thebattalion
news for you campus
● tuesday,
june 14, 2011
Beard Honda finalist
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Beard
Aggie sprinter Jessica Beard has been nominated for the 20102011 Honda Sports Award to determine the top woman collegiate athlete in track and field. Beard becomes the first-ever Aggie nominee in the track and field category and would be one of only three winners in school history if chosen.
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local Man robs Pepe’s at gunpoint Bryan police are looking for a suspect connected in the robbery of Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant at 10:30 p.m. Sunday on South College Avenue. The suspect confronted three night clerks, fired two shots in the air outside and left the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. Described as a hispanic male in his early 20s, the suspect was wearing a mask and all dark clothing. No one was injured. If you have any information, call the Bryan police at 979-209-5300. Jared Baxter, staff writer
texas Governor reviews law Texas is close to enacting a law that would provide teachers with detailed information about the criminal histories of their students. The legislation, is adding to a national debate over whether teacher safety should outweigh the rights of young offenders, who traditionally have moved through the juvenile justice system with their privacy protected. A spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry said the governor is reviewing the measure before deciding whether to sign it. Associated Press
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Associated Press
Texas A&M’s players pile up and celebrate their 11-2 Super Regional victory against Florida State Monday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
Aggies win trip to college world series Sean Lester The Battalion For the first time since 1999, and the fifth time in school history, the Texas A&M Aggies are going to the College World Series, following a 11-2 defeat of the Florida State Seminoles Monday to end the Tallahassee Super Regional. The Aggies sent sophomore Michael Wacha to the mound in hopes of advancing to the World Series in Omaha, Neb. After Wacha opened the game without allowing a run in the first inning, the Texas A&M offense erupted. The Aggies loaded the bases as the first three batters reached safely. Junior Jacob House walked to put the Aggies up 1-0. With no outs and the bases still loaded Florida State was forced to pull starting pitcher Hunter Scantling out of
the game after facing just four batters. Senior Kevin Gonzalez, the lone Aggie with College World Series experience, would hit a two RBI double to put A&M on top 3-0 and the inning would not end until the Aggies had batted around and taken a 6-0 lead. From that moment on it was all Wacha, all the time. He would pitch seven and a third innings for the Aggies allowing lone runs in the third and sixth inning, ending any hopes of a Seminole comeback. The Aggies would add two insurance runs in the second inning for Wacha who finished with eight strikeouts, pitching the Aggies all the way to Nebraska. After two more insurance runs to make the game 11-2 in the seventh inning, A&M would hit cruise control simply trying not to give up such a large lead. It was just a matter
Next step ◗ The Aggies will play fourth seeded and defending national champion South Carolina in the opening round of the College World Series June 19 at 6 p.m. at Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Park. The opener will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Associated Press
Junior Adam Smith drives this pitch out of the park for a home run against Florida State in Monday night’s Super Regional.
Super Regional-coaster: starts high, drops low, ends with ticket to Omaha ◗ A&M upset Florida State in Saturday’s game 1 of the Super Regional 6-2 and overcame Seminoles ace pitcher Sean Gilmartin (12-1, 1.83 ERA).
◗ Game 2 shifted to an offensive showcase by Florida State, as the Aggies surrendered 23 runs and allowed 12 walks in a rout.
◗ In a complete turnaround from Sunday night, the Aggies drove in 11 runs, while the Seminoles could muster only 4 hits and 2 runs.
campus
Howdy tradition lives on Learn more traditions ◗ For more information on howdy and other Aggie traditions visit aggietraditions. tamu.edu.
O’Dell Harmon The Battalion Howdy is one word people will hear a lot in Aggieland. Texas A&M has many proud traditions that continue on from generation to generation from the old time century tree to younger ones like pond hopping, but only one is the signature greeting of the Aggies. Howdy. Students and faculty alike use howdy to simply say hi or an attention getter to quiet down a room. This tradition has made us what most consider a very welcoming place. “I think howdy is what makes A&M one of the friendliest campuses in the world and it is part of our spirit,” Senior Taryn Tipton, chair of traditions council, said. The origin of howdy is a mystery because no one knows offi-
cially when and how it began. “We have been in Cushing library gathering all these papers but there is nothing that says how howdy officially got started,” Tipton said. “In 1951 it was written in the Battalion that howdy is something that Aggies pride as part of their spirit, so its been around for a long time. It is said that since A&M was a school that was full of country boys and farmers howdy kind of started from that and there is no official date or time from when that started.” Since at least 1951 howdy has distinguished Texas A&M from other universities in the world and given students a way to tell when they are among friends. “I say howdy more in emails or online, it gives people an idea where I’m from.” Junior Katlyn
Aggies pass torch
Jay Kapadia — THE BATTALION
Bryan High School Vice Principal Ruth Waller, Texas A&M women’s basketball head coach Gary Blair and President of Brazos Valley Senior Games Doug Tremaine were among participants in the opening leg of the Reliant Energy Torch Relay for the 2011 Senior Games Monday at Reed Arena.
See Howdy on page 4
6/13/11 11:58 PM