thebattalion l wednesday,
october 23, 2013
l serving
texas a&m since 1893
l first paper free – additional copies $1 l © 2013 student media
crime
Mike Evans, sophomore wide receiver, talks to media Tuesday in the Bright Complex. Evans had 11 receptions for four touchdowns in Saturday’s game against Auburn.
Courtesy
The University Police Department needs help identifying this woman, who is a suspect in a credit-card theft case.
Suspect wanted in wallet theft University Police Dept. reaches out for student help, talks prevention tactics Lindsey Gawlick The Battalion
Jonathan Sheen — THE BATTALION
Defensive recovery A&M players express team confidence
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he Texas A&M University Police Department is searching for information on the theft of a wallet on Oct. 6 from the Student Recreation Center. UPD Detective Craig Dudley said the main suspect used the wallet contents to purchase about $1,000 in VISA gift cards from two local pharmacies before disappearing. The suspect is a white female with long hair who is believed to be a Texas A&M student. At the time of gift card purchases, the suspect was wearing a pink hoodie, blue jeans and a Hurley hat. Dudley said the victim’s wallet was taken sometime between 10 and 10:30 p.m. It is unclear if the suspect was acting alone or with assistance. Dudley said the theft took place when the victim left his things unattended next to the Rec center’s indoor pool. “On the sixth [of October] the victim was at the Rec center,” Dudley said. “He went into the indoor pool area around 10 p.m. At 10:30 p.m. he realizes that somebody has taken his wallet. Now, he set his wallet See Theft on page 6
James Sullivan
The Battalion ollowing Saturday’s 45-41 home upset at the hands of Southeastern Conference opponent and No. 11 Auburn, the value of Texas A&M’s defense has come into question after defensive coordinator Mark Snyder’s postgame comment: “When you score 41 points, you should win. Period. End of story.” At the Aggies’ weekly press conference on Tuesday, A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said the team had rediscovered its identity following Saturday’s loss and would build on it moving forward. “One more point than the oppo-
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nent should be enough to win the game, regardless of the situation,” Sumlin said. “We know where we are as a team. Our offense understands that. Our team understands that. Our job is to win or lose as a football team. If you’re deficient in one area, you understand that as a coach and try to get that area better. Your goal is to win the game, no matter what. If we were deficient on offense, then it would be our defense’s job to allow one point less than we can score.” The A&M defense forced one turnover against Auburn and allowed 45 points off 615 total yards, the second highest point total and the highest
We know where we are as a team. Our offense understands that. Our team understands that. Our job is to win or lose as a football team.”
See Presser on page 4
— Kevin Sumlin, A&M head football coach
psychology study
entertainment
Chili peppers heat up neuroscience research
Former student, prof to speak at book fest
A&M researchers use capsaicin to study pain
Texas Book Festival in Austin showcases cultural literature
Homer Segovia The Battalion
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bite of a jalepeño or habanero pepper can sometimes prove too hot to handle. These peppers may represent frantic gulps of water and burning tears to some people, but to a neuroscience lab at Texas A&M, they can offer key insight into the neurological processes associated with pain. Led by psychology professor Mary Meagher, a team of undergraduate and graduate students are examining the way people process pain, paying close attention to both the perception and physiological responses of pain. To better understand these concepts, the lab applies capsaicin, or chili pepper extract, on the forearms of participants to induce pain. Capsaicin provides a way to study chronic pain without causing lasting injuries or any tissue damage. “In order to understand the mechanisms a—
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that influence pain in healthy and pathological pain situations, we need to have laboratory studies,” Meagher said. “The reason we use the capsaicin model is it is a model that mimics many of the features and mechanisms that are engaged when somebody has what’s called chronic or pathological pain, but luckily it’s just short term.” With this study, Meagher’s lab intends to provide a greater understanding of the neurological processes associated with pain. “If you can understand the mechanisms, both psychological and physiological, that are involved in determining how the ascending pain transmission gets amplified or what factors contribute to its inhibition, then we’ll understand various targets that we can go after pharmacologically and psychologically,” Meagher said. Sophomore health major, Brittany Phelps, participated in one of the capsaicin experiments. Phelps said she was asked if she was allergic to chili peppers or felt pain easily. “Both of those questions have the answer of ‘No,’ but I was like, ‘Why do you need to know if I feel pain easily, and what are you going to be doing with chili peppers?’” Phelps said. “It was a little nerve-wracking at first, because I really didn’t know what to expect, but it really wasn’t too bad. I felt a tingling sensation, but it wasn’t too painful.” Senior university studies major, Carli Domenico, led one of these capsaicin studies and said the research experience provided her with unique rewards as an undergraduate student. “Undergraduate research is crucial across all fields of study because it provides for academic and personal development that nothing else on campus can offer,” Domenico said. “It teaches you to think and read critically and it exposes you to many more backgrounds than you would ever expect.”
Lauren Simcic
The Battalion ggies will be among the bookworms, publishers and authors flocking to Austin this weekend for the Texas Book Festival. This annual celebration of literature will be held Saturday and Sunday in and around the Texas capital. David K. Langford, Class of 1963, and Jerome Loving, Texas A&M English professor, will be speakers at the festival. Loving said his book, “Mark Twain in the Shadow of the Civil War,” addresses Twain’s progressive attitudes toward war and racism. He will sign books and speak alongside biographer Linda Lovell in a presentation titled “Biographers and Biographies.” Langford is the grandson of Ernest Langford, the namesake of the Texas A&M Langford Architecture Center. He served as vice president of the Texas Wildlife Association and as a general expert in the field of water allocation issues, said Holli Koster, publicity and advertising manager for Texas A&M University Press. Langford’s book, “Hillingdon Ranch: Four Seasons, Six Generations,” was published through Texas A&M University Press as part of its Conservation Leadership series. At the Texas Book Festival, he will lead a panel about the book with co-author Lorie Woodward Cantu. “‘Hillingdon Ranch’ chronicles how one family has worked together over many years to keep their ranch intact and to build a cattle, sheep and goat business that has become a mod-
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The best part of being the artist for the festival and receiving those prizes was being able in some small part to repay Texas A&M for taking a chance on me.” — Margie Crisp, poster artist for 2012 Texas Book Festival and University of Texas alumna
el of stewardship and sustainability,” Koster said. Texas A&M Press is partnering with members of the Texas Book Consortium to bring more to the table at this year’s festival by setting up a large tent, Koster said. “Press authors stop in throughout the weekend to sit and greet festival-goers and to sign copies of their books,” she said. Randal Ford, Class of 2004 and former photographer at The Battalion, is the official poster artist for this year’s festival. Each year’s poster artist gains a following and spends time signing posters at the festival, said Margie Crisp, poster artist for the 2012 festival. “There is always a group looking forward to finding out this year’s artist,” she said. Crisp was a featured author at last year’s festival for her photography and writing in “River of Contrasts: The Texas Colorado,” also published by Texas A&M Press. Her book has received the 2012 Ron Tyler Award for Best Illustrated Book on Texas History and Culture and the Texas Institute of Letters See Book fest on page 6
10/22/13 11:44 PM