this day in
thebattalion
S U history
April 22, 1864
● thursday,
“In God We Trust” was included on all newly minted U.S. coins by an Act of Congress.
april 22, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
coming friday
Making a difference
Two professors donate their time and money to coach and mentor Bryan youth on and off the soccer field.
inside
b!
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Earth Day Students and “green” programs are teaming up to promote sustainability of the environment in today’s festival. Jeremy Northum — THE BATTALION
The Ross Volunteers stand Wednesday at a packed Reed Arena before the rifle volley at Muster.
Reflecting on Muster
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A jump ahead
Former students, friends, families gather to remember fallen Aggies Robert Carpenter
Freshman Rachel Lenz is getting acclimated to A&M after graduating a semester early from Round Rock High School to start college.
The Battalion The 2010 Aggie Muster was an evening of whoops, laughter, stories, memories, tears and solemn silence. Before a beyond-capacity crowd in Reed Arena, University President R. Bowen Loftin invited attendees to reflect on the lives of fallen Aggies, and to appre-
ciate the spirit that permeates Aggieland. “We are here tonight to participate in the most cherished of our Aggie traditions: Aggie Muster,” Loftin said. “In this ceremony all of us will certainly experience sadness and grief, but we will also experience what no other family can experience: the comfort of knowing we share common values and common experiences. And we will share the most precious of the gifts
that Texas A&M has given us, the Aggie Spirit.” The class of 1960 gathered for the event as part of their 50th class reunion. In a tribute to those from the assembled class, Bailey Delp, Muster Committee member and junior communication major, said these Aggies were coming home.
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Telling tradition Muster provides Aggies with an opportunity for reflection. Honoring fallen former students makes Texas A&M a special place, unlike any other university.
See Muster on page 8
Aggies celebrate Asian Heritage Month in April Gabrielle Royal
Special to The Battalion April may be coming to a close, but there are still opportunities to experience Asian Heritage Month events. The month’s celebrations are presented by the Asian Presidents Council, which serves as an umbrella organization connecting Asian associations on campus. “I can already see changes in diversity on campus. Now, many students a part of the Asian community at A&M have become more involved as a whole,” said Michelle Wong, president of the council and a senior supply chain and management major. “I think it is really cool to see people interested in what we are doing throughout the events held this month.”
Asian Heritage Month has presented several events each week throughout the month that give voice to students among the Asian community. “Organizations in alliance with Asian Presidents Council created several diverse events that helped students of all groups gain a greater sense of diversity and cultural awareness among all organizations at A&M,” said Wendy Cheng, junior animal science major and Rho Delta Chi sorority member. Events such as Asian Presidents Council’s yoga night, Muslim Students Association’s Islam awareness week and the Philippine Student Association’s Tinikling Workshop were but a few events that contributed to the celebration of Asian Heritage Month as a whole.
Asian Heritage Month activities ◗Friday: Delta Xi Nu’s unity dinner; 6 9 p.m. Briarcrest Country Club ◗April 30: Hong Kong Student Association’s Mr. Asia pageant; 7 p.m Wehner 113 ◗For more information on upcoming events in celebration of Asian Heritage Month, visit http:// apcouncil.tamu.edu. Yongwoon Cho, a sophomore spatial science major, said his participation in the Venezuelan Student Association and Asian Presidents Council’s See Heritage on page 4
‘My Children! My Africa!’ entertains
Mr. M is played by A&M student Alan Lam. Isabel is played by Valerie Mc Bride, sophomore English major. Thami is played by Breyon Roberson, freshman general studies major.
Rebecca Bennett
The Battalion For the typical student at Texas A&M, the social divisions and political upheaval that characterize South African apartheid of the 1980s may seem irrelevant. However, the Department of Performance Studies strives to transport audiences back to this exact setting with their production of Athol Furgard’s “My Children! My Africa!” The play is directed by David Donkor, an assistant professor of performance and Africana Studies and a native of Ghana. He said while his home country was not the same as South Africa, he was regularly exposed to such events through
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Jeremy Northum — THE BATTALION
Wreckin’ Raas dancers kickoff Asian Heritage Month in front of Sbisa.
Courtesy photo
the news while growing up, which is part of his inspiration for selecting the piece. “The play has a historical particularity, but has universal themes that everyone can relate too,” Donkor said. “Everyone who has been in school has always had to question at some point in time why they are in school and what they want out of school. And that’s a universal thing. I don’t know of any student who has never thought about that.”
The plot of “My Children! My Africa!” centers around three characters — Thami, a star student at the black high school; Mr. M, his debate teacher and father figure; and Isabel, a privileged student from the all-white prep school — and their life-changing interactions in the midst of the country’s turmoil. “Thami is simply a young boy who is See Africa on page 10
Secure belongings, University police say Travis Lawson
The Battalion Students near the end of the semester, and while students and faculty look forward to the break, they should look out for criminals, officers said. Master Officer Kristi Hosea handles crime prevention for the University Police Department and said the criminals know when students will be carrying items that sell quickly, like textbooks. “That is when your backpacks get stolen,” Hosea said. “They will steal your backpacks to sell your books back whether you are done with them or not.”
Hosea said there are ways to make sure belongings are not stolen, such as not leaving valuables unattended at the library. “People get up and go to the bathroom and leave their stuff sitting there, and there is no one to watch it,” Hosea said. “The library is a big place for theft.” Car burglaries are also on the upswing, Hosea said. Many of those thefts are of GPS navigation systems. “The GPS is a big item right now that is getting stolen,” Hosea said. “All of your electronics are just sitting in the console, so they walk by and look in the windows and think they See Crime on page 4
4/22/10 12:29 AM