thebattalion the battalion
campus
Student contracts meningitis
● tuesday,
november 16, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
Austin Burgart The Battalion A Texas A&M student who lived off-campus was hospitalized Monday after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Students often come in contact with other people, using the same doorknobs, sitting at the same desks or even shaking hands. Sometimes the outbreak of a rare and potentially fatal diseases, like bacterial meningitis, can open their eyes to be more aware of their health. Student Health Services has notified and begun giving out antibiotics to those who were in close contact with the affected student, including those who lived with and were in the same classes as the student. Within a few hours of their e-mail notification, 25 students visited Beutel Health Center for preventative measures. “The most at-risk individuals were those that lived in the same house as the student or came in close contact with them,” said Richard Darnell, assistant director of Student Health Services. “Most people should not worry because you can’t get it by just passing by the infected person on the sidewalk.” Vice President for Student Affairs Lt. Gen. Joe Weber sent an e-mail to A&M students Monday warning them about the dangers of the disease and urging them to get vaccinated. “We’re not trying to scare the students or incite a riot,” said David Teller, associate director of medical services. “We just want people to come in if they are concerned, especially if they are showing symptoms.”
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Evan Andrew
See Meningitis on page 7
Aggies fast Rising textbook cost concerns A&M leaders to show support for Dream Act
and partner with other student leaders in Texas to do the same. From one A&M professor’s view there is With class registration right around the corner and new classes to look forward to, students no free market on textbooks in College Station. Political science professor Jon Bond find themselves wondering once again said for this reason the textbooks why textbooks are so expensive. required for his course are not “Over the past four years, I sold at Bryan-College Station have definitely noticed the Roughly 50 percent bookstores. increasing cost of textbooks, of students surveyed “I have been concerned and we’re working to do said they opted out of about the high price of something about it,” said buying a textbook for textbooks for more than Konrad Johnson, executive a course because they 30 years of teaching Aggies vice president of the Student here at Texas A&M Univercould not afford it Government Association. sity. Long before I published Johnson said it’s difficult to my own textbook for POLS compete against the big money 206, I tried repeatedly to negotiate that backs the textbook industry, but with publishers and local bookstores to the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board, of get the discounts on the price of the books I use which he is the chairman, is working to advo-
Amber Jaura The Battalion
Rebecca Hutchinson The Battalion After not eating for three days, the Council for Minority Student Affairs began to see burgers and turkey legs in the clouds, but they bore it for a cause they believed in. The Council of Minority Student Affairs ended the fast Friday outside Academic Plaza, a statewide event petitioning to readdress the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors, or DREAM Act. This is a bipartisan proposal that would allow illegal immigrant students to obtain citizenship. There are about 300 illegal immigrant students attending Texas A&M. “This is an issue that affects Aggies,” said Maria Cabello, a sophomore member of the Council for Minority Student Affairs. “These students were raised in Texas, accepted here and work just as hard for their degree, but they can’t use it when they get out.” The University officially recognized the council this semester, and the focus is to raise awareness of the plight faced by minority students. After three days of fasting, members of the organization were taking down tents and folding blankets, getting ready to break the fast with granola bars at 5 p.m. “The first day was the worst, because you’re so hungry, but the second day wasn’t so bad,” Cabello said. “But when it’s for a cause you believe in,” she said trailing off, shrugging her shoulders. Introduced about a decade ago in 2001, the DREAM Act was designed to help remedy the issue of illegal immigrant students. In order to qualify a student must have come to the U.S. before the age of 16, graduate from high school or have a GED, enlist in the military or
April Baltensperger Photo Illustration — THE BATTALION
cate on behalf of students within the University
Q&A Student Activities
Yoga master to give four-day workshop Connie Thompson
director talks about getting involved
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More info
The Battalion
Joyce Go The Battalion Texas A&M University provides its students with more than 800 student organizations on campus. Choosing what organizations are right for students and how involved to be with Student Activities can be a daunting decision to make with all the choices available. Bill Stackman, director of student activities, gives some advice about how to get involved and what resources A&M provides to students in extracurricular activities. Q: What is the Office of Student Activities’ main purpose? A: Our goal is to enhance [students’] formal learning experience outside of the classroom. Our mission is to create and foster leadership opportunities for students through involvement and to enhance personal and organizational development. Q: How can a student use Student Activities to help them find what organizations are right for them? A: We have a tool called OrgMatch, and it’s online and it helps students. It’s an inventory that will identify a student’s interests and match them with organizations that are focused on goals that meet their needs. Another opportunity is to come and talk to our staff and to get direct guidance and support in finding an organization. Q: What kind of programs does Student Activities provide students with? A: Our department provides a lot of support for student organizations and we offer leadership programs. Some of those programs are: Leading with your Strengths, StrengthsQuest, Strengths Round 2, Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for College Students, Leadershape and a leadership speaker See Q&A on page 7
See DREAM on page 8
See Textbooks on page 7
This past Sunday, Texas A&M welcomed Shriram Sarvotham, 20-year master of Sri Sri Yoga, an international yoga organization. Sarvotham spoke on behalf of the Art of Living Foundation about the importance of yoga and meditation for not only physical health but also mental health. “There are already a lot of resources for learning yoga in our community but we felt that his style was very unique and refreshing, and that we have to bring him here to College Station,” said Aditya Shrivastava, leader for the A&M chapter of the Art ooff ndation. “There’ss Living Foundation. a lot of wit it and humor inn tation, and his his presentation, in-depth knowledge of body and mind really impressed us.” The lecture cture focused on the need to eliminate te stress and create a sense of belonging ngingg in a collegee y. community.
The workshop is $50 for students and $150 for the public. Registration information is at http://artofliving.tamu.edu. The Art of Living Foundation has been a nonprofit organization since 1982 and offers programs for groups such as: youth, teens, business, government, prison inmates, trauma survivors and people with depression, as well as separate programs for people living with cancer, HIV and other life-threatening diseases. In the lecture, Sarvotham said practicing yoga reduces stress, tension, anxiety and frustration, frustrati and improvs memory and con provs concentration. Sarvotham will lead a four-day Sri Sri yoga worksh workshop Thursi Rudder day to Sunday in Tower. The course cou will incclude cl ude yoga post postures, proper e breathing methods, meditative relaxation methods, di discussion of a proper diet and princo ciples of coping with day-to-day d y-to-d stress. da
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11/15/10 9:31 PM