thebattalion08392011

● tuesday, august 30, 2011 ● serving texas a&m since 1893 ● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media

thebattalionthebatt.comFight the fatCheck our blog for 15 tips to avoid the infamous Freshman 15. From exercise to smart campus eating, you’ll be armed with all the info you need to keep looking fantastic.

insideopinion | 3bRamadan primerMuslims’ month of fasting and spiritual renewal concludes this week.

sports | 4bAggies eye SMU for openerIn their fi rst offi cial press conference of the season, the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies sized up their inaugural opponent of the 2011 season, the Southern Methodist Mustangs. See complete coverage of the conference for thoughts from Coach Mike Sherman and team leaders.

life | 5bZombie wastingDecompressing from the stresses of college life takes many forms. For those who like to blow off steam while blowing the heads off of zombies, Dead Nation offers an affordable option.

coming wednesday

Landmark abortion lawA look at how oppenents and supporters of abortion are reacting to the State Legislature’s decision to slash Planned Parenthood funding.

Should A&M join the SEC?According to our readers, yes – A&M should join the SEC. The online results revealed 73% of participants answered “yes,” while 27% responded “no.” It’s not too late to share your response. Check out the poll online and join the conversation at thebatt.com.

Josh McKenna — THE BATTALION

No End in Sight

Drought may persist through winter

It doesn’t take a doctoral degree in atmospheric sciences to notice that it’s hot and dry in Texas this summer. But according to the professionals, this year’s drought severity transcends the terminology in place to quantify levels of drought:

D0, D1, D2, D3 and D4, the last of which describes 78 percent of Texas.

“We’re in territory now where D4, which is exceptional, hardly begins to describe how bad it is,” said Don Con-lee, instructional associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric Scienc-es. “We’re at the point where people are thinking, ‘should there be a D5?’”

From his 12th-floor office in the O&M building, State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon expressed seri-ous concerns about the drought, particu-

Emily VillaniThe Battalion

See Drought on page 5a

Heat, dry weather squeeze farmersJeremy TwitchellThe Battalion

Asked what he has for sale today, farmer Richard Schubert roars with laughter and produces a stack of empty fruit baskets from underneath his folding table.

“You’re looking at it,” Schubert says. “It’s so dry out there, my grasshoppers is car-rying canteens.”

Schubert is one of a dwin-dling number of local growers still making the weekly trek to the Brazos Valley Farmers Market in Bryan. Many of his colleagues have stopped com-ing, their fields too devastated by the ongoing drought to yield enough produce to jus-tify the trip.

Those who do come bring meager offerings compared to previous years. They have to work harder than ever to har-vest even the smallest yields, and the reduced supply has forced them to charge more for what they do have. The concept of profits this year is laughable; at this point, breaking even is the goal.

The stalwart few who re-main at the market, however, said they remain optimistic.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen,” Schubert said. “But we’ll do something. I mean, we always do.”

Anne Vonk, senior com-munity development major, is interning with the market, where she helps with every-thing from event planning to liaising with growers.

Martin’s harmony of comedy, bluegrass to visit A&M

The art of “the twang” is nothing new to Col-lege Station as numerous country artists siphon through Northgate each year. However, one rarely hears of a bluegrass band tearing up the scene.

Luckily, the 39th season of MSC OPAS will provide the perfect fix, showcasing Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers for a night of music and comedy.

The show is tonight at 7:30 in the Rudder Audi-torium. Tickets may be purchased at the MSC box office; prices range from $60 to $110.

The Steep Canyon Rangers were musical stars even before adding Martin. Their quintet consists of Woody Platt (guitar, lead vocals), Graham Sharp (banjo, harmony vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin, harmony vocals), Charles R. Humphrey III (bass, harmony vocals), and Nicky Sanders (fiddle, har-mony vocals). The band formed during their time at the University of North Carolina and released

Jennifer DuBoseThe Battalion

lifestyle

Israel match pits Corbelli against former coach

The A&M Volleyball team is coming off a strong 3-0 showing in the Aggie Invitational and will host the Israeli National Team 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Reed Arena.

Head coach Laurie Corbelli is excited about the chance to play a team of such caliber and to expose her players to elite from another country.

“We don’t turn away oppor-tunities for a great match,” Cor-belli said. “It is a select group of athletes under a very good coach, so it should be a very intense match against experienced and savvy players.”

This is not, however, the first time Corbelli and Israel head coach Arie Selinger have been

Courtney NelsonThe Battalion

See Volleyball on page 3a

sports

Fatalities, floods rise in wake of Irene’s passing

The death toll following Hurri-cane Irene spiked Monday from 21 on Sunday night to 38 reported fatali-ties in 11 states after a series of flash floods sent rivers overflowing, spilling dangerous floodwater along the upper East Coast.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 693,205 Connecticut cus-tomers, or 44 percent of the state,

were without power Monday morn-ing. Rhode Island had the highest percentage with 64 percent Monday, but New York had the highest num-ber, with 938,519.

Sarah Kashinsky, class of 2010, ex-perienced the storm from her New Jersey home. She said the worst part of the storm — with heavy rainfall and high wind gusts — came late Saturday night and lasted through Monday.

Natalee BlanchatThe Battalion

national

their first album, Old Dreams and New Dreams, in 2001. Since their debut, they have released five ad-ditional albums and were nominated by the Inter-national Bluegrass Music Association for “Album and Gospel Performance of the Year” in 2008. Their latest creation, Deep In The Shade, resided in the Bluegrass Top 10 for 18 weeks straight.

The Steep Canyon Rangers appeal to a wide

COURTESY PHOTO

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers perform in Rudder Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

See Martin on page 3a

See Farmers on page 5a

And you thought your job was rough ... State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, who is also an Atmospheric Sciences professor, is tasked with sharing the unwelcome news that the drought may persist into next year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Greg Walker pulls his row boat north on Winnikee Ave. in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Monday morning while surveying the damaging flood waters left by Tropical Storm Irene.

This drought has been so extreme we’ve had 40 percent of

normal rainfall for the past 10 months statewide. So it almost counts

like two years’ worth of drought as far as water supply is concerned.

— State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon

larly its long-term impact on ranchers, farmers and water systems.

Insufficient rainfall statewide is desic-cating the agriculture industry, with $5.2 billion in crop losses, according to a re-cent Agrilife report.

“The economic impact from the loss in agriculture will be very large,” said Erik Nielsen, senior meteorology major and student coordinator for Texas A&M Weather Broadcasting.

The cattle industry is drying up as well.

“[Ranchers] are having to sell large portions of the herds, so there’ll prob-ably be fewer cattle in the state next year than any year since the 1960s,” said Nielsen-Gammon who is also a profes-sor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

And if the drought persists, water sup-plies are next.

“Most water systems were designed to withstand the drought of record, which was a multi-year drought in the 1950’s,”

Corbelli

b!See Irene on page 3a

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Student Rush Tickets Only $21!

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!

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‘The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this paper do not necessarily refl ect those of Texas A&M University, The Battalion or its staff.

MAILCALL GUESTCOLUMNSMake your opinion known by submitting Mail Call or guest columns to The Battalion. Mail

call must be fewer than 200 words and include the author’s name, classification, major and phone number. Staff and faculty must include title. Guest columns must be fewer than 700 words. All submissions should focus on issues not personalities, become property of The Battalion and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns. Anonymous letters

will be read, but not printed. The Battalion will print only one letter per author per month. No mail call will appear in The Battalion’s print or online editions before it is verifi ed.

Direct all correspondence to: Editor in chief of The Battalion

(979) 845-3315 | [email protected] voices08.30.2011thebattalion

EDITOR’SNOTE

page1b

Ibtihaj Tayyab: An inside look at the Islamic faith during the

month of Ramadan

The current summer of 2011 has set a record in Texas for the

hottest number of consecutive days. As the sun continues

to shine, water bottles are chugged and ice cream cones are

devoured. For Muslims, this summer marks the start of a month

of fasting — Ramadan.

On August 1, 2011, the month of Ra-madan began; it is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and lasts 29 or 30 days. The time of this month is about 11 days earlier every year since the Islamic calendar goes by the moon cycle. During this month, one is expected to fast or abstain from food and drink from sun up to sun down.

Fasting during this month is one of the five basic pillars of Islam and is considered obligatory unless a health reason is pres-ent. Ramadan is meant to be a time to strengthen spirituality and increase worship. In addition to not eating and drinking, one should try to stay away from sin and other impure acts such as lying, cheating, stealing, etc. During this month Muslims are trying to focus on religion and a relationship with

God rather than worldly things. Fasting is an attempt to cleanse the soul and strength-en the faith of a believer.

There are also many physical benefits associated with fasting, including a puri-fication effect on the body and boosting heart health. A fast is also kept to build self-control of one’s body and to realize the conditions of the less fortunate. That is why charity or Zakaat (another pillar of Islam) is highly stressed during the month.

Muslims are also encouraged to read the holy book or Quran and the verses are re-cited during nightly prayers, called Tarawih. The purpose of this is so believers can increase application of the holy book and gain further understanding of the religion.

GUESTCOLUMN

See Ramadan on page 2b

RamadanDiscovering

Robert Carpenter — THE BATTALION

Members of Raindrop Turkish House in Bryan break daily fast with a community meal.

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UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS: 1. 90 cumulative completed undergraduate credit hours.

2. 45 undergraduate resident credit hours completed at TAMU.

3. 2.0 cumulative GPR at Texas A&M University.

4. Must not be on academic probation, suspension, dismissal, expulsion, or on honor violation probation from the university.

GRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS:Master’s Thesis Option 1. Defended Thesis Due to ordering deadlines, you may order at the beginning of the semester you will graduate. Your Aggie Ring will be delivered on Aggie Ring Day if you have defended your thesis prior to the deadline set by the Office of Graduate Studies. If you do not defend your thesis prior to this date, your Aggie Ring will be held until the qualification is met.


Master’s Non-Thesis Option 1. 75% of coursework completed for degree program at TAMU.


Ph.D. Students 1. Accepted as a Ph.D. candidate at TAMU


HOW TO GET YOUR AGGIE RING ON NOVEMBER 18, 2011:

If you meet the requirements after Summer 2011:

1. Login to AggieNetwork.com beginning August 19 to check your Ring eligibility. (You will need to create an account on this website.)

• Your records will be reviewed and your eligibility status will be displayed online instantly.

2. If eligible, schedule an appointment online to order your Aggie Ring at the Aggie Ring Office.

• Select from available order dates between August 22 – September 9.

• If you are unable to order in person, submit an order form to the Aggie Ring Office prior to the deadline. Contact us at (979) 845-1050 to verify that it was received.

3. On your appointment day, visit the Aggie Ring Office to find your Ring size (with official Aggie Ring sizers) and pay for your Ring. Full payment is due at time of order.

• Pricing is available online.

• Ring Loans are available to qualified, currently enrolled students at the Short Term Loan Office. If you need financial assistance, apply online at http://financialaid.tamu.edu or call (979) 845-3982.

AggieNetwork.com

Visit www.AggieNetwork.com/Ring for complete details or call the Aggie Ring Program at 845-1050.

Check Ring Eligibility: Aug 19 - Sept 8Order Dates: Aug 22 - Sept 9

Aggie Ring Day: November 18, 2011

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Bring original coupon to order counter. Expires 9/15/2011 BAT 171

8-8 M-Sat: Our Meatloaf Slider was the WINNER at the Epicurean Extravaganza for Best Entrée. (We have other great sliders too.)

THE BATTALION (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University. Periodicals Postage Paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, Texas A&M University, 1111 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1111.

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. News offices are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3313; Fax: 979-845-2647; E-mail: [email protected]; 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 979-845-2696. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Advertising offices are in The Grove, Bldg. 8901, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 979-845-2678.

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. Mail subscriptions are $125 per school year. To charge by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express, call 979-845-2613.

Robert Carpenter, Editor in Chief

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893thebattalion

For updates go to thebatt.com ● Facebook ● Twitter@thebattonline thebattalion 08.30.2011

correctionsIn an Aug. 25 editorial we mistakenly reported the number of Texas A&M teams that won NCAA championships. Four A&M teams won NCAA championships in 2011: equestrian, women’s basketball and men’s and women’s track and fi eld.

I honestly don’t know much about Big 12 versus SEC… but I’m still excited to get into the games. Travis Lamb, freshman computer science major

The Big 12 is a sinking ship and we’ve got to bail.Travis Nault, freshman agricultural economics major

The Aug. 29 page 1 Battalion Ask misidentifi ed freshmen Travis Nault and Travis Lamb.

The Battalion welcomes readers’ comments about information that may require correction. We will pursue your concern to determine whether a correction needs to be published. Please e-mail at [email protected].

Apartment pool party draws 2,000

DENVER — An apartment complex near Colo-rado State University that used Facebook to advertise “the biggest pool party of the year’” got more than it bargained for — at least 2,000 people, most of them college students, showed up.

It wasn’t long before the police followed.Four people, including two CSU football players,

were arrested at the Fort Collins apartment complex on Saturday. Ten people were taken to the hospital, most of them for overconsumption of alcohol or minor injuries.

“Some people came from as far away as Denver for this back-to-school party,” Fort Collins police Lt. Hal Dean said on Monday.

The party’s Facebook page had nearly 3,000 regis-tered people. Dean said police estimated at least 2,000 people showed up at the complex about 65 miles north of Denver. Officers had to shut down surrounding streets while they cleared the complex.

The Associated Press

pagetwoToday

hotHigh: 107 Low: 76

Wednesday hot high: 102 low: 76Thursday hot high: 97 low: 75Friday 50% chance of storms high: 93 low: 78

courtesy of NOAA

fully equipped

2 Show Aggie pride

You’re invited to wear maroon and white for College Colors Day on Friday to show your Aggie Spirit. College Colors Day is an annual national celebration dedicated to the traditions and spirit of the college experience.

1 Add/drop

deadlineStudents may add or drop classes from their schedules

during the fi rst fi ve class days.

3 Schedule set for

transitRegular Transit service operates from approximately 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday. Weekend Service runs off-campus routes approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

WT

A

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WWW.UBSKI.COM 1-800-SKI-WILD • 1-800-754-9453

COLLEGE SKI & BOARD WEEK

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BRYAN: THE BROADMOOR APTS – 1/1 w/STUDY! AVAILABLE NOW, ALL APPL, NEW WOOD FLOORS, FULL-SIZE W/D CONN, PETS OK! FREE INTERNET, CABLE, W/S, & GARBAGE! $535-$555/mo 979.764.RENT(7368)www.twincityproperties.com

BRYAN: 2/1.5 NEWLY RENOVATED MIDTOWN MANOR APTS, AVAIL-ABLE NOW, STARTING AT $535 FOR QUALIFIED PART-TIME STUDENTS, W/D CONN, POOL & FREE INTERNET, CABLE & MORE! $535-$575/mo 979.775.2292www.twincityproperties.com

BRYAN: 2/1 – 2/2 NEWLY REMOD-ELED UNITS AT THE ARBORS ON 31ST, AVAILABLE NOW, NEW WOOD FLOORS, ALL APPL, PET FRIENDLY. FREE INTERNET, CABLE, W/S, & GAR-BAGE! $555-$585/mo 979.764.RENT(7368)www.twincityproperties.com

BRYAN & COLLEGE STATION: 3 & 4 BEDROOM HOUSES, W/D CONN, PETS WELCOME, ALL APPL, SOME HAVE WOOD FLOORING AND A FENCED YARD! $725-$1195/mo 979.764.RENT(7368)www.twincityproperties.com

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COLLEGE STATION: 2/1 4-PLEXES, UP OR DOWNSTAIRS AVAIL, WALKING/BIKING DISTANCE FROM TAMU, ASF 825, ALL APPL, W/D CONN, CENTRAL A/H! $495-$515/mo 979.764.RENT(7368)www.twincityproperties.com

BRYAN: 4/2 TOWNHOMES, ASF 1600, PET FRIENDLY, ALL APPL, F/P, BALCONY, SOME HAVE FENCED YARDS, 2 LIVING AREAS, QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD! $995-$1075/mo 979.764.RENT(7368)www.twincityproperties.com

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LargeAnyway you want it!

$11.00

carryout only

1741 University Dr.979-846-3600

1740 Rock Prairie Rd. 979-680-0508

Spend an evening with Brian Regan!

Friday, September 2, 2011 For more information visit

yell.tamu.edu

puzzle answers can be foundonline at www.thebatt.com

PRIVATE PARTY WANT ADS

$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.

PLACE AN ADPhone 845-0569 or Fax 845-2678 The Grove, Bldg. #8901Texas A&M University

WHEN TO CALL8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through FridayInsertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

SPEC

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classifiedssee ads at thebatt.com

AUTO

New/Pre-Owned Autos, VM,Mazda, Hyundai, BMW, All makes& models, Call David979-571-0177.

BED AND BREAKFAST

Romantic Getaways & Engage-ments, secluded cabin suites. AllDay, All Night. www.7flodge.com979-690-0073

FOR RENT

$1099 4bd/2ba/2car, 1mile fromTAMU. W/D, all appliances in-cluded, pool, walk-ins, securitysystem, gated access, free land-scaping, pets ok. 4-full bedroomsbut also priced for 3-roommatesplus study/gameroom/guestroom.Canyon Creek Circle979-739-3774.

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3bd townhome available now,Fraternity Row, on shuttle route,awesome location, $1100/mo,817-559-7878.

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FOR RENT

4bd/3ba house. New carpet. W/D.Southern Trace. $1150/mo. CallRose 979-218-0441.

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FOR SALE

4/3/2 CS home for sale. $209,000with owner financing available.979-690-1126, 979-595-5050.

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HELP WANTED

7F-Lodge seeking part-time help,email resume or inquiries [email protected]

Ag Football Concession Staff.Champion Concessions will beproviding Dippin’ Dots at allhome football games. We ar look-ing for energetic students towork in a fun and fast-paced en-vironment. Pay is $8.50-12.00/[email protected]

ARE YOU READY FOR SOMEFOOTBALL? NEED EXTRA CASH?We need officials for youth andadult flag football leagues. Payranges from $9.00-$20.00/game.Games last about one-hour. Call979-764-3424.

Athletic men for calendars,books, etc. $100-$200/hr, upto $1000/day. No [email protected]

Camp For All is looking for crea-tive and energetic staff who areinterested in working with chil-dren and adults w/challenging ill-nesses and special needs. Thesepaid positions will be trained tolead activities for our campers onthe weekends. Please contact Jes-sicah [email protected] visit our website atwww.campforall.org/joinourteam

HELP WANTED

Child Care- FT & PT shifts avail-able. Some nights & Saturdays re-quired. Apply in person at 3609 E.29th St., Bryan.

Cleaning commercial buildingsat night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031for appointment.

Cotton Patch-College Station nowhiring servers and greeters. Lunchavailability desired. Apply at RockPrairie and Hwy-6. An equal op-portunity employer!

FAST PITCH COACHES WANTED!We need enthusiastic, positive,motivational volunteer coachesfor Girls Fast Pitch Softball. Call979-764-3424.

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FOOTBALL COACHES WANTED!We need enthusiastic, positive,motivational volunteer coachesfor youth flag football. Call979-764-3424.

Help Wanted Part Time, BuildingAttendant for the Brazos Center.$10.10 hourly. Work schedule willvary from 12-20 hours a week.Janitorial duties and customerservice. Must be reliable. Apply:Brazos County HR Dept. CountyCourthouse. Visit our website formore info. @ www.co.brazos.tx.us

Immediate opening for energetic,detail-oriented, dependableteaching assitant, part-timehours, Mon-Thurs, afternoons andevenings, call Sylvan LearningCenter 979-846-4988

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HELP WANTED

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Prepbooks.com, is hiring campusrepresentatives for part-time posi-tions. Apply on website under ca-reers.

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The Battalion Advertising Officeis hiring a clerk to work, Mondayand Wednesday from 8am-11am.Student must be able to workboth days. If interested, pleasecome by The Grove, Building8901 and ask for Joseph or Trish.

HELP WANTED

The Corner now hiring all posi-tions for daytime and afternoonshifts. Come by in person after9pm to apply.

VOLLEYBALL COACHES WANTED!We need enthusiastic, positive,motivational volunteer coachesfor girls volleyball. Call979-764-6386.

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MISCELLANEOUS

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MUSIC

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Now enrolling for Do-Re-Me Mu-sic and Dance. Music for specialneeds [email protected].

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PETS

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thebattalion

voicespage 2b

tuesday 8.30.2011

Tarawih is prayed in congre-gation at local mosques and the whole Quran is finished at least once during the month.

The last 10 nights of Ramadan are considered to be very impor-tant. The Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during this month and it is said to have happened on one of the last 10 nights; that night is called Laylat Al-Qadr. During these last 10 days, Muslims participate in night prayers (in addition to Tarawih) in the hopes that God will answer their prayers. Ramadan is a time for every believer to ask for for-giveness for the wrong doings of the previous years and the last 10 days are extremely significant for that.

The end of this month is marked by the celebration of Eid-Ul-Fitr. This year it will be held either Tuesday August 30 or Wednesday August 31, depending on the moon cycle and will last

for 3 days. This day generally starts with prayer in the morning and is followed by feasts and presents. Eid is a time for celebration and is one of the two holidays for the religion. Any charity that has been collected is also given to the poor during this time.

These 29 or 30 days are viewed as a spiritual training camp for Muslims in which they have the opportunity to become bet-ter believers and better people. Throughout the year, many people get caught up with their own needs and wants, Ramadan gives every individual an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with their creator and make changes they can continue on for the rest of their lives. It only comes once a year and it is viewed as one of the most important months for the people of the Islamic faith. As the sun continues to bake the Texas landscape, Muslims strive for religious cultivation.

Ibtihaj Tayyab is a junioreconomics major.

RamadanContinued from page 1b

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A Jordanian Muslim cleric looks through a telescope to observe the moon crescent of Eid Al Fitr that follows the end of Ramadan, in Amman, Jordan, Monday Aug. 29, 2011.

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thebattalion

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tuesday 8.30.2011

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MartinContinued from page 1a

variety of ears and continue to wow listeners old and new.

“I think they have a very interesting sound. It’s very impressive music and I never would’ve guessed that I would like bluegrass,” said Megan Smikal, a sophomore business major.

This talented act of skillful picking and playing became a powerhouse of sorts when Martin, comedian, actor, au-thor, director and more, first lent his hand to the group as a banjo player in a broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion in 2009. This year, he released his second bluegrass album, Rare Bird Alert, in conjunc-tion with The Steep Canyon Rangers with guest vocals by big names such as The Dixie Chicks and Paul McCartney.

“I had no idea Steve Martin could play bluegrass like that,” said Clayton Bridge, freshman electrical engineering major.

Tonight’s show marks the end of the group’s North American Tour.

“Everyone’s really excited about it; it’s selling extremely well,” said Laura Duffie, MSC OPAS student committee chair and senior wildlife and fisheries major. “They’re a high quality class act and very famous. We’re thrilled to have Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers here and we can’t wait to see the show.”

The show presents a great opportunity to be introduced to a classic and unique style of music and a completely differ-ent side of Steve Martin.

But don’t worry; he’ll still be funny.

“I love Steve Martin!” said Jordyn Ingram, sophomore nutrition major. “I think it’s interesting how he’s so famous as a comedian that not many people know how successful he is as a musician. I would definitely go see this show.”

VolleyballContinued from page 1a

in the same gym. Corbelli played for Selinger in the 1984 Olympic Games, where he was the head coach of the US women’s team.

“It will be really fun to go up against him,” Corbelli said smiling. “I have never done this before, so I am not sure what to expect. I know he is very intense and difficult to please, and that is certainly motivating for everyone play-ing under him to give it their best effort.”

Although Corbelli has only seen statistics based on several previous games, she is aware of Selinger’s style of play and that Israel’s team is being reconstructed and shaped into a formidable program.

“I am expecting great ball control, great defense, and big swings on the outside from two players specifically,” Corbelli said. “They are a mentally tough team, and it will be really great to go up against them and primarily learn from them.”

As far as the Aggies go, there are sev-

IreneContinued from page 1a

“Sunday afternoon we had some pretty strong wind gusts that took down a lot of tree branches. We had a couple of the larger trees in our backyard swaying back and forth in a pretty terrifying manner,” Kashinsky said. “Parts of my town are still without power and could be without power for up to two weeks.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to bring elec-tricity back to thousands of people without power. However, according to FEMA Ad-ministrator Craig Fugate, ongoing flooding has taken top priority.

“A lot of activities are in the recovery phase but we are still very concerned with the flooding and are working with our part-ners at the state and local level,” Fugate said.

According to David Vallee, a hydrologist in charge of the National Weather Service for the Northeast River Forecast Service in Taunton, Ma., said that rainfall in the last 36 hours for areas in northern New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and New England ranged from five to 15 inches.

“Hurricane Irene was a very well-be-haved New England breed of hurricane that accelerated up the coast and put an awful lot of rain down along into the west of her track,” Vallee said. “At one point during the height of this event we had 81 river loca-tions flooding at one time.”

Fugate added that “tremendous” volun-teer relief efforts by federal organizations and

Nike Invitational

eral visible improvements that need to be made in order to have the success that the players and coaches know can be achieved.

“We are definitely working on our blocking,” Corbelli said of her team. “It has been pretty sporadic, and we have still been fortunate to have a lot of digs behind that. We need to get better at the net against outside hitters to allow us to have a chance.”

Thursday9 p.m. vs. Portland

Friday2 p.m. vs. Butler

SaturdayNoon vs. Nevada7:30 p.m. vs. Wash. State

Free admission to the match against the Israel National Team is offered to members of international organizations through www.aggieathletics.com.

At one point during the height of

this event we had 81 river locations

flooding at one time.

— Hydrologist David Vallee, National

Weather Service

local residents lessened the blow that Irene dealt to affected communities.

Charlie Shimanski, senior vice president for disaster services for the American Red Cross, said the Red Cross has supplied 340 shelters and “thousands of volunteers” thus far.

“Many people said this disaster wasn’t as bad as we expected, but we all know many communities are suffering from some sig-nificant flooding and of course wind damage and wide spread power outages,” Shimanski said.

John Nielsen-Gammon, atmospheric sci-ences professor, compared Irene to Hurri-cane Ike in terms of total damage. Ike dev-astated coastal communities when it struck the Texas coast in September 2008, clos-ing A&M’s Galveston campus for several months.

“I think the biggest problem is the af-termath and working with the power lines to get electricity up and running again,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “It was a small storm that did a lot of damage.”


thebattalion

voices page 3b

tuesday 8.30.2011

Major uncertainty

Taylor-made opinions

Taylor Wolken: How to navigate the difficult decision of choosing a degree

The most important decision you will make as a student attending

Texas A&M will be choosing your major. There’s a lot of advice

you’ll hear which can generally be broken down into two trains of

thought. Pick something you love or pick something that pays. While

both these mantras make some sense it should be remembered that

money doesn’t trump misery, and love doesn’t beat poverty. What really

matters is what will make you happy.

When deciding your major you need to consider what job you want and how that matches up with the lifestyle you prefer.

A student in an information systems class once told my pro-fessor that he didn’t care about the class because he didn’t want to spend his life behind a computer. When the professor asked the student what his major was, he replied, “accounting.”

In another class my business professor explained how she had originally majored in anthropology only to discover she didn’t like working over seas in the heat for minimum wage.

A friend of mine spent two years teaching after receiving her degree in education. Now she’s getting a master’s degree because she doesn’t like kids and couldn’t afford to travel.

These folks didn’t think things through.When thinking about jobs think about the potential pay,

the hours, the working conditions and how that fits into the lifestyle you want to live.

Then ask yourself whether your goal is realistic. A manage-ment degree doesn’t mean you’ll be an executive at a fortune 500 company. A psychology degree — particularly just a bach-elor’s — doesn’t make you a FBI profiler. A theatre arts degree probably won’t get you anywhere near an academy award. It’s much more likely these majors lead to middle management, counseling and teaching theatre.

If these jobs don’t pay enough for you to live the lifestyle you want then you probably won’t be happy. If you have to

work so much you can’t have the lifestyle you want then you probably be happy.

This is important because deciding on a major doesn’t de-termine your destination but it certainly affects your trajectory.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shoot for the moon but if you miss, at least know what stars you’ll land among.

Once you have narrowed down a list of potential jobs then consider what the educational requirements are. What degree is best for the job? Is a bachelor’s degree good enough or do you need further education? Can you afford it and is it worth the extra cost?

Keep in mind that if you need further schooling not only does that mean more student loans but it also means you are losing out on money you could be making if you entered the workforce sooner.

What happens if your priorities change? What if you want to get married? Is your bachelor’s worth anything without a master’s or Ph.D?

What’s going to make you happy?Once you’ve weighed these options, pick a degree plan that

can best set you on your way.Don’t let fun classes fool you or high salaries tempt you

onto a degree track you’ll regret in the future.

Taylor Wolken is a senior economics major and opinion columnist.

MAILCALL

From Julie Alexander, Aggie mom.

A school year is begin-ning and I wanted to write a quick note in response to the “Death of HOWDY” by Robert L. “Doc” Bowen published in The Battalion on April 14, 2011. I am not a former Aggie, however I have a former Aggie, Tyler Alexander B-Co ‘08. When Tyler began A&M, I im-mediately fell in love with the school because of its wonder-ful traditions and commit-ment that A&M made to family. As I learned so many traditions, including the do’s and don’ts of Corps of Cadet life, I knew my son was in the right school! During Tyler’s first year at A&M, we spent quite a few weekends in Col-lege Station (with Corps life there is always something to see). “HOWDY” became part of our vocabulary and it was always the greeting we came to expect when walking around campus. I also became active in the Dallas County Aggie Mothers Club, where each meeting was began with “HOWDY.” My last few times on campus, I noticed that many students are either texting or have headphones in their ears when walking around. I miss the HOWDY! So, here’s my request to Ag-gie students: When walking on campus, make eye contact with your fellow students and visitors and share with them one of Texas A&M’s most valued treasures — HOWDY!

Christina Fuentes — THE BATTALION

Evan Andrews — THE BATTALION


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Aggies excited for opener

Football players and coach-es spoke to the media on Monday about preparation for Texas A&M’s 2011 sea-son opener against Southern Methodist University.

A&M returns 18 positional starters for this season, making for an experienced team that head coach Mike Sherman said is focused on the opener. He said the team improved in many areas in the offseason and is challenged with plan-ning for SMU’s run-and-gun offense and similar defense.

“They are like us—they have some pretty good re-ceivers, a good run game and a very experienced of-fensive line,” Sherman said. “They have about 158 ca-reer starts among them, more than anyone in the country. So they have a good group coming back.”

Mustangs making pre-season award watch lists in-clude quarterback Kyle Pa-dron (O’Brien, Manning), running back Zach Line (Maxwell, Walker) and de-fensive end Taylor Thompson (Lombardi, Nagurski). Those

Adrian O’Hanon IIIThe Battalion

football

three players were also named to the All-Conference USA preseason team.

Aggie defensive coordi-nator Tim DeRuyter said SMU’s high-profile offense creates problem areas for any defense. In the second install-ment of his defensive scheme, DeRuyter feels the play-ers have transitioned more smoothly and are prepared for the Mustangs’ air attack.

“This is not a ‘warm-up game’ by any stretch,” De-Ruyter said. “You look at what they did last year against TCU and Texas Tech, they were ballgames all the way through. So our guys know the kind of challenge they will bring, and we’ll be ready for them.”

In the offseason, the team

named senior safety Trent Hunter a team captain, an honor he cherishes. He said his responsibility as captain is to keep the defense focused on the Mustangs’ high-pow-ered offense.

Offensively, senior quar-terback Ryan Tannehill is looking forward to the start of another season. He said the team worked hard in spring practices and summer camp to exceed expectations.

“You’re always excited no matter what the year, going into the first game,” Tan-nehill said. “You prepare all year for basically 12 or 13 days. This being the first week, we’re definitely excited for it. The raised expectations do bring a higher excitement. We do realize the talent we have, and now it’s our job to prove that.”

In injury news, junior wide receiver Ryan Swope’s back is fully-healed and defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie said his recovery from break-ing his foot last season has gone smoothly.

The Aggies kick off the season at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 4 at Kyle Field against the Mustangs.

AGGIE ATHLETICS


In accordance with Texas Education Code Section 51.936 and as the entity charged with the collection and

distribution described therein, the Department of Student Activities is formally publishing a list of organizations that have been disciplined for hazing or convicted for hazing

on or off the campus of the institution during the preceding three years.

This information along with a summary of the provisions of Subchapter F, Chapter 37 can be found at

http://stuorgreport.tamu.edu

Alleged incidents of hazing should be reported to one of the following offices: University Police Department: 845-2345 Office of the Dean of Student Life: 845-3113

Office of the Commandant: 845-2811 Department of Student Activities: 845-1133

thebattalion

news page 5a

tuesday 8.30.2011

In the market’s busy spring season, she said dozens of growers will participate with an average attendance above 500 people. Last Saturday, only nine growers participat-ed, and Vonk said attendance was about 200.

“The drought is just hit-ting people really hard,” Vonk said. “Normally, we have a lot more vendors than this, and those that are here would usu-ally bring a lot more produce.”

Vonk said she is hope-ful that the heat will break in September or October, which would allow some farmers to get back on track.

“Some people have green-houses, so when it gets a little bit cooler, they’ll be able to use those more and get some more produce out here,” Vonk said.

That record heat is the big-gest problem, farmer David Elsik said.

A drought could nor-mally be overcome with lots of water, he said, but when the drought is coupled with scorching heat that evaporates most of the water before plants can absorb it, it’s a potent one-

two punch.Elsik, who has been work-

ing on family farms for more than 50 years, said this year’s conditions are unlike any he has ever seen.

“I can remember the ’50s drought,” he said. “But, I mean, if you watered stuff back then, it still grew. But this year, even if you water it, it won’t grow. It just won’t set fruit.”

Patrick Gendron, a tomato grower and president of the Brazos Valley Farmers Mar-

ket, said the farmers can only hope for cooler temperatures and more rain in the fall.

In the meantime, he said, growers are trying to adapt to conditions.

Some have already found limited success, but they have had to decrease the size of their fields in order to do so.

“But we’re a hearty group of folks,” Gendron said. “We persevere. We don’t give up. We always say, ‘There’s always next year.’ Eternal optimists, I guess you could say.”

FarmersContinued from page 1a

Nielsen-Gammon said. For Bryan-College Station, the worst

drought on record occurred in 1925. “This drought has been so extreme we’ve

had 40 percent of normal rainfall for the past ten months statewide. So it almost counts like two years’ worth of drought as far as water supply is concerned,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

Bryan has yet to restrict water usage.“If it goes on, then we’ll start losing the

reserves and some places may get into serious trouble. Some people think dry lawns are seri-ous trouble, although that’s not really a prob-lem,” Nielsen-Gammon said. He has let his grass grow 5 inches high and has watered it just enough to keep it quasi-green, a program he calls drought mode.

In case areas beyond Nielsen-Gammon’s lawn have to go into drought mode, he rec-ommended to fellow members of the Texas Drought Preparedness Council that water sup-pliers start evaluating the implications of a sec-ond year of drought.

“The weather service is forecasting about a 50 percent chance of La Nina this winter,” Nielsen-Gammon said. Indicated by cool tem-peratures in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, a La Nina means dry, warm winters for the South-ern United States. La Nina is the opposite of El Nino, which means wet, cool winters.

The drought does not seem to be on its way out anytime soon, mainly because the rain doesn’t seem to be on its way in.

“We got where we are because we were in a fairly strong La Nina, which suppressed our winter’s worth of precipitation,” Conlee said.

Part of the reason for the drought is bad luck.

“Right now my working guess is that it was La Nina’s effects that happened to cause the jet stream to be in just the wrong place to keep it fairly strong across the central U.S., which basically pushed all the moisture and rain east of us,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

The jet stream consists of strong winds ten miles above the earth that control storm paths. Storms form on the jet stream because it marks the boundary between cooler air and warmer air, which makes for an unstable environment that results in high and low pressure systems.

“If the jet stream is to the north, the storm track is to the north also,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

Throw global warming into the mix, which accounts for one or two degrees of the heat, and you’ve got record-breaking temperatures. Although the Wednesday and Thursday rainfall provided some relief, it will take a lot more than a little storm to quench Texas.

“We were lucky enough to get some im-pulses coming down that hadn’t been this far west for a long period of time,” Nielsen said of last week’s precipitation. “It’s not a drought-buster.”

And drought-busting rain is not in Nielsen-Gammon’s long-term forecast.

He doesn’t throw out the possibility of rain for September and October, which are usually wet months.

“A lot of Texas’ droughts have actually end-ed with floods; that’s sort of the way it works around here,” he said.

But it is unlikely that this fall will produce enough rain to make up for the months of dry-ness, he added.

“It’s going to be hard to get widespread rain across the whole state, so my prediction is that large portions of the state will still be in severe drought next summer,” he said.

DroughtContinued from page 1a

Jeremy Twitchell — THE BATTALION

Farmers Patrick Gendron, Harvey Wise, David Elsik and Robert Schubert (left to right) trade secrets for farming during a drought.


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TAKE A PIECEOF A&M HISTORY WITH YOU· Reserve your 2012 Aggieland

The 110th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook will chronicle traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, Greeks, campus organizations and seniors and graduate students. Distribution will be during Fall 2012. Cost is $75, plus tax. Go to the optional services box in Howdy when you register for fall or by credit card go online to http://aggieland.tamu.edu. For info, call 845-2613.

Downloadable game provides cheap thrills

Killing time & zombies

Dead Nation is one of those little known games that provides hours of fun on a budget. School is expensive and so are video games. However, downloading Dead Nation from Live Arcade or Playstation Network only takes a few minutes and costs $9.99: a price well worth it.

Lately, there have been a lot of games and movies that involve some sort of apocalyptic event and while Dead Nation is no different with its zombie-end-of-civilization scenario, it makes up in action what it lacks in original-ity.

In Dead Nation, zombies travel in all shapes and sizes from the hulking Leapers to the stealthy Creepers. Each requires a specific set of equipment, like Molotov cocktails, in uni-son with crafty player tactics. Many parts of the game include epic mini-battles that truly test the mettle of the players, such as fighting a grotesque Howler zombie for the first time. In about thirty seconds you’ll be within arm’s reach of about a hundred newly dead.

In a world devoid of regular humanity, there are no safe places to hide. Your journey will take you from the rooftops of desolate industrial complexes to the creepy carnival grounds complete with rusty carousels and clown zombies. Each mission, and each area, requires an intense amount of focus and

page5b

08.30.2011thebattalionreviewb!

Kutless in concertChristian music artists Kutless and Robbie Seay Band will be performing as part of the Christfest music festival beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. Tickets are $15 at the door. All proceeds will benefi t the Central Texas Orphan Mission Alliance.

Tim Issac — THE BATTALION

people

Anthony prosecutor to release bookORLANDO, Fla. — One of the prosecutors in the Casey Anthony murder trial is writing a book about the case. Jeff Ashton confi rmed to the Orlando Sentinel that he is fi nishing a book titled “Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony.”It is scheduled for release in November. He declined to give details. Ashton was the co-prosecutor in the trial of Anthony, the young Florida mother accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee. The trial garnered national media attention.Ashton gave an impassioned closing argument, saying that Anthony killed Caylee because the little girl interfered with her social and love life. He was criticized by the judge for laughing during defense attorney Jose Baez’s closing argument and apologized.

Jackson molest case barred from trialLOS ANGELES — The judge in the upcoming trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor ruled Monday that the defense cannot call any witnesses to testify about the child molestation investigation that led to the pop star’s trial and acquittal in 1995.

the involuntary manslaughter case.The hearing took place on what would have been Jackson’s 53rd birthday.


Matt BizzellJunior English

major

I n the wake Gig ’em Week, you and your friends

are stuffed from all the free pizza and now you’re

dying from the heat. What do you do? Flip on

the 360 or the PS3 and kill some zombies!

coordination with teammates. In addition, the game’s variety adds an unappreciated flair many overlook. No level is a simple copy-and-paste of the others; each is well crafted and ripe with specific encounters and higher challenges.

The game varies the difficulty based on the amount of characters in play. If you hap-pen to be by yourself, go out and make some friends as there are no stronger friendships than ones forged by wading through the collapsed corpses of bullet-ridden zombies. Teamwork also paves the way for some interesting combinations and tactics. Have your buddy throw a flare and as the zombies shamble towards the bright light, put them back in their graves with your scattergun.

Through constant updates and attentive programmers, Dead Nation is a constantly evolving funfest that is worth every cent. Try it out, watch a crowd of zombies rush a burning car, and then watch that same car explode ,sending shrapnel and flesh through the smokey night air. Burning zombies for everyone, you’re welcome.

Matt Bizzell is a junior English major.

China bans pop songs

Anthony

BEIJING — China’s Ministry of Culture has ordered music download sites to delete songs by Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, the Backstreet Boys and other pop stars within two weeks or face punishment. The ministry posted a list of 100 songs — including Lady Gaga’s “Judas” and Perry’s “Last Friday Night” — that had to be purged from the Chinese web because they had never been submitted for mandatory government screening. Six Lady Gaga songs in all were on the list, all from her latest album. The 12-year-old ballad “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys was also targeted. Dozens of Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop songs and a few Western hits were listed as well. The ministry said the rule was meant to preserve China’s “national cultural security.” Sites were told in the Aug. 19 announcement posted to the ministry’s website that they had until Sept. 15 to carry out “self-correction” and delete the songs. It said violators would be punished, but didn’t outline the penalties they would face.It didn’t say that the listed songs were objectionable, just that they had not been approved for distribution. The Chinese government carefully screens the content of imported entertainment content for political messages or commentary that runs contrary to its offi cial line.



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