thebattalion ● friday,
september 14, 2012
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
File — The Battalion
The Aggie Ring design has been revised several times, including the addition of the Texas and U.S. flags and the positioning of the state seal.
Shining achievement Aggie Ring tradition fosters golden sense of family Jennifer Keith Special to The Battalion Almost 3,500 students will join the ranks of those who bear that golden symbol of one’s tie to Texas A&M: the Aggie Ring. On the first Ring Day of the fall semester, students, family and friends will pour into the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center to pick up their Aggie Rings Friday afternoon. According to the Association of Former Students website, the oldest Aggie Ring ever known dates from 1889, just 13 years after the founding of A&M. For almost 80 years, the University continued to alter the details of the ring, which included changing the engraved name to Texas A&M University from the former names: A&M College of Texas and Texas
A&M College. Minor details were also modified before settling on the current design, such as the addition of the Texas and U.S. flags and the positioning of the state seal and crossed weapons. The lettering and design of the ring students will receive Friday was set in 1967. Nine years after the ring’s final design was decided, Bill Travis graduated from Texas A&M with the Class of 1976. When Travis received his Aggie Ring before graduating, it was not quite the event that Ring Day has grown to be. “Of course, I was very proud,” Travis said. “But of course, it’s not like it is now, where your family comes up and you stand under the huge ring. It was a real simple, quiet deal.
And, we did not have any type of a dunking tradition.” Despite changes in execution, Travis said the way A&M celebrates Ring Day is outstanding and a great tradition to have started. When he remembered putting his daughter’s Aggie Ring on her finger on Ring Day last year, he said he has a hard time describing the bond that he felt with her. “To add to the father-daughter connection that is already there, I am extremely proud that we have that extra bond of both being Aggies,” Travis said. Travis said he consistently runs into people wearing the Aggie ring and can make that special connection with them, as well. Travis said he hopes current students re-
inside Aggie Ring | 4 Rings lost and found Former students experience the strength of the Aggie network after reuniting with their Aggie Rings, thought to have been long gone. ceiving their Aggie Ring Friday will realize how special it is. “You will find that when you get out into the working world, you will always have that special connection,” Travis said. “There’s a real bond. The Aggie ring is very distinct in See Ring on page 4
A&M, SMU to revisit storied rivalry in Dallas Mark Dore
File — The Battalion
Senior running back Christine Michael carries the ball during last year’s A&M-SMU contest.
sports
Cross country The A&M cross country team, victors at the Baylor Twilight meet, will travel to Houston Friday for the Rice Invitational. The event begins at 6:15 p.m.
thebatt.com
Modern warfare See the action packed video of the Rudder’s Rangers engage in simulated combat on the Quad at thebatt.com.
campus news Mock burn The mock dorm room fire set for Thursday evening was rescheduled due to weather. It will take place next Thursday at 6 p.m. on Simpson Drill Field.
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The Battalion The Aggies entered a Kyle Field atmosphere last week ripe with tension and anticipation, nervousness and optimism. The team put on a show offensively in the first half and tightened up defensively in the second, but the visiting Florida Gators stole the day, 20-17.
The question remains which team — A&M’s first or second half personality — will show up for the rest of the 2012 season. Head coach Kevin Sumlin and his team will answer that question Saturday on the road against SMU. Sumlin said he is encouraged moving forward based on things he saw while reviewing film from
the opener. “Once you get past the initial reaction of losing a football game you go back and look at what you can do better, try to assess effort, and in our estimation we were very pleased with our effort on offense and defense,” Sumlin said. “The next thing is exSee SMU on page 3
Aggie Wranglers return from hiatus Annabelle Hutchinson Special to The Battalion The Aggie Wranglers have been known worldwide for their high-flying country western routines since 1984, but seven months ago they ceased operations. They will begin operations for the first time since February with their traditional performance at Ring Day. They will be performing at 6 p.m. Friday at the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center as students receive their Aggie Rings. Senior civil engineering major and president of the Aggie Wranglers, Kyle Molitor, said the Wranglers
never left but were under review for a short time. “The Wranglers were always an organization and never ceased to exist, even for a little while,” Molitor said. “Back in February, due to certain events that transpired within the organization, the Department of Student Activities suggested to the Wranglers to undergo an organizational audit, which we agreed to.” Molitor said the summer was partially responsible for the long break, but it allowed them to review the organization. Cynthia Olvera, the program coordinator for student organization development and administration in the Department of Student Activities, said there was nothing scandalous about what happened to the
Wranglers seven months ago. “Many organizations go through this same process where they need time to assess things,” Olvera said. “It was the kind of situation where the organization’s members and adviser took a look at their mission, vision and values.” According to the Department of Student Activities, the Wranglers’ official status during the break was ‘renewing recognition.’ Olvera said the Wranglers have made lots of changes within the structure of their organization. “They did so good during their evaluation,” OlSee Wrangler on page 5
Rangers assault Quad, engage in mock battle Jennifer Keith Special to The Battalion In the midst of gunshots, green smoke and cadets gripping their rubber guns, Texas A&M students witnessed a sight that most college students see only in the movies. The Rudder’s Rangers, an A&M organization of cadet and non-reg members alike, held their annual Quad Assault Thursday evening, a simulated battle where the Ranger Company is attacked by an enemy force and defeats them using military tactics. The Quad Assault has been
held annually for the past 12 years as a recruiting event to market what the potential new members of the organization could take part in through Rudder’s Rangers. Christopher Kostoff, senior international studies major and commanding officer of Rudder’s Rangers, said he was eager to see how the members would do after having practiced all week. “I’m looking forward to seeing my men come out to perform and to put on a great show for the audience,” Kostoff said. “They have been training re-
ally hard for this event and it’s a demonstration to wow the audience with a lot of live action, sound effects and firing.” Though the event was a show for onlookers, Kostoff said it had at its core a practical purpose. “It is all based on true military tactics,” Kostoff said. “So at the same time that we are presenting the show to potential members, we are also showing them proper tactics.” Joseph Wade, junior manufacturing mechanical engineering technology major, took part
Aaron Cranford — THE BATTALION
Cadets use blank ammunition, smoke grenades
See Quad on page 6 and hummer vehicles to simulate realistic combat.
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