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thebattalion ! tuesday,

may 1, 2012

! serving

texas a&m since 1893

Silver Taps for Garbarino, Kaitson Tuesday night Emily Davis

The Battalion As the year comes to a close and students begin to celebrate the end of another semester, a moment will be taken to remember two Aggies, Nick Garbarino and Michael Kaitson, at the last Silver Taps of the academic year. The Silver Taps ceremony that was scheduled for April 3 will be held Garbarino Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. in Academic Plaza. The ceremony in April was cancelled due to dangerous weather conditions. Taryn Tipton, chair

of Traditions Council, said both the Garbarino and Kaitson families will be in attendance at Tuesday’s Silver Taps ceremony. “The families of those Aggies who are being honored at Silver Taps were given a few dates to choose from and ultimately they decided that May 1 worked best for both families to come back to College Station,” Tipton said. “The families were very understanding Kaitson about the postponing of Silver Taps. Like everyone else, they were also concerned about students’ safety.” Nick Garbarino, senior mechanical engineering

major, died on January 26 after battling cancer. One and a half years prior, he married Andi Garbarino. She remembers her husband as an intelligent and caring person. “It didn’t matter if you weren’t even half as intelligent as him, you still felt like you were important and could totally be yourself around him,” Andi said. “He was the most wonderful husband a girl could ask for — he took good care of me and loved me well.” Richard Garbarino, Nick’s father, encountered many of Nick’s friends during his struggle with cancer and at his funeral. See Silver Taps on page 9

Silver Taps #"Silver Taps begins

at 10:30 p.m. in Academic Plaza #"Students are asked to gather silently in the plaza, muting electronic devices #"Campus lights will be darkened beginning at 10:15 p.m."

EDITORIAL

higher education

Senate should rectify mistake, confirm Zelaya

Lawsuit against UT could reshape affirmative action Robby Smith

The Battalion A white female will bring the issue of affirmative action policy in college admissions before the U.S. Supreme Court after a nine-year hiatus, her accusations aimed at the University of Texas. The nation’s highest court will hear oral arguments this fall in the case Fisher v. University of Texas. Attorneys affiliated with conservative activist groups will argue on behalf of Abigail Fisher, who was denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. “The case really is asking: ‘Is treating others differently based on race a violation of the Equal Protection Clause?’” said McKinzie Craig, political science doctoral candidate. The Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law to any person. Critics of affirmative action argue that preferential policies based on race do not offer the same protection to individuals who are not minorities as to those who are, referred to as “benign discrimination.” The last time the Supreme Court addressed the issue was in 2003, when justices struck down a pointbased admissions system incorporating race at the See Affirmative Action on page 2

Virtually every member of the Student Senate agreed Wednesday that curriculum and instruction graduate student Jose Zelaya was qualified to be Student Government vice president of diversity. Senators recognized Zelaya’s passion for representing marginalized and minority populations on campus, even applauding his commitment to the betterment of Texas A&M. But Senate blocked Zelaya’s confirmation — not because of his qualifications or vision for the role, but because of his immigration status. If Senate were to confirm an illegal immigrant for a leadership position, one student senator said, “I have no doubt he will do a great job. But it looks bad on this University.” This sentiment was echoed by others who later voted against Zelaya, blocking his confirmation by four votes. With this single act, the Student Senate demonstrated it is more concerned with the University’s public image than the well being of the students it purports to represent. Zelaya is not asking for Senate to

take sides in a polarized immigration debate. He’s only asking for the opportunity to serve the student body through SGA. Senators would be foolish to deny this Zelaya request a second time when they revisit his nomination in a meeting Tuesday night. During the past several years, Zelaya took it upon himself to unify marginalized and minority campus groups, leading Latino students and working hand-in-hand with the Muslim Student Association, GLBT Aggies and black student organizations to increase campus appreciation of diversity. He didn’t wait for a job title or SGA approval, but identified a need in the

A&M community and acted. Zelaya has reached out to students whose political, religious and cultural backgrounds differ dramatically from his own, dispelling fears that he will only champion the causes that national media outlets have prescribed to Zelaya, namely the DREAM Act. But senators ignored Zelaya’s body of work. We have no doubt that Zelaya will serve the cause of diversity at A&M whether or not he is confirmed Tuesday, because that is the kind of Aggie he is. On Wednesday, senators voted against their organization’s best candidate to reach minority groups. Tuesday night, they can rectify this mistake.

EDITORIALBOARD The Battalion’s editorial opinion is determined by its Board of Opinion, with the editor in chief having final responsibility. Robert Carpenter Editor in Chief senior applied math major

Naila Dhanani Opinion Editor junior biomedical sciences major

Michael Rodriguez opinion columnist senior industrial engineering major

Coming out GLBT students struggle with sexual and gender identity during college By Jennifer DuBose & Joanna Raines The Battalion

College can be a time of self-discovery and actualization. Students mature – challenging or validating their beliefs and upbringings as independence transforms adolescents into adults. But for students in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, adding “coming out” to the equation can make the college experience frightening and tumultuous. “It’s not my job to tell them they’re gay. Students already know when they come to me,” said Mary Ann Covey, associate director of Student Counseling Services and founder of Aggie Allies. “It’s my job to help them be comfortable with themselves.” Many GLBT students find it difficult to be comfortable with who they are while the possibility of family being disgusted or outraged constantly hangs overhead. As a result, some do not come out to family members at all – choosing instead to hide their identity from the ones they love. “That’s a type of imprisonment, psychological imprisonment.” said Ty Allison, a gay man who holds a graduate degree from the NYU Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program. “Imagine... you’re keeping a secret from the DNA of which you were created. It’s difficult – I could not imagine it.” Ahmed, an A&M student who asked to have his name withheld, has yet to tell his family that he is gay. Raised in India under strict Jesuit schooling by Muslim parents, he believes his family would disown him if they found out. Ahmed holds onto the hope that they would be See GLBT on page 5

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