The Battalion: April 4, 2014

thebattalion l friday,

april 4, 2014

l serving

texas a&m since 1893

RACE DAY AT A&M

(Left) Jeff Gordon’s show car is displayed in front of Rudder Tower Thursday afternoon.

(Below) Jeff Gordon displays a custommade A&M football jersey with his racing number.

Aggie show car and driver steer onto campus John Rangel The Battalion

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Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION

reeted by a Texas Aggie yell practice and the roaring engine of car No. 24, Jeff Gordon visited Texas A&M University Thursday to showcase the maroon and white paint job and Texas A&M engineering logo his race car will sport during Sunday’s Duck Commander 500 NASCAR race.

Gordon said the fact that the replica race car was donated to

Texas A&M and specifically to an engineering school by a private donor makes it unique even though several universities have been featured on other race cars before.

Charles Shaver, Class of 1980 and chairman and CEO of Axalta Coating Systems, is responsible for arranging the Aggie-themed race car. In addition to racing under Texas A&M’s colors, Gordon, Shaver and Axalta will host 28 engineering students on race weekSee Race Day on page 2

spring training

Tra Carson relishes undefined role Running back says young QBs will lean on veteran backfield

are up there worried and everyone is worried.’ I told them I felt sharp pain in my neck so it was just precautionary measures.”

Carson’s biggest concern was the stress felt by his parents, who were in

attendance for the game.

Originally from Texarkana, Carson followed high school teammate LaMichael James to Oregon to play for highSee Football on page 2

Sean Lester The Battalion

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n the fourth quarter of Texas A&M’s 2013 contest with the University of Texas El Paso, the Aggies held a commanding 57-7 lead. As the clock ran out and the Aggies were going through the motions of a non-conference victory, running back Tra Carson took a hit that left him motionless on the Kyle Field turf.

With 87,000 fans in attendance, the crowd was suddenly silent as Carson was carted off the field on a stretcher with most fearing the worst. As Carson was taken off he was urged not to make any motions or motion to the crowd.

“I really wanted to sit up and wave to let everyone know I was OK, but they were telling me to take precautionary measures and be still — don’t move,” Carson said at Thursday’s spring practice. “I was like, ‘I know my parents

inside sports | 2 Tide rolls in Aggies host top-25 SEC foe Alabama in a threegame series Friday through Sunday.

cosplay | 4 Aggie Con 45 Aggies talk about how subculture cosplays are more than just costumes.

@thebattonline

The Battalion

Bryan Johnson — THE BATTALION

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athletics

Sports passes altered for fall 2014-2015 Students will have only one option for ticketing Tyler Stafford The Battalion

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exas A&M students will now have one option when it comes to purchasing sports passes.

The 12th Man sports pass, which will grant admission to more than 170 athletic events and take effect in Fall 2014, will be the only student sports pass choice at $290.

Jennifer Martin, director of marketing for A&M athletics, said the University wants to market tickets more effectively to its students and the rebranding and remodeling of the sports pass process was a sensible place to start.

Jason Cook, senior associate athletics director, said the change in sports pass options was made to avoid confusion and to reduce student costs.

“As we were looking at student sports pass offerings for next year, we wanted to see if there was a way we could reduce costs for students and also eliminate the confusion that exists between a football-only sports pass and an all-sports pass and finally see if there was a way we could incentivize attendance at our nonfootball athletics events,” Cook said.

Student body president Reid Joseph met with Cook to discuss plans to provide a sports pass option that admitted students to all athletics at a reasonable price.

“I believe that this is really going to be beneficial for the University and obviously our students to provide a very reasonable all-sports pass,” Joseph said. “With the rising cost of everything around campus, especially for students like myself who are personally financing our education, every dollar counts. This is going to provide an opportunity to be involved as the 12th Man not just in football, but in all sports at a much more reasonable rate than the past all-sports passes.”

The change in policy comes under the umbrella of the ongoing Kyle Field Redevelopment plan.

“It’s part of the Kyle Field Redevelopment process,” Cook said. “Students are contributing to the project with student fees and an increase in ticket prices.

What we found when we started putting those prices together — we were concerned that we would be pricing a lot of students out of not only buying an all-sports pass, but even a football-only pass.”

Martin said the University hopes the 12th Man sports pass will encourage more students to attend non-football sporting events.

In 2013, a football-only sports pass cost $225 and the all-sports option cost $350.

Cook said the athletics department is subsidizing $2 million to put the 12th Man sports pass price at $290.

Joseph said he hopes the pricing of the 12th Man sports pass allows for increased student involvement with friends and organizations at athletic events.

“We are the 12th Man and we support all Aggie athletics,” Joseph said. “It helps with attendance and helps to get students more involved. Athletics is a great way to get involved — whether you’re going just with some friends or with an organization on campus. Now I believe this is going to enable more organizations to organize events centered around sporting events because all their members that have a sports pass can go to the basketball game or the baseball game.”

Registration for the 12th Man sports pass opens Thursday at mysportspass. tamu.edu and ends on April 29. Students who register in this time frame will be eligible for various prizes and incentives, Martin said.

Cook said there are 31,118 tickets — the same number as last year — reserved for students. However, with an expected freshman class of around 9,000, tickets cannot be guaranteed for returning students if they do not register for the 12th Man sports pass this spring.

Junior running back Tra Carson runs a route at spring practice.

SPREAD THE WORD

Q&A:

Former student talks about battle with illness and the organization she began.

Jennifer Reiley, city desk editor, sat down with Angela Herrera, Class of 2012, who started BTHO-HLH (hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis) in March 2013, a little over a year after she was diagnosed with the immune disease.

THE BATTALION: What happened after you graduated?

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HERRERA: During finals before I graduated, I got a job to be the youngest store leader at HEB in the border region. I finished school and then I went straight to work. I didn’t really have a break. I was ready to work, I worked straight through, then I got sick all of

a sudden. I was excited to start this career.

I had the chance to become the youngest, woman leader. That was a good opportunity.

But things took a 180 when I was suddenly sick in January, lying in hospital bed with no diagnosis. All doctors were coming back with negative results on tests, no HIV, no leukemia. When I finally got diagnosed in May, it was a clinical diagnosis because with HLH, there’s not a blood test, not something that’s for sure. Even my doctor was a bit hesitant because I had got better. It’s a childhood disease. Since I was older, I was able to recuperate a bit more. My kidney and liver cells healed faster.

THE BATTALION: Once you got the official diagnosis, what were you told?

HERRERA: We thought ‘We finally have a diagnosis, what do we do now?’ The only thing we have in literature about treating HLH is chemotherapy. All summer I went through chemotherapy in hopes of conquering this. It was very difficult — I had never cut my hair before, it fell out. Some shaved their heads, I just let if fall out piece by piece. My family said they’d shave their heads, but I told them no. During chemo, I was really down, I was just so upset

PROVIDED

Angela Herrera, Class of 2012, models her “BTHO-HLH” T-shirt design. and didn’t want to go anymore, I was so fatigued. We stayed in an extended stay, kind of like a hotel. Four of my friends from A&M sent me a care package. We used to eat a lot of Asian food in College Station, he sent me a prepackaged Asian meal, not to eat, but just for the memory. Another girl See Herrera on page 3

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sports

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baseball

softball

A&M to clash against ranked SEC-opponent

Crimson Tide rolls in Friday Aggies to play No. 21 Alabama in televised weekend games

Aggies to continue road stretch against No. 12 Kentucky

Patrick Crank The Battalion

Milkyas Gashaw

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The Battalion

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he No. 18 Texas A&M softball team will continue its seven-game road stretch with a visit to Lexington to take on the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats Friday through Sunday in a top-25 showdown.

The Aggies (26-10, 7-5 SEC) are coming off a midweek 2-1 loss to Houston, and the Wildcats (29-7, 5-4 SEC) were victorious at home against Louisville 5-0. Both teams are in SEC divisions in which the majority of opponents are ranked.

“Kentucky is really good,” said A&M head coach Jo Evans. “Their coach has done a great job with their program.

They pitch really well, so when you have pitchers that you know are going to show up and play well, you always have a chance to win. We’re going to have to play well to win that series.”

Although this is the first time the Aggies have played Kentucky in Lexington since joining the SEC, Evans’ team has experienced John Cropp Stadium before.

“The nice thing is that we played at [John Cropp Stadium] last year in the conference tournament,” Evans said. “We didn’t play them, but we’ve played in that stadium so we’re comfortable with what that feels like.”

Kentucky leans on its pitching staff, led by senior Lauren Cumbess and sophomore Kelsey Nunley, who have a combined record of 21-3 and an ERA of 1.60 and 1.82, respectively.

The Wildcats’ are led on offense by sophomore outfielder Sylver Samuel, who has a team-best nine stolen bases on the season. The power in the lineup comes from junior catcher Griffin Joiner, who leads the team with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. “Kentucky has been ranked all throughout the season,” said A&M senior outfielder Cassie Tysarczyk.

Football Continued from page 1

-powered Duck offense. What he found in Oregon was a weather forecast he wasn’t used to and a homesickness that couldn’t be cured with wins.

“For me, it was just the weather. It was too far away from home,” Carson said.

“I wasn’t ready to make that adjustment as an 18-year-old kid out of high school. But now I’m matured and it’s just different.”

Carson transferred to Texas A&M in 2012 where he had to sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules. In his first season of play with the Aggies he rushed for 308 yards behind senior Ben Malena, recording three touchdowns.

“Tra’s biggest issue since when he got here is conditioning,” said running backs coach Clarence McKinney.

“He’s lost about 15 pounds since he’s been here. He’s running the ball really well right now and as you know when he gets the opportunity to get in the secondary he can really hurt you.”

Classified by most as a power back, the 6-foot, 230-pound Carson broke the mold of a third-down bruiser following his injury that kept him out of two games. In the regular season finale against Missouri he ran for a 29-yard touchdown that showcased his speed and size as he broke tackles on his way to the endzone.

“He’s not just a big back who can

Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION

Senior catcher Nicole Morgan leads the Aggies with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. “They’re a really good ball club — they’re very well coached. We just need to keep rolling with what we got right now. Everybody’s really contributing offensively and our defense is looking great and the pitchers are doing their thing.”

The Aggies are led by senior catcher Nicole Morgan, whose RBI double provided A&M’s lone run against the Cougars. She continues to lead the Aggies in home runs (10) and RBIs (41).

Sophomore Katie Marks suffered her second loss Tuesday against Hous-

be a third-down, goal line package,” McKinney said. “He’s a guy who can make people miss. He can play in our open sets as well as our big sets. He’s a complete back.”

Carson doesn’t define himself as a running back, he simply does what the coaches ask of him — a quality he said Malena instilled in him.

“Honestly, I just accepted that was my role on the team at the time,” Carson said. “I just always do what the coaches ask me to do. I pretty much can do a little bit of everything. My role on the team was a power back so I just embraced it.”

In an offense that will be without graduated senior Malena and could feature a young quarterback this season, the running back corps is looking to take on an even bigger workload than last season.

“If it’s one of the young quarterbacks I’m pretty sure that we’ll lean on the running backs because we’re the veteran group of the team,” Carson said. “I think we’re ready to step up and take that role.”

While it appears to some that the Aggies are set with backs who have speed, Carson isn’t worried about flashing his speed. He just hopes he makes it in the endzone for another A&M touchdown.

“I just don’t get caught,” Carson said with a laugh. “That’s what I tell them. They ask how fast I am and I tell them, ‘I stop at the endzone.’”

ton. She is expected to take the mound against Kentucky.

Freshman designated hitter and pitcher Abby Donnell said her team has to lay it all on the line this weekend.

“One more, that’s our motto,” Donnell said. “If we follow it, we can be successful.”

The Aggies return home April 11 to host the Tennessee Volunteers at the Aggie Softball Complex.

he Texas A&M baseball team, coming off a Tuesday night loss to the No. 12 Houston Cougars, will host the No. 21 Alabama Crimson Tide for a three game series Friday through Sunday at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

The series will serve as the middle of a five game mid-season homestand for A&M. The Aggies (1812, 4-5 SEC) have posted a 15-5 record at Blue Bell Park. A victorious weekend against the Crimson Tide would mark the second series win in SEC competition for the Aggies.

The Aggie offense scored nine runs in a win against Georgia in the series finale Sunday and eight runs Tuesday night in a high-scoring loss to Houston. The Aggies are batting .278, but will face an Alabama pitching rotation that has posted a 2.23 earned run average this season, third best in the SEC. The Tide (20-8, 6-3 SEC) defeated UL Monroe 3-2 in its last outing and is riding a five-game win streak that includes a home sweep over No. 18 Ole Miss. Alabama’s offense has averaged 5.7 runs and 9.4 hits per game. Alabama’s 19 total home runs are good for fourth in the SEC. Tide sophomore infielder Kyle Overstreet carries an 11-game hitting streak into the weekend, averaging .320 at the plate. He and the rest of the Alabama lineup will face an Aggie rotation that has compiled the third worst ERA in the SEC. Aggies Cole Lankford, Troy Stein, Jace Statum, Mitchell Nau and Patrick McLendon enter the weekend batting over .300. McLendon leads A&M with a .329 average. Junior first baseman Lankford has a team high in at-bats (123), hits (37) and RBIs (23) to go along with a .301 batting average.

Friday, the probable pitching matchup will have A&M junior Daniel Mengden (2-3, 3.12) facing off against Alabama junior Spencer Turnbull (3-1, 1.63).

Saturday’s probable matchup will feature sophomore Grayson Long (3-1, 1.84) and Alabama junior Justin Kamplain (2-2, 3.35) and Sunday, freshman Tyler Stubblefield (3-1, 2.33) will be set against Alabama junior Jon Keller (5-1, 1.50).

A&M holds the all-time series record 3-2 over the Tide.

The series is scheduled to begin at 6:35 p.m. Friday and both Friday and Saturday’s games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest.

Race Day Continued from page 1

end as part of the “12th Man Pit Crew” to show them the engineering that goes into creating a race car.

Members of the 12th Man Pit Crew were selected after submitting an essay and completing an interview process, both focusing on how the experience would positively affect their education.

The students will visit with current Axalta and NASCAR-affiliated engineers, tour the racing grounds and watch the race from Axalta’s viewing suite.

Jeffrey Leistico, sophomore aerospace engineering major and member of the 12th Man Pit Crew, said the opportunity to attend the Duck Commander 500 race as a guest of Gordon and Shaver is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I’ve been a fan of Jeff Gordon since I was a little kid,” Leistico said. “[I’m excited] to get to meet some of the engineers who are at the top of their professions and learn from them and ask questions — how they apply what they learned in college in their daily lives and taking what I learn from them to help me as an engineer.”

Katherine Banks, dean of the Dwight Look College of Engi-

Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon greets fans at the unveiling of the Aggie-themed race car in front of Rudder Tower on Thursday. neering at Texas A&M, said the experience the students will gain this weekend will give them a glimpse at how many engineering disciplines come together to answer real-world challenges.

“We often talk about bringing the real world into the classroom,” Banks said. “This is an excellent example of taking the classroom into the real world. Giving the student the opportunity to see engineering in practice, to allow you to understand engineering in a different manner than you would in the classroom.”

This is not the first time Gordon has had an Aggie experience. In 2012 he was awarded the Heisman

Humanitarian Award for charity work through the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation and during the ceremony he met and spoke with Johnny Manziel.

Gordon said the engineers who design and build his race cars are pivotal to his race day success.

“No matter where you go, it’s going to be hard work, it’s going to be intense and it’s going to keep you up late at night,” Gordon said.

“But it’s hard to find a field that you can actually see the results in just thousandths of a second each and every lap on the track, as well as when the day is over and you accomplish your goal, which is the checkered flag.”

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4/3/14 10:37 PM

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i-week

film

ISA shows how the world says ‘I do’ Victoria Rivas The Battalion

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xotic belly dancers, graceful performers of tai chi and scenes of both traditional African-American and North Indian weddings graced the stage of Rudder Theatre Thursday evening.

I-Wedding, a multiethnic display of wedding ceremonies, was a part of a series of international student awareness events, I-Week, that is put on by the International Student Association. I-Wedding aimed to enlighten students on a few of the marital traditions found in India and America through two mock weddings.

Sakshi Gupta, biotechnology graduate student and president of ISA, said understanding the wedding cultures of other students can be a great link of commonality between students of different nationalities.

“A lot of times, international students don’t get to meet other people from outside of where we are from and learn about other cultures, but from I-Wedding we can see a lot of different traditions and what we share in common,” Gupta said.

The first mock wedding displayed the history and evolution of African-American weddings. The introduction to the wedding included an overview of slavery in America. The slaves of a plantation often had to receive permission from slave

owners to be married and were not usually permitted to be married in a church.

The mock ceremony resembled a modern, conventional American wedding. With the bride dressed in white and the groom in a black tuxedo, the two exchanged vows.

Afterward, in recognition of a tradition dating back to the original African-American weddings, the bride and groom jumped over a broom while holding hands.

Erika Richardson, senior sociology major and presenter of the AfricanAmerican wedding, said jumping the broom signified marriage between the two.

Yashwant Prakash Vyas, event coordinator and junior electrical engineering major, said watching the African-American wedding was important to international students because it could help them learn about American culture.

“Most of our international students don’t know about American history,” Vyas said, “We are not only sharing our culture, we are learning something about the U.S. as well.”

The Indian wedding, or “Big Fat North Indian Wedding,” coined by Vyas, was a colorful display of ceremony, dancing and celebration.

Vyas said the attendance at a north In-

dian wedding can range from an intimate gathering to a lavish affair.

“Generally, the ceremonies can be anywhere from 100 to 10,000 people,” Vyas said.

Though a traditional Indian wedding lasts for a week, or even as long as a month, the mock wedding was shortened to a 30-minute presentation.

The attendees of the mock wedding, including the audience, all stood up to dance and sing traditional North Indian wedding songs. Colorful garments and jewelry adorned the participants of the mock ceremony.

“In India, the bride gets very dressed up,” Gupta said. “We have makeup artists and lots of jewelry and colors and such nice music. And she typically leaves the house of her family in the procession, so it can be very emotional for her.”

The event also included the TAMU Belly Dance Association and a tai chi performance from Suzanne Droleskey, advisor of ISA and executive director of global program support through the Office of the Provost.

Gupta said she hopes students can learn from the presentation.

“We all have different ways of saying ‘I do,’ but ultimately, there are so many similarities with how we love one another,” Gupta said.

Aggie cinema to screen ‘Mean Girls’ Katie Canales

The Battalion ean Girls” will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary on April 30, and MSC Aggie Cinema is throwing an early birthday party with a special showing of the beloved high school satire.

Christine Woods, MSC Aggie Cinema chair and senior computer science major, said she and the rest of Aggie Cinema were especially excited to show “Mean Girls.”

“We really love ‘Mean Girls’ — we want to show it because we’re not the only ones who love it,” Woods said. “It was one of the few movies that we were like, ‘We have to do it.’”

Caroline Crixell, freshman animal science major, said she enjoyed how the movie portrayed reality through humor.

“I like how it really shows what girls are really thinking in high school toward each other,” Crixell said.

“There’s a lot of discrimination in school.”

Kat Ball, senior anthropology and psychology major, said the movie contains numerous common high school scenes that remain with viewers long after they watch it.

“In the hallways in high school, it’s like a jungle — everyone being animals,” Ball said. “That’s pretty much the most memorable thing.”

Crixell said the movie’s cast is a contributing factor to its popularity among fans.

“I think the actresses in it play a big part in it like Amanda Seyfried and Rachel McAdams — they’re big actors and they’re role models for a lot of people,” Crixell said. “They’re very funny to watch. I love Tina Fey, I love her work. It’s just overall a really good movie, good cast.”

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“Mean Girls,” which targets a largely teenage audience, is rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some partying. Ball said some of these aspects of the movie are what make it so relatable.

“I feel like it’s pretty true to life though because I remember when I was in high school, even now, I was super vulgar and all my friends were and I guess [the movie] took it to an extreme but it’s still in the realm of possibility,” Ball said. “I don’t know, I feel like it’s relevant to a lot of people.”

Kyle Shepherd, junior telecommunication media studies major, said the movie’s vulgarity may be why it’s gained such a large following.

“In my opinion, the movie is so quotable, honestly, because most things are very inappropriate and it sticks with you,” Shepherd said.

Crixell said the mature content of the movie doesn’t bother her in the least.

“Maybe to some other people, like, to guys if they watched it maybe that could be why they like it — those vulgar jokes,” Crixell said.

Throughout the last 10 years, Crixell said the movie has been an excellent way to bring people together.

“It’s something to talk about it,” Crixell said “It’s definitely a conversation starter.”

Shepherd said “Mean Girls” also has a large male following, despite the movie’s reputation as a “chick flick.”

“Even if you don’t like chick flicks, who doesn’t like watching people be personally victimized by Regina George?” Shepherd said.

The teen comedy film, starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Lindsay Lohan, will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday in Rudder Plaza.

Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION

Saumya Sethi Talwar and Ankip Talwar act as the bride and groom during “The Big Fat North Indian Wedding” for I-Week in Rudder Theatre Thursday night.

Herrera Continued from page 1

sent me gift cards for the fast food places we went to. Another girl sent magazines — we would order magazines and then swap.

THE BATTALION: Where did the idea for the shirts come from?

HERRERA: Last year, I was so negative.

I wanted people to tell me how it was, don’t sugarcoat it. This time around, we have a diagnosis, we knew what we were dealing with. When I was at home, we said, ‘We should make some shirts.’

I went ahead and used the BTHO-HLH as the design. A lot of people didn’t know what that was, so I told them about the football games and how it’s an Aggie thing. Here, it’s kind of hard because everyone is a Longhorn fan in my hometown.

My extended family saw them and wanted some shirts, so we told the printing man and we printed some.

People started asking ‘What does Angela have?’ Not everybody knew what was going on. People thought

I had gotten food poisoning. Nobody really knew because we didn’t really know either. My brother helped me start a website. People can order the shirts on the website through PayPal and I get a confirmation. People ask me if I’m getting any money from the shirts. I’m not really. I’m getting like two dollars off these shirts, because we have to pay the company that makes them.

like, ‘What’s with all this positivity?’ I said, ‘If I’m negative, I’m going to be sick, you bring yourself down more than you have to be.’ I’ve been down that road before. This time I’m more positive.

I do reach out to these other two and talk about how we’ve been there. We’ve cried and been frustrated. That helps for two seconds, and then what? So now, I’m being more proactive.

THE BATTALION: Have you talked to others with similar diseases to share your experiences?

THE BATTALION: What are your goals for BTHO-HLH?

HERRERA: There’s these two other teenagers battling leukemia here in the Valley. Again, the healthcare here is not the best, so they’re also in Houston and they need a bone marrow transplant. All of our families got together. All of this came about by staying positive and I’m able to reach out to them and talk about how I’ve been through this. I know I don’t have leukemia, but I did have chemotherapy.

THE BATTALION: How are you feeling now?

Now, I have a lot less anxiety. I do have a little bit, but not the extreme amount that I had last year. Even my family was

584 pages of memories: 2013 Aggieland yearbook.

IF YOU did not order the 2013 Texas A&M University Aggieland yearbook (the 2012-2013 school year), a limited number are available at the Student Media office, Suite L400 of the MSC. Hours: 8:30 A.M.–4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday. $85 plus tax. Cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, accepted.

HERRERA: My long-term goal is providing more awareness. Here in Brownsville and in the Valley, we don’t have resources or the knowledge.

The doctors and nurses are not knowledgeable about this rare disease that we’re facing. My goal is to keep up with my hometown and my home area. Do I have to drive six hours, do other people have to drive six hours, when we raise awareness here? A lot of doctors haven’t heard of it. We called the doctors in the Valley and they don’t know here about HLH. What’s that? We didn’t even know. It’s not always going to be a common cold, or some regular disease. By raising awareness of other

diseases that are out there, we can find better treatments. Here, it took me four days to get a transfusion. That could be a matter of life and death. I’m battling my disease, so I’m doing minimal things right now. In long term, I would love to be proactive. I’d like to not just be a face, but be a voice.

THE BATTALION: What message do you have for people going through a situation like yours or other struggles?

HERRERA: No one can tell you how to feel. They can tell you to pray about it and keep your faith. If you don’t want to be positive, you’re not. You have to believe that you’re going to get through it. The rain’s always going to stop, the sun will shine through. That’s basically what it is. The storm will pass eventually, and are you going to cry in the rain, or are you going to just dance in the rain? You should dance in the rain, because it’s going to rain either way.

That’s what I’m doing now. I have all these people and they’re wearing these shirts. We’re all just waiting for the storm to pass.

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Consider a Teaching Career with Great Job Opportunities.

Please join the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture (TLAC) for a one day, come and go informational to help answer questions about teacher certification.

We will reveal to you options for teacher certification in EC-6th Generalist, 4th-8th grades or 7th-12th grades. Come discover how you can transform lives through teaching!

Where: Heaton Hall; Reception Area When: Friday, April 4, 2014 Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. tlac.tamu.edu

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thebattalion

cosplay

Convention culture offers medium for expression joining a book club.

“People go to cons because it’s an expression of identity and community,” Gatson said.

“You go partly to be around people who care about what you care about.”

Conventions like San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con have experienced success and growth over the years, which Gatson said can blur the boundaries of the subcultures represented there.

“Subcultures are very defensive of their territory,” Gatson said. “When you’re at Comic Con, that’s your space, your community and to have people come because they can buy a ticket is going to drive some people crazy.”

Rebecca Schlegel, assistant professor of psychology, said subcultures like this promote “optimal distinctiveness,” focusing on balancing inclusion and distinctiveness within and

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omic book and anime conventions draw millions of fans and millions of dollars every year, as individuals seek to claim their identity and their place in a community.

Aggie Con 45 will be making an appearance in College Station Friday through Sunday, featuring panels on topics such as “Gender in Geek Culture” and “Steampunk Cosplay 101.” Guests will include Jeffrey Cranor, Class of 1997 and co-writer of the podcast “Welcome to Night Vale,” and voice actor Aaron Dismuke.

As conventions can provide a home for subcultures and communities that aren’t always represented in mainstream society, Sarah Gatson, associate professor of sociology, said attending conventions is like

between social groups.

“We want to strike a balance between being like other people and being our unique selves,” Schlegel said. “Subcultures give us this chance, but if a group gets too big it can lose this distinctiveness.”

Corrine Baumgartner, junior biomedical sciences major, said as a student, she can’t devote all her time to her cosplays, so some costumes can take more than a month to complete. This attention to detail in cosplay has become more prominent as conventions have become more visible in the public eye, and Gatson said this exposure can lead to an increase in both acceptance and criticism.

“Since cons have gone more mainstream, people are more accepting of them,” Gatson said. “But it also exposes the time and labor people put into extensive cosplays, and that

can make people nervous.”

Schlegel said cosplay helps people express what she calls the “ideal self.”

“It gives people the opportunity to express characteristics of who they think they are or realize parts of their true self,” Schlegel said. “It’s a chance to try on and realize things that you want to be but can’t be in your daily life.”

Junior history major Andy Brown said cosplay and conventions can give you a safe place to express what you love.

“I would say cosplay is a cool hobby that reflects your dedication to a particular series and lets you be your favorite fictional character for a day or two,” Brown said. “Conventions also give you a chance to take a break from busy schedules and let you geek out without fear of being judged.”

classifieds

PLACE

AN AD Phone 979.845.0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University

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BED AND BREAKFAST Romantic Getaways & Engagements, secluded cabin suites. All Day, All Night. www.7flodge.com 979-690-0073.

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WHEN

TO CALL 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

FOR RENT 3/2 house available August 1st, $1450/mo, hardwood floors, central air, blinds and ceiling fans, large fenced yard, close to Northgate and Old Army bus route, 936-225-0345.

3/3,3/2 Houses, Townhouses &Apartments, 1250-1400sqft.

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4br/1guest br, 4.5ba, SW Parkway, like new, high ceilings, huge closets, large front porch, tile floors, all appliances, many extras. preleasing Aug.2014, 979-229-6326, see photos at www.TexAgRentals.com Available Aug.-1, newer 3/3& 3/3.5 at the Barracks & Gateway Villas, 817-437-9606.

Bike to campus and close to bus route! One 3/2 House and Three 2/1 Duplexes. (979)799-6068. saai-svc.com/rental-properties for pictures! Swikiaa@gmail.com

SPECIAL

see ads at thebatt.com

PRIVATE PARTY WANT ADS

$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.

FOR RENT Bike to campus. 2/1 CS duplex, available in May/August, pets allowed, privacy fenced backyard, tile floors, blinds and ceiling fans, W/D connections, lawncare and pest-control included, E-Walk shuttle route, $600-650/mo, 979-218-2995.

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Located at Rock Hollow Loop. $850/m. 469-233-4653.

Gateway VIllas. 3/3 Townhouse/ $1395. Pets OK. (979)587-8200 Homes for rent for all sizes and prices, near campus, call Bonavilla Property Management for details, 979-353-1265, bonavillamanagement@gmail.om Just available! Close to campus, College Main and Eastgate areas.

2bd/1ba., some w/dishwasher, 1-fenced, some bills paid. $325-$450/mo. 979-219-3217.

Large 3/2/2 on bus-route, alarm system, June lease or sooner, $1200/mo. 1431 Magnolia Drive.

214-914-4305.

Luxury condo, close to campus, brand new, granite countertops, with wood floors, contact 979-693-4900

FOR RENT New Renovations! Large 1800sqft house, 4bd/2ba. 2-car garage, storage shed, eat-in-kitchen, diningroom, familyroom w/fireplace.

Tile floors, laundryroom with W/D, 2 refrigerators, large patio, fenced yard. Lawn maintenance, pestcontrol, wireless, cable.

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832-326-3215.

HELP WANTED Cheddar’s and Fish Daddy’s now accepting applications. Apply within, University Dr. City of Bryan now hiring Camp Counselors, Recreation Assistants, Lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors, do not have to be certified. Apply online bryantxjobs.com, call (979)209-5528 for more information.

Northgate. Apartments 1/1, 2/2,and 3/2. House 3/3.

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Tribeca Square Apartments, 1&2 bedrooms with W/D, Prelease today and save $300 off move in.

HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $100-$200/hr, up to $1000/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com

puzzle answers can be found on page 2

Full-time medical technician for growing allergy practice wanted.

4-year degree and 1-year commitment required. We are looking for an intelligent, positive, friendly person to join our team.

We teach skills that are an asset for anyone interested in a career in healthcare and can help a candidate get into medical school.

E-mail resume to docmgr@yahoo.com Greetings Texas A&M Seniors!

Here is your chance to land a great job and to begin a career in the oil and gas industry! An Industrial products distributor for the oil and gas industry that specializes in carbon, stainless and chrome pipe, pipe fittings, flanges and valves is currently looking for the right candidate to join their inside sales group for their growing Houston branch.

The ideal candidate must be a self starter who is organized, can work with a diverse group of people, and is excited to learn. The ideal candidate would be graduating in May of this year with a degree in Industrial Distribution or with a degree in Business Marketing, Finance or Accounting.

This position is an entry level sales position and only people that are motivated to succeed and willing to learn our business from the ground up should apply. This person must be proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Lotus and also needs excellent written and oral communication skills. Company offers a compensation package that includes a very competitive base salary, 401K plan, medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as (2) weeks paid vacation after (6) months. Company will start interviewing immediately and would like to hire this candidate for work beginning June of this year. Please submit resume to: Derek Jones at djones@ipipes.com.

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

If You Have Something To Sell, Remember Classifieds Can Do It! Call 845-0569

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HELP WANTED Lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors for Briarcrest Country Club and Castlegate Community.

Fun working environment, flexible hours. To apply call 254-498-5315 or email mturner@phillipsevents.com Equal Opportunity Employer.

MEMdata, a local hospital equipment management company is seeking dependable and organized FULL & PART-TIME employees to be part of a growing team!

Must be able to work a minimum of 24 hrs/wk, M-F 8-5. Good telephone communication and negotiation skills required. Must be self-motivated and able to multi-task while working within deadlines. Computer skills essential & knowledge of MS Excel a plus! Pay DOQ plus bonuses.

Email resumes to careers@memdata.com or fax to 979-695-1954.

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Part-time job helping handicapped. Male student preferred. $360/mo. 8-10hrs/wk.

979-846-3376.

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Needed Summer and Fall 2014.

Must be willing to serve, make positive impact on others, be enthusiastic and be fully involved in the fun-filled camp experience, and create safe and supportive environment for all campers. If interested, contact Pam Gray, Class of ‘85, Operations Dirctor, pam@stoneycreekranch.org, 713-851-7292.

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VOLUNTEER COACHES NEEDED! The City of College Station is seeking positive, enthusiastic and motivational youth volleyball and basketball coaches. Programs begin early May and run through July. Learn more at cstx.gov/sports or apply today at cstx.gov/sportsvolunteer

REAL ESTATE 8 CS 3/2 Duplexes, shuttle, $229,900, Town & Country Realty 979-777-6211, 979-739-2035 B/CS. Sell/Buy/Invest! Michael McGrann TAMU ‘93 Civil Engineering 979-739-2035, mike@aggierealtor.com Nadia McGrann 979-777-6211, Town & Country Realty.

4/3/14 9:14 PM