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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2002)
neu WTALIO )m Page 'ery closely like thataga. the 2002-21 ■ch ended 'eed Arens red. The ara 'plementary liversityto for the are: 1 52.2 millm pancy betu, We're not in Kansas anymore Freshmen learn how to adjust to college life after their first month away from home When Mason King, a freshman peech communications major, began -■iseducation at Texas A&M last • nonth, his lifestyle completely s/.^o.ooo, ^ , hanged . i endowma “Once you get to college, you're ■>IX)n the are; eS p 0n sible for all your actions," King It appearin': no one loom inn r>ver vm appeanns rt line, been open- e it opened S644.790 it •r, the luring its er i. Most speta eed Arena v >n. market, ai proximity Aggielife The Battalion Page 3 • Friday, September 27, 2002 aid. “There’s no one looming over you always make sure you're getting trything done." To many freshmen, college brings ire steal me freedom because there are no par- nts and essentially no rules. Despite an often welcome sense of ndependence, many students initially or finance, jncounter loneliness. Joe Ben Combs, a is expected it ieshman business major, said once he havetosupf* ;etfoot on A&M's campus, he immedi- itely missed his friends and family, “I'm really close to my family, and universiti! ciftving away from them and not getting to g. and it bid >ee them everyday is hard,” Combs said. Many students deal with loneliness hrough involvement with various Station ml organizations, which offer the chance to meet new people and explore new inter- sts. Because A&M's campus offers able to arc more than 700 organizations, students me entent e are offered a wide range of opportuni- :ould fill:: lies to fit their particular interests, seats. Bow? Becky Corbin, a sophomore speech communications major, decided to expand her leadership skills by joining a Freshman Leadership Organization (FLO) her freshman year. “1 was a part of ALOT (Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow) my freshman the arena: attendance i "If the basis- drawing mr: mid define id. “I still b; selling out lit ball game." ic prospect'fa 'e dim. Bow; scould still li; sHioussafcl? . "WO aspiring pop stars 1 to become the 'American she couldn' ' d ° r Now ' Kell V Clarkson has ; ta nc e H /wraj set a record on the Billboard tdiotwilte s 7? /e , s c ^ drt Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" jumped to the top spot year, and it really gave me an opportu nity to meet new people and develop leadership skills ” Corbin said. Another way students deal with adjusting to college life is through reli gion. King said churches throughout the Bryan-College Station area are filled with students on Sunday morn ings. King said his religion has helped him cope with the different kinds of stress he encounters. Once you get to col lege, you're responsible for all your actions. There's no one looming over you to always make sure you're getting every thing done. — Mason King freshman speech communications major “I have faith in Jesus Christ because his love never fails me. It's constant,” King said. "When you come to college everything changes, even friendships, but he doesn't.” Because many students come to col lege without a set group of friends. Stephanie Radney, a freshman poultry science major, said the transition from high school to college is difficult because of the shift in peer groups. “If you don't come in to college with a peer group, it's very challenging to make new friends ” Radney said. Radney said her boyfriend is also a student at A&M and has made the social transition easier for her. In addition to social stress. Combs said the academic part of life at A&M is a big part of the transition for fresh men. He said that many students do not realize how high the academic stan- dards are at A&M until they go through their first round of tests. "High school didn't prepare me enough for the challenging academics at Texas A&M," Combs said. “I know the study habits will come with time though, especially around mid-terms.” While frequenting parties and clubs is one way many freshmen jump into the college social scene, some freshmen realize they're here to get an education and make the grades in order to make their money worthwhile. Mary Bridges, a freshman business management major, said she prefers to concentrate on her studies rather than on the party scene. “I realize that I'm not at A&M to party and have a good time necessarily, but to leam and get an education in order to obtain the job I'm called to,” Bridges said. PEOPLE IN THE NEWS Clarkson sets record on Billboard singles chart NEW YORK (AP) - First she f-selection upl and inappropri- *eed Arena. on the Billboard Hot 100 this week from its debut at No. 52, the biggest leap to No. 1 ever in the chart's history. The song sold 236,000 copies in its first full week in stores, the first time a song has sold more than 200,000 copies in one week since 1999, said Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's director of charts. "We're in uncharted territory," Mayfield said Wednesday. "People really got a charge out of watching ('American Idol') — participating in it, and voting on a single is a relative ly inexpensive way to invest in the experience." Clarkson unseated "Dilemma" by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child, which had been on top for the past seven weeks. "Dilemma" fell to No. 2. Donahue wins top prize on 'Big Brother 3' LOS ANGELES (AP) - A 26- year-old bartender from Los Angeles walked out of the "Big Brother 3" house with the $500,000 top prize. Lisa Donahue said she missed her cat, Herman, the most during her stay at the Studio City home. She credited her job with preparing her to get along with people from all walks of life and win the prize Wednesday night. '"I am a great team player who can get along with all types of people," she said. Donahue said she was sur prised to win against the last housemate, Danielle Reyes of Fairfield. "I was nervous. I was like, 'OK, she's a good player.' But she's a great, wonderful person." Reyes, 30, brings home $50,000 to her husband and two daughters. Her plan to win "Big Brother 3" was: "As sly as a snake. I'll be fake as my implants." wn Bryan | lzos Valley cm Buy /?E/V7 Tickets & save 50% off LA BOHEME Food’’ 7am-2pm i • Spai 11 ogratns DIRECT FROM BROADWAY October 29 and 30 Rudder Auditorium W hen composer Giacomo Puccini premiered his captivating opera in 1896, he probably never dreamt that a century later, the story of LA BOHEME would be reinvented on the Broadway stage by composer Jonathan Larson. But that's precisely what happened with RENT. MSC OPAS celebrates two breath taking versions of the same story this October. Don't miss this chance of a lifetime to see both on the same stage in the same month. Purchase your RENT ticket and save 50% off LA BOHEME. To take advantage of the discount, just bring this ad to the MSC BOX OFFICE today. The MSC Box Office is located on the first floor of Rudder Tower. Questions? Call 845-1234! This 50% off discount made possible by the OPAS Endowment. October 1 and 2 Rudder Auditorium LAGNIAPPE LECTURE SERIES: Join us for an informal discussion previewing La Boheme. Part of the OPAS Guild's Patricia S. Peters Lagniappe Lecture Series, the discussions will be held prior to each performance at 6:30 p.m. in the Stark Gallery at the MSC. Redeemable in-person at MSC Box Office only, Limit 2 tickets to each program/coupon, Not valid for tickets already purchased, TAMU student iD required. Offer expires October 2, 2002.Tickets to LA BOHEME and RENT must be purchased at the same time to receive the discount. m MSC wEBl _ Three Decadz: of Performing Arts