Q:
thebattalionasks
What is your reaction to the new law passed in New York allowing gay marriage?
“I believe that the New York passage of same-sex marriage sets a standard for other states.”
campus Near death at Rec A student was hospitalized after almost drowning at the Student Recreational Center. Around 9 a.m. Tuesday, lifeguards at the natatorium saw the male student having problems and called the paramedics after rescuing him from the pool. The student was taken to the College Station Medical Center for treatment. The Rec Center had no comment on the event.
Payal Sandhane , sophomore technology management major
Ashley Nicholas, sophomore business administration major
Danielle Pool , senior sociology major
news for you
“Legalizing it shows that America is one step closer to equality.”
“They have just as much right to be married as heterosexual couples.”
thebattalion Graduate quota ● wednesday,
june 29, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
O’Dell Harmon Jr., Staff Writer
lowest gas price
$3.39 603 Harvey Road & Stallings Drive www.texasgasprices.com
nation &world Kabul bombing KABUL, Afghanistan — Two NATO helicopters fired rockets that killed three gunmen on the rooftop of a besieged Kabul hotel early Wednesday after Afghan police battled insurgents who attacked with suicide bombers, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.The NATO attack appeared to have ended the standoff that lasted more than four hours. The number of casualties was not immediately clear.
Google social media NEW YORK — Online search leader Google Inc. is taking yet another stab at social networking, as it tries to go up against Facebook in this wildly popular and lucrative segment of the Internet. This time the project is called Google+ and it aims to make online sharing more like real life. “We think people communicate in very rich ways,” said Vic Gundotra, senior vice president of engineering at Google. “The online tools have to choose from give us very rigid services.” Associated Press
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Osa Okundaye — THE BATTALION
State funding changes focus less on enrollment Gayle Gabriel The Battalion Enrolling for classes is no longer enough. This Congressional term, marked by budget cuts and fund reallocation, has yet again set its sights on higher education. During the regular session, which ended May 30, the 82nd Texas Legislature discussed a switch to an outcome-based higher education funding alternative that would change certain requirements for state colleges and universities to receive government funding. Current funding practices specify that colleges and universities merely maintain a certain level of student enrollment to receive funding. However disparities between the growing state population and enrollment in institutions of higher education have been increasingly evident.
“I think that if you look at the effort that has been underway for several years now, one of the big concerns is ‘how are we going to make sure the people of Texas can get a college degree?’ The Texas Educational Coordinating Board data states that we’re on track in terms of accessibility, and I’m not talking just about Texas A&M, I’m talking about all the universities in Texas,” said Karen Watson, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “We’ve grown in enrollment like they’ve hoped we would. As the state grows in population, we need to grow in enrollment and having not been as successful as some states in what percentage of our young people are going to college, we need to do a better job of that.” This plan is intended to come to fruition by 2015 as a part of, “Closing the Gaps,” a statewide plan initiated in 1999 that aims to improve higher education participation
and funded research and maintain a high caliber of education. The plan snagged itself on which model would benefit the state in terms of increasing state-wide enrollment and graduates, yet not hurt universities that have a history of steady graduate output. “Now as they look at the data, which is true in the state and true across the country, one of the concerns is even though there is a much higher number of students going to school now, either at community college or the 4-year college level or beyond, they’re not very happy with the growth of graduates,” Watson said. “If you take the University of Texas and Texas A&M out of the data then what you find is that for all of the universities and colleges in Texas, less than half of those students end up with a degree. So that kind of data suggests that we don’t
What’s next ◗ The Coordinating Board has until the next Congressional session to determine which funding model will be of the most benefit. The final version of the bill will then pass through the 83rd legislature for a vote.
See Funding on page 2
tradition
bryan-college station
Shout out to Midnight Yell
Remembering local war heroes Connie Thompson
Midnight Yell started as a regular yell practice in 1913 when different units in the Corps came together to learn the old time cheers. In 1931 there was a change when a group of cadets suggested that freshmen should meet on the steps of the YMCA building at midnight before the University of Texas game. They notified senior yell leaders, who could not authorize it, but said that they might show up. Word spread around campus and at midnight the majority of the school meet and the modern version of Midnight Yell was started. The tradition has stayed strong since then and has changed with the times. Today peo-
The Battalion Texas A&M’s military history is a staple that has represented the University for generations. Many Aggies have fought and lost their lives to protect their country. To remember those who have represented our country in war, the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board is accepting veterans’ names through August 15 for placement on the Wall of Honor. Anne Boykin, the chief infromation officer for the event, said that the mission of the Memorial for all Veterans of the Brazos Valley, Inc., is to take a pro-active role in honoring veterans who have served in the uniformed services of the United States. The Wall of Honor includes approximately 4,000 names of veterans. The Memorial Board asks for a $100 donation for every submitted name to help offset the costs of the memorial. The veteran does not have to be an Aggie to be placed on the wall. Boykin said that one of the reasons the memorial was established was to remember the many veterans who had attended A&M
See Yell on page 4
See Memorial on page 4
O’Dell Harmon Jr. The Battalion Midnight Yell is the late-night tradition of Aggieland, a tradition that has brought Aggies together for decades to get excited for the next big game. The longstanding tradition takes place the night before a home game in Kyle Field and at the Grove on Thursday nights before away games to get the team and the student body rallied together. “The chants and the roars of 20,000 people that makes your hair rise and gives you goose bumps, the stories that rile people for the upcoming game always brings a smile to me,” Said Michael Rodriguez, a senior industrial engineering major. “The spirit that flows through the crowd is the pulse of Aggieland.”
File Photo
Aggies at Midnight Yell “mugging down” with their dates.
Visit ◗ For more information about the Memorial for all Veterans of the Brazos Valley, Inc. and the Lynn Stuart Pathway, please contact Anne Boykin, Chief Information Officer, at 979.764.3491
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