With midterms approaching, students around campus feel anxiety lurking as hours of study-

ing await them. Thurs-day, from 1 to 4 p.m., students will have an op-portunity to go into the MSC bookstore for a study break event where they will have a chance to relax in a fun setting, win prizes and temporarily abandon school stresses.

“We want to incorpo-rate the MSC Bookstore as a place for students

to go when they are stressed out. It has every-thing students need for school that is quick, easy and stress free,” said Lindsey Kelley, intern for Barnes & Noble Brand Ambassador.

Kelley is the sole intern from Texas A&M University who works for Mr. Youth, a New York City based marketing organization. As an

Runoff election will be on Thursday, Friday

An air of anticipation permeated the grounds of the Academic Plaza as a crowd gathered around the statue of Sul Ross last night to hear election results.

The student body president election re-sulted in a runoff between Jeff Pickering and Hilary Albrecht, with Albrecht fol-lowing closely in second place, trailing by 105 votes.

Pickering, a junior communication ma-jor, said that he was not surprised about the

runoff results. “I had full confidence in both of our

campaign messages and strategies. We both believe in a student body president that strives to unify the student voice. I’m so excited that when I wake up in the morn-ing, I probably won’t believe any of this happened,” Pickering said.

Pickering also said that in light of the runoff, the election is far from completion.

“I feel like we are a football team in the fourth quarter. Now I know why Mike Sherman doesn’t celebrate every touch-

down. The game is not over yet,” Picker-ing said.

Albrecht, a junior political science major, said that she was simultaneously nervous and excited about going into the elections and waiting for the results last night.

“Going into the election, I had a varied background which may be perceived as a disadvantage or an advantage. I personally think it was an advantage because I have attachments to many different organiza-

Krystal NimiganThe Battalion

Yell leader electionsSenior yell leaders:David Benac, Austin Walker and Patrick Ivey of the “5 for Yell” campaign won.Junior yell leaders:Joshua Light, Nelson Ingram, Sterling Bennett and Drew Nelson will be competing in the runoff election.

See Election on page 4

● wednesday, march 2, 2011 ● serving texas a&m since 1893 ● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media

thebattalion

campus newsCandidate feels wronged David “Lightweight” Dalton ran for Northside Senator in the campus elections. Dalton received 24 votes out of 670 cast for the two seats, because of a ballot error. The election commission failed to register his name on the ballot correctly, putting Dalton under two different last names, causing a split in his votes and possibly costing him others. “Datton” received 131 votes. Dalton asked the election commission early in his campaign to put his name on the ballot as David “Lightweight” Dalton. The commission contacted Dalton and told him they had done so. But when election time came, nobody could fi nd Dalton’s name. There was a “David Datton” and “David Dalton”, but no “Lightweight.” This resulted in voter confusion and possibly cost Dalton the election. “I was really mad. I had asked [the election commission] to put my name on the ballot as ‘David “Lightweight” Dalton’ and they said it wouldn’t be a problem. They even sent me an e-mail saying they had changed it. I gave people fl iers saying ‘Vote for Lightweight’ and told them to look for that name on the ballot,” Dalton said. “I was really frustrated because every e-mail I had gotten from [the commission] spelled my name right. They spelled it right, except where it counted - on the ballot.” Dalton plans to request a revote on the grounds of failure to accurately portray his name on the ballot.

Tim Bardin, staff writer

MSC bookstore provides chance to win Chilifest tickets Alex Lotz The Battalion

intern for the Barnes & Noble Brand Ambas-sador, she is working to promote the Barnes & Noble College in College Station.

“I want to promote the bookstore in a positive way. I want to show students that the bookstore is here for students besides just a place to get our textbooks,” Kelley said.

Prizes are being offered in addition to the fun distractions. By spinning a wheel, students will have a chance to win four Chilifest tickets, Red Bull energy drinks, Rockstar energy drinks and a month of free training from Fitness For-ever worth $100. The MSC Bookstore is also donating the chance to win free scantrons and Adidas pens.

“We are also having a raffle for two 30-minute massages offered by massage therapist, Chrissy Brannan. She is also donating 5-minute massages throughout the day to students who win it by spinning the wheel,” Kelley said.

Every student who spins the wheel wins a prize

Simply by spinning a wheel, students have a chance to

win a 30-minute massage, Red Bull

energy drinks, a month of free

training and much more

Off campus student appreciation week

Off Campus Student Appreciation Week, OCSAW, is a week dedicated to serving and giving back to students who choose to live off campus. This week will be the first annual OCSAW. Off Campus Aggies will recognize and advocate for the students who live off campus.

“OCA is excited about hosting the first annual Off-Campus Student Appre-ciation Week. Off-campus students are a huge part of the Texas A&M popula-tion, but they are often overlooked. Our goal is to recognize these students and advocate for their needs both on campus and in the community,” said Sarah Jaks, OCA adviser.

“We will also have a tailgate at Reed Arena before and during the men’s bas-

Haley Lawson The Battalion

Prizes◗ Texas A&M athletic jersey ◗ A gift bag from Aggieland Outfi tters◗ Multiple $20 gift cards to various College Station restaurants and businesses including Jason’s Deli and Spoon’s◗ Prizes from Montelagos and David Gardners

See Off Campus on page 4

campus students

It took many by surprise on Monday when Academic Plaza was converted into a playground, complete with inflatable joust-ing. The event was the kickoff for the week-

long engineering festival called “E-Week” to celebrate engineers.

“Being an engineer isn’t exactly what I would call fun all the time,” said Tanner Welch, a freshman mechanical engineering major. “It’s nice that we can have a week of approval from our peers where we can say that we are proud to be engineers and show people what we are like and what we do.”

The Student Engineers’ Council is bring-ing the event to campus to celebrate engi-

neers, the work they do and the lives they live. The program coincides with the National Engineers Week Foundation’s annual event, which has been going strong since 1951 and is designated to reach out to current and future engineering talent.

Students in the discipline sometimes have a tough time balancing studies and having enough time in the day for other activities be-cause they have such a rigorous course load.

Austin Burgart The Battalion

Engineers nationally recognizedE-Week events◗ Free pizza on Wednesday ◗ Volleyball tournament Thursday ◗ Free concert on Friday

See Engineers on page 4

engineers

This week students will be honored with various events through campus

Pickering and Albrecht set to go head to head

See Bookstore on page 8

VVOTEggieland

22011thebatt.comThe Batt’sendorseeThe Battalion editorial board interviewed candidates and chose to endorse Hilary Albrecht for student body president. Reasons for this endorsement can be found on thebatt.com.

Emotional night for many Aggies

Top left: Junior political science major Hilary Albrecht embraces a campaign manager after learning she qualified for the runoff. Bottom left: Junior communication major Jeff Pickering leaps with excitement after hearing his name called as the top vote-getter. Right: Albrecht and Pickering exchange congratulations.

Photos by Samantha Virnau, Paul Hyde and Jeremy Northum — THE BATTALION

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Pregnant?

979-695-9193 www.hopepregnancy.org

Need answers?There is Hope.

Save the Date!Parents’ Weekend 2011

Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17

Are your parents awesome?Want to show your appreciation and

let everyone know about them?

Nominate them for Texas A&M University’sParents of the Year 2011-2012

Applications are now available at: http://parentsweekend.tamu.edu Parents’ Weekend Cube in Koldus

Presented by:

• •

MSC Box Office979-845-1234

www.MSCOPAS.org

Sponsored by

FREE Blue Bell

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All TicketsOnly $12!Inflatable Fun this Friday Night!

Don’t miss the extraordinary, hilarious and technicolor world of Fred Garbo! After sell-outs on Broadway, The New York Times called Fred’s show “helium light and hilarious!” Arrive one hour early for an ice cream social and enjoy Blue Bell ice cream.

THE TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA BOARDINVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

thebattalion

Application forms should be picked up and returned to Sandi Jones, Student Media business coordinator, in room 013 of Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Deadline for submitting application: 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2011.

An equal opportunity, affirmative action employer committed to diversity

Editor

Qualifications for editor-in-chief of The Battalion are:

REQUIRED

the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate);

student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In

student) must have been taken for that semester.

PREFERREDHave completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, Law, and Society) or equivalent;

position on The Battalion or comparable daily college newspaper, – OR –

newspaper, – OR – Have completed at least 12 hours in journalism, including

JOUR 203 (Media Writing I) and JOUR 303 (Media Writing II) or

SERVING TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SINCE 1893

Summer 2011(The summer editor will serve

May 15 through Aug. 13, 2011)

Fall 2011–Spring 2012(The fall and spring editor will serve

Aug. 14, 2011, through May 12, 2012)

THE BATTALION (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily , Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at T exas A&M University . Periodicals Postage Paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion , Texas A&M University , 1111 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1111.News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. News offices are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3313; Fax: 979-845-2647; E-mail: metro@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising, call 979-845-2696. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Advertising offices are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 979-845-2678.Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each T exas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1. Mail subscriptions are $125 per school year . To charge by Visa, MasterCard, Discover , or American Express, call 979-845-2613.

thebattalion THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893

Matt Woolbright, Editor in Chief

fully equipped

2 Career panel

Learn about a variety of environmental careers from professionals working in state and federal agencies from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday in Koldus.

1 Sudan studyA panel discussion

focusing on the “Lost Boys” of Sudan, their journey to refuge camps and continued struggle to be reunited with their families will be at 6 p.m. today in Koldus.

3 Graduate school

A graduate school information session will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday in the exhibit hall of Rudder Theatre Complex.

pagetwoFor daily updates go to thebatt.com ● Facebook ● Twitter@thebattonline

courtesy of NOAA

thebattalion 03.2.2011

Thursday mostly sunny high: 75 low: 54Friday mostly cloudy high: 74 low: 56Saturday 30% scattered showers high: 67 low: 43Today

sunny High: 74Low: 48

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — As Regina Newby approached the kennel where her dogs had been staying while she was out of town, she realized that the building was burning, set ablaze by one of several wildfires that have roared through parts of Texas, destroying at least 75 homes, in recent days.

Firefighters and workers at the kennel just north of Amaril-lo rescued some of the animals, but had to set others free in their haste to flee the building.

Newby’s dogs, Mocha and Ginger, both died.

“I know a lot of people lost a lot,” Newby said, referring to homes and other property. “It’s a small thing (to lose pets), but it’s devastating to us.”

Stunned and weary residents of some of the Panhandle and West Texas communities hard-est hit by Sunday’s wildfires were allowed to return to their homes Monday after firefight-ers contained the blazes that scorched some 190 square miles in the state.

Shaken residents of rural Mesilla Park, a housing devel-opment north of the city, who spent Sunday night in a shelter in nearby Amarillo waited in

their cars at a roadblock Mon-day until authorities gave them the all-clear to return home to survey the damage. The town lost 30 homes to the fire.

Scott Smith and his wife, Carla, said they had already been told that their double-wide trailer home of 20 years in Mesilla Park was destroyed in the blaze, which burned about 30,000 acres in several commu-nities around Amarillo.

Her husband said the flames moved “like a blowtorch” across the fields.

Firefighters contained the Panhandle and West Texas wildfires by Monday, after

the winds died down. Early Tuesday, Texas Forest Service spokesman Lewis Kearney said some hotspots continued to burn in parts of West Texas.

Another seven homes were lost in nearby Lake Tangle-wood. Angie Coker, whose home was among those de-stroyed, cried Monday as she surveyed its charred remains and her melted Porsche in her driveway.

Palisades Mayor Tommy Medlin said about 25 homes were destroyed in his small town just south of Amarillo. Residents were expected to be allowed to return on Tuesday.

Betsey BlaneyAssociated Press

Wildfires set Texas homes ablaze

In tribute

Samantha Virnau — THE BATTALION

The flag in Academic Plaza flies at half-staff in honor of Nicolis Williams for Tuesday’s Silver Taps.

After Sunday’s lackluster performance, the No. 9 Aggies looked like they were playing the same hand with the game against Texas Pan-American tied 1-1 in the 6th inning. Sophomore left fielder Bran-don Wood decided to put an end to it.

As the Union-Pacific train was honking “Hullabaloo Canek Canek” and the 2,867 fans were pulling out their signs, Wood slapped a fastball to left center field that brought in two runs, giving the Aggies a lead they wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the evening.

The Broncs struck first when 3B Vincent Mejia sent A&M starting pitcher Estevan Urie-gas’ ball over the left field wall. Thankfully, he home run was the only blemish on the junior’s night; he lasted five innings, al-lowing only one run and three hits to go alongside six strike-outs.

The Aggies responded with a run of their own when se-

nior shortstop Kenny Jackson crossed the plate in the third inning, but neither team scored again until Wood’s 6th inning heroics. He was 1-4 for the night.

The 7th inning featured the final fireworks of the night. Af-ter senior 2B Andrew Collazo was walked by Broncos pitcher Zach Zouzalik, he advanced to second base on freshman Krey Bratsen’s sacrifice bunt and took third on a wild pitch. Sophomore right fielder Tyler Naquin brought him home on a rope to left field, giving the Aggies the 4-1 lead they held until the end of the game.

The home team got great work from their bullpen, which featured performances from se-nior Nick Fleece, sophomore Kyle Martin, and junior Ross Stripling. Fleece got credit for the win in his one inning of work, and Stripling earned the save, his third of the season.

The Aggies will continue their homestead against Texas Pan-Am today at Olsen Field. The first pitch will be tossed at 3:05 p.m.

Austin MeekThe Battalion

Aggies defeat Pan-Am, 4-1

File photo

Tyler Naquin at the plate earlier this season.

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COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS The Arabic and Asian Language Office presents:

Sponsored by: The Arabic and Asian Language Office – Texas A&M University at Qatar – The Interdisciplinary Program in Religious Studies – The Glasscock Center for Humanities Research - The International Studies Program – The Muslim Faculty Network – Texas A&M University Libraries Diversity Program – Muslim Students’ Association.

Dr. John Esposito is a Professor of Religion andInternational Affairs and the founding director of theprince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Esposito has served asconsultant to the U.S. Department of State and otheragencies, European and Asian governments andcorporations, universities, and the media worldwide.

http://aalo.tamu.edu/

things you should know before you go 5

1 Canvas painting

Students will have the chance to paint a canvas and learn about the arts and entertainment programs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in the Koldus Student Services Building Plaza.

5 ‘Tron’ screening

MSC Aggie Cinema Blockbuster presents: Tron: Legacy at 7 p.m. Friday outside the Clayton Williams Alumni Center.

4 Opening night of

International Week Opening ceremonies for International Week begin at 8 p.m. Friday in Studio 12 of the Commons. Aggie Nights present “Dance Around the World.”

2 U.S., Islam

lecture John L. Esposito will speak for “The U.S. and the Muslim World: Where do we go from here?” at 4 p.m. today in Rudder, room 601.

3 Post-racial dilemma

lecture The Africana Studies Program Lecture Series presents “Africana Studies and Afrocentricity: The Post Racial Dilemma in the Academy” with Molefi Kete Asante all day today in the Evans Annex, Room 204E. page303.02.2011thebattalion

reviewb!

The game has a sort of a reckless fun that puts it beyond all other first-person shooter games. Instead of worrying about covering fire and stealthy advances, you get to slide through a mass of deadly enemies shooting explosive flails in a drunken haze. It is quite possibly some of the most — not exactly wholesome — fun I’ve had in a game for a while.

Bulletstorm is more of a self-parody than a serious game. Players are thrown into the clichéd role of a drunken mercenary haunted by betrayal. You crash land on a foreign planet, which

might be Earth, and are forced to shoot your way through tons and tons of savages. I’ll be honest, the story isn’t great, it’s not even good, but it is en-tirely worth it. The game has great voice acting and is beyond hilarious. Veteran game players will recognize the man playing Gray, who has worked on

more than 30 other games.There are more than enough explosions and

gun fights to keep anyone happy and loads of unexpected games elements to liven it up. For example, for half of a level you control a giant robotic dinosaur to decimate your enemies. Does it make all that much sense? Sure, why not?

The actual game play is phenomenal. Players are tasked to gain as many points as possible to

keep a steady supply of ammo and treats coming their way. Skillshots are ways to creatively kill your numerous foes. Kick him into giant cacti, shoot him in the nether or explode a hot dog stand to gain a variety of colorful names and points. It’s really not explained why you have to get all these Skillshots aside from the fact that you can, but at this point, I really didn’t care — it’s just too much fun.

The game is focused on the weapons. It’s from the same creators of Unreal Tournament and Gears of War, so obviously methods of destruction will be important. A few examples of weapons — without giving too much away — are a four-barreled shotgun, a pistol that can shoot flares into enemies and a machine gun that can melt people. The guns are extensions of your armed terror, and each time you get a new one is like Christmas morning … or Hanukkah.

There was a lot of pre-release hype about Bulletstorm being “the worst game ever.” Several

sources of news even said it would raise rape statistics. So if anyone hears someone say this, punch them in the nose. The game is nothing if not fun. Sure, there’s violence, gore, language and alcohol, but what game doesn’t have that?

Bulletstorm works hard to make sure you let it all go and just go out there and have fun. It has its share of epic scenes — and outrageous ones as well — but at its heart, the game is a fun factory. There are additional challenge modes to allow players to roam and experiment with new combos and test themselves against the world, and these are just as fun, if not more so, than the actual game.

So go out, get Bulletstorm and commence the death-dealing. Drop an enemy off of a building, remote control a sniper rifle bullet into a Skullz face and kick-shoot an explosive flail into a running enemy to trip him up. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’re having fun.

Courtesy photo

In the video game, players must act as mercenaries to battle a giant mutant lizard, among other fantastical, unique obstacles.

‘Bulletstorm’ offers gore, profanity and funBloody good time

Whether you are emptying entire clips into savage barbarian

hordes or kicking in skulls on the disco floor, you will be having fun in Bulletstorm. Matt Bizzell

freshman English major

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tions,” Albrecht said. She said that she was happy that

the grassroots campaigning method proved efficient.

“The election runoff demonstrates that communication by word-of-mouth does work; it was more effective than I could’ve imagined,” Albrecht said.

Albrecht has prior political experiences including being the speaker of student senate and serving as class president for two years. She said desires to serve the students while maintaining her character.

“Our university has a great deal of pas-sion and spirit. The student body needs and deserves someone who is ready and willing to appropriately represent them. In the election process I learned how important it is to uphold myself with integrity and ultimately not lose sight of my moral compass and myself,” said Albrecht.

Chris Tucker came in third place, at 300 votes behind Albrecht, clearly estab-lishing the top two chosen candidates. Marshall Bowen followed in fourth place, 269 votes behind Tucker while Justin Pulliam rounded out the top five, 1,174 votes behind Bowen.

The elections for senior yell yeader

resulted in the top three positions be-ing filled by members of the ‘Five for Yell’ campaign team consisting of David Benac, Austin Walker, and Patrick Ivey, in first, second and third place respective-ly; they were clear-cut winners.

The top junior yell leader votes result-ed in Josh Light and Nelson Ingram as the top two and Drew Nelson and Sterling Bennett, in third and fourth place, with their vote count at an even stagger as well.

“I had the natural pre-election nerves, going into the election. We had a good campaign and we did everything we could and our efforts showed,” Benac said.

Benac said his campaigning was not

over yet, and that he would focus on Walker and Ivey.

“We’re going to work real hard during the next three days and hope the results turn out as we wish them,” Benac said.

Benac said he is eagerly looking for-ward to a second year of service.

“It’s an extreme excitement, after be-ing blessed with the opportunity last year, I will pool my efforts into making sure I can serve the student body,” Benac said.

“I want to thank the student body for participating, and I want to make sure that everyone’s vote continues to come through for the final election results on Friday.”

thebattalion

entertainment&newspage 4

wednesday 3.2.2011

ketball game where we will be passing out free drinks and snacks to everyone until the girl’s basketball game begins,” said Jaynee Guest, president of OCA.

The Off-Campus Student Appreciation Week will also raise funds for Caring Aggie Mentors Program, or CAMP. The CAMP focuses on pro-viding long-term mentoring for students in the Houston area. OCA will be hosting a coin drive, a raffle and many profit shares to raise money for CAMP.

“We are doing a coin drive, a raffle and multiple profit shares that week to raise money for Caring Aggie Mentor Pro-gram,” said Guest. “We have coin jars at multiple businesses around College Station and will be doing an on-campus coin collection while we are in Aca-demic Plaza.”

The raffle will include nu-merous prizes and gift cards to multiple stores in town. “For the raffle, tickets are $1 and prizes include a Texas A&M athletic jersey, a gift bag from Aggieland Outfitters, multiple $20 gift cards to different College Sta-tion restaurants and businesses and other prizes from Montela-gos and David Gardners,” said Guest. “We will also be hosting four profit shares throughout the week. The first profit share is Wednesday at Panda Express and will last all day. Thursday is at Fuddruckers all day; Friday is at Chick-fil-A from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday is at Spoons from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.”

Students who live off cam-pus still want to be involved in campus activities. Students have already enjoyed and are look-ing forward to the events for the rest of the week.

“I love living off campus be-cause, unlike the dorms, I can come home and be comfort-able with some peace and quiet whenever I want to, and it gives me the option to get away from all the madness but I feel left out of campus activities,” said Jake Lawson, a sophomore sports management major. “This week I have appreciated OC-SAW and how they have made an effort to reach those of us who do live off campus.”

Off CampusContinued from page 1

E-Week is viewed as a chance for college students majoring in the field to break the mold and show people that they can have fun too.

“Being an engineer is a lot like going to Hogwarts,” said Kyle Popores, a freshman en-gineering major. “You need to pull off some magic to succeed in both. It’s a difficult major, but somebody’s got to do it.”

There is an activity designat-ed for every day of the week, beginning with free pizza from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. near Zachry today. On Thursday there will be a volleyball tournament from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Clements Hall volleyball courts, and the week will conclude with a free con-cert featuring Christen Sawyer, Caleb Mak and The 71s from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at Simpson Drill Field.

“ I plan on making it out to all of the activities because they actually sound like a

lot of fun. I do a lot of things with Mosher, the engineer-ing dorm, already and E-Week seems like something I would enjoy,” Popores said. “ It will also be a good release from my hectic schedule.”

The events of the week are not restricted to students in an engineering discipline; all stu-dents are welcome. A full list of activities can be found at eweek.tamu.edu.

EngineeringContinued from page 1

How the vote stacked up

ElectionContinued from page 1

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w/ FM2865 Band

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sports thebattalion 03.02.2011

page5

women’s basketball | The No. 5 Aggies travel to Manhattan today to face Kansas State.

softball | A&M goes to Starkville to take on Mississippi State Friday.

men’s tennis | The Aggies go to South Bend Friday to battle Notre Dame.

Aggies head to Lawrence to take on No. 2 KU

On the road to Rock ChalkTexas A&M has a basketball bone to

pick with the state of Kansas.It encircles the minds of Aggies ev-

erywhere as Head Coach Mark Tur-geon leads No. 22 A&M (22-6, 9-5 Big 12) into his native land at 8 p.m. Wednesday to face his alma mater, the tenured kings of the Big 12 — the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (27-2, 12-2).

Turgeon’s plight scratches the sur-face of the history between the teams.

Prior to the Jayhawks’ Jan. 22 loss to Texas this season, the Aggies were the only Big 12 South team to ever win in legendary Phog Allen Fieldhouse. All-American and Cousy Award winner Acie Law scored 23 points and dished seven assists on Feb. 3, 2007 to drag No. 8 A&M past No. 6 Kansas in a 69-66 classic, cementing his legacy.

Since that time, the Aggies are 0-3 in games played in Kansas, losing by an average margin of 21.3 points; they’ve dropped five straight to the Jayhawks.

“I’ll always get excited when I walk into [The Phog],” Turgeon said. “I grew up walking into that building, and I grew up dreaming I’d play for KU. So I’ll be fired up when I walk in it, but this is totally different the second time through. The first time was the first time and obviously we didn’t play great … We haven’t played too well in the state of Kansas since I’ve been the coach here, so hopefully we’ll play a little bit better on Wednesday.”

In 2010, No. 1 Kansas came to Reed Arena and withstood every-thing the No. 23 Aggies and their record-breaking crowd could throw at them. Forward David Loubeau, now a junior, flashed his potential in a matchup against All-American cen-ter Cole Aldrich and occasionally KU

forward Marcus Morris — he scored 17, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked one shot while nearly carrying the Ag-gies to a win.

That potential has rarely manifested itself during the current season, but the battle down low will still be a point of interest for both teams. Marcus and his twin brother Markieff are the new faces and stars of the Kansas basketball pow-erhouse. Marcus averages 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game; Markieff follows with respective averages of 13.6 and 8.4.

“I think Markieff has been really consistent for them,” Turgeon said. “Last year against us, Markieff played better against us than Marcus did. It’s hard to tell the difference to be hon-est with you. They are both so skilled and can do so many different things. [Markieff] kind of goes a little bit un-noticed but they could both be first-rounders by the end of this year, the way they’re playing.”

The experienced rotation of Tyrel Reed, Tyshawn Taylor and Brady Morningstar joins freshman Josh Selby to make up the backcourt for Kansas, the one conference opponent most prepared to match or surpass A&M’s depth. Nine Jayhawks have participat-ed in at least 23 games and 10 play at least 12 minutes on average.

The loss to Texas left KU in peril of finishing second in the conference but a late-season Longhorns swoon has left the Jayhawks in first once again, where they have finished in the Big 12 for the past six seasons. The team has won nine of its last 10 to help re-establish its dominance; all but one of those wins came by more than 10 points.

A&M, now a mere half-game ahead of onrushing Kansas State, is fighting to finish in third in the conference stand-ings after tying for second in 2010.

Beau Holder The Battalion

No. 22 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Kansas8 p.m. today, Allen Fieldhouse

File photos — THE BATTALION

Top: Senior guard B.J. Holmes (left), senior forward Nate Walkup (center) and sophomore forward Khris Middleton (right) lead the Aggies into Lawrence for a conference battle with No. 2 Kansas at 8 p.m. today. Left: Junior forward David Loubeau shined for the Aggies in a 69-66 loss to Kansas in 2010. In the game, he scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Aggie women finish eighth at Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate

After riding the momentum of a top-three finish in the spring’s debut tour-nament in Florida, the A&M women’s golf team shot 21-over par and finished in eighth at the Sugar Bowl Intercolle-giate Tournament in New Orleans, La.

Competing against the nation’s best including eight of the nation’s top-10 teams, the Aggies held their own throughout the tournament finishing as high as fifth on the second day. Despite a slow start to the season last fall, the Aggies came together at the end of the

semester and proved their strong spring opening was no fluke.

Over much of the fall and through the first tournament of the spring, the team has been led by the scoring of vet-eran senior Sarah Zwartynsky and star freshman Katerina Ruzickova. With the addition of standout transfer Susy Grunden, only a sophomore, this team has excellent depth and could now be considered as one of the most under-rated in the country.

At the Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate, Ruzickova led A&M individually shooting 1-under — good for a tie for 11th place. Grunden wasn’t far behind

shooting 2-over with a No. 16 indi-vidual ranking. Zwartynsky, A&M’s third lowest scorer, finished shooting 12-over.

After enduring a rough first day, al-beit through tough weather conditions, the second day was as good of a run that the women’s team has seen. The team finished in 11th after the first day but beat the odds and roared to a fifth place finish.

“We had a team meeting [before the second day] and we talked about what it means to be on a team,” said Head Coach Trelle McCombs. “We gave them permission to get upset after they

hit a bad shot, but they had to get over it and think what their teammates would do. That was the plan [the second day], and they got hot on the back nine and it was like it was contagious. It was a lot of fun to watch.”

The most intriguing story through this tournament is the impact of Grun-den. One of the nation’s best freshman at Bowling Green last season, she was able to transfer to A&M and get im-mediate playing time. The benefits of that move couldn’t be much higher for A&M. In the second day of the tour-nament, Grunden birdied six holes in a row on the back nine en route to a

score of 67 (-5) — the second best score of that day.

“When you have a good mental game, good stuff will happen,” Grun-den said. “After making the turn at 1-over, I just told myself to be patient and trust my routine. On 10, I chipped in, birdied 11, chipped in again on 12; after three birdies, I stuck to my plan of going for the middle of the green. Even after the sixth birdie, I stuck to my game plan and it paid off for me.”

Though they fell to eighth, the Ag-gies will be interesting to watch going into their final two tournaments before the Big 12s get underway.

Chandler SmithThe Battalion

Pg. 5-03.02.11.indd 1Pg. 5-03.02.11.indd 1 3/1/11 10:58 PM3/1/11 10:58 PM

thebattalion

people in the newspage 6

wednesday 3.2.2011

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ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S PUZZLE:by hook or crook

Surakshith Sampath — SPECIAL TO THE BATTALION

puzzle answers can be foundonline at www.thebatt.com

PRIVATE PARTY WANT ADS

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PLACE AN ADPhone 845-0569 or Fax 845-2678 The Grove, Bldg. #8901Texas A&M University

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the battalion

If You Have Something To Sell, Remember Classifieds Can Do It!

Call 845-0569

‘Two and a Half Men’ future uncertain CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves described the future of crisis-ridden sitcom “Two and a Half Men” as uncertain while star Charlie Sheen spoke of a drug-free life with two “goddess” girl-friends at his home dubbed Sober Valley Lodge.

Moonves, interviewed at an investors’ confer-ence Tuesday in San Francisco, said he hoped TV’s top-rated comedy would return to CBS, add-ing, “We’ll see.”

Sheen’s personal woes and public tirades against producers of “Two and a Half Men” reduced the show’s season, but Moonves said CBS isn’t suffering financially in the short term because paying for fewer episodes than planned of the expensive sitcom is “financially a gainer.”

“Going down the road ... I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said, then took a poke at Sheen’s ongoing media tour. “He’s on the air quite a bit these days. I wish he would have worked this hard to promote himself for an Emmy.” Sheen has been nominated four times for lead actor in a comedy series for “Men,” but has never won.

Asked on “Today” about reaction to previous comments in which he called himself “a total rock star from Mars,” among other startling de-scriptions, Sheen shrugged off the reaction.

“I am grandiose because I live a grandiose life. I’m tired of being ‘aw shucks.’ That’s not me. ... What’s wrong with that?” he said.

“Don’t remember, don’t care,” he said when asked the last time he’d used drugs.

Associated Press

Adrian Calcaneo — THE BATTALION

Pg. 6-03-02-11.indd 1Pg. 6-03-02-11.indd 1 3/2/11 12:43 AM3/2/11 12:43 AM

CONROE

CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

4th AnnualTEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAYMusic Fest & Chili Cook Off

Saturday, March 5th

Charlie RobisonDouble R Nothin Shellee Coley

Jubal Lee Young Scooter Brown Jesse Dayton

Sunday, March 6th

Cody Canada & The DepartedMason Lankford & The Folk Family Revival

Dustin Welch Band

March 5th (OPEN cook off) March 6th (CASI cook off) Heritage Place Amphitheatre in Historic Downtown Conroe, TXFor more info call 936-788-5819 or visit www.TexasIndependenceDay.org

$2500 Chili 1st Place Prize

transport.tamu.edu

Please be considerate of others and keep handrails and ramps clear.

There are over 300 bike racks on campus and a growing bike program now at Texas A&M. Help us clean up the campus and provide a bike program that Aggies can be proud of.

ving Forwarww d rr For You®

and be apart of the program!

Register your bike for free.

TAKE A PIECEOF A&M HISTORY WITH YOUReserve your 2011 Aggieland

The 109th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook — the Aggieland — will chronicle the 2010-2011 school year: traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, greeks, campus organizations, and seniors and graduate students.

By credit card go online to http://aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613. Or drop by the Student Media office, Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Cost is $64.90, including shipping and sales tax. Hours: 8:30 A.M. to �4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday.

‘The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this paper do not necessarily refl ect those of Texas A&M University, The Battalion or its staff.

MAILCALL GUESTCOLUMNSMake your opinion known by submitting Mail Call or guest columns to The Battalion. Mail

call must be fewer than 200 words and include the author’s name, classification, major and phone number. Staff and faculty must include title. Guest columns must be fewer than 700 words. All submissions should focus on issues not personalities, become property of The Battalion and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns. Anonymous letters

will be read, but not printed. The Battalion will print only one letter per author per month. No mail call will appear in The Battalion’s print or online editions before it is verifi ed.

Direct all correspondence to: Editor in chief of The Battalion

(979) 845-3315 | mailcall@thebatt.com voicespage703.02.2011thebattalion

EDITOR’SNOTE

MAILCALL

From Kyle Richter, senior mechanical engineering majorI would like to express my views on what is happening with the Corps of Cadets and the current elections for Yell Leaders. The incident with stealing the newspapers is another grievance in a long list of tasteless acts that the Corps commits every election season. The ‘Keepers of the Spirit’ shouldn’t think that they can get away with lying, cheating and stealing. I want this election postponed until all the facts are released, so that students can make a clear decision as to who they really want representing their university. I think the losses that The Batt will face (some $5,447.32 as stated in The Batt today) should be converted into a fi ne for “5 for Yell”. The only way to deter these activities in the future is to come down hard on this before it goes even further next year.Thank you for hearing my thoughts on the issue. I thank you for your time and have a wonderful day.

From George Gagnon, senior computer engineering majorThe voting season has begun with vigor at Texas A&M University. Across the campus, students with fl ashy signs yell slogans at class-goers in attempt to gain attention for their candidate. This year, two specifi c events have occurred that make this voting season stand out more than the other three I have experienced. The fi rst is that one candidate, in

an attempt to gain an upper hand in the race, shrewdly bought domain names it was considered likely for the other candidates to try and obtain. Consequently, the candidate was fi ned $270 for “sabotage”. Apparently, running your race no different than the hallowed politicians who run this country is a punishable offense? Our governing men and women advocate aggressive TV, radio, and internet ads that attack

other candidates. How is buying domain names

worse than that? The second event that happened is the candidate endorsement by The Battalion.

As a top-ranked campus

newspaper, I expected more from this newspaper. In

past years, The Battalion has always presented information on each candidate, including a picture and brief Aggie history. Throwing caution to the wind, The Battalion endorsed a candidate this year. This is un-acceptable, biased reporting, and should not exist in Texas A&M’s newspaper.

From Glenn Phillips, educational administration graduate student I was under the false impression that The Battalion was an opportunity for students to report on issues salient to the undergraduate experience, not a training ground for underpaid paparazzi with destructive agendas. Your attacks on Bowen and Light are more vindictive than educational, more an exercise

in schadenfreude than sharing information, more grocery aisle tabloid than responsible journalism. In the future, try to use university funds for more than trying to embarrass university students. Save petty gossip for your twitter accounts.

From Chloe Tucker, junior supply chain management majorI was extremely disappointed after reading the article on the front page today (Monday Feb. 28), for numerous different reasons. As you may know, today is the fi rst of two days of campus elections. Why, then, is The Battalion featuring an article that serves no other purpose than to shine an overwhelmingly negative light on a few number of candidates? Why not give the election, biggest story of today, a front page article? A very poorly written article, “Poor choices” contains many

contradictory quotes and seemingly pointless

statements. For example, who is the junior yell leader candidate

to whom you refer that

received deferred adjudication, and

why is this relevant to the article today’s election? If this candidate is Light, why the ambiguity and the dramatics? Then the article goes on to quote Light as saying he “didn’t actually drink in the parking lot,” immediately followed by a second quote saying that “drinking in the parking lot” was terrible. So which is it: did Light drink in the parking lot, or didn’t he? And what does this mean to voters today?

Also, why is mention of Austin Trahan’s missing of the Kansas game important? Removal from the ballot would exclude him from “candidate” classifi cation, and bringing his name and the corresponding three paragraphs in this article is a waste of text, only serving to (again) cast a dark light on a student. What I found to be the most ridiculous aspect of the entire article was your mention of Cody Howdeshell and his removal from the Yell Leader ballot in 2009. How is this AT ALL relevant to this year’s election? You have risked what remains of your credibility in this article by appearing to only be interested in digging up dirt on the Corps and the candidates they choose to represent the “5 for Yell” campaign. As someone who would enjoy to see a Non-Reg serve as a Yell Leader, even I see this as the lowest form of dirt-digging and mud-slinging. Honestly, including the races for Yell Leader and Senator and SBP, the only candidate that I have seen the Battalion support and fully respect is SBP candidate Hilary Albrecht. Even then, neither her platform nor her values were addressed, only her experience qualifi cations. Too many of the Battalion’s pages have been plagued with mistakes (the misspelling of the name of Senior Yell candidate Chad Chalker, and the incorrect attempt at its correction) or fi lled with one-sided, unclear coverage on “campaign sabotage”

and “poor choices” by the candidates. As a student who does not get a great feel for the candidates solely from their campaign banners and slogans, I rely on the Battalion for unbiased, honest coverage about those running for positions. As the Editor in Chief of the newspaper at one of the greatest public universities in the nation, I hope you understand the importance of treating your readers and those whom the papers cover with a great deal of respect. Students here deserve to have their names spelled correctly, relevant and complete information provided to them, and for the biased editorializing to remain on the Editorial pages and Opinion articles. I hope you do not fi nd this as a personal attack, as my intentions are not to make you “feel sorry” or to write an apology to those you have offended. I would hope, however, that you take my words seriously and rethink your plan of action. You have a responsibility to set the bar of performance high for your staff and Battalion staffs in the future. I believe The Battalion is capable of great things, and to risk losing credibility or the respect of students here at

A&M would be to jeopardize one of the great traditions of this university. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

From Michael Riemer, junior mechanical engineering majorAn Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do. This is what I thought of when I read the article about cadets stealing newspapers. How are we supposed to believe that people follow the honor code when the “keepers of the spirit” are openly breaking it in order to better their own cause? It is in my nature to trust people until they give me a reason not to. It makes me sick that members of the corps are giving me reasons not to trust my fellow Aggies. Someone getting an M.I.C. is bad but it happens and was unfortunate. The law handled it and it’s done. In my opinion stealing newspapers is much worse and hurts many more people than an M.I.C. The people that stole the papers were acting very selfi shly without thought to the fellow students they were hurting. I hope The Battalion does everything in their power to catch the people responsible and bring them to justice.

The ‘Keepers of the Spirit’

shouldn’t think that they can get away with lying, cheating and stealing.

This is un-acceptable,

biased reporting, and

should not exist in Texas A&M’s

newspaper.

Pg. 7-03.02.11.indd 1Pg. 7-03.02.11.indd 1 3/1/11 11:21 PM3/1/11 11:21 PM

Students, Faculty and Staff are invited to attend one of the noted

sessions to hear from Transportation Services

Executive Director Peter Lange regarding the completion of the

Ross Street Construction Project and the associated Pedestrian & Traffic Plan:

Wednesday, March 2 1-3 pm

Evans Library, Room 204 E

Friday, March 4 9-11 am

Rudder Tower, Room 401

transport.tamu.edu

THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY STUDENT MEDIABOARD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

Application forms should be picked up and returned to Sandi Jones, Student Media business coordinator, in room 013 of Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). Deadline for submitting application: 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2011.

An equal opportunity, affirmative action employer committed to diversity

EditorAggieland 2012Qualifications for editor-in-chief of the Aggieland yearbook are:

REQUIRED

during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate);

graduate student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met,

taken for that semester;

PREFERRED

Communication, Law, and Society) and ARTS 203 (Graphic Design I), or equivalent;

the Aggieland or comparable college yearbook.

thebattalion

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wednesday 3.2.2011

prize and goes home a winner. More importantly, students will be reassured that the MSC Bookstore supports students in every possible way.

“It is a good way for students to get their minds off of class and de-stress,” Kelley said.

Kelley’s program manager for Barnes & Noble College Book-sellers Brand Force, Courtney Levy, manages Brand Ambassadors from 15 different college campuses throughout the United States.

“I work with the Brand Ambassadors to develop on-campus marketing plans to help promote the bookstore on a college level,” Levy said. “Students understand their campus the best; I work with the students to develop plans that are tailored to their specific cam-pus.”

Kelley’s ultimate goal for the bookstore is for students to view

it in a more positive light. The MSC Bookstore has resources to help students in every aspect of their life and is a quick trip across campus instead of having the hassle of finding transportation to get whatever is needed. Kelley hopes to emphasize these benefits through the Study Break Event.

“Lindsey’s event allows students to take a break while studying, get re-energized with energy drinks she’s handing out and let out their stress by getting a quick massage,” Levy said.

Levy and Kelley both agree that students and the bookstore benefit from this event because it gives the students an outlet to relax while showcasing some of the many things the bookstore has to offer.

“Every student needs a break from studying and this event is awesome because it’s free for students to attend and this event sup-ports a safe, free study break, which is something I fully encourage all students to get involved in,” said Holli Tedder, a sophomore food science major and Fitness Forever trainer.

BookstoreContinued from page 1

UN suspends Libya from rights council

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — New Jersey’s flagship state university has decided to allow male and female students to share rooms in three dorms in an effort to make the Rutgers’ New Brunswick campus more inclusive for gay students after a highly publicized suicide last year.

Starting this fall, all students — whether gay, lesbian, trans-gender or heterosexual — can choose either male or female roommates under the pilot program. Men and women will share bathrooms.

A similar, but smaller, pilot program is being launched at

the Newark campus.A number of other schools,

including the University of Maryland, New York’s Co-lumbia University and Wash-ington’s George Washington University, offer similar hous-ing options, according to the National Student Genderblind Campaign.

Gay student groups have pushed for the gender-neutral housing policy for years.

But it got more attention after Clementi’s death when there was increased scrutiny of the way gay, lesbian and trans-gender students are sometimes treated on campus.

By Associated Press

The 192 U.N. member nations suspended Libya on Tuesday from the U.N.

Human Rights Council in the latest international effort to halt the Gadhafi regime’s violent crackdown on protesters.

The General Assembly voted by consensus on the council’s rec-ommendation to suspend Libya’s membership on the U.N’s top human rights body for committing “gross and systematic violations of human rights.” General Assembly President Joseph Deiss called for the vote and signaled its adoption by consensus by banging his wooden gavel.

The resolution sponsored by Arab and African states also ex-pressed “deep concern” about the human rights situation in Libya.

It is the first time any country has been suspended from the 47-member council since it was formed in 2006. Based in Geneva, the council is charged with strengthening the promotion and pro-tection of human rights around the globe.

Libya’s suspension from the rights body comes after the U.N. Security Council and United States’ imposition of sanctions on Moammar Gadhafi, his family and top associates, and the Arab League, the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Con-ference’s condemnation of Libya’s deadly attacks on civilians.

There have been no moves by the U.N. to create a no-fly zone, and the idea has been rejected by Russia. But British Foreign Min-ister William Hague said Tuesday that his country and its allies could seek a no-fly zone without a U.N. mandate.

Tuesday’s vote suspending Libya from the council does not per-manently remove it from the body, but prevents it from participa-tion until the General Assembly determines whether to restore the country to full status.

At a gathering of the U.N. Human Rights Council before last week’s vote there, Libyan diplomats to the U.N. in Geneva were given a standing ovation as they announced they were renouncing Gadhafi’s government. They, like Libyan diplomats to the U.N.

in New York, have supported the U.N. moves against the government.

In other U.N. action, the 15-member Security Council slapped an arms embargo, a travel ban and assets freeze on Gadhafi, his family and top as-sociates during an emergency weekend meeting. It also agreed to refer the case to the International Criminal Court at The Hague — a permanent war crimes tribunal — to investigate and pros-

ecute possible crimes against humanity.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the General Assem-

bly before its Tuesday action the collective acts send a strong mes-sage that “that there is no impunity, that those who commit crimes against humanity will be punished.”

Libyan authorities must end the violence and respect the human rights and aspirations of their people, said Ban. “The transition to a new democratic system of governance should start now,” he said.

Suspension of Libya from the rights council was heartily sup-ported by the United States, which has imposed its own sanctions on the Gadhafi government.

Venezuelan Ambassador Jorge Valero expressed reservations about the vote, saying “a decision such as this one could only take place after a genuine investigation.” Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said he would not condemn “my friend” Gadhafi.

Libya was among seven countries accused of human rights viola-tions, including Angola and Malaysia.

Anita Snow & John Heilprin Associated Press

Deiss

The Army plans to toughen its fitness tests for the first time in 30 years to make sure all sol-diers have the strength and en-durance for battle, adding ex-ercises like running an obstacle course in full combat gear and dragging body’s weight.

Officials at Fort Jackson, a major Army training center, said Tuesday the new regimen would replace twice-a-year testing that focused on push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run. Trials are starting this month at eight bases and the plan could be adopted Army-wide after reviews later this year.

The shift follows other Army efforts to overhaul train-ing, improve diets and help older soldiers keep fit.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, the head of Army training, said the fitness test had to be revamped

because repetitive exercises like sit-ups don’t translate into survival on the battlefield.

Unveiling the pilot to re-porters, he said the service was also adopting lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan combat vet-erans who had to learn in the field to carry anywhere from 40 to 70 pounds of weapons and body armor.

“Soldiers like to be chal-lenged. This will definitely challenge them,” Hertling said. “This is a good, combat-related test.”

The pilot program compris-es two new tests in place of the current exam.

The new “physical readi-ness” test adds such things as a 60-yard shuttle run and a stand-ing long jump to one minute of push-ups and a 1.5-mile timed run. This might be given every six months, said Frank Palkos-ka, head of the Army’s Fitness

School at Fort Jackson.A “combat readiness” test

includes running 400 meters with a rifle, moving through an obstacle course in full combat gear, and crawling and vaulting over obstacles while aiming a rifle. Soldiers also have to run on a balance beam while car-rying a 30-pound ammo box and do an agility sprint around a course field of cones.

To test pulling a fallen com-rade from the battlefield, sol-diers must drag a sled weighed down with 180 pounds of sandbags. That combat portion of the test might be given only before deployments, but that has not been decided.

The tests will be given to all soldiers and officers, including Army Reserves and National Guard, even those recalled soldiers who are now 60-years plus, officials said.

Susanne M. SchaferAssociated Press

Associated Press

The new Army fitness test

adds a 60-yard shuttle run

and a standing lomg jump to

one minute of push-ups and a

1.5-mile run.

University to have coed dormsRutgers to allow males and females to share rooms

Army toughens fitness test

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