The Buck Weirus Spirit Award
honors 52 students who demonstrate high INVOLVEMENT, create positive EXPERIENCES throughout
the Aggie community, IMPACT student life at Texas A&M and help enhance the Aggie SPIRIT. Unlike
other awards, the Buck Weirus Spirit Award recognizes those students who make contributions to
the university by participating in student organizations, Aggie traditions and university events. Email
spiritaward@AggieNetwork.com for more information.
Applications Now Available:
On-line at
www.AggieNetwork.com/events/buckweirus.aspx
And...
Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center Reception Desk
Office of the President, 8th Floor Rudder
Vice Pres, for Student Affairs Office, 10th Floor Rudder
Office of the Dean of each College
Office of Graduate Studies
Department of Student Activities, Suite 125 Koldus
Department of Multicultural Services, Suite 137 MSC
Office of the Commandant, 102 Military Sciences
MSC Student Programs Office, 216 & 223 MSC
International Center, Bush Library
International Programs Office
Student Life, Sbisa Location
North Side Area Office, Residence Life
South Side Area Office, Residence Life
Applications due by 5:00 pm
on February 6, 2004
to The Clayton Williams, Jr. Alumni Center Desk
Application Workshops
Tuesday, January 27
5:30-6:30 pm
Koldus Building
Room 146
Thursday, January 29
6:00-7:00 pm
The Association of Former Students
Lecture A
Involvement
Experiences
Monday, February 2
7:00-8:00 pm
Rudder Tower
Room 404
Impact
Spirit
Wednesday, February 4
7:30-8:30 pm
The Association of Former Students
Lecture A
HOUSTON
AIM
4B
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
THE BATTALIO!
MAIL CALL
Denying legacy admissions Gates' decision makes A&M •'
kills the Aggie spirit a non-unique' University
President Gates, I'll be honest. I think that
your admissions policies are wrong and direct
ed toward reaching personal goals or an
undisclosed agenda that has been thought up
by regents and administrators who have no
real motive in making the University better (or
more diverse).
If you would like to have a political University
and play state politics, move to Austin (or back
to D.C.). I have more comments and feelings
like these in which I am not alone, but that is not
what I will rant about today.
Instead, I would like to say that by not allowing
legacy to be involved in the admissions
process, you are saying to the public and to
alumni who strongly support the University that
Texas A&M is no longer interested in the type of
people or the traditions that this University is
known for.
Essentially, by not allowing legacy to affect
admissions, you are killing the Aggie spirit just
like you have smothered Bonfire and the flame
that unites the Aggie family.
Your decision is the beginning of the end. By
not allowing legacy students (or cutting back
on them to “diversify” the campus) you are put
ting an end to the Aggie family. Only Old Ags
will know of this spirit and try to keep it alive.
Eventually, this school will have no legacy
members and will not be distinct in any way. If
that is what you want, go to Austin, or any other
“state” school.
In the e-mail you sent, you stated that “We
believe, as virtually every university in the coun
try does, that students whose family members
have attended its university add value to what
makes those institutions unique. This is espe
cially true at Texas A&M.”
By making it harder for legacy students, you
are being hypocritical.
I am trying to be polite and make you see the
error of your ways through eloquent rhetoric, but
I realize that I am so agitated it is not working.
So let me be blunt.
As president of this University, you have done
nothing but irritate the students and alumni. If
you try to please politicians instead of getting in
tune with the students, faculty and alumni, then
you will soon lose support. The bottom line: If
you are unhappy with your job, change it: don't
try to change the employer.
Hopefully this gets my point across. If not, let
me know, I could use more colorful vocabulary
to tell you exactly how I feel.
Tessa Howington
Class of 2003
Dr. Gates, thank you for the recent e-tni
attempting to explain your “caving in" to cr
cism regarding A&M's legacy policy, andyo.
arbitrary abolition of same. Apparently, inyo.
brief tenure at my beloved alma mater, youha*
failed to grasp the concept of “The Spirit i
Aggieland” and "The Twelfth Man.” I canrc’
explain it to you, but I have lived it since
showed up on the banks of the Brazos River i j
September 1967. We are unique. What otf^
university has anything like Aggie jokes? J
one laughs harder at this form of humor than^
n a pi
wouli
.cant's
|o contri
,dniissii
iressure
uotas ai
idminist
ively bu
In act
ir admit
ut are o
lemogra
uses a lis
do We pity the jealous non-Aggie joke-tellef
having had to attend an inferior university.
To paraphrase former President Bush,
library adorns our campus, “read my lips,’
Gates. It's all about tradition. Many former
dents patiently await a decision on our most
lowed symbol, the Bonfire, because. Ti
A&M's lifeblood is traditions. Is it your inti
to make A&M non-unique?
Your message stated that you
each member of the Board of Regents. Did
really mean “consult.” or would “advise of yo. ncludiii]
decision” be more accurate? ivercom
Legacy, whether official or not, real oriwj daiivcs
med. has always been a part of A&M'sit On J.
lore and tradition. This uniqueness makes, lies and
proud to wear the school's crest on ourm ors. I m
fingers, and to be a member of a Forr« ; lated a
Student s Association next to none. Thi light .ul
have been many A&M presidents since Hr iblings
heard the late General Earl Rudder tell i award c
about the Normandy beach landings at owardy
man orientation. * Hie/
I will always be a proud, ring-weanng tan dmittec
student who bleeds maroon and wti# ule and
However. Dr Gates. I question whether or« iitoivm
should continue my membership and anrj, ven on<
contributions to the Century Club Does I Mrcnisi
unique group threaten any of your plans Tie Hoi
“non-uniqueness." or. is the Club on yourtraMomts t(
lion” chopping-block? ^ Pt puni
If the Texas A&M legacy policy counted
one-tenth of one-hundredth of one-
of a point, this unique tradition would live or
you've ever listened to the words of "The Sp
of Aggieland" you would have heard: Ai
they've boosted all the rest, they will cornea
join the best, for we are the Aggies, the Agg<
are we, we re from Texas AMC.' I trust thatyJ
will reconsider your actions, in light of the
traditions, highly revered by both the
body and the former students.
(pplicar
Inti I all
ould r
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