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This section was produced by
junior high students from the
Youth Adventure Program, hosted
by Texas A&M last week.
Volume 2 • Issue 2*2 pages
jp 6 r
Second year serving Texas A&M University
[onday, July 14,
Students travel here, there and everywhere
By Erin Jacobs
THE YAPPER
Should you park? Should you
ride? Each fall numerous fresh
men enter the 5,200 acre Texas
A&M campus with a full year of
navigating unknown territory
ahead of them. They are all
faced
with the option of parking at
one of the campuses parking
garages, with a total of more
than 23,725 parking spaces.
This may seem like am amazing
amount of available parking
space, however it’s hardly ade
quate for the 40,000 students
and countless faculty and staff
who vie for a parking spot on
campus every day.
This battle for spaces tends
to be a hassle, but if you are
willing to take the risk, there
are a few strategies you should
follow. First of all, you must be
able to verify that you live on
campus, because only 25% of
the students live on-campus,
they have an advantage in
acquiring a permit. According
to freshman Scott Brooks, get
ting his permit was not an easy
task.
Only after graduates, seniors,
juniors, and sophomores are
given the option of parking are
freshmen able to apply for their
permits.
The garages are accessible by
a card-key system that is set up
when a parking permit is pur
chased. Another Aggie way to
travel is the Texas A&M
Transportation Services.
Consisting of 21 buses, the on-
campus routes of this system
provide an option for students to
lead guaranteed
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Sraun and the Rev.4
New fish living in the
same old dorms
By Lauren A. Montoya
THE YAPPER
After the answer for “Where
do I go to college?” is made,
incoming freshmen are faced
with the question “Where do I
live”?
For many new Fish, dorm life
is the best thing for them. Living
i dorms is part of “On-Campus
Housing.”
According to the on campus
housing presentation, on campus
residents are able to receive better
grades and graduate faster.
This is able to be done
because of less distractions.Dorm
rooms may be very cramped but
it becomes a better educational
environment.Since the dorms are
small there is less cleaning to be
done.
“Who is my roommate?” Is
another frequently asked question
by many new Fish.Even if you
have never met your roommate
before they can become one of
your lifelong friends. Though
arguments may occur the best
thing to do is go ask your
Resident Advisor for help. RA’s
can assist with roommate prob
lems; help you learn basic infor
mation about college,and are also
there when you have concerns or
special needs.
Even though students are liv
ing on their own that does not
mean there are no rules. Since
there is little room no candles are
allowed.
If a student is leaving their
dorm they must lock their dorm
up. Students are also not allowed
to let strangers into the residence
hall. Students may not prop open
doors, and guests may not spend
the night. For students to have
alcohol in the rooms they must be
21 years of age or older.
Arguments between room
mates are common. Some issues
are excessive noise, borrowing
items without permission, study
habits, cleanliness, and guests,
amongst other things. Even
though students may fight, it is
always good to demonstrate
responsibility, being able to
understand each side of the argu
ment, and displaying a valued
respect for one another and one
another’s belongings.
Settling in to a new location
with a new roommate is both a
time of exhilaration and anticipa
tion. By taking the time to
research dorms and the amenities
they have to offer, Freshmen can
adjust to college life and a new
found sense of freedom.
get where they need to be.
In the true Aggie spirit, each
route has its own unique name.
Bonfire, Replant, Yell
Practice, Cotton Bowl, Bush
School, 12th Man, and Wehner
Express provide daily trans
portation needs. This service is
free.
A downside to the transporta
tion system at Texas A&M does
n’t seem to be the service itself,
but the workers. Senior
KathyAnn Sheffield states,
“They’re just not nice people.”
Maybe it’s the long stressful
days of driving students around
that might agitate the workers
after a while.
Here at Texas A&M
University, you are sure to find
the Aggie spirit even in its trans
portation.
007s adjust to life
in Aggieland
CHRIS VERRY • THE YAPPER
By Elaine Chen
THE YAPPER
Most people don’t do
well at adjusting to an entire
ly new environment.
Some people are falling
behind in their classes and
seem to need a little help in
whatever classes they’re tak
ing. There are many people
who just need a little nudge
to get them going. A few
people might feel like they
don’t belong here. That’s
why there’s the S.C.S.
S.C.S. is short for
Student Counseling
Service, it’s an organization
created to help those who
are in need. It’s a service
that gives help to those who
need it and their goal is to
help students achieve as
much success as possible
while at Texas A&M. The
S.C.S website has links for
A&M’s own special men
tors (the A&Mentors), the
Student Counseling
Helpline, Learning Skills
Services, etc.
Becky Petitt, from the
A&Mentors, stated, “We are
a group faculty of staff and
administrators; we volunteer
our time to assist students.
Basically, they can come to
us whenever they need help
or when they need someone
to talk to.”
For those who aren’t
falling behind classes, there’s
always clubs and organiza
tions to join. There are soror
ity and fraternity groups,
cubs and the MSC.
Most people adjust to
their college life pretty fast.
James Anderson, a freshman,
remarked that he felt excited
because everything’s going
to be new to him. Marco
Valadez ’03, Amanda Roe
’03, and Cassandra Behr ’05
said they all felt pretty wel
comed when they first
arrived here and that they had
no problem adjusting to this
place. Behr said, “It felt like
home.”
When asked what’s the
difference between high
school and college life, Behr
and Roe both agreed that
they had a lot more freedom
and they had to be more
independent and responsible.
“You have to be more self-
reliant in college,” explained
Jill Selman, a freshman from
Lockhart, Tx.
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By Krisina Zuniga
THE YAPPER
Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix isn’t the only book on people’s
mind this summer. Freshmen at Texas
A&M are thinking about their new
books. Now they’ll need lots of them
and the books won’t come cheap.
Freshmen need to buy books for
required classes, like Chemistry,
English, Biology, and Math, plus all of
their electives. Sometimes books end
up costing as much as the tuition for the
course.
Many fish rely on used books. “I’m
going with used books because you
know money is tight,” said freshman
Tony Wolff about purchasing his books.
Used books are about 25% less than reg
ular books.
Used books may be written on or
have no difference at all said Melissa
Gibson at the bookstore. “We try to buy
books that are in good condition.” Since
many freshmen rely on used books,
which are in limited supply, many
reserve their books ahead of time. When
asked why freshman reserve their books,
Melissa Gibson replied, “They have a
better selection of used books.”
Students may want to return the
books they buy.
“Sometimes because you don’t like
your professor, the class is too big, or
your professor ends up saying you won’t
need it,” said Coleman Martin stating
reasons why someone may want to
return a book. The return policy at the
bookstore is one full week to return your
book for a full refund.
When a student is done with their
books at the end of their semester stu
dents can take their books back and sell
them to the bookstore where they will
sell them as used. The bookstore also
sells scantrons, supplies, and souvenirs.
For people who need new books, the
bookstore’s hours of operation are
8:00AM to 6:00PM from Monday
through Thursday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM on
Friday, 10:00AM to 5:00PM on Saturday,
and they are closed on Sunday.Students
can pay with cash, check, credit cards and
of course, Aggie Bucks.
The bookstore is new and modern
this year. One of the things new to the
store, to make buying books easier for
freshmen, is the booklist for the students
is displayed on the internet. Books are
shelved in alphabetical order, except for
books for English classes because there
are so many.
College 101: Psychology for Vents
Parents go back to college to learn the ropes
By Shannon Mullarkey
THE YAPPER
Happy, happy, happy, crisis, crisis,
crisis: the feelings of a distressed Texas
A&M Freshman. When entering A&M,
the new freshmen may feel overwhelmed
with the class work, peer pressure, and
independence.
Studies have shown that in their times
of need, students rely mostly on their
parents. They will always need a crutch
to lean on, and parents will always be
their first choice.
Adjusting to college life can be diffi
cult and complicated. Besides the sorori
ties, projects, and reports, they will also
want to maintain a life outside of school.
Panics, relationships, and friends are a
few of their social activities and troubles.
Although parents would be their first
choice for help when students are unhap
py, they can also use the Student
Counseling Services.
The Student Counseling Service, also
known as SCS, provides confidential and
professional counseling to all students
regardless of their background. Services
provided include: conflict resolution, per
sonal and career counseling, crisis inter
vention, and testing.However, the stu
dents aren’t the only ones with concerns.
Laura Stafford is worried about her son’s
“transition from high-school to college.”
Because the College classes are so
large, it is possible for a student to lose his
or her identity. Over-populated classes
can result in forgotten students. Other con
cerns could be about their child’s respon
sibility in budgeting money or time.
As frightening as it may be to send
your child away to college, some parents
don’t seem to be worried. Shari Brown is
content with her daughter’s safety
because of the “friendliness” that she has
observed here on the campus. Another
reassurance is the opinion of Fred
French, who finds Texas A&M a “secure,
safe school.”
So no matter the student’s worries,
parents should remember to ask the right
questions and provide guidance from a
distance. Family and home provide stu
dents with an anchor. Maria Ramirez has
no concerns for her daughter because, as
far as A&M is concerned, she say, “All
we’ve heard is good things.”
Aggie Band Tradition goes on
By Shazeb Nayani
THE YAPPER
The Aggie Band is the largest mili
tary marching band in the country. In
1894, there were thirteen members of
the Aggie Band. Today, there are over
four hundred members.
The band members treat each other
like family. They eat together, live
together and look out for each other. In
the band, members of the senior class
wear senior boots and lead the band.
There are twelve senior cadets that
are chosen to march in the front row
known as the “bugle rank.” All of the
members of the band practice at least
ten hours a week! The Aggie military
marching band performs at all football
games, parades, and other events.
The Aggie band is known for their
motivating patriotic tunes. To be a
member of the prestigious Aggie band,
you need high school playing and
marching experience.The Texas Aggie
Band rehearsals are five days per week
from seven a.m. until eight forty-five.
Students of the Aggie Band have a
choice of participating in the Texas
Aggie Basketball Band, the Aggieland
Orchestra, or the University Symphonic
and Concert Bands. Aggie Band mem
bers receive one academic credit each
semester. The Aggie band is the largest
military marching band in the country.
Incoming Fish have the chance to spend
the night with the Corps.
On this night you are required to
take a personal interview with one of
the band directors. Tai Moultrie played
the clarinet in the Aggie band and she is
currently in the air force.
She says, “ The reason I joined the
band is because I like the idea of
marching and I know that the band is
the heart and soul of the university.”
There are forty scholarships given
out incoming freshmen. The scholar
ships are given out based on superior
academic performance.
Aggieland’s own little program
welcomes students to new home
By Lindsey T. Burns
THE YAPPER
Every year Texas A&M
University has a series of New
Student Conferences. Thousands of
new freshmen are welcomed to cam
pus and informed about campus life
and what to expect. The
Conferences usually run smoothly
with few problems. Tours run in and
out throughout the day, but rarely do
student and their families think
about what went into making the
conference such a hit. What about
the people who set up the booths?
What about the people giving the
tours? Who are they and what do
they do?
All of the above can be answered
“AOLP” or the Aggie Orientation
Leadership Program. What these
students do is put together and staff
the New Student Conferences. They
keep every thing running smoothly
and help the new students feel wel
come, as freshman Jill Selman ’07
said, “Texas A&M has a friendly
atmosphere, and when you say
howdy you get a howdy back,” this
is definitely the case for the New
Student Conferences.
Marco Valadez ’03, the executive
director of AOLP, said “It’s impor
tant to make sure freshmen have a
positive experience. They need to be
able to feel like an individual. No
matter how many people we see, we
try to make everyone feel like
they’re the first person we’ve talked
to.”
AOLP is also one of the few
organizations required by the State
of Texas. “If we didn’t do [The New
Student Conference], the professors
would have to,’’remarked Valadez,
referring to how important the
AOLP is to the university.
From freshmen to transfer stu
dents, they are always willing to
help. The AOLP is always trying to
make new students feel welcomed
and have a first-rate stay at Texas
A&M. As student Domenic Cusano
’04 said, “Texas A&M is one of the
most enriching enlightening, and
amazing experiences that I’ve ever
had and it never changes.”
Students need mo > money
By Stefany Lopez
THE YAPPER
Over 70 percent of college stu
dents have some type of financial
aid. In order to receive F.A. you need
to be informed about the application
process.
The most frequently asked ques
tions about financial aid are the sim
plest questions to answer. For exam
ple, “When should I apply for finan
cial aid?”
In order to receive financial aid,
the best time to apply for financial
aid is after January 1st prior to the
school year and after income taxes
are filed.
According to Jody Ford, assistant
director of Student Financial Aid of
A&M, would say “Financial aid is
awarded on a first come, first serve
basis.”
The first step in applying for F.A.
is to apply for the FAFSA. A lot of
people who receive financial aid are
skeptical about how much aid you
are allowed to get. If you receive
financial aid, the amount you get is
based on the cost of attendance, but
you are able to receive unlimited
scholarships as long as you don’t
receive federal or state assistance.
F.A. is awarded based on a student’s
need in regards to expected family
contribution.
One of the main questions that
students are interested in is “Can you
use you aid for different or other liv
ing expenses?” Jody Ford assured
me that that as long as you receive a
refund check after your tuition and
other bills are paid, you are able to
use your refund check to pay for
anything else you might need or
want. However, this refund becomes
taxable income for a student.
After you have applied and
received your aid you are probably
wondering, “How do I pick up my
check?” Since F.A. is handled elec
tronically, there are electronic fund
transfers that send your deposit
directly into your billing account. So,
as soon as your bank gets your check,
all you have to do is go pick it up.
Now you know that applying for
financial aid isn’t as hard as it seems,
all you need to do is follow the step-
by-step instructions given on the
FAFSA website. But remember,
“The early bird gets the worm!”