thebattalion ● wednesday,
october 6, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
On campus... Living on offers convenience, off gives freedom Samantha Virnau | Special to The Battalion When nearly 50,000 students converge on Aggieland each fall, University officials face the same challenge: housing. With room for 8,000 on campus, many students find housing elsewhere. The 30 residential halls on campus offer notable benefits for the students living inside. “I really like the convenience, I like being able to sleep later in the morning and get up closer to the time of when class starts, and I would recommend to other people living on campus at least one year,” said Kyle Blount, freshman nvironmental studies major . Many people are able to live on campus, however the majority of students find housing off A&M’s main campus. Not all is lost for Aggies not in the dorms, living off campus is a preferred choice for many. Students who may not have
desired to live on campus at all or those who experienced enough on campus housing earlier in their college careers cite significant advantages. “I love living off campus,” said Garrett Pearson, freshman international studies major. “For me it sort of separates school from home, whereas in a dorm those two are right next to each other. Living off campus, I have somewhere besides campus to look forward to going to after all my classes. “When my roommates are being obnoxious, I have my own part of the place I can escape to. Plus it’s roughly the same price as a dorm would be.” Many of the other students living off campus like Pearson would agree. “I like living off campus because I get to have
my own space and in a dorm, you’re living in a campus you can literally get up three minutes bebox basically, with at least one other person,” said fore class and bike there in time.” Hannah Sodolak, senior English major. “When Aside from dorms being time-saving, many you’re off campus, you have the freedom activities and traditions come alive on camto do what you want and to have your pus, and although they can participate, own way.” it is sometimes harder or impossible What exactly Many others feel the same for students in off-campus housare some pros way about living away from the ing to be a part of those traditions and cons for school, yet Pearson said there are and memories. each side of the many benefits he missed by not “I feel like I haven’t been able housing debate? living in a dorm on campus. to participate in on-campus acFind out inside “Dorms do have the advantivities as well as someone who on page 5 tage of being on campus,” he said. lives on campus,” Sodolak said. “That is one downfall of living off. I “I have to take the bus there, which always have to plan to leave 10-15 mintakes some time, and I don’t like to be utes early from my apartment to get to campus. on campus late at night not knowing how I’m I have to drive most places, and if you lived on going to get home.”
...or off? Photos by J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
Community, police bond Vigil to memorialize Pakistani flood victims for National Night Out Thomas Levitt
Joyce Go The Battalion Imagine 890,000 homes destroyed and water levels reaching up to 18 feet. That is what Pakistan continues to face as a result of heavy monsoonal rain in July. In Pakistan, an area about the size of England remains flooded, and damages surpass the destruction caused by Southeast Asia’s tsunami and Haiti and Kashmir’s recent earthquakes combined. Regardless of the severity of the situation, aid and awareness of the situation continue to come slowly and are meThe vigil, diocre at best, compared to other responses. organized by Aggies are well known Fighting the Flood, will be at for their ability to come together, especially when 9 tonight in the others need help the Academic Plaza most. In January, for example, Aggies had a Haiti relief concert which raised thousands of dollars to help victims of the earthquake. Tonight, Aggies will come together in an effort to alleviate inattentiveness to the situation in Pakistan by participating in a candlelight vigil in remembrance of those who have lost their lives in the floods and to show support for survivors who are struggling. Fahad Haque, senior mechanical engineering major and founder of Fighting the Flood, came up with the idea for a vigil after realizing how unaware people were of the situation. “Since the floods began, I kept hearing and reading that the victims are receiving a very small fraction of the aid that was given for comparable
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natural disasters of the past,” Haque said. “It’s a crisis that desperately needs attention, and I decided to do my part in making that happen.” The ramifications of the disaster do not end with dislocation and loss of life. Loss of crops, livestock and food stocks will continue to affect Pakistanis for months to come and will make the upcoming winter season particularly difficult. Senior bioenvironmental sciences major Roaa Taha shared her views on why holding the vigil will help the situation in Pakistan. “Through this vigil, people will become more aware of what is going on. Awareness is the key step in getting help to the people of Pakistan,” Taha said. “I believe that a vigil is held at times of crisis. This is a time of crisis. This flood has affected the lives of millions of people and a vigil is a perfect way to spread awareness of the Pakistan floods.” There are differing opinions as to why the Pakistan flood has been underreported and the response has been low, but Aggies understand that information controls public action and recognize the importance of awareness of every catastrophe in any situation, said Ahmed Haque, senior biomedical engineering major. “I think most people who know anything about the Pakistan floods are genuinely surprised that more people have not heard of it. But then again, I think it makes sense,” Haque said. Most of the media outlets seem to believe that people can only tolerate one disaster a year, and this is Haiti’s year, even though the flooding is much worse, Haque said. “The point of this event for me is making room for that story,” he said. “I still believe that people are not so shallow as to turn their See Vigil on page 4
Michelle Myers — THE BATTALION
Officer W. Challis of the Bryan Police Department talks about safety while a child sits on his motorcycle as part of the National Night Out kickoff Saturday.
The Battalion Preventing crime is a job entrusted to more than the police department. Citizens are given the communal responsibility to keep one another safe. National Night Out gave community members the opportunity to come together in a united cause. Tuesday, across the Bryan-College Station area, residents and students met, some for the first time, and stood together in a united cause against crime. Friends, family and neighbors gathered in their communities to cookout and mingle with each other and get to know each other. As a side effect, friendships were sparked during the meetings and could potentially deter crimes from occurring in communities. “I think it’s a good thing because it helps to unite the residents in the community,” said Patricia Jones, coordinator for the Munster Club. “It is a good opportunity to meet everyone and exchange information.” The people of Bryan-College Station have taken steps to build a family-friendly community. A tradition of Texas A&M is to greet everyone with a friendly howdy to create the small town feel. National Night Out extends this tradition to the people outside of A&M and strengthens the bond between the people and the law enforcement of the area. NNO is meant to help neighbors to get to know each other the old fashioned way. “It’s a good time for folks to get toSee NNO on page 4
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