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THE BATTALION
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
EDITORIAL
Pro Bonfire
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The results of the Bonfire 2002 Student Feedback Survey
are in, and they speak loudly in favor of Bonfire 2002. The
challenge now lies in student leadership and the cooperation
of the administration.
The results show that 12,000 students voted in the survey.
On this campus, 12,000 students voting on an issue is an
overwhelming turnout and one that calls for action. Last
es were SCi ‘®spring, 8,500 students voted in the student body elections,
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and this turnout is well above most referendums or fee
ncreases. As tempted as the administration might be to dis
credit the turnout for the Bonfire survey, 27% is a significant
amount. Although Bonfire coordinators did not define what
acceptable student turnout would be, 12,000 students voting
on Bonfire 2002 is a definite show of support.
One of the most interesting, and encouraging, figures from
he survey is the number of underclassmen who participated.
Almost half of the survey feedback was provided by freshmen
and sophomores, with the Class of 2005 representing 26% of
he voters — more than any other class. This is exemplary of
najor. His p> SU pport necessary for a Bonfire in 2002 and dispels the
notion that the Bonfire tradition is not being passed down to
younger Aggies. Such a high freshmen participation suggests
that this tradition will not die despite the passage of time
and lack of administrative enthusiasm. The Classes of 2004
and 2005 have spoken and shown that the tradition of
Bonfire has carried on, regardless of and future generations
want to see it burn.
Almost 83 percent of those who voted were never involved
of the mam £
(K)2 planner' W'fh Bonfire. They have never experienced the building of
groups, ev: this mighty tradition firsthand, yet are still willing to uphold
. in the 90a the spirit of Bonfire. This is a call for strong student leader-
Only about ship from the upperclassmen who have worked on previous
>.k student' a Bonfires.
The survey did not satisfactorily answer all the questions,
however. One factor that will hinder the future of Bonfire is
students whot the cost and if students are willing to pay for Bonfire's future.
.*ss than > ; Should 44,000 students pay for something that 12,000 voted
ol\ed ink Dn? The answer to this is uncertain. The question on the sur-
nd less than:. /e y was misleading and did not directly ask what kind of a
>nc , ' um ‘ ee increase students would support. Bonfire planners need
^o reevaluate the issue of cost and rely on students for
answers.
[ The results of the survey should be an overwhelming push
lor the future of Bonfire. Input was asked for, students
veai anciare j' offered it in substantial amounts, and it is now time for the
siedministration and students to join together to push this tra-
,si a '2.15 r jufldition forward,
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THE BATTALION
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imaging Editor
Opinion Editor
News Editor
News Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor in Chief MARIANO CASTILLO
Brian Ruff Member Melissa Bf.dsole
Cayla Carr Member Jonathan Jones
<6ommer Bunce Member Jennifer Lozano
Brandie LifficK Member Kelln ZlMMER
The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be 200 words or
ess and include the author's name, class and phone number. The opinion editor
Reserves the right to edit letters for length, style and accuracy. Letters may be submit-
ed in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters also may be
hailed to: 014 Reed McDonald, MS 1111, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
77843-1111. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com
MAIL CALL
igie Rings are
ily for Aggies
mg
■to
I found that a graduate of
M in 1972 bought an Aggie
for their spouse, who didn't
lend or graduate from A&M.
This is unfair to every A&M stu-
and graduate who worked
r their ring, but it's more unfair
the A&M seniors who don't
ave an Aggie ring and are in
heir graduating semester.
N Currently the ring policy is under
review for graduating seniors.
Under the new policy, graduat-
ng seniors could not order their
•ings in time for graduation. If
accepted, it will be announced
■flr- 1 -
The ring policy needs to be
changed. It is ridiculous a non-
\ggie can get a ring so easily but
Dur real Aggies cannot even get
3ne before they graduate! I am
an Aggie senior and the school I
: RFNCE ove not a ^ ow me to P ur-
* chase a ring that will complete
tudy Tables my Aggie experience.
Remember, "Once an Aggie,
-^always an Aggie". What better
4 way to show Aggie spirit and loy-
j^alty than to give our graduating
^seniors their much deserved ring.
)ept J
3RIARCREST
0
INIVERSITY
Jo Anna Pareya
Class of 2002
A&M is not Harvard
In response to Jan. 22 editorial:
Your promotion of the
Enhancement Fee is a step
backwards in the fight for our
ability to restrain the tremen
dous inflation of tuition and fees
that we are witnessing. The fact
that our fee was proposed in a
reasonable way does not war
rant our support of this wholly
unreasonable fee. In the editori
al, a former president of Harvard
is quoted. His words ring true,
and no one doubts that Harvard
is a great school, but alas, we
are no Harvard.
At A&M we are given much,
but Texas A&M is a public
school, and, as such, has a
responsibility to remain afford
able to the average applicant. It
is not A&M's role to become an
expensive, perfect university.
How do we keep up Aggie fam
ily traditions when we cannot
afford to send our kids to A&M?
Why would we even want to,
when a generation of Aggies
that has already been through
hell with Bonfire and everything
else gets trampled on again with
an outrageous fee like this?
Aaron Crews
Class of 2002
A dog of a man
Buddy statue is not suitable for a presidential library
GEORGE DEUTSCH
P resident Harry Truman said, “If you want a friend in
Washington, get a dog." But one look at the new Clinton
Presidential Library exhibit on display in Little Rock,
Ark., will have people thinking,
“ Get a life." The misguided
nucleus of the still forming
library will be a life size bronze
'statue in memory of the former
first dog. Buddy. Buddy was
mowed down by an
SUV as he fled the Clinton’s New York
mansion earlier this month. The nation
is understandably in shock.
The Clinton legacy, which is
already shamefully and heavily tar
nished, is only further degraded by
this spectacle. The people behind
this project have felt a legitimate
need to build a shrine to a dead
animal, and in a presidential
library no less. This is nothing
short of heresy.
Yes, it is true that Richard
Nixon had Checkers, and Lyndon
Johnson had Him and Her. George
Bush’s dog’s book even outsold his
The Clinton legacy,
which is already
shamefully and
heavily tarnished, is
only further degraded
by this spectacle.
As if all of this was not bad enough, a volunteer even
hands out photos of the dog in a seated pose to those who
visit the exhibit. How can this poor soul look himself in the
mirror every morning and be proud of what he does? Clearly,
this is not Little Rock’s finest hour.
Presidential libraries should ideally be boasting important
documents, presidential artifacts and White House memora
bilia, like Texas A&M’s George Bush Presidential Library
Complex. Dead dogs need not apply. Though former presi
dent Clinton does not deserve his own statue, even he would
have been a better choice, with cigar in hand and intern
at his side, than Buddy the Labrador.
Clintonpresidentialcenter.com, the Internet voice of
the new library, is not without the influence of
Buddy. The site reads more like a canine obituary
than anything else. Included in it are such gems as:
“Buddy expressed an enthusiasm for life as well
as strong feelings for fellow first pet. Socks,” and,
“Buddy is survived by his parents, Sadie’s
Rainbow Gold and Quantico’s Stormy ‘Coco’
Bear, along with four brothers and four sisters.”
While the world may expect this type of
non-sense from a Clinton-backed project, it
is still disheartening. Bill Clinton has long
since had the sexual discretion of a dog,
but now he has a statue to commem
orate it.
George Deutsch is a junior
journalism major.
own autobiography, but all of this pales in
comparison to the newest Clinton fiasco.
What have presidential dogs con
tributed to this country? Except for an
occasional urine stain on the
Washington rug or feces by the Lincoln
bedroom set, absolutely nothing. Dogs
do not make important decisions.
But it gets worse. Not only does
this animal have his own statue,
which many great presidents
do not even have, he also
has his own Website:
Buddy’s Buddies. At
the exhibit, several
bouquets of roses
adorn the
Labrador’s likeness,
and a nearby table
touts Buddy fan
mail. Yes, some
people send mail to
dogs. Where is
anthrax when it is
needed?
DIANA SUAREZ • THE BATTALION
Good riddance to rubbish
WB station is unworthy of college student
enthusiasm, should focus attention elsewhere
O n Jan. 7, the
Univision televi
sion network pur
chased KAKW and
changed its formatting,
choosing not to subscribe
to the WB network. College students
who enjoyed the perks of being home
for the holidays returned to find
Spanish programming instead of their
favorite teenage dramas. Some may
view the Spanish channel as a chance
for diversity on television, but hundreds
of cable-subscribers view the Spanish
channel as a violation by their cable
company.
Bryan-College Station has been fran
tically trying to locate a network that
offers this staple of college students’
lives. Instead of complaining, students
should be saying good riddance to bad
rubbish.
Although students are upset about
losing the channel, it is not the cable
companies that should be getting the
heat. Univision made the decision to
replace the WB, and until the local cable
companies find a different network, they
must air Spanish programming in its
place. According to the Cox Cable Co.,
the companies are looking as far as
Houston or Waco to provide their cus
tomers with dearly missed programming.
Without the WB, cable companies are
losing the respect of their customers. The
KATHERINE TUCKER
WB gears the large majority
of its programs toward
teenagers and young adults.
Unfortunately, what the WB
has deemed important is the
fictitious lives of vampires,
aliens and sex-driven
teenagers. The emphasis on pre-marital
relationships has revolutionized what
today's student deems important.
As students get involved in dating
relationships, the experiences they draw
from for guidance are those of fictitious
Unfortunately, what the
WB has deemed important
is the fictitious lives of
vampires, aliens and sex-
driven teenagers.
characters. It is not surprising that so
many relationships end abruptly. With
role models that live such unrealistic
lives, TV experiences cannot be applied
to anything real.
When the random, yet entertaining
plots of these characters’ lives appeals
to so many students, it is hard not to
become dramatic in real life and fall
short of expectations. Aside from the
unrealistic, poor role models these tele
vision shows provide, the programs also
monopolizes students’ weeknights.
The WB provides students with a
mindless release for an expansive
amount of time every weeknight. With
shows that focus on the trivialities of
dysfunctional families and alien abduc
tions, these several hours are not edu
cating their audiences.
It is time that students end their time
of mourning and devote their free
weeknights to studies or more educa
tional TV programs. Roommates can
gossip about Dawson and Joey and
Felicity and Ben as if they went to high
school together, but can they do any
thing else? The extent to which college
students dote on every detail of these
fictitious characters’ lives is ridiculous.
By eliminating the WB, students are
faced with countless free hours every
night. Maybe the average college stu
dent’s grade-point ratio will rise as they
succumb to studying instead of their
usual mindless vent. Another, and prob
ably more realistic, possibility is that
students will resort to other programs.
Either way, the average student IQ may
rise, as other shows aired at the same
time require thought.
While students across Bryan-College
Station are relentlessly harassing their
cable companies, they should be saying,
“Thank you.”
Katherine Tucker is a sophomore
general studies major.