The Battalion: December 08, 2009 by The Battalion

EDITORNOTE The Battalion’s ﬁnal issue for the fall semester will be Monday. Publication will resume for the spring semester Jan. 19.

thebattalion ● tuesday,

Travis Lawson The Battalion An ongoing feud between the Texas A&M University student-run Carpool and taxi cab companies in College Station has been alleviated after a meeting Dec. 3 between the two sides and College Station Police Department. Taxicab companies and Carpool have operated concurrently without problems since the organization was founded in 1999. However, companies have been complaining Carpool is stealing business by offering free rides to the community. Multiple incidents on Northgate between Carpool drivers and taxicab drivers caused the College Station Police Department to intervene and settle the matter. The Director of Public Relations for Carpool Rebecca Orth, a senior health major, said the two sides are beginning to see eye-to-eye. “I kind of felt like the taxi companies felt like we were out to get them, but that is not the case at all,” Orth said. “Our goal is to get the drunk drivers off the road so if they end up in their car or our car then our mission is accomplished.” See Taxi on page 7a

Code maroon fails to alert all

See Code Maroon on page 6a

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texas a&m since 1893

cool Student carries Aggie Spirit in an unusual way Anne Littmann The Battalion To the outside observer, “Cooler Guy” may appear to be just a man on a motorized cooler, but to those who know him best, he is so much more. The man behind the cooler, sophomore mechanical engineering major Michael Riemer, never expected to become a sensation. “I feel like it’s crazy; I didn’t expect it at all. More people know me as Cooler Guy than my actual name,” Riemer said. “Today I was riding around campus and some guy came up to me and said ‘Hey I’m a fan of your’s on Facebook.’” Riemer, whose fan base totals 1,492 on Facebook, has decided to use his newfound fame to encourage Aggies to show their support, especially for Aggie Athletics. “I mostly use my fanpage to encourage Aggies to go to games and especially out to soccer games because not a lot of people follow soccer but our women’s soccer team is awesome,” Riemer said. See Cooler Guy on page 6a

We are the Aggies Ben Williamson — THE BATTALION

Michael Riemer rides his motorized cooler to class. Mich

Aggies are We will be a series of stories published every other Thursday highlighting Aggies.

Stress from finals approaches

Ann Littmann The Battalion Code Maroon experienced nced a system malfunction that caused some subscribers to not receive notification when thee service issued an alert on Dec. 1 that an escaped prisoner was spotted in College Station, nearr the Texas A&M campus. “There was a technical chnical malfunction,” said Charley Clark, k associate vice president for University risk and compliance. “We are always trying to improve our system.” It was later concluded the threat to the campus and the College Station area was unfounded, Clark said. Although the situation proved to be non-threatening, the Critical Incident Response Team is concerned some Code Maroon alerts circulated even though many students received the information from other sources, including, the Texas A&M University Web site, emergency alert radios, e-mail and Twitter messages. “This was the first alert sent out using the new system,” Clark said. “However, the system was tested on Sept. 17, and it performed well.” Universities around the country rely on automated alert systems in order to send out vital information in case of an emergency. Texas A&M University installed the Code Maroon Emergency Notification System, which informs students via text message, Texas A&M e-mail, KAMU-FM radio, campus cable television, Emergency Alert System radios, Twitter and RSS feeds.

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Laura Sanchez The Battalion You cann learn how not to falter fal under the stress of finals with a few simple techniques. The first method for stress management includes studying ahead of time. Experts agree finals should be a time for review and not cramming. The Student Counseling Services advises to begin studying in advance for finals. “I advise freshman to study at least two weeks before finals to have enough time to review all necessary materials,” said senior biology major Mayra Martinez. “It can be stressful, but at the end it will be worth it. Your grade will reflect your hard work,” she said. The counseling services offers various tips

and techniques to manage stress not only during finals time, but all year. “If you have good time management, especially with your studies, then that will really help with reducing your stress and anxiety,” said Student Counseling Services Counselor Sarah Ou-Young. Counselors advise not to study all night for exams since students can be left with fatigue the next day or the rest of the week. Ou-Young recommends students keep a general schedule as much as possible in terms of sleep and study patterns. “As a grad student, I have found that setting a specific day or time in my weekly routine to do things have allowed me to manage stress a lot better,” said Tereso Herrera, a human resource management graduate student. “I try not to schedule anything on Saturdays and leave that time to relax.” Counselors said eating fruits and drinking juices during long nights of studying are much more

effective than eating fatty and sugary foods that may cause sleepiness and loss of concentration. “Refrain from excessive use of caffeine or alcohol because those things will make you more jittery and will actually contribute to your stress level,” Ou-Young said. Exercise to relax during finals is also recommended as it can give your mind a boost of energy to refocus. “During finals, I would either go for a jog, workout at the Rec or play basketball,” Herrera said. “One time I put together a flag football game with a few of my friends during dead week. This enabled us to get away from the books and have a little fun together.” Studying in a quiet environment instead of an apartment with noisy roommates also will help minimize test anxiety. Keeping your calm and not being around too much chaos will allow for an environment that is both stress free and beneficial to learning, Martinez said. See Finals on page 7a

More tips on avoiding H1N1 Robert Carpenter Special to The Battalion While the number of H1N1 cases has fallen, students should remain proactive, said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a media conference Thursday addressing the issue of the H1N1 virus on university campuses. “Our basic message is that we are simply not out of the woods yet with regards to H1N1,” Duncan said. “While we’ve seen a dip in the reported H1N1 cases nationwide, we know that could change at any time.” A common theme of Duncan’s address was the importance of being vaccinated. “College-aged students are among the most at-risk populations for contracting H1N1, and so it is very

important for as many college students as possible to get the vaccine,” Duncan said. The vaccinations have been met with mixed reactions. Some have abstained from receiving a vaccination because of the lack of clinical trials completed before its release. However, Edward Sherwood, interim dean of Texas A&M’s College of Medicine, dismissed these worries. “The vaccine was produced using the same technology that has been used for years,” said Sherwood, an infectious disease specialist. “There is no reason to believe the safety profile will be any different than that of the seasonal vaccine produced each year.” Duncan also encouraged students to take common sense measures toward preventing the spread of the flu. Marshall Bowen, a sophomore political science

major, said he has noticed students around campus already being proactive in this regard. “People are just being a little more conscientious in washing their hands and in [their] sanitary duties as they go about their lives as students,” Bowen said. The University also appears to be doing its part to encourage a healthy learning environment, Bowen said. “I’ve seen more hand sanitizing stations, as well as frequently stocked soaps in the restrooms,” Bowen said. While the measures taken by both the University and students are in-line with recommendations made by Duncan, he emphasized flu prevention extends throughout all parts of students’ lifestyles. See H1N1 on page 6a

12/7/09 9:18 PM

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Percussion Studio to perform YouTube favorites Percussion Studio will be performing the fall show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Rudder Auditorium. The theme for this year’s show will be “YouDrum,” a reference to the popular viral video Web site YouTube. “We will be having a wide variety of pieces,” said Michael McWilliams, president of Percussion Studio and senior mechanical engineering major. “And while we set up in between the pieces, we will be showing popular viral videos to set the theme for our pieces.” The fall show is one of Percussion Studios biggest events of the year and required a lot of preparation. “We should have about 14 pieces, so it’s going to be a big show,” McWilliams said. “The show will be full of energy with pieces that have a wide range from stomps to musicals.” Tickets for the fall show can be purchased from Percussion Studio members for $5 before the day of the show or for $8 on the day of the performance at the Memorial Student Center Ticket Box Ofﬁce and at the door. “We encourage everyone to come out to the show,” McWilliams said. Percussion Studio also performs private gigs for student organizations around campus. For more information visit http:// percussionstudio.org. Joaquin Villegas, staff writer

Surviving undead week

Jonny Green — THE BATTALION

Freshman mechanical engineering major Adam Kley and sophomore computer science major Michael Nootbaar walk between classes Monday with freshman chemistry major Kim Trevino while playing “Humans vs. Zombies.” “Zombie” players must “kill” humans by touching them. If a zombie does not get a kill within 48 hours, they “die” and are out of the game. Human players can temporarily stun zombies by shooting them with nerf guns or throwing socks. The team with the last remaining player wins. The game was started as a relief from studying for finals.

2010-2011 tuition rates under review Samantha Johnson The Battalion Texas A&M University System Chancellor Mike McKinney told the system’s presidents to prepare budgets based on a tuition increase of zero to 3.95 percent. At the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, tuition was raised 4 percent, meaning the range presidents have been asked to prepare for would be less than this year’s increase. “These are all very preliminary kinds of estimates,” said Rod Davis, director of communication for Texas A&M University System. Davis said this announcement was about being prepared for a variety of situations. “I think they’re just trying to get ahead of the game and look at some numbers and the impacts at each level,” he said. Davis said the economy, which is less than predictable, was another factor that would influence the decision. “Nobody really knows what the impact of the economy and of the stimulus bill [will have].” Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications for the Office of the President, said this is just the first step before final decisions are made about tuition. “After this, we will get together without Tuition Policy Advisory Committee, then in January we are hoping to schedule some open forums with students. Then we will present a proposal to the Board of Regents,” Cook said. He said since there are so many steps between now and when a final number is reached, it’s too early to discuss what effects it could have. “This announcement simply gives us a road map as we look forward to our 2011 school year,” he said. Some students find hope in the “zero” part of

the basis for next year’s budgets. “I think that if they didn’t raise tuition, that would be cool,” said sophomore Lorenzo Bocanegra. “ That means there is more change in our pockets.”

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SOURCE: Texas A&M University System

corrections The Battalion welcomes readers’ comments about published information that may require correction. We will pursue your concern to determine whether a correction needs to be published. Please e-mail at editor@thebatt.com.

how to apply If you are interested in writing or contributing content in The Battalion apply at thebatt. com, or call 845-3313. The Battalion welcomes any Texas A&M student interested in writing for the arts, campus, metro or sports staffs to try out. We particularly encourage freshmen and sophomores to apply, but students may try out regardless of semester standing or major. No previous journalism experience is necessary. The Battalion is located at 8901 The Grove, between the Albritton Tower and Cain Hall. Check us out on thebatt.com, Facebook

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Reading days Wednesday and Thursday are reading days where no class will be held. Friday is the ﬁrst day of ﬁnal exams.

thebattalion 12.8.2009 page3

Rihanna’s new album second rate

Angela Washeck

‘'Rated R” fails to progress past her previous album

ihanna releases her fourth full-length album, “Rated R,” at the most chaotic time in her music career and maybe even her life. Only months after the highly-publicized story leaked about her exboyfriend, famous R&B singer/dancer Chris Brown allegedly beating her, the Barbadian recording artists’ album title seems to pack more of a punch than ever, with lines that could have easily narrated her seemingly dysfunctional relationship with Brown. ”I really vented on this album… [the incident with Brown] was really a roller coaster,” Rihanna said. The intro track, “Mad House,” sets the tone for the remaining songs, with its spooky organ chords and is strangely reminiscent of her 2007 hit, “Disturbia.” Born Robyn Fenty, the singer seems to use this collection of songs to let her fans know the truth (well, at least, some of it) about her strained relationship with Brown, especially on “Cold Case Love,” featuring words like “Your love was breaking the law, but I needed a witness” and “I’ll never find the pieces of my heart.” It could be that she’s referring to the laws of love, but we’ll assume she’s talking about the law that prohibits brutally assaulting a person. The track is honest in all the right ways and allows the listener to sympathize with someone even at her celebrity status. In contrast with that vulnerability is the song “Hard,” where she sings “I’m so hard,” somewhat believably, as Jeezy contributes a cheesy rap sequence. The track, “Photographs” features a mediocre performance by Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, while Rihanna delivers a predictable tagline with a boring melody. “Te Amo” provides a Latin-inspired flavor to the album, a nice, diverse track among her many excessively electronically-produced songs. Although “Russian Roulette” is already a national radio hit, I don’t see any standout tracks near the popularity levels of “Umbrella” or “Don’t Stop the Music.” “The Last Song,” cleverly titled according to its place on the disc, is surprisingly delightful, with that raw beauty we love about Rihanna’s voice, just the right amount of soul and soaring guitar parts that make it about as epic as a pop song can be. I wouldn’t run over small children to get your hands on the physical album, but a few tracks are worth downloading. Still, though, Rihanna continues to be a threat to other female R&B artists in the industry, producing catchy, mildly relatable lyrics and sounds for the ears of tweeny boppers through adults alike. Angela Washeck is a freshman communications major and Special to The Battalion.

3 gig ‘ems

The Princess

and the Frog Anthony Gerhart The Battalion he Walt Disney Co.’s “The Princess and the Frog” marks the studio’s 49th animated theatrical release. In the film, a free-spirited prince is turned into a frog after an exchange with a suspicious voodoo doctor, and he kisses the lips of a girl named Tiana in an attempt to regain his human form. The plan takes a turn for the worse when Tiana turns out to be the one that changes forms, and the two frogs then travel together with hopes of recovering their human likeness once more. One of the particularly notable characteristics about this film is the reprise of handdrawn animation as opposed to 3-D Computer Generated Images. Mike Surrey, the supervising animator for the character Ray, and Mark Henn, the supervising animator for the character Tiana sat down and discussed the ins and outs of the return of this style of animation. “The Princess and the Frog” is set to release in theaters Friday.

Q What sort of thinking went into the process in deciding whether to use handdrawn animation or not?

Courtesy photo

Mike Surrey (left) and Mark Henn (right) pose with the Walt Disney Company’s “The Princess and the Frog.” Surrey is the supervising animator for the character Ray and Henn is the supervising animator for the character Tiana. The movie will be released on Dec. 11.

Mike I think it’s sort of dictated by what the director feels is the best way to tell the story they want to tell. As animators, we knew that it’s really the story that dictates how good your film is. Mark [Our new creative executive] John Lasseter said, “This is Disney animation. Yes, we’re making 3-D films now and that’s fine but Disney animation is all about hand-drawn. That’s your heritage. That’s our legacy.” So the short answer that John Lasseter said we’re going to do this and the studio said “OK.” So I think there was still some skepticism about that, but John was fully confident and we were certainly saying “Yeah, yeah, no problem here.” Q Walk us through the process of what a character looks like and how the animation development process takes place.

Mike The directors are the ones, from their scripts, saying that we’re going to have a firefly, we’re going to have an alligator, we’re going to have frogs, and a slew of characters. From that, they have a visual development department. This is a group of six or seven artists that we’ll bring in. They’ve gone out and done research trips; they went to New Orleans and took pictures and video of everything. They come back and then these visual development artists will sit down and come up with anything and everything as possibilities of design. Then we come in and they’ll say, “Here are all the drawings we like of your character. Take these and make them more animation friendly.” So I’m taking their drawings and playing off of that. At the end of the day, we can have this whole room filled with drawings, but it comes down to the director saying, “I like that drawing’s eyes, that drawing’s mouth, and that hairstyle,” and then it’s Mark’s job to pull it all together to make it work. Mark Right, and I think of ourselves as test pilots. They don’t give us a specific finished design, but like Mike said, we take all those things and start putting them all together and then we’ll start doing some test animation. Early on, we had our voices fairly set, and I would just say, “OK, here’s where we’re at with the design,” and find a [voiced] line that would be fun to animate so I would just start animating a test scene. We would find out if that voice would look right coming out of that design; it needs to match. Mike And then usually the process of when we’re in production as an animator, you’re animating maybe a couple seconds a week. For myself, I went through about 5 or 6,000 drawings and there’s maybe 1,000 of those that you’ll never see.

Q How long is the process and how does it compare to digital CGI? Mark They’re really almost the same. It’s still about a three to four year process. The big difference with CGI film is that it’s more frontloaded. You’ve got to have your characters designed, rigged and built; environments and everything all has to be set prior to the production schedule deadline. We have a little more flexibility. We have a little more flexibility in hand drawn to adjust things, and you learn as you go. It’s an urban myth that just because it’s created by a computer, it’s faster and cheaper and all that. It’s not; it takes as many if not more hours and people involved because now you have the whole technical side you have to support. Each has their own pros and cons, but they both really take about the same amount of time. Q Compared to the hand-drawn movies of the 1990s and before, how much did technology help out with the animation process? Mark A lot of things haven’t changed from the basic process, but the things that have changed are some of the tools that we’ve used. For example, our background painters would normally paint on a piece of illustration board, and those were photographed underneath the camera. We don’t use cameras anymore; we don’t shoot on film. We’re all digital. I have a scanner where I take my drawings and they’re scanned in, so they go into this digital animation world. The background painters now still paint by hand, but it’s digital, so I guess they use Photoshop or some other illustrator. Mike Where the technology has helped me is with [my character], Ray. He’s flying the whole time. Back in the 1990s, if I were I’m animating that character, I would have to animate him constantly moving around. If I just have him floating around there talking, I’m physically having to figure out how to move that around in a pattern to make it look like he’s just floating and hovering. Now I can animate him locked in space, scan it in with a program where I can move him around in the computer which allows me to give that feeling that he’s hovering and floating. To animate the wings [in the 1990’s], I think I’d probably still be animating them. We animated two cycles (where the wings go up, down, and back up again) with about 16 drawings, but we were able to use those same 16 drawings for almost every scene in the movie.

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images thebattalion 12.8.2009

page4a

Doug Klembara— THE BATTALION

SONGFEST

Doug Klembara— THE BATTALION

Each year, Chi Omega’s Songfest benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation as well as the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center, a local facility dedicated to helping people with disabilities. During Friday’s intermission the crowd was greeted by Garrett, the child whose trip to Africa will be made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and proceeds from the event. Above left: During Sunday’s show Alexandra, a patient at the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center brought the crowd to a standing ovation with her rendition of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The winning act was the team of Philadelphia Sisters and Kappa Upsilon Chi.

Doug Klembara— THE BATTALION

Stephen Fogg— THE BATTALION

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news

page 5a tuesday 12.8.2009

thebattalion

Police capture tired, hungry escaped inmate in Houston HOUSTON — A convicted sex offender who was the subject of a weeklong manhunt after pulling off a daring escape during a prison transfer was captured Monday after authorities received several phone tips, including one from a salesman who recognized the inmate outside his business. A hungry, wet and barefoot Arcade Joseph Comeaux Jr. was caught in northeast Houston, about 25 miles northwest of where he escaped, said Alfredo Perez, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service. The area is heavily wooded but includes various businesses, a charter school and some residential neighborhoods. Comeaux, 49, was in a wheelchair

Nov. 30 when he pulled a gun on two guards and fired it during a transfer from a prison unit in Huntsville to one in Beaumont. The guards, who were unharmed, Comeaux were forced to drive to the Baytown area, where Comeaux took their weapons, handcuffed them together and ran away. Officials are still investigating how Comeaux got the pistol and why he was allowed to use a wheelchair since he was able to flee on foot, said John

Moriarty, inspector general with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He had two pistols on him, but investigators don’t know if they were the same ones he took from the guards, Perez said. Comeaux also took one of the guard’s uniforms and boots. He was still wearing the uniform when he was arrested, Perez said. Brian Boyd, a salesman at a company that rents and sells cranes, said he was outside his business when he spotted Comeaux standing in a ditch by the side of the road, trying to hitchhike, around 7:15 a.m. Monday. Comeaux then walked along the road, came to the company’s front door and asked if he could use the phone,

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Boyd said. “He was all muddy, wearing black clothing,” Boyd said. “He was real calm. He looked just wiped out. He had both pants legs taped up.” Comeaux sat on the curb outside the building while Boyd went inside. Boyd said he was 80 percent certain the man was the escaped prisoner, but he looked up his picture on the Internet to make sure and then called Houston police. After talking on the phone, Comeaux asked if someone could call him a cab. Alexander said the employees gave him some coffee and had him wait in the front lobby. “Brian (Boyd) came by and said he had called the police because he sus-

pected it was the escapee,” Alexander said. “He sat out there in our foyer, drinking his coffee until the police came in and arrested him.” Houston police officer Adrian Rodriguez, one of two officers who arrested Comeaux at 7:40 a.m., said the prisoner was wet “from head to toe and looked like he (had been) sleeping outside.” “The only thing he said was he was hungry and he wasn’t going to talk until he got something to eat,” Rodriguez said. He said Comeaux walked with a limp and needed help getting to the patrol car. Associated Press

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Pg. 5a-12.08.09.indd 1

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12/7/09 8:41 PM

Tired Eyes? Seeing Blurry? Headaches?

news

page 6a tuesday 12.8.2009

thebattalion

You DON’T have to wait to go home.

Fix it Now!

H1N1 Continued from page 1a

• • •

Most Insurance Accepted Student Discounts Available Oakley, Ralph Lauren and TAMU Sunwear

Eye examinations, contact lenses, and free LASIK consultations available - call for an appointment. www.greene-eyes.com

(979) 775-4900 Corner of Texas and Villa Maria, Tejas Center

Class of ‘94

“[Students should be] washing hands thoroughly, covering their mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or a shirt-sleeve or elbow if a tissue is not available,” Duncan said. “Make sure commonly used areas and commonly used surfaces are being cleaned frequently. Leave plenty of disposable wipes and hand-sanitizer around.” In the case that students come down with H1N1 despite these efforts, Beth Bell, associate director of sciences for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, instructs students not to panic. “This is a situation in which a little bit of common sense is a good way to go,” Bell said. “Most people who get the flu or flulike symptoms will do fine, and don’t need to be rushing to medical care. Individuals with compromised immune symptoms, a chronic health disorder or

Cooler Guy Continued from page 1a

I N V E N T YO U RS E L F

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For some fans of Cooler Guy, however, proclaiming their appreciation on Facebook is not enough. “I have actually found a few notes inside the cooler with pictures of dinosaurs on them and random things,” Riemer said. “I’ve also received four or five marriage proposals and that’s been odd.” Junior molecular and cellular biology major Austin Potter thinks Cooler Guy has earned his status. “He absolutely deserves the attention because anyone who drives a cooler around campus should obviously be a celebrity,” Potter said. “He’s not only become a symbol of how unique each Aggie individual is, but also shows the spirit each Aggie holds inside them.” However, being Cooler Guy does have its consequences. “The first week of class I got pulled over by a bike cop, and he told me that I couldn’t ride on the road, but he just gave me a verbal warning,” Riemer said. “Then about a month ago I got pulled over near Heldenfels for riding an unregistered vehicle on the roadway, and the two cops wrote me a $180 ticket. I told the cop he could go for a ride as long as he stayed on the sidewalk; it was obvious he was jealous, but he refused in the end.” Riemer is more than willing to share the spotlight that being Cooler Guy brings. “If anyone else wants to buy a motorized cooler that would be the most epic day—ever. We could race and be best friends and it would be awesome,” Riemer said. Riemer wasn’t always known as Cooler Guy; in fact, he once carried the title of Tandem Bike Guy. “Well it all started about two years ago during the summer of 2007. I was driving with one of my youth leaders, Joel Eisenbraun, when a curious sight caught my eye. It was a train of mobile ice chests that a grown man was riding around a parking lot. We were immedi-

and an others. “If you live in a dorm with a roommate, let your RA know that you are sick, so that steps can be taken to get you somewhere you can get well and keep people in your building from being infected,” Duncan said. With the semester winding down, Duncan had a special message for homebound students. ATTALION “If you are traveling home for the hols — THE B w re nd A Evan ida remember: travel only when you feel idays, who are pregnant also should not well, wash your hands often and get vachesitate to seek medical attention if expe- cinated while you are home if you haven’t riencing symptoms like fever, sore throat already been vaccinated,” Duncan said. or cough. “There are certain kinds of people who we do want to contact their doctor if they have flu symptoms,” Bell said. “People For more with any kind of condition like asthma, for example, or diabetes.” information Dorms, which have close living quarters, For more information on the H1N1 pose an additional obstacle to flu prevenvirus and the availability of vaccines tion. In addition to thorough sanitation around Bryan-College Station or your practices, Duncan encouraged sick students hometown, check http://www.ﬂu.gov. to avoid spreading the virus to roommates

ately captivated by the sight,” said sophomore education major Nathan Abel. “We learned he was a young entrepreneur interested in promoting his new product called Cruzin Coolers. Joel was instantly sold on the idea, and a few weeks later he purchased a 500-watt electric motorized cooler.” This experience inspired Abel, Potter and Riemer to form a group known as the Transportation Gang. “I’m an avid roller skater, not to be confused with roller blader,” Abel said. “We created the club in an effort to promote alternative forms of transportation on campus.” Riemer originally rode his tandem bike, Abel rolled around on his roller skates and Potter rode a Razor scooter, complete with light-up wheels. “After contemplating [adding] several other forms of transportation to our portfolio, Michael made the announcement that he had just purchased a Cruzin Cooler of his own,” Abel said. “Michael has since surpassed all expectations of the original idea behind alternative transportation. We are proud of his success and wish him all the best in life.” To Potter, Cooler Guy has become a symbol to Texas A&M students. “I see the Cooler Guy as the Batman of A&M. He is the dark knight shrouded in mystery. Slightly rebellious and going against the grain and strikes fear into the heart of every bike cop he passes. Yet, all those who know him would see him as the ideal Aggie: a man of integrity and ingenuity,” Potter said. “Every day that I go to class the Cooler Guy inspires me. He makes me aspire to be so much more than I thought I could be. Every time he whizzes by at 13 mph, 15 with the optional gear conversion kit, I don’t just see a man on a cooler; I see the embodiment of the Aggie spirit and tradition in a very efficient form of transportation.” Riemer, known to his friends for his sense of humor, enjoys the opportunity his cooler brings to make people laugh. “I saw a guy rolling a regular cooler one day, and as I rode by all I said to him was ‘I win.’”

Code Maroon Continued from page 1a

“Code Maroon was developed immediately following the tragedy at Virginia Tech,” Clark said. “It was created to inform the campus community of instances of imminent danger.” Code Maroon switched vendors to AtHoc, Inc. “We have changed vendors on Sept. 1 to allow for more capability and flexibility with our system,” Clark said. “With a single integrated system sending alerts, if one doesn’t work, others will. We are always trying to reach everybody on campus and doing this by a variety of methods.” Students who did not receive the text message are thankful the situation was not threatening. “I didn’t get a text message, just an e-mail,” said senior mechanical engineer Kyle Richter. “If this was a more serious emergency then I wouldn’t have known about it, because I can’t be around a computer [all the time]. Luckily, it wasn’t a real threat.” Several students are concerned about a repeat occurrence. “The error worries me because an escaped convict is a big deal, and that should be reported,” said general studies major Travis Holmes. “If we are away from a computer in class then there is no way we would know to keep an eye out for any suspicious people.” The University Risk and Compliance Office is dedicated to solving the problem and making certain there is not a repeat incidence. “The safety of our students, faculty and staff is always of paramount concern,” Clark said. “We are working diligently to ensure the entire Code Maroon system functions properly in the future.” Clark said a Code Maroon test should be performed this week. “We want to test the system again before everyone leaves campus.”

Evan Andrews — THE BATTALION

EOI

TAKE A PIECE OF HISTORY WITH YOU · Purchase the 2009 Aggieland (if you haven’t)

The 107th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook is a 624-page photojournalistic record of the 2008–2009 school year chronicling traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, greeks, groups and seniors and graduate students.

· Order your 2010 Aggieland (if you haven’t)

The 2010 Aggieland yearbook will be a 700-page record of the 20092010 Texas A&M school year. Books will be mailed out during Fall 2010. Drop by the Student Media office, Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Hours: 8:30 A.M.– 4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday. Cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted. Phone: 979.845.2613.

Pg. 6a-12.08.09.indd 1

12/7/09 9:19 PM

news

page 7a tuesday 12.8.2009

thebattalion

Corps of Cadets welcomes members throughout year Samantha Johnson The Battalion Most members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets traditionally join their freshman year, but with Squadron 18, students who have transferred from other colleges or neglected to sign up freshman year have an opportunity to join. “Basically what we’re wanting is to get the word out to the University that it’s never too late to join the Corps of Cadets,” said Corps Commander Brent Lanier. The next opportunity to get involved with Squadron 18 will be at the beginning of the spring Semester. Students can sign up to be in the Corps until Jan. 8, which is the beginning of Spring Orientation Week. The squadron was started in 2002 as a way to help transfer students and students who didn’t join their freshman year catch up on the basics of being in the Corps. “The old way it was done, students would come in and automatically join their class, what happened was you never got a chance to learn the things you learn as a fish,” said Houston Richards, commanding officer of Squadron 18. “What you learn as a fish is leadership through followership, and that’s one of the most important lessons of the Corps.” The members of Squadron 18 are taken through a semester-long, condensed version of the freshman year experience in the Corps. Then they are able to join whatever class they are in academically the following semester. Richards, who transferred in after spending two years in a community college, said one of the biggest challenges that students joining Squadron 18 face is adjusting from normal college life to the structure of the Corps of Cadets. “The first semester you really focus on learning as much as you can, you know what it’s like to

Taxi Continued from page 1a

Orth believes one of the main problems was communication. Many of the taxicab representatives at the meeting thought Carpool was a free taxi that not only picked people up from Northgate, but also brought them to Northgate. “One of the main problems was that the taxi companies had never talked to us,” Orth said. “Half the companies didn’t even realize that we only take people home.” Carpool is an organization of 350 student volunteers who offer free rides to anyone in the Bryan-College Station community. The organization is intended to prevent people from driving home intoxicated from a party, Northgate or anywhere else. Carpool gives people who call requesting rides to Northgate information of other taxi companies that can help them. Carpool Chairwoman Rebecca Cain, a senior agricultural business major

Finals Continued from page 1a

UNIVERSITY DINING

Meal Plan 101

“What I did one semester that really worked was I spent the entire week before finals practically living in the library,” Martinez said. “I studied as much as I could for all my classes. I tried not to stress over it, because it’s pointless thinking about it, when I can do something about it. You waste time stressing when you could be learning and studying your material,” she said. Ou-Young said students should find their peak

Pg. 7a-12.08.09.indd 1

not be in the corps, and that’s the difficult part; going from being able to do whatever to the very structured life,” he said. “But it’s worth it, you can only do this once in your lifetime.” Despite the challenge the first semester is, Richards said they encourage students to participate in other organizations as well. “Sometimes when people come in they don’t think they’ll be able to do their organization, but we really encourage our people to get involved,” Richards said. Justin Esselburn, is a recent transfer from Blinn College who is in his first semester with Squadron 18. “I decided to join because my dad, who was Class of ’81, and both of my brothers were in the Corps,” he said. “I knew how it affected them, and they’ve been better people and that inspired me to do it.” Esselburn said the semester has been both challenging and fun, and he has found a network of support through the people he has met. “It’s the people that we met that got us through it,” he said. “When we got here, we didn’t know anyone, but through the missions we found out about each other and what our weaknesses and strengths were. Those are friendships like that you don’t find other places.” He encourages other students transferring to A&M or non-freshmen students who have considered joining the Corps to join. “It’s an awesome experience. It challenges you, but you don’t want to quit.” Richards said students who transfer and join through Squadron 18 are afforded the same leadership opportunities as students who joined as freshmen.

How to join Contact Houston Richards, commanding ofﬁcer of Squandron 18 at houi51@neo.tamu.edu

said a plan is being worked out, and the relationship is beginning to mend. “We are just trying to come up with a compromise because we know that we all want to still have business off of Northgate,” Cain said. “After our meeting at the police department I felt really good.” Carpool keeps their cars in a parking lot behind Northgate, and Cain said the problems arise when a taxi and Carpool arrive at the same place. A temporary solution to share the roads on Northgate was discussed during the meeting and is in effect. Cain said the College Station Police made it clear Carpool is here to stay despite rumors the taxi companies were trying to shut the service down. Carpool driver Lindsey Dean, a sophomore communication major, said she has heard these rumors and it would be a bad thing for the people of College Station if Carpool was shut down. “I can understand it for them because it’s how they get money, but we are trying to do a good thing here,” Dean said. “We are trying to a good thing here and I think we are a great organization.”

NOW HIRING!

Supplemental Instruction Leaders and

Tutors

$8/hour For job description and to apply, go to:

slc.tamu.edu

Texas A&M University 118 Hotard Hall (979) 845-2724

performance times during the day and study then. For most people those are later in the morning or afternoon and not too early or late at night. Counselors advise setting realistic goals for studying. Try to study for two hours, and then schedule a 10 to 15 minute break and not try to study for six hours straight. Changing subjects between studying also helps prevent fatigue. The Student Counseling Services office offers workshops to help manage stress and conquer finals. Visit www.scs.tamu.edu and register online for a workshop.

Questions about Spring 2010 Meal Plans? We’ve got answers.

Today 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Commons Lobby For additional times and locations

12/7/09 9:20 PM

sports

Women’s basketball welcomes North Texas The Texas A&M women’s basketball team will play against the North Texas Mean Green at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Reed Arena. The Aggies will test their unbeaten record against the visitors from Denton, Texas in the two teams’ 17th all-time meeting. A&M leads the Mean Green in the all-time series 12-4.

thebattalion 12.8.2009 page1b

BCS burns smaller teams

Jon Eilts — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M senior forward Bryan Davis shoots the ball in the Aggies’ 75-65 victory against North Texas Monday in Reed Arena. Davis scored 15 points and had three blocks and six rebounds in the game.

Aggies perfect in Reed Kyle Cunnigham The Battalion Behind the solid offensive performance of seniors Bryan Davis, Derrick Roland and Donald Sloan, the No. 16 Texas A&M basketball team defeated North Texas 75-65 in front of 6,366 at Reed Arena Monday night. “I’m happy with the win,” A&M Head Coach Mark Turgeon said, “I thought we got better today; our execution was better today but we let down a little defensively.”

Pg. 1b-12.08.09.indd 1

Bryan Davis led the way for Texas A&M, scoring 15 points, and adding six rebounds and three blocks. The 6-foot-9 forward drew two charging fouls inside the first 10 minutes. Sloan was the high scorer of the night with 21 points. He added to the success of his teammates with four assists. Roland added ten points, good for fourth on the team for the night, and four rebounds. “We were able to go out there and play smart besides a few fouls,” Davis said. “We’re pretty smart players, and we can do whatever the team needs us to do.”

Texas A&M shot a solid 20-24 from the free throw line, an 83 percent clip that is the highest free throw percentage the team has had in the 2009-2010 season. “We’re a good free-throw shooting team,” Sloan said. “The numbers don’t show it, but with the amount of work we put in, it’ll start showing.” The first big play of the night came from starting freshman Dash Harris. The point guard was able to pick the pocket of a Mean Green guard, and then run the See Basketball on page 2b

aybe I’m splitting hairs. Maybe I’m just finding something to gripe about. Maybe this argument has become fairly repetitive. But, this can’t be ignored. The Bowl Championship Series, commonly known as the BCS, dropped the ball. Again. And in the process, they legitimately stuck it to the little guys, Boise State and TCU. When Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence capped off the Horns’ undefeated season with a 46-yard field goal to give them the 2009 Big 12 Championship and an assured spot in the BCS National Championship, I’m sure there was a collective sigh of relief from the BCS officials. We can debate the merits of Texas versus those of Cincinnati, TCU and Boise State all day. We can look at Texas’ schedule and see that the highest ranked team they beat was No. 19 Oklahoma State. We can sit here and say Texas is playing against No. 1 Alabama for their second championship in five years because, well, they’re Texas. Either way, the Big 12 Champion is going to be served as SEC fodder for the second year in a row. Exciting, huh? The true disservice and ultimate crime was realized, however, on Sunday evening. Following Sunday’s bowl announcements, I would hope the commissioners of the major conferences, the Big 12, Pac 10, SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big East, all gave a quick

David Harris

Though most of us are used to it, the 2009 BCS assignments have proved that the system is flawed. thank you to Fiesta Bowl Executive Director John Junker. By pitting No. 3 TCU and No. 6 Boise State, two of the five unbeatens, against each other, the BCS and the Fiesta Bowl gave both teams zero chance of proving themselves. Need I remind you, we’ve seen this matchup before. In the 2008-2009 Poinsettia Bowl, the Horned Frogs defeated the Broncos 17-16. So why the rematch? Why are TCU and Boise State not allowed to show their stuff against a team from a major conference, such as Florida or Cincinnati? It’s fairly simple: the BCS is the ultimate beauty pageant. The system is controlled by the commissioners of the six power conferences, and those commissioners don’t want their precious conference champions to get beat up by the “less appealing” mid-major schools. They don’t want the See BCS on page 2b

12/7/09 10:15 PM

sports

page 2b

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

FOR RENT

LOST & FOUND

Absolutely 1 Fun Laugh-A-Lot Defensive Driving! Ticket dismissal/insurance discount. W&Th (6pm-9pm) or Sat (8am-2:30pm). Walk-ins welcome. At Denny’s (across from TAMU). $25 cash, restrictions apply. 979-694-8888.

3/2 House w/study-Wolf Pen Area! Close to shuttle, w/d conn, fenced w/ lawn care, www.twincityproperties.com 979-775-2291.

Spacious 2bd/2ba, washer and dryer provided, shuttle route, curbside parking. www.aggielandleasing.com www.southwoodplace.com

$100 reward. ‘08 specialized Rockhopper 29er. Noticable features: Huge 29” tires, taller than most, titanium color. 361-293-8453. For info/pics

3/3 Duplexes, 1400sqft, fenced backyard, all appliances new, excellent specials, 979-694-0320. office@luxormanagement.com

Spacious 3bd/3ba. Close to campus. Washer and dryer provided. www.aggielandleasing.com

AUTO I buy vehicles, running or not running. 979-778-1121.

FOR RENT $375 pre-lease. 1/1, 2/1. Free Wi-Fi, On Northgate, on Shuttle. Short term leases ok. Call agent, Ardi. 979-422-5660. $400/mo., 2bd/2ba, central heat and air, W/D, Longmire Ct., CS. 979-822-1616 $700/mo., available mid-December. 2bdrm/2ba. duplex on San Mario Court. Pets ok, lawn care provided, w/d connection. 979-220-5681. $900 Available now 3bd/2ba duplex near tamu. Has W/D, lawn care and pests paid. Call Jimmy (832)724-3554 or duplexrenter@yahoo.com $900, Available Now, PRE-LEASE, 3, 4 bdrm. houses near TAMU, pets ok. Call Agent Ardi 979-422-5660. 1-3/bedroom apartments. Some with w/d, some near campus. $175-$600/mo. 979-696-2038. 1-acre close to campus 4bd/2ba +study, 2000sq./ft., newer double wide, fenced yard, large deck, washer and dryer included, $1100/mo. owner/realator 219-0405. 1/1 apartment, w/d, two huge closets, on bus rout. $500/m. 281-413-5940 1bd. with cable and Internet, W/D included, close to bus route, $670/mo. 817-874-5104. 2 bedroom Four-plex and Duplex, a couple of different floor plans to choose from. Some with wood floors, fireplace, fenced yard. www.twincityproperties.com 979-775-2291. 2/1 duplex, newly remodeled, close to campus, on bus route for $625/mo. Call 979-966-3913. Licensed agent. 2/1 fourplex, newly remodeled, close to campus, on bus route for $650/mo. Call 979-966-3913. Licensed agent. 2/1.5 apartment with W/D. Available ASAP. 2 months free. No down payment. Campus View apartments. All bills paid. $890/mo. Contact Sara: 979-820-3994. 2/1.5 with W/D connection, great location, with backyard. Near bus-stop. Water , lawn, & pest paid. $600/mo. 422-4296. 2/2 available 12/5/09, Richmond Ridge Townhome. Large open plan, granite, ceramic. $995. Broker/owner. 979-777-5477. 2/2 Duplex on Navarro Drive. Available immediately. 254-396-3993 or Lshanks@tamu.edu. 2bd/1ba house w/office, all appliances, fenced yard, close to TAMU, $650/mo. 979-268-1509. 2bd/1ba W/D water included, shuttle stop in front, 3/4 mile from campus. Ceiling fans, very clean. (979)690-4181. 2bdrm/3ba duplexes. Great floorplans, fenced yards, w/d, tile floors, icemakers, alarm systems. 979-776-6079, www.aggielandleasing.com 2Br/2Ba apartment available, second floor, cable and internet included, $695/m. Located at Eastmark Apartment Complex. 979-739-4909 or dechev@tamu.edu 3-1 House, $950, 3 blocks South Kyle Field, W&D, CH&A, lawn maintenance provided, semester lease ok, available in January, Call Mike 979-739-6969. 3-2 House, $950, half-way between campus and Blinn, newly remodeled, W&D, CH&A, lawn maintenance provided, semester lease ok, available now, call Mike 979-739-6969. 3/2 2car garage Hartford Drive town home. W/d, fridge, small fenced back yard. Available January 2010. $1200/mo. 979-992-3168 3/2 duplex. 5-minutes from campus, fenced yard, bus route, fairly new. Call 214-505-6534, 469-233-4653. 3/2 house, walk to campus, $1100 +deposit, flexible lease term 979-324-3901.

3bd./1ba. House, $800/mo., Close to campus! 307 George Bush East, Jan-Aug, Call Ryan 512-496-4131. 3bd/2ba great floorplan, on shuttle route. Washer and dryer. Fans, stainless appliances. New, new, new. www.aggielandleasing.com www.southwoodplace.com 3bdrm/3ba duplexes. Great floorplans, fenced yards, w/d, tile floors, icemakers, alarm systems. 979-776-6079. www.aggielandleasing.com

www.facebook.com/bike.got.stole

Spring/ Summer sublease at Parkway Place. First Month Paid!!! $448/mo. All bills paid. Call Charlie, 214-929-9435, email roberc12@neo.tamu.edu Spring/ Summer sublease at Parkway Place. Was $560/mo, now $460/mo. January free. Furnished, all bills paid. Call Mitchell 903-388-7165. Sublease 1bd/1ba, w/d. Jan.1st- July31st. $695/mo. University Square 979-693-2720 or Apartments. 707-421-8020. Apply at complex.

4/2, acre lot. Plenty of parking. Just remodeled. All appliances. $1000/mo. 903-693-2544.

Sublease for spring 2010. 4/4.5 Aspen Heights. $595/m plus electric. LilySanchez@tamu.edu

4/3, 3/3 &3/2 Townhouses, Duplexes &Fourplexes, 1250-1700sqft. Very spacious, ethernet, large kitchen, extra storage, great amenities, on bus route, now pre-leasing for 2010, excellent specials. 694-0320. office@luxormanagement.com All bills paid, 4-bdrm condo on Southwest Parkway. Has 3 rooms for rent, $425/each with private baths, shared common area, 210-771-4535.

Two rooms in nice mobile home. Master with private bath $475, 2nd bedroom $375. Central-air/ht, internet, cable, everything included. 210-364-7006.

Available 1/1/10. 2bdrm/1.5ba. condo w/carport. New carpet, paint. Pool, w/d included, on shuttle route. Water paid. 1501 Stallings. 214-709-6319. aggiecondo@verizon.net Available Now! Spring Sublease at The Enclave. 1bdrm/bathroom in a 2/2. Newly Remodeled. $525/mo. pus 1/2bills. Pet Friendly. 361-648-5679 Available now. 4/2/2 newly remodeled, pet-friendly, new carpet &paint. $1275/mo. 1208 North Ridgefield. Biking distance to campus. aggielandrentals.com 979-776-8984. Balcones Apartments, only 2 left! 1/1 on bus route $475/mo. 703-8282. Casa Verde town-home 2/2 W/D connection. Near bus stop. Pest, water, lawn paid $695/mo. 703-8282. Close to campus 2bd/2bth. Washer and dryer. Fenced yard. www.aggielandleasing.com www.southwoodplace.com Cozy 2bdrm/2bth condo 3-blocks from campus, yard, w/d connections, over 1000sqft., no HUD, updated, $565/mo., 506-A College Main 254-289-0585. Efficiencies, 1 and 2 bedrooms. 1-month free rent. 979-693-1906.

FOR SALE For Sale 1999 Honda Night Hawk, 10,000mi., Black, $1,250 210-363-6837.

Adopt Pets: Dogs, Cats, Puppies, Kittens, Many purebreds. Brazos Animal Shelter, 979-775-5755, www.brazosanimalshelter.org Small red terrier, answers to Mudd, lost in historic district of College Station. 512-517-2924 cclaytonjones@gmail.com Welsh corgi/ farm collie puppies available 12/13-12/16. $40. Call 940-867-9544.

REAL ESTATE

Wolfpen district 2bd/2.5ba condo on TAMU shuttle. 1904 Dartmouth 817-422-3207

HELP WANTED Assistant teachers part-time. Working with children 18-mo. through 6-yrs, great learning opportunity for education majors or anyone wanting experience working with children. Please apply at swlccs@gmail.com or 979-693-6556. Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $100-$200/hr, up to $1000/day. No experience. 512-684-8296. photoguy@io.com Child Care- FT & PT shifts available. Some nights & Saturdays required. Apply in person at 3609 E. 29th St., Bryan. Cleaning commercial buildings at night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031 for appointment. COACHES WANTED! We need enthusiastic, positive, motivational volunteer coaches for YOUTH BASKETBALL. Season begins early January 2010! Call 764-6222 or 764-3424. December 27 -January 8 work in Houston removing holiday decorations. Work is physically demanding. Pay starts at $10/hr. Email tmdi1@verizon.net

New River Oaks town home with 1bdrm available in 4bd 4ba. Available Jan 10, $490mo plus utilities. 830-456-6888.

Pool Cleaner needed. Part time, full time, $8-10/hr. 979-229-0071.

Pre-leasing Townhome Style Condos 2bd/2.5ba off Spring Loop and University Drive. River Ridge Townhomes. Close to campus on the bus route. Call 979-690-1504 or email Sieglipp@yahoo.com Ridgewood Village efficiency with loft. Uniquely designed floor plan. No pets, $385/mo, $250 deposit. 1211-1213 Holik. 979-696-2998. Some short term leases available. $415/mo. Ridgewood Village, large very quiet tree-shaded 1bdrm/1bth studio, no pets. $435/mo, $250 deposit, 1201-1209 Holik. 979-696-2998. Some short term leases available $485/mo. Roommates needed. 4bd/4bth $325/mo., washer/dryer. University Place on Southwest Parkway. 281-844-2090.

PETS A+Teacup puppies: Maltese, Shorkies, Maltipoos, Yorkies &Poodles. $500 &up. 979-324-2866, linda_d_54@yahoo.com

Buy &Sell B/CS homes, condos, duplexes. RE/MAX. Nadia 979-693-1851. Michael 979-739-2035. www.bcsrealty.com

J. Cody’s hiring all positions. Apply within, 3610 S. College. No experience necessary, just common sense!

Oak Creek Condos high-speed internet and basic cable. 2bdrm/1.5ba. $515/mo. Water, sewer, trash paid. Fireplace, icemaker, pool, hot-tub. 979-822-1616.

MUSIC Party Block Mobile DJ- Peter Block, professional 22yrs experience. Specializing in Weddings, TAMU functions, lights/smoke. Mobile to anywhere. Book early!! 979-693-6294. http://www.partyblockdj.com

We Buy Houses. Cash or take over payments. 220-3700

Female roommate needed! Spacious 2-Story House in Horse Haven estates $550/mo. All bills paid! Available 12/2, Call Melody 254-715-3826 mperryman3826@ymail.com House for rent 3/1.5/1, 0.75 acres, horse ok, 6mo. lease available. $875/mo., $875 deposit 979-696-1670.

Northgate rent new. W/D connection. 1/1, 2/2, 3/3. Walk to campus. (979)255-5648.

Lost Aggie Ring. Regina Marie Schulte. West parking lot lower level to Zone. 11/13/09. Reward if found. 281-620-2193

Now hiring waitresses, door girls, and entertainers. Apply in person 4075 Hw.6 South. College Station. P/T service station attendant and lube tech. Basic Automotive knowledge. Villa Maria Chevron, Villa Maria & E.29th. 979-776-1261.

STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid survey takers needed in College Station. 100% free to join. Click on surveys. Tutors wanted for all subjects currently taught at TAMU/ Blinn and Sam Houston State starting at $7.25/hour. Apply on-line @ www.99Tutors.com, 979-255-3655.

puzzle answers can be found online at www.thebatt.com

ROOMMATES 1 roomate needed. Spacious 2 story townhouse in Canyon Creek. Fully furnished. 4/2.5 $400/mo. +1/4 utilities. 713-823-9341. 2 rooms open in house- Edelweiss Gardens. Fully furnished 4/2.5 $390 +1/4 bills/$550 all paid. Tile/Central A/C/HBO/Garage/Backyard. Call Shawn 832-788-5093, wnbsos@gmail.com Female roommate for spring/summer for house 1mi from campus. $387.50 +1/4bills. Emily 979-877-9746, texascapcadet@gmail.com Female roommate needed. 2bd/2ba in The Zone apartments. Available for immediate move in. $530/mo +1/2 electricity. 1st month free. Contact Barbara 713-550-6560. New Condo! Sublease 1 room. Private bath &bed. Wood floor. W/D in unit. December half month free. Jan-May $315/mo. 519 SW Pkwy. Call 281-639-8847, 713-922-7722. One female roommate in duplex on bus route needed. $350/mo +1/2 utilities. Pets ok. 817-266-1286. One roommate needed for spring, 3/1 house 309B Sterling, $250/mo plus 1/3 utilities. Joe, (325)669-7757. Roommate needed for Spring semester. 2/2 apartment. $343/mo. +1/2 utilities. 803-673-4113. Roommate needed immediately in 4/3 townhome. Bedroom furniture required. Quarter mile from campus, next to bus stop, shopping areas. $440/mo. 479-629-0246. Roommate needed. January- May 2010 lease. 12x20 bedroom in 4/2 house. Deck, porches, furnished common areas. $450/mo +1/4bills. Contact 832-326-1955.

TUTORS Need a Tutor? Friendly, helpful one-on-one private tutors for all subjects at TAMU/Blinn and Sam Houston State. Check us out at www.99tutors.com, 979-255-3655.

tuesday 12.8.2009

Basketball Continued from page 1b

rest of the floor to put in a layup against the defensive pressure. Sloan had an impressive layup of his own in the first half. The senior guard split two North Texas defenders then floated the ball into the basket, giving A&M a 14-13 lead with 13:56. Another slow start plagued the Aggies, who were unable to get a lead larger than five until the 8:01 mark, when a Davis basket gave the Aggies a 24-19 lead. A slew of North Texas turnovers opened the gap further, and the Aggies took a 40-25 lead when the two teams went into the locker rooms for halftime. “We were a little bit uncomfortable, and we let their pressure effect us,” senior North Texas forward Eric Tramiel said. “We let their toughness bother us, and you can’t do that on the road.” North Texas was unable to close the gap in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, a point emphasized by a Bryan Davis block that went flying past the 3-point line. The Mean Green, however, fought back against a scrappy Aggie defense in the second half. Led by Tramiel, with 17

BCS Continued from page 1b

secret to get out that the best teams in the country may actually play in the Mountain West or WAC. I mean, who cares if Boise State ranks first nationally with over 44 points per game? Who cares that the Broncos haven’t lost a regular season game in two seasons and beat the pulp out of No. 7 Oregon, the Pac 10 champion, in their 2009 opener? I’ll tell you one thing, the BCS doesn’t. They’re ignoring the fact that TCU possesses the No. 1 total defense and No. 4 total offense in the entire country. They don’t want the public to see that the Horned Frogs beat ACC runner up Clemson on the road and blew out BYU and Utah, both ranked teams. By putting the two midmajors up against each other, the BCS also squashed any opportunity for TCU to earn a split national championship. The AP isn’t going to

thebattalion

points, six rebounds, and forward George Odufuwa, with 12 points and a team-leading nine rebounds,, North Texas brought the score to within nine.

“

We had to coach and execute a little bit. It’s a teaching moment. I thought we had a little fatigue and I was a bit concerned.” — Senior A&M forward Bryan Davis

“We had to coach and execute a little bit,” Turgeon said. “It’s a teaching moment. I thought we had a little fatigue and I was a bit concerned. ” Sloan delivered the final blows in the form of two free throws, putting Texas A&M up 71-60. A Davis block with less than one minute left gave the Aggies the ball, and two more free throws by Sloan put the game out of reach. A&M’s next matchup puts the team on the road to Toyota Center in Houston, where the Aggies will face the New Mexico Lobos on Dec. 12 in the Houston Holiday Shoot-Out. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the doors open at 4 p.m.

vote the Horned Frogs No. 1 if they go out and beat Boise State for the second year in a row. A win over the Broncos wouldn’t hold near the weight as a victory over No. 3 Cincinnati or No. 5 Florida. So, now all TCU and Boise State can do is wonder. They can daydream about having the opportunity to play for the country’s respect. All the while, the commissioners of the major conferences and the BCS will continue to rake in the dough. They’ll continue to tell you the system in place is the best possible at this time. And again, the country’s football fans will miss out. “This team could play with anybody,” were TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson’s remarks following Sunday’s announcement. And you’re probably right, coach. Unfortunately, you won’t get the chance to prove it because the BCS royally screwed this up. But hey, what else is new? David Harris is a junior economics major

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www.AggieNetwork.com

WE’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER

2009-2010 Texas A&M University Campus Directory Listings of departments, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and other information about A&M, plus yellow pages.

EPARTMENTS: If you did not order Campus Directories, you may charge and pick them up in The Grove, Bldg. #8901 (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Cost is $3 per copy. Please bring a Student Media Work Order. Call 845-2646 for info.

TUDENTS: If you ordered a 2009-2010 Campus Directory and did not pay the optional mailing fee, stop by The Grove, Bldg. #8901 (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall) to pick up your copy. Please bring your Student ID. If you did not order a Campus Directory, you may purchase a copy for $3 plus tax (by cash, check or credit card). Call 845-0569 for info. Hours: 8:30 A.M.– 4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday

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EDITOR’SNOTE

voices

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this paper do not necessarily reﬂect those of Texas A&M University, The Battalion or its staff.

thebattalion 12.8.2009 page4b

A hole different world Week 15

FINALS SCHEDULE

Acct 209 Acct 229 Acct 230 Bich 410 Chem 101 Chem 107 Econ 202 Mostashari Econ 203 Edwardson Econ 203 Nelson Finc 341 Finc 409 Info 303 Math 141 Math 142 Math 151 Math 152

Mgmt 209

Mgmt 211

Mgmt 309 Abelson Mktg 321

Mktg 409

Phys 201 Phys 208 Phys 218 Pols 206 Pols 207

Part 1 of 4 Thu Dec 10 1pm-4pm Part 1 of 4 Mon Dec 7 7pm-10pm Part 1 of 3 Fri Dec 11 9pm-12am Start Sun Dec 6 Start Sun Dec 6 Start Fri Dec 11 Part 1 of 4 Mon Dec 7 10pm-1am Part 1 of 4 Mon Dec 7 4pm-7pm Part 1 of 2 Sat Dec 12 5pm-8pm Part 1 of 4 Sun Dec 6 9pm-12am Part 1 of 2 Sun Dec 6 9pm-12am Start Sun Dec 6 Start Mon Dec 7 Start Sun Dec 6 Start Sun Dec 6 Start Sun Dec 6 Part 1 of 4 Sun Dec 6 7pm-10pm OR 10pm-1am

Part 2 of 4 Fri Dec 11 6pm-9pm Part 2 of 4 Tue Dec 8 7pm-10pm Part 2 of 3 Sat Dec 12 10am-1pm Times online now Times online now Times online now Part 2 of 4 Tue Dec 8 10pm-1am Part 2 of 4 Tue Dec 8 4pm-7pm Part 2 of 2 Sun Dec 13 5pm-8pm Part 2 of 4 Thu Dec 10 9am-12pm Part 2 of 2 Thu Dec 10 9am-12pm Times online now Times online now Times online now Times online now Times online now Part 2 of 4 Mon Dec 7 7pm-10pm OR 10pm-1am

Part 1 of 4 Sun Dec 6 7pm-10pm OR 10pm-1am

Part 2 of 4 Mon Dec 7 7pm-10pm OR 10pm-1am

Test Review Sun Dec 13 6pm-8pm Test Packet Available after Sat Dec 12 3pm-7pm Test Review Wed Dec 9 10am-2pm

Start Sun Dec 6 Start Sun Dec 6 Start Sun Dec 6 Times online now DixonTest Pkt Available after Sat Dec 12 4pm-8pm

Part 3 of 4 Sat Dec 12 1pm-4pm Part 3 of 4 Wed Dec 9 7pm-10pm Part 3 of 3 Sun Dec 13 9am-12pm

Part 4 of 4 Sun Dec 13 12pm-4pm Part 4 of 4 Thu Dec 10 7pm-10pm

Part 3 of 4 Wed Dec 9 10pm-1am Part 3 of 4 Wed Dec 9 4pm-7pm

Part 4 of 4 Thu Dec 10 10pm-1am Part 4 of 4 Thu Dec 10 4pm-7pm

Nicholas Badger — THE BATTALION Part 4 of 4 Sun Dec 13 8pm-11pm

Part 3 of 4 Sat Dec 12 8pm-11pm

Part 4 of 4 Thu Dec 10 3pm-5pm

Part 3 of 4 Wed Dec 9 3pm-5pm

Part 4 of 4 Thu Dec 10 1pm-3pm

Part 3 of 4 Wed Dec 9 1pm-3pm

Changes Happen! Check schedule online. Times online now Times online now Times online now

Web more up to date than Batt.

Tickets go on sale Sunday at 3:00 p.m. 4.0 & Go is located on the corner of SW Pkwy and Tx Ave, behind KFC next to Lacks and Bourbon Sreet Bar.

Check our web page at http://www.4.0andGo.com or call 696-8886(TUTOR) .

ost Aggies pride themselves on the aesthetic appeal of campus. Both antiquated and modernly designed buildings are surrounded by large open cobblestone walkways and courtyards dotted with old growth trees, at least for now. But this lovely campus has a dark side some will find hard to swallow. Often as most students go about their business, illicit and anonymous sex occurs publicly in the very buildings we call home. A quick search through the personals section of Craigslist might reveal more of this world than readers care to know. The use of study rooms in Evans for sex is better known, but these activities spillover into every corner of the University. To truly realize the extent of what goes on behind closed doors, visit the men’s bathroom on the second floor of the Academic Building. A casual observer might never notice the walls separating the bathroom stalls across campus are made of incredibly hard material, largely stainless steel or some form of faux marble. But a few weeks ago, the walls of the aforementioned bathroom were replaced with thick plastic. In a shorter period of time a large 8” hole along with several smaller peep-holes have been cut and melted into the walls. As early as the eighties, anonymous public sex has been happening on campus, and a lot of it. Even older generations of Aggies know about the reports and rumors about various places on campus being used for public anonymous sex. During an interview with a professor who wished to remain anonymous, the seriousness of these sexual exploits became obvious. The professor told a harrowing tales about one night in the late 80s, when he and his three young children were in the Academic building and went to use the restroom. Upon entering in the restroom

Richard Creecy

Underneath the noses of unsuspecting students, anonymous sex is occurring in buildings across campus. he encountered several males openly performing various sex acts. Needless to say he was mortified. In fact, the older classroom doors that had grates in them making it very easy for one to bend wide enough to reach through and unlock the door for larger “engagements.” Decades later, the glory hole carved into the second floor of the bathroom of the same building tells the same story. Efforts to curb public cuckolding on campus seem to have been, at best, modestly successful. Online posts and personals provide countless chances for a homosexual encounter, and the details of even browsing these messages are too graphic to repeat or even believe. But since these sexual opportunities seem to attract largely the gay community, the situation begs the question: why Texas A&M? Our school is ranked the 8th most conservative school in America by the Princeton Review, and seems like an improbable location. To answer this question, I interviewed a poster of a similar craigslist.org advertisement. The poster spoke only on the condition of anonymity, and so will be referred to as Mike. Mike is 26 years old and a life

long resident of Bryan and he does not, nor ever did, attend any higher education. Mike responded to the question of why Texas A&M campus with several explanations. The main point was that College Station is the perfect distance between Dallas, Austin and Houston. As for the location, it would not seem odd to anyone to see people of all ages walking around campus all hours of the night. Also, perhaps due to the aforementioned conservative tendency of the towns, there seems to be a larger number of homosexuals in the area than the general population realizes. Most have not come out yet and many have no intention of doing so. Mike added there is no fear that they will be caught, and because of that he is able to “meet up with” up to 15 new partners a semester. I concluded by asking Mike why this anonymous sex had to be on campus. Certainly there were more safe and sanitary places for men to enjoy each other’s company than a bathroom. Mike told me that there was more thrill in using public facilities and that he has a “good thing going” with no intention of ever stopping. There will always be people like Mike who take advantage of an open door policy, a larger question is where are the University Police who patrol campus 24 hours a day? Public sex has occurred long enough at A&M, and instead of simply fixing vandalized facilities, our fees and tuition should go towards stopping it. The University needs to put back those fancy non-permeable walls, and actually make their security employees do their job to protect the students, faculty, and staff from having to be subjected to these seedy and illegal sex acts. Richard Creecy is a senior classical studies major and is special to the Battalion.

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12/7/09 7:35 PM

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voices

Good thing he has a meal plan.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this paper do not necessarily reﬂect those of Texas A&M University, The Battalion or its staff.

thebattalion 12.8.2009 page6b

Support sending our troops

Good thing she has a meal plan.

ic eater. Cindy is a pciky

Jim burns 7400 calories a day.

EDITOR’SNOTE

UNIVERSITY DINING ®

dining.tamu.edu

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Sign-up for your 2010 Spring meal plan

ast Tuesday, President Barack Obama addressed the country from the United States Military Academy at West Point on the issue of Afghanistan and his plans to begin resolving the situation there. His choice of location was strategic. His cadence and syntax were refined and poignant, as always (I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to kiss Jon Favreau, the president’s young upstart lead speechwriter). His message was clear: 30,000 troops will be deployed into Afghanistan for 18 months in order to protect our country and the innocent citizens of theirs. Toward the beginning of the speech, Obama gave a brief, “Afghanistan for Dummies”-style recap of why we got into this war. After the events of 9/11, we couldn’t just take the terrorism inflicted upon our nation lying down. We hunted down the alQaida and pursued Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, but to no avail. When intelligence was gained that he had made it into Pakistan, where it was confirmed and addressed in 2005 that they do indeed have WMDs, it is understandable that we had to take action. Now, I’m just as pro-peace and anti-war as the next neo-hippie, but I am also a realist. It’s easy to see that some kind of action had to be taken. While 30,000 troops may sound excessive, we have to trust that the man we elected to run our country knows what he’s doing. “As we end the war in Iraq and transition to Afghan responsibility, we must rebuild our strength here at home. Our prosperity provides a foundation for our power. It pays for our military; it underwrites our diplomacy; it taps the potential of our people and allows investment in new industry; and it will allow us to compete in this century as suc-

Nicole Alvarado

A year into office, President Obama has not been given the chance to lead the country out of two wars. cessfully as we did in the last. That’s why our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open- ended: because the nation that I’m most interested in building is our own,” said Obama in his address. The truth of the matter is that as a country with so much power, it is our privilege and our duty to come to the aid of those who need us. Sending more troops to Aghanistan not only aids their country, but helps protect ours. It’s not a pitch-perfect plan, but it’s a step in the right direction. Assuming the presidency of the United States, at this point in time, is essentially like being an overseer for the entire world. As a global superpower, people look to us to solve everyone’s problems. However, they also occasionally blame us for them, whether there is a direct correlation or not. In the eyes of many, if we are not the cause, then we are the reason the issue is even still around. In summation, it’s hard to be the President. After assuming a position of leadership (I was the editor-in-chief of The Battalion last year), it gave

me an unfounded wealth of perspective I had not anticipated. It made me realize how easy it is to criticize the people in charge, but how hard it is to fill their shoes once I was there. There was so much to consider on a daily basis that sometimes I felt like my head was going to explode—and I was only the editor-in-chief of a student newspaper. Imagine being the leader of the free world. I’ve become incredibly sympathetic to those in charge of others because you don’t know what it takes to make the tough decisions until you are the one making them. It is easy to see both ends of the spectrum —many Republicans view our president as a silver-tongued serpent who charmed his way into the Oval Office, while many Democrats view him as an incarnation of all their hopes, dreams and fears resolved. The most logical approach, though, is definitely the middle ground. Because at the end of the day, the president is just a man and it is a lot to ask that every decision he makes is the right one. It is impossible to say any president before him has led without missing a step, so why should he be any different? The trademark presidential call for unity and celestial blessings at the end of his speech seemed to embody a wholesome spirit, an honest plea for support. For how powerful or successful can a leader expect to be if he doesn’t have his populace behind him? “I believe with every fiber of my being that we, as Americans, can still come together behind a common purpose.” So do I, President Obama. And so should all of you. Nicole Alvarado is a senior communications major.

Good thing he has a meal plan.

Andrew is carrying 18 hours.

Joe hatsestotocook. cook.

Satisfy your Hunger!

AP PHOTO

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