thebattalion ● tuesday,
september 6, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
Seven Aggies to be honored For tonight ◗ 10:30 p.m. Tuesday in Academic Plaza ◗ The campus will be darkened at 10:20 p.m. ◗ An honor guard from the Ross Volunteer Co. will march across campus from the Quad to the plaza, where its members will fire three rifle volleys to honor the memory of these students. Buglers from the Aggie Band will play a special arrangement of “Taps.”
1992 - 2011 Andrew James Graf
1987 - 2011 Sina Masihabadi
Megan Nolan The Battalion
I
t’s 10:15 p.m on the first Tuesday of the month and the lights are off across campus. The bells in Albritton Tower start to play hymns as students silently gather in Academic Plaza. Silver Taps, the ceremony honoring current Aggies who passed away during the previous month, is just beginning. Shortly after students assemble, members of the Ross Volunteers honor guard march into the plaza at a slow ca-
dence and break the silence abruptly with three rifle volleys. Buglers then play a rendition of Silver Taps unique to A&M three times: once to the north, once to the south and once to the west, but
1990 - 2011 Mark Tyler Johnson
1989 - 2011 Kevin Lee Kwiatkowski
Andrew offered a hand whenever needed.
See Silver Taps on page 3a
Tyler was a friend to all and a stranger to none.
Kevin was a kind person and a great Aggie.
Caring, Always an A vibrant intelligent Aggie life and goofy Roland Ruiz
Robby Smith
Katie Marie Pogue
The Battalion Andrew James Graf, 19, is remembered as someone who always demonstrated love and loyalty for his family and friends. He was always available to lend a hand whenever needed. Andrew was born on January 8, 1992 in Argyle, Texas to Melanie and David Graf. He graduated from Argyle High School where he was inducted into the
The Battalion Mark “Tyler” Johnson, 20, beloved son, brother, friend and proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie class of 2013, passed away July 15 in College Station. Tyler was born Sept. 28, 1990, in Arlington, Texas to Mark and Cheryl Johnson. Tyler was a member of First Baptist Church of Arlington. A graduate of Martin High School, Tyler
The Battalion Kevin Lee Kwiatkowski loved computers and his motorcycle, and dreamed of earning his degree in computer engineering from Texas A&M. Kevin was well on his way toward achieving this dream before a tragic motorcycle accident on June 27. Kevin’s interest in computers started at a young age. He received his first computer at the
See Graf on page 3a
See Johnson on page 5a
See Kevin Lee on page 4a
bryan-college station
Wildfire threatens students’ homes Madeline Burns The Battalion For days, fires have been running rampant across East and Central Texas, leaving many residents homeless and forcing many more to evacuate. Several of those affected have been A&M students. According to the Texas Forest Service, one of the largest fires in the state has consumed more than 25,000 acres of Bastrop country. Alex Sellers, a Bastrop resident, compared Sunday’s uncertainty to that caused by the 2001 terrorist attacks. “We have had to evacuate twice
Fire update ◗ Texas Forest Service responded Sunday to 63 new fires that burned 32,936 acres, including 22 new large fires. ◗ 251 of the 254 Texas counties are reporting burn bans.
Top of the class Trevor Stevens
A strongly principled person, Sina helped others whenever possible.
1989 - 2011 Jeffrey Allen McFarland Jr. Alex had a witty sense of humor and could make anyone laugh.
1993 - 2011 Anisha Premal Patel Anisha’s faith, beauty and optimism made her radiant.
The Battalion Sina Masihabadi, a gifted graduate student in the Department of Industrial Engineering, passed away April 1 in a car accident. It was the day after his 26th birthday. Sina was a beloved son to mother Zohreh Fazliani and father Abolghasem Masihabadi. His mother teaches high
school chemistry. His father is a professor of Persian literature at the University of Neyshabour in Iran, where the family lives and where the funeral service was held, April 12. After graduating high school, Sina was accepted into one of Iran’s best universities, Sharif University of Technology. Sina scored among the highest See Masihabadi on page 3a
Laughing and learning Michael Dror The Battalion Jeffrey Allen McFarland Jr., class of 2010 and master’s student in Texas A&M’s Nuclear Engineering Department, passed away April 03, 2011 at the age of 21. Jeffrey was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on August 19, 1989, and excelled academically from an early
age. Jeffrey was so advanced that an elementary school teacher gave him material taken from the high school curriculum. Jeffrey graduated from Friendswood High School and started coursework at Texas A&M’s Nuclear Physics Department, finishing his bachelor’s in three years. While working jointly on his master’s and doctorate See McFarland on page 4a
Radient smile, kind personality Jordan Williford The Battalion Anisha Premal Patel, a freshman molecular and cell biology major, passed away July 6 after a car accident seven miles south of Navasota. She is remembered by friends and family for the love, kindness and faith that characterized her life.
“Anisha was an Aggie at heart. She was the friendliest and most outgoing person I have ever encountered, and my most trustworthy friend,” said Katie Carlson, a freshman general studies major. “Her intelligence, her faith, her beauty and her optimism made her radiant.” Anisha, 17, was born on Sept. 26, See Patel on page 3a
1990 - 2011 Alex Camden Sandel Alex loved music and all things electronic.
Loved well and laughed often Trevor Stevens The Battalion Alex Sandel, sophomore geophysics major and loving son, nephew, brother and friend, passed away May 9. Friends and family remembered Alex’ uncanny ability to excel at almost anything he put his mind to. Alex loved all things musical and electronic. He knew how to build a
thebatt.com A cappella performance Students dining in the Commons yesterday were treated to an uncommon performance. The Battalion video staff caught the whole scene. Check it out at thebatt.com
inside religion | 1b Free coffee is available to the public on Northgate. Get the inside story behind these “holy grounds.”
voices | 3b The Texas A&M community loves its resident Confederate general. But what message does his statue send?
computer by the age of 10 and played the electric guitar as much as he could. “Music was just Alex’s thing,” said Laura Clark, Alex’s mother. Dylan Blackwell, a senior at the University of Houston and Alex’ friend, said Alex’ musical endeavors included starting a band in high school. “Alex played guitar and I played See Sandel on page 3a
research Anand to lead engineering as interim dean N.K. Anand was appointed the interim dean for the Dwight Look College of Engineering Friday after G. Kemble Bennett stepped down from the role Aug. 31. Anand, who has been with the Texas A&M faculty for 26 years, will also serve as the acting vice chancellor for engineering of the Texas A&M University System and acting director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, or TEES. The search for the new dean, vice chancellor and director is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, and Anand will serve in these roles until the University System Board of Regents approves someone. Since his appointment, Anand has named Robin Autienrieth interim associate dean for academic affairs. Anand previously served as associate dean of the Dwight Look College of Engineering and associate agency director of TEES. Kalee Bumguardner, staff writer
See Wildfire on page 2a
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