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orps celebrates its 125th anniversary at A&M this weekend
By Heather Campbell
THE BATTALION
r all to see andr : ,
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1 game. At 9:3i
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f former App
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Quadrangle
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D.C. However.
1" formation
I If a thunderous “Howdy!” or “Yes sir!” rings in
iyiur ears, and uniformed cadets march
a:ross campus, you know you have
■rived at Texas A&M. This year marks
125 years that the Corps of (Cadets have
( presented A&M and will celebrate
ic milestone with a reunion begin-
ng today and continuing through
turday.
In light of recent attacks on
merica, many people have become
hre of the Corps’ presence and
pottance for our country. With
[ags flying everywhere, Americans ■
e reminded of their freedom and |
n be thankful for the men and 1
omen who volunteer to carry' out
merica’s mission to protect the
nited States.
Eric Komfuehrer, a senior civil engi-
eering major, has a marine contract and
m of all fonts
bers who ha'
ce to their coy:
;e killed in tl
veek.
ic United Stair
. inducted into";
if 1918.
ntributed somuia
VERSA RY on prtff 1
Field at halftim “d he w ill be commissioned when
raduates.
“It hits home to us, especially the ones who
ave potential to get shipped to other countries,”
omfuehrer said.
Alumni from the Corps stay involved during the
om the class 1 ear ’ an( * t * ie ‘ r dedication shows the passion they
other former a
>e escorted om
ich representing:
Dabney, whos
d, will represe:
ave to participate in the Corps network actively.
Rick Graham, Class of 1966 and former com-
landing officer in the Aggie Band, reveals an
verwhelming sense of pride in every word he says
bout the Corps. His son. Kevin Graham, a senior
i, m itpio.. us j ness major j n outfit E-2, represents A&M as a
le volunteered l'I e| | ] ea( j er J
When I attended Texas A&M, the school was
.11 male and just the Corps,” Rick Graham said.
There are a lot more activities in the school that
Ihe Corps is involved with, and I think the academ
ics are stronger now which causes the Corps to
change. It’s neat for us to come back and see our
sons do the same thing we did,” Graham said.
Graham periodically travels from Dallas to
College Station to run with the Corps. The former
cadets also remain loyal to the University. Many
travel back for Corps events that involve the entire
school such as Midnight Yell, Silver Taps and
football games.
Tracy Cox, Class of 1981 and a dedicated
alumni of the Corps, served on Corps staff
and said he looks highly upon the Corps’ par
ticipation in traditions.
“Bonfire was the most memorable time
The Corps of Cadets is the
heart of Texas A&M’s many
long-standing traditions.
— Texas Gov. Rick Perry
former cadet
for me,” Cox said. “It was neat getting to par
ticipate in something that pulled the school
together. Silver Taps was another tradition I
cherished. I think it is the most meaningful
event at Texas A&M.”
The Corps requires intense training and rigor
ous schedules daily. Their long hours of work pay
off in the end, according to Casey Utterback, a sen
ior history major in Squadron 2. He said the living
situations are extreme but definitely worth it.
“We live in a controlled environment with a lot
of rules and regulations,” Utterback said. “The
dorms get loud, but it’s neat to live like people have
for 125 years. It’s the same as when my dad, Class
of 1975, went to A&M. We are forced to get along
with people even if we don’t like them, and that
provides a great basis for the real world where peo
ple have to work together.”
Tm
JL
■HI
|
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0°
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Former Yell leader- class of 72
il Security Hu-
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The residence halls are similar to military bar
racks, and each year Corps members acquire more
privileges. Their eating habits, physical exercise
and dress code also differ from the everyday stu
dent. Wearing the long sleeved uniforms on swel
tering days and strenuous exercise at the break of
dawn are a few of the many hardships they endure.
This weekend will be a time to commend the
cadets not only for their daily perseverance but also
for their long-term determination to serve our
country at all costs. The incredible 125-year mile
stone will be acknowledged Friday with a show
case of events including a Corps Scholarship Golf
Tournament, President George Bush
Library tours and aircraft and military
equipment displays. Friday evening,
Gov. Rick Perry will be present to
speak at Reed Arena.
“The Corps of Cadets is the
i heart and soul of Texas A&M’s
many long-standing traditions,”
Perry said. “The Corps has trained
men and women for 125 years to
serve our state and nation with dis-
I tinction, often at the expense of
' their own lives. I am proud to be
just one of thousands who have
worn the cadet uniform while
a attending Texas A&M.”
The night will end with midnight
yell practice at Kyle Field.
Saturday’s focus will be an OP Army
Elephant Walk beginning at Rudder. At
the football game, former members of the
Aggie Band are invited to march onto the field to
create the “Eternal Aggie Band.”
Trevor Voelkel, a senior finance major, is in the
Aggie Band and serves as public relations officer
for the Corps. He was responsible for planning the
events and said he encourages everyone to partici
pate.
“This weekend is open to everyone and will be
a great time for the community to see what the
Corps is all about,” Voelkel said.
0
Directed by
Tim Blake Nelson
Starring Mekhi Phifer,
Josh Hartnett
and Julia Stiles
Tim Blake Nelson
retells the story of
Shakespeare’s Othello on
the basketball courts of
an elite private school.
Odin (Phifer) is the big
man on campus: a star
basketball player, a dili
gent student, a charming
gentleman to his beauti
ful girlfriend Desi (Stiles)
and most of all, the envy
of his supposed best
friend Hugo (Hartnett). In
the movie, Hugo
attempts to sabotage
Odin’s life by making him
think that Desi is cheating
on him. From there, his
life spirals downward.
Nelson’s release of O
was postponed because
of the Columbine shoot
ing a few years ago. His
rendition of the story
could have definitely
sparked controversy
through the retelling of
one of Shakespeare’s
phenomenal tragedies.
The movie takes place in
a high school and has a
violent ending involving
guns. For this reason, it
was not appropriate for
the movie to be released
during aftermath of
Columbine.
0 has an excellent cast,
but unfortunately it is a
movie of average stature.
At times, one feels as if
they are sitting through a
very mediocre high
school production of
Othello, and at other
times, one feels as if they
are watching an original
version of the play.
Nelson unquestionably
utilizes many of the origi
nal aspects of the play.
One of the main symbols
of the play is Desi’s scarf
that Odin gives her as a
present. This mirrors the
original play in that Othello
gives a handkercheif to
Desdemona as a gift. The
scarf supposedly repre
sents Desi’s sexual inno
cence and her naive per
spective in what is hap
pening around her. Even
Nelson’s character names
reflect which character is
which: Odin (Othello),
Desi (Desdemona), and
Hugo (lago).
The movie gives the
audience a sense that
nothing good is going to
happen. From the very
beginning Nelson does
an excellent job of setting
an ambiance of a dark
and dismal tragedy, pri
marily with dark light
ing. Each of the charac
ters, particularly the
principals, perfectly fit
the molds of
Shakespeare’s originals.
Odin is confident and
gullible while Desi is
sweet, naive and beauti
ful. One automatically
sees that Hugo is up to no
good and that something
bad is going to happen.
0 follows the structure
of Othello with a modern
twist, but there is some-
See O on page 10.
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