brsday, October 25, 2001
BATTALION
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Page 11
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Ms weekend at the supermarket, a recent
special issue of Time magazine splashed
with the intoxicating message “Music Goes
lal,” featuring vibrant, colorful pictures of
liernational artists such as Shakira, Max de
istro and Bjork. In a time of global uncertainty,
|e idea of music, a long-standing form of human
Ipression, merging together or even intermin-
; seemed like a pleasant sign of hope. Driving
home past Northgate, one begins
to wonder if music has “gone
global” in College Station, as
well. After all, this is a major
University, and universities tend
to be the test tubes for all that is
new and hip in the world. So
where is the “global” music in
College Station, or is it possible
that Aggieland is devoid of a
usical movement that is large enough to make
^E^JnAuo! fi cover of Time magazine? With a new music
inor offered on campus, new opportunities are
lailable for Aggies to break out of the country-
usic culture. There is a big world out there, and
erecent attacks impress upon students the neces-
ty of better understanding other cultures.
Defining “global music” is not an easy task. It
snot take a degree in music theory to realize
at the sounds of other cultures increasingly have
come more predominant in America’s main-
eam music. For the last few years, popular Latin
lythmsthat have made their way into mainstream
music. The cultural influences do not stop
ere. However, just realizing this is not enough. In
styears, the United States has held a powerful
sidon of economic, military and cultural domi-
ance. In doing this, the United States has attract-
;dimmigrants who bring with them new forms of
us/cand stimulate musical competition among
stiiercountries. The result has been international
mtsicians striving to create new musical genres by
iserting their national and cultural identity, while
iding American hegemony. For example, in
lijuana, Mexico, young DJs are mixing traditional
iiorteno” (a polka-like music) with techno to cre-
ileanew genre called “Nortec,” and in Rio de
laneiro, Brazil, the great female vocalist, Marisa
is smoothly blending samba and art-pop,
ius, the creation of “global” music.
A&M, at first glance, appears to be completely
evoidof any musical diversity. Almost anywhere
me goes, country music seems to follow. The bars,
leclubs, Wal-Mart Supercenter — it is everywhere,
lowever, there are a decent amount of places that
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offer differ
ent kinds of
music such
as rap or techno,
and there are many
local bars such as the
Third Floor Cantina and
Zapatos where one can find
great local bands of all different
genres. Also, there are organizations on campus such
as MSC Town Hall who, in collaboration with multi
cultural organizations, often bring international
music groups to College Station. MSC Town Hall is
responsible for bringing us Live, Destiny’s Child,
Jimmy Fallon and the annual Planet Northgate, a
festival of international music. According to
Nathanael Taylor, MSC Town Hall chairman, “The
organization tries to get as many different performers
here, but it is sometimes difficult due to our location
in between Austin and Houston,” two major concert
mecca’s. Carroll Albritton, manager of Reed Arena,
also mentions the difficulty with scheduling concerts
due to the prioritized basketball season. However,
both agree that they are pushing to bring a more
THE BATTALION
diversified musical
experience to A&M. The
pulse of “global” music at A&M may
be weak, but it is still there and it promises
gradually to become stronger in the future.
This means that in the last few decades we
have managed to break down and remodel old tra
ditions. With the help of the Internet and other
technological advances. Aggies should actively
seek to open up their world. If music is the univer
sal language, “global” music stands as a torch for
all those who hope there is a chance for the
world’s citizens to communicate peacefully with
each other. The great Jamaican reggae star. Bob
Marley, once asked the que§tion, “Won’t you help
me sing these songs of freedom?” Today, from
across this new global music canvas, artists have
finally responded with a reluctant yet strong,
“yes.” College students should do the same.
Jennifer Lozano is a junior
English major
MAIL. CALL $■[
Cartoon of the Day offends
Muslim Community
i response to the October 24 ‘‘Cartoon of the
lay'':
How offensive. What ditch did that
Jncartoonisf come from? That cartoon, is
asteless and offensive to Muslims.
My mother wears a hijab (or hood as you
gnorants call it), as do my sister and my
unts. To portray a woman with a hijab as
decadent American woman sitting in a
laris way out of line.
Ido not care of your portrayal of the man
nthe cartoon. It could be any person wear-
iga beard and a turban. But the woman's
it is distinctively a Muslim garment,
logize now. Or better yet, tell me the
Uncartoonist's” real name so I can pray
latGod will slap him in the face. Or is that
rtoon representative of The Battalion's
lew on Muslims?
Tauhid Albar
Graduate Student
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EDITORIAL
Texas A&M University — Celebrating 125 Years
EDITORIAL BOARD
Brady Creel
Mariano Castillo
Cayla Carr
Jonathan Jones
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
Opinion Editor
Opinion Editor
Rolando Garcia News Editor
Keeping the
Memory Alive
A&M should allow Bonfire emblem to be used
It has been almost two years
since the 1999 Aggie Bonfire col
lapse. The administration remains
undecided on the future of the
Bonfire tradition, but extreme meas
ures have been taken to avoid the
sensitivity of this issue, and that
should not be tolerated by the stu
dents.
The collegiate licensing office has
prohibited any use of the Bonfire
emblems or insignia for marketing or
commercial purposes. Because of
the moratorium, the Bonfire
emblem can be used by no one until
the 2002 Bonfire burns. The actions
taken by the collegiate licensing
office seem hasty and foolish and
serve to eradicate an institutional
memory of Bonfire.
By removing Bonfire emblems,
administrators are attaching a neg
ative connotation to all that once
reminded students of the burning
spirit of Bonfire. Such drastic action
by the licensing office and other
A&M administrators are unneces
sary. The Aggie Moms Club and
College Station businesses such as
Inspirations and Things
Remembered have been cautioned
to avoid using the Bonfire image.
This will be the first time in memo
ry that the Bonfire emblem will not
appear on Texas A&M football tick
ets. Aggie Bonfire has been printed
on football tickets for years, as a
reminder of the prior year’s Bonfire
but will not be used this season
because the issue is still taboo. It
has been two years since the col
lapse, and it is time for Aggies to
remember their friends rather than
mourn their losses. The memory of
Aggie Bonfire has not always been
negative; it burned brightly for
almost 90 years. If the tradition of
Bonfire is forgotten, then the mem
ory of those who lost their lives is
likewise erased.
A&M should remember those
who died in 1999 and allow the
Bonfire symbol continue to be a
part of Aggie tradition. Bonfire
licensing should be available to
responsible advertisers regardless
if Bonfire ever burns again. Aggie
Bonfire is still a vital part of A&M
tradition and culture. To remember
and cherish the Bonfire is only part
of the endless healing process for
the 12 lost Aggies. Whether or not
Bonfire burns again is irrelevant,
because Bonfire’s eternal flame
will burn in every Aggie’s heart, as
long as A&M administrators do not
extinguish its memory.
Bombs over
Afghanistan
D espite there being nothing more
exhilarating than seeing stuff blow
up in grainy black and white video
on CNN, the current bombing campaign
against Afghanistan must cease. A good
many readers are now thinking “Shut-up
you pacifist hippie. Go back to Aifstin —
or Harvard.” Yet this concept of halting
the bombing is not related to an aversion
to blowing stuff up or
even the desire to spare
Afghan lives. Granted,
these may be regret
table side effects, but
they are not the catalyz
ing notion behind such
radical thought. The
foundation behind such
an idea stems from a
rational assessment of the last six weeks
and what must be done to preserve the
present and protect the future.
It is the predominant view that Sept. 11
is the 21st century’s Pearl Harbor. Once
again, the “sleeping giant” has been awak
ened. Only this time, there is not a great
rival nation for revenge to be extracted on.
The radical group that attacked America
took more lives than they have members.
If this war on terrorism is to be successful,
revenge can have no part of it. There are
not enough members of al-Qaida to fulfill
the current level of American bloodlust.
This war must be focused on preserving
the safety and stability of the nation.
An illusion of increased security is fed
to us by network television as we watch
bombs shower from the Afghan sky to
deliver a dose of American stability to the
world. These bombs have little to do with
actual American safety. A small, radical
force, not the people of Afghanistan,
attacked America. America’s response has
been to bomb the hell out of the Afghan
people. Yes, our objectives are said to be
military and not civilian targets. But if our
bombs are smart and laser guided why
were civilian housings as well as U.N. and
Red Cross operations within Afghanistan
bombed this past week? One may argue
that these are isolated instances. If
American bombs were focused on military
targets and not upon the average Afghan,
tens of thousands of civilians would not
already have fled their country.
Regretfully the bombing continues on
targets other than those that will ensure
American safety. The continued bombing
corresponds with continued talk from
both sides of the American government’s
mouth. “We are not against the people of
Afghanistan. We may be destroying your
infrastructure (bridges, roads, communi
cations), along with it your way of life
but we are giving you rice cakes stamped
with the American flag.” (Food drops
actually include rice cakes with Old
Glory adorning them). This is a ridiculous
public relations campaign. How could the
uprooted Afghan people understand this
any other way than, “We have destroyed
your town, possibly your family members
... have some puffed rice?”
It would be ludicrous not to assume
the bombing has traumatically effected
substantial portions of those within
Afghanistan. As was stated earlier, this
argument has nothing to do with com
passion for the Afghan people. However,
in a nation where the majority of the
people already have close to nothing,
how much would have to be taken away
before they are willing to strap on a
bomb and head across the Pacific? How
many family members would have to die
before a regular boy is turned radical,
ready to begin training to avenge the
death of his parents? In a sector of the
world that prior to Sept. 11 anti-
American sentiment was already high,
can America afford to indiscriminately
chunk bombs into the countryside?
Apply international pressure to the
Taliban. Freeze terrorists assets, but do
not manufacture the next generation of
militant extremist that will attack our
children. As sweet as unbridled revenge
would be, collateral damage within this
volatile sector of the world will
inevitably wreak violence on America
for generations. The continuation of
current actions will ensure that the
United States versus militant Islamic
factions will join the ranks of other
great historical terrorist relationships;
Palestinians versus Israelis, French ver
sus Algerians, Russians versus
Chechens, Irish Catholics versus
English Protestants. All responded with
unrestricted violence against their
respective terrorist nation. All are still
attempting to rebuild the illusion of
security America so recently lost.