thebattalion ●
wednesday, october 7, 2009
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2009 student media
Medals that Norman E. Borlaug received were on display at Tuesday’s memorial including the 1997 Presidential Medal of Freedom (left).
The 1970 Mexico’s Order of the Aztec Eagle (center) and 2004 National Medal of Science (right) were awarded to Borlaug.
Photos by J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
Celebrating a lifetime Madiha Rizvi The Battalion The family of Norman Borlaug walked into the silence of Rudder Auditorium on Tuesday, surrounded by friends, colleagues, students and people whose lives he affected in numerous ways. Six maroon chairs were arranged on the center stage, with floral arrangements made with Californian fir and American chestnut, with rice, corn and wheat plants on either side. The podium stood on one end of the stage, where honored guests including his granddaughter, Tiffany Borlaug Rubi, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the Rev. David Beckmann,
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, M.S. Swaminathan and Yohei Sasakawa spoke. Norman Borlaug was the father of the Green Revolution, winning the only Nobel Peace Prize for Agriculture, Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal. Borlaug died Sept. 12 at 95. A crowd of about 1,000 gathered under dimmed lights while speeches were given along with songs performed by the Aggie Singing Cadets. Green Revolution was a term coined by U.S. Agency of International Development and is defined as an increase in
Obama speech invitation-only event President Barack Obama will come to Texas A&M on Oct. 16 for a community service forum in Rudder Auditorium, but the event is by invitation only, said Texas A&M University Vice President for Marketing and Communications Jason Cook. “We are in the process of working with the Points of Light Foundation on how many tickets will Associated Press be available and then on how the ticketing process will work. That information is still being formalized and we hope to have it taken care of by the end of this week,” Cook said. In 1989, former President George H.W. Bush established the Daily Point of Light Award, given to individuals who make a difference. The award is administered by the Points of Light Institute. Bush and the Institute will sponsor the event, which will be in Rudder Auditorium. “A large majority of the tickets will be for the Points of Light winners and individuals that they select. Given it is that organization’s event, we do expect to have a limited number of tickets available for students, faculty and staff by invitation,” Cook said. No estimates were given at this time on how many tickets will be available. Cook was not aware of any tickets already sent out. Laura Sanchez, staff writer
Top: From right to left, the Rev. David Beckmann, Robert Gates, Yohei Sasakawa, Tom Vilsack, and M.S. Swaminathan share memories of Norman E. Borlaug Tuesday in Rudder Auditorium.
agricultural productivity resulting from the introduction of high yield varieties of grains, the use of pesticides and improved management techniques. Gates said he remembered Borlaug’s role as a teacher in that he “urged that talents be sought in unexpected places — that bookkeepers, technicians, farmers and the like should become researchers.” Borlaug, Gates said, truly valued his time on the A&M campus and with students. “He arrived in his office in the soil and crop science department at 5 a.m. every day,” Gates said. “He was often teamed
Left: U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, former president of A&M, speaks during the memorial of Norman E. Borlaug Tuesday in Rudder Auditorium.
See Borlaug on page 6
National mental illness awareness begins this month Melissa Appel The Battalion As part of the National Mental Illness Awareness Month, the Mental Health Mental Retardation, MHMR, Authority of the Brazos Valley is presenting informational events every Friday in October to teach the community about its services and mission. MHMR will provide refreshment and educational material to visitors to their Outpatient Clinic at 10 a.m. each Friday on Texas Ave as a goal to increase community awareness for pro-
grams, mission and services. MHMR is a nonprofit community center whose goal it is to bring mental health services to individuals in the greater Brazos Valley area. MHMR serves citizens of Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson, and Washington counties. Services include providing access to psychiatrics, assisting in paying for medication, offering skills training, and staffing an emergency crisis hotline. MHMR begins its care for its consumers at a young age, with programs for toddlers, children and adults with
mental illness. For many individuals, MHMR provides care that would otherwise be difficult to receive or afford. Linda Goolsby is a board member of MHMR and member of the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI). Her son was diagnosed with a mental disorder while in high school. “His line of support was MHMR. He saw the doctor there the whole time,” Goolsby said. “It made all of the difference in his life, and in ours, too.” Cheryl Smith has dealt with mental See Mental illness on page 6
Aggies vs. Wildcats
Shortage of H1N1 vaccines in Texas Texas has received fewer H1N1 vaccines than expected from the federal government. The vaccines are in the form of FluMist, a nasal spray that contains a weakened live flu virus. Young children ages 2 to 3 will be in the first priority group to receive the vaccine, said Sara Mendez, Brazos County Health Department health education director. “They are going to focus on clinics and doctors’ offices that serve 2- to 3-year-olds. The health department will also receive a minimum amount of the vaccine, but that’s for healthcare providers.” Due to the shortage, college students may not receive the vaccine until later than previously thought, because college students were in the initial priority groups, Mendez said. “Everyone in Texas that’s wanting the vaccine should be able to be vaccinated by a certain time. We don’t want people to panic,” Mendez said. “Just because we haven’t gotten the vaccine initially doesn’t mean we won’t.” Julie Rambin, staff writer
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J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
Volleyball: With a record of 10-3, the Aggies face the Kansas State Wildcats tonight at tonight at 6:30 p.m. sports | 5
10/6/09 9:20 PM