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So close The No. 5 Aggies squandered a second-half lead and lost to No. 1 Baylor 67-58 Monday in Waco. See page 5.
● tuesday,
february 15, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
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Aggies lobby for concealed carry
Court starts warrant amnesty The College Station Municipal Court and other Brazos County courts that handle Class C misdemeanors are offering warrant amnesty which began Feb. 14. Law enforcement will be arresting those with Class C warrants during the Warrant Round Up Feb. 28-March 11. It is likely those with warrants that do not take advantage of the Warrant Amnesty could be arrested during this time. Citizens are urged to contact courts where the case is filed if they are uncertain whether they have a warrant or not. Cases and warrants can be checked at www.cstx.gov/ warrants or by calling the College Station Municipal Court 979-764-3683.
Students will go to Austin to support the bill for Texas Rebecca Hutchinson
The Battalion A team of Texas A&M students will be heading to Austin to lobby state legislatures to support the concealed carry on campus bill on behalf of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. The group has yet to determine a date of departure. Though Senate Bill 354 was rejected in 2009 by state legislatures, the issue is being readdressed. One of the primary authors is Republican Sen. Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio, who said those who carry concealed handguns on campus would hinder a shooter from acting. The officers of the group said arming students and staff would make campus safer. “We feel it is a good time to start sending constituents to meet with their representatives down at the Capitol and share their story to show how removing this self-defense prohibition is important to them,” said Derek Titus, a senior industrial engineering major and co-chairman of the group. The organization is planning on sending those students who
Christine Perrenot, staff writer
inside
See Guns on page 2
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faculty
Obesity causes concern
scene | 3
Aggie competes for trip to North Pole Milena Warns, class of 2000 is competing for a trip to the North Pole. The winner of the contest gets the opportunity to be Quark’s official North Pole blogger, with his or her work published on Quark’s website.
voices | 8 Majors and manners Certain classes can be filled with students who neglect basic etiquette for attending school. While it might be entertaining to those particular students, it can be irritating to surrounding Aggies.
Photo Illustration by Josh McKenna — THE BATTALION
Senior sprinter Jessica Beard joined track during high school, not fully committing until her junior year. Beard wins in the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, improving to hold the world-leading time in the 200 meter and the top college time in the 400 meter for the current year.
Re-formed Senior A&M track star refines running form while working with campers
Austin Meek
The Battalion Jessica Beard, a senior speedster re-writing the Texas A&M women’s track record book, uncovered a critical puzzle piece to her successful season in an interesting place this summer: a kids track camp that the team put on for children. While the collegiate athletes showed campers the running basics,
Looking forward ◗ NCAA Championship meet March 11-12 Beard was able to critique her style during the teaching lessons. “My start [out of the blocks] has always kind of been my weakness, and so in the summer it’s funny that it
clicked. I was like, ‘Me trying to teach these kids how to do it right, I finally learned how to do it right — and it just took me three years to do it.’” Whatever it was those kids taught her, it’s working. Last week at the Texas A&M Challenge, Beard won her third consecuSee Beard on page 4
Texas A&M professor aids research for State Health Policies Trevor Stevens
Special to The Battalion Obesity has become an epidemic in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every five children is obese; and chronic diseases associated with obesity, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. In Texas, state officials are turning to Texas A&M and the University of Texas to review and assess two public health policies. E. Lisako McKyer, assistant professor of health education at A&M, is leading the research for the two CDC promoted policies. “If we allow childhood obesity to go unchecked, we’ll end up with a decline in the U.S. population’s ability across several domains,” McKyer said. “We won’t be able to compete physically, mentally, industrially, scientifically, socially. We’ll simply be too sick from obesityrelated conditions to be competitive in the world.” See Obesity on page 6
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