Early voting opens
thebattalion
Early voting began Monday in Brazos County for the 2010 primary elections. This week, the polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Next week it remains open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The nearest voting sites are at the College Station Utilities building and the second floor of Rudder Tower. Brazos County Elections Coordinator Jaime Hines said half of the votes come from early voters. “This will be a good election with a lot of votes,” Hines said. “Obviously it will not be as big as the presidential race two years ago, but I think it will still draw a lot of people to the local candidates.” Primaries will be March 2.
● wednesday,
february 17, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
Courtney Nelson, staff writer
Warrant amnesty begins College Station and Bryan began participating in the warrant amnesty program Monday which gives people an opportunity to pay fees before they are arrested for Class C misdemeanors. Presiding Judge Edward Spillane III said if a person has an outstanding warrant and pays the warrant fees in the next two weeks, the court will waive the $50 warrant amnesty fee and the person will not be arrested. “A very large number of A&M and Blinn students possess these warrants, so it is the county’s goal for the students to get their tickets taken care of,” Spillane said. A warrant roundup will occur March 1. During this time, College Station and Bryan police will arrest people who have not paid warrant fees. Students can visit http://cstx.gov. warrants for more information. Courtney Nelson, staff writer
this day in
.S. Uhistory
Feb. 17, 1865 During the U.S. Civil War, Fort Sumter in South Carolina was returned to the Union after nearly a year and a half under Confederate control. The fort had been the scene of the first shots of the war.
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Photo illustrations by Jonny Green — THE BATTALION
Today marks the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday. The day is traditionally a day of repentance, signified by placing ashes on the forehead.
Marked with a sign Students participate in day of penance, preparation Emily Peery Special to The Battalion Ash Wednesday is upon us again, giving many Christians a chance to focus about the meaning of this day of repentance and the ones to come throughout the season of Lent. “Ash Wednesday is the day the priest anoints the congregation with ashes to remind us of repentance and our original sinfulness and prepare us for the season of Lent,” said Scott Blasik, president of
Catholic Students Association. The ashes for the ceremony come from the burned palm branches from Palm Sunday the year before and are applied to the forehead in the shape of a cross. “Ash Wednesday reminds us of who we are and how much we are dependant on God. It’s a self-admission that our lives are incomplete and in need of him,” said the Rev. Chris Downey, associate pastor at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station. “It begins as a time of cleansing and preparing ourselves to receive the light
of Christ at Easter-time.” Ash Wednesday is culminated at the end of the Lenten season by Easter Sunday, which instills in believers the promise of redemption. Many Protestant Christian denominations, including Lutherans, also observe Ash Wednesday. “Ash Wednesday dates back to the Middle Ages of the church and has always been a part of this season. It marks the season of
Census forms coming soon for students
for the City of College Station Census. “They’ll have a couple weeks to fill them out and send them back in.” Beginning April 1, households, including apartments and rentals, that have not returned Census forms will be visited by Census workers to verify the address and retrieve the information. “Students are probably pretty susceptible to visits because they may not know that they need to fill out their Census form,” Kramer said. “They are counted where they live on April 1.”
◗ St. Mary’s Catholic Center: 7 a.m., 12:05 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7.30 p.m. ◗ Rudder Theater: 12:40 p.m., 5:45 p.m.
◗ St. Thomas Episcopal Church: 6:30 p.m. ◗ University Lutheran Chapel: 7 p.m.
Loftin releases plan to reduce expenses Robert Carpenter The Battalion
Brandi Tevebaugh The Battalion Students living off campus will begin finding more than flyers and coupons in mailboxes. The 2010 Census forms will be mailed in mid-March and will need to be returned by April 1. To learn “We turned in all of more our addresses in NovemGo to http://2010. ber of last year, so evcensus.gov for eryone with an address in College Station will more information get one,” said Lindsay on the 2010 census. Kramer, senior planner
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Services
courtesy photo
Census workers who visit homes should have a badge identifying them as a Census worker. Workers can be asked for additional identification and may be carrying a Census bag. Information such as Social Security numbers, bank or credit card accounts, financial or salary information will not be asked by the Census Bureau. The Census Bureau will not contact persons by e-mail. “It’s always good to know what you’re dealing with when someone’s at your door,” said Daniel Springer, president of Off Campus Aggies and a senior philosophy major. “It’s important to know See Census on page 6
In response to the state’s request for a 5 percent expenditure reduction, Texas A&M University released a plan Wednesday identifying savings of more than $28 million for the next biennium. As a state-sponsored institution, the University received $322 million from the state for the 2009 year. This constitutes approximately 26 percent of total revenue, and is the second largest revenue source behind tuition and fees. Jason Cook, chief communications officer for The Texas A&M University System, said at this point, the proposal and its effects on the University are not definite. “Today was the first step in the process bidding the budget plan to the legislative budget board and we will continue to develop the details of this plan and hold discussions throughout the campus community,” Cook said. On Jan. 15, Gov. Rick Perry formally requested that state agencies submit their reduction plans within one month.
Plan of action ◗ Faculty vacancies will remain unfilled
◗ Current faculty and staff searches must be approved by dean or vice president of department
◗ Possible elimination or consolidation of low-producing programs within colleges For more information, visit http://finance.tamu. edu/budget.
See Budget on page 6
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