8
thursday, february 23, 2012 serving texas a&m since 1893 first paper free – additional copies $1 © 2012 student media the battalion The second student body president debate is at 7 p.m. Thursday at the George Bush Presidential Library Auditorium. Check out thebatt.com to get to know student body president candidates Brody Smith and Jose Zelaya in the final two candidate video interviews. Look for the fourth installment of the Candidate Perspectives series on Friday. The series features three candidates’ platforms per article. Marijuana activists look to carve out a spot in Academic Plaza to hold a voting booth checking the pulse of Aggie de- criminalization advocates on Thursday. The Aggie Cannabis Reform and Edu- cation Society, ACRES, is an on-campus organization that promotes the legaliza- tion of hemp and medical marijuana, and pushes for decriminalization of recre- ational use. “We want to educate people about the facts of marijuana,” said Mostafa Selim, ACRES president and junior university studies major. “We know there’s a large cannabis-friendly community at Texas A&M, so we want to organize everyone into a serious formal movement.” A student and ACRES member who requested anonymity said the club does not promote the use of marijuana, but hopes that laws controlling marijuana can be reformed. “The system is spinning out of control. There were over 80,000 arrests last year, we can’t keep justifying all of these incar- cerations for a harmless plant,” he said. “[University Police Department] arrested 40 of our fellow Ags last year and poten- tially took away the hopes of graduation from them … We aren’t saying that ev- eryone should smoke weed. All we want is to crack down and get realistic law en- forcement that’s going to solve problems, not create them.” ACRES holds meetings to educate students about legislation and laws sur- rounding marijuana, such as the schedule system, which prioritizes the drugs into different “schedules” depending on each drug’s decided potency. “Marijuana has caused zero deaths; it doesn’t kill anyone and you can’t over- dose,” Selim said. ‘People die in College Station of alcohol poisoning every year. It might make more sense to put alcohol on Schedule 1 and take weed off of it.” Weed joins the ranks with drugs in- cluding LSD and heroine. Examples of Schedule 2 drugs include cocaine and methamphetamine. The anonymous ACRES member said the use of marijuana helps ease complica- tions of chemotherapy in cancer patients. “Weed has legitimate uses for medici- nal purposes. For example, cancer patients suffer from side effects from chemo- therapy — it’s called wasting syndrome. See Cannabis on page 7 Cannabis club rolls voting booth to campus campus Kevin Smith The Battalion Dust to dust James Thompson — THE BATTALION Father David Konderla, director of campus ministry at St. Mary’s Catholic Center, places ashes on a student’s forehead in the shape of a cross during an Ash Wednesday service in Rudder Theater. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The ashes are symbolic of sinfulness and are rubbed onto the forehead in the shape of a cross, while the priest or pastor says, “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” As elections approach, student body president candidates Sam Hodges, John Claybrook and Jose Zelaya plan initiatives for enhancing student living, with visions for issues including parking, library hours and campus diversity. One common issue was the lack of flexible parking on campus. Meters scattered around campus offer park- ing in one-hour increments. Instead of having to pay for an hour of park- ing when not all of that time is need- ed, Claybrook said he would like stu- dents to have the option of paying for 30-minute increments. Claybrook, a junior finance major, said this would save students money, especially those with excess time between Tuesday and Thursday classes. Instead of having to pay for two hours of parking several times a week, the student could pay for an hour and a half and save money. To make it easier for quick errands on campus, Claybrook also proposed that there be 15-minute free parking in all pay spaces. “Every little thing that we do can make a difference,” Claybrook said. Hodges, a junior political science major, expressed concern for stu- dent safety, saying he would like to see improved, more uniform lighting around campus to prevent crimes and provide easier travel at night. He also said he would work toward fitting the emergency call stations around cam- Jake Walker Special to The Battalion SBP candidates discuss student living candidate perspectives Q: What are the pros and cons of having a woman yell leader? thebattalion asks “If there’s a woman that can fulfill the role of yell leader and who can show that the position of yell leader can be filled by a woman, then yes, it is completely fine for a woman to be yell leader.” Caleb Shearer, sophomore business major “We have to be willing to see some of our traditions change, as well. So having a girl run for yell leader shouldn’t be as big of an issue as people make it out to be.” Damani Felder, sophomore business major “We definitely want to progress as a school and a society. If we are going to be for equality, we should push for a female yell leader.“ Jessica Smarr, sophomore psychology major “A pro of having a woman yell leader is that it’s showing the Aggie way of change and I think that’s big here. One con would be … it being the first woman yell leader, breaking the male tradition.” Carter Ray, sophomore business major Aggies fall, 66-58 Samantha Virnau — THE BATTALION Kansas guard Travis Releford snags a rebound over Aggie forward Ray Turner in Kansas’ 66-58 victory Wednesday in Reed Arena. See page 4 for the story. To get involved The next ACRES meeting will be at 6 p.m. Friday in Wehner Building, room 115. Students can find more information at acres.tamu.edu. inside voices | 3 Women breaking the mold Balancing tradition with progress is at the forefront of the debate about electing a female yell leader. See Elections on page 5 Pg. 1-02.23.12.indd 1 Pg. 1-02.23.12.indd 1 2/23/12 12:05 AM 2/23/12 12:05 AM

TheBattalion02232012

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

TheBattalion02232012

Citation preview

● thursday, february 23, 2012 ● serving texas a&m since 1893 ● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media

thebattalion◗ The second student body president debate is at 7 p.m. Thursday at the George Bush Presidential Library Auditorium.◗ Check out thebatt.com to get to know student body president candidates Brody Smith and Jose Zelaya in the fi nal two candidate video interviews. ◗ Look for the fourth installment of the Candidate Perspectives series on Friday. The series features three candidates’ platforms per article.

Marijuana activists look to carve out a spot in Academic Plaza to hold a voting booth checking the pulse of Aggie de-criminalization advocates on Thursday.

The Aggie Cannabis Reform and Edu-cation Society, ACRES, is an on-campus organization that promotes the legaliza-tion of hemp and medical marijuana, and pushes for decriminalization of recre-ational use.

“We want to educate people about the facts of marijuana,” said Mostafa Selim, ACRES president and junior university studies major. “We know there’s a large cannabis-friendly community at Texas A&M, so we want to organize everyone into a serious formal movement.”

A student and ACRES member who requested anonymity said the club does not promote the use of marijuana, but hopes that laws controlling marijuana can be reformed.

“The system is spinning out of control. There were over 80,000 arrests last year, we can’t keep justifying all of these incar-cerations for a harmless plant,” he said. “[University Police Department] arrested 40 of our fellow Ags last year and poten-tially took away the hopes of graduation from them … We aren’t saying that ev-eryone should smoke weed. All we want is to crack down and get realistic law en-

forcement that’s going to solve problems, not create them.”

ACRES holds meetings to educate students about legislation and laws sur-rounding marijuana, such as the schedule system, which prioritizes the drugs into different “schedules” depending on each drug’s decided potency.

“Marijuana has caused zero deaths; it doesn’t kill anyone and you can’t over-dose,” Selim said. ‘People die in College Station of alcohol poisoning every year. It might make more sense to put alcohol on Schedule 1 and take weed off of it.”

Weed joins the ranks with drugs in-cluding LSD and heroine. Examples of Schedule 2 drugs include cocaine and methamphetamine.

The anonymous ACRES member said the use of marijuana helps ease complica-tions of chemotherapy in cancer patients.

“Weed has legitimate uses for medici-nal purposes. For example, cancer patients suffer from side effects from chemo-therapy — it’s called wasting syndrome.

See Cannabis on page 7

Cannabis club rolls voting booth to campus

campus

Kevin SmithThe Battalion

Dust to dust

James Thompson — THE BATTALION

Father David Konderla, director of campus ministry at St. Mary’s Catholic Center, places ashes on a student’s forehead in the shape of a cross during an Ash Wednesday service in Rudder Theater. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by

observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The ashes are symbolic of sinfulness and are rubbed onto the forehead in the shape of a cross, while the priest or pastor says, “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.”

As elections approach, student body president candidates Sam Hodges, John Claybrook and Jose Zelaya plan initiatives for enhancing student living, with visions for issues including parking, library hours and campus diversity.

One common issue was the lack of flexible parking on campus. Meters scattered around campus offer park-ing in one-hour increments. Instead of having to pay for an hour of park-

ing when not all of that time is need-ed, Claybrook said he would like stu-dents to have the option of paying for 30-minute increments. Claybrook, a junior finance major, said this would save students money, especially those with excess time between Tuesday and Thursday classes.

Instead of having to pay for two hours of parking several times a week, the student could pay for an hour and a half and save money. To make it easier for quick errands on campus, Claybrook also proposed that there

be 15-minute free parking in all pay spaces.

“Every little thing that we do can make a difference,” Claybrook said.

Hodges, a junior political science major, expressed concern for stu-dent safety, saying he would like to see improved, more uniform lighting around campus to prevent crimes and provide easier travel at night. He also said he would work toward fitting the emergency call stations around cam-

Jake Walker Special to The Battalion

SBP candidates discuss student living

candidate perspectives

Q:What are the pros and cons

of having a woman yell

leader?

thebattalionasks

“If there’s a woman that can fulfi ll the role of yell leader

and who can show that the position of yell leader can be fi lled by a woman,

then yes, it is completely fi ne for a woman to be yell

leader.”Caleb Shearer,

sophomore business major

“We have to be willing to see some

of our traditions change, as well. So having a girl

run for yell leader shouldn’t be as

big of an issue as people make it out

to be.”Damani Felder,

sophomore business major

“We defi nitely want to progress as a school and a society. If we are

going to be for equality, we should push for a female

yell leader.“ Jessica Smarr,

sophomore psychology major

“A pro of having a woman yell leader is that it’s showing the Aggie way of

change and I think that’s big here. One

con would be … it being the fi rst

woman yell leader, breaking the male

tradition.”Carter Ray,

sophomore business major

Aggies fall, 66-58

Samantha Virnau — THE BATTALION

Kansas guard Travis Releford snags a rebound over Aggie forward Ray Turner in Kansas’ 66-58 victory Wednesday in Reed Arena. See page 4 for the story.

To get involvedThe next ACRES meeting will be at 6 p.m. Friday in Wehner Building, room 115. Students can fi nd more information at acres.tamu.edu.

inside

voices | 3Women breaking the moldBalancing tradition with progress is at the forefront of the debate about electing a female yell leader.

See Elections on page 5

Pg. 1-02.23.12.indd 1Pg. 1-02.23.12.indd 1 2/23/12 12:05 AM2/23/12 12:05 AM

Brody SmithBrody Smith was refreshingly

student-focused. He brought detailed

ideas to the table, and we believe he

would champion causes of interest to

students — issues involving Dining

Services, residence halls and student

fees. With a background as Aggie

Relay for Life director, Smith laid

out plans to use athletic events to

fundraise for nonprofit organizations

unrelated to the University — an is-

sue we weren’t convinced should be

the focus of an SBP. We were also a

bit concerned by Smith’s aggressive

nature, because the student advo-

cate needs to be able and willing to

develop relationships with adminis-

trators to be effective.

Jose Luis ZelayaJose Zelaya brings a compelling

story of overcoming obstacles to the

SBP race and is the only graduate

student on the ballot. He believes

strongly in his platform of making

A&M more welcoming for mar-

ginalized groups. We were uneasy

with Zelaya’s level of familiarity with

campus-specific issues. In order to

be an effective advocate for students,

the SBP will have to be concerned

with issues such as tuition and fees,

changes associated with the SEC

transition and improving student

services. Zelaya did not communi-

cate as much concern for these issues

as for broader social themes.

Sam HodgesSam Hodges’ strength is in dem-

onstrated leadership. As a cadet and

chair of the Memorial Student Cen-

ter’s Student Conference on Nation-

al Affairs, Hodges brings experience

in project and team management

and has been active with the Jeff

Pickering SBP administration. The

potential to partner the resources of

MSC and SGA programs because of

his background also showed promise.

However, even considering his lead-

ership history, Hodges wasn’t able to

excite the board with his vision for

student body president. We would

have liked his platform pillars to ad-

dress tangible student advocate roles

rather than being general in nature.

Thomas McNuttThomas McNutt was a confident

communicator and the most charis-

matic of the candidates. His knowl-

edge was encouraging for a student

advocate, and he brings the persona

of a leader. McNutt comes across as

extremely competitive, which can

be a positive attribute when repre-

senting students. However, he was

the only one to speak negatively

about another candidate’s actions,

unprompted. We also worry that his

agenda may be a bit too ambitious

to be entirely practical. If elected,

though, we believe McNutt would

bring energy to the position and is

well equipped to represent A&M in

the SEC.

Friday-Sunday, March 2-4Rudder AuditoriumSpecial Prices for Students!

MSCOPAS.org

Sponsored by

®

®

LARGE NON-SMOKING ROOM

Great Food • Security • Unlimited Pull & Event Tabs and Much More!

Event Packages

& Planning Available774-7266

OVER $60,000 won weekly• Monday thru Saturday 1st Session 6:30, 2nd Session 8:00• Sunday - 1st Session 6:00pm, 2nd Session 8:00pm• 1/2 price paper on Thursday• $10.00 1/2 price FortuNet Electronics• Thurs. - Free Beer (limit 2)• $2500 session play• 1/2 price full pay Monday, Wednesday and Friday

www.brazosbingo.com

1805 Briarcrest, Bryan

(corner of 29th St. & Briarcrest)

979-776-0999OPEN

7 DAYS A WEEK!

University Dr.

Wellborn

Cafe Eccell

Double Quick

A&M Campus

Church

Natalie

Double QuickDaiquiris to Go

Convenient Drive ThruFlavors Include:

Long Island Iced Tea (stronger than Locos)

Strawberry • Blue HawaiianPina Colada • Sex on the Beach

Margaritas • 40 Other Flavors To Choose FromFor your parties, come pick up a gallon of your favorite flavors

Cherry Bombs & Jello ShotsIce cold beer and great wine selections!

www.doublequickdrinks.comFind us on facebook at: facebook.com/doublequick.bcs

979-846-2237 4501 Wellborn Rd., 1 mile north of Kyle Field

THE BATTALION (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University. Periodicals Postage Paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, Texas A&M University, 1111 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1111.

News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. News offices are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3313; Fax: 979-845-2647; E-mail: [email protected]; website: http://www.thebatt.com.

Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising, call 979-845-2696. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Advertising offices are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 979-845-2678.

Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1. Mail subscriptions are $125 per school year. To charge by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express, call 979-845-2613.

Robert Carpenter, Editor in Chief

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893thebattalion

thebattalion 2.23.2012

Our assessment of the student body president candidates

EDITORIAL

Drew BarberDrew Barber has the most student

government experience of any can-

didate in the race — continuing this

year as community relations chair for

the Student Senate. We know he is

well versed with campus issues rel-

evant to students, but were surprised

when he shied away from specifics

while talking with us. Barber stayed

close to his “Improved Aggie Ex-

perience” message throughout. We

felt this approach lacked depth, and

would have liked for him to respond

with specifics when we opened the

door for him to elaborate about his

objectives.

John ClaybrookJohn Claybrook brought an unas-

suming personality to the interview

and seems to be the most approach-

able of the candidates. He lacks sig-

nificant SGA experience, a concern

we had entering his interview. But

Claybrook proactively addressed

this shortcoming through prepara-

tion — demonstrating a detailed

awareness of campus issues, outlining

a 13-point agenda and communicat-

ing an understanding of the SBP’s

role as student advocate. We believe

Claybrook will have to develop into

a more assertive leader in order to

communicate with authority as SBP,

but his preparedness and relatability

were positive indicators of his poten-

tial as a candidate.

pagetwoFriday breezy high: 62 low: 39Saturday sunny high: 61 low: 42Sunday breezy high: 64 low: 54

Todaymostly sunny

High: 86 Low: 49Connect online

The Battalion’s editorial opinion is

determined by its Board of Opinion, with the

editor in chief having fi nal responsibility.

EDITORIALBOARD Robert Carpenter

Editor in Chiefsenior applied

math major

Alec GoetzPlanning Editor

junior English major

Naila Dhanani Opinion Editor

junior biomedical sciences major

Taylor Wolken columnist

senior economics major

E ach of the six student body president candidates sat down with The Battalion’s editorial board last week to

discuss their visions and qualifications. In line with our mission as the University’s independent student

voice, the board felt that an interview with our newspaper should be an interview with the student body.

So, for students’ use and because many students will not have the opportunity to meet the candidates, we decided to

forego an endorsement and instead publish our impressions from the interviews. We encourage voters to approach

this election holistically — considering a number of factors, possibly including but not limited to our assessments.

howtoapplyIf you are interested in writing or contributing content in The Battalion, apply at thebatt.com, or call 845-3313.

The Battalion welcomes any Texas A&M student interested in writing for the arts, campus, metro or sports staffs to try out. We particularly encourage freshmen and sophomores to apply, but students may try out regardless of semester standing or major. No previous journalism experience is necessary.

correctionsThe Battalion welcomes readers’ comments about published information that may require correction. We will pursue your concern to determine whether a correction needs to be published. Please contact us at [email protected].

courtesy of NOAA

Pg. 2-02.23.12.indd 1Pg. 2-02.23.12.indd 1 2/22/12 10:27 PM2/22/12 10:27 PM

school and want to serve it.Having our first female yell leader

won’t change our traditions. It won’t strike a blow for Aggie women every-where. It won’t make a statement. But it will ensure we have an enthusiastic and spirited yell leader, and that’s what matters.

(if you haven’t)

order your 2012 yearbook today.The 110th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook — the Aggieland — will chronicle the 2011-2012 school year: traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, Greeks, campus organizations, and seniors and graduate students.

By credit card go online to http://aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613. Or drop by the Student Media office, Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Hours: 8:30 A.M. to �4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday.

Naila Dhanani: Expand role of yell leader

to females

Hullabaloo

T exas A&M University first

opened its doors to women

in 1963, yet since then, not

one woman has taken up the role

of one of our most prominent

positions — yell leader.

It’s time to change that. As Aggies, we hold our traditions very

dear to us. Some say having a female yell leader will disrupt or change our tradition. It won’t. Yell leaders are our tradition, not male yell leaders.

But for those who claim it will change tradition, think about this. We just ended (for now) a 118-year-old tradition this past November. It’s clear as Aggies we are able to accept change.

In recent days, many have touted statistics to make a case for our first female yell leader. One says 46.6 percent of stu-dents are female. Therefore, we should elect a female to make the yell leader positions more representative of the student body make-up.

I have a problem with that. Yell leaders aren’t supposed to be representa-tive of the student body. If they were, then based on this past year, 100 percent of us would be in the Corps of Cadets. Clearly, we’re not.

Instead, yell leaders should be leaders of the Aggie Spirit. That’s it. We need to leave representative leadership to SGA and other similar entities.

It’s clear women have what it takes to be yell leader.

Women are an instrumental part of our University, Aggie Spirit included.

Women yell at football games, attend Sil-ver Taps, build student bonfire. So why can’t a spirited woman lead yells?

She can.I have confidence women won’t run just

to have a female on the ballot. Women will run for yell leader because they love our

‘The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this paper do not necessarily refl ect those of Texas A&M University, The Battalion or its staff.

MAILCALL GUESTCOLUMNSMake your opinion known by submitting Mail Call or guest columns to The Battalion. Mail

call must be fewer than 200 words and include the author’s name, classification, major and phone number. Staff and faculty must include title. Guest columns must be fewer than 700 words. All submissions should focus on issues not personalities, become property of The Battalion and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns. Anonymous letters

will be read, but not printed. The Battalion will print only one letter per author per month. No mail call will appear in The Battalion’s print or online editions before it is verifi ed.

Direct all correspondence to: Editor in chief of The Battalion

(979) 845-3315 | [email protected] voices02.23.2012thebattalion

EDITOR’SNOTE

page3

Tim Bardin: Preserve all-male yell leader

tradition

B efore this year, I didn’t even know

women could, much less would,

campaign for yell leader.

After examining the facts, I concluded that having a fe-male elected yell leader is not going to happen — at least not this year. And I think the tradition of an all-male yell leader squad should continue.

A non-Corps member who seeks election faces more challenges than the traditional cadet hopeful. Every year, there are a couple of sophomores and juniors who try to break from the tradition of yell leader cadets. These chal-lengers have even won on occasion — but in most years, five cadets emerge victorious. This reflects the student body’s general preference for male, cadet yell leaders.

So, if it is hard for male, non-reg Aggies to be elected yell leader, I see it as nearly impossible for a female, non-reg Aggie to successfully gain election. It’s simply the student body’s preference.

In fact, every attempt by a woman to gain election since the first campaigned in the 1980s has resulted in a loss. This tells me that Texas A&M is just not ready for a female yell leader.

Yell leader is arguably the most prominent student leadership role on campus, and the custom of an all-male squad is very entrenched. Texas A&M University prides itself in being the only school in Division I football that does not have cheerleaders. Since 1907, our yell leaders have defined, animated and led the student body yelling for our team.

In all that time, Texas A&M has never allowed a woman to occupy a position even remotely compa-rable to a cheerleader on Kyle Field. Our University has changed some of its oldest traditions to include women, but I think the tradition of an all-male yell leader squad should remain untouched.

But, some of you may say, professional and col-legiate teams across the nation allow or employ scantily clad women to cavort across their court or field. That may be. But we are Texas A&M, an institution that stands — or should stand — for honor, integrity, leadership and tradition. If we al-low the dance team on Kyle Field, or a woman to hold the position of yell leader just to get with the times and modernize, how are we different than any other school in the nation? If we allow one, what is to stop the other from happening?

I am a Fightin’ Texas Aggie who cherishes my school’s traditions. I am not an anti-feminist or a “chauvinist pig.” While I applaud any woman who seeks election for her dedication to our school and her desire to participate in one of our greatest traditions, I do not think female yell leaders are right for this University.

Tim Bardin is a senior finance major.

Naila Dhanani is a junior biomedical sciences major and opinion editor.

Jorge Montalvo — THE BATTALION

Pg. 3-02.23.12.indd 1Pg. 3-02.23.12.indd 1 2/22/12 10:07 PM2/22/12 10:07 PM

thebattalion

sportspage 4

thursday 2.23.2012

Kansas sweeps A&M, 66-58Second-half surge not enough for Aggie victory

Samantha Virnau — THE BATTALION

Sophomore center Keith Davis drives in for a layup, scoring two points as the Aggies fall short to the Kansas Jayhawks.

Texas A&M nearly pulled off a massive upset Wednesday night. The Aggies crept with-in four points against No. 4 Kansas with less than a minute left, but their run fell short and resulted in a 66-58 Aggie loss.

“You can’t give Kansas a 20 point lead on your home court and expect to play per-fect basketball and come back and win,” said Billy Kennedy, men’s basketball head coach. “One thing I will tell you is that we didn’t throw in the towel. We had opportuni-ties to cash it in and we really battled.”

The Aggies and Jayhawks traded buckets in the game’s opening salvo, and junior for-ward Khris Middleton’s fade away jumper at the 11:24 mark gave the Aggies a 14-13 lead. Later in the half, se-nior point guard Dash Harris found senior forward David Loubeau with a slick bounce pass in the lane for a crowd-rousing dunk. Harris, who’d missed the last seven games with an injured foot arch, finished the night with eight points and four assists.

“I’m never satisfied,” Har-ris said. “I wanted to wait un-til I was healthy enough to do some of the things I do best, which is running the floor and playing defense. I think I did that to an extent tonight, but it just felt good to be out there.”

The defense was particular-ly effective in shutting down forward Thomas Robinson in the first half. The poten-tial All-American scored only one point in the first half, but seldom used Elijah Johnson more than compensated for Robinson’s lack of scoring. The shooting guard was suc-cessful on six of his nine at-tempts and nearly outscored A&M by himself, pouring in 18 points. The Aggies trailed at half, 21-31.

“Elijah Johnson’s a good player and we took a chance by taking Robinson away and leaving him open,” Kennedy said. “He’s a good player who

stepped up and made shots.”Things seemed to turn

from bad to worse as the Jay-hawks started the second pe-riod on a 16-5 run. But the Aggies, powered by Middle-ton and junior guard Elston Turner, remained resilient and clamped down defensively while slowly chipping away at KU’s lead.

“A&M played pretty good down the stretch,” said Bill Self, Kansas head coach. “In the second half I think they shot 50 percent, and they didn’t make a shot to start the second half, so they must’ve made some shots down the stretch. Middleton got on a roll, Dash made a big three. But I think we helped them.”

Middleton converted on eight of his 14 shots on the night and finished with a game-high 23 points, 18 of which came in the second

half. “He was big for us,” Ken-

nedy said. “He was playing at the four with a mismatch at times. I thought that was key.”

After Johnson missed two free throws with the game tightened at 58-62, the Aggies had a chance to narrow the gap. But junior guard Zach Kinsley’s three-point attempt sailed wide and the Jayhawks finished off the game at the line.

“We were trying to drive the ball,” Kennedy said. “We had a small lineup in the game and we thought Elston had an advantage at the top. We wanted him to drive the ball or shoot the three if we had the opportunity, and if we didn’t have dribble penetra-tion we wanted to get back in our ball screen action and get Khris a shot.”

Although the Aggies are stuck with the loss, they looked very efficient at times, with most of the team back from injuries, and battled hard in a game in which they were heavy underdogs.

“We have to start fighting earlier in the game,” Harris said. “I’ll never let my team-mates lay down, no matter what we’re down by. We just have to fight earlier. We can’t play from behind in games like this. We just have to take good shots, be patient, and have confidence.”

Austin Meek The Battalion

Quick Facts◗ A&M only managed to score seven points, including 3-15 from the fi eld, in the fi nal 11 minutes before the half, which propelled Kansas to a 12-0 run during that stretch.◗ In the second half, Kansas went on a 14-0 run early in the second half in a fi ve-minute stretch.◗ A&M committed 20 personal fouls during the game, which allowed Kansas to shoot 20-29 from the free throw line.◗ Late in the second half, the Aggies went on a 10-0 run during the fi nal seven minutes to get themselves back in the game.◗ Khris Middleton scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half of the game.

Pg. 4-02.23.12.indd 1Pg. 4-02.23.12.indd 1 2/23/12 12:11 AM2/23/12 12:11 AM

"AFFECTING AND PIERCINGLY TRUE… FASCINATING."

- THE NEW YORK TIMES

"THE BAND IS SWINGING, THE MOOD DEVIL-MAY-CARE…

EXQUISITELY POLISHED AND VERSATILE."- NPR ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

"ABSOLUTE PERFECTION"- LA TIMES

MAX RAABE & THE PALAST ORCHESTER

ONE NIGHT ONLY! MONDAY, FEBRUARY 277:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

BE WHISKED AWAY TO THE HIGH STYLE AND MUSICAL GLORY OF THE 1920S AND 30S! ALREADY A HIT IN

EUROPE, MAX RAABE & THE PALAST ORCHESTER ARRIVE ON THE OPAS SEASON AFTER RECEIVING RAVE

REVIEWS IN THE STATES (INCLUDING THREE STANDING OVATIONS IN THEIR CARNEGIE HALL DEBUT).

STUDENT TICKETS ONLY $15MSC Box Office • 845-1234 • MSCOPAS.orgLimited number available at this price. Available at MSC Box Office only.

Not valid on web or tickets already purchased. Student ID required.

SPONSORED BY

E N G A G E M E N T R I N G E V E N T

www.whereaggiesgetengaged.com

David Gardner’s Jewelers

Friday & Saturday, March 2 & 3

one storetwo days

huge selection

where aggies get engaged

thebattalion

news page 5

thursday 2.23.2012

Elephant Walk, Ring Dance, Boot Dance, Maroon Out Day, Fish Fest, Silver Taps, 11-11 Day — without the work of class presi-dents, none of these Aggie traditions would be possible.

The class presidents at Texas A&M are re-sponsible for planning and carrying out many traditions.

“Simply put, we make traditions happen,” said Junior Class President Trent Segers, in-dustrial distribution major.

As class president, Segers said his primary responsibilities involve organizing and fund-raising for Elephant Walk and Ring Dance. Each of the class presidents are also in charge of raising money for class events and gifts.

“Our goal is to make enough money to give a good class gift,” Segers said.

Class gifts in past years include the large A&M logo on the sidewalk in front of G Rollie White Coliseum, the “Welcome to Aggieland” and “Home of the 12th Man” messages in Kyle Field, and the flagpole in Academic Plaza.

Elections for class president are held in the spring, and the elected presidents take office in the fall. Generally, the first action of a class president is to select his or her officers, who are directly responsible for carrying out the class president’s agenda.

Although many students associate each president with his or her classification, this description isn’t entirely accurate. Each presi-dent represents a class year, not a classification.

“Some people would say I’m the ‘sopho-more’ class president,” said Rachel Norman, sophomore health major. “But I am really the 2014 class president. The ‘sophomore class’ changes every year, but your class year never changes.”

Campaigning for class president is rarely as extensive as for student body president, al-though campaigns still have students holding banners, speaking with organizations and uti-lizing social media to garner support.

“Facebook is a big way for candidates to promote themselves,” Segers said. “Candi-dates typically invite all their friends and send out a mass message on Election Day encourag-ing them to vote.”

Historically, incumbents have performed well in class president elections — with many remaining in office until graduation.

Daylon Koster, agricultural leadership ma-jor and 2015 class president, said serving as class president is a way to give back to the University.

“When I first came to Texas A&M I was impressed with the history and tradition in every object,” Koster said. “I want to be in-volved in that tradition as much as possible.”

Sam Neal The Battalion

Students discuss class president responsbilities

pus with a PA system, pro-viding immediate warning to students in case of emer-gency.

“With Code Maroon, you get a text five to 10 minutes [after the event], so I think that would really benefit stu-dent life here because [the PA system] could be effectively utilized by Code Maroon to inform students of a serious situation,” Hodges said.

Hodges also said sidewalks need to be improved, both to make them more friendly for

students with disabilities and to have better drainage after heavy rain.

Zelaya, a curriculum and instruction graduate student, focused mainly on the uni-fication of organizations and cultures at Texas A&M.

“A lot of times when peo-ple disagree with each other, it’s not because they don’t like each other, but because they don’t understand each other,” Zelaya said.

Zelaya said he spends much of his time talking to organi-zations and establishing com-munication lines in order to identify common ground. If elected, Zelaya said he plans to continue this work with

the goal of uniting all organi-zations and activist groups on campus to make Texas A&M more inclusive.

Primary voting will be open to students on Monday and Tuesday. If no candidate emerges with at least 50 per-cent of the vote, the top two vote-getting candidates will compete in a runoff election on March 1 and 2.

ElectionsContinued from page 1

stateLow water levels halt fi sh hatchery operationsLUBBOCK, Texas — One of Texas’ fi ve fi sh hatcheries will likely suspend operations because of low water levels in lakes that feed it, state offi cials said Wednesday. Todd Engeling, the hatcheries program director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said a closure would mean fewer fi sh available to sportsmen this year. A decision on whether to temporarily close Dundee Fish Hatchery west of Wichita Falls will come in

the next two weeks. “It will last until there is enough water for us to operate with,” Engeling said. Texas is coming off its driest year on record in 2011, and levels in a lake that feeds the one used by the hatchery are low. The drought, which began in fall of 2010, caused wildfi res statewide, cost agriculture an estimated $5.2 billion in livestock and crop losses, and left lawns, trees and pastures parched.

nationNew fi ndings in suicide bombing case surfaceALEXANDRIA, Va. — A second person has been charged in an offshoot of the FBI sting that led to charges last week against a Virginia man charged with plotting a suicide bombing at the U.S. Capitol. But authorities say the weapons charges against 26-year-old Saad Elorch are only loosely related to the case against 29-year-old Amine El Khalifi of Alexandria. Authorities

say El Khalifi was prepared to carry out what he thought would be an al-Qaida suicide attack. The charges against Elorch make no allegation of terrorist activity. Court records say he was arrested Tuesday and charged with illegal possession of a fi rearm. The U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce in Alexandria says the two cases developed out of the same broad investigation but are otherwise unrelated.

worldProtests in Afghanistan leave seven deadKABUL, Afghanistan — Clashes between Afghan troops and protesters angry over the burning of Muslim holy books at a U.S. military base left at least seven people dead and dozens wounded Wednesday as anger spread despite U.S. apologies over what it said was a mistake. The demon-strations across four eastern

provinces illustrated the intensity of Afghans’ anger at what they saw as foreign forces fl outing their laws and insulting their culture. The violence was also a reminder of how easily Afghan-U.S. re-lations can deteriorate as the two countries work to forge a long-term partnership ahead of the withdrawal of foreign forces in 2014.

Pg. 5-02.23.12.indd 1Pg. 5-02.23.12.indd 1 2/23/12 12:07 AM2/23/12 12:07 AM

STUDIES IN PROGRESS

J&S Studies, Inc.979-774-5933

1710 Crescent Pointe Parkway, College Station, TX 77845www.js-studies.com

FACIAL ACNE STUDYVolunteers ages 12-40 years old, with moderate facial acne are needed to participate in a 12-week clinical research study with an investigational topical medication. All eligible volunteers will receive at no cost: • Acne Evaluations by a Dermatologist • Study Medication • Compensation up to $200.00 for time and effortVolunteers will need to make 4 offi ce visits over the 12 week period.

For more information please contact:

RED DRY SCALY PATCHES OF SKINATOPIC DERMATITIS STUDY

(ECZEMA)Volunteers ages 18-65 are needed to participate in a 6 week long clinical research study with an investigational topical medication for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (RED, DRY, SCALY PATCHES OF SKIN). Eligible volun-teers will receive at no cost: • Study Related Cream • Study Related Assessments of your Eczema by a Dermatologist • Compensation up to $850.00 for time and effort

For more information please contact:

AggieNetwork.com

Word SquareUse the letters as many times as given in parantheses and fit them into the word square :

B(1), U(2), S(3) , E(3), A(2), M(2), R(1), H(2)

Siddharth Kumar — THE BATTALION

Wednesdays solution:

P

SSLU

EE A

A

RESTSER

puzzle answers can be foundonline at www.thebatt.com

PRIVATE PARTY WANT ADS

$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.

PLACE AN ADPhone 845-0569 or Fax 845-2678 The Grove, Bldg. #8901Texas A&M University

WHEN TO CALL8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through FridayInsertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

SPEC

IAL

classifiedssee ads at thebatt.com

(if you haven’t)

order your2012 yearbooktoday.The 110th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook will chronicle the 2011-2012 school year — traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, Greeks, campus organizations, and seniors and graduate students.

By credit card go online to http://aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613. Or drop by the Student Media office, Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Hours: 8:30 A.M. to �4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday.

AUTO

I buy vehicles; working, nonwork-ing, or wrecked. 979-778-1121.

BED AND BREAKFAST

Romantic Getaways & Engage-ments, secluded cabin suites. AllDay, All Night. www.7flodge.com979-690-0073.

FARM/RANCH

Aggieland Alfalfa. 50lb com-pressed Alfalfa bales, 50lb com-pressed Timothy bales. Call or textorders to 806-683-2916.

FOR RENT

$395 Available now and prelease1/1, 2/1, 2/2. FreeWiFi/water/sewer. On Northgate,on shuttle. Short-term leases ok.Call Maroon & White Manage-ment 979-422-5660.

1,2,3,4 bedroom apartments. Fur-nished or unfurnished. AvailableMay or August. 979-693-4900.

2,3,4 and 5/bdrm. CS duplexes.Very nice, garage, on shuttle, tile,fireplace, w/d, fenced, lawn serv-ice, pets o.k. Available August.Details and photos available on-line.http://[email protected], 979-255-1585.

2-3/bedroom apartments. Somewith w/d, some near campus.$175-$600/mo. 979-219-3217.

2/1 CS duplex, available May andAugust, pets allowed, privacyfenced backyard, tile floors,blinds and ceiling fans, W/D con-nections, lawncare included,E-Walk shuttle route, $650/mo,979-218-2995.

2/2 duplex. W/D, on bus route,large fenced yard. 308 Bren-twood. $700/mo. 979-690-0384.

2/2 fenced yard, covered deck,pets ok, tiled living and kitchen,hardwood bedrooms, availableJune 1st, 979-204-1950.

2bd/1.5bath, W/D included, waterincluded, bus route, $780/mo, call713-594-6205.

2bd/1.5bath duplex, 1808 Holle-man Dr West unit #A, $775/mo,available August, remodeled,W/D, great floor plan, bus route,private parking, no pets.www.brazosvalleyrentals.com979-731-8257

2bd/1ba apartment, 800sq. ft.New appliances, carpeting andtile. W/D. bus-route. $575/mo.210-391-4106.

2bd/2.5ba unique floorplansw/balcony views of Kyle Field.Brand new luxury apartment con-dos. Fullsize stainless steel appli-ances, W/D, designer ammenitiesgranite/wood/tile, bus stop. Only36units on Holleman at Wolf Pen.www.broadstoneranchat-wolfpen.com, www.aggie-landleasing.com, 979-776-6079.

2bd/2ba 4-plex. Spacious floor-plan, W/D connections, close tocampus. $550/mo.www.aggielandleasing.com979-776-6079.

2bd/2ba unique floorplans w/bal-cony views of Kyle Field. Brandnew luxury apartment condos.Fullsize stainless steel appliances,W/D, designer ammenities gran-ite/wood/tile, bus stop. Only 36u-nits on Holleman at Wolf Pen.www.broadstoneranchat-wolfpen.com, www.aggie-landleasing.com, 979-776-6079.

3 rooms available for male stu-dents in 4/4 condo, SouthwestParkway, W/D, pool, on shuttle,$395/room, cable paid, availableAugust, 361-816-1224.

FOR RENT

3/2 Duplex on shuttle, updated,fenced, fireplace, W/D connec-tions, pet friendly, 802 San Be-nito, $850/mo.AggieLandRentals.com979-776-8984.

3/3,3/2 Houses, Townhouses&Apartments, 1250-1400sqft.Very spacious, ethernet, largekitchen, walk-in pantry &closets,extra storage, W/D, great ameni-ties, on bus route, now pre-leas-ing, excellent specials.979-694-0320.www.luxormanagement.com

3bd/1.5ba Completely remodeled,near campus, fenced. 300 Gil-christ. $1225/mo. 979-693-5885.

3bd/2ba, 2 car garage, cul-de-sac,fenced. 1104 Taurus Circle.$1000/mo. 979-693-5885.

3bd/3ba. Duplexes. Close to cam-pus, Great backyards. Fairly New!979-693-4900.

4/2 and 5/2 houses, CS, availableAugust, updated, all appliances,great backyards, large livingrooms, W/D, close to campus, nopets.www.brazosvalleyrentals.com979-731-8257

4/3, 3/3 &3/2 Houses, Town-houses, Duplexes &Fourplexes,1250-1700sqft. Very spacious,ethernet, large kitchen, extrastorage, W/D, great amenities, onbus route, now pre-leasing, excel-lent specials. 694-0320.www.luxormanagement.com

4/4 University Place condo, W/D,private bath, pool, on shuttle.$300/mo. Call 979-690-8213 or979-422-9849.

4/4.5, like new. High ceilings,huge closets, large front porch,tile floors, all appliances, manyextras. $1750/mo. Preleasing forAugust. 979-229-6326. See photosand info atwww.texagrentals.com

4bd/2ba house. Close to campus,wood floors, tile floors, ceilingfans, granite countertops, W/D,fenced yards. 979-776-6079.www.aggielandleasing.com

4bd/3.5ba House. 2-blocks Southof campus. Big-backyard, quietand safe neighborhood ideallysuited for girls or college-family,recently renovated withgranite-countertops, upgradedappliances, internet and TV con-nections in every bedroom, util-ity-room with W/D included. Rentis $475/each of 4 renters, pre-leas-ing for August. Renters pay utili-ties. If interested, [email protected]

4bd/4ba houses. Brand New,great size, great location, AAF979-693-4900.

AggieLandRentals.com For allyour rental needs. Open 7days/week. 979-776-8984.

August Leasing. 4bd/2ba house.Close to campus, wood floors, tilefloors, ceiling fans, W/D, fencedyards. 979-776-6079.www.aggielandleasing.com

Balcones Apartments, 3/2, avail-able now, fully remodeled, inter-net and water included, $895/mo,979-703-8282.

Brand new luxury condos, granitecountertops, tile flooring, greatlocation. 979-693-4900.

C.S. 4bdrm Houses, updated,fenced pets, ok. Starting at$1295/mo. AggieLandRentals.com979-776-8984.

DON’T MISS! 4/2 House. Great lo-cation, walking distance fromcampus, on shuttle, fenced yard.Rent $1350/month.(979)229-4222.

FOR RENT

Duplex, rent 2bd/1ba. Beautiful,quiet! Remodeled, all new, manyextras, drapes, in College Station.Convenient toeverything! Fenced backyard.One week free. 979-422-3427.Call for specials.

Fabulous 5-year old house,approx. 3-miles south of campus(Edelweiss Gartens). Greatfloorplan w/many amenities.Located in a quiet neighborhood.Granite counters, ceiling fans,alarm system, fridge and w/d.Available 8/1. Contact BrianBenton, 469-877-1184.

Free cable/internet access! Onemonth free rent! Spacious2bd/1ba. Close to campus, onshuttle route. Large kitchen withfull appliances. W/D connections.Front and back patios. Ceilingfans. Hillstone On The Parkway,528 Southwest Parkway.979-693-6102. Open 8:30-5:[email protected]

Free ethernet and cable, paid wa-ter, Campus shuttle. Preleasing,Great Prices.AggieApartment.com,979-693-1906

Free Rent for the Summer! I needa house sitter from 5/1-8/15; allutilities paid inculding wirelessinternet/cable. Yard will be main-tained. Need a responsible petlover to care for my cat (pet doorso no little box duties!) If inter-ested [email protected] orphone after 4pm 979-571-8823.

Gleissner Hall, Northgate area.Walk to campus. Water, sewer,garbage paid. 1/1 $555/mo., 2/1$665/mo. 979-846-8981.

Large 2bdrm/2ba, 3204-CougarTrail, Bryan. Water, sewer, &trashpaid. Everything’s new inside.$675/mo. 5 month special,$100/mo. discount.979-822-1616.

Large 3bd/2ba, walk to campus,fenced. 3903 Oaklawn. $1350/mo.979-693-5885.

Nice 4/2! Available Aug-1st.$1500/month. 2010-Rayburn.Call/text Scott at 979-229-5007.

Nice! 4/2 2013-Rayburn.$1500/month. Available Aug-1st.Call/text Scott at 979-229-5007.

Northgate. New apartments 3/3,2/2, and 3/2. House for rent.aggievillas.net 979-255-5648.

Now Leasing and pre-leasing forAugust! 4bdrm/2bth houses. Spa-cious floorplans. Great Location.Close to campus, wood floors, tilefloors, ceiling fans, w/d, fencedyards, refridgerator,icemaker,lawncare.979-776-6079,www.aggielandleasing.com

Oak Creek Condos, high-speedinternet and basic cable.2bdrm/1.5ba. As little as$515/mo. Water, sewer, trashpaid. Fireplace, icemaker, pool.979-822-1616.

Pre-lease 4 and 5 bedroomhouses, available August, greatfloor plans, close to campus, up-dated, W/D, all appliances, nopets.www.brazosvalleyrentals.com979-731-8257

Pre-leasing for August 2,3,4,&5bedroom houses andtown-homes. Updated, fenced,pets ok, on shuttle route. Aggie-LandRentals.com 979-776-8984.

FOR RENT

Prelease available now! Large2bd/2ba duplex. Walk-in closets,W/D connections, large fencedbackyard, on shuttle. UniversityOaks. $775/mo. 979-693-1448.

Prelease for May or August !Large 2bd/2ba duplex. Walk-inclosets, W/D connections, largefenced backyard, on shuttle. Uni-versity Oaks. $775/mo.979-693-1448.

C.S. 3/1.5/2carport, Updated,Fenced, biking distance to cam-pus, on shuttle, pets ok. $750/moAggieLandRentals.com979-776-8984.

Spacious 3/2 duplex available inMay. W/D, $895/mo.979-693-0551.

Townhomes 2/1.5+Half, on shut-tle, W/D connections, fencedpatio, $775-895/mo, ask aboutstudent discounts, 979-703-8282.

HELP WANTED

Athletic men for calendars,books, etc. $100-$200/hr, upto $1000/day. No [email protected]

Cleaning commercial buildingsat night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031for appointment.

Computer Systems Technician,20-30hrs/wk, $12/hr, flex sched.Real world, hands-on experiencewith high-end tech at an Aggie100 company headquartered inBCS. Learn more and apply atwww.k2share.com/careers

Fish Daddy’s and Cheddar’s nowinterviewing all positions. 1611University Drive.

Lawn crew member needed,$9/hr. Hrs Monday, Wednesdayand Friday 11-6, experience re-quired. Students only.979-224-2511.

Little Guys Movers now hiringFT/PT employees. Must be at least21 w/valid D.L. Apply in person at3209 Earl Rudder Freeway.979-693-6683.

Part-time job helping handi-capped. Male student preferred.$360/mo. 5-10hrs/wk.979-846-3376.

Sales Reps needed, flexiblearound school, PT/FT bonuses andcommissions paid weekly,979-255-2303, www. jtr247.com

STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid Sur-vey Takers Needed In College Sta-tion. 100% Free To Join. Click OnSurveys.

Summer Employment- Fun ValleyFamily Resort, South Fork, Colo-rado needs students for all typejobs: kitchen, dining-room, house-keeping, stores, maintenance, of-fice, horse wrangler. Room/Board,salary, bonus. For informationand application write to StudentPersonnel Director, 6315 Westo-ver Drive, Granbury, TX 76049.

The Battalion Advertising Officeis hiring an Advertising SalesRepresentative. Must be availablethis summer, both sessions. Mustbe enrolled at A&M and havereliable transportation.Interested applicants should dropoff resume at The Grove, Building8901, Advertising Office from8am-4pm.

HELP WANTED

Tutors wanted for all subjectscurrently taught at TAMU/ Blinnand Sam Houston State startingat $8.25/hour. Apply on-line @www.99Tutors.com,979-268-8867.

Varsity Ford: Part-time fileclerk/receptionist/runner neededMon, Wed, Fri from 12pm to 8pmand every other Saturday from9am to 6pm. Hourly rate dependson qualifications. Please contactGenie at (979)694-2022 or fax aresume to (979)693-1744.

MUSIC

Peter Block Mobile DJ, profes-sional 22+yrs. experience. Special-izing in weddings, TAMU func-tions. Mobile to anywhere.979-596-2522.http://www.partyblockdj.com

REAL ESTATE

4/4.5, like new. High ceilings,huge closets, large front porch,tile floors, all appliances, manyextras. $1750/mo. Preleasing forAugust. 979-229-6326. See photosand info atwww.texagrentals.com

REAL ESTATE

B/CS. Sell/Buy/Invest! MichaelMcGrann TAMU ‘93 Civil Engi-neering 979-739-2035,[email protected] McGrann 979-693-1851,Town & Country Realty.

ROOMMATES

Roommate wanted. $300/mo. Allbills paid. Fully furnished.979-777-4445.

TUTORS

For best tutoring in Math/Physicscall Raj. 979-571-8978. (40 yearsof teaching) Or visit www.oneup-tutor.com.

Need a Tutor? Friendly, helpfulone-on-one private tutors for allsubjects at TAMU/Blinn and SamHouston State. Check us out atwww.99tutors.com, 979-268-8867.

the battalion

If You Have Something To Sell, Remember Classifi eds Can Do It!

Call 845-0569

thebattalion 2.23.2012 page6

Pg. 6-02-23-12.indd 1Pg. 6-02-23-12.indd 1 2/22/12 2:15:14 PM2/22/12 2:15:14 PM

You Have the Power to Save a LifeBe Someone’s Hero

Be The Match Registry DriveThursday, February 23

In front of Koldus from 9 am to 4 pm

To join online or for more information, visitjoin.marrow.org/save1lifeSponsored by Eta Sigma Gamma and

thebattalion

news page 7

thursday 2.23.2012

Their appetites are destroyed because of the radiation blasted into them. Weed can help with that through the ‘munchies’ by raising the ap-petite of cancer patients,” the anonymous source said. “Not one prescription medication increases appetite.”

There is also, however, op-position to the club and its beliefs among Aggie students.

“Having smoked weed, I wouldn’t say it’s worse or better than anything else,” said Jacob Metcalf, senior construction science major. “How do we better society by smoking pot? Are we going to think up crazy ideas and then after the high realize we’re too lazy to do anything?”

Selim said the bottom line is that it should be a matter of choice.

“It should be your choice to smoke, it shouldn’t be someone telling you that you can kill your liver with alcohol and then throw you in jail for weed,” Selim said.

CannabisContinued from page 1

Student Senate proposes

Q-drop policy, student

veterans’ benefits

Legislation concerning Q-drop policy and benefits for student veterans were two of the bills considered Wednes-day night during this week’s Senate meeting.

One bill with particular applicability to freshmen was the First Year Grade Exclu-sion, FYGE, Elimination and Q-Drop Policy Reform Bill. This bill aims to eliminate the FYGE policy, to advocate a 60-day Q-drop deadline and to increase the number of permissible Q-drops that students can use during their academic career.

Brody Smith, senior politi-cal science and history double major and academic affairs chair for Student Senate, said that the addition of more Q-drops is most beneficial to students.

“This provides more lee-way in a student’s academic career. In the past with FYGE, you get three first-year grade exclusions, but students don’t realize that if they go outside the A&M system and go to a professional school, their GPA will be recalculated and will be lower than it actually is. If they use a FYGE, it’s more detrimental to you in the long run,” Smith said.

Drew Barber, junior po-litical science major and me-dia relations chair for Student Senate, said the FYGE bill is a necessary change within the academic arena.

“More Q-drops are abso-lutely vital for student suc-

cess at Texas A&M. I think we have to educate students about the seriousness of a Q-drop, as it is not an arbitrary way out of a class. This starts at New Student Conferences and continues through advis-ing throughout a student’s ca-reer at Texas A&M,” Barber said.

Another bill meant to ben-efit the student body is the Veterans Academic Initiative Bill. Smith said the bill will provide more services to vet-erans upon their return to the University.

“Currently, we don’t have services that could deal with posttraumatic stress disorder to help get veterans from the battlefield to the classroom, and we don’t have them ad-vised correctly when they

return home. They’re not prepared to return to aca-demic life, and that’s not fair to them,” Smith said.

Cody Davis, an off-campus senator and veteran, advocat-ed for the bill and said veter-ans need to be treated more fairly on campus.

“Veterans should be rec-ognized as great students of this University, and should be given priority registra-tion. I would like us to come together to start letting the legislature know it needs to change the Texas Education Code. I’ve been told that I’m just a student and I can’t do that, that I’m just a senator and I can’t do that. But I’m an Aggie, and theres a lot that I can do,” Davis said.

Michal Ann MorrisonThe Battalion

student senate

James Thompson — THE BATTALION

Osa Okundaye — THE BATTALION

Student Senate discusses issues including a Q-drop bill and the Veterans Academic Initiative at its bi-monthly meeting Wednesday night.

Pg. 7-02.23.12.indd 1Pg. 7-02.23.12.indd 1 2/22/12 11:37 PM2/22/12 11:37 PM

NOW HERE’S AN

EARLY GRADUATION GIFT YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE.

Time to trade in your cap and gown and prepare yourself for the real world in a 2012 Jeep Compass or Jeep Patriot. Take advantage of these special offers. You’ll be ready to embark on the next chapter of your life and avoid any obstacle in your path from behind the wheel of your stylish, well-built and incredibly capable Jeep 4x4.

(1)Eligible customer must be a college graduate or recent college graduate and must meet one of the following criteria: graduating in the next 6 months with any degree, graduated in the last 2 years with any degree, or currently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program. Residency restrictions apply. See dealer for details. Offer ends 7/31/12. Jeep is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC.

J E E P. C O M

2012 PATRIOT

$500 COLLEGE GRADUATE (1)

BONUS CASH

2012 COMPASS

$500 COLLEGE GRADUATE (1)

BONUS CASH

Pg. 8-02.23.12.indd 1Pg. 8-02.23.12.indd 1 2/21/12 1:42:37 PM2/21/12 1:42:37 PM