thebattalion ● monday,
january 13, 2014
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2014 student media
William Guerra — THE BATTALION
munized is one that affects more than the individual, said CDC spokesperson Jamila Jones, as someone who does not get an immunization could potentially put people with health conditions at greater risk. “Everyone should get a flu shot,” Jones said. “By getting the flu vaccine, especially college students, it helps prevent spreading flu to friends and family who are at high risk. So even if we were in a regular season where H1N1 wasn’t the predominant strain, you could still be a risk to people who are at high risk and may have complications such as grandparents, younger siblings, people you live with in the dorms who have other ailments and conditions including asthma and diabetes.”
Homer Segovia The Battalion
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new semester can offer more experiences, more activities and more chances to catch the flu. Dr. David Teller, associate director for medical services at the Beutel Health Center, said when students choose to not get immunized against the flu it leads to a decrease of something known as herd immunity. “Many students at TAMU have historically chosen to not be immunized against the flu,” Teller said. “This loses some of the herd immunity benefits — this is where everyone has been vaccinated so there are fewer that will contract the flu and therefore less likely to spread the disease. The peak months for the flu are January and February so there is still time to get immunized. We still recommend that students get the flu vaccine.” The decision to get im-
Tony Rojas, junior psychology major, said his whole family recently caught the flu. “It can be difficult to concentrate on homework or study when you are congested, tired, etcetera,” Rojas said. “I did not have a flu shot because I did not feel it was necessary. I figured rest, hydration and over-thecounter flu medicine would suffice. I do wish I had gotSee Flu on page 3
Degree’s return nets positive response
Peak flu months a cause for concern Beutel offers flu vaccinations, appointments available online.
Journalism back after decade-long hiatus Lindsey Gawlik The Battalion
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fter removing the degree a decade ago, Texas A&M University will reestablish the journalism major as part of the University Studies program and will be accepting students for the Fall 2014 semester. In order to foster competitiveness and sustainability, the College of Liberal Arts plans to only accept 25 freshmen into the major per year, but admission will also be open to current students who are still under the hours cap for changing majors and have completed journalism courses, said Dale Rice, head of Texas A&M journalism studies. Rice said the response has been overwhelmingly positive and he has already been contacted both by incoming students and current freshmen and sophomore journalism minors about the possibility of entering the program. “I think there has been a very high interest among students,” Rice said. “It’s going to make us very attractive to students who were not considering A&M because they wanted a journalism degree in the liberal arts area and they weren’t able to get the degree [through A&M].” Rice said the smaller numbers will help ensure that the program does not grow too large to be maintainable, a problem that contributed to the journalism degree program’s elimination nearly a decade ago. Rice said the curriculum will build on the existing journalism minor and include additional courses. The degree will also require students to have two minors — one from the College of Liberal Arts and one from another college. Mallory O’Sullivan, sophomore telecommunication media studies major, said she was surprised the University reinstated the journalism major because she thought the journalism minor was already successful. “On one hand, I feel like it was a smart decision because students may bypass A&M for a journalism school,” O’Sullivan said. “Now they can receive a journalism degree while still attending a large
Graphic by William Guerra, photo by Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION
THE NEXT GENERATION Clay Koepke: National title hopes don’t follow Manziel out the door
B
eing an Aggie fan throughout the early 2000s was not the easiest task. Overwhelmed by an immense amount of Texas T-shirt fans, the fans of
Texas A&M, young and old, waited patiently for their time. Insert Kevin Sumlin and Johnny Manziel. See Manziel on page 2
Bryan Johnson — THE BATTALION
Quarterback Johnny Manziel will forego two years of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft.
See Journalism on page 2
faculty senate
Meeting to refine core curriculum John Rangel The Battalion
T
he Texas A&M Faculty Senate will meet to discuss core curriculum changes prompted by revisions to Texas state education law in the first meeting of the Spring 2014 semester. This meeting marks the beginning of a semester agenda that will include discussion on the selection of a new Texas A&M president and the construction of several new oncampus parking garages, said Walter Daugherity, Faculty
Senate speaker “[Monday’s meeting agenda] is occupied primarily in approving new core curriculum courses since the state changed the rules on core curriculum,” Daugherity said. The changes to Texas A&M’s core curriculum under consideration were prompted by a 2009 report to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that recommended the first revision of Texas’ core curriculum since 1998. According to the coordinating board’s website, universities such as Texas A&M
have until Fall 2014 to implement the revised core curriculum for incoming freshmen. Monday’s meeting will include several special consideration items. Thomas Linton, executive committee member and professor at Texas A&M Galveston, said one of the items he will be advocating for would create a Master of Maritime Administration and Logistics Distance course at Texas A&M Galveston. “By 2020, world trade is expected to double and the need for maritime professionals will
significantly increase,” Linton said. “The Galveston campus is the Maritime Academy for the State of Texas and the only one in the Gulf of Mexico. We’re training quarterbacks here to manage the world [trading] fleets.” In addition to curriculum changes and discussing new presidential candidates, Daugherity said Faculty Senate members will consider several proposals to build new on-campus parking garages and possible parking fee increases as the semester progresses.
John Stallone, past Faculty Senate speaker, said Faculty Senate’s current activity is typical of its mission statement. “The TAMU Faculty Senate is the sole representative body for all University faculty and their interests,” Stallone said. “Two key roles that the Faculty Senate plays are in the process of shared governance in the operation of the University and in the formation and revision of the student course curriculum.” The meeting will be Monday at 3:15 p.m. in Rudder Tower 601.
thebatt.com
A&M prof to lead workshop Jan Hughes to share research theory on the effect of child play on academic development Monday at St. Thomas Learning Center.
Gungor to perform The Grammy nominated collective, Gungor, will perform at 7 p.m. Monday at the Grand Stafford Theater in Downtown Bryan.
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sports/campus
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thebattalion
Manziel Continued from page 1
The dynamic duo found a way to transform our traditionally known “hick� and “uncool� University into the cool place to be, and dare I say, the new powerhouse in Texas. Since Kevin Sumlin and the explosion of the Johnny Football saga, recruiting has been at an all-time high. Bluechip recruits are committing to A&M over top schools in the nation, including that other school in Austin. Currently, A&M holds the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, trailing only Alabama. Think of the recruiting success as mixing a drink. The glass is the University. Start with a large quantity of Kevin Sumlin, the recruiting mastermind and “swagcopter� CEO, add a Heisman-winning quarterback, a splash of a $450 million playground renovation, along with state-of-the-art facilities and you have a pretty tasty pitch. Who wouldn’t want to drink that? Aggies everywhere need to thank and stand by Manziel as he takes the next step to the NFL — not just for his mind-altering plays on the gridiron, but for what he has
thebattalion THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE
OF
TEXAS A&M
SINCE
1893
Jake Walker, Editor in Chief THE BATTALION is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com. Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising, call 979-8452687. For classified advertising, call 979845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@ thebatt.com. Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.
done for the University. Whether ESPN is talking about Manziel’s latest tweet or about being the first freshman to win the Heisman, A&M is in the limelight and now one of the premier names in all of college football, a large part of which came by the arm and legs of No. 2. With Manziel announcing his eligibility for the 2014 NFL draft this April, Aggie national championship hopes are not leaving with him. Manziel wasn’t the peak of Aggie football, he was the turning point of Aggie football. And this year’s recruiting class proves that. A&M has addressed the need on the defensive line by getting a verbal commitment from the No. 5 overall recruit and No. 1 ranked defensive end in nation, Myles Garrett. Being tabbed “The Incredible Hulk� while being compared to Jadeveon Clowney, it’s safe to say the man is a freak (and I mean that in the best way possible). In the Under Armour All-American game, Garrett posted an impressive six tackles, including one sack and four tackles for loss. With Garrett’s explosive quickness and massive 6-foot-5, 247 pound frame, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think Garrett will make an instant impact on the Aggie defensive line the minute he steps foot on campus. More good news came from the UA All-American game when the No. 8 overall player and No. 1 athlete in the nation, Speedy Noil, shocked many people by choosing Texas A&M over home-state favorite LSU. Noil is a lightning quick player who defines the word versatile. At Edna Carr High School in New Orleans, La., Noil played quarterback, running back and wide receiver — excelling at all three positions. His blazing speed was on display at the UA All-American game where he posted three catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Be on the lookout for the “Speedy Gonzalez� package featuring A&M’s two speedsters, LaQuvionte Gonzalez and Noil, next season. The 6-foot-7 wide receiver Frank Iheanacho (“Nacho� is going to be the next great nickname) added his name to the long list of talented A&M recruits when he announced his intent to attend A&M. Iheanacho is a big, strong outside threat that will combine with 6-foot-5 Ricky SealsJones to help fill the shoes of Mike Evans, who will be joining Manziel in the NFL Draft. The 2014 recruiting class has many more big names and explosive talent and the 2015 class is already shaping up to be a dandy. Manziel and Sumlin created a standard at Texas A&M and the most talented high school football players in the nation are noticing. So sit back and enjoy being the “it� university in Texas, because college football kickoff is only 226 days away.
Clay Koepke is a senior agricultural communications and journalism major and sports editor for The Battalion.
Journalism Continued from page 1
university. On the other hand, the field of journalism is changing so rapidly, \
Better clinic. Better medicine. Better world.
Bryan Johnson — THE BATTALION
A&M could field three first-round picks in the upcoming NFL draft, including Johnny Manziel.
I’m concerned about how the course requirements and content will reflect those changes.� O’Sullivan said even though she is interested in journalism, she does not plan to change her major. She said she believed the telecommunication media studies major offered her more options and has a wider range of skills she can learn. Incoming freshman biomedical science major, Blake Powell, said the return of the
journalism major looks to be a very positive decision and could definitely influence fellow incoming students to apply to and attend A&M. “The reason that many of my friends did not consider the school was the preconceived idea that A&M is based off the military, engineering, pre-vet and pre-med,� Powell said. “With a competitive aspect of journalism, I think it would open a lot of people up to not only consider a major in the news department, but
also show people that A&M has diversified past what people previously thought.� The proposal to bring back the major was first approved by the College of Liberal Arts then all other colleges before it was approved by the Undergraduate Instruction Committee and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, sending the degree proposal to the Faculty Senate where it was passed as a resolution Dec. 9.
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Flu Continued from page 1
wish I had gotten the flu shot though.” More than 20 flu-related deaths have been reported this season in Texas alone, a season that has seen the H1N1, or “swine flu,” virus make a comeback in the media. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are now 35 states reporting widespread activity and 20 states reporting high levels of influenza-like illness. “H1N1 is in the news now because that’s one of the predominant viruses this season and we’re hearing a lot about it because it usually impacts younger people,” Jones said. “That’s something that we don’t see in our typical flu seasons but when we have H1N1 we are seeing that it impacts young people more than the usual population.” Although it may have seemed as if H1N1 had disappeared when the immunizations against the strain were first widely administered, Teller said this is not the case. “H1N1 never went away,” Teller said. “More people have been immunized against this strain and more people have since contracted the illness. This is a particularly virulent strain so it has caused more problems.” Jones said adults between the ages of 19 and 24 were particularly impacted when H1N1 first made a name for itself in 2009, a problem which was expounded by the low immunization rates among the same group. This year is no different. Jones said according to mid-November estimates, only 31 percent of people ages 18-49 were vaccinated, a statistic that is 10 percent lower than what is typical. Although the CDC wants everyone to be immunized, Jones said everyday preventative action is just as important. “If you’re sick with flu, stay home,” Jones said. “Don’t go to class if you’re sick and limit your interaction with people and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth because germs spread that way. And of course what we say all the time, wash your hands often with soap and water to prevent the spread of illnesses.”
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classifieds see ads at thebatt.com
monday 1.13.2014
PLACE AN AD Phone 845-0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University
WHEN TO CALL 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day
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$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.
HELP WANTED House cleaner wanted for five hours every week on Thursday or Friday morning, $12/hr, 919-351-9687.
FARM/RANCH Aggieland Alfalfa. 50lb compressed Alfalfa bales, 50lb compressed Timothy bales. Call or text orders to 806-683-2916.
FOR RENT 1bd/1ba sublease, Parkway Place Apartments on Harvey Mitchell Parkway, $550/mo, all utilities except electricity included, available immediately, call 915-740-6007. 3bd/2.5bth, 2100sq/ft in Bryan, nice neighborhood, professionally repainted, and pets allowed w/deposit. 1200/mo. For other Details call David after 5, 979-324-9902 Just available! Close to campus, College Main and Eastgate areas. 2bd/1ba., some w/dishwasher, 1-fenced, some bills paid. $325-$450/mo. 979-219-3217. Large 3/2/1 on bus-route. W/D, $1200/mo. 1431 Magnolia Drive. 214-914-4305.
PART TIME TEACHERS, Primrose School of College Station currently has several positions for qualified part-time teachers. All part time positions are 3:00pm-6:00pm Monday thru Friday. Excellent opportunity for education majors seeking part time employment. These positions require criminal background checks and FBI fingerprinting. Previous experience caring for children under the age of 5 years is required. Applications are now being accepted at the school. If you are qualified and seeking part-time employment in a rewarding environment, please visit the school to complete an application. Primrose School of College Station is located at 1021 Arrington Rd., just north of the HEB in the Tower Point Center, near Highway 6 and William Fitch. The school is opened Monday through Friday 6:30am-6:30pm, come by anytime during these hours to fill out an application. You are encouraged to bring a resume as an attachment to your application.
HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $100-$200/hr, up to $1000/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com Cleaning commercial buildings at night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031 for interview. Cotton Patch, College Station 979-695-9707, now hiring servers, hosts, cashiers. Apply between 2-4 pm at Rock Prairie Rd and Hwy 6. Floor Attendants wanted at Brazos Bingo, shifts available Mondays Saturday 5:45P.M.-10:00P.M., Sundays: 5:15P.M.-10:00P.M., and 1:00P.M.-4:00P.M. on Wed. and Fri. Call (979)774-7266 for an interview.
Golf course maintenance position: Local country club seeks individual for general golf course maintenance. Duties include but are not limited to mowing, trimming, and raking sand traps. Work with a modern line of well-maintained equipment. Fill out application at Miramont maintenance facility, 4133 Boonville Rd. Bryan, TX 77802; or contact Riley Maxey at 979-412-1047 maxey@miramont.cc
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PRIVATE PARTY WANT ADS
Senior wanted for part-time office assistant work in Bryan. Extremely flexible hours, $12-$14/hr, with an opportunity for full-time employment after graduation. Attention to detail is critical. Please send resume with schedule of availability to pkammerer@kapproservices.com.
HELP WANTED The Battalion Advertising Office is hiring a clerk to work Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30pm-2pm. Student must be able to work all three days. If interested, please come by The MSC, Suite 400, from 8am-4pm., ask to speak with Joseph or Patricia.
REAL ESTATE B/CS. Sell/Buy/Invest! Michael McGrann TAMU ‘93 Civil Engineering 979-739-2035, mike@aggierealtor.com Nadia McGrann 979-777-6211, Town & Country Realty. CS 3/2 Duplexes, shuttle, $229,900, Town & Country Realty 979-777-6211, 979-739-2035 aggierealtor.com.
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battalion Classified Advertising Easy Affordable Effective For information, call 845-0569
puzzle answers can be found on page 2
TAKE A PIECE OF A&M HISTORY WITH YOU (if you haven’t)
Reserve your 2014 Aggieland The 112th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook will chronicle traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, Greeks, ResLife, and campus organizations, and will feature student portraits. Distribution will be during Fall 2014. Go to http:// aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979.845.2696 to order by credit card. Or drop by the Student Media office, Suite L400 in the Memorial Student Center. Hours: 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday. Pre-order your 2014 Aggieland yearbook and save more than $10.
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