thebattalion ● monday,
april 14, 2014
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2014 student media
Custodial banquet is a go despite budget tiff Fish Aides seeks SGA funding for event
AGGIE GOLD
Aimee Breaux The Battalion
The Association doles out 4,000-plus new rings (Above) At the Clayton Williams Alumni Building, 4,327 students received Aggie Rings on Friday. (Left) Benjamin Knox, Class of 1993, paints a Ring Day scene and sells prints Friday.
baseball
Sunday win nabs Vanderbilt series, 2-1
Photos by Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION
Brandon Wheeland The Battalion
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ashville, Tenn., played host to Texas A&M’s 2,500th baseball victory in program history as the Aggies claimed two of three wins in a weekend series against the No. 7 Vanderbilt Commodores. With a 10-4 Friday victory, the Aggies became the first program in SEC history to reach the 2,500-win plateau. Twenty-three total runs were scored in the series for A&M at Hawkins Field as the team provided Vanderbilt its first home series loss since 2012 against South Carolina. Krey Bratsen provided three of the eight A&M hits in the rubber match Sunday, driving in two runs and scoring two more in the 8-2 victory credited to sophomore pitcher Grayson Long. Bratsen went a perfect 3-for-3 on the day including a walk, two doubles and two stolen bases. Cole Lankford chipped in with two of his own runs batted in on a pair of sacrifice flies. Catcher Troy Stein aided in the victory with a 2-of-4 day, which included two runs scored. Long scattered 11 hits across 7.2 innings, but allowed just two runs in the effort. In his 121-pitch performance, 75 were strikes and he allowed just one extra base hit — a double to Commodore outfielder Rhett Wiseman. The win improves him to 4-1 overall on the season. Jason Jester was on the mound as A&M’s Friday starter, searching for the first outs of a ballgame rather than his regular role of closer. The senior went four innings in his first career start, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out four of the 20 batters he faced. Parker Ray (4-2) pitched the remaining See Baseball on page 4
thebatt.com
Softball drops series to No. 4 Tenn.
sustainability
Howdy Farm brings market close to A&M Vendors to sell fresh goods at brewery Alexander Nelowet The Battalion
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owdy Farm will have its inaugural farmers market Thursday, which will host a variety of vendors selling items such as fresh-picked farm vegetables, homemade goods, locally brewed beer and fresh eggs. “There is a lot of variety — someone with eggs, including quail eggs, a lady who makes homemade jam, a lady who makes homemade soap and bread, there are two people who make jewelry, a lady who grows plants, some olive oil and of course all of the vegetables,” said Taylor Paine, Howdy Farm farmers market coordinator. Howdy Farm, an on-campus, student-run farm, typically sells its produce at the market held at the Health Services Center in Bryan on Saturday mornings, Paine said. Chris Weingart, co-owner of Blackwater Draw Brewing Company, where the market will be stationed, said he thinks the parking lot is a great place to put on a farmers market because Blackwater is centrally located
PROVIDED
Edith Orozco, Class of 2013, works in the Howdy Farm greenhouse in the fall. on Northgate and because there is walking traffic near the brewpub. “We thought it would be a good opportunity to put a farmers market in the centralized location,” Weingart said. “There is a strong
See Fish Aides on page 2
Trash Off groups bag B-CS litter Elizabeth Evans The Battalion
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inside culture | 2 Downtown Bryan art fair The Downtown Street and Art Fair brought artists out to downtown Bryan to showcase their artwork Saturday.
service | 3 Buck Weirus recipients honored
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hen Fish Aides began hosting annual custodial banquets, the organization had two priorities — show gratitude for the people who work behind the scenes at the University and expand the banquet. Whereas in past years the organization has received some of the banquet’s funding from the Student Government Association, this year Fish Aides is seeking alternative sources for funding after the SGA denied its funding request in October. Cash Fields, Fish Aides chair, said this year’s banquet will be held Monday to acknowledge the people who do the unnoticed, but essential, tasks from taking out trash to cleaning restrooms. “They do get a paycheck from the University … but I still think that they deserve a ‘thank you,’” Fields said. The organization reached a goal last year by raising enough money to invite all 535 custodians, but an increase in invitations requires an accompanying increase in budget. For now, The Association of Former Students has provided funding for the use of the Gates Ballroom as well as decorations and Chartwells has agreed to cater the event at a discounted cost, Fields said. “[Chartwells has] partnered with us and given us an unbelievable discount, and has partnered with us to give custodians time off,” Fields said. “They did the same thing last year, so we are so grateful for that.” Fields said Fish Aides would be able to pay only a portion of the payment to Chartwells the day of the event. Fields said a party associated with Fish Aides has agreed to pay for the catering and will be compensated afterward. Fields said the organization is now requesting funding from the SGA reserve budget. Gracie Wood, a student senator who authored a bill requesting a hearing in Student Senate for Fish Aides, recently filed a petition with the Judicial Court of SGA stating that Cary Cheshire, Student Senate finance chair, has been repeatedly ignoring Fish Aides requests for a hearing to request money for the banquet. In the appeal, Wood cited an email from the finance chair wherein Cheshire said he would “perform his job with minimal effort” if she and Fields continued to contact him about
See Farmers market on page 2
A&M suffered a 5-3 home loss to the Lady Vols in the series-deciding game Sunday.
An award ceremony Sunday recognized students who embody Aggie spirit through their actions.
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Photo by Matt Wong, graphic by William Guerra — THE BATTALION
Ryan Yeung, senior kinesiology major, collects trash as a part of Texas Trash Off at Edelweiss Gartens park off Wellborn Road.
rmed with work gloves, trash bags and litter grabbers, almost 600 volunteers took to the neighborhoods, parks and highways of the Brazos Valley on Saturday as part of the annual Texas Trash Off. For 14 years, Keep Brazos Beautiful, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation’s statewide “Don’t Mess With Texas” campaign, has hosted the event to raise awareness about the harmful effects of litter in the community. Amy Reed, executive director of Keep Brazos Beautiful, said the event draws volunteers from across Bryan-College Station to clean up their community. “We get our volunteers out and about in the community to get them to see how dangerous it is to fling litter out of their cars,” Reed said. “When they’re out there picking it up, they can see with their own eyes how harmful it is.” Reed said littering is a learned behavior and said this event teaches people not
to litter as well as to prevent others from littering. Texas Trash Off provides an opportunity for residents to see different parts of their community, Reed said. “Lots of our College Station volunteers get to see parts of Bryan they’ve never seen and vice versa,” Reed said. “Also, it’s a chance for community members to get to know their neighbors.” Last year, 400 volunteers collected more than 12 tons of litter and 400 discarded tires from 21 different locations in just more than two and a half hours, Reed said. A total of 580 volunteers participated Saturday across 27 different locations, including eight teams of Texas A&M students. Ryan Yeung, senior kinesiology major, volunteered with Epic, an Asian American Christian campus-outreach organization. He said his group worked in the Edelweiss Gartens subdivision of College Station. “I have a love for the community and I recognize all that the Bryan-College See Trash Off on page 3
4/13/14 8:08 PM