thebattalion ● tuesday,
june 9, 2009
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2009 student media
Department launches search for new chief Police chief Ikner’s resignation leaves position unfilled Matt Nance
Stephen Fogg — THE BATTALION
The year will be Round Up coordinator Toby Lepley’s last, after 11 years of service to 4-H.
Rounding up young talent Event offers opportunity for students to showcase work Round Up Texas 4-H Round Up will be in Rudder Theatre and the MSC. Some of the contests include dairy and cattle judging, fashion, public speaking and meat judging. It starts at 7 a.m. today and ends Friday.
Megan Clark The Battalion
T
exas 4-H, an educational organization for third- through 12th-graders, will have its 63rd annual State Round Up at Texas A&M.
“[Round Up] is our highlight event of the year and this is such a great opportunity for our students to show off their knowledge and skills of what they have learned throughout the year,” said Texas 4-H Youth and Development Program Director Chris Boleman. “They get to show off their leadership, citizenship and life skills, and show who it is that they represent.” Round Up is a state competition in which students ages 14 to 18
Company donates $1 million to A&M
demonstrate their skills and knowledge in 39 different areas such as public speaking, decision making, leadership and community service. Livestock judging and other judging contests require decisionmaking skills, and Share-the-Fun, a talent contest, allows the contestants to demonstrate their singing and acting abilities. The four “H’s” of 4-H are head, heart, hands and health and stand for qualities 4-Hers have.
Where on campus?
Patrique Ludan
See Donation on page 6
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Stephen Fogg — THE BATTALION
Think you know every nook and cranny of Texas A&M? Test your campus know-how by e-mailing The Battalion and telling us where you think this photo was taken. The first people to get the answers correct will have their names published. Send your response with your name, class and major to photo@thebatt.com.
Monday’s answer: Congressional Medal of Honor on display in the MSC
Correct response: John Banowsky, senior applied mathematical sciences major Stephen Henley, class of 2001, computer science major
Michael Ikner Michael Ikner received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Dallas Baptist University, master’s degree in criminal justice and criminology from UT Arlington, and graduated from the FBI’s National Academy. Ikner served as Arlington Police Department for 23 years, retiring as assistant police chief before coming to College Station. City of College Station
See Ikner on page 4
See Roundup on page 6
Crews recover tail section from plane crash ■ Vertical stabilizer is key to discovering cause of crash
■ ConocoPhillips’ contribution helps to fund scholarships The Battalion ConocoPhillips, the third largest integrated energy company, donated $1 million to Texas A&M University May 1. A&M is one of eight schools in the U.S. to receive such a contribution. ConocoPhillips has been giving to Texas A&M for decades, Texas A&M Foundation marketing communications specialist Mary Vinnedge said. “This is a typical gift from ConocoPhillips,” she said. “They have given to other programs in differing amounts, however. They are a longtime Texas A&M supporter.” The Department of Scholarships and Financial Aid received approximately $400,000 from the donation. Part of the department and one of the main recipients of the funds is the SPIRIT Scholars Program. The SPIRIT Scholars Program, which operates at seven other universities, began at A&M in 2003 and provides “academic scholarships, additional financial support for enrichment programs and activities, mentor-
“This is our last big hoorah of the year and when the senior 4-Hers come to Round Up, they can see their future in it,” said Texas 4-H Council President Michael Edwards. “I’m excited about that because they’ll experience what Texas 4-H is all about.” Round Up is the largest 4-H competition in the world. “The competitions provide great learning experiences and are very career building,” Edwards said. “I am now studying agricultural economics because of what I learned in 4-H.” Contests and activities will be scattered throughout 17 locations on campus but will be centered
Special to The Battalion Police Chief Michael “Ike” Ikner will resign June 30, but his replacement has not been found, said assistant city manager Kathy Merrill. “We hate to see him leave, he’s a great chief. We wish he could stay,” Merrill said. An interim chief must be found to replace Ikner at the end of the month. “We do not know who will be the interIkner im chief yet, we will be making those decisions in the next few weeks,” Merrill said. The interim police chief will assume all of Ikner’s duties until a permanent police chief is found. “The interim police chief typically comes from within the department but can be brought in from an outside source,” assistant chief over administrative services Scott McCollum said. The city manager’s office makes the final decision on who the new chief will be. “There is a sense of disappointment with him leaving. Chief Ikner was a great leader, he came with some great ideas and a vision,” assistant police chief Jeff Capps said. Chief Ikner implemented a differ-
BRAZIL— Search crews recovered the vertical stabilizer from the tail section of an Air France jetliner that went down in the Atlantic, Brazil’s air force said Monday — a key item in finding the cause of the crash. Eight more bodies also were found, bringing the total recovered to 24 since Air France Flight 447 disappeared with 228 people on board, according to Air Force Col. Henry Munhoz. The discoveries of debris and the bodies are all helping searchers narrow their search for the jet’s black boxes, perhaps investigators’ best hope of learning what happened to the flight. Brazilian military officials have refused to detail the large pieces of the plane they have found. But a video on the Brazilian air force Web site entitled “Vertical Stabilizer Found” shows video of the piece being located and tethered to a ship. The part had Air France’s blue-and-red stripes, was still in its original triangular shape and was not visibly burned. The wreckage was found about 45 miles from where the jet was last heard from on May 31. Associated Press
Osazuwa Okundaye — THE BATTALION
FDA approves cancer treatment for dogs ■ Texas A&M oncologists give opinion of canine drug Kalee Bumguardner The Battalion The Food and Drug Administration approved the first cancer treatment for dogs. Until now, cancer drugs used in veterinary medicine were developed for human usage and weren’t approved for animals. Federal law allows veterinarians to administer cancer medicines and other human treatments under controlled circumstances. However, reports of the drug have come too soon and misled pet owners, said Claudia Barton, who is an oncologist at the Texas A&M University Small Animal Sciences Department of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
Medication The cancer-fighting drug Palladia is produced by Pfizer Animal Health Inc. and treats mast cell tumors in dogs. The drug works by inhibiting the ability of the cells to proliferate and cutting off blood supply to the tumor. The drug will be released in 2010. “I think it’s wonderful that a company developed a drug just for dogs,” Barton said. “The problem is, there is very little data that has been presented yet. It’s got a lot of limitations, and the media is probably premature.” The drug, Palladia, manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health Inc., has been approved to treat a type of cancer that accounts for about See Cancer on page 6
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