thebattalion ● friday,
november 2, 2012
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
Loaded subject
Photos by Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
(Above) University Police cruisers search for the armed suspect on campus Thursday afternoon near the Sanders Corps Center. (Top right) MSC faculty directs students into the MSC and away from windows. (Bottom right) Students sit in the MSC hallway while waiting for the all-clear message from UPD.
Afternoon interruption raises questions of concealed carry relevance Jake Walker The Battalion In the wake of a bomb threat prompting the evacuation of the Texas A&M campus and the concealed carry debate in the Student Senate, the University was shaken again as an individual with a firearm was reported to authorities. The woman who reported the subject to the University Police Department said she observed a man with what appeared to be a handgun in the waistband of his pants walking by the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center at 4:30 p.m. The first Code Maroon was sent at 4:36 p.m. UPD was immediately dispatched to the area but was unable to locate the suspect. Students
coming monday
Lelei rises to the top Senior cross country runner Henry Lelei clinched the individual SEC Championship at the SEC conference championship meet. Read the story of his ascension Monday.
news for you
Power outage causes confusion The city of College Station experienced a major power outage on Thursday until 4 p.m. A transformer at Post Oak substation shorted, resulting in the power outage. The city of College Station was able to bypass it and put it back online. “It took out a big area,” said Jane Sayers, energy coordinator for College Station Utilities. “We managed to get it back on so everything should be okay at this point.”
Pg. 1-11.02.12-2.indd 1
were told they could resume activities but to remain cautious at 5:29 p.m. “The entire area was searched very thoroughly, so we felt that there was no longer a threat to our students and campus community,” said Lt. Allan Baron of UPD. “That’s why that decision was made.” This event prompted the discussion of a concealed carry bill currently going through the Student Senate. The bill calls for A&M to allow individuals with a valid concealed carry license to carry a firearm on campus and inside buildings. Jose Luis Zelaya, curriculum and instruction graduate student, said concealed carry on campus could create panic among the student body.
“If one of the students is not careful and if their gun is seen we’re going to be having a lot of Code Maroons and panic would be really high,” Zelaya said. “Code Maroon would even lose its credibility.” Zelaya said he felt more comfortable giving the responsibility of his safety to local law enforcement and that concealed carry may cause confusion among students. “How do you know who has a concealed license and who doesn’t?” Zelaya said. “Which one is the good guy and which one is the bad guy? That confusion would create a lot of reports.” Cary Cheshire, author of the personal protection bill, said Thursday’s event was not re-
lated to the purpose of the bill. “The anecdotal evidence, either way, isn’t really what the personal protection bill or the idea of concealed carry on campus is about,” Cheshire said. “If concealed carry were a policy on campus I think we would have to handle that [event] differently, but I think it would still be handled quickly.” Lt. Allan Baron said the issue of concealed carry would not have affected police protocol in that type of situation. “If this individual weapon would have been concealed it would have never been seen,” Baron said. “One of the laws for concealed carry is that it has to be concealed. If it’s not concealed, it’s an issue.”
día de los muertos
Cultural tradition celebrates the life of the dead Joseph Puente Special to The Battalion A cultural tradition that commemorates the life of a deceased loved one has become a part of the culture in mainstream America today, and with the rising number of Mexican Americans living in the U.S., it’s apparent Americans have become more familiar with what many call “Day of the Dead” or “Día de los Muertos.” In the U.S., the life of a deceased friend or family member isn’t always celebrated, but it is sometimes mourned. While life on earth may seem short, the spirits of the deceased will always return to Earth during Día de los Muertos to visit their living relatives. In the Mexican culture, the fear of death isn’t something of concern but instead is recognized as a part of life itself. “People remember the death of
a loved one, but Día de los Muertos is meant to honor the death and celebrate their life,” said junior construction science major and president of the Mexican Student Association Lauro Ramirez. Originally, this tradition was celebrated for a month long by the indigenous people of Mexico such as the Aztecs and Mayans. After Hernán Cortés invaded Mexico, he tried to eliminate this month long tradition but had no success. Instead, the Spaniards embraced the holiday and merged it with the Catholic All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day in order to add spirituality. Thus, Día de los Muertos is now celebrated every Nov. 1 and 2. Many Mexican families first celebrate by building an altar at their homes and surrounding it with ofrendas, or “offerings,” such as flowers, incense,
pictures, painted calaveras, or “skulls,” and even their loved one’s favorite food. Another popular tradition that takes place during these two days consists of decorating graves of the family members who have passed away. “My grandpa passed away in 2000, and every Nov. 1 my family and I would go to his grave and decorate it with flowers and painted skulls,” Ramirez said. For students who may not be able to celebrate this tradition, the J. Wayne Stark Galleries on the first floor of the Memorial Student Center will be building an altar beginning Tuesday, and it will be on display until Friday if students would like to take part in the celebration. See Muertos on page 3
Evan Andrews — THE BATTALION IO
b-cs
campus
First Friday brings culture to B-CS
Students act as Q-drop deadline approaches Amber Juara The Battalion
Hannah Meyerdirk Special to The Battalion Just north of College Station, with its own culture sometimes completely different than that of its neighboring city, is Historic Downtown Bryan. Downtown Bryan is, to an extent, College Station’s bearded, hipster older brother. Downtown Bryan is a small hub of cultural nuances, a budding artistic center that grows each year. The area
FILE PHOTO
Bluegrass band Valley Junction played in front of Corner of Time Antiques & Collectibles Mall during First Friday in Downtown Bryan. showcases its cultural artistry in an event on the first Friday of every month. According to the First Friday website, the theme for this Friday is “Art Step,” the quarterly event that brings together local artists and galleries to display, share and sell their works
of art. The footsteps painted on the ground throughout Downtown Bryan will lead to the special art displays, events and shows. Also on Friday, art will meet agriculture as local and student See First Friday on page 3
With the deadline to Qdrop coming Friday, students may make a decision that could affect the rest of their college career. With only three Q-drops permitted to each student, many wonder whether they should use the drop to save their GPR or if they can buckle down on studies to avoid using it. When a student Q-drops a course they are no longer enrolled for the class and do not receive a final grade. The
course remains on their final transcript with a “Q” listed as the grade and is not factored into their GPR. Christine Farris, undergraduate advisor for biology, said students should always visit their professor before dropping a class. “Students should find out where exactly they stand in the class,” Farris said. “Find out if the instructor has taught the course in the past, if on the remaining exams [and] assignments do grades in general go up, down or See Q-drop on page 3
11/2/12 12:31 AM