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march 26, 2012
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women’s basketball
A&M squanders lead in Sweet 16 Terrapin comeback ends season for defending champs Mark Dore
The Battalion The third-seeded Aggies led for 35 of 40 minutes against the favored secondseeded Maryland Terrapins, leading by as much as 18 in the first half and 12 in the second. But the Aggies would find the beginning of a half may not be as important as the end, as the Terrapins closed the first half on a 21-6 run and the second on a 24-6 streak to deny the defending
champions their second Elite 8 appearance in as many seasons, 81-74. The Aggies (24-11) managed just one field goal over the last eight minutes of play and surrendered turnovers in key moments to allow the Terrapins (31-4) to seize the lead. A&M head coach Gary Blair said the Aggies had Maryland “on the ropes,” but couldn’t put them away. “I thought we could [have knocked them out],” Blair said. “But we got in foul trouble and lost our consistency and press. We had a team on the ropes and didn’t put it away. We’re too good of a team to let that happen, but a lot of it was turn-
overs and missing the wide-open shots.” A&M had a chance at the win in the waning moments. Freshman forward Alexia Standish led five Aggies in double figures with 19 points, but committed costly turnovers down the stretch and missed an open three-pointer in the final minutes. Standish said it is her job to protect the ball but she will learn from her mistakes. “There was a lot of careless turnovers and a lot of that was my fault because, as a point guard, it’s my job to take care of ASSOCIATED PRESS the ball,” Standish said. “But, like Coach Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas, right, and A&M’s Tyra White struggle for a loose ball during the NCAA tournament See Eliminated on page 4 regional semifinal game Sunday in Raleigh, N.C.
campus news
I-Week begins Monday marks the beginning of the 2012 I-Week, hosted by the International Student Association, which will last until Friday. Events include I-Parade, I-Movie, I-Exhibit, and others. Information about events, locations and times can be found at http://isa-aggies. tamu.edu.
nation & world Pope pays visit to Mexico SILAO, Mexico — Pope Benedict XVI urged Mexicans to wield their faith against drug violence, poverty and other ills, celebrating Sunday Mass before a sea of hushed worshippers beneath a blazing sun in the highlight of his Mexican visit. Associated Press
inside photos | 3 A look at The Big Event Almost 18,000 students participated in The Big Event on Saturday. See page 3 for photos from the event.
Photos by Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
Students throw “gulal,” a perfumed color powder, on each other during Holi, an Indian celebration of the arrival of spring at Simpson Drill Field
Spring colors Students turn Simpson Drill Field into vibrant canvas for Hindu holiday John Tee
The Battalion The sun shines brilliantly on a perfectly clear Sunday afternoon and a crowd of students, most of whom wear white, have gathered on Simpson Drill Field for what appears to be a paint party to the casual observer. The students run around, throwing colored powder at each other and dancing as music breaks the campus’ weekend quiet. However, this is no ordinary party. It is Holi, an important religious festival celebrated by Hindus all over the world. Holi signifies the coming of spring, or on a deeper level, the triumph of good over evil. The festival also celebrates good harvests and fortune, which come with spring. “Holi is known as the festival of colors in India,” said Deepika Ram, junior biomedical sciences major and the president of the Hindu Students Association. “It celebrates the beginning of spring and good fortune.”
During the celebration, participants playfully throw colored powder on each other. The use of this powder sets Holi apart from other religious festivals. Each color symbolizes a different human quality. For example, red symbolizes passion while blue symbolizes peace. “We throw color powder on everyone,” said Varun Modi, junior psychology major. “We wear white. By the end of the day, the shirts are so colorful that we can’t even tell they were white.” While the colored powder symbolizes different qualities, it also has a positive effect on the body’s health. Scientists believe that abir, a dye-component of the powder, improves overall health. The timing of Holi also coincides with the end of winter, a period during which people are vulnerable to disease due to poor weather. It adds to the overall feeling of triumph that Holi brings for Hindus worldwide. See Holi on page 6
Throwing gulal is customary during Holi. Vibrant colors fill the air to welcome the arrival of spring.
campus
Students pursue ambitions with intern royalty Amber Jaura The Battalion
College students looking for opportunities to test drive their careers have turned toward internships, gaining experience and starting to pursue their ambitions. Few students or graduates know internships as COURTESY PHOTO well as Lauren Berger, veteran of 15 internships durLauren Berger, CEO of InternQueen.com, ing her college career, who is now the CEO of InternQueen.com, an online database where students has helped more than 80,000 students, can register for free and apply for internships in dif- parents and employers find internships. ferent industries. She founded the company in 2009 and now works with 1,000 employers worldwide to time to get a job.” Berger now reaches more than 80,000 students, connect students with their dream internships. parents, and employers through the site. The com“At each internship I had the chance to listen, pany specializes in internships in PR, marketing and learn, and observe how the real-world works. The entertainment. Berger said Aggies have turned to her internships opened my eyes and helped me envision my future. I would constantly ask myself, ‘Is this how service to find opportunities, access to the website’s I want to spend my time post-college?’” Berger said. blog for tips and visit employers of interest through “I want today’s college students to have the same experiences, to think about their future before it’s See Queen on page 4
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Invisible Children brings Kony 2012 push to A&M Joanna Raines
The Battalion When Adong Vicky grew up in Uganda, she lived among the horrors caused by political strife and warlord Joseph Kony, head of the Uganda guerilla group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army. She lived in constant poverty, was unable to attend school and said she often went to sleep hungry because of lack of food. She lived in danger of being abducted and sold as a child slave for years. “All my life I lived in fear,” Vicky said. “Every time you go to bed you feel like you might not make it…they might kill you.” She now enjoys a safer life after receiving an education and support from the advocacy group Invisible Children, which seeks to end the use of child soldiers in Africa and restore their communities to peace.
“I am grateful that through Invisible Children’s scholarship program you are supporting and shaping the lives of so many young people like me,” Vicky said. Vicky’s testimony was a part of a Texas A&M Invisible Children screening meant to showcase the much-talked-about Kony 2012 movement. The event began with a viewing of the Kony 2012 video that went viral online — with more than 85 million views on YouTube — and followed with Vicky’s story. “This can’t be ignored, and I’m certainly going to do what I can to put a stop to it. I love this organization, and the one thing it has shown me is who am I to not help stop a war,” said Alex Schlebach, Texas A&M Invisible Children president and senior political science major. See Kony on page 6
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