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The Mobile Device Driving ordinance prohibits the use of handheld devices while operating a vehicle.
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The Distinguished Lecture Series invites speakers in the fields of kinesiology, health, physical activity and sports management to A&M.
Health professionals to present research at Distinguished Lecture Series By Sayali Shelke @sayali_fog Since 2010, the Department of Health and Kinesiology has hosted the Distinguished Lecture Series, inviting leaders in the fields of health education, kinesiology, sports management and physical activity to present their research to faculty, students and the community. This year the DLS, titled “Health, Kinesiology, and Sport Management of Tomorrow: Directions, Innovation and Oppor-
tunities,” will be held at Rudder Theater on Wednesday and Thursday. Speakers include Michael Delp from Florida State University and Gareth Stratton from Swansea University in the United Kingdom. The DLS lectures are free of charge. According to Dell Billings, the administrative coordinator for the Department of Health and Kinesiology, events like this make learning more accessible to students and faculty.
CSPD officers weigh in on ‘Hands Free’ law since implementation 269 warnings, 89 citations issued for handheld device use while driving By Kenya Robinson @_KenyaJ Five months after the city ordinance was established, the Mobile Device Driving ordinance has led to a decrease in the use of mobile devices while driving, the College Station Police Department said. The “Hands Free” law went into effect Nov. 9, 2016 and prohibits the use of all hand-held wireless communication devices while operating a motor vehicle or bicycle. Drivers in violation of this ordinance can receive a $25 to $200 fine. According to the Mobile Driving Ordinance, drivers can still use a wireless communication device in their vehicles if it is connected to bluetooth or the vehicle is lawfully and completely stopped. Lieutenant Steve Brock with the College Station Police Department said because this law was recently put into effect, there is no real evidence as to if this ordinance has been successful, but officers have observed some improvements when it comes to cit-
izens using their devices while driving. “Regarding just the total number of accidents is not going to be the determining factor of whether or not this ordinance is successful,” Brock said. “But on the flipside of that we have noticed a decrease in observance of people using their cell phones while driving … As of [April 4], we have written 269 warnings, and 89 citations.” Brock said officers look for drivers using a mobile device and try to use the best judgement possible when enforcing the ordinance ban. “It’s a part of our traffic duty in addition to looking for speeders, people running red lights or driving dangerously to look for people using a device while driving,” Brock said. “A lot of times when we do pull over a vehicle, it may be because they are using a device while they are driving and there are simply times when we’re driving down the road and we see somebody on the phone … In this case the officer, to his discretion, will either write a citation or a warning and we’re looking for those obvious violations.” Although the city of College Station has not had many major accidents as a result of using a mobile HANDS FREE ON PG. 2
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Outdoor Adventures will take several students to surf off the coast of Mustang Island.
Outdoor Adventures to send students to Mustang Island By Kenya Robinson @_KenyaJ To end the semester on a fun note, students will travel to Mustang Island at the end of April to ride the waves of the Gulf and spend the night on the beach. Outdoor Adventures provides the Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station community with access to the outdoors through various classes, programs and trips. In addition to indoor rock climbing at the Recreation Center, students can take a class on Mountain Biking or sign up for a hiking trip through different parts of Texas. On April 28, Outdoor Adventures will head to Mustang Island for their Sand and Surf Weekend. Mustang Island will be the last trip of the semester and there is still time for students who are interested in going to register. The group will leave Friday night and return to College Sta-
tion Sunday afternoon. Nick Whiting, recreation, parks and tourism science senior and trip leader for the upcoming Sand and Surf Weekend, has been apart of Outdoor Adventures since his freshman year and cannot wait to go to Mustang Island in a few weeks. “The trip to Mustang Island is going to be a two-day, all-expenses included trip,” Whiting said. “We are going to be camping out on the beach, doing a little bit of surfing during the day, and we’re also going to be doing a little sightseeing around the Island.” Director of Outdoor Adventures Jason Kurten said this new destination will be a great opportunity for students to experience the nature of the Lone Star State. “Corpus Christi Bay is right there and there are some sea-kayak trails that you can MUSTANG ISLAND ON PG. 4
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Junior Kevin Jensen’s (right) home was destroyed during Houston’s “Tax Day flood” in April 2016.
A&M student, combat veteran given $5,000 gift for post-flood home repair Veterans Resource Center teams up with Soldier’s Wish, Subway By Matthew Jacobs @mtj2203 Aggies once again rose up to take care of one of their own two weeks ago in helping to cover the costs of housing damage for a veteran student and his family. Texas A&M junior Kevin Jensen, a Purple Heart recipient who was injured while serving in the Army in Afghanistan, experienced thousands of dollars in damage last year to the home he shares with his wife and three children. The Texas A&M University Veteran Resource and Support Center worked with the veteran foundation Soldier’s Wish and local Subway restaurants to give a gift of
$5,000 to Jensen and his family toward repairing their home. In April of 2016, Jensen’s home was hit with Houston’s “Tax Day flood,” during which the rainfall in the Cypress area broke October 1994, October 1998 and April 2009 flood levels according to Space City Weather. During the flood, Jensen’s family experienced extensive water damage to the roof of their 3,700 square-foot home, and his wife and three children were relocated to temporary housing. “After the house was destroyed, the insurance denied our claim,” Jensen said. “At this point we have started rebuilding our home … I have been personally commuting three hours a day to continue my schooling at TAMU due to being relocated so far from the campus.” JENSEN ON PG. 4