thebattalion ● monday,
april 4, 2011
basketball
Still fighting
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
stephen hawking
Aggies beat Cardinal 63-62; earn spot in title game Mike Teague
The Battalion The two biggest shots in the history of Texas A&M basketball. That is what ESPN commentator Dave O’Brien coined A&M junior guard Tyra White’s final two buckets of Sunday’s National Semifinal at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. White’s lay-in with 3.3 seconds left in the game lifted the second-seeded Aggies to a 63-62 upset of No. 1 Stanford and sealed A&M’s spot in the school’s first-ever national championship game. The Aggies
overcame a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes to pull off the upset. “It’s time to make history,” said A&M senior guard Sydney Colson. “Forget that you’re tired and just push through it, and I think it’s exactly what we did.” The Aggies were led by White who scored a game-high 18 points including nine in the final five minutes. White hit 8-of-16 from the field and personified her role as Head Coach Gary Blair’s “silent asSee Basketball on page 2
J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
Stephen Hawking discusses his research on the relationship between time and the universe and its history in his lecture “The Origin of the Universe.”
Mind over motor World-renowned astrophysicist visits Aggieland for fourth time
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Texas A&M’s Danielle Adams embraces Sydney Colson after the team’s 6362 win over Stanford during the National Semifinals Sunday in Indianapolis.
David Harris: One miracle gives Aggies shot at title
T
hey just fight. They scratch. They claw. Foremost, they don’t panic. “We’re the type of team that never gives up,” said junior guard Sydney Carter. And because of it — after a stunning, gripping 63-62 victory over nationalpower Stanford in the National Semifinals — they’ve got a chance at immortality. Senior guard Sydney Colson had nine seconds and 94 feet to make a miracle happen. With no timeouts, there was no escaping the situation — down one
11-year-old Elaine Rubin whom was bouncing with excitement talking about Hawking, “and this time it was just so inThe Battalion teresting how he can go from one topic to An average typist usually punches out 60- the next and know so much.” 70 words per minute. Arguably the greatest Hawking opened by listing his predecesscientific mind of this generation types five sors in the field of cosmology and their conwords a minute. Stephen Hawking, world- tributions to science. renowned astrophysicist and Cambridge Hawking called the discovery of an exUniversity professor, spent weeks typing panding universe by Edwin Hubble one his speech for his fourth visit to Aggieland. of the greatest of any century. He added Hawking suffers from amyotrophic latthat Einstein’s theory of general relativity, eral sclerosis, more commonly known as combined with quantum theory, indicates a ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a disease that definite beginning and end to the universe. hampers the ability to control movement. This concept shattered the idea of an evHawking, however, has not let his condier-existing or everlasting universe, Hawktion impede his work or define him. ing said. Sunday, Hawking delivered a speech in The universe began with a big bang, that just under an hour discussing the origins of emitted small fluctuations in microwaves. the universe to more than 2,500 people in The cosmic microwave background is a Rudder Auditorium and to hundreds more map of the resulting positioning of microin an overflow viewing room across camwaves from the fluctuations, and provides pus. Hawking’s everyday language made a blueprint of the placement of stars and learning possible for all in attendance. “The first lecture I saw, I learned more See Hawking on page 2 than I had ever at any science class,” said
Emily Villani and Matt Woolbright
point in the biggest game in program history. The tough part was already over. Her team had been bruised and battered for the better part of 40 minutes. They had been knocked down, shaken by a Cardinal team sporting the biggest lineup in See Fight on page 2
Students raise money for cancer society
Aggie released from Syria Matt Woolbright
Mikey Dror
Special to The Battalion As the sun set over Aggieland Friday night, Penberthy Field was humming, and cancer survivors took the inaugural first lap of the sixth annual Aggie Relay for Life. The Relay, which took place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., is part of a nationwide campaign in the fight against cancer, featuring teams raising money for the American Cancer Society while taking laps to commemorate those lost to cancer and the survivors who struggled with the disease.
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Mikey Dror — THE BATTALION
Aggie Relay for Life coordinators used music, games and the Luminaria Ceremony to keep attendees awake. “Aggie Relay For Life is a lifechanging event that gives everyone in the Bryan-College Station area a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease,” said Hannah Winn, a senior biomedical sciences major and Aggie Relay marketing executive.
Though the attendees came together for various reasons, all were dedicated to the opportunity to Beat the Hell Outta’ Cancer, a mission reinforced by the yell leaders at the midnight yell practice. “I am dedicated to Relay, because I truly believe that the See Relay on page 2
The Battalion Mohammad Radwan’s father was told to drive to the Egyptian embassy in Syria Friday afternoon local time. When he arrived, his son who had been in captivity for about a week, was waiting for him. Minutes later they called the family to tell them the news. “I breathed a sigh of relief. All the tension that had built up just kind of melted away,” said Tarek Radwan, Mohammad’s brother. “I was just so happy to hear his voice.” Mohammad was given his personal things Friday morning local time, but he was not told he was free until he was handed over to Egyptian authorities. Mohammad was not mistreated because he was considered a “highprofile prisoner,” but he was forced to “admit” to things that never happened during the state-run TV interview, he told his brother.
“The main thing that stressed him out was not knowing anything,” Tarek said. “Just being cut off from the world, not knowing what efforts people were doing to help him get out and not knowing how long he would be in there.” The day after his release, Mohammad flew to Egypt with his father where he was reunited with his family, amidst a welcome-home party with a live band. Tarek said Mohammad was in good spirits when they spoke again Saturday night about some of the specifics. Melisa Valle, a close friend of Mohammad, planned a protest at the Syrian consulate in Houston Friday, but the event turned into a celebratory meal. Valle said the team was overjoyed and their perspectives had been changed. “I believe it was the love and understanding of everyone that got us through this experience,” Valle said.
4/4/11 12:04 AM