Column: Tales from a disaster zone

Robert Carpenter: The people of West begin long, slow recovery

It’s a curious experience, using a shovel to remove the shattered remains of a grandmother’s possessions from her devastated living room.

Column: Boxers or briefs

Robert Carpenter: Why do women let men run this student body?

The spring 2013 elections were decided well before the first ballot was cast: at Texas A&M, men win. And win big.

SBP makes veto decision

Student Body President John Claybrook submitted an open letter to The Battalion detailing his decision to veto S.B. 65-70, The Religious Funding Exemption Bill. Full story

Editorial: Senate bill rebranding dilutes controversy, but doesn't atone

Wednesday is a big day for Student Senate — and not only because an isolated minority group deserves an apology. The Senate Finance Committee approved The GLBT Funding Opt Out Bill, which was renamed “The Religious Funding Exemption Bill” after Tuesday amendments. Full story

Column: Filling the gaps

Robert Carpenter: The handful of students who can save Silver Taps

I won’t hazard a guess as to the number of students who attended the March 5 Silver Taps. Instead, I’ll quote the unceremonious Facebook post of a friend: “You know new army's gone to hell when there's more slack-liners in Academic Plaza on Friday than there are Aggies there on Tuesday nights.”

Column: The bridge to nowhere

Robert Carpenter: How student leaders abuse and misuse ‘traditional family values’

Four words uttered during the March 20 Student Senate meeting stood my hair on end and sent chills down my spine: “Traditional family values center.”

Whoa, man

Elise Brunsvold: If you want equality, stop expecting men to hold the door

I examine the bus for an empty seat, fingers crossed, as I haphazardly attempt my morning coffee and iPod-balancing act. I’m late for class again, and the bus is full. I make my way to the back and stand next to three relaxed and very sedentary men. I can’t help it — the irritation amplifies. I’m a girl, after all. I should be the one sitting down, shouldn’t I?

EDITORIAL: Ambiguous voting change should have had student body input

A change to the 2013 student body elections voting process prevented students from voting for more than one senior and one junior yell leader.

OPINION: Much ado about nothing

Robert Carpenter: Why the Kyle Field referendum doesn’t mean what you think

It was the first announcement of Friday evening, quickly forgotten by the few hundred students waiting around Sul Ross for election results.

Failure to lead

John Claybrook: Student Senate's false representation doesn't serve students

Among the optimistic, I lead the pack. I dreamed of a productive, working relationship with Student Senate after being elected last February. I recognized the great opportunity we were given to proactively address issues that impact students every day. Surely, I thought, we could all work together as our student body’s elected representatives.

I thought wrong.

Letter to the Aggie family

From Firing Squad Commander, Ross Volunteer Company

I would like to wholeheartedly thank all those who came to Silver Taps on Dec. 4. Your selflessness to attend was truly something special to the family of the fallen Aggie we honored that night. Unfortunately we again must perform this incredible act of solidarity tonight, and while the Aggie family turnout for December was amazing, it was not enough. Full story

Guest Column: Praise to the English major

Jerome Loving: You might call that liberal arts major 'Boss' one day

I had been teaching at Texas A&M a number of years before I realized the kind of questions the typical Aggie English major has to put up with, even today. I realized this when my son became an English major at A&M. He never took a business course, but now he is a successful television executive and vice-president. Full story

Opinion: Distracted

Trevor Stevens: My cherished, rust-bucket truck wasn't the only thing I left at the crash site

It happens like that. Take your eyes off the road for one too many seconds and before you know it, you might be climbing out of the metal mess that used to be the best used Ford Ranger a 16 year old could have asked for. I loved that truck. We called it Gumby. Full story

OPINION: Swan Song

Joe Terrell: Thanks for the memories

It’s time. Saturday morning signifies the end of my undergraduate career at Texas A&M. As I step across the stage, I’ll be moving through a sea of diverse memories and experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything. Putting my A&M adventure into words will be difficult, but I’ll try.

Opinion: Worth the wait

Abstinence is more than the absence of sex

My average abstinence-only sexual education experience typically went like this: A (married) youth pastor would stand in front of a group of hormonally-charged teenagers and tell us “Sex is awesome. It’s the best thing ever. But it’s something you shouldn’t do until you’re married. Or God will be mad at you.” Or something.

Opinion: Social stigma?

Sex-ed should teach safe habits, not abstinence only

Urban Dictionary defines the “walk of shame” as “the walk across campus in the same clothes as yesterday after you slept with someone and spent the night in their dorm room.”

OPINION: The only vote that matters

Joe Terrell: How my first vote changed my outlook

I parted the curtain and stepped into a voting booth at the Brazos County Courthouse on Friday. Forty-five seconds later, I stepped out, heart hammering in my chest. As I exited, one of the polling volunteers slapped a cheap “I Voted” sticker onto my shirt, unaware of the intense personal drama that had just transpired within the confines of the voting booth.
It was my first time to vote.

The runner's race

Although I didn't enjoy every workout, running is more than my 5:30 a.m. wake-up call

As a cross country runner I’ve been programed to function early in the morning before the rest of the world around me wakes up.

The Reveal

Provocative Halloween costumes belittle and objectify women

As a woman, when I go shopping for Halloween costumes my choices are something like this: a sexy nurse, a sexy zombie or a sexy piece of fruit. The variety of characters available to me fills an entire warehouses, but they all have one thing in common; every costume is intended to render me as a sex object.

MAILCALL

The Oct. 23 op-ed “Scope Adjustment” by Robbie Cimmino misrepresents the “Texas A&M Personal Protection” bill, which, if passed by Student Senate, would formally request that licensed concealed carry (of handguns) be allowed inside campus buildings.

Guest Column: Scope adjustment

Robbie Cimmino: Concealed handgun carry bill should be reconsidered

The “Texas A&M Personal Protection Bill” was introduced into Student Senate and sent to committee for review at Wednesday’s Senate meeting. The bill calls on Texas A&M and the state to change the current policies related to concealed carry of firearms on public universities.

Guest Column: Pass it back

Drew Nelson: Support your team with class, not booing

Howdy students! Saturday truly showed off the power of the 12th Man. Despite the outcome, it was a game day we can always look back on as one of the most anticipated and exciting of our college careers.

Half a percent

John Rangel: US deems point of national pride, icon of scientific milestones unimportant

Fireman! President! Astronaut! Travel to any American classroom and ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and the responses will almost always be the same.
A fascination with space has gripped the imaginations of Americans both young and old ever since the glory days of Apollo and Gemini.

From the outside looking in

David Cohen: National identity can be established despite international origins

La sangre es mas espesa que el agua, or blood is thicker than water — so the saying goes. I had the opportunity to finally understand the underlying meaning behind this often-repeated phrase after I participated in the Venezuelan Presidential election on Sunday.

Editorial: Ticket pulling decision forwent student input

An email sent Saturday evening through the Division of Marketing and Communication stated the system for pulling tickets would return to its originally intended format. Tickets are being distributed randomly per sections — four sections at a time, starting with the best section. Full story

Editorial: Respect fallen, their family

Silver Taps — one of the oldest and most hallowed traditions at A&M — serves to honor Aggies who have died while attending graduate or undergraduate courses at Texas A&M. In preparation for our Silver Taps editions of The Battalion, our reporters interview friends and family members of those being honored during that month’s ceremony. Full story

EDITORIAL: Campus marketplace

Join or contribute; we all have to do something

The count is approaching 1,000. That’s a lot of organizations for a single body of students. And about half of them will be under one roof Sunday afternoon. MSC Open House is back in the MSC for the first time in three years — an opportunity every student, involved or uninvolved, should take advantage of. Full story

Time of change

R. Bowen Loftin: Many reasons for excitement in A&M’s future

Howdy, Ags! As we get ready for a busy fall semester, let me share with you a few reasons why this is a great time to be an Aggie: Texas A&M brand PayScale continues to rank Texas A&M first among the state’s public universities and in the top 10 public institutions nationally on what graduates earn in their careers compared to their college costs, and Texas A&M is the only public university in the state to make Newsweek’s recent ranking of the nation’s “most affordable” universities. Full story

EDITORIAL: We are here to serve you

The 2012 fall semester is officially underway with more students stepping onto this historic campus than ever before — about 700 more students than last year’s record breaking fall semester. The thousands of freshmen officially added to the ranks of the Aggie family this week are now part of a new future, and a lot is changing around this University. Full story

OPINION: Texas A&M must pay attention to Penn State scandal

As Penn State heard the sanctions that the NCAA was imposing, nowhere in Monday morning’s press conference did the words “death penalty” appear. Yet what Penn State got for covering up 14 years’ worth of pain and shattering of children’s lives from the child sex crimes that former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky committed, was a life sentence.

OPINION: SEC Welcome

Glad to have you Aggies; please beat Florida

Let me start by saying congratulations and welcome to the Southeastern Conference.

EDITORIAL: Protests empower students; may sway elections

Thousands of students crowd the streets of Mexico, protesting unemployment, blatant media bias and escalating violence from the drug wars. At least 30,000 children are involved with organized crime. Last year, a 14-year-old boy was sentenced to three years in prison for crimes committed for the South Pacific drug cartel.

OPINION: Voice of our generation

Eminem’s next album in progress, promises depth

It’s been a couple years since Eminem resurfaced from his five-year hiatus from the spotlight, releasing chart-topping albums in 2009 and 2010. Now he said he’s back in the studio for his eighth solo album.