thebattalion ● wednesday,
february 2, 2011
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texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
community
Bible study book signing
Osa Okundaye - The Battalion
Go ’fer spring Today is National Groundhog Day. Founded in 1841, legend has it that if it is cloudy today and the groundhog emerges and leaves from its burrow, winter will soon end. If, however, it is sunny, and the groundhog goes back into its burrow, winter will continue for six more weeks.
Founder of Breakaway writes framework for decision making Joe Terrell The Battalion Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point, deals with an interesting social phenomenon: when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass, or tipping point, is reached and it explodes into something much larger than its origin. Gregg Matte, class of 1992 and head pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church, experienced the tipping point in 1989 with a small Bible study at his apartment that has since grown into the largest on-campus ministry in the nation. He shares his story in the recently released book Finding God’s Will: Seek Him, Know Him, Take the Next Step, which speaks extensively on the creation of Breakaway Ministries at Texas A&M. “I wanted to write a book that I would want to read, too,” Matte said. “It’s a perfect book
Water main break An outside water line broke midmorning, Tuesday, affecting water usage for Cain Hall, The Grove and Clements Hall. “Someone who worked (at the Department of Residence Life) reported the break to me between 9 to 10 a.m.,“ said Linda King with the Department of Residence Life. University maintenance fixed the line and the water ran properly by 5 p.m.
See Breakaway on page 2
Stephanie Massey, staff writer
aggie spirit
Loftin plans office move For part of Texas A&M’s history, the president and executive leadership were housed in what is now the Jack K. Williams Administration Building at the main entrance to campus. A series of moves will be triggered across the campus including the return of the Administration Building to its original, historical purpose. This purpose is serving as the headquarters for the university leadership, including the Office of the President and Office of the Provost, as well as the majority of the vice presidents. A&M News
Osa Okundaye — THE BATTALION
How stimulants affect and pay you back Rebecca Hutchinson The Battalion Coffee and energy drinks are popular among college students who pull all-nighters to study for an exam or finish a paper, but some students go even further. The use of caffeine to keep awake is a widespread practice among Texas A&M students, however, the use of more dangerous prescription drugs has also become prevalent as a means of inducing focus. With the pressure and stress from school, some students take drastic measures. However, abusing prescription drugs can have fatal effects. “Taking stimulants to boost academic performance does not result in better grades,” said Traci Toone, health educator with student health services on campus. “Prescription drugs are meant to be used under the direction of a medical physician and only by the person in which they were prescribed.” Staying up late is an enticing option for students who work while
taking classes and are also members of organizations while attempting to fit in down time. Using stimulants is the solution for some students to gain an edge in their time spent studying or researching. Popular drugs abused by students for both academic and recreational purposes are those prescribed for ADHD or learning disorders, such as Adderall, Concerta or Ritalin. Individuals who consume these drugs and are not diagnosed with a learning disability will experience different effects that are damaging to the body and potentially fatal. “Users may feel jittery or jumpy, with increased heart rate and increased blood pressure,” said Debbie Wood, chief pharmacist in conjunction with Toone. “Consumption of stimulant drugs in an individual with an abnormal heart rhythm can cause sudden death.” According to one Aggie junior, these drugs are effective in keeping one focused but can lead to an inability to sleep or eat for several days.
Common sources In your daily addictions, there’s often caffiene. Below are some of the reports for common campus drinks Beverage Starbucks Coffee
mg/oz of caffeine 21.7
Red Bull
9.5
McDonald’s Coffee
9.1
Diet Coke
3.8
Dr Pepper
3.4
Coca-Cola Classic
2.9
Ginger Ale
0
SOURCE: http://www.energyfiend.com/
“This guy I know started taking Adderall again for finals and didn’t eat for three days afterwards because it curbs one’s appetite,” said a sophomore international studies major. Hearing about such practices on campus, some A&M students find it easy to have prescriptions refilled. As a reason to continue use, students who See Dependence on page 2
Muster’s past unveiled Alex Lotz The Battalion Aggies, know to come together on April 21st to celebrate past generations and learn stories of how A&M has changed over the years. However, there are some little known facts about Muster that have made it the time-honored tradition it is today. “Softly call the Muster, let comrade answer ‘Here’.” These words linger in Aggieland as the fallen in the Aggie family are honored, not only in the community, but around the world in hundreds of locations. Never has any tradition had as much pride and passion as that of Muster. It is more than
Tradition features Each day this week, a Battalion reporter will delve into the history of one of the A&M traditions students recognize. See Muster on page 4
world
Mubarak’s vow to resign after term fails to appease angry protesters Sarah El Deeb Associated Press President Hosni Mubarak defied a quarter-million protesters demanding he step down immediately, announcing Tuesday he would serve out the last months of his term and “die on Egyptian soil.” He said he would not seek re-election, but that did not calm the public fury as clashes erupted between his opponents and supporters. The 82-year-old Mubarak, who has ruled the country for nearly three decades, offered little protesters had sought after a dramatic day in which a quarter-million Egyptians staged their biggest demonstration yet. Soon after his speech, clashes erupted between protesters and government supporters in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, and gunshots were
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heard, according to footage by Al-Jazeera television. Watching his speech on a giant TV, protesters booed and waved their shoes over their heads at his image in a sign of contempt. “Go, go, go! We are not leaving until he leaves,” they chanted. One Mubarak man screamed, “He doesn’t want to say it, he doesn’t want to say it.” His speech came after a visiting envoy of President Barack Obama told Mubarak that his time in office was running out. Frank Wisner, a respected former U.S. ambassador to Egypt who is a friend of the Egyptian president, made clear to Mubarak that it is the U.S. “view that his tenure as president is coming to a close,” according to
an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the ongoing diplomacy. The United States has been struggling to find a way to ease Mubarak out of office while maintaining stability in Egypt, a key ally in the Mideast that has a 30-year-old peace treaty with Israel and has been a bulwark against Islamic militancy. Tuesday’s protest marked a dramatic escalation that organizers said aims to drive Mubarak out by Friday. In a single day, the protesters’ numbers multiplied more than tenfold, with more than a quarter-million people flooding into Tahrir, or Liberation, Square. Protesters jammed in shoulder to shoulder: farmers and unemployed university graduates, women in conservative headscarves and women
in high heels, men in suits and working-class men in scuffed shoes. Many in the crowd traveled from rural provinces, defying a government transportation shutdown and roadblocks on intercity highways. The repercussions were being felt around the Mideast, as other authoritarian governments fearing popular discontent pre-emptively tried to burnish their democratic image. Jordan’s King Abdullah II fired his government Tuesday in the face of smaller street protests, named an ex-prime minister to form a new Cabinet and ordered him to launch political reforms. The Palestinian Cabinet in the West Bank said it would hold long-promised municipal elections “as soon as possible.”
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