this day in
U.S.
history Jan. 26, 1998 President Bill Clinton made an emphatic denial of charges he had a sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky and had advised her to lie about it. “... I’m going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false....”
thebattalion ● tuesday,
january 26, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
Corps leader search begins ■ With the resignation of Lt. Gen. Van Alstyne, interim Jake Betty takes over
thebatt.com
Sports podcast debuts
Jill Beathard The Battalion Col. Jake Betty, class of 1973 and chief of staff for the office of the commandant, has agreed to serve as interim commandant of the Corps. Lt. Gen. John Van Alstyne, class of 1966, resigned from that position Friday. President-elect R. Bowen Loftin asked Betty to fill the position and said Betty will report directly to him. “The Corps deserves continued strong and inspired leadership,” Loftin said in a memorandum. “I am confident that the Corps is in great hands during this interim period, and I have pledged to him my full support as he takes on this challenging role.”
Two new podcasts are up and running online. Check out The Noble Men of Kyle and Red-Ass Radio.
coming wednesday
Renting vs. buying Bookstores are offering the option to rent textbooks. Is this option better, worse? Find out what it really comes down to.
See Betty on page 8
scene | 7
b! Very Vegan Trends explores the benefits of going vegan as well as the best recipes to make you forget your meat eating days forever.
sports | 5
Making history Peyton Manning is revolutionizing the quarterback position.
voices | 9
Alarming classes The worst of the worst in college life: 8 a.m. classes and blaring alarms.
Jonny Green — THE BATTALION
Derrick Roland broke his leg during the Dec. 22 game between Texas A&M and the Washington Huskies.
■ David Parrott
Irreplaceable moments
remains one in four finalists for University of Kentucky position Matt Woolbright
Senior basketball player Derrick Roland plays final Aggie game Kyle Cunningham The Battalion The Dec. 22 matchup between No. 19 Texas A&M basketball team and the No. 22 Washington Huskies seemed like a game that would be a solid, uneventful matchup. By the end of the game, however, it was a historical moment for the Aggies. Unfortunately, it is the kind of history nobody wants to live through, especially the person who lived it firsthand. With about 17 minutes to play in
the contest, the Aggies were down 3433. Guard Dash Harris passed the ball left to Nathan Walkup, who waited one beat then passed the ball down low for Derrick Roland, who took a couple of steps before attempting his shot. It was, most likely, the last shot he’ll ever take as a Texas Aggie. “When I initially fell, I heard [the bone break],” Roland said. “I instantly looked to the top of the arena.” Roland hit the floor, and a popping sound filled the arena in Seattle. The cheers that started when Washington
A&M dean explores options
got the rebound turned to groans and gasps when the fans closest to Roland saw the leg. The tibia and fibula of Roland’s right leg were broken, and although Roland lied on his back, his foot was almost completely planted to the ground with an almost crowbar-like bend to the leg. After the play, seniors Bryan Davis and Donald Sloan were near inconsolable, Davis muttering “Oh my God,
The Battalion David Parrott will be traveling to his home state this week, but this top Texas A&M administrator is not going on vacation. Parrott, the executive associate vice president for student affairs and dean of student life at A&M, will be interviewing at the University Parrott of Kentucky. Parrott was nominated by an individual to head the student affairs department as vice president at Kentucky. Carol Binzer, A&M’s director of student life, has worked with Parrott for eight years said he is the main reason she came to A&M. “I’m a big fan of his,” Binzer
See Roland on page 6 See Parrott on page 8
Chinese new year celebrates year of tiger Travis Lawson The Battalion Sunday, Feb. 14, some students will celebrate a holiday they hold near and dear to their culture. No, not Valentine’s Day — Chinese New Year. This upcoming year is the year of the tiger, and many Chinese students will celebrate with a feast and a phone call home. Chinese New Year is re-
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garded as one of the most important Chinese holidays. The celebration starts on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the day of the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth. A big feast marks the Eve of Chinese New Year, complete with traditional Chinese dishes. The next day children receive See Chinese on page 8
Undergrads explore research opportunity Travis Lawson
JD Swiger— THE BATTALION
Chinese New Year will take place Thursday, Feb. 4. The Chinese calendar utilizes both the Gregorian and lunar-solar calendar systems.
The Battalion The research journal “Explorations” gives undergraduates at Texas A&M University a chance to publish works in their field of choice. The Undergraduate Research program, controlled by a largely student-run board, published the first volume of the journal in October 2009. “Explorations” is different from a normal research journal because it covers a variety of topics. See Explorations on page 8
Online version A copy of the first issue is available in PDF format at: http://ugr. tamu.edu/ explorations/ explorations. pdf/view.
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