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WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED OVER
Off to the NFL
After the bowl game, Myles Garrett, Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil declared they will leave college early for the NFL Draft. Garrett, who is projected by some to be the No. 1 overall pick, is one of eight players in SEC history to record 30 career sacks. His unique blend of size and athleticism should transfer nicely to the next level and he could be a force on Sundays for a long time.
Dat Nguyen named to College Football Hall of Fame
Russia says Aleppo evacuation is nearing completion After a series of obstacles and false starts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the evacuation of the Syrian city of Aleppo was finally reaching its completion Dec. 20. U.S. News reports that Russia, Turkey and Iran signed a joint declaration on Syria Dec. 20, an example of the greater cooperation between the three nations that Lavrov says led to a smoother evacuation process.
Carrie Fisher dies at 60 On Dec. 23, Carrie Fisher went into cardiac arrest. Four days later, she died at the age of 60. The death of Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, followed one day later on Dec. 28 due to a stroke. Her ashes were buried Jan. 7, 2017 at Los Angeles’ Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
DEC 27
Mariah Carey has disastrous NYE performance During the New Year’s Eve Countdown show at Times Square in New York City, Mariah Carey’s performance suffered technical malfunctions and she was caught lip-syncing. Carey later walked off stage midway through a performance of “We Belong Together,” ending her show altogether. A spokeswoman for Carey later said her earpiece was not working properly.
DEC 21 A&M partners with Facebook and other universities to improve web-based interaction for scientific projects Texas A&M was invited by Facebook’s new Building 8 — a hardware team focusing on merging science and product development — as one of 17 distinguished universities participating in Sponsored Academic Research Agreement. SARA will allow institutions to better engage and collaborate about ongoing research.
Dec. 28, the Aggies fell to Kansas State 33-28 in the Texas Bowl. Receiver Josh Reynolds exploded for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches, but it wasn’t enough as the Wildcats played turnover-free football, controlled the line of scrimmage and outrushed the Aggies 218144. The Aggies head into the offseason attempting to groom a replacement for quarterback as well as looking for ways to improve a defensive unit that ranked 10th in the SEC in total defense.
JAN 10
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DEC 28 Aggies defeated by Kansas State in Texas Bowl
Jan. 5, a controversial piece of legislation widely known as the “Texas Bathroom Bill” was filed, eliciting a variety of responses from across the state. According to KVUE, in some communities across Texas, local laws allow members of the transgender community to use the use the restroom corresponding with their gender identity. The goal of Senate Bill 6 is to prevent these local laws from being abused by predators.
JAN 5
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DEC 20
Legislators file Texas’ ‘Bathroom Bill’
As of Jan. 10, another Aggie has found his way into the College Football Hall of Fame. KHOU reported “The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame announced the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class which includes the all-time leading tackler in Texas A&M history and only Aggie to lead the team in tackles four consecutive years, linebacker Dat Nguyen.”
NASA selects Lucy and Psyche missions to explore the early universe NASA selected two missions that will provide scientists insight to early times in our solar system. Lucy is projected to launch in 2021 and will study six asteroids in the Jupiter Trojan group and the Psyche mission will launch two years later in 2023 and will travel 296,714,907 miles to explore a massive asteroid made of metal.
JAN 10 President Obama gives farewell speech Speaking from his adopted hometown of Chicago on Jan. 10, President Barack Obama delivered his farewell address to the nation. CBS reported that Obama spoke on the subjects of progress and inclusion as they relate to our nation and emphasized his desire for a smooth transition of power to President-elect Donald Trump.
SpaceX launches, lands rocket while sending satellites into orbit after 4-month hiatus Nearly four months after an unsuccessful rocket launch, SpaceX successfully launched and landed a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 10 communications satellites to orbit the earth. There will be six more launches carrying satellites into space to complete a replacement of communications network for Iridium — a Virginia-based communication company.
Staff Report PHOTOS VIA CREATIVE COMMONS, FILE
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST IN JOURNALISM Sam King
T
@Sam_King372
his past weekend during our editorial spring training my staff and I had a discussion about trust. We talked about what trust in a newsroom looks like. What trust between a reporter and their sources looks like. And what trust between a paper and its audience looks like. There’s no question — it’s a difficult time for the media, both as a media consumer and a media producer. Facebook feeds are filled with fake news. Major news sources are
publishing unverifiable information. Speculation of gatekeeping, biased media and unfair reporting is rampant. Gallup, a polling service, has been polling the public on their opinions of mass media since the 70’s. This was a great time to be a reporter: Print was still dominant, the Watergate scandal served as the golden standard and trust in the media sat at 72 percent in 1976. In September of 2016 — before the election results rolled in, so vastly different than what most papers predicted — that number dropped to an all time low: Just 32 percent of Americans trusted the media. I can only speculate that number has since dropped further. And that loss of trust, for the most part, is
not unjustified, either. In this age, it’s hard to know what to trust. Anyone can post something on a blog. Many media outlets’ main goal is page views and flamboyant or misleading headlines garner those. Papers are a business and you can’t always trust the motivations of the corporations that run many of them. We aren’t blind to those realities at The Battalion. It would be incredibly naive and disingenuous of us, many of whom are working toward journalism careers, to bury our heads in the sand and say “Everything is fine.” Rather, we view those as challenges to overcome. We know we must be especially diligent in our reporting in order to over-
come the stigmas surrounding the business. We know that trust is very easy to lose, and very difficult to gain — as it should be. We know that just because we say we’re trustworthy it doesn’t mean that it’s so. While we may stumble, we will not lose our way. So continue to be critical. Let me know when we’ve done something to lose that trust. My email is editor@thebatt.com. Trust is earned and that’s the currency we’ve chosen to deal in this semester. We’ll be trying to gain your trust not through a sense that we’re entitled to it, but with the knowledge that we must work to receive it and work harder to keep it. Sam King is a communication senior and editor-in-chief of The Battalion.
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Sam King, Mark Doré, Editor Editor in in Chief Chief The BATTALION BaTTalion is published THE published daily, daily, Mondaythrough through Fridayduring duringthethe Monday Thursday fall fall and and spring semesters and Tuesday spring semesters and Tuesday and and Thursday during during the summer Thursday summer session session (except University University holidays (except holidays and and exam exam periods) atatTexasTexas A&M University, College periods) A&M University, Station,Station, TX 77843. Offices Offices are in are Suitein College TX 77843. L400L400 of theofMemorial Student Center. Suite the Memorial Student Center. News: The Battalion news depart-
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Madeline Sambrano — THE BATTALION
Economic junior and resident adviser Darla Loyala checks in students as they begin to return to their dorms following winter break.
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A&M residential advisers discuss challenges, rewards of position
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By Mariah Colon @MariahColon18 With a new semester underway, some students are busy moving into their new homes on campus. Dorm life comes with many perks — being close to classes, friends and food — and each resident hall has a resource for students to learn about those perks: A residential adviser. Residential advisers, or RAs, serve many purposes, from building communities to teaching valuable skills. Leah Lagoudis, communication and Spanish junior and residential advisor for Fowler Hall, became an RA in the same dorm complex her mother was an RA in. She said while the focus of RAs vary, she focuses on helping students adjust to college life. “My floor is mainly freshmen,” Lagoudis said. “I only have two sophomores, so it’s just supporting them through the adjusting period of coming
to college and learning how to study and all other things that come with college.” RAs have been checking in students for the new semester and Lagoudis said most RAs are prepping for the upcoming hall programs for later in the year. Mitchell Li, applied mathematics junior and RA for Fowler Hall, said he would advise anyone living in the dorms to get to know their RA. “One day just go to your RA and get to know him or her really well,” Li said. “They’re really good people. The most rewarding part of being an RA is that feeling when you know you’ve actually made a change in someone’s life.” Li said his motivation to be an RA came after his parents’ divorce. “When my parents got divorced it was hard to go through it alone,” Li said. “I had people to talk to about it but they didn’t really understand … They couldn’t really empathize with it well. I just felt like I was equipped to help people out more than most.” Armandina Alvarez, history sophomore and RA for Keathley Hall, said
becoming an RA has helped her get to know herself better and create memorable relationships. “I definitely plan on being a history teacher when I graduate and I know that sometimes I lack authority and I lack the courage to face people who I want to see me in a positive light,” Alvarez said. “So I thought that being an RA could help me get to know people better and also help me with that authoritative necessity that I don’t have that I need to have while also maintaining professional and friendly relationships with people.” Lagoudis said interested students can apply to be an RA online but should realize the commitment beforehand. “If someone needs help at 2 a.m. you are that person to go and help them,” Lagoudis said. “If you are okay with that then you can be there for people in some of their hardest times that they’ll ever have in college, but at the same time you’ll have to make personal sacrifices ... But it is a very fun journey.” Students can learn more about residential advisers and dorm living at reslife.tamu.edu.
Summit tackles cybersecurity challenges Professionals discuss threats in digital world at inaugural event By Josh Hopkins @texasjoshua1
Check Ring Eligibility: Jan 6 - Feb 9 Order Dates: Jan 9 - Feb 10 Aggie Ring Day: April 7, 2017 HOW TO GET YOUR AGGIE RING ON APRIL 7, 2017: If you meet the requirements after Fall 2016: 1. Log in to AggieNetwork.com beginning Jan 6 to check your Ring eligibility. (You will need to create an account on this website.)
• Your records will be reviewed and your eligibility status will be displayed online instantly. 2. If eligible, schedule an appointment online to order your Aggie Ring at the Aggie Ring Office. • Select from available order dates between Jan 9 - Feb 10. • If you are unable to order in person, submit an order to the Aggie Ring Program prior to the deadline. 3. On your appointment day, visit the Aggie Ring Office to find your Ring size (with official Aggie Ring sizers) and pay for your Ring. • FULL PAYMENT IS DUE AT TIME OF ORDER. • Pricing is available online. • Ring Loans are available to qualified, currently enrolled students at the Short Term Loan Office. Visit AggieNetwork.com/Ring for full details. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS: 1. 90 cumulative completed undergraduate credit hours. 2. 45 undergraduate resident credit hours completed at TAMU. 3. 2.0 cumulative GPR at Texas A&M University. 4. Must not be on academic probation, suspension, dismissal, expulsion, or on honor violation probation from the university. GRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS: Master’s Thesis Option 1. Defended Thesis Due to ordering deadlines, you may order at the beginning of the semester you will graduate. Your Aggie Ring will be delivered on Aggie Ring Day if you have defended your thesis prior to the deadline set by the Office of Graduate Studies. If you do not defend your thesis prior to this date, your Aggie Ring will be held until the qualification is met. 2. Must not be on academic probation, suspension, dismissal, expulsion, or on honor violation probation from the university. Master’s Non-Thesis Option 1. 75% of coursework completed for degree program at TAMU. 2. Must not be on academic probation, suspension, dismissal, expulsion, or on honor violation probation from the university. Ph.D. Students 1. Accepted as a Ph.D. candidate at TAMU. 2. Must not be on academic probation, suspension, dismissal, expulsion, or on honor violation probation from the university.
Last week, dozens of cybersecurity experts gathered to discuss an increasingly difficult question: What do you do when someone is trying to break into your house — from 6,000 miles away? The Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure Summit began Wednesday in College Station, the inaugural event in an annual series sponsored by the Bradley Foundation. The three-day conference primarily sought to address the ever-evolving threats to the physical pathways that allow the digital world to communicate. Part of the summit focused on the primary difficulty in cybersecurity, being that a system is only as strong as its weakest link. When keeping a burglar out of a house, locked doors and closed windows work great until the thief discovers a key under the doormat. Daniel Ragsdale, director of the Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center, said work in cybersecurity has become increasingly difficult as systems that were once safe become vulnerable. “Now that we have interconnected all of our systems, someone in some remote land can access, say, your thermostat,” Ragsdale said. “So what we’ve done in practice is we’ve substantially increased the attack surface, so now we have to worry about the prospect of prospectively hacking our thermostat or our smart refrigerator.” The summit was filled with discussions addressing a wide variety of subjects. On Friday, Edmond Rogers, the founder of a company focusing on cyber and physical situational awareness, Kaedago, led a discussion. Topics ranged from whether students should learn hacking, to what obstacles exist in physically securing infrastructure, to legal gray areas that exist in the cybersecurity field. “I’m not here to attend another conference,” Rogers said. “I want to know collectively what we are going
Graphic by Rachel Grant — THE BATTALION
Daniel Ragsdale, director of the Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center, said work in cybersecurity is difficult as new technologies develop and become vulnerable.
to do at Texas A&M to keep the lights running.” Ragsdale said he was excited by the ability for the wide variety of government, academic and industry experts to gather to address growing issues. “Collaboration is hard,” Ragsdale said. “You get comfortable working with people who are like ourselves and think like ourselves and that is easy, but it doesn’t get us to true innovation. And we had people in rooms where there was some spirited dialogue, but I think everyone was able to take a step back and better appreciate the problem but also better appreciate how others, in collaboration, could work together.” Ryan Vrecenar, a computer engineering graduate student, said he is leaving the conference with a lot of optimism for the future. “When you actually look into some of this stuff there is this daunting feeling that there is no help, there is so much infrastructure in place that makes this a hopeless problem that there is no way to begin solving it,” Vrecenar said. “And I thought the summit did a great
job of introducing some of the ways that we are finally getting on the path to fixing and winning the war.” Colton Riedel, a computer engineering graduate student, said working on individual projects it is easy to miss the bigger picture, and the seminar highlighted the whole group. “I don’t always see directly how what I’m doing affects the system as a whole,” Riedel said. “So you come to the talks and meet the people from industry who work on different aspects and see how this directly relates to what they are doing.” Ragsdale said he believes the results of the seminar go beyond a knowledge transfer, but to the creation of a network. “What they don’t realize, is we’ve created a cohort of people who are in industry, government and academia that are focused on developing solutions in this space,” Ragsdale said. “And they don’t know it yet, but they are now a community. A cohort of folks, and we are going to stay in contact.”
AggieNetwork.com Visit AggieNetwork.com/Ring for complete details or call the Aggie Ring Program at (979) 845-1050.
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Specialties Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M University’s 2017 Aggieland yearbook. ALL CLASSES: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Thursday Feb. 6th - 9th & Feb. 13th - 16th in the Sanders Corp Museum Library
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Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95.
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ADL names Aggies United top inspirational moment of 2016 By Tyler Snell @tyler_snell2
FILE
The Anti-Defamation League associate director says Aggies United fought “bad speech with good speech.”
The Anti-Defamation League recently released its top-10 inspirational moments of 2016, and the Aggies United event placed first, among Orlando’s response to the Pulse nightclub shooting and the refugees who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. On Dec. 6 Richard Spencer, member of the “alt-right” movement, a national white supremacy group, spoke in the MSC, while a counter-program called Aggies United took place in Kyle Field attended by President Michael Young, Student Body President Hannah Wimberly, multiple celebrities, philanthropists and musical artists. Each ADL regional office submitted an inspirational moment for consideration, and a group of ADL professionals across the United States voted on the top 10. “We submitted [Aggies United] because it was pretty inspirational to see how students took the reigns and planned an answer to what was going on,” said ADL associate director Dena Marks. “One of the things ADL promotes is you fight bad speech with good speech, and that’s exactly what they did.” Wimberly said she was pleased to see the Aggies United event garner attention even a month after it occurred. “I think it’s really awesome that that speaker obviously got media attention but the beautiful, positive Aggies United event got just as much, if not more,” Wimberly said. “That really shows that people are committed to telling the world that Aggies are united, and we don’t stand for these kinds of things.” MSC President Brian O’Hara said the ADL’s an-
nouncement is not only recognition for current students who participated in the event, but also sets a precedent for future students. “For the Anti-Defamation League to say we did a good job in combating speech that is filled with hatred and bigotry was a great honor,” O’Hara said. “That’s definitely one thing that shows our commitment to our incoming students and the ones that are currently here that we are committed to finding what is right.” When students, faculty and community members first learned of Spencer coming to speak on campus, many demanded the university cancel the event. However, Young said the Aggies United event was the right response and is proud of its recognition. “I think more and more people came around to the idea that, ‘Yes, we really did have to let [the speech] proceed,’ but we responded in exactly the right way,” Young said. “I am so proud of our students, our faculty, our staff for joining together that way to let the whole world know the good for which we stand, for the inclusion, the togetherness, the love that reflects this university.” Young said Aggies United was a different, yet proper, response to Spencer’s rhetoric that upholds A&M’s traditions. “[Aggies United] represented, not a response that was simply saying that we stand for something other than what you stand for, but rather we were saying, ‘This is what we believe. This is who we are. This is what we stand for,’ in an affirmative way,” Young said. “I think doing the right thing, standing together for what is good and right is what Aggies in our 140-year history are doing.”
You deserve a factual look at . . .
U.S. Funds Palestinian Terrorism Tens of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are spent annually to pay salaries to Palestinian terrorists who murder innocent civilians in Israel.
To prop up the virtually bankrupt Palestinian Authority (P.A.), the U.S. sends Palestinians more than $400 million a year in aid. The P.A., however, spends some $140 million annually to reward jihadists and their families for murderous acts that kill innocent Americans and Israelis.
What are the facts?
In June 2016, 13-year-old Hallal Yaffa Ariel In the face of mounting criticism of such was stabbed to death in her bed by a Palestinian hypocrisy from Western nations, however, the terrorist who broke into her family’s home. In P.A. concocted a deceitful shell game, seeking March of this year, 28-year-old Taylor Force, a to hide its support of terror by changing what West Point graduate and two-tour U.S. army used to be termed “salaries” to “assistance” veteran from Texas, was killed as he strolled with and shifting distribution duties from the P.A. his wife in Jaffa by a knife-wielding Palestinian. to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Hailed as heroic which does not jihadist martyrs by the directly receive foreign Palestinian Authority, “You can’t be a partner in peace funding. So far, this both terrorists and their when you are paying people to sham seems to have families now receive satisfied some of the commit terrorist acts.” monthly stipends from gullible nations that Senator Lindsey Graham the P.A. support the Palestinian For more than 20 Authority. years, the Palestinian government has openly Time to End U.S. Funding of Terror. At last, used aid donations from the U.S. and other members of Congress are introducing legislation countries to motivate and reward terrorists. to prevent U.S. aid from supporting this culture Depending on the number of people murdered of jihadist terror. Senators Dan Coats, Roy in a terrorist attack, salaries range from $364 to Blunt and Lindsey Graham, for example, have $3,100 per month. Terrorists with families and introduced legislation to end financial aid to the who die in the act or are captured and sentenced Palestinian Authority until it stops incentivizing to 30 years or more receive the highest terrorism. Senator Graham has noted that “You allowances. These expenditures—a hefty $140 can’t be a partner in peace when you are paying million per year—make up an estimated 10% people to commit terrorist acts.” of the Palestinian Authority’s total budget. However, both the U.S. and Israel fear that In addition to financial incentives for cutting funding to the Palestinian Authority terror, jihadists also receive abundant moral could destabilize the Palestinian government, support from the Palestinian government. preferring a duplicitous P.A. to Hamas or Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has said, Islamic State. Lamentably, those familiar with “We welcome every drop of blood spilled in the corrupt P.A. know that expectations of Jerusalem. This is pure blood, clean blood . . . reforming it anytime soon are fantasy. With the help of Allah, every martyr will be in But surely funding a Palestinian terror heaven, and every wounded will get his reward.” program that kills Americans and Israelis U.S. Payments to the Palestinian Authority. cannot serve the long-term interests of the According to a Congressional Research Service United States or Israel. Cutting off aid to the report, the U.S. since the mid-1990s has P.A. is a move in the right direction, but it contributed more than $5 billion in security is inadequate, since it doesn’t address the assistance and bilateral economic aid to the Palestinian culture of Jew hatred and denial P.A., and American taxpayers’ current annual of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, commitment is now some $400 million. In fact, both of which beliefs make any notion of Palestinians are the world’s largest per-capita peace impossible. recipients of international aid. Unfortunately, the Palestinian government While a 2014 State Department report perpetuates in its media, mosques and praised the Palestinian Authority for making schools the myths that Jews have no rights to “terrorism financing a criminal offense,” the sovereignty in the Holy Land and that all nonP.A. still has laws on its books mandating Muslims, even innocent civilians, are laudable payments to terrorists and their families. targets for terrorist attacks. In order to achieve a secure and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, convicted terrorists or who those die while committing terrorism must not compensated by the Palestinian government for these crimes. It is a travesty that American taxpayer dollars subsidize this hateful practice, and Congress should move urgently to stop it.
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Application Workshops Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Koldus Building, Room144 5:00-6:00 pm Thursday, January 19, 2017 Koldus Building, Room 144 7:00-8:00 pm Monday, January 23, 2017 Koldus Building, Room 144 6:30-7:30 pm Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Koldus Building, Room 144 3:30-4:30 pm
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A&M nursing prof to serve on Forensic Science Commission Nancy Downing appointed by Greg Abbott, first service meeting Feb. 10 By Matthew Jacobs @MattJacobs3413 Nancy Downing, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing, was appointed at the end of November to serve on the Texas Forensics Science Commission by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The commission, first founded in 2005, is designed to protect forensic integrity in the state of Texas and ensure that all criminal forensic evidence used in a court of law is as scientifically up to date as possible, according to its website. Downing will serve to offer the perspective of the field of forensic nursing to the commission. Downing said the nine board members primarily conduct investigations of allegations of professional negligence or misconduct by the crime lab. “We maintain a reporting system to report these allegations,” Downing said. “We’re going to be starting a licensing program for forensic analysts, so people working in the crime labs in the state of Texas will have to undergo a licensure.” The commission always seeks the perspective of a Texas A&M professor in the field of forensics, Downing said. “The commission contains nine members, and there is always an appointee from Texas A&M,” Downing said. “The appointee from A&M is a forensic scientist, so somebody who understands the research behind forensic sci-
PROVIDED
Professor Nancy Downing, from the College of Nursing, was appointed to the Forensic Science Commission.
ence methods that are used to process and adjudicate pending allegations of crimes.” Dan Sheridan, a fellow professor at the A&M College of Nursing, said a forensic nurse has been needed on the forensic commission for some time. “I believe this is the first time there has ever
been a nurse scientist who has been appointed,” Sheridan said. “I think it’s wonderful and probably a little overdue. One of the things I love about Dr. Downing, and one of the reasons we brought her here, is her commitment to making sure that our forensic nursing practice is based on science … and not just on what we think works.” According to Downing, the field of forensic nursing combines aspects of health care and justice. “[Forensic nurses] take care of patients who have been victims of crimes,” Downing said. “They can act as investigators, or they can take care of patients who have been sexually assaulted, patients who are victims of intimate-partner or domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, elder abuse or neglect. Those sorts of interpersonal violence and physical assaults.” Sharon Wilkerson, dean of the College of Nursing, said Downing has done a lot of work with the college and in the field of nursing, and that her hard work will continue to have an impact. “She is developing courses for a certificate in forensic science and in our Master’s Degree in Nursing Forensics,” Wilkerson said. “And then she is on call, so if we have victims who come into the hospitals and need someone to come she is on call for that ... She is extremely busy, she is a hard worker and an extremely high-energy person. She is very personable, and responds to students and responds to other faculty.” Downing will begin her service on the commission this semester. The first commission meeting will be Feb. 10 in Austin.
“One of the things I love about Dr. Downing ... is her commitment to making sure our forensic nursing practice is based on science and not just what we think works.” Dan Sheridan, A&M nursing professor
Texas A&M defeats UT in Red Cross Home Fire Campaign 145 volunteers replace more than 200 smoke detectors in Bryan homes By Rachel Knight @Reknight18 After a head-to-head service battle between Texas A&M’s and the University of Texas’ American Red Cross Clubs, the Aggies emerged victorious. In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the American Red Cross Club of TAMU recruited 145 volunteers to install, repair and replace more than 200 smoke detectors in Bryan homes Jan. 14. The event was part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, and was a competition between Texas A&M and the University of Texas. The Texas A&M team installed,
replaced and repaired more smoke detectors than UT’s team. Jennifer Lim, president of the Red Cross Club at A&M, attributed the group’s success to the willingness of Texas A&M students to serve. “A&M students are known for their Aggie spirit,” Lim said. “They want to help the others, so it is just natural for A&M students to volunteer at events like these where you have the opportunity to help so many lives and actually make an impact in their lives.” Defeating UT is always celebrated by Aggies, but the real victory for American Red Cross Disaster Program Specialist Nate Kidwell was giving families a chance to escape their homes quickly during a fire by installing working fire alarms in older and more fireprone houses. “Once a fire starts they’ve got two minutes to get out of their house; it’s not like on
TV,” Kidwell said. “Once the fire actually hits, man, does it go fast and God, does it get hot. They are going to want to get out as fast as they can, but they need to get out in less than two minutes.” Volunteers were trained to properly place and install fire alarms so that residents could have quick notice of fires and more time to escape. Volunteers were also trained to educate families about how to prevent and escape home fires, as well as lead families to take further steps in making their homes safer in the event of a home fire. After the hour-long training, students broke into groups of three and went door to door in Bryan asking residents to allow them into their homes. Construction science senior Erik Kruz was among the Texas A&M students who volunteered. “I’ve been looking for an opportunity to
kind of get involved in the community, and I like helping out,” Kruz said. “I’ve always just had a sense that you should be a part of something bigger than you and just kind of get involved in stuff and have a servant-leader attitude.” According to Lim, The American Red Cross Club of TAMU does service events in the Bryan-College Station area throughout the year, and is glad to be a part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. “This particular event is important because just a working fire alarm can reduce the damages and casualties that the home fire does by half,” Lim said. “Most of the time around this neighborhood, the houses are old and the people don’t have enough money to install a fire alarm.”
classifieds
Place
an ad Phone 979.845.0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University
FOR RENT
When
to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day
FOR RENT
SPECIAL
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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.
HELP WANTED
3bd/3ba duplex, big backyard, close to campus, call 979-693-4900.
Less then a mile from campus, fully furnished, only $500/per room, call 979-693-4900.
Cleaning commercial buildings at night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031 for interview.
4Bed/2Bath House for rent, Pet Friendly, Updated, Close to Sorority Row, txt/call for more info 832-767-8777.
Luxury condo, close to campus, brand new, granite countertops, with wood floors, contact 979-693-4900.
Part-time job helping handicapped. Male student preferred. $360/mo. 10hrs/wk. 979-846-3376.
Affordable 1bd apartment, close to campus, on TAMU bus route, call 979-693-4900. Brand new 1bd/1ba, walking distance to campus, call 979-693-4900.
REAL ESTATE Team McGrann wants to LIST/SELL your property! 979-777-6211/979-739-2035, Town&Country Realty.
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HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $75-$150/hr, up to $500/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com
AGGIELAND PHOTOS!
Specialties Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M University’s 2017 Aggieland yearbook. ALL CLASSES: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Thursday in the Sanders Corp Museum Library Feb. 6th - 9th & Feb. 13th - 16th Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95.
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STUDENT LIFE As you might expect, the people involved in developing new medicines wear lots of different hats. What you might not expect is that one of those hats could be one like you might wear. The professionals at PPD have been working with healthy volunteers— people like you— for more than thirty years. You can be compensated when you participate in a medically supervised research study to help
evaluate a new investigational medication at PPD. So when you volunteer to help create new medications at PPD, everyone wins. Learn how you can benefit while helping improve life for all of us by volunteering at PPD. Go online or give us a call today for more information. You’ll find studies to fit most any schedule listed here weekly.
As As As As you you you you might might might might expect, expect, expect, expect, the the the the people people people people evaluate evaluate evaluate evaluate a anew aanew new new investigational investigational investigational investigational medication medication medication medication atat at PPD. atPPD. PPD. PPD. So So So So when when when when you you you you involved involved involved involved inin in developing indeveloping developing developing new new new new You must meet certain requirements to qualify, including a free exam andnew screening volunteer volunteer volunteer volunteer tomedical to to help tohelp help help create create create create new new new tests. medicines medicines medicines medicines wear wear wear wear lots lots lots lots ofof of different ofdifferent different different medications medications medications medications atat at PPD, atPPD, PPD, PPD, everyone everyone everyone everyone wins. wins. wins. wins. hats. hats. hats. hats. What What What What you you you you might might might might not not not not expect expect expect expect AGE COMPENSATION REQUIREMENTS TIMELINE isis is that isthat that that one one one one ofof of those ofthose those those hats hats hats hats could could could could Learn Learn Learn Learn how how how how you you you you can can can can benefit benefit benefit benefit be be be be one one one one like like like like you you you you might might might might wear. wear. wear. wear. The The The The while while while while helping helping helping helping improve improve improve improve life life life life for for for for professionals professionals professionals professionals atat at PPD atPPD PPD PPD have have have have been been been been allall all of allof of us ofus us by usby by by volunteering volunteering volunteering volunteering atat at PPD. atPPD. PPD. PPD. working working working working with with with with healthy healthy healthy healthy volunteers— volunteers— volunteers— volunteers— Go Go Go Go online online online online oror or give orgive give give usus us a usacall aacall call call today today today today for for for for more more more more information. information. information. information. You’ll You’ll You’ll You’ll find find find find people people people people like like like like you— you— you— you— for for for for more more more more than than than than studies studies studies studies toto to fit tofit fit most fitmost most most any any any any schedule schedule schedule schedule thirty thirty thirty thirty years. years. years. years. listed listed listed listed here here here here weekly. weekly. weekly. weekly. You You You You can can can can be be be be compensated compensated compensated compensated when when when when
CURRENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
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you you you you participate participate participate participate inin in ainamedically aamedically medically medically supervised supervised supervised supervised research research research research study study study study toto to help tohelp help help
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CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES You You You You must must must must meet meet meet meet certain certain certain certain requirements requirements requirements requirements toto to qualify, to qualify, qualify, qualify, including including including including a free aafree afree free medical medical medical medical exam exam exam exam and and and and screening screening screening screening tests. tests. tests. tests.
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