thebattalion l monday,
april 15, 2013
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12th Man returns to Kyle Manziel, record crowd highlight A&M’s historic spring game James Sullivan
The Battalion record spring football crowd of more than 45,000 filed into Kyle Field on Saturday to catch a glimpse of the next chapter of Texas A&M football for the annual Maroon and White game, the unofficial start to the season. The spring football game was televised by Kirk Herbstreit and the ESPN College Gameday crew for the first time in program history. Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel stood center stage yet again — not as a national celebrity, but as the quarterback of the Aggie offense. The sophomore-to-be said the game’s fan presence was beyond what he or any of his teammates expected, providing them with an in-season atmosphere to showcase their improvement from spring training. “It was unreal to have that kind of support,” Manziel said. “Running out of the tunnel, it almost felt like a real game. It’s been a grind and we were excited to go out and show what we’ve been working.” The A&M athletic department opened the home grandstand’s third deck to allow for the massive influx of fans. By the game’s end, the crowd had flooded a majority of the home side and filled the first deck of both the student section and The Zone. Associate athletic director Jason Cook said the game’s unprecedented fan presence was a result of the University’s realignment to the Southeastern Conference. “This is why we moved to the SEC,” Cook said.
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inside sports | 2 Women’s rugby The A&M women’s rugby team closed out its season on Sunday with a loss in Palo Alto, Calif., at the national tournament. The squad reached the Elite Eight and looks to improve for next season’s return to the pitch.
sports | 2 Women’s tennis grabs title Matching up with Ole Miss on the road, the A&M women’s tennis team closed out the Rebels to grab a share of the SEC regular season title, the first for any sport at A&M.
US, Japan offer nuclear talks with N. Korea The U.S. and Japan opened the door Sunday to nuclear talks with North Korea, saying the country would find “ready partners” in the U.S. if it began abandoning its nuclear program. North Korea has threatened possible nuclear strikes against the U.S. Analysts say that is still beyond North Korea’s capability.
Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION
Heisman quarterback Johnny Manziel drops back to pass during Texas A&M’s annual Maroon and White game Saturday. Head coach Kevin Sumlin said the atmosphere generated by the crowd was valued by players and coaches alike. “We’re really appreciative of our fans showing up,” Sumlin said. “For our team, our players and our coaches, [the fan presence] was a big deal. Hopefully, we put on a decent show today.”
Manziel and the offense, suited in maroon, beat the white-clad defense 43-23, but Manziel alarmed coaches by throwing a block to allow sophomore running back Brandon Williams a touchdown. Co-offensive coordinator Clarence McKinney said the play was one Manziel needed to avoid while in a practice situation.
See Spring game on page 3
u.s. senate
Immigration reform prompts student action Tyler Webb
The Battalion he U.S. Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Eight” senators plan to announce a deal regarding Comprehensive Immigration Reform by Tuesday. The Texas A&M Council for Minority Student Affairs, CMSA, spoke out Sunday in an effort to promote responsible immigration reform. The Senate bill is expected to include enhanced border security, tougher penalties against employers who hire illegal workers, a guest worker program and a path to legal residency and citizenship for the
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COURTESY
The Council for Minority Student Affairs spells out “CIR13,” for Comprehensive Immigration Reform 2013, with students Sunday on Simpson Drill Field. 12 million workers who have previously entered the country illegally. On Sunday at Simpson Drill Field, CMSA met to issue a statement as to what members believe should be included in the reforms. It also served as a forum to allow community members to share stories on what it means to be undocumented and provided an oppor-
tunity to create a visual representation of their beliefs by spelling out “CIR13,” for Comprehensive Immigration Reform 2013, with student bodies. Eva Rivera, who spoke at the event, left Honduras for America with her daughter to escape the See Immigration on page 4
glbt
Same-sex marriage shifts in public perception Tyler Webb
The Battalion s the U.S. awaits upcoming Supreme Court decisions regarding The Federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8, the debate regarding the legality of same-sex marriage continues. Shifting viewpoints on the matter have led to major political ramifications as well as an evolving social construct. A gradual shift in public opinion on the legalization of same-sex marriage now seems to be gaining momentum, according to a new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center. Americans’ views on samesex marriage have gone from significant disapproval in
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2003 — 33 percent in favor and 58 percent against— to near-majority support a decade later — 49 percent in favor and 41 percent against. Aggie Allies, a student organization that supports the Texas A&M GLBT community, remains proactive as it waits with the rest of the nation for a Supreme Court decision. Its third annual “Hands Across Aggieland” march on Friday called on community members to march across campus to promote equality and justice for GLBT-identifying individuals. Michelle Gardner, vice president of Aggie Allies, said the march was the largest and most successful to date.
Associated Press COURTESY
Aggie Allies held its third annual “Hands Across Aggieland” march on Friday, calling community members to march across campus to promote equality and justice for GLBT-identifying individuals.
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“I told [Manziel], ‘Don’t ever do that again,’” McKinney said. “His instincts came into effect. He wanted to go and block for the guy, but we’re in the spring game. We don’t need to lose him on a busted play. We don’t want to see that.”
Dominique Hernandez, junior agricultural communications major, said he joined the march because he has many gay friends who continue to experience discrimination. “When gay people in the community find out they are not alone, they become stronger through unity,” Hernandez said. “Through power in numbers they can establish a major influence in a school that has a more conservative history.” Texas A&M political science professor Joseph Ura researches linkages between enacted federal policies and national public opinion. Ura said the structural advancements of the gay rights movement on a national level have contributed immensely to the evolution of the American opinion. “In the late ’90s, the frontier of gay rights was more focused on anti-discrimination laws in the work place, the advancement of civil unions and so forth,” Ura said. “Now the movement has become more settled at the national stage focusing on the debate of samesex marriage and because of this, the debate has been changing to an issue of equal rights rather than an issue of morality. This different frame helps people on the fence to come down in favor.” Ura said a change in demographics has had a significant impact in the polls and, commercial advertising and public entertainment have become more supportive of gay rights as a result. “I tend to believe that pop culture is strictly consumer-driven,” Ura said. “They show what people want to see. The growing support of gay rights in the media is simply a product of a new American mindset.” See GLBT on page 4
4/15/13 12:21 AM