thebattalion l wednesday,
march 27, 2013
l serving
texas a&m since 1893
l first paper free – additional copies $1 l Š 2013 student media
University police search for missing A&M student T
Chase Krumholz — THE BATTALION
Units in the Corps of Cadets “dress right dress� to align with the cadets farthest to the right Tuesday afternoon on Simpson Drill Field as staff sergeants grade the cadets’ drill precision.
campus news Funeral set for cadet Funeral arrangements have been made for Miguel Hernandez, a Texas A&M Corps of Cadets member killed in a car accident earlier this month. Visitation will be at 6:30 p.m. April 5 and the funeral service will be at 2 p.m. April 6, both at Houston Spanish Spring Branch Seventh-day Adventist Church. Staff report
inside sports | 2 A&M earns shutout victory Senior Rafael Pineda and the A&M pitching staff threw a shutout game while the offense scored early and often, garnering A&M the weekday victory.
arts | 4 GIs of Comedy Read about the four veterans who visited A&M Tuesday on a comedy tour aimed at giving back to fellow soldiers and military supporters.
campus
Research week plumbs student innovations John Rangel
The Battalion tudent researchers and research enthusiasts are coming together from labs and academic haunts scattered across A&M to highlight breakthroughs made this year by the student body. More than 600 students will present and compete in a variety of research topics at the 16th annual Student Research Week, SRW. With its Tuesday kickoff, SRW runs through Thursday, when students will be awarded recognition for their work by a group of judges. Held in the MSC ballroom and surrounding space, the program aims to recognize and celebrate student research at A&M by fostering an environment for students, faculty, and staff to learn about ongoing research conducted on campus. Erica Gacasan, freshman biomedical engineering major and student volunteer for SRW, said bringing recognition to the work done on campus is important to all students, regardless of academic background. “A&M is an innovative campus,� Gacasan said. “There are groundbreaking things going on here. It’s important to know what [is
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Staff report
being researched] because eventually you will be faced by its implications.� This year’s theme is “Where Curiosity Speaks.� Inspired by Steve Jobs — who once said, “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, everything else is secondary� — SRW aims this year to provide students a chance to showcase their discoveries. For Michelle Ramsey, A&M biology doctoral student, curiosity led her to discover a new method for potentially understanding the way certain diseases are caused and thus how they can be prevented and cured. “A lot of cells [in the body] function based on their orientation towards the cells around them,� Ramsey said. “When these cell patterns are disrupted, it can cause things such as developmental disorders and polycystic kidneys.� Ramsey said her research focused on the way photoreceptors in the human eye are arranged, and how these cell patterns in the cornea show possible similarity to structures found elsewhere in the body. She said while it was well understood that their genetic pathSee Research on page 2
campus
Students commit to day-long worship Chris Scoggins
The Battalion fter a morning of nearly freezing temperatures, a group of students completed a 24-hour worship session at Rudder Fountain Plaza. Heart of Worship — held from 8 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday — was organized by students who encouraged others to join in public worship, professed the Christian faith and took prayer requests. “It’s what God calls us to do,� said Brandon Shirk, freshman business administration major. “It’s a way that we grow in faith and sharpen other believers in Christ.� Jack Stephenson, junior university studies major, and his collaborator Conner Wright, junior information and operations management major, put the event together. The two were inspired to organize the event after witnessing a 72-hour complete Bible reading. “I think it is good just to publically declare your faith,� Stephenson said. “We have the ability to worship openly on campus and so we want to take advantage of that.� Stephenson said the appeal of the event lies in its simplicity, explaining that during some of the larger-scale worship concerts the event becomes more about the participant’s experience than about the worship.
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David Cohen — THE BATTALION
Students gather during a 24-hour worship session organized by two Christians who wanted to encourage students in public worship. Heart of Worship aimed to make worship the primary focus by keeping the experience simple but uplifting. “Proclaiming your faith in public is a hard thing to do,� said Thai Ho, freshman biomedical sciences major. “The ability to do that is one of the greatest forms of worship.� Students were given the opportunity to sign up as worship leaders and perform
he University police seek assistance and information regarding the whereabouts of a missing Texas A&M student. Andersen Oldham Puckett, junior computer science major, was last seen leaving the University Apartments at 10 p.m. Sunday wearing a jacket and dark colored jeans, according to University police. Puckett is a white male, 19 years old, 6’0�, 140 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes. He drives a 1997 white Ford Explorer with a Texas Andersen Puckett license plate, VDG655. Puckett was reported missing by his parents, and those with information regarding his location are asked to contact University police at 979-845-2345. There were no updates on Andersen at the time of press.
during the event. The performances lasted from 30 minutes to an hour while other students interacted with passers-by. “We have experienced joy in Christ and we cannot help but to worship him,� Stephenson said. “It’s this overflow of joy we have in having a relationship with him and it has presented a lot of opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people.�
La. man pleads not guilty to extortion Professor’s widow says husband was ‘good man’
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Louisiana man pleaded not guilty to a charge of using an underage girl to extort money from an A&M professor, who jumped to his death from a campus building in January. A judge in Houston on Tuesday ordered Daniel Timothy Duplaisir of Metairie, La., to remain in jail without bond. His trial is scheduled for May 28. Authorities allege that Duplaisir used the girl to lure James Aune, professor and head of the Communication Department, into a sexually explicit online relationship and then contacted Aune, acting as an outraged father, to demand money. Daniel Duplaisir Court records show text messages between Duplaisir and Aune that indicate the threats to publicize the relationship contributed to the communication professor’s decision to jump from Northside parking garage. FBI investigators used text and email conversaJames Aune tions found on Aune’s campus computer and iPhone to determine that Duplaisir had been threatening to call police and Aune’s employers if he did not send him “something like $5,000,� according to the affidavit. Aune transferred Duplaisir $1,000 initially and promised to send more money in January, according to the FBI document. Aune texted Duplaisir the morning of Jan. 8: “Killing myself now. And u will be prosecuted for black mail,� according to the affidavit. The widow of Aune, Miriam Aune, said her husband was a good man who was “very human with flaws, just like all of us.� She said Tuesday she’s not excusing her husband’s actions but that he was duped by Duplaisir, who she says orchestrated the scheme for money. She said her husband had been depressed for several years before his suicide. Associated Press
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