[ Opinion
I lay, November 16, 2001 THE BATTALION
Page 9
EDITORIAL
Texas Ad^M University — Celebrating 125 Years
IQy I H K BATTALION
EDITORIAL BOARD
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Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
Opinion Editor
Opinion Editor
News Editor
Brady Creel
Mariano Castillo
Cayla Carr
Jonathan Jones
Rolando Garcia
AGGIE BONFIRE
Renegade campfire
On Nov. 18, 1999, 12 Aggies
ied while trying to build a Bonfire
lat was available to all. Next
ieek, a small group of misguided
ggies will make a mockery of
fthat legacy.
IA renegade campfire is being
constructed at an undisclosed
fccation. Although the partici-
Jiants may be students and for-
er students of A&M, what they
ire doing is a disgraceful repudia-
ion of everything it means to be
an Aggie. These renegades have
SOIM
cted
non-existent 2001 Bonfire, but
participants are doing a disserv
ice to all Aggies and will show the
world that Aggie unity is fleeting
and superficial.
Two years have passed since
the 1999 collapse, and the Aggie
family is healing and moving for
ward. Steps have been taken and
progress has been made toward
Bonfire 2002. But with the organ
ization of this renegade bonfire,
progress is compromised, and the
delicate status of Bonfire 2002 is
„ These renegades have segregated themselves
from the A&M family and disrespected all those
who cherish the real Aggie Bonfire.
irrorists.
^Bagramair i e g re g a t ec j themselves from the
e^acTtvf ^ family and disrespected all
"lytorfl fjogg w f 10 chefjsh the real Aggie
fenfire. If this project was intend-
idto serve as a remembrance of
;he 1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse,
it is inappropriate entirely. The
actais of these students do not
mc/uoe all Aggies, instead it con-
sts of a select few who feel they
ust undermine administrative
mthority. Not only have these
ictions endangered the long-term
prospects of Aggie Bonfire, they
Iso have sacrificed the memory
if the Bonfire victims for their
wn selfishness. Apparently, this
Talibanstructure is meant to replace the
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On Nov. 18, 2001, nothing could
3 more appropriate than the
keepinmirJ; neteor shower that will be deco-
iew with the»
‘Therealms he Polo Fields at 2:42 a.m.
Jod willing,' The shooting stars may give
anlookers the inspiration to reflect
in a ntult^ j n how Aggies and Texas A&M
nited Nahof'] lave changed in the two years
since the 1999 Aggie Bonfire col
apse. And that is what Nov. 18
hould be about — reflection.
Marking the the second anniver
sary of a tragedy is an awkward
vent. The time for mourning has
vy bombat' jassed, and we as a community
Afghan I- fnust focus on moving on. Yet it is
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threatened once again. It will
come as no surprise when the
administration takes a step back
and offers another reason why not
to continue 2002 construction.
These plans of burning a sepa
rate bonfire are everything that
administration, students, and
alumni have tried to avoid. The
deceit and secrecy that have
characterized this undertaking
will only undermine Aggie unity.
The participants can burn their
log stack and have their fun, but
they should not delude them
selves into thinking that their
campfire bears any resemblance
to an Aggie Bonfire.
A grief observed
atingthe early morning sky above
lawsuits, safety-firm concerns and
the possibility that it may not burn
again. The debate on these topics
has been fierce and fiery — Will it
cost too much? Is the administra
tion deceiving the students? Will it
be safe?
But sentiment this Sunday
should not focus on these ques
tions, but on observing the tragedy
that took 12 lives. The debates
about lawsuits, money and future
Bonfires are trivial this weekend
compared to the small things that
truly made Bonfire special. The
ties many upperclassmen shared
with the 12 Aggies who lost their
On Nov. 18 y 2001, nothing could be more
appropriate than the meteor shower that will be
decorating the early morning sky above the Polo
Fields at 2:42 a.m.
difficult not to recall the emotions
hat changed so many people's
ives. Similarly, each person must
:ope with his or her feelings as
599 pbrhey search for closure to the
^dayfrmmW* :ragedy and mature as a connect
ed family.
The fact that the University did
> lot plan a ceremony should not be
3 cause for criticism and bitter-
less. Because there is no official
eremony planned for Sunday, the
jpportunity to personalize the
anniversary of the tragedy should
3e embraced. Despite all of the
riticisms that exist towards
Bonfire 2002 and its planning
Drocess, the importance of Nov. 18
mist remain on the 1999 Bonfire
and on the lives of its 12 victims.
Aggies cannot forget what Nov.
Kleberg#' 18 signifies to them. Only through
ommunication can the tradition
truly live on.
This semester, news surrounding
Bonfire has been dominated by
lives should be shared openly.
The A&M community is between
Bonfires, and the transition is not
getting any easier.
As seniors, the Class of 2002
has an unspoken responsibility to
pass down to the classes below
them the pride and passion that
went into Bonfire from start to fin
ish. At the two-year mark, now is
the time to share good-bull stories
and recall the little things that
made it special. Wake-ups, heaving
logs, painting pots and 24-hour
push at stack may not return, but
Sunday provides a great opportuni
ty for those who experienced
Bonfire first-hand to reach out,
particularly to the freshman and
sophomore classes.
The Bonfire experience is what
students make of it. This year,
we urge students to participate
in the experience of cama
raderie through the perpetua
tion of tradition.
jj-
TREVINO
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
A picture can be worth a thousand
words. Apparently, to Aggies, the
value of a photograph can be
priceless. At A&M, it is common for
social organizations to hire the ever-so
popular Party Pic photography service to
snap pictures at func
tions as the night
unfolds. In the past,
these storytelling, mem
orable photos were
viewable by visiting the
photographer’s place of
business. Now, howev
er, many companies
have begun selling the
pictures via the Internet to increase the
accessibility of the pictures they have
taken. Pictures available for purchase on
the Internet — without limits — to
potentially hundreds of people, can lead
to dangerous situations that those who
hire these services should be aware of.
The thought of having a picture avail
able to anyone in a matter of a few clicks
of the mouse is frightening. That is,
unless one believes that, at all times, they
are on their best behavior. Indeed, should
that be the case, there is nothing to worry
about, the service will be of no harm.
On the other hand, as many would
agree, these on-the-spot photographers
have been known to capture some less-
than-perfect, late-night behavior.
In two different instances, photos that
were published on the Internet eventually
led to the expulsion of several groups at
two different Universities. The Alpha
Tau Omega fraternity at the University of
Mississippi was expelled for one year
after they became the subject of a vigor
ous investigation when several pictures,
depicting inappropriate behavior taken at
their Halloween party, were posted on
the photographer’s Website. At Auburn
University in Alabama, the Beta Theta Pi
and Delta Sigma Phi fraternities were
temporarily suspended after they were
seen on Internet pictures violating uni
versity regulations.
Without question, while the particu
lar names of the groups have no rele-
The thought of having ones
picture available to anyone
in a matter of a few
simple clicks is frightening.
vance, the action that was taken against
the fraternities is justifiable. The photos
depicted extremely derogatory and
intolerable behavior.
However, what about the more com
mon, everyday scenarios that these pic
tures capture every weekend? For
instance, like when one’s parents believe
their college student was not attending a
party because of a big exam, but later
find out otherwise after viewing pictures
from the comfort of their computer. Or
what if an embarrassing pose no one
wanted to see later is ordered by a person
across the world, entirely without the
subject ever knowing.
Should the access of these pictures be
limited to being seen only inside a store,
the likelihood they can be seen by distant
outsiders is slim to none. In fact, in both
of the Auburn cases, the pictures in ques
tion were discovered by someone who
did not attend the party. Clearly, it was
the Internet that provided such wide
spread, any-time access that allowed this
person to browse the online photo
albums with ease.
In a case involving a Texas Tech stu
dent, an attorney used pictures obtained
from one of these photography compa
nies that were taken the night of an alco
hol-related accident as the foundation of
his argument. Although the pictures were
obtained by visiting the company’s store,
now that the service has been “upgraded”
to the Internet, access is much more
widespread. In a court of law, pictures
are the best evidence. They depict the
person or persons in question, whether
they consumed alcohol that night, who
they were with and the day the picture
was taken. At all times, pictures can be
extremely incriminating, whether online
or in a photo album.
The solution to the problem is simple
— steer clear from the camera, or never
act inappropriately in front of the lens.
Should one be the type who frequently
chooses to let loose and strike a pose,
never forget — once the flash clicks, all
pictures are fair game and potentially at
the hands of millions of computer users.
J.J. Trevino is a senior
journalism major.
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CARTOON OF THE DAY
THERE is HO IA THE OCSEFCT THAT ,
''TWO* SHFLT HOT EftT STORES"
TUS Rt6C>N\vf-