel a swelling of pride. No matter if they Puritanically disdain the crude behavior, or actually lead the droves of muddy eccentrics, all stop, look at each other and say, “Wow, that’s a big fire.” In the end. Bonfire is a simple pagan rit ual. A sacrifice to the gods of football. O, ye, great gods, accept this monument to 54 days of swarthiness. As a gift from the students and alumni, we hope the gods grant us power so that our people might defeat the evil, wretched enemy, t.u. So, as thousands of Aggies witness this burning castle in the air, they realize that maybe the stinky bonfire freaks are not so bad after all. Michelle Voss is a sophomore English major. Michelle Voss columnist