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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1998)
Page 4 • Tuesday, September 29, 1998 Aggielife A Time for Sacrifice Jewish observe Yom Kippur BY TRAVIS IRBY The Battalion F ew people want to miss a meal and even fewer want go without food for an entire day. Jewish students make these sacrifices when they celebrate Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year, when everyone is an equal and shares in the same experience Yom Kippur is the end of the 10-day pe riod known as Teshuvah — the high holidays — which starts with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kip pur has to do with for giveness and atonement. While the holidays are closely related, Yom Kippur has its own unique practices A fast, involving no food, water, sex, work or bathing from Thesday evening to Wednesday evening, is one practice of Yom Kippur. The holiday starts with Kol Midri, a piece of religious music. At sundown Wednesday, the shofar, a ram’s horn, is blown to signal the end of the fast. Rabbi Peter Tarlow of Texas A&M Hillel said the fast has a hum bling effect on its participants. “When people get very tired without food or water for a day, it shows we’re pretty weak little ani mals,” Tarlow said While the fast exhibits follow ers’ will to make sacrifices, anoth er principle is at work — equality. “Everyone is equal,” Tarlow said. “It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, everyone suffers.” Marc Wolf, a junior accounting and finance major, said equality is an important aspect of fasting. “The sacrifice of the fast puts everyone on the same plane,” Wolf said. Another purpose of Yom Kippur is to prepare followers for the Jew ish New Year. During the holiday, the faithful re flect on the past year. Wolf said this time of introspec tion provides a great service. “Yom Kippur reminds you of all sins,” Wolf said. “Once you realize and atone for those sins, it wipes the slate clean for the new year. ” Observing the holiday can be difficult. Not only does the fast take its toll, missing school and work can also cause students to fall behind. Mark Norton, a senior construc tion science major, said it is hard to keep the holiday in focus. “It is difficult, because every thing is going on,” Norton said. “You’re supposed to be concen trating on the day, but there are also tests and quizzes going on. You have to keep up and not fall behind.” Tarlow said the holiday gives people a different perspective. “It says progress doesn’t al ways mean better, and that in the grand scheme of things humans are pretty insignificant,” Tarlow said. WHO’S WHO AMONG STUDENTS AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES 1998 - 99 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Who’s Who applications are now available for both undergraduate and graduate students in the following locations: Commandant’s Office (Military Sciences Building) Student Programs Office (2nd floor MSC) Student Activities Office (125 John J. Koldus Building) Sterling C. Evans Library Office of Graduate Studies (125 Teague) Office of the Dean of each College Office of Graduate Studies (128 Teague) Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (IOth floor Rudder) Completed applications must be received by the Student Activities Office no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, October, 2 1998. They may be hand-carried to the Student Activities Office, sent through Campus Mail, or sent through U.S. Mail. (See application for addresses.) Questions may be addressed to Sandy Briers in Student Activities at 845-1133. r Information Services ) Disney Worldwide Service, Inc. will be hosting an informational meeting for all Juniors, Seniors and Graduate students interested in a technology internship with the Walt Disney World Information Systems Department in Orlando, Florida. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. in MSC Room 212. .. v ^ Academic Jake Schrickung/Tiii Battalion The rotunda of the Academic Building has been cordoned off since a piece of the domes’ stained glass fell down earlier this semester. Continued from Page 3 He sculpted other figures in United States history including the Alamo Heroes Cenotaph located in San Antonio. The Academic Building has a rich history and holds a few sur prises as well. In 1970, a flag honoring the Ag gies who served in World War 1 was found stuffed in a trash can during summer cleaning. It was later dis covered that the flag had hung from the building for more than 20 years. The flag was created by an offi cial act of Congress in 1918, and hung from the Academic Building until 1943 when it fell to the floor and was damaged. Repairs on the flag were delayed and it was soon stored and forgotten. The story of the flag may seem unbelievable at first, but when one takes into account all the hidden nooks and secret places that exist in the building, it is not a surprise after all. The Silver Taps buglers hide in the dome of the building during the ceremony. The single dome of the Academic Building is actually one dome inside another. Between the outside and inside domes is a space accessible from a fifth floor window. Both the window and the fifth floor itself are kept under lock and key. The floor was deemed unsafe because of poor lighting conditions and a lack of handrails on the stair way. The floor is unlocked only for Silver Taps and for maintenance. Reed Arena Continued from Page 3 Also, a larger basketball arena was needed with the demise of the Southwest Conference and the rise of the Big 12 Conference. Construction started August 1995 on West Campus next to the Student Recreation Center. The general contract and con struction cost was about $32.2 mil lion. Huber-Hunt & Nichols Inc. of Dallas was contracted for the con struction. The architectural design of the new facility was contracted to Lockwood, Andrews and New- nam Inc. of Houston. But in Spring ‘97, while Reed Arena was still under construc tion, a large crane fell and de stroyed sections of the arena. This delayed the opening of the arena by several months. Last December graduation ceremonies were to take place in the arena, but the delays prevented the cer emonies from being held in the arena. The first event held in Reed Arena was Aggie Muster. Several concerts have taken place at Reed In a 1996 The Bam one Silver Taps teamnj the dome is the perfecj which to play Taps. “It’s an obvious| play that is out of the* for us to be heard and he said. Although the idem: Silver Taps team raeir; i loseh guarded secret,e*; 0 v. < ber ins< ribes his nan 'jaimed of the inner domeateatB^rchi ny. Names and datt «The c each Silver Taps carat Ijifectu oi Dorps related sviri he Texa er the inside of the w. i9th Am with all buildings Him 0< its toll, and the landm:: I 1 "- 3 receives repairs fromnaHn a For example, in l^.Bnora tor was repaired aft lum froi languages profi he Offic door frame, which wj- Hie G< inches short of the irlor, The profi lush sai 20 minutes and was simpor for two days. Helebi The building also wHiitect side repairs in 1983. iHArch match the old stone ure refk stone, the bricks were: nuch ab a process known as o::: >ur state tion — the outside oi’Hory t was sprayed with owraHug th Recently a sedtoH 5 Tex stained g ionstruc and will be rep ? oris ani Stained Glass. Aid have been problems r. H 5 ’ ar replacement glass to::-Hp e 0l; ve live. 'Bees tl tecessibi Arena in the months!:H visit i>Ih'111 ng, iiirlihliih: he Lnni- iml Shania Twain, ■ulius Some look iniw.;::'Jege c events. Beverly Anderson, i history major, said she; forward to graduation. “ I'm looking forward'] a tion in Reed Arena inf 1 derson said. “I’m glad] the repairs should be next week. Sept. 29 & 30 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Blocker, Commons, Duncan, Evans, Kleberg, MSC, Rec Center, Underground, Wehner, Zachry Freshmen Elections “Tfouft . .tyucr *V<icce DAVID PETERS HYUNDAI SUBARU SOON TO BE SUMMERALL 1309 Texas Ave., Bryan ’IMPORTS INC. WITH THIS COUPON YOIRL BE THE RECEIVER! Home of the'd 95 OIL CHANGE CARS & LIGHT TRUCKS asoline Engines Only • Any Make ■ Any Model $ 9 95 Expires 10/31/98 INCLUDES: 4 Quarts Oil & 1 Oil Filter 822-2446 “The Home of the FREE Commemorative Autographed NFLFook with purchase of vehicle From Hollywood Squares to the Oval Office lou know him from his days of hosting popular TV shows like “That’s Incredible” and “Hollywood Squares.” But, you’ve never seen him like this... Join acclaimed television and Broadway actor, John Davidson, as he conquers the stage with his one-man show depicting our nation’s 26th President. Davidson’s wild and woolly performance is sure to entice belly-laughing and tongue-wagging long after the curtain lowers! John Davidson stars in Bully, An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt by Jerome Alden October 17 at 8 PM, October 18 at 3 PM Rudder Auditorium Call 845-1234.