V
V
OTE ggieland
2011
Primary voting for the 2011-2012 yell leaders, student senate and student body president positions is today. Runoffs, if necessary, will be Thursday and Friday.
thebattalion ● tuesday,
voices
thebatt.com
Making sense of issues
The Battalion’s endorsee The Battalion editorial board interviewed candidates and chose to endorse Hilary Albrecht for student body president. Reasons for this endorsement can be found on thebatt.com.
‘The Battalion’ aims to serve students by reporting as fair and balanced as possible
march 1, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
Cadets take newspapers on campus newspapers. The Corps was aware that a story would be published Monday regarding the behavior of Josh Light, a junior yell In an effort to keep an article published leader candidate. in Monday’s paper from being read, Corps “We told them that we want this to get members took editions of The Battalion out, we feel like it was appropriate, and we from several campus stands but returned were comfortable with this coming out besome by mid-morning. cause we knew that this was something the Brett Bergamo, a senior information and student body needed to know,” Bergamo operations management major and head said. “We specifically said do not take Batyell leader, said cadets were told at a meet- talions in the morning.” ing Sunday night not to take Monday’s Bergamo said he knows of a group of
Megan Ryan The Battalion
cadets who took copies of the newspaper, but he said the cadets put them back before 9 a.m. “I was at Wehner, and I saw them put them back at 9 o’clock,” Bergamo said. “They said they returned them, and I believe them. I don’t know if there was a completely different incident, but the group that I caught returned [the papers]. They said they took them from West See Newspapers on page 2
Taylor Wolken junior economics major
M
istakes are all but guaranteed during the college experience, but when properly handled, they can provide the best lessons and develop the strongest character. During this election season I hope candidates and students learned a little something. Thanks to your thoughts, comments and concerns, I know The Battalion staff has. In student body elections, a few Aggies will be chosen to fill a small number of positions where they will represent nearly 50,000 students. As the primary media outlet covering student body elections, we take coverage seriously. Some news coverage has come under fire, as happens during elections, when the student body is divided into factions of supporters for various candidates. This dynamic culminated in the act of stealing thousands of issues of Monday’s edition of The Battalion. At The Battalion, we strive to keep the student body informed to the best of our ability on the candidates and the issues. Unfortunately, what might be relevant news to one student could be “muckraking” to another student. Reporting information on one candidate might be seen as unfair to that individual’s supporters, but not reporting it would be unfair to the other candidates and our readers. While some candidates might
Jake Ross — THE BATTALION
The flabby five Texas has five of the 10 fattest cities in America $15 billion on overweight and obesity related health problems. Dr. John SimThe Battalion Maybe everything is bigger in Texas. mons, assistant professor of family and community medicine and physician for According to recent men’s health research, Texas has five of the top 10 fat- the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, said such reports test cities in the U.S. in the past year. The rankings are based off of the over- of obesity in Texas are not surprising. “This is something to be expected. weight and diabetes type 2 populations, Texas is always ranked between eight the percentage of people who haven’t and 15 on fattest states in the nation. left their couch in a month from CDC The BMI, body mass index, relating the reports, the money spent on junk food height and weight of a person, give you from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a number. The higher the number, the the number of people who ate fast food worse, a BMI of 25 is overweight, and nine or more times in a month from 30 and up is obese,” Simmons said. “To Mediamark Research. give you an idea, the average American In 2010, the Texas Department of male is 5 feet 9 inches, so being at 175 State Health Services estimated spending pounds, you are considered overweight,
Amber Jaura
and at 200 pounds, obese. The average American female is 5 feet 4 inches and overweight at 150, obese at 175 pounds. Two-thirds of the U.S. now is overweight 25 percent of the U.S. population is obese.” Simmons said the rates of overweight and obese people have increased exponentially over the past 10 years, and it’s up to society to realize that things need to change before they get out of hand. “The average overweight person spends $1,500 more a year in health care costs than a healthy person. A lot of Texans are on Medicaid so they’re not actually paying that medical bill but See Texas on page 8
Texas top 10 Five of the top 10 fattest cities are in Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Service estimated spending $15 billion on overweight and obesity related problems. No. 1: Corpus Christi No. 3: El Paso No. 4: Dallas No. 7: San Antonio No. 9: Houston
See Lessons on page 2
community
silver taps
Academy provides rescue experience is a live fire burn demonstration, as well as CPR and first The Battalion Firefighters have responsibil- aid courses provided to participants. ities and obligations to uphold “The class is a taste of what rescue procedures within the it would be like to have the community. The College Staabilities that firefighters need,” tion Citizen’s Fire Academy is Giedraitis said. a program for people who want Many class participants have to learn more about the local stories and experiences from the fire department. Participants training. A community action range in age from18 to 80 years response team was organized old. Day-to-day operations, out of the first academy alumni injury and fire prevention proassociation. grams are taught to participants. “The first class wanted to keep “The most important thing is helping citizens and get involved to educate citizens about what by staying, giving and doing, so we actually do,” said Cindy Giethey became the liaisons between draitis, who is involved in public the victims of the fire and getting education about the Fire Acadlife back to normal, ” Giedraitis emy. said. The academy is offered durPart of the impact of the ing the spring Monday evenings academy is the difference and and runs for 11 weeks. There understanding of the citizens
Nov. 13, 1990 - Feb. 11, 2011 Nicolis Terrel Williams
Friends remember student as positive
Christine Perrenot
Pg. 1-03.01.11.indd 1
Nico poured into other people The Battalion and had a very Nicolis “Nico” Terpositive outlook. rel Williams, from Sugar Land, died Feb. 11, at the Katie Mahand, College Station Medical senior finance major Center after being hospitalized for bacterial meningitis. William’s death impacted the Aggie family, and he is missed by his friends and loved ones. Nico, 20, graduated from Kempner High School and was a junior economics major at Texas A&M. He made many positive contributions to the University through his involvement in FLIP, Fish Camp and CARPOOL. “This kid touched a lot of people,” said Nico’s father, Greg Williams. Nico was a student worker at Evans Library and a research assistant at the Educational Psychology PRA lab during his time
Christine Perrenot
J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
Participants in the College Station Citizen’s Fire Academy practice typical procedures for extinguishing fires. when the classes end. “After every class a student can be heard saying ‘wow,’” Giedraitis said. With the largest group of residents in the area being student renters, it becomes increasingly important for students to understand safety and how to be cautious. “It helps if the public un-
derstands the training we do, as each specialization takes special training,” said Bart Humphreys, public information, research and planning officer. The academy provides information on the hiring process for firefighters, safety education and CPR training, portable fire See Academy on page 4
See Williams on page 6
2/28/11 10:18 PM
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THE TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA BOARD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR
Editor
thebattalion SERVING TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SINCE 1893
Summer 2011
Fall 2011–Spring 2012
(The summer editor will serve May 15 through Aug. 13, 2011)
(The fall and spring editor will serve Aug. 14, 2011, through May 12, 2012)
QualiďŹ cations for editor-in-chief of The Battalion are: REQUIRED t #F B 5FYBT " . TUVEFOU JO HPPE TUBOEJOH XJUI UIF 6OJWFSTJUZ BOE FOSPMMFE JO BU MFBTU TJY DSFEJU IPVST JG B HSBEVBUF TUVEFOU EVSJOH the term of ofďŹ ce (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); t )BWF BU MFBTU B DVNVMBUJWF HSBEF QPJOU SBUJP JG B HSBEVBUF student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of ofďŹ ce. In PSEFS GPS UIJT QSPWJTJPO UP CF NFU BU MFBTU TJY IPVST JG B HSBEVBUF student) must have been taken for that semester. PREFERRED t Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, Law, and Society) or equivalent; t )BWF BU MFBTU POF ZFBS FYQFSJFODF JO B SFTQPOTJCMF FEJUPSJBM position on The Battalion or comparable daily college newspaper, – OR – )BWF BU MFBTU POF ZFBS FEJUPSJBM FYQFSJFODF PO B DPNNFSDJBM newspaper, – OR – Have completed at least 12 hours in journalism, including JOUR 203 (Media Writing I) and JOUR 303 (Media Writing II) or +063 &EJUJOH GPS UIF .BTT .FEJB PS FRVJWBMFOU
Application forms should be picked up and returned to Sandi Jones, Student Media business coordinator, in room 013 of Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Deadline for submitting application: 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2011. An equal opportunity, afďŹ rmative action employer committed to diversity
thebattalion THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893
Matt Woolbright, Editor in Chief 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 T AMU, College Station, TX 77843-1111. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at T exas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. News ofďŹ ces are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3313; Fax: 979-845-2647; E-mail: metro@thebatt.com; 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 classiďŹ ed advertising, call 979-845-0569. Advertising ofďŹ ces are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901, and ofďŹ ce 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.
thebattalion 03.1.2011
Primary election results for student body president, student senate and yell leaders will be announced at 8 p.m. today in Academic Plaza.
Graduate school
A graduate school information session will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday in the exhibit hall of Rudder Theatre Complex.
pagetwo
For daily updates go to thebatt.com â—? Facebook â—? Twitter@thebattonline
Newspapers
Lessons
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
Campus and Northside, and they said they returned them to those places.� Keith Marrocco, class of 1990 and software developer for the division of student affairs, saw students in T-shirts and shorts with “Corps haircuts� walking into the Student Recreation Center. “Around 7 a.m., as I was leaving the Rec, there was some apparent Corps members, but they were wearing non-reg clothes, so it’s hard to say for sure. I thought they were coming in to work out, but they grabbed a stack of newspapers and walked off with them in their arms,� Marracco said. “Regardless of the content of the newspaper, that is a very dishonorable thing to do.� Marrocco contacted Matt Woolbright, editor-in-chief of The Battalion, of the incident by e-mail. “I heard about the incident from an upset University staff member around 10 a.m.,� said Woolbright, a junior sociology major. “Within an hour, I had covered main campus and discovered that thousands of newspapers were missing. By 3 p.m., I finished a second walk and some were back, but by that time the majority of students who normally read had missed it.� According to the Student Press Law Center, “publishing a student newspaper is an expensive undertaking; student newspaper thieves deprive rightful owners of their valuable property. Among other expenses, student news organizations pay editorial staff to produce the newspaper, advertising staff t o sell ads, printers to print it and circulation staff to distribute the finished product.� Advertisers will be offered makegoods totaling $5,447.32, said Robert Wegener, general manager of Student Media. There were 18,000 copies of The Battalion printed Monday. Sarah Smith, a freshman international studies major and staff writer for The Battalion, was disheartened because she worked on a story that appeared on the front page Monday. “I put a lot of time and effort into writ-
have controversial issues come to light, not every candidate will. While we believe in second chances at The Battalion, we also believe that students and candidates are responsible for their actions, past and present. How they handle themselves in light of and react to adversity is as important to student leadership as being the loudest and proudest member of the Twelfth Man. Some candidates might bear responsibility for their actions, some might not, but each candidate elected will go forward representing Texas A&M with all their strengths and all their flaws, whether or not we are aware of these qualities. As a student newspaper serving some of the premiere students in the country, we choose to report the news and present as much information as possible. We leave it to each discerning individual to weigh issues and decide for themselves. Regarding our endorsements, it was the result of debate, deliberation and ultimately approval from our editorial board, on which I am a member. Concerning our reporting, it is not influenced by our endorsement choice, but our endorsement choice was influenced by the news and information available. We look forward to this election week and seeing which candidates will be given the honor and opportunity of representing our esteemed University. We hope that you, the student body, will continue to read and engage The Battalion through our various outlets and continue to let your voice be heard as we strive to represent you fairly, openly and honestly. We strive to improve daily. You are the heart of Aggieland.
Matt Woolbright — THE BATTALION
The stands at G. Rollie White and many other campus locations were empty Monday. ing for The Battalion because it’s something I love to do. This just left a really bad taste in my mouth,� Smith said. As editor-in-chief ofThe Battalion, Woolbright said most students don’t understand the amount of work that goes into publishing a newspaper each day. “There is an incredible amount of time and effort that goes into each copy of The Battalion,� Woolbright said. “From the photographers and writers to the editors and designers, so much is poured into our product. To see a day’s work, not to mention the time taken on assignment, go unnoticed and information remain unknown is just unfortunate.� Letting thieves get away with newspaper theft threatens the viability of free press, according to the Student Press Law Center. “We will be working to figure out who is responsible and seeing that this is something they can learn from,� Woolbright said. “It’s a serious matter, not just something we can, or will, ignore. We plan to file a complaint with the University and handle the incident through the judicial systems.�
and be a part of the program!
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Primary election results
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transport.tamu.edu Pg. 2-03.01.11.indd 1
Moving Forwar w rd For You ÂŽ
2/28/11 10:21 PM
5 before you go things you should know
1
Canvas painting
Students will have the chance to paint a canvas and learn about the arts and entertainment programs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Koldus Student Services Building Plaza.
2
U.S., Islam lecture
John L. Esposito will speak for “The U.S. and the Muslim World: Where do we go from here?” at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Rudder, room 601.
3
4
Post-racial Opening dilemma night of lecture International The Africana Studies Week Program Lecture Series presents “Africana Studies and Afrocentricity: The Post Racial Dilemma in the Academy” with Molefi Kete Asante all day Wednesday in the Evans Annex, Room 204E.
5
‘Tron’ screening
MSC Aggie Cinema Blockbuster presents: Tron: Legacy at 7 p.m. Opening ceremonies for Friday outside the Clayton International Week begin Williams Alumni Center. at 8 p.m. Friday in Studio 12 of the Commons. Aggie Nights present “Dance Around the World.”
b! thebattalion 03.01.2011 page3
scene
Striking the right chord Student a capella event impresses audience
I
n an encore by HardChord DynaMix at Sunday evening’s Acappellooza, the audience was treated to a fantastic performance of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” This was one of the most Ryan Seybold memorable performances of the senior philosophy night and every member of Hardmajor Chord deserves a delicious cookie. In fact, it was so epic that my laptop’s battery died (and went to laptop battery heaven), probably because it realized that it would never again hear anything so wonderful in this world. Acappellooza included singing groups from universities both in and out of Texas. It was organized by Texas A&M’s own HardChord DynaMix, and proceeds went to music arts programs in public schools. “It was a really awesome experience to get together with so many great singers from other schools for a good cause. They were all incredible people, and I really enjoyed meeting and singing with them,” said Andrew O’Leary, a senior management information systems major and HardChord DynaMix member. Each performance was done well and each group had its specialty. Some were comical, some theatrical. Others demonstrated beauty in quiet precision, while others pushed the limits of vocal performance. The show started with a bang. The groups
took the stage at once and delivered a bold rendition of “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, which set a fast-paced and lively atmosphere that persisted throughout the night. “I loved the opening act; having all eight groups on stage made the performance so fun and energetic. The solo was split between about 20 singers that would run or dance to the center of the stage, so it showed the uniqueness of each group and kept the audience wondering what would happen next,” said Lauren Havelka, a freshman general studies major. The first to perform was HardChord DynaMix, who sang “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri. Mayra Loera, a sophomore communication major, flawlessly delivered the lead part, and the rest of the group replicated the music track vocally. Pitches and harmonies were spot on — evidence talent, dedication and many hours of practice. The next group to perform was the Femmatas, the all-female group from A&M. The members sang “Always Be my Baby” by Mariah Carey and “Chasing Pavements” by Adele. The Femmatas take what might ordinarily be a disadvantage, the lack of tenor or bass voices, and turn it into an advantage by focusing on the intricacies of the female voice and showcasing its abilities as distinct from male vocals. Next up was The Green Tones from the
J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
Mayra Loera, a sophomore communication major, leads a solo in HardChord DynaMix’s rendition of “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri during Saturday evening’s performance. University of North Texas. The group sang, “Wanted” by Jesse James, which featured a female lead with a rich, sultry tone. The percussive arrangement included particularly talented bass, which contrasted and complemented the lead extremely well. The arrangement sounded more like rock than a capella. The group’s second song was “AutoTune Medley,” a vocal arrangement of popular Internet memes, including the famous Antoine Dodson interview (“He’s climbin in yo windows, he’s snatchin yo people up…”), followed seamlessly by “Double Rainbow.” The Men of Moores from the University of Houston were the first to feature choreography, to which the members performed a Lady Gaga medley, starting with “Monster,” which blended seamlessly into “Bad Romance” and gave a nod to “Telephone” as the medley reached its end. The arrangement blended the songs in a way that each one complemented the whole piece,
and it was delivered in a unique way which made the most of the a cappella style rather than attempting to recreate the studio version. The Men of Moores went for a different style in their next number, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder, which had a decidedly gospel flavor to it. A&M’s Swaram was up next. The lights came up, revealing the group clad in grayscale, and they began the first number, a mash up of “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis and “Jaane Kya Chahe Mann” by Pyar Ke Side Effects. Swaram was noticeably more theatrical than the rest. The group featured choreography in the performance and exchanged lead vocalists several times throughout the song without interrupting the flow. One of the leads hit an especially high note right on pitch, and a cheer from the audiSee Acappellooza on page 7
WARRANT ROUND-UP FEB. 28 - MARCH 11 COLLEGE STATION MUNICIPAL COURT College Station Municipal Court and the surrounding Justice of the Peace of¿ces will conduct a warrant round-up from Feb. 28 - March 11th. If you have a warrant out of College Station Municipal Court please contact the court to avoid being arrested at your home, school, or job. The Court will be open Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the remainder of the week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To contact the court please call 979-764-3683. Warrants are available on the web at www.cstx.gov/warrants
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football | Von Miller had an impressive showing at the NFL Combine Monday, registering a 4.53 40-yard dash, a 6.7 3-cone shuttle, an 11.15 60-yard shuttle, a 37 inch vertical jump and a 10 foot 6 inch broad jump. Miller also weighed in at 246 pounds. The performance has pundits and experts calling Miller a surefire Top-10 pick and one of the best players in April’s NFL Draft.
sports
thebattalion 03.01.2011 page5
Hometown hero College Station native Gilbert adjusts to life in college
“As a kid I was born and raised in College Station, and I started to come to the games,” Gilbert hometown hero that was highly said. “I kind of grew into the of A&M. I didn’t know sought-after coming out of high school, tradition everything about it but I’ve Texas A&M freshman center and Colgrown to like it.” Already showing her potential lege Station-native Karla Gilbert is on her way in her first collegiate season, Gilto becoming a household name on the Aggie bert has given the Aggies another tall body in the post but has also women’s basketball team. displayed her unique talents on the floor. She is averaging 4.6 Graduating from A&M Con- I came back home.” points and 3.1 rebounds per game solidated High School, Gilbert In the end, Blair convinced in the 2010-2011 season. Despite began drawing a crowd early Gilbert that she was meant to be her success this season, Blair still in her high school career. As a an Aggie, and she chose A&M sees room for improvement. junior, she averaged a doubleover several women’s basketball “She’s very fundamental double with 19 points and 15 powerhouses including Baylor, catching the ball and scoring with rebounds per game. Texas A&M Duke and Connecticut. Now her left,” Blair said. “However, Head Coach Gary Blair, howev- Gilbert has developed a strong she’s having trouble scoring with er, saw Gilbert’s potential before sense of identity with both the her right, and she’s right-handed she entered the ninth grade. school and her teammates. because she doesn’t extend the “When I started middle “As a team, I like how we ball to its highest point with her school, Coach Blair was the first always have each other’s back,” right. With the left hand, it’s fine. one to come to all my games and Gilbert said. “If we have a down- We’re not going to fix that in one everything else,” Gilbert said. fall in practice, we’re going to try game. It will probably be over “It was a good reason to come to pick it up and try to end on a the summer. If there’s anybody to A&M.” good note. We’re together every that needs to play summer ball, A 2010 McDonald’s Allday, so we really don’t have to it’s Karla so she can get a little bit American, Gilbert was ranked worry much team cohesiveness. more confidence.” the No. 1 post player in the We’ve already bonded with each In Gilbert’s first collegiate country and ninth overall by other and know what each of us start, she recorded eight points, seven rebounds and a careerESPN HoopGurlz. Despite her likes and doesn’t like.” high seven blocks on the deconnections to A&M, Gilbert Gilbert comes from a terfensive end. Facing one of the also considered leaving home rific pedigree of success on the toughest matchups in collefor college. basketball court. Her mother, “I liked other teams, but I Nelda, played the game at North giate basketball, she played an never really thought hard about Texas and was Karla’s head coach excellent game against Baylor where I was going,” Gilbert said. in high school. A member of the All-American center Brittney Griner. Gilbert pulled in a ca“It was just wherever I liked in 1983 Southwest Conference reer-high eight rebounds and the back of my mind. I thought Newcomer Team, Gilbert’s faabout leaving College Station. I ther, Jimmie, played basketball at effectively slowed down Griner during A&M’s 67-58 loss looked but really didn’t like it, so A&M from 1983-1986.
Mike Teague The Battalion
A
in Waco. Gilbert’s level of play recently has not come easy, however. Aggies’ sophomore center Kelsey Bone has been working every day to help Gilbert reach her full potential and that hard work is starting to pay off. Bone and Gilbert’s friendship, since playing summer ball in high school together, has given Gilbert a valuable mentor. “She helped me a lot because she’s more physical and has helped me toughen up,” Gilbert said. “She has played longer than I have, so she introduced me to new stuff. With her, you know what you need to work on more because she will expose that.” Bone agreed with her. “From my point, it’s about trying to get her tougher,” Bone said. “I try to get her not to see our friendship sometimes because Karla is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet and sometimes that carries over to the court. Sometimes I try to provoke her and will hit her really hard to get that fight out of her. Lately, it’s been going really well. She’s starting to get comfortable with college and exert herself. She’s trying to show everyone that the transition period is over, and she has grown up fast.” Despite the bright future that lies ahead for Gilbert, she is making sure to not get too ahead of herself. Gilbert said she is focusing on her success at A&M but would like to play in the WNBA if the opportunity presents itself
Courtesy photo
Freshman center Karla Gilbert is averaging 4.6 points per game this season. when she’s done.” “Of course I think about it and if it’s there in a few years, I’ll take it,” she said. As the Aggie women prepare for the Big 12 and NCAA Tour-
naments, the play of Karla Gilbert could determine how far A&M can go. The solid post player off the bench could make the difference as the Aggies chase their first Final Four appearance.
4th Annual
CONROE
TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY
Music Fest & Chili Cook Off
CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU
Saturday, March 5th
Charlie Robison
Double R Nothin E Shellee Coley Jubal Lee Young E Scooter Brown E Jesse Dayton
Sunday, March 6th
Cody Canada & The Departed 2500 Chili 1st Place Prize $
Mason Lankford & The Folk Family Revival Dustin Welch Band
March 5th (OPEN cook off) E March 6th (CASI cook off)
Heritage Place Amphitheatre in Historic Downtown Conroe, TX For more info call 936-788-5819 or visit www.TexasIndependenceDay.org
Pg. 5-03.01.11.indd 1
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ADVANCE
page 8
entertainment&news
tuesday 3.1.2011
thebattalion
Adrian Calcaneo — THE BATTALION
GIG THE VOTE Feb. 28 - March 1
vote.tamu.edu Texas
demographic that we’re favorable in.� Simmons said. “There’s no healthy diet. Whatever you Continued from page 1 do has to be a life-long commitment a lifestyle. All states in the the Texas taxpayers are. It’s a south, in the southeast primarily, drain on society, and we can’t obesity is concentrated, not from afford it. Look at it from a demographics per-se, but from health standpoint, financial standpoint, and look at it as the some of the habits we have. We future of our children, the next don’t exercise; we eat worse and more than the rest of the coungeneration will be more overweight with problems of blood try. Barbeque, fried food, burgers and cheesy tortillas, that’s pressure and diabetes.� Texas is the seventh in the na- what we eat in Texas. � Simmons said that while tion for teenage obesity, with 20 some genetic components appercent of teens in crisis. Simmons said one way Texas legis- ply for obesity the biggest conlators are dealing with this issue tributing factor is the culture the person was raised in and the by making stricter standards for school lunches than other states decisions they make. He said about 75 percent of the patients as they realize the problem is he sees are overweight. worse in Texas and they hold Cassandra McDonough, a the responsibility to supply chilresearch scientist under AgriLdren with proper nutrition. “So many young people we ife on snack foods, said that despite the unhealthy habits most see with diabetes type 2, their food companies are actually trypancreas destroyed at such ing to change our ways by makan early age, something that ing their products healthier. would be unheard of 10 or 15 “Companies come across as years ago. The obesity rate for teenagers is extremely high and being cold-hearted and money with the adults we’re already at grabbing, but their wealth is the top of the list so our teenag- based on your health and so if you’re not around to buy their ers could move us even further products anymore they lose,� up. And there’s no age group
McDonough said. “They’re hiring on nutritionists to teach the food scientists how to generate a healthier product and get nutrition back into the food. In the ’70s and ’80s they put a lot of chemicals and foods coloring in things but now the nutritionists are saying take this out or do this instead and it’s much healthier.� McDonough said that food companies don’t advertise the foods as being healthier as people tend to keep away from the products hesitate of their new taste, yet the information is required to be on the product so many of them sell the idea of a healthier product without sacrificing taste. “The industries are targeting snack food users as they’ve recognized the same [health] problems and have this information,� McDonough said. Laura Zimmerer, Food Science Club President at A&M, said that now, more than ever, we need to focus on leading a healthy lifestyle. “We should use that as a wake-up call to change our habits,� Zimmerer said.
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