MONDAY, JANUARY 14 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA
Defeating opioid death Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
Left: Quick-response kits include naxolone, a syringe, gloves and other items needed to administer the drug to people who have overdosed. Right: Professors Joy Alonzo (left) and Marcia Ory lead the Texas A&M Health Science Center Opioid Task Force.
Health Science Center provides critical training to students, law enforcement By Sanna Bhai @BhaiSanna A Texas A&M Health Science Center initiative looks to provide life-saving training to combat the growing number of deaths from opioid overdoses. There were over 63,600 opioid overdose related deaths in the U.S. in 2016 and there has been a 28 percent increase among the 15
to 24 age group since 2015, according to the CDC. A&M’s initiative — led by the health science center’s Opioid Task Force — will focus on training students to administer the overdose reversal drug naloxone, often sold under the brand name Narcan. Regents and distinguished professor of public health Marcia Ory and assistant clinical professor of pharmacy practice Joy Alonzo have led the task force since its creation in January of 2018. The task force has members from numerous fields, including pharmacy, nursing, medicine and dentistry. There are also faculty members and student ambassadors from universities and
cities across Texas. The program aims to correct common misconceptions and help students and community members recognize what an overdose looks like, Ory said. “People are familiar with students who drink too much alcohol; you give them coffee, take a walk or hit them on the head,” Ory said. “None of that is appropriate. You will die anyway [in an overdose]. That’s why it is important to understand what an overdose is and how you treat it and the dos and don’ts.” The task force has created quick-response kits that include everything needed to safely
administer naloxone to individuals who have overdosed. “The point is that if you overdose on opioids, you can die,” Ory said. “What we are training people is to understand how you can prevent deaths. This is what is called harm reduction.” Naxolone is used to reverse the effects of the overdose and put the patient into immediate withdrawal, Alonzo said. While the drug is not addicting, it is not a cure. It is only intended to save lives. “It’s not treatment,” Alonzo said. “All it OPIOIDS ON PG. 2
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The 86th Texas Legislature kicked off its session in Austin over the winter break. Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
Sophomore center Ciera Johnson scored 18 points and made 11 rebounds, leading the Aggies to a victory over Alabama on Sunday.
Aggies roll past Crimson Tide at home Women’s basketball team finds confidence after Alabama victory By Abigail Ochoa @AbigailOchoa88 The Texas A&M women’s basketball team captured its second consecutive victory on Sunday, defeating Alabama 7043 at Reed Arena. “We put away the game in the third and it sure felt good,” A&M head coach Gary Blair said. “We needed this. Every win has been a grind for us. I told the TV crew we will not score in the 50s this game. But we got up to the 70s and that is like hitting a 100 for us the way it has been going lately. Give our kids a lot of credit.” A&M took control of the game early on and didn’t let up, leading by five or more in each quarter. Sophomore center Ciera Johnson led the pack with 18 points and 11 rebounds, making for her fifth double-double of the season. Fellow guards, sophomore Chennedy Carter and junior Sham-
bria Washington, were not far behind, with 11 points for Carter and a career-high 14 points for Washington. “Defensively, we held [Alabama’s] Cierra Johnson to 2-of-11 and Jasmine Walker to 3-of-11,” Blair said. “Some of it, they just didn’t hit her shots… but I think the key to the ball game was Shambria Washington. She ran the ball and played for 35 minutes.” This is the second consecutive game in which the Aggies were able to hold their opponents to 43 points. A&M defeated Vanderbilt 50-43 on Thursday, making for its first road game victory since the Maui Classic in early December. Both victories were credited to the Aggies’ dominant defensive play. Washington and sophomore forward N’dea Jones contributed to the defense’s success, combining for six steals and 22 rebounds. Alabama head coach Kristy Curry said her team’s performance was uncharacteristic, but she hopes returning to its home court will offer the team comfort in the next matchup.
“I thought we gave up offensive rebounds, our free throws, which we worked on for two days … just a lot of mistakes that we haven’t been making,” Curry said. “A lot of self-induced errors that you can’t do, and our effort today was poor.” This win comes just one day after the A&M men’s basketball team traveled to Tuscaloosa and defeated Alabama 81-80 with a buzzer beater by sophomore guard TJ Starks. Johnson said securing the win is something that gives the entire team an extra boost as they prepare to face SEC opponents in the remaining regular season. “It boosts our confidence, it just shows what we’re capable of, and that we can do this,” Johnson said. “We just have to stay focused mentally and physically and we can pull off these kind of wins.” A&M moves to a 13-4 (2-2 SEC) record, while Alabama falls to 9-8 (1-3 SEC). The Aggies will be back on the road to face the Georgia Bulldogs on Jan. 20 at 3 p.m.
Holiday recap The Battalion looks back on a few of the break’s big stories from B-CS and Texas By Henry Mureithi @HenryMureithi5 Texas A&M may have been quiet over the winter break, but a lot was still happening in Texas and in Bryan-College Station. Here are some of the most important developments. Texas legislature convenes Jan. 8 marked the first day of the 86th regular session of the Texas Legislature since the November 2018 elections. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, replaced Joe Straus as Speaker of the House. With a significant push from re-elected Governor Greg Abbott, the legislature is poised to focus on school finance and property tax reform — both key issues in education funding debates. Bryan City Council annexation plans On Jan. 8, the Bryan City Council voted unanimously for a resolution to annex about 7,500 total acres of land that includes the Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Campus. The campus, which serves as a hub for advanced research and development, is expected to foster urbanization of the surrounding area, and the resolution reflects the council’s intention to organize and control that growth. RECAP ON PG. 2