thebattalion
thebatt.com
Flash mob The Battalion caught a flash mob at the Rec Center on video. Check out thebatt.com to see the action.
● friday,
october 7, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
women’s basketball
Champion Aggies visit Obama Matt Woolbright Special to The Battalion WASHINGTON — The 2011 Texas A&M women’s basketball team was in the nation’s capitol Thursday to celebrate its national championship one more time — this time with President Barack Obama at the White House. Flanked to the right and left by A&M players and coaches, Obama welcomed the Aggie crowd on the White House lawn with a loud “Howdy.” He then referred to A&M’s history as an
all-male school until the 1960s as extra reason to praise the team’s accomplishment. “Now, winning a national title is a pretty big deal for anybody. And it’s an even bigger deal when you think about just how far this team has come,” Obama said. The president went on to acknowledge Danielle Adams for scoring 30 points against Notre Dame in the National Championship game; Sydney Colson for her aggressive offense; Sydney Carter for her tenacious defense; and
Tyra White, the “Silent Assassin,” for her clutch shooting. “Not too many people get called out by Obama, but if he says it, then OK,” White said of the president’s remarks about her “Silent Assassin” nickname. Obama also praised the Aggie players for their efforts off the court and their status as role models for girls and young women across the country, including the first daughters, Malia and Sasha. Matt Woolbright — Special to THE BATTALION
See White House on page 3
Coach Gary Blair gives the president an A&M jersey on Thursday.
thebatt.com
Yes, we Cain
Herman Cain, a businessmanturned-politician vying for the Republican presidential nomination, visited College Station for a book signing on Thursday. Go to thebatt.com for the full story.
Student Senate recap The Student Senate had a busy evening Wednesday, debating more than 15 bills and passing seven. Check out thebatt. com to read about Senate stances on Joe Routt, students’ right to view graded material and crosswalks around campus.
Josh McKenna— THE BATTALION
Freshman Annie Kunz is a dual athlete for the Aggies — a soccer player in the fall and a heptathlete for the track team in the spring.
Standout freshman opens career red-hot James Solano The Battalion She is driven by a tenacity to compete and win, which is manifested on the playing field. Freshman Annie Kunz, Aggie soccer forward and track and field heptathlete, currently leads the team and Big 12 Conference with 10 goals on the season; ranking No. 40 in the nation. Tradition and the opportunity to compete on one of the nation’s perennial national powerhouse soccer
and track and field programs brought the Golden, Colo., native to Aggieland. “I loved it when I came down here,” Kunz said. “The people and traditions here are great. In my hometown at my high school, tradition was a big thing there, so I decided to come down here and I like it a lot.” A 6-foot athletic wunderkind, Kunz’s talent and competitive fire are in her blood as the daughter of former NFL Super Bowl Champion, Terry Kunz. The star said she looks to her father for advice in life.
“My dad is my hero,” Kunz said. “I definitely look up to him for advice when it comes to sports and really anything in life.” The standout freshman has already recorded two hat tricks this season in victories over McNeese State and Fordham, and she is on track to break the single-season A&M scoring record. Kunz started playing soccer at age three, where she gained an appetite for competition and fell inSee Kunz on page 3
religion
football
Jewish community celebrates Yom Kippur
A&M looking for bounce-back win
Joe Terrell The Battalion Alongside Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur is among the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar. This weekend, more than 10 million people worldwide will observe the holiday and welcome a new year with a clean slate. “It’s a solemn day,” Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff said. “But it is also a happy day because it concerns the forgiveness of our sins. It’s a day of introspection and prayer, but we
come to it with a sense of optimism.” Yom Kippur commemorates the day that God forgave the Jewish people for crafting a golden calf as an idol at the base of Mount Sinai. The event, recorded in the Torah, took place after Moses received the Ten Commandments during the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Upon learning of his people’s sin, Moses spent nearly three months on top of the mountain pleading for forgiveness See Yom Kippur on page 2
Austin Meek The Battalion
Josh Mckenna — THE BATTALION
Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff, of Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center in College Station, demonstrates the blowing of the shofar that will take place at the conclusion of Yom Kippur on Saturday night.
National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China
After starting 2-0 with a combined win margin of 62 points, the No. 24 Aggies (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) dropped consecutive games to No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Arkansas by one and four points, respectively. Now leading a 2-2 team, senior quarterback Ryan Tannehill maintains that his squad can still emerge as one of the country’s best.
“We’re still confident in who we are and what we can do,” Tannehill said. “We saw how good we could play that first half [against Arkansas], and we believe that’s how good we are. It’s just a matter of us playing two halves.” The Aggies have struggled in the second half this year. The offense has scored 115 first half points through four games, compared to 35 points in the second half of games. See Texas Tech on page 3
GOOD SEATS AVAILABLE! MSC Box Office Call 979-845-1234.
TONIGHT! • 7:30 PM Rudder Auditorium * Limited Number of Tickets Available at the Window of the MSC Box Office Only • Limit 2 Tickets per Student • Student ID Required • Not Valid for Tickets Already Purchased
Pg. 1-10.7.11.indd 1
mscopas
10/7/11 12:36 AM