thebattalion l friday,
november 15, 2013
l serving
texas a&m since 1893
l first paper free – additional copies $1 l © 2013 student media
‘we remember them’ Remembrance set for Monday Caroline Corrigan The Battalion
M
onday will mark the 14th year the Aggie community has come together to remember the 12 killed in the Aggie Bonfire collapse of Nov. 18, 1999. For the first 10 years after the collapse, family members were heavily involved with the ceremony and have since shifted more of the responsibility to the students. The ceremony will be held at 2:42 a.m. Monday at the Bonfire Memorial. The event is to be more of a celebration of the lives of the fallen than previous ceremonies. The ceremony will open with a moment of
silence initiated by the Yell Leaders and followed by the singing of “The Spirit of Aggieland.” Ryan Crawford, head Yell Leader and senior political science major, said he will speak and read the poem, “We Remember Them,” for the lives lost. “In a similar spirit to Silver Taps and Muster, Bonfire Remembrance is a way for us to stand and say ‘here’ for our fallen Aggies and to let their families know that we are here to support See Bonfire on page 2
FILE
Bonfire Remembrance will be held Monday at the memorial.
RING DAY COME TRUE Samantha Latta
The Battalion or most Aggies, Ring Day is a time of joy and pride as they place a symbol of their identity and accomplishments on their right hand. But as students pose for photos and receive congratulations from friends and family, they may forget the students who should be sharing the experience, but can’t afford the expense. This year, senior communication major, Leslyn Felder, and senior economics major, Gretchen Gerken, teamed up to make a difference in their friend Tacho Fernandez’s life. When Fernandez, a senior political science and philosophy double major, wasn’t going to be able to afford his ring, Felder and Gerken created a PayPal account and Facebook event to raise money. “When it comes to Ring Day, everybody gets so excited, but then tends to forget the fact that not everybody gets [a ring],” Felder said. “That was the biggest thing for us that made us realize that Tacho [Fernandez] may not
F
parking
Tension brews over garage additions
Friends rally around goal of student’s ring fund get his ring if we don’t do something about it. I can’t imagine him not being a part of that — he deserves it so much. I thought if I walked away with a ring and he didn’t, something is wrong with the world.” Felder and Gerken said the idea first came while listening to a speech given by former Student Body President John Claybrook at last year’s Aggie Muster. “[Claybrook] was talking about his time at A&M and how one of his greatest experiences was watching a group of friends band See Fernandez on page 2
Plan draws varied reaction from Student Senate, transportation John Rangel The Battalion
A
Senior Tacho Fernandez, blindfolded, awaits the announcement that his Aggie Ring has been funded.
inside news | 3 Workshops geared for women The Women’s Resource Center will host two workshops this weekend — the Start Smart Salary Negotiation workshop and and the Green Dot Bystander Intervention — to address several issues faced by female students.
music | 3 Hullabalooza After the death of her boyfriend, festival cofounder, Amy Durand has watched the event continue.
BAT_11-15-13_A1.indd 1
COURTESY
Ellis Field will be the site of the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
soccer
Bryan Johnson — THE BATTALION
Ellis Field to host tourney
A&M matches up with Utah in NCAA 1st round Clay Koepke The Battalion
T
he NCAA Championships are set to begin as the Texas A&M soccer team hosts the Utah Utes (10-4-6, 6-3-2 Pac 12) in
an NCAA Championship firstround match kicking off at 7 p.m. Friday at Ellis Field. The fourth-seeded Aggies (17-4-1, 9-2-0 SEC) were able to clinch an automatic bid in the NCAA Championship after securing their first SEC title in a 2-1 comeback victory over No. 5 Florida in the SEC Tournament. The match against the Utes
will mark the 19th-consecutive time Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri has led the maroon and white to the postseason. “It’s just surrounding yourself with great coaches and great players,” Guerrieri said. “I think a lot of people don’t really think about how tough it is to be good every See Soccer on page 4
new project may soon be added alongside ongoing Kyle Field construction, but the proposal to add a fourth parking garage to the University’s planned parking expansion is not without controversy as students and Transportation Services clash over possible parking rate increases. The inclusion of a Kyle Field parking garage, in addition to three others tentatively planned, could potentially increase parking pass costs by either 20 or 22.5 percent over the course of several years, said Peter Lang, executive director for transportation services. Lang said the figures are far from finalized. “The plan is not a done deal,” Lang said. “[We’re] seeking guidance on what to do. We’ve talked about doing some different scenarios. [It is] kind of a moving target and it’s still something that’s very much up in the air.” The possibility of increased parking pass costs drew condemnation from the Student Senate on Wednesday as they passed an emergency piece of legislation expressing opposition toward a parking garage construction funded by increased parking fees. “The vote for the Kyle Field renovation fee last spring was predominantly against raising student fees to fund additions to Kyle Field,” said student senator Matt Valentin, sophomore political science major. “I don’t believe that this will be any different. With two other garages nearby, this may be a hard sell for students and staff that need to park on campus.” Lang said Transportation Services and the Council for the Built Environment have been discussing possible new parking See Parking on page 4
11/14/13 9:49 PM