inside The Noble Men Out of Kyle return after a two-week hiatus to describe their experiences with the tailgating, fans, environment and more in Waco. Page 4
thebattalion ● monday,
november 15, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
Photos by J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
Senior inside linebacker Michael Hodges, junior inside linebacker Garrick Williams and junior nose tackle Jonathan Mathis wrap up a Baylor player. The Aggie defense allowed zero points in the second half.
A&M 42, Baylor 30
Stephen Olmon — THE BATTALION
Junior wide receiver Jeff Fuller’s one-handed catch on third down preserves A&M’s fourth touchdown drive.
Above, left: Junior cornerback Lionel Smith’s hit jars the ball from Baylor receiver Tevin Reese on third down in the third quarter, forcing the Bears to punt. Above: Junior running back Cyrus Gray runs for one of his four touchdowns. Gray finished with 137 yards rushing.
No. 19 Aggies just keep fighting
R
esiliency is a mindset; a blend of maturation and toughness. Some teams have it, but often times, they don’t. Never was it more evident than Saturday night, in a come-from-behind 42-30 victory over a resurgent Baylor team, that this 2010 Texas A&M football team is equipped with the ability to overcome worlds of adversity.
It’s an attribute that has A&M in the discussion for a Big 12 Championship and on the verge of reclaiming national relevancy. In the fourth-straight victory, the Aggies overcame a 16-point first-half deficit with 28 unanswered points to send the maroon-clad third of Floyd Casey David Harris Stadium — or rather, Kyle Field North — senior economics into a frenzy. “We had the will to win and never major, sports editor gave up,” said junior quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who is 3-0 as a starter. Such has been the case all season long. Whether it be overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to Florida
Acceptance is better, says Islamic Contributions to Civilization panel Katie White The Battalion Count back 800 years ago to the European Dark Ages. While people in the western world suffered from a stunt of knowledge and a plethora of diseases, in the east science and mathematics were flourishing in an Islamic society. MSC L.T. Jordan Institute of International Awareness teamed up with the Muslim Student Association and the Department of Multicultural Services Wednesday night to bring campus a panel on Islamic Contributions to Civilization. Five panelists in the fields of history, mathematics and science emphasized the importance of acceptance of other cultures in a time of globalization. Gul Russell acted as moderator for the panel. She began the night by saying cultures were invisible walls keeping people from accepting other people. “We are constantly confronted by globalization,” Russell said. “However, we are all imprisoned by invisible walls enforced by our own cultures. The barrier is between ‘us’ and ‘them;’ perhaps tonight some of those barriers will be eroded.” Russell said medieval Islamic society created a
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cosmopolitan entity that accepted people of all faiths and ethnicities. Her speech and the panelists’ presentations aimed to show the positive contributions Islamic society has made to current civilization. Russell said Arabic became the language of science and mathematics during the Dark Ages. The numerals predominantly used by the world are Arabic. The second speaker, Basheer Ahmed, said Greek and Roman scholarly texts were translated into Arabic and saved from extinction during the European Dark Ages, which stopped scientific, medical and scholarly work because it was seen as oppositions to religious dogma. The third speaker, astronomy professor Kevin Krisciunas, said most of the stars visible to the naked eye have Arabic names. “For many centuries, it did not matter what religion you were,” Krisciunas said. “It mattered that you were a good mathematician and scientist. People of different faiths got along well together researching in science.” The overarching message was a plea to the audience to appreciate other faiths and to accept them.
International or three-straight midseason losses that had all of the Aggie nation — including me — in panic mode, this team continues to lay it all on the field. It continues to stay centered, never too high or too low. Need more examples? Look to Saturday’s performance. Lose your starting running back for the season to a broken leg? Junior Cyrus Gray just steps in and accounts for a careerhigh four touchdowns in an inspired, gritty performance. Down 10 points in the first couple minutes in a hostile environment? Junior Coryell Judie runs back his second kickoff for a touchdown in as many weeks — the first time it’s been done in the history of Aggie football. Have three touchdowns called back due to penalty and See Resilience on page 2
Jihad Watch director discusses the ‘religion of peace’ argument Meagan O’Toole-Pitts The Battalion American liberty is in danger, said Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch and author of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam.” “The freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the principle of the equality of rights of all people before the law are under attack today by Islamic supremacists,” Spencer said. “Free people, Muslim and non-Muslim, must stand together against that attack.” Spencer was invited by the Texas Aggie Conservatives to speak Thursday in a lecture and question and answer session called “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?” “The question before us tonight is ‘Is Islam a religion of peace?’ which is obviously not just an abstract theological or religious question but a question of pressing political moment, and everyone has an opinion on it,” Spencer said. “I don’t, actually. I think that the best way to answer the question is to go to the sources themselves and not to rely on what various spokesmen will tell you, but go
straight to Quran, the Islamic holy book, and to the teachings and example of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, and see what they say.” Reading from the Quran, Spencer discussed parts that evoked tolerance and parts that demand followers to “slay the pagan.” “How is one going to understand balance between, like Chapter 109 which enjoins tolerance and a chapter like nine, verse 29, which enjoins warfare and subjugation?” Spencer said. “Once again, I would say we need to go to Islamic authorities to answer that question.” Spencer did not offer an answer to the question “Is Islam a religion of peace?” said Meigan Goff, TAC event planning officer and freshman general studies major. “He made a clear point that you can’t decide whether Islam is peaceful or not. There’s different definitions of peace for everyone and so you can’t just ask that question,” Goff said. “There’s many things that go into that question — it all depends on where you come See Spencer on page 5
11/14/10 8:45 PM