campus news Students interrupt Corps ‘chow’ time
thebattalion ● friday,
Thursday night during Corps of Cadet’s “chow” time a group of students from Northside dorms entered Duncan Dining Hall and caused a disruption. This event is called “Viking Dorm Dinner” by its participants. The group went through the food line, some using their hands to scoop food out of the communal pasta dishes and dumped the food from the plates onto the trays resulting in a back up of the food line and contamination of the pasta. The group then began to throw food. Cadets approached the group asking them to stop, but the group refused. Higher-ups were called in and the group exited Duncan only to walk around the Quad yelling. “This has happened all four years I’ve been here … I just feel it’s a lot of ill will that shouldn’t be there,” said Sam Johnson a senior history major in B1. Christina Renfrone, a sophomore, participated in the dinner. “This is Viking Dorm Dinner, it’s a tradition where we come to Southside and eat,” she said. See more on thebatt.com.
april 8, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
campus
Immigrant bill OK’d by student senate A&M student body president plans to veto measure Naila Dhanani
The Battalion As a senator in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, senior animal science major Justin Pulliam introduced the “Tuition Equality Support Bill,” otherwise known as SB 63-98, March 23. This bill passed with a vote of 27 for and 25 against at Wednesday night’s senate meeting. This bill is a lobbying bill. It states Texas A&M University will support upcoming legislation in the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature that will end in-state tuition waivers for undocumented immigrants. “I fully think passing this bill is the right thing to do. It’s not right that students who have struggled to come here legally are paying much more than people who are breaking the law,” Pulliam said. Not everyone agrees. “With the Texas Legislature the way it is, I would think that [Pulliam] knows this is the last chance to try and convince our representatives of getting rid of SB 1528 (in-state tuition), so even if it doesn’t pass in our student senate he would still be sending a message to them,” said Maria Cabello, a sophomore aerospace engineering major and senator-elect in the College of Engineering. Despite the bill passing with a majority, student body president, Jacob Robinson said he plans to veto the See Senate on page 4
Katie Marie Pogue, staff writer J.D. Swiger — THE BATTALION
inside
b!
scene | 3
‘Mauritius’ StageCenter Theatre provides both drama and community to Bryan-College Station. This month’s production is the former Broadway play Mauritius.
sports | 5 Walk-up songs Members of the baseball team discuss their different walk-up songs and what the songs mean to them.
Lilliebeth, Aaron, and Pollyanna Halling joined the Corps of Cadets as freshmen even though they are classified as sophomores. The Halling triplets transferred in from Texas A&M Galveston.
Tuneful triplets Halling siblings share birthday and play in the Aggie Band April Baltensperger
The Battalion Most students are happy to leave their brothers and sisters behind when headed off to college. The Halling triplets are an exception to this norm. LillieBeth, Aaron and Pollyanna are triplets who not only attend A&M together, but share the experience of being freshmen in the Corps of Cadets as well. “Having my siblings along for the adventure could not be more of a blessing to me. They are my best friends, and I want to share everything in life with
them, so why would the Corps or college be anything different?” Lillie Beth said. “There really are no lows to having my siblings by my side. They’re my best friends so it is natural that I would want my best friends to be by my side. Going to the same college also means that we are never alone. We always have someone there for us that we can count on and know that we are there for each other. No matter what, we are there.” Being a freshman in the Corps of Cadets can bring on challenges See Triplets on page 4
Aggie multiples ◗ Twins: John & Kirk Mason, class of 1984, were divers for Texas A&M ◗ Twins: Tim and Tom Menefee, class of 1978 ◗ Twins: Andrew and John Kenner, class of 1987 ◗ Triplets: Alex, Andrew and Ben Warren, class of 2010 ◗ Quadruplets: Daniel, Kayla, Patrick and Reagan Thompson, class of 2010
Aggie organizes 24-hour football game Austin Burgart
The Battalion College students might feel like they are putting in a 100-hour workweek and still feel like they don’t have any money. There are more than 7,000 children in Ghana and western Africa who go through this every day. The plight of these children inspired Chris Fields, class of 2005, to do something to help. When he returned from a mission trip in 2009, he set out to raise money to aid these child slaves. The non-profit Mercy Project was founded to help in the economic development of western Africa to ease the reliance on slave labor. Since its incorporation 18 months ago they have been active in our community having events, raising money and setting Guinness world records. “Last year we set a Guinness world record with a 50-hour kickball game,” Field said. “This year our big event is our 24-hour game of flag football. This is the event people See Football on page 4
campus
asian heritage month
A&M vet school to have open house Saturday
Asian President’s Council impacts students with events
Stephanie Massey
The Battalion The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences will have its 18th annual open house from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The event will showcase many different animals, fun events and give the public a chance to see what actually goes on in the veterinary school behind closed
Pg. 1-04.08.11.indd 1
doors. “Open House is an exciting event that offers an exclusive look behind the scenes at one of the nation’s top veterinary schools and features a day full of animal-related fun for people of all ages, said Dayna Willems, executive director of the event. “If you have ever See Vet on page 7
Rebecca Hutchinson
Courtesy photo
Boy Scouts observe bone structures from different species of animals at the open house in 2009.
The Battalion In an increasingly globalized world, the impact countries make on one another intensifies, leading to cooperation, and for some A&M students, the necessity for greater understanding among the general population. For this year’s Asian Heritage Month at A&M, the Asian President’s Council will have events with
the goal of impacting their fellow Aggies and fostering greater diversity and exposure to the Asian culture. “We’re an umbrella organization under the Department of Multicultural Services, and our purpose as an organization is to unite the Asian community in order to promote awareness of Asian culture on campus,” said Ghazal Asrar, a senior poSee Asian on page 7
4/7/11 7:17 PM