The Battalion: November 29, 2011 by The Battalion

nation&world

Drug trafficker captured A top Colombian drug trafﬁcker reputedly responsible for shipping tons of cocaine to the United States through Central America and Mexico has been captured in Venezuela, ofﬁcials said Monday. The U.S. had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Maximiliano Bonilla Orozco, also known as “Valenciano.”

thebattalion ● tuesday,

november 29, 2011

● serving

texas a&m since 1893

sports

Buckeyes hire title winner

Meyer

A match that seemed obvious for months was made Monday, when Ohio State hired Urban Meyer as its next head coach. Meyer resigned as the Florida Gators coach after last season, citing health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family. Meyer will become one of the highestpaid coaches in college football with a six-year contract that pays $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million total in “retention payments.” Associated Press

inside

lifestyles | 3 Taking one for the team Battalion writer Alec Goetz was given the assignment of attending the latest Twilight ﬁlm’s midnight premiere. Read about his experience inside.

voices | 4 Dollars and cents The Texas Legislature spared no child this summer while cutting funding for education at all levels. Columnist Naila Dhanani takes a look at A&M’s role in this educationunfriendly environment.

Jay Kapadia — THE BATTALION

Katherine Kelsch, senior electrical engineering major, is the artist behind the finals-week penny sculptures that appear at Sul Ross’ feet.

Good luck charm Senior doesn’t stop at pennies when asking Sully for help Justin Mathers The Battalion If it’s true that leaving pennies at the feet of the Sul Ross statue brings good luck during exams, Katherine Kelsch has been a regular four-leaf clover for A&M students the past three years. Kelsch, a senior electrical engineering major, creates elaborate penny sculptures that adorn Sully’s feet each semester during finals week. She started building the penny sculptures her freshman year, and made it a tradition to place a sculpture on the statue of Sul Ross during finals. There are several variations of the origin of the penny tradition. One holds that Lawrence Sullivan Ross, president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas during

the 1890s, readily offered to tutor students seeking help, but would not let students pay for his time. He only accepted a penny as compensation. Kelsch has taken this tradition to a new level. As a freshman, Kelsch began the series with a replica of Bonfire, followed by a miniature Reveille. She continued as a sophomore with a gig ‘em thumb and a bowtie in honor of University President Bowen Loftin’s spring 2010 appointment. Her junior-year creations were a detailed Kyle Field — complete with a light-up scoreboard and fans — and a giant Aggie ring, commemorating her personal achievement. The story of the penny sculptures began See Penny on page 6

COURTESY PHOTO

One of Kelsch’s sophomore sculptures wished students good luck with a ‘gig ‘em’ as they walked through Academic Plaza during final exams week.

research

campus

Canine surgery shows promise for humans

Mobile app to ease campus transit woes Michal Ann Morrison

Jessica Orwig The Battalion As the enticing aroma of roasted turkey filled the air Thanksgiving Day, family members gathered around the table for dinner. For many, the four-legged friends of the family also gathered — underneath the table — with tails wagging and mouths salivating. But in the Cordts family — whose daughter is a sophomore at Texas A&M — one furry member was absent from this year’s feast. Their canine companion, Rowdy, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, cancer of the bone, in early November and underwent surgery at A&M the week before the holiday. Although the cancer has a 90 percent fatality rate, A&M veterinary surgeons may have discovered a surgical solution, which could save human lives as well. Through Rowdy’s thick white coat, characteristic of his Great Pyrenees breed, owner Kate Cordts noticed a lump on the pooch’s lower front right leg earlier this month. The Cordts’ regular veterinarian took X-rays and identified the tumor.

COURTESY PHOTO

Texas A&M veterinarians prepare Rowdy, a Great Pyrenees with a deadly bone cancer, for surgery. Osteosarcoma is common in large dogs like Rowdy, and the traditional method of treatment is amputation. According to Mark Lenox, research scientist for the Texas A&M Institute for Preclinical Studies who was involved with Rowdy’s surgery, the nature of osteosarcoma made amputation unavoidable in the past. “Osteosarcoma is a very difficult type of See Surgery on page 2

Special to The Battalion Students who dread the hassle of relying on public transportation every day can look forward to Transportation Services advancing bus technology. Tech-savvy students may soon be able to avoid difficulties associated with commuting to campus by simply using their smart phones. June Broughton of Transportation Services said a mobile application is in the works that will allow students to track bus locations, time of arrival and the number of passengers on-board. She shied away from specifics, but said progress is being made on the technology and the application will be released “in the near future.” “In the meantime, the online tracking system can be a helpful tool,” Broughton said. “We are still working on some of the features of the system,

but are pleased to be able to offer this technology for use by our customers.” The application will be made possible through a GPS tracker installed on every bus that reports back to Transportation Services their location around campus, which will be visible on Google maps. Erick Beck, director of web development for Texas A&M’s Division of Marketing and Communications, manages the mobile website m.tamu.edu, another helpful tool which shows when busses for each route will be arriving at their next stop. “We will continue to upgrade the apps, and more features will become available once the busses on campus are GPS-enabled,” Beck said. Even with 67 busses running on campus, the large number of students commuting to and

The Original Broadway Cast Joe Sears Jaston Williams TONIGHT & TOMORROW!!! 2UDDER !UDITORIUM s 0-

See Bus on page 2