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PACE DESIGN BY : LAUREN ROUSE
WEEK 2004
By Rhiannon Meyers
THE BATTALION
rmeii
lie blJlenni Schaefer, Class of 1998, said she has
aproblem with her body image since she was
earn Jearsold, but it wasn’t until she came to Texas
forsa ;Mthat her eating disorder really began.
went to A&M, it was the complete
wjedom my eating disorder needed to take con-
Schaefer said. “There was no set times to
^ ,and nobody ever had to know if I ever ate.
he ^ crewere no rules as far as food went.”
Schaefer said she struggled with anorexia
bulimia throughout all four years of col-
butthat she did not realize she had a prob-
until her senior year.
[y senior year, 1 was in the bathroom of
apartment making myself throw up, and
's when I realized I had a problem,”
Schaefer said. “1 had it all of college, but when
1 made myself throw up for the first time, I
knew that wasn’t right, and it was something
that could hurt me.”
Gena Staggs, a counselor at Student
Counseling Services, said that cases such as
Schaefer’s are common at A&M.
Staggs said SCS counselors speak with sev
eral students searching for help with their eat
ing disorders throughout the year, and that is
one of the reasons why SCS, Student Health
Services and Aggie REACH are hosting Eating
Disorders Week on campus this week.
Ashley Walker, health educator for Student
Health Services, said that this week’s events,
which correspond with National Eating
Disorders Week, will include a video, a panel
discussion, a lecture and an informational table.
“I think a lot of people understand that this
is a problem, and because we are a large college
campus, the problem is larger than people think
it is,” Walker said.
Staggs said the week kicks off at 8 p.m.
Monday in the Memorial Student Center with a
video titled “Slim Hopes,” which will discuss
how the media contributes to body image.
“We think the media has a big impact on bad
body image,” Staggs said. “We want people to
think about ways they can proactively improve
their own body image.”
Schaefer, who wrote a book about her eating
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
8 fMHu to 9 {*'*>*'
M$C292&
Video: "Slim Hopes"
7 (Mm. to 8:15 «mml
It SC 2928
Eating Disorder Discussion Panel
&30 imh. to 6:30 pjm.
Healthy Living Lecture:
"Shattering Body Image"
11 oumu to 2 punt.
Dismiss Distorted Images
Informational Table
See Slim on page 8
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
SOURCE • STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES
TS offers new parking,
ticket payment options
By Natalie Younts
THE BATTALION
Transportation Services is offering new pay
ment methods for parking citations and for visi
tor parking in the Northside Parking Garage.
TS began offering online citation payment
from its Web site Feb. 13. Credit cards and
checks are accepted online,
said TS Director Rodney
Weis,
“It’s easier for the cus
tomer because you don’t have
to come to the office,” Weis said. “You don’t
have to wait in line.”
Katie Nieder, a senior journalism major, said
if she gets another parking ticket before she grad
uates that she will pay it online to avoid a special
trip to the TS office.
Nieder said she got a ticket in the fall and
checked the TS Web site to see what her payment
options were.
“I remember thinking that it would be nice to
pay online,” she said. “I would have done it,
because I like to do everything online.”
Andre Williams, a senior electrical engineer
ing major, said that although he gets a lot of
parking tickets, he doesn’t care
about payment methods even if
they are online, because he does
n’t pay them.
He said that eventually, the
money he owes for tickets is
transferred to his fee statement.
He said when his financial aid money is
applied to his fee statement, that the money he
owes for tickets is deducted automatically.
See TS on page 2
rsaie
wnore chemistry major Kelly DeCock hangs
ilized tiedown after hoisting herself up a tree in
irchPark Friday afternoon. DeCock is a part of
nonprofit organization, Texas A&M Student
, iely of Arboriculture, which supports
Hw>
lon.S*
Supporters of gay marriage
rally at county courthouse
SHARON AESCHBACH • THE BATTALION
Arboricultural Sciences and Urban Forestry by edu
cating its members in tools and techniques of the
aboriculture and urban forestry industries. The club
also meets regularly to practice safe methods of
climbing trees.
IT helps women in info-tech field
By Elizabeth Knapp
THE BATTALION
Sara Roden hopes to make a big splash in the
nnation technology and information sys-
field after she graduates, despite the chai
se of being a woman.
bden, a senior information and technology
|jor,said she wants to make contacts in the
new connections to put her ahead of
ryoneelse.
had the opportunity to make those
mections at the Women In Technology (WIT)
Conference last week.
The conference was one of the programs
designed to appeal to women who are majoring in
information technology and information systems.
WIT was the idea of Evan Anderson, chair
man of the Department of Information and
Operations Management in the Mays Business
School. The organization was geared to repre
sent women going into these fields and keep
them involved.
Roden said she was able to talk to several
See WIT on page 2
By Jason Hanselka
THE BATTALION
John Scroggs, a graduate student in science
and technology journalism at Texas A&M, said
he and his partner have 40 pages of legal docu
ments made so that if one of them is injured, the
other can be allowed to make medical decisions
for him just like legal married couples can do.
Scroggs and about 50 supporters gathered
Friday on the lawn of the Brazos County
Courthouse for the “first comes love, then comes
marriage” rally to fight for the legalization of
same-sex marriages.
Melanie Edwards, organizer of the rally and a
graduate student in soil and crop sciences, said she
hopes there will be a lot more support in the future.
“Our community is coming together to stand
up for civil rights,” she said. “We are joining our
voices to say that this community believes in
equal right for all of our citizens.”
Randall Ellis, executive director of the
Lesbian, Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, said the
state must change its legislation.
“Gays and lesbians are, in
fact, considered second-class cit
izens in our own state,” he said.
“What we want is marriage
no ifs, ands or buts about it.”
Nick Stransky, a doctoral student in sociology,
said homosexuals are not asking for special rights.
“We’re presented with the question not of
marriage, but of human rights,” he said. “We are
here to celebrate the love of human beings.”
JOSHUA L. HOBSON • THE BATTALION
Blinn College sophomores Lauren Carpenter (left) and
Sabrina Jennings embrace one another at the "first
comes love, then comes marriage" rally in front of the
Brazos County Courthouse Friday afternoon.
On Feb. 4, the Massachusetts Supreme Court
ruled that same-sex couples have the same rights
as heterosexual couples regarding marriage. As a
result, the mayor of San
Francisco has allowed the
issuance of marriage licenses
to same-sex couples.
The rally went off without
any incidents, except for one man in the crowd
expressing his displeasure.
Ellis said that along with the right to make
medical decisions for same-sex couples, the
See Marriage on page 2
www.tiieiiatt.com
Online Weekly Poll
3N
'he Battalion'
ist Week's Results:
llvin the choice, would you pay a fa# to uaa
the Rtc Cantor?"
45% Q] Yes, working out is important
to me
No, I would rather play sports
outdoors
Going to class is enough of a
workout!
i Week's Poll:
»you think gay marrlagaa should ha Ia0al?"
hike lltits poll at; www.tliebatt.com
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
Students statewide compete for $7,000 at step si
By Lacey Barlen
THE BATTALION
Approximately 4,500 people
packed Reed Arena Saturday
night to watch the sold-out Greek
Olympiad Step Show
Competition, hosted by the Nu
Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi.
“The show has grown so
much over the last 15 years and
has become the largest step show
in Texas,” said Ronnie Robinett,
president of Kappa Alpha Psi.
Sororities and fraternities
from around Texas competed for
$7,000 in prizes by performing a
routine of combined step and
dance moves.
The proceeds will assist MD
Anderson in increasing global
awareness of prostate cancer and
fund several scholarships that are
given to high-achieving black
students at Texas A&M.
Kappa Alpha Psi is helping
the University accomplish
Vision 2020 by recruiting
minority students to the cam
pus, Robinett said.
The honors program invited
70 high school seniors to tour the
campus and attend the step show,
Robinett said.
“Ninety-five percent of the
students that come to the Greek
Olympiad end up enrolling at
Texas A&M for the fall semes
ter,” Robinett said.
Rebecca Guillory, a member
of the Omicron Omega chapter
of Delta Sigma Theta attended
the step show as a senior in high
school and now competes on her
sorority’s step team at A&M.
‘I think it’s good to bring
minority students to campus
because they get here and see
that they will be comfortable,”
Guillory said.
A free after-party was held
following the competition at
Reed Arena. Last year’s after
party ended early when fights
broke out.
University Police Department
Director Bob Wiatt said that last
year’s party was an “unruly
See Step show on page 2