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Student senate meeting Coverage of Wednesday’s meeting can be found online, including the discussion regarding instate tuition for illegal immigrants.
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april 25, 2011
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Making a statement
Book signing scheduled Tuesday Thomas M. Hatfield, author of Rudder: From Leader to Legend, will sign copies of his biography of Gen. James Earl Rudder from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday in Rudder Exhibit Hall, which is part of the large theater-office complex named in honor of the World War II hero and former president of Texas A&M. Copies of the book will be available in the exhibit hall as well as at the MSC Bookstore. Hatfield’s book, the first comprehensive biography of Rudder, was formally unveiled during campus ceremonies March 24, with Hatfield recalling his long association with Rudder in various capacities and the years he spent researching and writing the 528page book.The book’s release date coincided with Aggie Muster, April 21. Staff and wire reports
inside
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scene | 3 Dat Phan show The Asian President’s Council presents a comedy show at 7 p.m. today with Dat Phan, the 2003 winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, in celebration of Asian Heritage Month.
sports | 5 Weekend on the diamond The Aggie baseball team swept Oklahoma State in this weekend’s series at Olsen Field while the A&M softball team split its series in Norman against Oklahoma.
Courtesy photo
Aggie Allies and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Aggies march April 15 to raise awareness for students in the GLBT community.
Bill comes to one vote
EDITORIAL
Keep the Aggie family together
T
obin Boenig, class of 1995, had been a former student for just over a week when disaster struck. The 2011 Muster speaker told of a tragic accident that paralyzed him.
Naila Dhanani
The Battalion Rep. Wayne Christian of District 9 introduced an amendment to the Texas House Budget that would require Texas A&M University, as well as other universities, to fund a center promoting “family and traditional values.” The amendment states: “An institution of higher education shall use an amount of appropriated funds to support a family and traditional values center for students of the institution that is not less than any amount of appropriated funds used by the institution to support a gender and sexuality center or other center for students focused on gay, lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, transsexual, transgender, gender questioning or other gender identity issues.” This amendment passed the Texas House of Representatives by a vote of 110 for and 24 against. A&M’s student senate introduced a bill supporting this legislation, and at Wednesday’s senate meeting, it passed. The bill states it will support Christian’s amendment and asks that funding for tra-
He continued to share how the Aggie family surrounded and supported him. This is what makes Texas A&M special, the love and support we have for one another. Just a day before Boenig delivered his speech, the Texas A&M student senate, whether intentional or not, alienated many of our own. The sexual education equality bill, SB 63106, was passed at the last full senate meeting of the year. The bill states that it is “supporting an amendment before the Texas Legislature to require GLBT resource centers to provide matching funds to traditional sexual education, and asking that such funding not be acquired through increased student fees.” The bill does not request funding to the GLBT resource center be cut directly, but it asks for the currently allocated funds to also fund a “traditional” resource center There is nothing wrong with providing a
EDITORIALBOARD The Battalion’s editorial opinion is determined by its Board of Opinion, with the editor in chief having final responsibility. Matt Woolbright Editor in Chief junior sociology major Jill Beathard senior English major
Josh McKenna freshman biology major
Megan Ryan Managing Editor senior English major Connie Thompson junior communication major
Taylor Wolken junior economics major
See Senate on page 7
GLBT, Aggie Allies march for progress
GUESTCOLUMN
Armando Rojas: Senate bill does not speak for all students
Rosalee Getterman
W
ednesday, the Texas A&M student senate voted to support SB 63106, the so-called “Sexual Education Equality in Funding Bill.” The bill supports Texas State Rep. Wayne Christian’s (R-Center) amendment to the state budget bill, requiring university GLBT centers to provide matching funds to “traditional
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wider scope of services if there is truly a need to fill. However, if asking to expand services, students should be prepared to pay the costs rather than forcing another program to decrease the services they provide for those in need. Aggieland prides itself on being a fountain of new ideas and creativity, and this is a time when a new idea is needed. Perhaps rather than creating two centers to help students in need, we could fund an extension of the resource center to include help for “traditional values” and GLBT students. This would be much more cost effective for the students than running two midsize centers with the same goals. Under one roof this umbrella center could allocate its funding according to demand rather than assuming the needs of GLBT and “traditional values” communities are equal. “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” President Abraham Lincoln was absolutely correct. We cannot, and should not, divide our family over a matter of funding. As written, SB 63-106 divides the Aggie family; this bill needs to be withdrawn, and alternative solutions should be considered. If Aggies stop putting family first then Texas A&M becomes like any other fouryear institution.
sexual education,” whatever that means. In the bill, the authors purport to voice the “opinion of the students of Texas A&M University” in support of this measure. To be perfectly clear, the authors and Senate do not speak for me. I hope other Aggies agree. See Guest on page 4
Special to The Battalion Some had mouths taped shut; some brought along pets, and some proudly displayed the well-known rainbow flag. Students and faculty marched through campus in support of Aggie Allies and the Texas A&M GLBT groups on campus. The march was organized by Brad Dressler, the chairman of Aggie Allies. The organization is composed of members whose goal is to provide a safe place and a listening ear for the Texas A&M GLBT community. “Marches promote awareness,” said Camden Breeding,
a junior electrical engineering major and president of the Texas A&M GLBT organization. “The reason it is today is because today is the day of silence which is a way to represent the silencing affect of homophobia, biphobia, etc., so you see the duct tape and it represents the silence you feel when you’re in the closet and have to hide who you are.” Many students had individual reasons for participating including raising awareness of Aggie Allies and the GLBT community on Texas A&M’s campus, “[Aggie Allies and GLBT] provide support, a family See March on page 4
4/24/11 9:20 PM