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Fire engulfs Campus View apartments A fire broke out destroying two apartments and damaging several others early Friday morning at Campus View Apartments at 401 Harvey Road in College Station. College Station Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at 2:12 a.m. and arrived at the scene at 2:14 a.m. The first responders reported heavy smoke and determined apartment #92 to be the origin of the fire. Evacuation of all apartment units in the building was carried out and crews able to enter the building established the fire had spread to the attic area. Flames were contained by 3:45 a.m., but fire squads remained on scene to continue extinguishing hot spots and to investigate the cause. According to the College Station Fire Marshal’s office, the cause of the fire was accidental. A freestanding lamp fell over and ignited the carpet. There were no reports of civilian injury and one firefighter was treated for exhaustion. A total of 14 residents were displaced due to the damage and are receiving assistance from the College Station Community Action Response Team, the American Red Cross and TAMU Critical Incident Response Team. Gayle Gabriel, staff writer
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january 24, 2011
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Miki Fan — THE BATTALION
Transfer students face tougher hurdles Connie Thompson The Battalion As Texas A&M December graduates walked across the stage and received their diplomas, they left behind a place they called home and an empty space in Aggieland that yearned to be filled. This spring that emptiness is packed with new Ags: transfer students. Transferring into A&M is no easy task. Prospective transfer students are selected through each individual college and department, while students with the higher grade point ratio and the most courses completed in the Degree Track for the selected major are given priority. Transfer students for the spring semester made decisions for A&M early in the fall since the applications were due Oct. 15. Students did not find
out if they were admitted until late November or early December. The Office of Admissions works to ensure that all students who are prepared to handle the A&M academic environment are given the opportunity to attend the University. The office produces numerous initiatives to assist prospective students in the important decision. The Office of Admissions and Records has the primary responsibility of disseminating admissions information and materials to prospective undergraduate students, acting as the catalyst in identifying the students who will be admitted to the University. Texas A&M University is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication and application of knowledge in a wide range of academic and professional fields. [We] are responsible for promoting
environment
the visibility of the University to prospective students, high school and college counselors and the general public. The Office of Admissions public relations initiative has caught the attention of numerous transfer students, including Molly Tafreshi, a sophomore who transferred from Blinn College for the spring semester. “Growing up as a Longhorn fan, I never imagined myself attending Texas A&M,” Tafreshi said. “Thankfully, the Aggie Spirit got the best of me, and I am now a proud fightin’ Texas Aggie.” As with new freshmen, transfer students are given numerous opportunities to get involved and learn what it means to be an Aggie. One of the first See Transfer on page 6
club sports
Students voice ideas for green fund spending Haley Lawson The Battalion Students and faculty of Texas A&M have the opportunity to present sustainable ideas to the Aggie Green Fund Advisory Board to determine Submit how the $3 green fund ideas paid by each Aggie will be spent. To learn how In the spring of 2010, to present your the $3 charge was implesustainable idea or to mented toward maklearn about the green ing the campus more fund itself, visit sustainable. The charge greenfund.tamuedu. was voted in by 57 percent support of the student population. “In the spring of 2010, a consortium of student organizations led the charge to implement a $3 per fall or spring semester fee or a $1.50 summer semester fee,” said Robbie Chimmino, chairman of the Aggie Green Fund. “This fee will generate approximately $300,000 per academic year for sustainability initiatives.” Students can present ideas to the Aggie Green Fund Advisory Board to potentially be chosen for projects funded by the Green Fund. “We are looking for students to come to the Aggie Green Fund as a great way to get their sustainable ideas funded,” Chimmino said. “We are a board of nine members [six students, three faculty and staff] who vote on grant proposals.” Many Texas universities are implementing projects similar to the Aggie Green Fund. Members of the Aggie Green Fund Advisory Board said they would like to keep A&M at the forefront of the sustainability movement. “We hope that Texas A&M can continue to be at the forefront of Texas universities implementing similar projects, that other Texas school in Austin included,” Chimmino said. “Aggies
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Stephanie Leichtle — THE BATTALION
Students are encouraged to recycle plastic bottles and paper materials in the above bins throughout campus. voted to get this funding, now we want them to start spending it.” The projects chosen by the board will receive adequate funding to execute the project. Many examples of projects are recycling programs, access to more local and organic foods and energy efficiency. “Students can get involved by identifying environmental improvements that could be made on campus, formalizing their ideas and applying for funds to get them enacted. A few examples of projects that other schools’ have funded include energy efficiency improvements, expanding recycling programs, increasing local and organic food options and many more,” said Jason Wagner, statistics graduate student board member and marketing officer. The fund will be intended to provide environmental and efficient improvements to the See Funds on page 2
Courtesy photo
The Texas A&M ice hockey team will face the University of Texas at 8 p.m. Friday at Chaparral Ice in Austin.
Ice hockey gears up for postseason Adrian O’Hanlon III Special to the Battalion Imagine the bone-crushing hits from football games, the speed and agility of basketball games, the sharp passing seen on the soccer field and the strategic defensive play of baseball all combined into one team on skates striving to continue making history for Texas A&M. This is the scene of the A&M ice hockey club team preparing for another historic postseason run. Nathan Banks, self-proclaimed big-hitting center and senior engineering technology major, explained the significance of carrying momentum into the regional tournament. After posting a record of 18-7-0-1 in the first half of this season, the team gained a No. 8 ranking
in the region after an upset of the No. 1 Colorado State Rams. He said the team thrives on working together and they can count on each other to continue the push to the national tournament of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). “We’re pretty confident we’ll be making the trip to the tournament this year, and with a couple wins, we’ll make it to nationals,” Banks said. Nick Xenakis, right wing and senior engineering technology major, expressed the significance of bonding with teammates off the ice toward manufacturing a premier team. Xenakis, team captain, said teammates study together on road trips, go out to eat together, See Hockey on page 6
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