The Battalion: June 8, 2010 by The Battalion

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news for you sports Rain postpones baseball game The deciding game in the Coral Gables Regional between Miami and Texas A&M was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for noon today in Miami. The winner advances to the Gainesville Super Regional.

campus Professor shares snacks in Iraq

● tuesday,

june 8, 2010

● serving

texas a&m since 1893

pain, gain

Students give their time, money, sweat and tears for desired test scores

Col. Wesley Osburn, a Texas A&M animal science professor serving in the military is getting meaty treats from home while deployed to Iraq. He shares the items, including beef jerky and snack sticks, with fellow soldiers to “bring us all a little taste of home.” The items are mailed from association members.

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$2.56 CITGO at 101 S.W. Pkwy & Wellborn Road. www.texasgasprices.com

texas Gas line explodes, no deaths

Jorge Montalvo — Special to THE BATTALION

ever underestimate the power of certain acronyms to evoke overwhelming fear and anxiety. GRE. LSAT. GMAT. Regardless of which terror of an entrance exam students are determined to conquer, undergraduates find themselves hopelessly searching for a magic solution to their testing woes. But test prep experts disclose that reaching success will require ambition, dedication and plenty of hard work.

A large natural gas line in north Texas erupted Monday after utility workers accidentally hit the line, sending a massive ﬁreball into the air and leaving one worker missing hours after the blast, ofﬁcials said. Thirteen other workers who were also at the site were accounted for, and there are no known fatalities.

Megan Ryan | The Battalion

Staff and wire reports

Pg. 1-06.08.10.indd 1

◗ Find out how to make the most of your time and money when preparing. ◗ Learn more about why some methods don’t work as effectively.

see story on page 6

health

nation &world West Virginia well explodes, burns 7 A crew drilling a natural gas well through an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia hit a pocket of methane gas that ignited, triggering an explosion that burned seven workers. The blast created a column of ﬂame that was at least 70 feet high. The explosion occurred about 1:30 a.m. in a rural area outside Moundsville.

More study tips

Aggie scientists sequence tuberculosis with IBM software ASSOCIATED PRESS

A hurricane specialist studies computer models of weather patterns at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami.

weather

Meteorologists predict active hurricane season Rebecca Bennett The Battalion While College Station occasionally gets drenched in monsoon-like downpours, it is located far enough inland that residents do not have to worry about overwhelming damage from hurricanes. Yet with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting an exceptionally active hurricane season this year, Aggies might be anxious. Richard Korty, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences, said the average number of hurricane-level storms each year is

11, but this year the climate is favoring a number higher than that. “It has the potential to be one of the most active hurricane seasons on record,” said John Nielson-Gammon, state climatologist professor of atmospheric sciences. “Most of the factors that influence hurricanes are leaning toward more frequent and more major hurricanes this year.” The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports as many as three to sevSee Hurricanes on page 6

Thanks to new IBM software, scientists at Texas A&M have developed faster and more efficient ways to sequence the structure of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease causing nearly two million deaths per year and new strains with lower cure rates are being discovered. As bacteria is constantly mutating and certain drugs are becoming obsolete, researchers must evaluate the differences in the mutated strands in order to find effective cures. In hopes of counteracting the spread of the disease, Raffaele Montuoro, computational scientist at the A&M Supercomputing Facility, designed a program called the parallel Genome Analysis Pipeline. The new software sped up the gene sequencing of tuberculosis by more than four times, and sequences can now be completed in less than three hours. “We provide software to sequence all kinds of DNA,” Montuoro said. “The reasoning is that the bacteria mutates very quickly and most airborne infections are becoming resistant. It’s crucial because the experimental process and data analyzing usually takes a week. Having a software that makes the process faster and more efficient is beneficial.” David Harris, staff writer

Matt Young — THE BATTALION

Panels at the A&M Supercomputing Facility are used with IBM software to sequence different strands of DNA in hopes of finding cures to mutated strands of tuberculosis.

6/7/10 10:16 PM

Y L L U F PED P I U EQ

Summer night of Vienna music

The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medalist Haochen Zhang, the youngest participant in the competition at age 19, will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 12 at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. Zhang was recognized for his prodigious talent as the youngest winner of the 2007 China International Piano Competition when he was 17. Tickets are available at the MSC Box Ofﬁce.

A musical exploration of Vienna in the twilight of Romanticism through the chamber music of its composers is from 7:30 to 9 p.m. June 14 at Annenberg Presidential Conference Center.

corrections

Today 30% chance of storms High: 94 Low: 78

The Battalion welcomes readers’ comments about published information that may require correction. We will pursue your concern to determine whether a correction needs to be published. Please e-mail at editor@thebatt.com.

For daily updates go to thebatt.com ●

Van Cliburn Gold Medalist to perform

courtesy of NOAA

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Expand your sci-ﬁ mind at Cushing exhibit

Exhibition features pieces from Cushing’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection, including manuscripts, first editions, pulp magazines, and other items that capture science fiction’s influence on literature, media and popular culture.

Brazos Valley Farmer’s Market will have fresh fruits and vegetables from 8 a.m. to noon today to July 31 at the corner of Texas Avenue and William J. Bryan Parkway in Bryan in the County Health Department parking lot.

Wednesday 30% chance of storms high: 93 low: 75 Thursday 30% chance of storms high: 93 low: 76 Friday 20% chance of storms high: 94 low: 78

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news for you

Think you know every nook and cranny at Texas A&M? The ﬁrst people to get the answer correct will have their names published. Send your response with your name, class and major to photo@thebatt.com.

The Battalion welcomes any Texas A&M student interested in writing for the arts, campus, metro or sports staffs to try out. We particularly encourage freshmen and sophomores to apply, but students may try out regardless of semester standing or major. No previous journalism experience is necessary.

campus Beck receives top teaching award Petroleum engineering students at Texas A&M University say Gene Beck is tops. The associate professor was honored May 14 as the inaugural recipient of the Petroleum Engineering Department Award for Excellence in Teaching. Beck received a $4,000 cash award following nomination and a majority vote by graduating seniors and faculty members in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering. The student vote carried a two-thirds weight. Beck has more than 25 years in the oil and natural gas industry. He has taught drilling engineering classes since joining the Texas A&M faculty in 2009.

Council elects Rice to journalism board Dale Rice, director of Journalism Studies Program at Texas A&M University, has been elected to the board of the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication. Rice will serve a two-year term as one of four directors on the executive committee. Rice arrived at Texas A&M in 2008 as a lecturer and was appointed director of journalism studies Sept. 1, 2009. Rice also leads the Student Reporter Project, a semester-long opportunity for students to learn and write with hands-on experience.

Stairway to Academic Building First correct responses: Kimmie Wilk, class of 2008 Matt Young — THE BATTALION

Anna Boettcher, junior horticulture major

nation&world

Cap collecting more oil as slick extends PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. — The geyser of oil spewing from the sea floor is tapering off day by day, but there’s no quick fix for containing much of the sticky mess spreading across the Gulf of Mexico, defiling wildlife and beaches normally teeming with sunbathers and swimmers. A cap over the ruptured wellhead is now collecting more than 460,000 gallons of oil a day, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Monday in Washington. But whether that’s a majority of the leaking oil or not even half is anyone’s guess. The battle against the oil already in the Gulf now involves “hundreds of thousands” of individual patches, said Allen, the government’s point man for the spill response. Small vessels in the area have been enlisted to help capture those patches using skimmers. The patchy oil slick from the ruptured pipe off Louisiana has stained beaches and marshes in spots along more than 100 miles of coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, and a sheen on the surface was spotted as far as about 150 miles west of Tampa, Fla. The tourist hotspot of Panama City Beach, in the middle of the Panhandle, expected oil to reach its famous beaches within 72 hours, which

COME

BY A N D

would mark a new easternmost point for the oil washing ashore. “We have just entered the area of uncertainty for about half or our beach,” said Dan Rowe, president of the city’s convention and visitors bureau. “We are still hoping tar balls don’t show up here, but we are putting the contingency plans in place and everyone is out there looking at the beach and inspecting it.” Tar balls continued to roll onto shore Monday morning farther west at Pensacola Beach, leaving a distinct line in the sand from the high-rise condos above as the sun rose. Beach walkers had to stay between the line of dime- and quarter-size tar balls and the retreating surf or risk getting the gummy, rust-staining gunk stuck to their feet. Jody Haas, a tourist from Aurora, Ill., was among the few walking the beach early Monday after a crowded weekend here. Haas, who had visited the beach before, said it was not the same. “It was pristine, gorgeous, white sand,” she said. “This spot is light compared to some of the other spots farther down and (the tar) is just everywhere here. It’s just devastating, awful.” Associated Press

TA KE

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Gulf oil spill by the numbers

texas UT names director of journalism school

It’s been nearly a month since an offshore drilling platform exploded and sank of the coast of Louisiana and oil is still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. 1 Length in miles of a tube put into place on May 15 to funnel crude oil from the leaking well into a tanker 10 Length in miles of the largest undersea plumes of oil scientists have spotted in the Gulf of Mexico since the explosion 11 Number of workers killed in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig on April 20 48 Distance in miles of the blown-out well from the Louisiana coast 100 Weight in tons of a container that was lowered over the blown-out well in a failed attempt to cap the spill 100 Percentage of cleanup costs BP has promised to pay 5,000 Depth of the blown-out well in feet 42,000 Gallons of crude oil that BP estimates is funnelled per day into a tanker 210,000 Gallons of oil that BP and the U.S. Coast Guard estimate is spewing into the Gulf every day from the leak 10 million Dollars BP estimates it is spending per day on cleanup costs 500 million Dollars BP estimates it has spent so far on cleanup costs 6 billion Dollar amount of BP’s ﬁrst quarter 2010 proﬁt

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The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas — Pulitzer Prize winner and former Washington Post editor and foreign correspondent Glenn Frankel has been named director of the School of Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin. Frankel is a visiting professor in journalism in the Department of Communication at Stanford University where he teaches news reporting and writing, magazine writing and human rights journalism. He also is the journalism adviser of the Stanford Daily.

nation&world NJ men trying to join terror group in court NEWARK, N.J. — Two northern New Jersey men accused of trying to join a terrorist group in Somalia intended to commit acts of violence even though their plans may appear ill-formed and scattershot, a federal prosecutor said Monday. Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte made their ﬁrst court appearance Monday in Newark. Staff and wire reports

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thebattalion

tuesday 6.8.2010

books

performing arts

Journalist reveals story of Facebook “The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World” (Simon & Schuster, 372 pages, $26), by David Kirkpatrick: Many of us use Facebook nearly every day — some of us multiple times a day — without giving much thought to how the world’s most popular social network came to be. As it turns out, the story is fascinating, and somewhat complicated. Fortunately, journalist David Kirkpatrick is an able guide, taking readers on a mostly swift tour of the company that started as “TheFacebook” in founder Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room back in 2004 and has since mushroomed into a global company connecting a community that now approaches 500 million users. “The Facebook Effect” opens not with Zuckerberg but with the tale of Oscar Morales, who in 2008 formed a Facebook group protesting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The Facebook activity quickly inspired massive, real-life protests against the leftist rebels the U.S. State Department calls a terrorist group. From there, Kirkpatrick backtracks to Zuckerberg, circa September 2003, when the then-sophomore installed an 8-foot whiteboard — “the geek’s consummate brainstorming tool,” as Kirkpatrick puts it — in the hallway of his fourstudent suite.

All that jazz The Battalion For those who believe that all instrumental music is dull and sleep-inducing, the Texas Music Festival Jazz Project’s “… Something Borrowed, Something Blue” concert aimed to prove the opposite by performing selections of high-energy, high-volume jazz music. Texas Music Festival showcased some of the state’s top musicians Monday in the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. The concert is part of the University Summer Performance Series, which is supported by the Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts. “This is one of our more popular concerts because we don’t get an opportunity to hear live jazz very often. A lot of people in town look forward to hearing a sound that is truly American,” said Ward Wells, director of the academy. The ensemble featured 20 musicians with traditional jazz instruments, including piano, drums, saxophones, clarinets and brass instruments. Wells said the ensemble creates a jazz sound with hints of big band and swing genres. The group is led by Noe Marmolejo, director of jazz

At the time, Zuckerberg was experimenting with several online projects: Course Match, a way to let students choose classes according to who was already signed up for them; and Facemash, which let people compare two people and decide who was more attractive. The winner would then be compared to increasingly more attractive people. These programs got some attention — and criticism — at Harvard, but it was in early 2004 that Zuckerberg really lit a fire by launching TheFacebook. According to Kirkpatrick, Harvard had said it would build something like that itself, by stitching together the different “facebooks” that houses at Harvard printed with photos of their students. But since the school hadn’t gotten around to it, Zuckerberg did it himself.

with the Department of Performance Studies to educate and supply audiences for the modestly priced concerts. Her colleague, Judith Hamera, head of the theater department, said that students will be touched and motivated enough from hearing such music to consider studying jazz more seriously — perhaps even taking an undergraduate course — in the future. “They should come away with an appreciation for the complexities and pleasures of jazz, our own uniquely American music. They will be very impressed by the high caliber of musicians we are fortunate to have in Texas,” Hamera said. “They will hear how jazz rhythms and idioms inform a wide range of contemporary music.” Wells said college students naturally gravitate toward the free expression demonstrated in impromptu music like jazz, seeing as it is an artistic aspect commonly heard in popular rock music. “I think [the audience] will most enjoy discovering a genre of music they’ve probably heard about but never before explored: one of America’s great contributions to world music,” Hamera said.

More summer music

Rebecca Bennett

Voices from the Twilight of Old Vienna will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on June 14 at Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. Tickets can be purchased through the MSC box ofﬁce at (979) 845-1234 or online at http://boxofﬁce.tamu.edu. ensembles at the Moors School of Music at the University of Houston. Wells said most of the musicians in the ensemble composed their work and performed such pieces for the first time at the concert, meaning audience members hear original music that is not available on CD, iTunes or elsewhere. “I think it’s important everyone exposes themselves to all types of music,” he said. “There’s no reason why young people shouldn’t be exposed to jazz music.” In response to a “summertime drought of things available to college students,” Wells said the Jazz Project offers entertainment, and an educational opportunity. Bonnie Harris-Reynolds, music professor, said that in the past, University Summer Performance Series has collaborated

Sheen may plead guilty to misdemeanor ASPEN, Colo. — Charlie Sheen could work at a Colorado theater company by day and spend his nights in jail under a deal reached with prosecutors that calls for him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in his domestic abuse case, an attorney said Monday. In exchange, prosecutors would drop criminal mischief and felony menacing charges stemming

Associated Press

from an argument Sheen had with his wife on Christmas Day at an Aspen home where they were on vacation, said Yale Galanter, an attorney for Brooke Mueller Sheen. The deal calls for Sheen to serve a 30-day sentence and three months probation, the lawyer said. Associated Press

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An appetite for Apatow

Courtesy photo

don’t know how it happened. I can’t really explain how I found myself in this situation, and I’m almost positive that I cannot justify it. But there I was, in the spring of 2008, sitting in a sold out movie theater with my hands creating make-shift horse blinders to block my view of the audience members to my left and right, while Jason Segel

dropped towel exposing…well everything within the first five minutes of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It doesn’t sound that bad does it--just a little full frontal nudity, right? This wouldn’t have been awkward at all, except for the fact the people to my left and to my right were my mother and my older brother. There was no empty seat in theater to save me, not an out-of-order one or even an oddly stained chair that movie goers had left to lie; I was trapped. With no escape, I settled in for what seemed like eight insufferable hours of

sex scenes. I’m sure it wasn’t many times, he truly believes as bad as I recall. The writing he can do no wrong. He no was probably clever, and the longer writes songs he actually acting well done, but under believes in; instead garbling the conditions my memories out whatever his music proof it are only filled with flashes ducer mixes together, assured of Russell Brand dry humpall the while that his image ing inanimate objects and the alone is enough to justify and people I sit next to at church by sell a record. But, his latest sinmy side. gle “African Child” has been When I see a preview dubbed the worst thing to for any flick touted with the happen to black culture since Judd Apatow produced seal The Apartheid. Mix that blow of approval, my response is to his already fledgling career a little less than enthusiastic. with an addictive, destructive I’ve endured endless Facebook personality and a pop star wife, status updates from friends Jackie Q (Rose Byrne) whose quoting McLovin’, the birth recently fallen off the sobriety scene in Knocked Up nearly left wagon, and Snow‘s life begins me dry heaving at the miracle to completely unravel. of life, and excuse me for saying Jackie, who makes Lindthis, but one person can say Lohan look like a only take so many charmer, shacks up Ron Burgundy with Lars Ulrich, Get Him to the impersonations the drummer Greek surprisingly six years after from Metallica does what other Anchorman’s (playing himJudd Apatow ﬁlms release. I self) and calls couldn’t with a mean sure, it off with well-written and these movies Aldous. He witty script. are good for a pretends to be quote or twenty, all-to-pleased afbut I like to fancy ter “laboring under my taste level a tier or the burden of monogtwo above an hour and a half of amy” for several years, though craftily written sexual jokes. his definition of the term is So color me surprised when simply letting his wife know I actually, dare I say it, enjoyed about his adulterous affairs. But Get Him to the Greek. The his denial simply results in a sick movie is a spinoff sequel of sorts spiral of drugs and alcohol that to Marshall. It’s written by the take control of the superstar’s same duo of Segel and Nicholas life once again. Stoller, with Brand reprising Enter music intern Aaron his role as the pretentious, vain, Green (Jonah Hill). His record obnoxious, seemingly half-wit- mogul boss Sergio Roma ted rock star Aldous Snow. (Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs) sends Aldous is your stereotypihim on a mission to escort the cal narcissistic musician whose rocker from London to the been fed the word ‘yes’ so famous Greek Theater in L.A.

b! thebattalion 06.08.2010 page4

review

for his comeback show. easily could be a superficial shell. And, he also Although Aldous has shows off a surprisplans of his own, and ingly nice Brandon though he seems Flowers(The Killers) like a simple minded esque voice in the addict, it’s all just film’s songs; witty smoke and mirrors little gems like Furry for this master of Alexandra Walls, Bangers and manipulation. Before Welch Mash, and a catchy he knows it, Aaron junior business take on sexually is being taken for major and special transmitted diseases the ride of his life, to The Battalion called ”the clap”. mixed in with a drug No pun intended. trip or two. Ok, maybe a little. But it’s Hill Though it may not be who gives the best performance marked by the amazing lonewolf speech or tiger lullaby that of the movie, endearing the audience to his do-gooder made last year’s The Hangover so great and memorable, Greek character that is thrown in to a still delivers with a nice change whirlwind of morally reprehensible situations. of pace from complete gross The laughs aren’t constant, out comedy to a smart script but the well written build up with a dryer wit than any other makes the ones that do come, Apatow film. Brand, a real life huge. Get Him to the Greek former sex and drug addict, is well worth a trip to the doesn’t have to stretch too far cinema; just don’t bring your to play the part of Snow, but mother. he does add some nice depth and likeability to a role that so

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FOR RENT 4bd/2ba house, covered and garage parking, tile and hardwood floors, less than 1mile from campus, www.santinos.com 4bd/2ba. House! 2 open rooms for girl or guy. Fenced yard, W/D, $400/mo. +1/4bills. Available Summer and Fall. 361-463-6763 or 361-463-1726. 4bdrm/2bth house. Close to campus, wood floors, tile floors, ceiling fans, W/D, fenced yards. 979-776-6079, www.aggielandleasing.com Clean 3/2 available August. Rock Prairie area. 3703 Marielene, W/D, refrigerator, lawn-service provided. 979-450-5666. CS 1.3 miles from campus. 4bd/3bth house, new tile and paint, fenced yard. $1650/mo. 1401 Lawyer. 979-219-6108.

puzzle answers can be found online at www.thebatt.com

FOR RENT Duplex near campus. 2bd/2ba. W/D. No backyard. 307 Spruce. $695/month. Call 254-760-8242. Duplexes near campus. 2 and 3/bedrooms and 2bd/2ba. in country. 979-229-3420. House for lease. 3/2/2, large fenced backyard, off Rock Prairie. W/D, refrigerator, fire place. $1500/mo. Available 6/1/10. 281-342-6969, gary@garygillen.com Immaculate 3bd/2bth house. 812 Blanco, in Bryan off 2818. Updated. Fireplace, fenced. No pets. No HUD. $895/month. Available August. 254-289-0585 or 254-289-8200. Master bedroom in nice mobile home with private bath and closet, $450, Central-air/ht, internet, cable, everything included. 210-364-7006.

FOR SALE Ag Discount! 4bd/3ba brick 2100sqft house. New flooring, new applicances, on tree lot. $213,000. 979-595-5050, 979-690-1126. tlturner72@yahoo.com, nancy.turner@avon.com

HELP WANTED Cleaning commercial buildings at night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031 for appointment. Full-time night labor position, 11pm-5am. Transportation required. Call for interview. 979-450-0060. Household cleaning, ironing, organizing help needed. Minimum 6/week $10/hr. Heavy detailed cleaning inside and out, year-round commitment necessary, begin work immediately. Fax info to 979-690-8075. J. Cody’s Hiring kitchen and meat table help. Apply within, 3610 S. College. No experience necessary just common sense! Part-time farmhand wanted. Maintenance and improvements to small hay and cattle farm. 979-690-6192. Part-time permanent position in a busy shipping department for a computer software company. Responsibilities will include the shipment of packages, data entry, inventory management, and loading/unloading trucks. Hours are Monday-Friday, 1:00-6:00p.m. Email your resume to hrd@stata.com or fax to 979-696-4601.

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HELP WANTED SUMMER WORK, Great Pay, immediate FT/PT openings, customer sales/svc, no experience necessary, conditions apply, all ages 17+, 979-260-4555. Wanted: Part-time Administrative Assistant, M-Th, afternoons and evenings, immediate opening. 979-846-4988.

MUSIC Party Block Mobile DJ- Peter Block, professional 22yrs experience. Specializing in Weddings, TAMU functions, lights/smoke. Mobile to anywhere. Book early!! 979-693-6294. http://www.partyblockdj.com

PETS Adopt Pets: Dogs, Cats, Puppies, Kittens, Many purebreds. Brazos Animal Shelter, 979-775-5755, www.brazosanimalshelter.org Chocolate Lab male and female puppies. Champion pedigree. OFA-CERF-DNA. $700-$900. Doug, 713-201-7731, madeley07@gmail.com

ROOMMATES 1 roomate needed. Spacious 2 story townhouse in Canyon Creek. Fully furnished. 4/2.5 $400/mo. +1/4 utilities. 713-823-9340. 1-female roommate needed for fall 2010. Privae bath, wi-fi, w/d, $500/mo. +utilities. For more info call 409-748-0400. Roommate needed. 1-block from campus. All amenities. 979-846-3376. Roommates needed, 4bd/2bath house, available June 1st, clean, good condition, on-shuttle. Free cable/Wi-Fi. $350-400/mo. 512-203-5888. Roommates needed. 4bd/4bth $325/mo., washer/dryer. University Place on Southwest Parkway. 281-844-2090. Wanted: female roommate to share 2bd/2b apartment, close to campus. $450/mo. 979-777-9751.

SERVICES A&M Alterations, professional clothes alteration same-day service, 30-years experience, guaranteed lowest prices, 3601 East 29th, #12, in Bryan, 979-260-2400.

6/7/10 11:15 PM

EDITOR’SNOTE The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this paper do not necessarily reﬂect those of Texas A&M University, The Battalion or its staff.

MAILCALL GUESTCOLUMNS Make your opinion known by submitting Mail Call or guest columns to The Battalion. Mail

call must be fewer than 200 words and include the author’s name, classification, major and phone number. Staff and faculty must include title. Guest columns must be fewer than 700 words. All submissions should focus on issues not personalities, become property of The Battalion and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns. Anonymous letters

‘

will be read, but not printed. The Battalion will print only one letter per author per month. No mail call will appear in The Battalion’s print or online editions before it is veriﬁed. Direct all correspondence to: Editor in chief of The Battalion (979) 845-3315 | mailcall@thebatt.com

voices thebattalion 06.08.2010

Rigged for safety

page5

EDITORIALBOARD

The Battalion’s editorial opinion is determined by its Board of Opinion, with the editor in chief having final responsibility. Editor in Chief Vicky Flores editor@thebatt.com

Managing Editor Megan Ryan battcopy@thebatt.com Opinion Editor Ian McPhail opinion@thebatt.com

EDITORIAL

Let Thomas retire the right way

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A saw trims part of the blowout preventer at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Thursday.

n April 20, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank into the ocean. Although the tragedy that day was the 11 rig workers that were killed and the 17 were injured, a much darker reality was bubbling just below the surface.

The resulting fire on the oil rig could not be extinguished and subsequently sank into the Gulf of Mexico, leaving one of the deepest oil wells untapped and uncontrolled. In the days after, reports of oil appearing in the Gulf of Mexico and washing up on shore started to trickle in, and soon the world would watch as the worst oil spill in U.S. history unfolded. The weeks and months following this snafu has been filled with fear and confusion. There has been no official comment on why the More than Deepwater 200 safety Horizon measures rig’s safety along with features the blowout failed. preventer Also, make another there were conflicting catostrophic reports of oil rig how much explosion oil was being unlikley. leaked. Some early predictions put the oil being spewed from the leaking well at about 10,000-50,000 gallons a day, now the estimates are closer to 500,000 to 1 million gallons a day. Roughly 22 million gallons of oil have been released, and much to the chagrin of summer vacationers, is heading for some beaches in between eastern

Louisiana and Florida’s Pan Handle area. But aside from the rampant devastation Richard Creecy of the Gulf senior classics of Mexico’s major marine life and hundreds of species on the coastal areas of the Gulf, the question remains why did the rig explode? There were a series of safety failures that had to happen before the rig got to the point where it reached a critical state and exploded. For most people this explosion and subsequent spill cements the idea that off-shore oil rigs are disasters waiting to happen. Much like the Valdez oil disaster, human error has led to another ecological nightmare. But this shouldn’t dampen our spirits when it comes to oil. “There are a little under 4,000 operating oil and gas rigs existing and operating in the Gulf at the moment and yesterday most of them did not explode,” said Michael Hardwick, a petroleum safety engineer. Considering how many oil and gas rigs are in the Gulf of Mexico, one explosion does not represent the entire industry. The chances of a similar disaster happening again are so remote. There are

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A worker removes oil that has washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill, Sunday in Grand Isle, La. about 200 to 250 safety measures that help prevent an accident like this, topped off with the blowout preventer. The blowout preventer is the final fail safe against an explosion such as this. The blowout preventer is essentially a hydraulic pump that cuts off the drill pipe completely with a slicing motion. The blowout preventer in the case of the Deepwater Horizon rig was malfunctioning at the moment it was activated by the rig workers as they were being evacuated, which led to the final explosion that sank the rig. The blowout preventer from the Deepwater Horizon rig will be retrieved and tested at the surface to ascertain the exact reason why it failed. But as was stated

earlier, these safety features do not give out often and the blowout preventer does not often fail, as evidenced by all other functioning oil rigs. The Deepwater Horizon explosion was a disaster. Already lives have been lost and the damage that is being done to the coastal areas will take weeks if not months to repair. Although recent cap and containment procedures are proving effective, there is still oil seeping into our ocean. But even in the face of this calamity it is important not to overreact. Accidents will happen, and that is no reason to stop pursuing endeavors that help humanity. We as Americans need to pick ourselves up from this oily mess, shake off and look toward the future.

eteran White House reporter Helen Thomas retired this week due to the negative comments she made about Israel. While The Battalion does not approve of the statements made by Thomas, her opinions were not offensive enough to force her retirement. On May 27, Thomas responded to a question posed by an interviewer for the website RabbiLIVE.com by saying Israelis should “get the hell out of Palestine.” Thomas continued by saying the Jews were occupying others’ land and they should return to Germany, Poland or even the U.S. Although Thomas’ statement was neither tactful nor appropriate, it is important to remember she started reporting with the wire One service United Press Intermistake national in 1943. At 89, should not Thomas grew up in a be the end world without an Israel, of a storied in a time period where career. anti-Semitism and racism were much more profound. In Thomas’ defense, Palestine was a country until after World War II. As Thomas lived during several decades when the world recognized Palestine, it is understandable why she does not view Israel as a recognized country. While her comments were inapproThomas priate and offensive, her position is not. Instead of overreacting to every offense, Americans need to understand that as technology develops, more people are going to be recorded making off-color comments. Everyone has said something that could be construed as racist or bigoted if their conversations were recorded. Americans need to be less rigid in forcing media and public figures to always be politically correct. Those recorded in a bad moment like Thomas should be judged by the weight of their careers, rather than compelled to retire because of one bad moment in the spotlight.

Cover Art Competition!

The Explorations Board announces a

COVER ART COMPETITION Open to all Undergraduates For the second issue of

Explorations: The Texas A&M Undergraduate Journal To be published Fall of 2010. Your design should represent one or more of 12 articles to be published in the Fall issue ~~~~~~~~

Please e-mail ugr@tamu.edu to obtain article summaries.

~~~~~~~~~ To enter the contest, submit your design to ugr@tamu.edu By

noon on Thursday, July 1, 2010 ~~~~~~~ Submissions must be in a Photoshop PSD file With dimensions of 8.75 X 11.75

ugr@tamu.edu

explorations THETEXASA&MUNDERGRADUATEJOURNAL

Pg. 5-06.08.10*.indd 1

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The Battalion Many students are in the midst of studying and signing up for the tests they have to take to apply to graduate school. There are a variety of ways to prepare for these tests, said Cody Blair, test preparation coordinator at Texas A&M. “Students can prepare for the GRE in several different ways, but there are no magic beans, I’m afraid,” Blair said. “The most effective ways usually cost time, money and sweat.” Blair said there are some ways to prepare that do not take as much money as others—just more self-discipline. “The penny-pinching way to bone up on the material is to buy a book and do it yourself,” he said. “But buyer beware: all GRE books are definitely not created equal.” The books can sometimes be misleading and can contain useless information that wastes time, Blair said. “The biggest drawback for the do-it-yourself-ers, however, is that the book will do you no good unless you study and practice religiously,” he said. “Reading it once or twice

may make you feel better, but it’s a bit like jumping off the roof with a pillow strapped to your derriere. You’ll feel confidence, followed swiftly by pain. Another minus: it can be really tough to tell what info is most important.” Steven Shotts, director of instruction for Educational Testing Consultants, Inc., said the biggest challenge for the students he has worked with was the skills tested on the GRE, GMAT and LSAT do not always align with the students’ recent academic experience. “The fact that the test is timed—and in the case of the GRE and GMAT, computeradaptive—sometimes add to the anxiety,” Shotts said. “Fortunately, there are many university resources that can help students overcome these challenges.” Texas A&M offers free strategy workshops that help students get started studying and answer questions they may have concerning the tests. Shotts said he recommends taking practice tests to judge how much studying is necessary. “Each student will prepare at

Websites ◗ testguru@msn.com ◗ http://capso.tamu.edu/allprograms

◗ gre.tamu.edu ◗ studyprof.com ◗ www.gre.org ◗ www.mba.com ◗ www.lsac.org his or her own pace,” he said. “As a result, study times may vary. That said, most students achieve the best results with six to eight weeks of preparation.” David Pretorius, senior civil engineering major, is taking a GRE prep class through Kaplan and just took his first practice test. “My older sister went through there and said it helped a lot, so that’s why I chose to go there,” he said. “From the opening speech they gave, the teacher seemed pretty enthusiastic that he could help us improve our scores.” If students find themselves with undesirable scores, they may want to spend the money on the pricier study options, which Blair said are usually the

prep courses offered by Kaplan, Princeton Review and Texas A&M. “All of those will work, and the average students can expect gains of 90 to 180 points,” he said. “That gain can mean the difference between getting into the Mercedes Benz of grad schools or the ‘91 Buick LeSabre of grad schools, and don’t forget fellowships and TA-ships may be based directly on those GRE scores. It can pay you big money to ace the GRE.” Blair said some of courses are taught by underprepared graduate students and charge over $1,000. “Always check the experience level of the instructor, and ask pointed questions about materials and follow up,” he said. “Be careful about their money-back guarantees too. The fine print often makes it almost impossible to take advantage of those guarantees.” The GRE is undergoing changes to be implemented by August 2011, and test prep will be out-of-date. Blair said if students are going to do test prep, they need to do it and take the test before the changes are complete.

For information, call 1-800-866-0492

nation&world

55 bodies recovered from mine in Mexico At least 55 bodies have been recovered from an abandoned silver mine that became a dumping ground for apparent victims of Mexico’s drug violence. The search for more victims ended over the weekend at the mine on the outskirts of Taxco. Guinto said the overall toll could still rise, however, as forensic examiners try to determine whether other human remains, clothing and shoes found in the nearly 500-footdeep (150-meter-deep) shaft correspond to victims already included in the tally. Most of the bodies have not been identified. At least 15 peo-

ple have been detained in the case. Police discovered the mass grave in late May.Quintana Roo state attorney general Francisco Alor initially said after the bodies were found Sunday that three had been cut open and their hearts removed. He retracted that statement Monday, saying autopsies showed the organs were stabbed multiple times and essentially destroyed, but were never removed. Toxicology results found drugs in all six victims.

Hurricanes

Quick facts

Continued from page 1

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en major hurricanes, meaning those having Category 3 force winds or higher. Korty said hurricane winds around the eye of the storm, which classify the different levels of hurricanes, reach speeds of at least 115 mph in such major hurricanes.

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Associated Press

◗ Scientists predict three to seven major hurricanes, Category 3 or higher, this season.

◗ Major hurricanes have winds of at least 115 mph.

◗ The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and lasts until Nov 30. “The biggest impact hurricanes have around here is rainfall,” Nielson-Gammon said. “It could potentially produce some 20 or more inches of rainfall in particular locations.” Towns along the Gulf such as Galveston face a greater risk of flooding, due to storm surges produced by storms making landfall. Robert Randall, director of the Haynes Coastal Engineer-

ASSOCIATE PRESS

Police discovered a mass grave in late May and recovered bodies from an abandoned silver mine.

ing Laboratory at A&M, said that such a storm surge could range from six to 20 feet in height, with waves three to six feet tall on top of that. “That’s why you see beach houses on stilts or poles. The idea is to put them above whatever the storm surge might be,”Randall said. “If the structure is not designed to handle the impact of water on the side, that’s very bad.” Randall said while various architecture and engineering organizations developed stricter design requirements for buildings after the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there are still concerns over older homes built by outdated standards. “You build by what is most affordable to protect against the worst possible storm, which you might never actually see,” he said.

Any storms this year could create unforeseen environmental damage when the storm’s winds, rains and heightened waves combine with the massive oil spill in the Gulf. Nielson-Gammon said such a hurricane could potentially spill the oil over a wider area and distribute parts of it on the shore, but that the most likely any ongoing attempt to recover oil from the Gulf would have to be temporarily suspended. “We’ve never had a spill of this magnitude in an area prone to hurricanes to observe before,” Korty said. “The oil is not a continuous sheen; it’s kind of clumpy. If you move winds over that from a hurricane, and this is just speculation, but it turns the top of an ocean so it has a giant mixing effect…unfortunately, I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

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