thebattalion ● monday,
september 5, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
Emergency response vehicles respond to the down power line at Wellborn and 2818.
bryan-college station
Power line sparks wildfire Madeline Burns The Battalion Smoke from a wildfire filled the air in south College Station Sunday afternoon, painting a gray backdrop to the Jumbotron at Kyle Field.
The fire started Sunday afternoon at approximately 2 p.m. on the feeder road of Earl Rudder Freeway, just north of the Harvey Mitchell Parkway intersection. “The original call was for a down power line, and before the guys got here they could see
thebatt.com
smoke,” said Bart Humphreys, public information officer for the College Station Fire Department. The air was thick with smoke and small specks of ash stuck to the faces of the emergency perSee Fires on page 8
Madeline Burns — THE BATTALION
Mustangs wrangled
Game day video It’s game day Game day in Aggieland is one of the best experiences as a student at Texas A&M University. Watch a swift video reflecting Texas A&M’s season opener win: Aggies 46, SMU 14 on thebatt.com.
campus news
Cadet injured A female cadet was injured after the conclusion of the A&M-SMU game Sunday. Following A&M home victories, it is tradition that Corps freshmen “capture” yell leaders and carry them out of the stadium. Witnesses said the cadet lay motionless on the playing surface for several minutes following the Corps freshmen’s departure, and emergency medical personnel carried the cadet off the field on a stretcher. Elmer Schneider, University Police Department chief, confirmed that there was an injured cadet, but the cadet’s name and condition were not available at time of press. Robert Carpenter, staff writer
Tyler Hosea — THE BATTALION
Junior Christine Michael runs through Southern Methodist University’s defense as he totaled 85 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
A&M defeats SMU in 46-14 blowout Austin Meek The Battalion SMU head coach June Jones used his third and final timeout with 0:01 left in the 4th quarter, hoping that quarterback J.J. McDermott just might be able to toss a 32-point touchdown pass as time expired. His plan didn’t work. The Aggie secondary batted down McDermott’s pass amid raucous applause from the 86,951 fans in attendance as the home team celebrated a 46-14 route of the SMU Mustangs. “For an opening game like that, to have almost 90,000 people in the stands cheering and yelling and screaming for you, that was a special atmosphere today and our fans really stepped up to the plate,” Sherman said. The Aggie Express, the talented duo of running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael, rumbled for over 200 yards and 4 touchdowns and quarterback Ryan Tannehill played mistake-free football as the No. 8 Texas A&M
coming tuesday
See Recap on page 8
The Aggie experience: Football
Silver Taps Tuesday will be the first Silver Taps of the semester at 10:30 p.m. at Academic Plaza. The Battalion will feature all those being honored at the ceremony.
football team stifled critics and gave further credence to its top-ten billing. Gray sounded excited to have Michael back on the field for the first time since breaking his leg in a game last October. “I’m glad to have my brother out there toting the rock and doing what he do best,” Gray said. “Hopefully during these next games we can continue to feed off one another. The Aggie defense made the first big plays of the game, intercepting SMU passes on its first two possessions forcing Jones to pull starter Kyle Padron in favor of McDermott. Michael made the first TD plunge from 4 yards out and Gray punched one in from the 5-yard line, giving the Aggies the 14-0 edge. After a second Gray touchdown, the Aggies Samantha Virnau — THE BATTALION closed out the first quarter with a 20-7 lead, the most points scored in a first period since 2005. Senior quarterback Ryan Tannehil hands off the ball to The Mustangs struck early in the second senior running back Cyrus Gray against SMU on Sunday. with a 27-yard McDermott touchdown pass to Arrius Holleman, narrowing the margin to 20-
James Solano The Battalion In a familiar fall setting, on an unfamiliar Saturday night under the lights of Kyle Filed, an age old tradition that is stitched in maroon fabric is about to kick off arguably the most anticipated football season in school history. An unmistakable buzz swarms through the sweltering September night as droves of Aggie faithful file into the
confines of Kyle Field for the first Midnight Yell of what could be an historical season. By the time the yell leaders appear from the North end zone of Kyle Field, with lit torches and dates in hand, after stepping off from Duncan dining hall, they are greeted by a zealous group of fish, eager to “pull out” — and consequently push — regs and non-regs, a patient group of seniors and “super seniors” that endured 4–8 and
6–7 freshmen seasons, and the man himself, Coach Sherman, alongside his special guest, the beloved Von Miller. A resounding “HOWDY” ricochets back at senior yell leader David Benac, as he emphatically addresses the Twelfth Man to begin yell practice. The last time the Twelfth Man stood, humped it, and yelled their heads off at Kyle See Yell on page 7
Opening day record ◗ A&M broke a opening game day record with 86,951 people in attendence, the sixth largest crowd in Kyle Field history.
campus
The annual Texas A&M Campus Safety Awareness Week Emily Villani The Battalion Two traditions started almost simultaneously over forty years ago. One tradition made campus a safer place to be; the other changed it forever. A&M’s Corps Escort Service began when A&M opened its doors to women in the early ‘70s. “This service has existed for over 30 years and was initiated so that cadets could protect, as well as meet, females at the University,” said Grace Mills,
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civil affairs and public relations sergeant for the Corps of Cadets. “[The Corps Escort Service] is most often used on the weekends when students tend to stay out later or return to campus late in the evening,” said Mills. Corps escorts are available for students, faculty and staff to provide safe ways to traverse campus after dark. Females comprise the majority of the service’s users. “Most escorts occur after 9 p.m. when it becomes dark, and females aregenerally more at risk walking back
alone,” Mills said. In order to request an escort, a person has to contact the Guard Room with their location and destination. Guard Room then dispatches a cadet escort to that person. Usually, only male cadets work Guard Room in the evening. “Female cadets may not work Guard Room during the evening hours, with the exception of the Executive Officer, which may be another reason females are the more prevalent users of the service,” Mills said.
The Corps Escort Service is most active during nighttime hours because this is when there is a higher risk for crime occurrences. “There will be shifts where there are absolutely no escorts and others where several cadets will be out escorting at the same time,” said Mills. “It is used frequently enough to confidently state that it is a helpful service that provides security to people walking alone late at night on campus.”
Safety week ◗ Safety week kicks off 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Zone Plaza with a emergency respone team meet and greet open to all students, faculty and staff.
See Safety on page 8
9/5/11 12:55 AM