thebattalion
this day in
xas tehistory
● wednesday,
On this day in 1899, Andrea Castañón Villanueva (Madam Candelaria), who claimed to be a survivor of the battle of the Alamo, died at age 113 in San Antonio. She said she had been born in Laredo in 1785, though other sources say she was born at Presidio del Río Grande. She came to San Antonio when she was 25 and married Candelario Villanueva, who she said was her second husband; thereafter she became known as Madam or Señora Candelaria. She was the mother of four children and raised 22 orphans. She nursed the sick and aided the poor.
b! review | 3
Looking at ‘Dear John’ Nicholas Sparks latest novel adaptation “Dear John” falls short of his previous hits and fizzles almost as soon as it starts.
sports | 4
Women’s team to play Tech A look at the No. 13 A&M women’s basketball team’s matchup against Texas Tech.
voices | 8
Testing Texas’ Adderall policy With many students using unprescribed neuroenhancers as study aids, Texas needs to review its policy to reflect the reality when it comes to these drugs.
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texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
Nature’s power
of healing
Alcoholic antics
inside
● serving
Sam Smith — THE BATTALION
coming thursday
An examination of the legalities and common misconceptions of underage drinking.
february 10, 2010
Researchers find mangos to be effective in fighting certain types of cancers Ann Littman The Battalion Mango isn’t always exactly a big part of students’ diets, but maybe it should be. After a study conducted by Texas AgriLife Research food scientists, you may want to increase your mango intake, because the fruit has been linked to prevention of some colon and breast cancers. Texas A&M researchers studied the five most common types of mangos found
in the U.S. — Kent, Francine, Ataulfo, Tommy/Atkins and Haden. Despite being a popular fruit, there has been little research done upon the mango’s nutritional value, leading the National Mango Board to order a variety of studies to determine its nutritional value. “Mangos are rich in fiber, nutrients and antioxidant secondary plant compounds. However the concentration of antioxidant compounds is somewhat lower compared to blueberries, acai and other so-called su-
perfruit,” said Susanne Talcott, who conducted the cancer cell research with her husband Stephen Talcott. “The overall goal of the study was to compare the basic anti-cancer effects of different mango varieties.” Despite the low concentration of antioxidant compounds found in mangos, the Talcotts proceeded to test it against cancer in cell culture.
We found that the colon and breast cancer cell lines we tested seemed to be most susceptible to the treatment with mango polyphenolic extractions compared with the other cell lines we tested which were leukemia, lung and prostate. Susanne Talcott, Texas AgriLife Research food scientist
See Mangos on page 7
Iran’s threat elevates world anxiety Matt Woolbright The Battalion Scholars, government officials and military officers worldwide call Iran and its nuclear operations a ticking time bomb. Iran may have hinted how much time is left before 00:00. Iran pressed ahead Monday with plans that will increase its ability to make nuclear weapons. The country informed the U.N. nuclear agency of its intention to enrich uranium to higher levels. Texas A&M Vice President for Student Affairs Lt. Gen. Joe Weber said Iran might be much farther along than they have let on.
“I’m very concerned about the small tactical nuclear bomb, or ’dirty bomb’ as it is called,” Weber said. “It’s not that difficult to sneak one near us and set it off.” Also on Monday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran would “punch” its enemies and leave them “shocked” — or “stunned” depending on the translation — on Thursday, the 31st anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. “The Iranian nation, with its unity and God’s grace, will punch the arrogance on the 22nd of Bahman [Feb. 11] in a way that will leave them stunned,” Khamenei said. The Associated Press reported that the “arrogance” Iran is targeting is the opposition group in the country — the
See Iran on page 7
12 Days for Haiti unifies student relief effort
Singing cadets make way to South Africa Laura A. Sanchez The Battalion A few years ago, just when the Gulf War was making an impact on the lives of Americans and many others around the globe, a woman debated on not going to a concert, because she hated Americans. The performance was in Australia and featured the Texas A&M Singing Cadets, led by Texas A&M Choral Activities Director David Kipp. The woman didn’t want anything to do with Americans because of U.S. involvement in the war. Kipp said after hearing the voice of Aggieland perform, she felt differently about Americans. The current members of the Singing Cadets will depart for an international trip to South Africa on May 19. The Cadets have traveled to Australia and South America in recent years and have eight performances lined up in various villages and concert halls, including the U.S. Consulate. The three organizations of Choral Activi-
Green Way; the American Free Press, however, reported Western powers — U.S., Britain and Israel – as the targets of the “punch.” Just over a week before, on Jan. 31, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with his cabinet and spoke of events to come on the anniversary. “Iran will deal a telling blow to world powers on Feb. 11,” he said. The story was first reported by Iran’s international news network, Press TV. The same day, news sources across the U.S. reported that eight Patriot batteries – missile interception systems
April Baltensperger — SPECIAL TO THE BATTALION
The Singing Cadets practice vocals for the upcoming performance trip to South Africa. ties, which also includes Women’s Chorus and Century Singers, rotate trips so each group takes a trip every three years. “One of our goals in Choral Activities is for all of our students to have an international
Texas A&M students are uniting in efforts to support Haiti relief with the campuswide calendar of events during “12 Days for Haiti.” “We’re grouping together all of the events around campus benefiting Haiti,” said Sarah Russell, Memorial Student Center vice president for educational exploration. “It’s more of a collaborative student effort.” “12 Days for Haiti” will highlight the efforts of multiple student organizations who are donating time and funds to support relief efforts currently ongoing in Haiti. The events are scheduled for Thursday through Feb. 22. The first event will be a date auction on Thursday,
sponsored by the Student Engineers Council. On Friday, multiple bands will perform for the Aggie Haiti Relief Concert Thursday in Rudder Date Auction Auditorium. 6:30 p.m. Rudder Other Friday Relief Concert events 6 p.m. Rudder include a Chinese New Spring Festival Variety Show, an educational symposium by the Memorial Student Center and a dodgeball tournament. Proceeds from “12 Days for Haiti” will go to American Red Cross and UNICEF. For more information visit haiti.tamu.edu. Melissa Appel, staff writer
See Cadets on page 6
2/9/10 10:40 PM