thebattalion asks
Q:
Are you going to watch the Royal Wedding?
thebattalion ● wednesday,
Shelby Watson, freshman education major
Throughout my childhood, all of our family dogs have been named after the royal family. Therefore I am definitely watching it. The only royal we have not named a pet after is Charles because my mom isn’t fond of him for obvious reasons.
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texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
SBP vetoes sex ed bill Naila Dhanani
I have to register for classes at 5:30 that morning so I will definitely be watching.
april 27, 2011
The Battalion Although entrenched in a sea of protests regarding the creation of a resource center in opposition to the GLBT resource center, Texas A&M might see some relief. Student Body President Jacob Robinson vetoed the controversial student senate bill, SB 63-106, the “Sexual Education Equality in Funding Bill” on Tuesday. “The [proposed] center has no definition. The services that some senators have proposed already exist in student counseling and adults, graduate and office campus student services. I can’t, in good conscience, support student fees going to services we already have,” Robinson said. Online petitions, tweets and notes on Facebook have stirred emotions from both sides. Student senators have not been immune to the controversy.
“We don’t want to slash funding of any organization. We [the Senate] were merely talking about equal spending. I’ve been accused of homophobia, an accusation I have been unable to defend myself on,” said Greg McDuffie, a senior economics major and student senator. Although she voted for the bill’s passage, Speaker of the Senate Hilary Albrecht said Robinson is right to veto the bill. “Given the dialogue that the bill has produced since its passage, the veto was arguably the right decision to make. I can’t say I regret breaking the tie in favor of the bill because it has produced valuable discussion this past week that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise,” Albrecht said. “On behalf of the Student Senate, I apologize for any ill-will that was perceived and apologize to everyone who was angered or hurt by the legislation.” Other senators have a different perspective.
McDuffie said implementing a resource center focusing on “family and traditional values” is in the best interest of A&M. “Student fees are not the only source of funding. We, the students, are not financiers. It’s very possible to fund a center without raising student fees and without defunding an organization,” McDuffie said. Brian Hutchinson, officer of Aggie Allies and junior economics major, is pleased with Robinson’s decision. “The student senate is ignorant of the issues facing the GLBT community. The bill presents a false dichotomy of the GLBT community not being part of the ‘traditional family values’ community,” Hutchinson said. Hutchinson said that members of the gay and lesbian community do have traditional values. The reason gay marriage and adoption
voices | 3-4 Senate bill reaction Read what the speaker of the student senate and other Aggies think about the Sexual Education Equality Funding Bill that was vetoed Tuesday.
See Bill on page 2
Procrastinating
& studying P
rocrastination leads to cramming and all-nighters with copious amounts of caffeine, energy drinks. However, cramming for exams is not only unhealthy, it is also counterproductive to the student.
Spencer Patel, senior finance major
No, I wish it was my wedding. But I am Tivo-ing it. Lauren Graham, junior agricultural communication and journalism major
Photo illustration by Paul Mezier — THE BATTALION
As final exams draw near, health professor encourages students not to cram for tests Trevor Stevens
I am recording it because it is way too early. Then I can watch it over and over again. Amy Urban, sophomore general studies major
The Battalion Many students depend on stimulation from caffeine and energy drinks to stay awake for late-night study sessions. Dr. John Simmons, assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, said energy drinks do not provide real energy. “Energy drinks are really a misnomer — they don’t actually provide energy. Energy comes from calories, which should come from nutritious food. What energy drinks provide is stimulation,” Simmons said. Energy drinks cause the body to simulate its natural responses to stressful stimuli, giv-
ing the feeling of alertness. This expends the energy acquired from nutrition, which is needed for the brain to function properly and store information. “For a brief amount of time you are more aware, but afterwards you feel worse. The bad news is short-term or long-term it can cause bad side-effects, such as raising blood pressure, causing you heart to skip beats or giving you false results on drug tests,” Simmons said. Sometimes a student’s schedule allots last minute studying, but many students would agree that planning ahead is more effective than studying the night before. William Simmons, a sophomore business adminis-
tration major, said studying the night before the exam is not fruitful due to the amount of stress. “Seems to me the less amount of stress I have the better the outcome on the test,” William said. “Once when I had to cram, I felt tired while taking the test and my overall comprehension of the material was not great. During the test I could remember studying the subject, but I could not formulate an answer.” Simmons said there is an effective way to cram — in short spurts. “We all do a little cramming before a See Cram on page 2
community
Cripple Creek fire raises safety concerns I will be up watching it because I will be signing up for my wonderful classes at 5:30 a.m. Chelsea Springfield, freshman general studies major
Pg. 1-04.27.11.indd 1
Mikey Dror
Special to The Battalion Two weeks ago the College Station Fire Department responded to a fire at Cripple Creek Condominiums, home to several Texas A&M students and located near sorority row. Before containment, the blaze caused major damage to 14 of 16 housing units, leading to the loss of tenants’ living spaces and possessions. The inferno was traced back to an improperly disposed cigarette butt left in a trashcan. Students are advised to watch out for careless mistakes such as these to ensure that their own homes do not necessitate 911 calls. Clements Hall Resident Advisor Micah Scott, a sophomore construction science major, has several suggestions on improving students’ fire safety in dorms. “Consult the Residence Hall Handbook, or go online to rha.tamu.edu, to
consult the list of approved and forbidden items for use in the dorms,” Scott said. “Even items you’re probably used to, such as candles, still pose a fire hazard and are forbidden in University housing.” While the restriction on common items may seem excessive for some, many understand that they are enacted for the benefit of the students. “I think it’s in our best interest. I mean accidents happen all the time and it’s just one way of preventing them,” said Cody Osgood, a senior industrial engineering major and third-year resident of the off-campus Woodlands Apartments. “With so many tenants living so close to one another, starting a fire would affect tons of us before a fire truck could get there.” When fire trucks do get involved, the smallest mistake could prove to be costly. See Fire on page 2
Josh McKenna — THE BATTALION
An apartment fire started when a tenant left a cigarette butt in a trash can, ruining 14 units.
thebatt.com
Mays students excel The Mays’ Business School Advertising Team took second runner-up in the districtlevel American Federation competition in Oklahoma City on April 12-18.
nation
Sony users info stolen Following reports of the system network being down for the week, Sony experienced a breach in its online gaming network. Over 77 million PlayStation user accounts containing names, addresses and credit card information have been subject to theft. Among other information stolen are the usernames, email addresses, passwords and birthdates. Associated Press
4/26/11 11:50 PM