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MAIL CALL
By: Jacob Abernathy
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Opinion
From Jacob Abernathy, sophomore political science major
Despite the attempt at satire, Tuesday's column "For Aggie Spirit, old school is good bull," came off as a thinly veiled attack on the values and purpose of the Corps of Cadets. Suggesting that cadets "get away with" hazing on a regular basis, associating the Corps with cults and comparing the Corps to "dressing up and playing army" is childish and insulting. Mature satire understands the subject it is attacking, but the writing exposes a viewpoint typical of those who deride the Corps for being too focused on tradition. He accuses Aggies and the Corps of acting as if tradition is nothing more than "keeping things the way they used to be." Perhaps a visit to the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center and some time learning about the Corps' history and the many changes it has gone through over the years would help. One may even come to realize that Corps of Cadets traditions remain relevant and important to this University - as Robert Gates said at his Muster speech last week, "Those 19th century traditions - Corps of Cadets traditions, military traditions - remain the foundation of the Aggie Spirit in the 21st century."
Despite the attempt at satire, Tuesday's column "For Aggie Spirit, old school is good bull," came off as a thinly veiled attack on the values and purpose of the Corps of Cadets. Suggesting that cadets "get away with" hazing on a regular basis, associating the Corps with cults and comparing the Corps to "dressing up and playing army" is childish and insulting. Mature satire understands the subject it is attacking, but the writing exposes a viewpoint typical of those who deride the Corps for being too focused on tradition. He accuses Aggies and the Corps of acting as if tradition is nothing more than "keeping things the way they used to be." Perhaps a visit to the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center and some time learning about the Corps' history and the many changes it has gone through over the years would help. One may even come to realize that Corps of Cadets traditions remain relevant and important to this University - as Robert Gates said at his Muster speech last week, "Those 19th century traditions - Corps of Cadets traditions, military traditions - remain the foundation of the Aggie Spirit in the 21st century."
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