Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 3A • Monday, April 19, 2004
State of mind
Undents from other states make necessary adjustments to Texas, A&M way of life
By Jose Cruz
THE BATTALION
aren Putnam, a junior accounting
major, grew up in Anchorage, Ala.,
A jL.and always planned to go to school
Jojit of state.
“Alaska has a few universities, so your
,LvB)tions are very limited if you want to earn a
kiWgher education,” Putnam said,
j Every year, graduating high school seniors
g^Kcide which university they will attend if they
y idecide to continue their education,
i Many of those students choose to remain
ilclose to home. Going to a nearby college
totiMakes sense for these students for many rea-
PiHms but, even so, some choose to leave their
hpme states and pursue a complete education
SrBrfrom home.
SllShl P utnarn sa ' t * students in Texas are in a great
l'|®)sition for choosing a place to study. She said
PUBme people believe Texas has some of the best
t : public universities in the country.
While Putnam is glad to be an Aggie, she
id it was hard to adjust to a different environ-
lent and that she still misses home.
“I really like the snow, so the constant heat
id humidity of College Station is uncomfort-
le. To me, anything above 70 degrees is hot,”
le said.
Apart from the weather, Putnam said she
isses the Alaskan landscape because it is so
tutiful and people regularly go outdoors to
ke and fish, and that adjusting to the Texas
latlands was difficult for her.
“I also like the fact that there are less people
here I’m from and we never have to worry
out traffic,” she said.
Some students have had an easier transition
om their home states to Texas.
Ashley Cassel, a junior communication
tjor, grew up in Morton, Ill., and didn’t fol-
iw everyone else’s footsteps leaving high
ichool.
“Only two people out of 200 from my high
school graduating class decided to go to college
out of state. When I first came here I didn’t
know a single person,” she said.
Although the first year away from home
can be rough, Cassel said she doesn’t miss
home anymore.
“I love the weather here. It’s nice to not
have to wear three layers of clothes when you
go outside. I didn’t notice how rude people
were up north until I went back home (to
Illinois) after living here in Texas for a few
years. I have grown to love Texas so much that
I convinced my parents to move down here as
well. They are retired and now live in Conroe,”
she said.
Erin Glynn, a junior kinesiology major, grew
up in Mandeville, La., and agrees that moving
far away from home can be tough.
“The moving experience can be scary for
someone who is 17 or 18 years old, but after
high school in Louisiana, I was ready for some
thing different. Starting over in a new place
makes you a well-rounded and stronger person
because you experience a different culture and
leam from it,” Glynn said.
While finding comfort close to home may
be one of the reasons many students attend a
university within their state, students such as
Glynn explain that tuition is probably the
biggest factor in effecting where many go to
school.
According to Texas A&M’s official Web
site, spring 2004 tuition for residents of Texas
was $101 per semester credit hour, while
tuition for non-residents was $337 per semester
credit hour.
Even though tuition is a great deal more
expensive for non-resident students, students
such as Cassel think the experience is worth
the price.
“I liked my high school because I had a lot
of really close friends, but now whenever I go
back I see them and they still hang out with the
CONGRATULATIONS!
Buck Weirus Spirit
Award Winners
SENIOR
Brad Gaultney ’04
Will McAdams '04
Bert Froeba ‘04
Vicki Dobiyanski ‘03
Min Park ‘03
Tom Ben Williams ’04
Cyn Heredia ’04
Justin Woods ’04
Natasha Eubanks ’04
Ben Carter '03
Raegan Birdweii '04
Tawania Evans ‘04
Aaron Kinsey '04
Stephanie Goodman '04
Jon Kieckley '04
Jose Mahomar ’04
Tiana Sanford ’04
Melissa Baumann ’04
Chris Mahaffey '04
Ryan Knape ‘04
GRADUATE
Unmil Karadkar ‘05
Marcus Hutka ’96
'W* ^ Ai r»x*z AS-M f/mvwxXy
•S
HOUSTON
I 1 1
A|M
same people from high school,” Cassell said.
“They haven't met any other people. It’s kind
of sad. I’m glad I decided to come here
because I’ve met a lot of great people the past
three years.”
Glynn also said she thinks living in Texas has
made her a better and more mature person now
that she has lived here for a few years.
“Texas has a much more conservative cul
ture,” Glynn said. "Louisiana is much more of a
party culture. Parents used to buy us alcohol on
the weekends. There are definitely better morals
here at A&M.”
Even though Putnam still hasn’t adjusted to
the hot Texas weather, she said she doesn’t
regret coming to A&M at all.
“Getting used to a different environment
can be difficult, but I’m glad 1 decided to move
out here,” Putnam said. “Now that I look back
I would have missed out on so much if I decid
ed to stay home. A&M has offered me things
like a great education and career networking
that will ultimately make me more successful
in life.”
44^
The moving expenence can
be scary for someone who is 17
or 18 years old, but after high
school in Louisiana, I was ready
for something different. Start
ing over in a new place makes
you a well-rounded and
stronger person...
— Erin Glynn
junior kinesiology major
Paul Wilson • THE BATTALION
The Buck Weirus Spirit Award honors 52 students who
demonstrate high INVOLVEMENT, create positive
EXPERIENCES throughout the Aggie community, IMPACT
student life at Texas A&M and enhance the Aggie SPIRIT.
CONGRATULATIONS to the
2004 Buck Weirus Spirit Award recipients!
FRESHMAN
Kyle Stewart ’07
Paul Kolker ’07
Diana Dao ’07
Justin Bryan ’07
Patrick Paschall ’07
SOPHOMORE
Julie Sullivan '06
Lindsay Slaydon ’06
Matt Ockwood ’06
Michael Vargo ’06
Christina Bethancourt '06
J.D. Hall '06
Wil Srubar III ‘06
Ronethea Williams ’06
Zach Crannell ’06
Mallory Make ’06
(junior
Chris Diem ’05
Tim Soeken ’05
Matt Bertram ‘05
Lauren O’Brien ’05
April Justice ’05
Alicia Demeke ’04
Felix Arnold IIS ’05
Zach Fogle 05
Jim Carlson 05
Trisha Derr ’05
Troy Sonnenberg ‘05
Amanda McCurrin 05
Risa Holland ’05
Jennifer Lau ’05
Linda Salzar ’05
when yorfepter for classes or visit
fil Ern^hQnformore
'ALT
■
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