faculty news
Professor creates language program This past week in Madrid, Spain, the next iteration of the C++ programming language, C++11, passed review by the technical standards committee. Texas A&M Distinguished Professor and College of Engineering Endowed Chair in Computer Science, Dr. Bjarne Stroustrup, designed and implemented the C++ programming language, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this past October. A&M Newswire
thebattalion ● wednesday,
april 13, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
campus news
Shack to help finance homes Aggie Habitat for Humanity raises money on campus Christine Perrenot The Battalion
Texas A&M University’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity is presenting the 2011 Shack-A-Thon in front of G. Rollie and Kyle Field April 11-15. “There are signs and things that increase awareness all around the area that tell what Habitat for Humanity does in the area,” said Kristin Petr, a junior nutritional sciences For more major and historian of Ag- info gie Habitat for ◗ http://www. Humanity. aggiehabitat.com This is the ◗ Visit the front of 13th year G. Rollie and Kyle the event has Field April 11-15. taken place. Habitat for Humanity holds an auction to raise money in the fight against poverty housing in the Bryan-College Station area. The event is educational for those participating and raises money to go towards building houses in the community. This year, $12,552 was raised by organizations that participated. “We held fundraisers and asked for donations,” said Scott Lovett, a junior
texas news
Houston denied NASA shuttle The Johnson Space Center in Houston isn’t getting one of four retiring NASA space shuttles, meaning the home of Mission Control will be left out when the fleet retires this year. Houston was one of 21 sites nationally in the running to receive either the Enterprise, Discovery, Atlantis or Endeavour. Officials chose Cape Canaveral, Fla., Los Angeles, suburban Washington and New York on Tuesday.
See Habitat on page 4
national economy
politics
Former Speaker visits A&M
W. Bush speaks on economy Former President George W. Bush said Tuesday that he is optimistic the United States can achieve 4 percent gross domestic product growth. His speech opening the twoday conference on economic growth kicked off their initiative to find ways for the economy to achieve 4 percent GDP growth.
national law
Capitol allows gambling The District of Columbia is becoming the first U.S. jurisdiction to allow Internet gambling, trying to raise millions of dollars from the habits of online poker buffs and acting ahead of traditional gambling meccas like New Jersey and Nevada. Permitting the online games was part of the 2011 budget and a 30-day period for Congress to object expired last week, said D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown, who authored the provision. Associated Press
Pg. 1-04.13.11.indd 1
Josh McKenna — THE BATTALION
Junior Shahrum Iqbal, electrical engineering major, is next year’s first sergeant of the N-1 Knights, a corps outfit for those in technical fields of study.
Defeating discourse Junior overcomes language barrier, becomes Deputy Corps Commander Christine Perrenot
Corps
The Battalion Commander Two months after moving to the U.S. from Pakistan, Shahrum Iqbal, ◗ Junior Patrick a junior electrical engineering major, Reeves was named started school at Texas A&M. He was Corps Commander for 2011-2012. named Deputy Corps CommandReeves er for the 2011-2012 school year in February. “Students who join the Corps live to standards. “I hope to increase the strength in a military environment while atof the Corps to 2,200 cadets and retending classes with the rest of their duce the amount of freshmen that fellow students at a contemporary drop from the Corps to 18 percent,” major university,” Iqbal said. Iqbal said. As first sergeant, Iqbal was reIqbal continues to be successsponsible for planning and supervisful and increase his responsibilities, ing daily training of the outfit of 85 showing his leadership skills. cadets. He now has plans for his roll “I am looking forward to providas Deputy Corps Commander. ing the best possible service to an “I want to keep scholastics as organization which has taught me a the Corps’ top priority by emgreat deal about leadership and charphasizing the talented people and acter,” Iqbal said. great resources available to cadets,” As a student, Iqbal understands Iqbal said. the need for great leadership and Iqbal trains freshmen and involvement in the Corps to repremakes sure everything is up
sent the University and the country. Iqbal’s goals have been met with hard work and perseverance. “I was pushed to my mental and physical limits, but every time I successfully overcame a challenge it made me a better and humble person,” Iqbal said. Iqbal moved to the U.S. in June of 2008. “My biggest challenge was to overcome all the cultural and language differences and barriers as a freshman, because I was coming from a different country,” Iqbal said. Because English is not Iqbal’s first language, there was often a struggle with the language barrier. “Nothing held him back,” said Jan-Ernst Young, Iqbal’s roommate. Young is from South Africa and understood the language barrier Iqbal dealt with after joining the Corps. “He is loyal to the Corps, pushes See Corps on page 4
Gingrich shares Pope John Paul ll documentary Robert Carpenter
The Battalion It’s that time of the year again – flowers blooming, birds chirping, temperatures rising and potential Republican presidential hopefuls touring red states. Campaign season has arrived. Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, visited the George Bush Presidential Library Center Tuesday, introducing his documentary “Nine Days that Changed the World.” The film chronicles the late Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to Poland, then a communist state. Gingrich said the Pope’s visit was the “beginning of the end” of the Soviet empire. “The emotional and spiritual and moral impact of what [the Pope] did, and the intellectual framework of what he communicated shook the Soviet empire,” Gingrich said of the importance of the Pope’s nine-day Polish visit. “The Pope’s message, ‘Be not afraid,’ his message that no government can get between you and God are as relevant in the United States today… as in Poland in 1979.” The event included an introduction from Jim Olson, a professor in the Bush School, and his wife, Meredith. Before coming to College Station, the couple served in the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) clandestine operations. The Olsons set the tone for the evening by sharing several experiences from their time in Moscow during the height of the Cold War. “Meredith and I wanted to do our part during the epic confrontation of our generation: the effort to contain and defeat cruel, oppressive and atheistic communism,” Olson said. See Gingrich on page 7
4/12/11 11:28 PM