Jessica Peale, senior telecommunication media studies major, Austin Hines, visualization graduate student, and Brandon Mendiola, freshman marketing major, all direct, write, film and edit independent movies. Their films will feature in this weekend’s Texas Film Festival.
Texas Film Festival brings screenings, lectures to campus
Through the lens
This weekend, Texas A&M will welcome Texas Film Festival, a four-day event showcasing some of the best independent films from Texas, the U.S. and beyond.
The festival first began in 1993 and ran annually until 2005, when it was discontinued. Aggie SWAMP Club
— which stands for Screen-Writing, Acting, and Movie Production — held SWAMPFest, a smaller, student-oriented film festival from 2006 to 2010. During the last year, however, SWAMP officers decided to try to re-store Texas Film Festival to its former glory.
Owen Herterich & Sam NealThe Battalion
Orthodox Jew adjusts to secular university
Balancing religious responsibilities with a full schedule at a secular university is just part of the daily routine for Kenny Abit-bol. Now eight months into life as a college student, the freshman economics major has had to rely on commitment, flexibility and a healthy portion of ingenuity to emerge from two semesters of classes and involve-ment with the Corps of Cadets without sacrificing his lifestyle as an Orthodox Jew.
Born in Manhattan, New York, to a long family tradition of Orthodox Judaism, Abitbol moved several times before grade school, finally settling in Houston where he received his high school education at a Jew-ish school.
When it came time to decide where his collegiate career would take him, Abitbol chose Texas A&M despite mixed reactions
Chase Carter The Battalion
from family and friends around him.“I was originally looking into a lot of the
top Midwest schools like A&M, Colorado, Kansas, but ultimately decided College Sta-tion was right for me,” Abitbol said. “My parents both supported the decision, only
Farmers Fight to weed agriculture misconceptions
Agriculture advocates are working to make sure that stu-dents at Texas A&M remem-ber the University’s history as an institution grounded in agricultural roots. The goal of the Farmers Fight initiative is to educate students on agricul-ture in the modern world.
“People today are far re-moved from farms. They seem to think that food comes from the store and milk from the fridge, and we want to show them what makes it all possi-ble,” said Eric Evans, freshman agronomy major and member of the advocacy team. “Our goal is to promote a clear, fact-based image of modern-day agriculture.”
Developed by students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the effort will scatter 16 booths across campus on Thursday. Caroline Black, director of development and agricultural leadership and ed-ucation and communications graduate student, said much of Texas A&M’s campus is a trib-ute to the University’s agricul-tural foundations.
“Even Kyle Field was named after the first dean of the College of Agriculture, Edwin J. Kyle. Aggies need to know these are the roots of our Uni-versity,” Black said.
The movement focuses not on history of agriculture, but on modern methods and tech-niques that sustain the world’s
Michael Dror The Battalion
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
As a Modern Orthodox Jew, Kenny Abitbol is able to join secular communities, including the Corps.
See Film Fest on page 5
See Farmers on page 5See Cadet on page 6
corps of cadets agriculture
M ost people know cinema through its mega-hits; but for every blockbuster like “Titanic” or “Star Wars,” there exists a
multitude of smaller, independently-made films.
According to a Wednesday press release from the athletic department, Texas A&M and the 12th Man Foundation have approached sports facility development firm Populous
to design the renovation and poten-tial reconstruction of Kyle Field.
The release comes on the heels of a March 27 announcement that Kyle Field season tickets sold out at the earliest point in the Univer-sity’s history. University and ath-letic department officials speculated that the sales are a direct result of A&M’s highly anticipated move to the Southeastern Conference.
Populous, incepted in 1983, is recognized as one of the world’s elite sports facility developers. The
company’s portfolio includes na-tionally and internationally recog-nized venues including Yankee Sta-dium, the 2012 London Olympic Games’ main stadium, Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon Tennis Club, among others.
Also included on Populous’ ré-sumé are more than 300 collegiate projects, 80 of them football stadi-ums. Among the institutions that have worked with Populous devel-
Chandler Smith The Battalion
A&M engages firm for Kyle Field renovation
See Kyle Field on page 2
campus
Elite developer known for Yankee, London Olympic stadiums
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALIONPopulous, a sports facility developer, has been approached to design the renovations on Kyle Field.
insidevoices | 3MSC memoriesSee inside for students’ memories of the Memorial Student Center, which will reopen April 21.
Q:What do you remember about the
MSC?
thebattalionasks
Freshman year, I liked playing
the piano in the fl agroom.Enedina Nunez,
seniormarketng major
As a visiting fan of another institution, I remember taking
off my hat as a sign of respect.
The tradition and reverence was evident, just by
stepping through the door.
Jon Mann,accounting
graduate student
I’ve only been to the MSC once before, but I
remember there being so many
students talking around the building
and promotions to join student organizations.
Katie Schreiber,junior supply chain
management major
campus news
Police to crack down on DWI violatorsThe College Station Police Department and other local law enforcement will coordinate a DWI Task Force to operate during Chilifest weekend. Offi cials said they intend to utilize multiple offi cers, deputies and police to focus on DWI violations. If the Magistrate issues a warrant, a blood sample will be taken from the suspect to provide evidence in the DWI case. On April 12, 13 and 14 the resources necessary to obtain the warrant and subsequent blood draw will be on hand for law enforcement making DWI arrests.
Justin Mathers, staff writer
“We teamed up with MSC Aggie Cinema to bring the festival in 2011,” said Brittany Means, senior telecom-munication-media studies major and director of Texas Film Festival. “It was the perfect plan, because a film festival is really where film production and film appreciation meet. There’s some-thing for everyone.”
The festival runs from Thursday to Sunday, and includes five sets of short films and two feature films, which all have a question and answer session with filmmakers after the shows.
Four of the films in the program were made by current SWAMP mem-bers and two by former members.
“I think it’s really cool that student-made films are going to be in the fes-tival. It’s time we brought our genius from A&M to the world,” said Mike Denman, senior visualization major.
Brandon Mendiola, freshman mar-keting major, directed “True,” a story about a man who grapples with the in-ternal struggle between good and evil.
“‘True’ is about a guy with a men-
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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.
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Artistic decor
Jade Bedell — THE BATTALION
Student paintings line the wall of the 11th floor of Rudder Tower. Hosted by the MSC Visual Arts Committee, ArtFest will continue until May 1.
On April 9, Paolo Barucchieri, longtime director of Texas A&M’s study abroad program in Italy, died in Rome after a long battle with cancer. He was 76 years old. Barucchieri’s legacy lives through the lives of the students and faculty he assisted and infl uenced, said Jorge Vanegas, dean of the College of Architecture. More than 900 students joined the “Remembering Paolo” Facebook group to share memories and experiences with Barucchieri. A memorial service for Barucchieri has been tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. on May 3 at All Faiths Chapel.
Justin Mathers, staff writer
campusStudy abroad director dies in Rome
correctionsThe Battalion welcomes readers’ comments about published information that may require correction. We will pursue your concern to determine whether a correction needs to be published. Please contact us at [email protected].
oping football renovations are fellow SEC members Alabama, LSU and Florida.
“I’ve seen the work of Populous and I know from working hand-in-hand with the 12th Man Foundation on other projects, the Kyle Field renovation will be handled in a first-class man-ner,” said A&M athletic director Bill Byrne. “The Spirit of Aggieland is never more apparent than at Kyle Field.”
According to the press release, the “design study phase” will investigate op-tions for the re-rendering of Kyle Field, including plans for renovating the current stadium or building a com-pletely new one. Construc-tion staging, preliminary costs and construction time-lines have not yet been de-termined.
A&M and the 12th Man Foundation have prioritized an increase in overall seat-ing and revenue generation capacity, improved fan ame-nities and possibilities for
“multi-use opportunities,” while balancing fans’ de-sire to preserve Kyle Field’s unique atmosphere.
If Kyle Field were to be reconstructed or require extensive renovations, con-struction could cause the Aggies to play one or two football seasons off-site — potentially in Houston or Dallas.
John Stanley, sophomore political science major, said reconstructing the stadium — and playing a season or more off-site — could leave many Aggies distraught and jeopardize the stadium’s tra-dition.
“I would definitely go with renovating Kyle Field. If we have to move to a whole new stadium, then that’ll upset a lot of people who value the traditions Kyle Field represents,” Stanley said. “A big allure of Aggieland is obviously Kyle Field.”
Owner of popular North-gate bar O’Bannon’s Tap House Chris Steele said a move to an off-site loca-tion for any amount of time would hurt the local econ-omy. He also compared the
absence of Kyle Field — even for a season or two — to the absence of on-campus Bonfire.
“I think it would affect the whole town. There are only six or seven home games a year, but I think it would be detrimental [eco-nomically],” said Steele, a former student. “And as an Aggie, especially with Bon-fire already gone, I’m con-cerned how being at Reli-ant Stadium for one or two years will affect spirit and tradition.”
A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said he would not be involved in the decision to renovate or entirely recon-struct Kyle Field. He said he believes, regardless of the University’s decision, the stadium will remain one of the nation’s best.
“I don’t know what the logistics are. That’s a higher issue than me. Those deci-sions are not going to be made by the football coach,” Sumlin said. “Whatever the decision is, we’re going to abide by it knowing ulti-mately that we’re going to be in one of the finest facili-ties in the country.”
Kyle FieldContinued from page 1
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thebattalion
memorial student center page 3
thursday 4.12.2012
Q:What do you remember about the
MSC?
thebattalionasks
I am excited to see the MSC completed
fi nally and see what changes
have been made. As a freshman, I
remember meeting with my buddies at the sandwich shop
in the MSC and hanging out.
Alex Schirripa, senior management major
I am looking forward to being able to
enjoy the MSC as a student instead of
just as a visitor. I am excited to get to see the Flag Room and
hope they’ve kept the tradition in it alive.Jason Terrell, supply
chain management major
Being an international
student, I am looking forward to see how
the reopening brings the Aggie Family closer together.
As an Aggie and a member of the Corps it’s really meaningful
to me to know the building is dedicated
to Texas A&M students and serves
as a memorial.Xuan Lam, junior
accounting major
I heard the MSC is an upgraded, much-
better version of The Commons. The MSC will create a better Aggie community by having a good
grounds for former and current students
to meet. Shaik Ullah, sophomore
biochemistry major
Something that makes the MSC so special is that it is a functioning memorial that Aggies can utilize daily. It has served as the headquarters for many student organizations, the campus bookstore, and has been referred to as the living room of campus, where people can meet, talk, and take a nap before class. But because the MSC is a memorial to Aggies in the military, it is highly regarded by the Corps of Cadets.
If you were to take a walk down the quad while the Corps goes through morning or evening formation, you would experience the definition of con-trolled chaos.
The typical pre-formation routine for much of the Corps involves fish wild-catting out of their dorms, sophomores sternly keeping them in line, the juniors supervising and seniors goofing around with each other. If you pay attention to any particular outfit, among other things, you hear the sophomores intensely quizzing the fish about what we call “campusologies,” or short bits of A&M history that cadets are required to know by heart. Failure to successfully recite a campusology will usually result in the fish having to do push-ups or another exer-cise at the discretion of the sophomores.
One of these campusologies is referred to simply as “MSC.” It consists of the inscription that is on the MSC, explain-ing its meaning and purpose. Of all of the campusologies that fish have to memo-rize, upperclassmen drill into fish that “MSC” is one of the most important, and getting it wrong usually carries a stiffer punishment than any other mis-take. Also, before the MSC renovation, it was mandatory that any Corps member entering the MSC be in perfect uniform, and because they were in a memorial to fallen Aggies, to conduct themselves accordingly.
Due to the MSC’s function as a me-morial to all Aggies who have and will give their lives for their country, it is very near and dear to members of the Corps of Cadets. Almost every Aggie to whom the MSC is a memorial once wore the Corps uniform, and dealt with the same trials and hardships that current cadets face on a day-to-day basis. Because of this, cadets feel especially called to pre-serve the status of the MSC as a memo-rial out of gratitude to those who have gone before them, and to all Aggies who are yet to give their lives in the defense of our nation.
Andrew Piland is a senior engineering technology major.
What are looking
forward to seeing
in the MSC?
Q:thebattalionasks
Since its opening on Muster in 1951, the Memorial Student
Center has been an integral part of Texas A&M as a memorial to all Aggies, past, present and future, who have given their lives while serving in the U.S. military.
I started looking at colleges, so I joined a group from El Paso during a visit to A&M’s Discover Engineer-ing Conference. It was an incredible experience, and we were looking to spend a night in the college environ-ment. The students with whom we were paired took us to the Memorial Student Center for Aggie Night.
As our group was led to the MSC, we were told how great the center was, how it was the living room of A&M, and how Aggie Nights were the best thing around. We were excited — as high school students at a university should be.
That evening, even before my un-dergrad years, the MSC captured my interest — the structure and its history were awe-inspiring. From the memo-rial component — soon to return to our student body once again — to the Flag Room and the Aggie history recorded in Rodney Hill’s wood carv-ings, the building captured the essence of Aggieland.
In the building’s basement, we were introduced to the college atmosphere: students playing board games, enjoy-ing pizza and — the best part — free bowling and billiards. We were just high school students, but through the MSC we learned what student life in college can be like.
After bowling and playing bil-liards, we were introduced to colle-giate dining in an MSC venue called Rumors. Upon entering, the smell of sautéed onions and cooked meats was intoxicating. While eating, I couldn’t
help but reflect. Relaxed, with friends, listening to blaring music, all I could think was that the MSC was a great place to be. The friendly and fun atmosphere held an allure befitting the center and heart of A&M.
Everything was there: the book-store, restaurants and the post office. When I became an undergraduate a few years later, I learned to judge the campus pulse by the student organiza-tions stationed in Rudder Plaza, taking advantage of the high-foot traffic in the MSC Breezeway. There, we met up with friends, dodged traffic, if on a bicycle, and held important discussions about school, life and Aggie football.
The MSC was indeed the living room of A&M. It was a place to just sit back and relax, studying or listening to lively performances at the baby grand piano in the corner of the Flag Room.
Most of all, it was a place dedicated to the Aggies who lost their lives for
our great country.The building made me feel at home. So, as I snapped out of my trance
— the music still playing and delicious aromas rising from my half-eaten Philly Cheesesteak on the table before me — I knew I had found my next home.
As the MSC prepares to open its doors once again on April 21, I cannot help but reminisce about the effect the MSC had on me. For the next generations of students, the upgraded MSC will be the center point of many of their lives.
The stories of the renovated Memo-rial Student Center are just beginning.
Andrew Piland: The MSC is especially
significant to the Corps
Memories made in MSC
Memorial Student Center com-mittees that were in the back of the second floor of Koldus are moving back home. The MSC is scheduled to open on April 21, and the com-mittees are preparing for the move.
MSC committees are broken into three focus areas: arts and entertain-ment, educational exploration and leadership development and service. Each of these focus areas contains several committees. Many of these committees are happy to move back into the MSC because it is a more central location on campus than Koldus.
“The MSC is one of the central hubs on campus,” said Rob Litwin, chairman of MSC Wiley Lecture Series. “Because it’s our building, students can see the work we’re do-ing.”
Graciel Rodriguez, chairwoman of the MSC Committee for the Awareness of the Mexican-Ameri-can Culture, said moving back into the more central location will bring students together.
“I think the MSC enables all the students to come together,” Rodri-guez said. “It’s the living room of campus.”
Along with being a more central location than Koldus, the area allot-ted for committees in the MSC is also larger and more open. Sydney Hurley, chairwoman of MSC Hos-pitality, said the larger space will be
more inviting to students.“The new MSC is going to be
absolutely amazing,” Hurley said. “There’s a ridiculous amount of fa-cilities in the new MSC and it has a lot more open space, so people who aren’t involved in the MSC will feel more welcome.”
Laura Duffy, vice president and student committee chairwoman for MSC OPAS, said the openness of the MSC is a bright change from the cramped area in Koldus.
“It’s open in a physical sense — there’s light from the windows and it’s airy,” Duffy said. “It’s going to be a happy place on a sunny day.”
Hurley said that being together in an open area of the MSC will promote friendships among the or-ganizations.
“I think having the MSC open will provide a central location for organizations to hang out a lot bet-ter than Koldus does,” she said.
While some said the central lo-cation and size of the MSC will be beneficial to the committees, Allison Marz, the chair of MSC LEAD, said the move comes at an inopportune time.
“I think as of right now, it’ll be a little hectic because the moving-in part is going to happen right around the end of the year — that’s when a lot of committees have major pro-grams,” said Marz. “It’s stressful for chairs because we have to be on top of programs and have to take care of moving.”
Despite this setback, many of the
committees think the MSC will still be better for them than Kol-dus. Lauren Burks, chair of MSC ALOT, said being back in the MSC will clear up the confusion that many new and incoming Aggies feel about the committee names.
“I think right now, it’s sometimes hard coming into A&M for students to understand what the ‘MSC’ part of our name stands for,” Burks said. “So now they’ll be able to under-stand that the MSC is a building, and that they’re going to be a part of an organization that’s also a part of that.”
Many of the chairs of the com-mittees remember being in the MSC as freshmen, so moving back has a different meaning to them.
“For me, it’s kind of like me coming full circle at A&M,” said Jenn Chu, chairwoman of MSC Town Hall. “I had the MSC fresh-man year and it was awesome.”
But the committees say the MSC holds special meaning to all Aggies, whether they’ve seen it before or not.
“It’s like the MSC is the body and we’re the soul,” said Guiliana Salazar, chairwoman of the MSC L.T. Jordan Institute. “Moving back means we survived. We kept the spirit alive. It reaffirms that al-though we were without the MSC for so long, we were able to keep it alive. We are passionate about what we do to fight for the MSC and this is our reward.”
Emily Davis The Battalion
MSC committees eager to move back home
T he year was 2006. I was a sophomore in high school and base-
ball and engineering were the center of my life.
Michael Rodriguez is a senior industrial engineering major.
Michael Rodriguez: The MSC made me feel at home
Former students embody the essence of the Memorial Student Center by honoring those Aggies that died in Bonfire, bowling and playing Dance Dance Revolution and hanging memorial quilts for an AIDS fundraiser.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Pg. 3-04.12.12.indd 1Pg. 3-04.12.12.indd 1 4/12/12 12:44 AM4/12/12 12:44 AM
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1bd+Office/1ba. Townhouse styleunits. Include W/D, <1-mile fromcampus. www.HolikSquare.com
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2 bdrm/2bath duplex. Brand new.1000 sqft. All appliances included,W/D. Nice, quiet country setting.Water is included. Extra land forhorses is a possibility. Energy effi-cient heat pump. Electric bill is su-per affordable! Super nice!! Veryclose to main campus/Health Sci-ence Center, beat the traffic!! Callfor more information979-777-2253.
2 roommates needed for 4bd/4baapartment off of Southwest Park-way in the University Place com-plex. Fully furnished, $475/mo. in-cluding all utilities, lease runsfrom 8/1/12 to 7/31/13, contactKendall at 512-293-3485.
FOR RENT
2,3,4 and 5/bdrm. CS duplexes.Very nice, garage, on shuttle, tile,fireplace, w/d, fenced, lawn serv-ice, pets o.k. Available August.Details and photos availableonline. http://[email protected], 979-255-1585.
2-3/bedroom apartments. Somewith w/d, some near campus.$175-$600/mo. 979-219-3217.
2bd/1.5ba. Townhouse style units.Include W/D, <1-mile from cam-pus. www.HolikSquare.com
2bd/1ba duplex, extra nice! W/D,remodeled, fenced front andbackyard. Designer extras. Con-venient to everything! One weekfree. College Station.979-422-3427. Call for specials.
2bd/1ba. Townhouse style units.Include W/D, <1-mile from cam-pus. www.HolikSquare.com
2bd/2.5ba unique floorplansw/balcony views of Kyle Field.Brand new luxury apartment con-dos. Fullsize stainless steel appli-ances, W/D, designer ammenitiesgranite/wood/tile, bus stop. Only36units on Holleman at Wolf Pen.www.broadstoneranchat-wolfpen.com, www.aggie-landleasing.com, 979-776-6079.
2bd/2ba 4-plex. Spacious floor-plan, W/D connections, close tocampus. $550/mo.www.aggielandleasing.com979-776-6079.
2bd/2ba Duplex for rent. 115Kleine in College Station.$900/month. 4-yrs old w/tile floorsin living-room, bathrooms andkitchen. W/D and refrigerator in-cluded. Pet friendly. Call979-696-6839/text 979-229-2171.
2bd/2ba unique floorplans w/bal-cony views of Kyle Field. Brandnew luxury apartment condos.Fullsize stainless steel appliances,W/D, designer ammenitiesgranite/wood/tile, bus stop. Only36units on Holleman at Wolf Pen.www.broadstoneranchat-wolfpen.com,www.aggielandleasing.com,979-776-6079.
2bd/2ba. Student Community,<1-mile from campus.www.HollemanByThePark.com
3/2 duplex on Holleman, all appli-ances, yard care, pest control,avoid the crowds in apartmentliving, call 979-774-4575.
3/2 duplex, 1920 Holleman Dr.West. Available August. Great lo-cation, new wood floors, tile, newcarpet, newly updated, fencedbackyard, W/D, shuttle, bike tocampus. Pets ok. $1095/mo.979-731-8257.www.brazosvalleyrentals.com
3/2 Duplexes, prelease August,very nice, 5mins to campus, W/D,lawn care, security system,$900-950/mo. 979-691-0304,979-571-6020.
3/2 home in CS, nice area close tocampus shuttle, privacy fencedbackyard with patio, responsiblefemales only, no pets, no smok-ing, $1200/mo with year lease,$1200 deposit, available June1st,call 979-571-9299.
3/3,3/2 Houses, Townhouses&Apartments, 1250-1400sqft.Very spacious, ethernet, largekitchen, walk-in pantry &closets,extra storage, W/D, great ameni-ties, on bus route, now pre-leas-ing, excellent specials.979-694-0320.www.luxormanagement.com
FOR RENT
3/3 condos/townhomes, larger,ganite, shuttle, $1450 to $1590,cable, internet, Owner/Broker,979-777-5477.
3/3 newer duplex includes all ap-pliances, tile floors, backyard,pets allowed. $1200/mo. AvailableAugust. Call Tia 979-739-1160.
3/3.5 luxury condo in Gateway Vil-las, granite throughout, W/D,close to campus/restaurants/busroute, available June 1st,$1350/mo., 817-437-9606.
3bd/2ba House, <1-mile south ofcampus, close to everything, ga-rage, pet friendly,www.AggielandLeasing.com
3bd/2ba House, <1-mile south ofcampus, close to everything, ga-rage, pet friendly,www.LoneStarHousing.com
3bd/3ba Condo Deacon at Well-born Rd. Available 5/15 $1025Summer/$1125 September-May979-575-5039. Shuttle, new carpetand paint!
3bd/3ba. Duplexes. Close to cam-pus, Great backyards. Fairly New!979-693-4900.
3bdr w/study or 4bdr/2ba House.2-Blocks to campus. Refrigerator,W/D, $1100/mo. 105 Fleetwood.832-541-6450.
4+bedroom Duplex for rent. 113Kleine in College Station.$1600/mo. 4-yrs old w/largeback-yard. 4bd/4ba +office, andstorage room. Tile floors inliving-room, bathrooms andkitchen. W/D and refrigerator in-cluded. Pet friendly. Call979-696-6839/text 979-229-2171.
4/2/2 College Station, close tocampus. Updated, fenced, w/d,granite. Prelease for August.$1799/mo. 1312 Timm.979-776-8984.aggielandrentals.com
4/2/2 house, 1302 Mary Oaks.Available August. Close to cam-pus, A&M bus route, recently up-dated, carpet/tile flooring, spa-cious closets and ample storage.Large fenced backyard. Pets OK.$1595/mo. 979-255-9432
4/2/2 off Dominik. Large updatedhouse, tile, carpet, with W/D, petsallowed. $1800/mo. Tia979-739-1160. Available May.
4/2/2, 1508 Austin, availableAugust, great floorplan, updated,huge backyard, close to shopping,W/D, no pets, $1595/mo,979-731-8257 www.brazosval-leyrentals.com
4bd/4ba University Place Condofor rent. $1600/mo. All utilitiespaid including internet and cable.No pets. http://www.collegesta-tionrent.com/tx/college-station/227678-university-place-condo. Fred 281-460-0439.
5/2 + study, 1112 Berkeley, avail-able August, COMPLETELY RE-MODELED, W/D, new paint, allappliances, large backyard, nopets, $1795/mo, 979-731-8257www.brazosvalleyrentals.com
AggieLandRentals.com For allyour rental needs. Open 7days/week. 979-776-8984.
Attention sorority sisters. 4br/3baHouse available August 1st.$375/bdrm. 210-289-1609.
August Leasing. 4bd/2ba house.Close to campus, wood floors, tilefloors, ceiling fans, W/D, fencedyards. 979-776-6079.www.aggielandleasing.com
Balcones Apartments, 3/2, avail-able now, fully remodeled, inter-net and water included, $895/mo,979-703-8282.
Brand new building now! Sierracondos walk to NG/campus. Gran-ite, SS, W/D incl. Pet friendly. 1,2,3bed+ guest baths. Bus route billsincl. dwellsierra.com979-314-7145
Brand new luxury condos, granitecountertops, tile flooring, greatlocation. 979-693-4900.
C.S. 4bdrm Houses, updated,fenced pets, ok. Starting at$1295/mo. AggieLandRentals.com979-776-8984.
CLOSE to campus! Ride your bike!Great 3bd/1.5ba house in goodneighborhood w/large fencedbackyard. Pets ok. $1100/mo.Signing bonus! Available now.979-820-1198.
College Station: 1/1, 800sqft,$575. 2/2, 1000sqft, $675. Shuttle,all appliances, W/D,lawn/pest/maintenance included.906 Spring Loop (off University).KAZ Realty. 979-324-9666.
College Station: 3/2, 1240sqft.Newly remodeled! All StainlessSteel Appliances! Close to shuttle,W/D, lawn/pest/maintenance in-cluded. 905 Balcones (off Welch),$1000. KAZ Realty 979-324-9666.
FREE $200 SIGNING BONUS! 3/2on bus route. Remodeled 2010.$975 upstairs unit $1075 down-stairs unit with yard.979-314-7145. W/D, lawncare,some bills included. Pet friendly.southwoodplace.com
Free ethernet and cable, paidwater, Campus shuttle.Preleasing, Great Prices.AggieApartment.com,979-693-1906.
Gateway Villas. Affordable luxury.4bd/4ba available August.$1600/mo. 512-413-8748.
Large 3/2/1 on bus route. W/D.$1200/mo. 1431 Magnolia Drive.214-914-4305
Luxury townhome. Gateway Vil-las. 4bd/4bth, 1800/mo. Pre-leasesummer/ fall 2012. 979-229-6935.
Northgate. New apartments 3/3,2/2, 3/2, and 1/1. House for rent.www.aggievillas.net979-255-5648.
Now Leasing and pre-leasing forAugust! 4bdrm/2bth houses. Spa-cious floorplans. Great Location.Close to campus, wood floors, tilefloors, ceiling fans, w/d, fencedyards, refridgerator,icemaker,lawncare.979-776-6079,www.aggielandleasing.com
Pre-leasing for August 2,3,4,&5bedroom houses andtown-homes. Updated, fenced,pets ok, on shuttle route.AggieLandRentals.com979-776-8984.
Prelease available now! Large2bd/2ba duplex. Walk-in closets,W/D connections, large fencedbackyard, on shuttle. UniversityOaks. $775/mo. 979-693-1448.
Prelease for May or August !Large 2bd/2ba duplex. Walk-inclosets, W/D connections, largefenced backyard, on shuttle. Uni-versity Oaks. $775/mo.979-693-1448.
C.S. 3/1.5/2carport, Updated,Fenced, biking distance to cam-pus, on shuttle, pets ok. $750/moAggieLandRentals.com979-776-8984.
Spacious 3/2 duplex available inMay and August. W/D. $895/mo.979-693-0551.
Storage- Rent for 4 months. Payfor 3 get 1 free. All sizes, close tocampus. 979-693-0551.
Subleasing 1bd/1bath in a2bd/2bath at Campus Villageapartments. Furnished, lazy river,$615/month. Available now aswell as 8/12-7/13. 713-992-5057
Summer sublease available. 1/1unfurnished apartment on busroute, 10 minutes from campus.$495/month plus utilities and wa-ter. Email [email protected] for more information.
D&D Moving and Storage, Inc. isaccepting applications forpart-time summer help. Apply inperson at 3700 Texas Ave SouthCollege Station, TX.
DJ’s Wanted. No experience orequipment needed. Will trainright people. Must have widerange of music knowledge. Pleaseemail resume [email protected]
J. Cody’s hiring cashiers, applywithin, 3610 S. College. Must beable to work Tuesday/Thursdaynights. No experience necessary,just common sense!
Kingwood Country Club in Hous-ton is hiring life guards. No previ-ous experience required. Call usat (800)210-0049 to apply.
Leasing Consultant needed, indi-vidual needs to be energetic, cus-tomer oriented, have a profes-sional appearance and able towork weekends, base pay pluscommission, PT/FT available, applyin person at 3645 Wellborn Road,Bryan, Reveille Ranch Apart-ments.
Little Guys Movers now hiringFT/PT employees. Must be at least21 w/valid D.L. Apply in person at3209 Earl Rudder Freeway.979-693-6683.
Looking for a student worker.Painting, minor plumbing andmaintenance skills required.$12/hr. 979-324-9666.
looking for TAMU-student towrite code for smartphone appli-cations. Please email [email protected]
Med Tech for full-time, medicalallergy office. Excellent benefits.Great experience for student ap-plying to medical or nursingschool. Degree in Biomedical Sci-ence and one year commitmentrequired. Please fax resume to979-485-0575, apply in person at3306 Longmire Drive CS, TX, oremail resume [email protected]
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thebattalion
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thursday 4.12.2012Classifi eds continued from page 4classifiedssee ads at thebatt.com
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Tutors wanted for all subjectscurrently taught at TAMU/ Blinnand Sam Houston State startingat $8.25/hour. Apply on-line @www.99Tutors.com,979-268-8867.
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population. In a time when Silicon Valley grabs economic news headlines, Farmers Fight is out to show that a valley is also capable of yielding crops.
“People today don’t un-derstand the vast amount of effort it takes to feed and clothe the world,” Evans said.
Joshua Hardcastle, Farmers Fight director of communica-tions, said the advocacy effort began as a student-led dream to increase agricultural aware-ness.
“It started with an Alpha Gamma Rho committee, then grew to be a movement encompassing 21 organiza-tions coming together to put up booths to help inform students about agriculture,” Hardcastle said.
The booths feature activi-ties and prizes to encourage students to stop and learn about contemporary agricul-ture, the surprising origins of everyday products, and futuristic farming techniques students are studying in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The Morrill Act made pos-sible the creation of land-grant institutions 150 years ago, in-
cluding the Agricultural and Mechanical College, funding colleges and universities dedi-cated to educating students in agriculture and the sciences. Although the “A&M” no longer stands for “Agricul-tural and Mechanical,” in its nascent years, Texas A&M’s focus on agriculture led to na-tional recognition and an em-phasis on agricultural study.
Farmers Fight, which bills itself as an “Ag-vocacy” movement, is dedicated to creating educated consumers of agricultural products. In its first year, the movement has garnered support of faculty and hundreds of student vol-unteers.
The Farmers Fight move-ment has assembled more than 220 advocates. In addi-tion to utilizing modern ad-vertising channels to spread their message, the advocates encourage simply looking around Aggieland as a way to catch a glimpse of its agricul-tural past.
“We started with big dreams and lower expecta-tions,” Black said. “We knew that bringing together 21 or-ganizations would be a daunt-ing task, but we’ve already surpassed our initial hopes, and look forward to planning an even stronger program next year.”
FarmersContinued from page 1
tal disorder on a rooftop,” Mendiola said. “He is upset with the way things are going in his life.”
The short film was written, shot and edited in a 24-hour period as part of a SWAMP Club short film contest. Brandon and the people in his group worked 14 hours with hardly a break to finish the film in the allotted time frame.
“We started at 10 in the morning, and we went home at 2 in the morning the next day,” Mendiola said.
Not all of the student-made films tackle difficult subjects. Senior telecommunications major Jessica Peale’s short film “No, I said Love” is a light-hearted comedy about two best friends arguing about the purpose of love.
“The film follows the con-versation of two friends as one tries to talk the other out of loving a girl,” Peale said. “‘Friends don’t let friends fall in love’ is the tagline of the film”.
Visualization graduate stu-dent Austin Hines takes a more scientific approach to the subject of love in his movie, “The Ultimate Pickup Line,”
winner of the SWAMP club’s 24 Hour Short Film contest.
“Mine is a comedy short film about a group of scien-tists trying to invent the ulti-mate pickup line,” Hines said.
In addition to the films be-ing presented this weekend, festivalgoers can enjoy several speakers talking about vari-ous aspects of the filmmaking process and film industry.
One of the speakers, Ben Wiggins, made a career in Hollywood producing mov-ies. Recently, however, Wig-gins began developing ideas into films and leading semi-nars on story development.
“I’m excited to hear more about story development. I think that the story is what keeps an audience’s atten-tion. It’s really important in a movie,” said Amy Richards, senior visualization major.
Ultimately, Texas Film Festival is meant to showcase the different aspects of film and what it has to offer, both on- and off-screen.
“Film can be so much more than sitting in a movie theater for a few hours,” said Josh Frink, senior aerospace engineering major and asso-ciate director of the festival. “It’s an art form that can make you laugh, cry, and have a deep connection to a charac-ter that doesn’t exist outside the screen.”
Film FestContinued from page 1
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Your Future is Calling...
Answer con!dently by knowing the value of your Texas A&M degree.
Instead of an app... we’ve got a QEP* for that!
Aggies CommitVision 2020 Action 2015
* Quality Enhancement Plan
QEP = Aggies Commit to Learning for a Lifetime!
Our QEP is a 10-year commitment to enhancing student learning at Texas A&M.
Intentional LearningStudents commit to intentional learning
Integrative, Lifelong LearningStudents develop habits and skills for integrative, lifelong learning
High-impact Learning ExperiencesFaculty provide high-impact learning experiences
Aggies Commit to Learning for a Lifetime demonstrates our shared commitment to continuous improvement documented by TAMU’s accreditation by the Southern
Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges.
Assessment of LearningFaculty and sta" assess student learning
To learn more aboutAggies Commit to Learning for a Lifetime...
visit the website @http://provost.tamu.edu/initiatives/quality-enhancement-plan
Funding and support for Aggies Commit to Learning for a Lifetime is provided by each
college, the university administration and The Association of Former Students.Association of Former Students.
Learn how to commit to being a leader among your peersVisit us at slc.tamu.eduOr drop by YMCA 200
We have many volunteer and paid positions available!
Student Learning CenterHelping Students Learn How to Learn
thebattalion
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thursday 4.12.2012
saying it was an interesting choice. Others in my com-munity weren’t nearly as op-timistic.”
The Rabbis from his home-town were not optimistic that Abitbol could attend a secu-lar university and maintain a fully orthodox lifestyle. Many students, Abitbol said, attempt what he is doing, but when immersed in a secular envi-ronment, few are successful. He was determined to avoid being counted in this statistic.
“It’s what some call Mod-ern Orthodox, what I’m do-ing. It’s where a Jew is Torah observant, but lives in a secu-lar community,” Abitbol said. “This is also different from Hassidic Jews, who live in se-cluded communities. The la-beling isn’t important though, we’re all still one Jewish peo-ple.”
Abitbol’s university deci-sion was not purely academic. He wanted the community to have an established Jewish center where he could cel-ebrate religious holidays and observe the Sabbath, and also have a Rabbi on hand for spir-itual guidance and support.
After deciding to attend Texas A&M, Abitbol was interested by the Corps of Cadets, drawn particularly to the hierarchical structure and emphasis on both personal responsibility and group co-hesion.
“The core values they in-still in you are all things I hold deeply to my heart,” Abitbol said. “It seemed at first like a natural fit.”
He soon discovered join-ing the Corps accompanied a whole host of problems unique to his religious convic-tions, chief among them being the availability of kosher food. Duncan Hall, the main dining facility for the Corps of Ca-dets, didn’t offer kosher food options, nor did any other es-tablishment on campus.
After Freshman Orienta-tion Week and receiving an assignment to Company N-1, Abitbol had a meeting with Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff from the local Rohr Chabad Jew-ish Center andicha Company N-1 Chaplain Adrian Siller to
CadetContinued from page 1
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
Kenny Abitbol said he was surprised to find the Corps happily accommodating to his religious restrictions.
discuss options.“We were able to provide
microwavable kosher meals that Abitbol would heat up and then eat with the rest of the outfit,” said Siller, junior anthropology major. “We now have a pantry of food he can prepare himself in a Ko-sher environment along with the pre-packaged meals.”
Abitbol said he was sur-prised to find the Corps hap-pily accommodating all of his religious needs and restric-tions with as little interfer-ence as possible. In addition to the food issue, he could not attend any football games. Orthodox Jews observe the Sabbath by resting and con-templating their lives with-out the distraction of work or technology from sundown Friday to the same time Sat-urday night.
“Initially, I didn’t think he could do it. On top of tak-ing 19 hours of classes and everything freshman cadets go through, he’s piling on so much more responsibility,” Siller said. “But he meets challenges with a blunt hon-esty and earnest determina-tion. I’m proud of him.”
Abitbol views the situation he has intentionally put him-self in not as a detriment, but a challenge.
“I’m glad my outfit, my buddies, and the Corps isn’t changing just for me. I still experience life the same as
any other freshman cadet,” Abitbol said. “They do their best to preserve that while still preserving my lifestyle.”
Abitbol attributes much of his success to the history and traditions of his outfit, and how the cadets have eased the transition for him. Before any of the current members attended Texas A&M, N-1 welcomed cadets from a va-riety of cultural and religious backgrounds.
“I have a lot of pride for both the University and the Corps for doing all they have for Abitbol,” Lazaroff said. “He’s pioneering the way for others like him and offering the best example — a living example.”
Abitbol also wants to in-spire other Jewish students, especially those who are Modern Orthodox attend-ing secular universities. Both he and Rabbi Lazaroff said many Jews end up prioritiz-ing other aspects of college life above their faith, claiming that it isn’t possible to main-tain both.
“If you find an obstacle, you simply have to overcome it. I know it’s always easier to say than do, but it’s a start,” Abitbol said. “I have no re-grets and would do it all the same given another chance. If I can hopefully inspire anyone else — Jewish or not — along the way, the decision is made that much sweeter.”
nationRon Paul says no plans to endorse Romney FORT WORTH — Republican presidential contender Ron Paul says he’s friendly with GOP front-runner Mitt Romney but that he’s not planning to endorse Romney anytime soon. Paul told reporters Wednesday in Fort Worth, Texas, that he and Romney know each other well. But Paul says he will continue his campaign and hasn’t heard from Romney’s camp about dropping out. Paul says his supporters wouldn’t want him to leave the race and that he hopes to collect more delegates for the GOP
Trayvon Martin’s shooter arrestedJACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Amid furious public pressure to make an arrest in the killing of Trayvon Martin, the special prosecutor on the case went for the maximum Wednesday, bringing a second-degree murder charge against the neighborhood watch captain who shot the unarmed black teenager. George Zimmerman, 28, was jailed in Sanford — the site of the shooting Feb. 26 that set off a nationwide debate over racial profi ling and self-defense — on charges that could put him in prison for
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