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nation &world South Sudan founded
● monday,
JUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan celebrated its first day as an independent nation Saturday, raising its flag before tens of thousands of cheering citizens elated to reach the end of a 50-year struggle. U.S. President Barack Obama called the day a new dawn after the darkness of war, while visiting dignitaries offered both congratulations and prodding for South Sudan and its former ruler, Sudan, to avoid a return to conflict over serious and unresolved disagreements.
july 11, 2011
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Music with motive Musicians put on benefit concert for friend harmed by wildfires Natalee Blanchat The Battalion Local musicians came out to support one of their own during a fundraiser Sunday at the Hilton Hotel to benefit a victim of the Grimes County fire. The Occasional String Band, John Wick and the Full House Blues Band, Cynthia Williams and Francisco Farias, Midnight Express, Leannasaurus Rex, Kelsey Taylor, WE B3 and a New Oreleans tribute by the Greg Tivis Dixie Band Jazz Ensemble performed to help raise money for Richard Kent. All of the proceeds went to helping Kent find a home and recover from the fire which claimed approximately 30 homes and over 5, 000 acres. Greg Tivis, the facilitator of the fundraiser, is a local musician and entertainer in Brazos County and runs a jazz session — New Orleans style — on the first Sunday of every month at Downtown Uncorked. He explained the purpose of the fundraiser was to help out Kent who plays clarinet and saxophone during jam sessions. “Many times we’ve seen the community come together to help out the Grimes County wildfire victims and help out the tornado victims in Joplin and the Hurricane Katrina victims when they first came here,” Tivis said. “Richard came here as a Katrina refugee and now he’s lost everything again to the fire out in Navasota; he’s had a double whammy of bad luck.” Tivis recalls the first time he met Kent while he was managing a local record store. “I met Richard in a music store and heard him trying out some reeds for a saxophone and knew he wasn’t from around here because I recognized right away that he was a professional player,” Tivis said. Before Katrina, Kent had been a professional musician in New Orleans for 20 years. He was a graduate of the University of North Texas back in the 1975, and was recorded on a Grammy nominated album with the Texas State Jazz Band. “He wasn’t a property owner in Na-
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Shuttle’s last launch CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — As the miles melted between Atlantis and the International Space Station, the emotions grew — in orbit and on the ground. At Mission Control on Sunday, lead flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho declared “this is it” as he gave the OK for the final docking in space shuttle history. Flashbacks to the shuttle’s very first space station docking — with Russia’s Mir in 1995 — flooded his mind as viewed the shuttle on the screens. He was a NASA trainee back then.
texas Public mourns for fan BROWNWOOD, — Relatives, friends and fellow firefighters are among the hundreds of mourners at a public visitation for the 39-year-old Texas Rangers fan who fell to his death trying to catch a ball thrown by his son’s favorite player. Shannon Stone died Thursday after dropping head-first about 20 feet from the seats at Rangers Ballpark. Josh Hamilton tossed a ball his way and Stone wanted to grab it for his 6-year-old son, Cooper. The public visitation was Sunday night and a funeral service is scheduled for Monday. Associated Press
See Benefit on page 3 Jay Kapadia— THE BATTALION
Richard Kent, displaced by the Grimes County wildfires, plays the saxophone with Midnight Express in a benefit concert performed by local musicians.
sports
Swimming coach makes a splash Sean Lester The Battalion The Texas A&M Women’s Swimming and Diving team added another winning member to the program that has won three Big 12 team titles in the last five years. Last week the Aggies added Tanica Jamison, former University of Pittsburgh assistant to the coaching staff as the team’s new assistant coach. “It’s an honor and a privilege to work with a great swimming and diving program like Texas A&M,” Jamison said. “They are driven competitors and they have a championship mindset. I’m very excited about getting the opportunity to coach with and learn from [Head Coach] Steve Bultman, and hopefully I can help the Aggies continue to build their program.” Jamison is a 2003 graduate of the
Jamison
Team leader ◗ As the 2011 head coach of the National Diversity Select Camp, Jamison works to inspire ethnically under-represented populations to become leaders in swimming.
Osa Okundaye — THE BATTALION
Whether it be football, basketball, baseball or any sport out there, the longstanding rivalry between Texas A&M and The University of Texas never fails to cause a stir among fans. In the modern age of Facebook and Twitter, the competition extends beyond the playing field and onto the Internet. Aggies can show their pride on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/tamu where U.T. has a 307,813281,017 lead in “likes.” U.T.’s The Daily Texan newspaper edges The Battalion in number of “likes” on Facebook 2,671 to 2,314. To tip the scales in favor of A&M, visit the official Battalion Facebook page and click “like.” You also can follow @thebattonline to receive the latest news and updates via Twitter.
See Swim on page 4
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