The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 21, 1997, Image 9

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    ber21,i§
msi!r
esday • October 21, 1997
O The Battalion
PINION
"tolerating the intolerable
ot surge*
tudents must take holistic view ofA&Mpractices
I jGrei
Vdetc
said the
'ling th
ise he
as ’"iTT/.v Odyssey is a
ait healtl (,reek epic poem
r concettB, detailing the wan-
t° last nngs of Odysseus in
1 r P er 010 years following
chronijfall of Troy.
1 even No one can be sure if
man ntc-tysM jus ever made a
> the (earth thro ugh College
) n garni itio 11, but the thought
ngrown the University com-
?tq a standstill makes
James
Francis
opinion editor
asked', 'tudcut wonder what
idman at sastrous events could
, c vie caused its downfall.
ms j s ,, Tin yeai‘is 2007. A&M has become a na-
I(| ( | ir mwide mecca for pure-bred collies. Its multi-
itinum album-selling choir group, The
^ | „ hoopmasters, have garnered another Gram-
a 11 /nomination for their hit single, “Wannabe
, and students now can park in the
" 1 '' 1 w A. R Beutel Health Center high-rise gai age
1 rdnly $35 an hour.
ible. So j s w hat the future holds for A&M if cer-
' e can " ! n aspects of the faculty and student body do
it change. Although most of the aforemen-
insistei med is said in jest, people do not realize even
ict inclui ore ridiculous situations could result from
becaustelfcampant ignorance and misunderstand-
ohavior.lMhat occur every day at this school and
spendedihin this city.
ing a ct To those readers who have not come to the
sing ex:3lh'ition there exists an Aggie Odyssey: Un-
tgametef?tm id it is a reality, and the details reach be-
i iking aiPd students complaining about mition and
gjor parking problems.
wn as , Tin 1 tme definition of “Aggie” is defiled on a
( (|1 ’ litybasis — this puts die “odd” soundinthe
lu ‘l m( 3rd “odyssey.” If Aggies do not lie, cheat or
I } ! 1 1 , jal, nor do they tolerate those who do, the
^ ^ 1 testion remains as to why students allow cer-
r. Buthel
The Battalion
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, regents, administration, faculty or staff.
Columns, guest columns, cartoons and letters express the
opinions of the authors.
Editorials
Board
Helen Clancy
Editor in Chief
Brad Graeber
Managing Editor
I?
Clean Cut?
Despite new initiatives, the promise to
eliminate profanity at Bonfire is questionable.
inproblems to persist.
One of the biggest perplexities surrounding
u 111 itM is its students’ behavior toward issues
; 111 ch as religion and sexuality. On this campus,
iillerent ere are Catholics, Baptists, and beware, even
hSists. Religious beliefs are personal, and
; idents should not have to worry about oth-
ur, ana attempts to convert or condemn them.
inythingB nce one °f the founding beliefs of most
,, ligions is to love and treat others with re-
ise tnikiect, denouncing someone else’s religion
» |y displays ignorance, which in turn,
itises people to respond in a similar, inap-
bpriate manner.
S FORWf Thun there is the issue of heterosexuality
is homosexuality. A student’s sexual orien-
tract.
tation does not make the person, especially in
the stereotypical manner in which many peo
ple think. If it did, gay men would be having
sex at the feet of Sul Ross for exhibitionism,
and all heterosexual men would be yelling
“dyke” and “fag” at students who look “alterna
tive” and outside the norm of wranglers andT-
shirts — this simply is not the way things go.
As with religion, it is not one person’s job to
degrade another for the simple fact he or she is
attracted to members of the same sex.
Furthermore, there are too many accepted
practices and beliefs dial get into students’
minds without them attempting to dig deeper,
not for scandal or to go against the status quo,
but to find out all the facts.
Do not let the fact diere are minority stu
dents enrolled in the University blind you into
believing A&M is multicultural or diversified.
With racial separations in fraternities, sorori
ties, scholarship awards and personal bigotry,
this University has a long way to go in proving
it can be “family-oriented.”
Do not ignore the drove of students who
travel to Northgate every weekend (or week
day), get intoxicated, have vehicular accidents
and become hospitalized for one or a mixture
of these two bad elements. There is a drinking
problem on this campus, as on campuses na
tionwide, but when students forget they are
here to receive an education, it becomes all too
easy to head to Northgate to drown the trou
bles of daily life.
And do not forget the double standards of
respect displayed. Students are called two-per
centers, t-sips and other less than respectable
names for showing apathy toward a mascot,
fraditions such as Silver Taps and organiza
tions such as the Corps of Cadets.
But the students who ridicule others are
the same students who flaunt their profane
pots at Bonfire cut, the same students who
take tequila shots before heading out to the
ever-spirited MidnightYell and the same
students who whoop and cheer when oth
ers are made to perform 100 pushups for
saying the word “elephant.”
Change can come about only when stu
dents stop looking straight ahead and make an
attempt to question and go around some of
the accepted practices at A&M. Although there
is more than one problem to correct at the
University, students should concentrate on
obliterating the troubles of this “world-class”
facility by joining forces to make the school de
serving of the proud title it boasts.
Texas A&M is a good school. Students come
from all over the nation to attend A&M for its tra
ditions and quality education taught by its com
petent, sometimes extraordinary, professors. But
if students and faculty keep a blind eye to the in
appropriate activities that go on at this campus,
there will be no hope for redemption.
James Francis is a junior
English major.
In attempt to answer concerns about
profanities worn on Bonfire pots, campus
leaders had a heated discussion at a Bon
fire Advisory Council meeting Monday.
Bonfire leaders enthusiastically agreed to
a one-week ultimatum to clean up the sit
uation and make “substandal progress” to
avoid University intervention.
The buzz word at the meeting was
“progress.” Conveniently, no one could
define what measurable results would
constitute “progress.” In the end, Head
Stack John Gallemore, Vice President for
Student Affairs J. Malon Southerland
and Bonfire Adviser Kevin Jackson will
make the judgment exclusive of other
campus leaders.
It seems that if distinct goals cannot
be defined, then true progress will nev
er be achieved, especially in the time
frame of one week.
It is highly doubtful that Gallemore,
Southerland and Jackson will subject
Bonfire to the unbiased scrutiny of Uni
versity administrators Monday. Whether
or not the situation has been rectified,
they surely will boast “substantial
progress.” The tradition of Bonfire would
otherwise be in severe jeopardy, since the
University would have no other option
than to discontinue it.
While some Bonfire workers are blam
ing The Battalion for the events now un
folding, the animosity is a simple case of
targeting the messenger. The duty of a stu
dent newspaper is to report the truth, and
no one can deny the existence of profan
ity on those pots.
Unfortunately, the sentiment at yester
day’s meeting could be best defined by the
laughter of a female Bonfire representative
when the issue of sexual harassment was
discussed. A potentially productive ses
sion was reduced to several unanswered
questions and weak explanations.
Although the leaders seemed confident
the problem could be “fixed” in the span
of one week, the strategy they are endors
ing is questionable. Claiming that “Aggies
lead by example,” Bonfire leaders are bet
ting that workers ’will imitate their superi
ors, who do not endorse profanity on pots.
However, these leaders never have en
dorsed this behavior, and it is naive to as
sume a few meetings and a handful of de
termined students will effect change.
Gallemore and other Bonfire leaders are
sincere in their opposition to the profani
ty, but the constraints they face in enforc
ing this regulation are insurmountable.
As for the redpots, they are too ab
sorbed in the important task of maintain
ing safety to worry about what is written
on the pots. No one will argue with safety,
especially after the two injuries at Satur
day’s cut. An ax to the foot should never be
of minor concern.
At one point in the discussion, a red-
pot offered a snide suggestion to put a
fence around stack site and check every
one at the gate.
Obviously, the magnitude of this
problem extends beyond any easily
monitored behavior.
The group mentality found at the root
of this vulgar behavior cannot be reme
died in seven days. The chain of events fol
lowing the first reported hazing incident
surely illustrates this.
A tradition as widely embraced as Bon
fire should represent the most redeeming
qualities of Texas A&M students, espe
cially with opening of the Bush Library
just around the corner. It is never too late
to enact change, but the decision to rep
resent A&M must be embraced by every
individual working on Bonfire, not just a
concerned minority.
ore liberals at A&M would improve student body diversity
my
, 25
in there,
do it."
; arealiti
verly so.
) this iMi
of unrest
mningtotj
Dennis
eel
John
Lemons
columnist
t the corner of Universi
ty Drive and Spence
treet, by the Zachary
||iilding, as one is leaving
[mpus, there is a sign which
dicates no left turn.
While very few motorists
je prone to follow the sign’s
jstructions, it is a command
gies seem happy to obey.
|xas A&M University, howev-
it him to er, is a school which refuses to
rn toward the left.
In fact, from the looks of it,
M must be one of the most right-wing places in
the country. From the clothing Aggies wear to the
values they profess, the vast majority of A&M’s stu
dents are conservatives.
B While having a campus full of right-thinking
students does contribute to A&M’s unique atmos
phere, it also leaves A&M lacking. A&M needs
ore liberals. It is the only solution to this school’:
c|/erwhelming homogeneity.
I In these parts, “liberal” is a dirty word. Any stu
dent who espouses liberal sympathies is bound to
YTOM
be met with disdain or an argument that goes some
thing like this:
• Liberal student — “We need to limit access to
guns by enacting stronger gun-control laws. By
banning some types of guns and creating waiting
periods to check for criminal records, we can help
keep guns out of criminals’ hands, thereby pro
tecting the children.”
• Typical Aggie —- “You pinko, leftist, tree-loving,
tax-raising hippie! Guns aren’t die problem. What
America needs is more electric chairs, so we can use
them on criminals and sissy-boy liberals like yourself.”
Obviously, A&M is not a very liberal-friendly
place. This is surprising, because A&M has many
qualities to attract liberals. First, A&M has socialized
medicine. Every student at A&M is guaranteed
health care at the A.R Beutel Health Center. All stu
dents have to do is go inside, get questioned if they
are pregnant and wait to receive treatment from the
clinic-assigned doctor of their choice.
More importantly, there are a host of causes on
this campus an individual might think liberals
would be lining up to crusade against. After all,
some of the activities that occur on campus should
be enough to tick off liberals of all shapes, sizes and
varying degrees of open-mindedness.
Consider Bonfire. Certainly, clear-cutting local
woods and burning between 5,000 and 7,000 logs
grates on the nerves of some environmentalists,
yet there exists little open opposition to Bonfire on
this campus.
Within the past few years, there has been no real
organized movement against Bonfire. In fact, the
last memorable attack against A&M’s great burning
idol occurred about five years ago from a group that
called itself Aggies Against Bonfire (AAB). AAB actu
ally went out to the Bonfire site to protest. It made
for an interesting controversy on campus.
Today, the strongest opposition against Bonfire
comes from the Aggie Bonfire — Dumb as Dirt Home-
page (http://www.isc.tamu.edu/FLORA/tfp/bon-
fire2.htm). The page vividly describes the excesses of
Bonfire. Although the page is interesting and amusing,
Web pages do not constitute liberal activism.
The make-up of A&M’s yell leaders should be
enough to make any feminist mad. After all, there
never has been a female yell leader. Despite this fact,
there are no cries of sexism from A&M’s chapter of
the National Organization of Women. Likewise,
there are no demands to elect a female yell leader.
Frankly, this campus’ feminists must be content
with the current yell-leader glass ceiling.
A&M is home to the soon-to-be-opened George
Bush Presidential Library. Although President Bush
was never aligned with the very right wing of the Re
publican party, he was still a Republican. Surely this
must irk some liberals on campus.
A&M needs more liberals, not because they are
right — err correct —- but because they add a differ
ent perspective. While A&M prides itself on its unity,
it is a university — a place where a diversity of opin
ions come together to be discussed.
It is this dialogue between liberals and conserva
tives that seems to be missing as of late. After all,
when was the last time the College Republicans had
a public debate with the Aggie Democrats?
This is a place where liberals could thrive, or at
least be more vocal. The result would be a school
where conservatives and liberals alike benefit by
hearing all points of view.
For now, much like their precious spotted owl,
liberals represent a very large endangered species.
John Lemons is an electrical engineering
graduate student.
Mail Call
U
lonfire vulgarity
lisgraces University
I was appalled to read about
ie latest in a long line of inci-
ents that show exactly how in-
insitive some A&M students
ordereo w .
guested de r w be.
je within Using a University-sponsored
^ent such as Bonfire to display
is Directo-uch offensive language is dis-
m eful and trul y disgusting,
est with can students be allowed to
iun t numifc'jsttiean themselves and others
ress, CMK- Iis way?
A “boys will be boys” attitude,
equently used to excuse such
Kle behavior and sexual as-
ault, is unacceptable.
I Given that the site is in public
ieyv, it is clear the University
hould take action to remedy this
ituation immediately— espe-
ially when world leaders and
where 8*
listrM
!es.
dignitaries shortly will have ac
cess to this campus for the Bush
Library opening.
Surely they would not think
highly of the association between
such vulgarity and a University-
sponsored event. These students
should be able to accomplish
Bonfire without disgracing them
selves and the University.
It would seem to me their col
leagues and University officials
should ensure they do.
Sonia R. King
Graduate student
Unfounded articles
take aim at Bonfire
I wish the writers of The Bat
talion would figure out Highway
6 runs both ways.
It seems ignorant people are
employed by The Battalion. With
out research, the writers’ com
ments are unfounded and have
little meaning. You do get readers,
not by insightful literature, but by
tabloid literature.
Bonfire always has been this
way. Profanity always has been a
part of Bonfire. Bonfire provides
an outlet for stress, where a per
son can scream at workers pro
fanities that would never be said
in public.
If you think what is written on
the pots’ pots is bad, maybe you
need to hear just one grode story.
But then you might be writing
for weeks about that profanity.
Mandy Cater should research be
fore she writes.
In her column, she wrote, “In
recent years, however, another
less-spirited practice has jaded
the ‘pot’-wearing tradition.”
Dorm leaders do not change
their pots when they get them.
Profanities written on the pots
have been there for approxi
mately 10 to 25 years.
At least The Battalion staff
came out to one Bonfire activity,
although taking pictures does
not mean you worked on Bonfire.
See you when it burns.
Edward Citzler
Class of ’99
Meaning of tradition
loses its stronghold
As I sit back and listen to the
messages continuously voiced
by the secular world, I become
more and more astonished by
what I hear.
The loudest of the voices at
Texas A&M seem to be for tradi
tion, yet in practice, the “tradi
tions” are changed according to
the most accepted ideals that
sweep across our society — the
latest being that of tolerance.
The question that arises in
tolerance is who sets the limits of
what is to be tolerated.
As far as the law is con
cerned, we have a constitution
to uphold as a standard, yet
even it is subject to change ac
cording to the course set by our
changing culture.
Here at A&M, the Bonfire tra
dition has not always focused on
the obscenities alluding to sex.
But a few people in our society
have decided the combination of
sex, profanity and humor is ac
ceptable in open conversation,
while others allow their ideals of
tolerance to override their con
science and comfort.
This leads our society to crack
open the gates of perversion, al
lowing its stench to fill the air un
til its familiarity dulls the senses,
causing it to appear as the norm,
or “tradition.”
All of this is to say without a set
standard, the contradictions I see
will make for a University bent on
keeping tradition, but tolerant on
issues of morality.
This, in turn, will continue to
drift along with those who pro
claim their liberal standing, only it
will be in the name of a word that
has lost its meaning — “tradition.”
Paul Duke
Class of ’00
Profanity, like life,
should be accepted
Rampant vulgarity. Gasp. Oh no.
I get chills just thinking about it.
C’mon, you overly sensitive
people, all we are doing is having
a little bit of college-style fun.
Fun is at least as important a
Bonfire tradition as pride and our
burning desire to beat the hell
out of t.u. (gosh, I hope no one
was offended by that).
So if this means we are con
formists, then I’m sorry, but I had
better not see you at any parties
just because other people showed
up before you did.
As for the sexual-harassment
aspect, what is the latest, mind-
staggering number of complaints,
anyway? One? Sorry, but no dice.
I will personally buy lunch for
the men or women who have been
flagrantly accosted by a hat or oth
er inanimate object. I will, of
course, look into the mental
health of anyone making such a
claim. Do household appliances
make fun of you as well?
I apologize to all those who will
be shocked by this announcement,
but it needs to be said.
Life is offensive. Deal with it,
and let us have our fun. In the im
mortal (and only slightly distort
ed) words of the Bloodhound
Gang song: We don’t need no
whiners, let the Bonfire burn. Burn
Bonfire, burn.
Tim Dewees
Class of’01
Davis-Gary women
forgotten in Bonfire
In response to Michelle Voss’Oct. 15
Lifestyles feature:
Voss forgot to mention the
women who pioneered female
participation in cut, stack and
load: the women of Davis-Gary.
D-G women were the first fe
males to go into the woods, handle
an ax and take down trees as effi
ciently as the rest of them.
When D-G was a male dorm,^
the men had a reputation of being
red-ass. When women moved into
D-G, they fought hard to keep up
the D-G tradition of building the
hell out of Bonfire.
Davis-Gary women cut with
Moore Hall. Amidst the traditional
wake-up of the males of Northside
Quad rings the powerful female
voice of the women of Davis-Gary.
Virginia Guerrero
Class of’99