Wow. Yet again the "newspaper of the students" shows its soft underbelly.

You know when you were 13 or 14 years old and your dad busts in your room and catches you listening to rap and proceeds to rap himself. He does the awkward arm movements and tries to make stuff rhyme about dinner being ready... yeah, that's what it was like reading this.

It's not that the writing was bad, it was just the lack of cultural understanding. It's the same way an American would cringe if he or she knew a Chinese kid was telling people about USA. Telling them that we all dress like uncle Sam and eat Apple pie.

What's the use, other than poking fun of stereotypes, of an article like this? I mean it's ridicule on the most blatant level.

wow...this is the most rediculous article ive ever read. I cant believe someone would seriously recommend bringing more of this kind of trash to texas A&M. the whole point of texas A&M is to NOT go to a normal college campus. The fact that people like this are trying to make it just like every other campus to make people feel accepted is disgusting. A&M is great because it takes a certain kind of student to thrive here. and generally, its because most everyone thinks about the same way likes some of the same things. thats why we are such a close family.

I found this story amusing. We did something similar to this story in high school. I would say that Texas A&M is the counterculture given that the values and beleifes of the Aggies are not the norms of America. Every week I make the trek to A&M from Houston. It is definitely a special place. Kind of like Disney World but with a lot more maroon.

Statement " There is a purity in a counter cultural identity for it is a personal choice rather than a socialized one" Reminds me so much of the South Park Episode where Stan and Wendy break up and Stan decides to hang out with the Goth kids who are obsessed with non-conformity, while ironically forcing Stan to conform to their ways.

Evidently the Author doesn't understand human ways. We are social creatures who naturally gravitate to others like them. Being a true individual would mean that you belong to NO social clique. Your identity is your own and you aren't defined by anything or anyone buy what you want to be defined

Additionally Aggies and TAMU are non-conformist in the regular realm of academia. The typical university has a plethora of the social groups you listed above and then some. Texas A&M traditionally looks down upon social cliques. Hence the reason Texas A&M didn't have Greek life for the longest period of time. TAMU unlike other Universities takes a community view where although you may be involved in organizations within the campus being an Aggie and earning the traits of a leader, being a good student, and giving back to the community takes precedent. Once you are admitted and attend the first day of classes at Texas A&M University you are an Aggie. A social group of its own. Texas A&M encourages it's students to become productive leaders in the world as a whole, as well as give back to it's community, and to live with a code of honor. Texas A&M is Unique in comparison to other schools and for a student to choose to come here they have to be fairly non-conformist to be able to withstand the ridicule they will receive later in life for being an Aggie.

All of the groups you listed are sub-cultural pieces of western culture. It's easy to exhibit in the USA because we are free to do so. Maybe it's a typical the Aggies's choice to not conform to any one single identity and taking pieces of each identity that they like and making it their own. I think you are accusing people at TAMU of something that you really shouldn't try to accuse them of unless you get to know each and every student in attendance at Texas A&M. Good luck with that endeavor.

You see the typical Aggie is an intelligent being and can think for his or her self. They can listen to what you have to say, as well as others and CHOOSE for themselves what's wrong or right. As a result they don't fit into one specific group of "non-conformist" strictly because they can think for themselves and not let the clique do it for them.

I think you sir need to rethink your definition of individuality. It is far from being categorized in a faction with other people.

The moment I saw "hardcore" on the front of the Batt this morning I picked it up immediately to see what all of this was about... because like mentioned in the story, you don't see much concerning this here in College Station.

After reading the intro I felt very very very offended. The whole comment about Aggieland being in no "danger" caught my attention. First off, why does this "scene" have to be dangerous? My friend helps book shows down here and we already get enough flak from venues saying they think we destroy things... which is not true. What makes these types of people so dangerous? Because they wear black? Because they don't wear north face and sperrys every day to class? Wrong...

How many people who listen to these types of music on the campus have you actually gotten to know? I can promise you none of them are bad people... yeah I said it... they are PEOPLE! I feel like this article is making anyone who remotely fits these stereotypes into an object to pointed and laughed at. This is a growing subculture of our country... of the youth. With every year, there will be a growing population of students listening to this music and being active in the "scene"... people need to accept that it's not a bad thing. A&M has this so called diversity push... well I'm now 100% convinced that people are only looking for diversity in the places they want to.

I also would like to address the term "hardcore." There was not a single "hardcore" band mentioned in the entire article. How much research was actually done? The subgenre of "hardcore" was not even addressed. It just shows that there is a lot more to this whole subject than was brought to light.

By the way, if anyone would like to experience this "scene" and the "infestation" it's making in this town, there's a show tonight at the Palace Theater in Bryan. It costs 5 bucks, doors are at 6:30 PM, and music will promptly start at 7 PM. The bands playing are:
Beyond The Horror (College Station, TX) : www.myspace.com/beyondthehorror
The Swayze Factory (College Station, TX) : www.myspace.com/theswayzefactory
Glory Glory (Orange, TX) : www.myspace.com/gloryglorymusic
Myth and Legend (College Station, TX) : www.myspace.com/mythandlegend

It might do good for some people to actually encounter the people that this article is so called "describing."

Thanks and gig em.

I think that the writer forgot to include the Communists in this group, and why not as for him it looks like 'the more the merrier'.

I'm really confused as to why this story made it into print, let alone a full cover spread on the front page. It is overwhelmingly disappointing when the only interesting stories (and sadly only journalistic endeavors) are the short articles written by AP Press and inserted on page 3 of every issue. The Battallion has lost its journalistic drive, and it's plagued with a lot of fluff articles that don't apply to or concern its students. Come on, guys. Whatever happened to issues worthy of "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" ?

I, for one, appreciated the article from a standpoint of understanding sub-cultures into which I wouldn't otherwise gain much insight. It could be that those who identify more with the groups listed can offer better insight into the values of those groups, but for someone coming from the outside on all of it, I find it helpful. I do, however, disagree with the distinction the author makes between individuality/personal choice and authority-conformity/socialized choice. I think along the same lines as Terri here - if these people were truly non-conformist, then you wouldn't be able to identify them by their commonalities (like appearance, outlooks, tastes, etc.) There's a Despair.com Demotivator that captures the irony here perfectly: Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else (Individuality).

Yet another example of how this paper is no different than my highschool paper. With the election around the corner, scandals happening, and changes at A&M, this is what makes front page.

Thank God for foxnews.com and texags... that is all I need.

I think it's time to stop reading the Batt. Not a boycott. The Batt hasn't really done anything wrong; it's only fault is it sucks ass. Just stop reading it. Let the news stands still be full at the end of the day. Maybe that'll get the message across to the editors that they are extremely disconnected with the student body.

My recommendation: Copy and paste this "journalistic expression" into the t.u. campus rag.....it will be well received there. The counter-cultures presented in the article have no home at our university.

Are you really serious about the black metal section? You have to be kidding me. It's laughable, pathetic and down right insulting. Next time you get someone to write an article about a genre, make sure that person knows what is it. Please don't pick an idiot who watches MTV and refers to Wikipedia.

Oh, by the way, scenesters love anything mainstream. The more it sucks, the more they love it.

Sometimes I think the Batt could benefit from picking some random schmo on campus and having them write the front page story.

I have been attending this school since 2000 and, yes, I have graduated with my bachelor and master degree and am working on my PhD. That being said, over the years, I have observed and been part of "scenes" that have come through College Station. I remember the 2-3 year period when you couldn't walk by someone's window on campus without hearing Dave Matthews...that guy was everywhere. After reading this article (which was anonymously written, by the way....smart move there), I am not offended.

I'm glad that someone finally verbalized the general ruling mentality that has been present on this campus (in hindsight) for as long as I can remember. When I came to this campus, I wore band t-shirts (The Misfits, Reggie and the Full Effect, Operation Ivy, and others), wore my blue jeans with the cuffs rolled up, spiked and colored my hair, wore Vans and Converse shoes and rode my skateboard. I very quickly learned that it is very hard to ride a skateboard on this campus because of all the cobble stone...no loss, I wasn't any good anyway.

What's more, I also quickly noticed that there weren't many people around like me...I didn't know much about A&M before I came here as I am the first one in my family to go to and graduate from a major university. Rather than conform, I decided to maintain against the grain (that's for you Bad Religion fans). We had a considerable small "punk scene" in my hometown where we grew up and I naively thought I could find kindred spirits from other towns that I could bond with and maybe even form a band with...and I eventually did.

At first, I was against the traditions at A&M, I thought they were stupid, but then I gave it a chance...I went to some football games, saw the band (which march very similar to the band i was in in high school), got into the Whooping, I even got my Aggie ring and celebrated (twice!!!).

It wasn't until I entered graduate school that I finally understood why I had such a hard time finding kindred "different" spirits here at A&M. For me, graduate school has been a multicultural experience and it has been rewarding mainly due to that fact. I remember reading a statement in an article (after I had started graduate school) made by an international student saying that he came to A&M after hearing about the sense of hospitality that the campus had to offer.

I thought about that statement in hindsight, and in my eyes, I realized that the hospitality and open arms are for those who don't break the mold of the majority. Whoever wrote this article should go back and put in scenes for "Oriental", "Indian", "Black", "European" and others, because they are just as different as the majority of the students and, in general, don't feel as welcome as they could be on this campus. The graduate students make up about 1/5 of the entire student population of A&M and a large portion of that 1/5 are international...that's a lot of different people. I should also mention the fact that there are several confederate flags being flown around campus and being displayed on vehicles and elsewhere.

In short, I'm basically trying to say that A&M seems to have a general policy of "If you're not the same as what was around when the University was started, we're not going to ask you to leave, but we're not going to go out of our way to embrace you." It may sound like pessimism, but it's real.

I have come to understand (to use cliches) that while "clothes do (tend to) make the man", you can't "judge a book by its cover". One of my best friends was one of the most "hardcore" Aggies I've ever seen from Ohio. He loved Iron Maiden and listened to Pink Floyd and even some punk rock. He also was the most amazing two-stepper I've ever seen and went to church EVERY Sunday. I have two other friends that wear shirts from current designer brands and are "clean-cut" and respectable looking. It's no wonder I was shocked when I found out that they listen to Dying Fetus, Infestation, Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Mastodon and other bands that have "offensive names".

To sum up the above, I am both happy and sad that my campus experience with A&M is almost at an end. I am happy because I will finally be away from the small- and close-minded mentality that is running rampant. But I'm sad because I don't see it changing anytime soon...no matter how many times they say the word "diversity".

OK, now it's time for some education:

Punk

There is no clean cut definition where how this started, really. Frustrated kids that learned you could make music with 3-4 chords, simple drum beats and lyrics about what you were frustrated about.

Black Metal

The term "Black Metal" is often thought to come from the "1st wave of Black Metal" band Venom's song "Black Metal" on the 1982 album "Black Metal". The evil and deep Satanism that came to be associated with Black Metal was a result of extremism people in Scandanavia in the 90's. There were church burnings for shock value and murders for reasons unrelated to Satanism...they have a very different culture in Scandanavia than in America. They took the lyrics of the 1st wave bands seriously (when they were only meant to be tongue-in-cheek..whoops, their feauxpas). Basically, things got way out of hand as a result of a few people and the rest of the world heard about it because it made headlines and there were tourists.

The make-up worn by SOME black AND death metal bands is only to add to the atmosphere of the music. It has nothing to do with a fantasy world.

Hippie

Again, a group of frustrated people expressing themselves however they could. Marijuana and many other drugs were still legal back in their day, so a great many people had altered/mellowed states of mind...hence the pacifist nature.

Rudeboy

Most of your description about Rudeboys was correct. An interesting fact to note, however is that Jamaican blacks were the original skinheads. The factory workers found it was easier to keep cool if you shaved your hair off, many of these black skinheads were Rudeboys and in reggae and ska bands. So, all of you neo-Nazis skinheads out there, remember that black people did it before you. Also Nazis didn't have anything to do with black people in the concentration camps. That's why they formed the Ku Klux Klan.

Scenester

This is a vague, ambiguous term. It seems to stand for someone that doesn't feel at home in the majority, but doesn't identify with any of the other "subcultures" either...so they do what they want to be unique and different.

You can pretty much sum up any of these descriptions by saying "The (insert culture here) is someone who likes (insert likes) and chooses to outwardly display their association with those likes." But, if you get to know these people and get past their outward appearance, you will find that they are JUST LIKE YOU, and ALL AGGIES. That goes for you too Punks, Black Metalers, Hippies, Rudeboys, Scenesters, Orientals, Blacks, Indians, Europeans, and anyone else different that I may have forgotten.

Don't everyone go freaking out, just because there is less exposure to these groups doesn't mean that it is either an "infestation" or some critique on Aggie conformity. Obviously comments like "To make people feel accepted here is disgusting/That is why we are such a close family" and "Why would A/M need more of this trash" and "These countercultres have no home in our university" show that A/M is NOT culturally diverse and in need of a serious social enema. Just because you don't like long-haired, pot-smoking, smacked-out freaks doesn't mean we are not around...or that we won't consume your tired, boring, traditionalist way of life. It doesn't matter if it is an arson-loving Mayhem fan from the Black Metal camp, or a crust-punk from the streets of Austin. More kids are welcoming alternative lifestyles because the past has failed them, their own culture has fallen short. Who are you to say they do not belong? History has proven that this backward-ass way of life will be deposed by something better. These subcultures are a sign of the human need for expression within the confines of a social network. Not much different than being a devoted Aggie, in the end all that is different are the ideologies. These subcultures provide freedom through expression and exploration. For those who know, put your differences aside. It doesn't matter if the article fails to mention Bathory or Mayhem in the Black Metal section, the point is this is just a signal-flare for the like-minded. These movements are about discovering yourself, and if it gets kids together, then shows happen and art happens--that is a scene. A meeting of minds. And if this is not why you are in school then fuck you and whatever it is you think is worth learning about life, because you cannot possibly be a serious student without this tiny amount of openness. I promise you this, the future belongs to those brave enough to challenge your mindless traditions and stagnant religious superstition. Why don't you few punks, thrashers, metalheads, hippies, and freaks start shaking things up in this Jesus-loving wasteland? Strike sparks, a fire is sure to catch eventually...

Once again, a classic example of the Batt not having a single story to publish. Honestly, this COULD of been an interesting article if it were written by someone who actually understood and appreciated the cultures they were talking about - half the components seem to be INSULTING the counterculture that they're talking about - I've grown up surrounded by a few of these and seriously... it just seems like any area that doesn't really have ANY of this poking fun at the big city.

Nice comment Mega Man! Very insightful.

Let me add, that I graduated from this fine university back in the 80's, and back when I went, if you didn't listen to country or wear a cowboy hat, you weren't accepted. For a person like me, that listened to Pink Floyd, Scorpions, Doors, and Rush, I was not the most popular. To top it off, being in the corps made it much more "offensive."

So now, many years later with maturity setting in, it's good to see that the University has moved forward albeit glaciously slow. I have many Ag friends that have had to "diversify" and enter the real world. I now realize the foibles of what TAMU tries to protect and see the narrow vision that guides them.

In summary, the article speaks a truth that is sadly lost on many of the students it was meant to speak to, in spite of the inaccurate descriptions of the groups. Sadly A&M doesn't prepare students for these realities of life.

MB

"The stereotype of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll they[hippies]left behind is notable enough to be the police's standards for probable cause." This entire article, is in fact, a shmorkusboard of stereotypes. Considering myself to be quite the hippie, I am somewhat amused at the ignorance of the author. To be a hippie is to decide yourself that you are a hippie. There are no criteria that must be accounted for before you are "labeled" hippie. To me, a hippie is a counterculture movement. It is the incredible intertwining of your soul with the music, socially and politically. It is a cause and a solution. The most amusing part of the article is the adding of the most stereotypical assumptions of the author by the "Apperance, Listens, and Drinks" section. I have never smoked pot, I take showers every day, I shave my legs, and I usually wear jeans and a pair of crocs to class. The music the author included is sad really. Though mainstream, I would include the classical workings of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Joanie Mitchell, Joan Baez, The Greatful Dead, and Janis Joplin. The "Hippie Music" is not all about taking a "trip". It is letting the message fill your soul.

By the way, String Cheese Incident are awful.

Wow. I fall into the "Black Metal" group, and you got it all wrong. I walk around campus wearing band shirts, proudly displaying my full sleeve tattoos and septum piercing, and I have never had anybody do anymore than look at me. I thought A&M was a more accepting place...well, I guessed wrong.

First: Learn to spell the band names correct (it is Dimmu Borgir...with an O and not a U).

Second: Go out an actually talk to the people you are stereotyping. Seriously, you need to talk to people before you try and tell them what they believe and why. This is a horrible interpretation of black metal. All you have to do is look up the Wikipedia page for it, and you will learn about how it started, and its philosophy (trust me, I just did).

It is sad when I get bashed becuase I dont conform to the usual Aggie look. I thought we were passed this stage. I guess the next front page article will be an Evangelical stereotyping my atheistic beliefs, since this is not a common thing in College Station.

Huh? What? A lot of big words, but what does it all mean?