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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 1 SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 1 ©2015 STUDENT MEDIA 1 OTHEBATTONLINE
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Dean of the College of Education and Human
Development Douglas Palmer (left) moderates
a talk with education advocate Razia Jan
(center) and former first lady Laura Bush.
Vanessa Pefia —THE BATTALION
Former first lady talks
education at home, abroad
M. BASKETBALL'
A&M needs
strong showing
to hold out for
NCAA tourney
Laura Bush: "Books have the power
to shape our journey as a nation"
By Spencer Davis
ducation is a powerful in
strument for change; that
was the message of an MSC
Bethancourt event keynoted
by former First Lady Laura
Bush.
The event pushed the message that edu
cation should be an equal opportunity for
children in every country, rich, or poor.
The former first lady spoke along with
Razia Jan, an Afghani education activist, in
Rudder Theatre on Wednesday night. Their
discussion covered the domestic progress of
education and United States efforts abroad
to create education infrastructure.
Bush said her early involvement with
child education as an elementary school
teacher inspired her to speak out for reform.
When her husband was elected president,
she saw it as a chance to take her message
worldwide.
Bush has been a prominent voice in ed
ucation in the 21st century, and made lit
eracy rates and equal-opportunity schooling
the focus of her tenure as first lady. Douglas
Palmer, dean of the College of Education
and Human Development and curator for
the discussion, said Bush is one of the great
est names in education today.
“Laura Bush is an extraordinary advocate
for literacy, education and women’s rights,”
Palmer said. “As first lady, Bush advocated
the importance of literacy and education to
advance opportunities for America’s youth.”
Bush spoke on the fundamental power
of education to stabilize nations and enrich
culture.
“I believe that literacy is a central founda
tion of democracy,” Bush said. “Books have
the power to shape our journey as a nation.”
Bush said the process, while getting bet
ter, is still broken in some areas. Mqst of
these problems seem to arise from hard to
reach places, including the home.
“The challenges really are internal,” Bush
said. “They are a family situation that makes
it difficult for the children to have the disci
pline to make the best of going to school.”
BUSH ON PC. 4
Coach Kennedy says House unlikely
to play in first game of tournament
By Carter Karels
Texas A&M men’s basketball achieved at least
one of its goals: finish in the top four of the
SEC.
However, the Aggies were in a four-way tie
for third and drew the short end of the stick as a
5-seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins for
A&M Thursday.
After losing three of its last four games, the
A&M men’s basketball team could be left in the
cold after NCAA Tournament selections if it
can’t make a showing in the SEC Tournament.
“We’ve got to win games,” head coach Billy
Kennedy said. “We definitely have to win the
first one. If we win both games I’d think we defi
nitely have a chance to get in. ”
The regular season-ending defeat to Alabama
came without the presence of Danuel House,
who was taken out late in the Florida game after
spraining his foot. House leads the team in scor
ing with 14.8 points per game, and is doubtful in
A&M’s first game.
“I think it will be a stretch,” Kennedy said.
“We’re hoping for it. But it would be a quick
recovery at this point. He’s progressed along and
we’ve gotten good news that he’s getting better.
But he’s not able to put a lot of pressure on that
foot.”
BASKETBALL ON PG. 2
Tim Lai —THE BATTALION
Junior guard Alex Caruso said he is healthy
now after playing sick against Alabama.
MSC OPAS
SEINFELD'S 1ST AGGIE PERFORMANCE
For the first time, Jerry Seinfeld will perform
live Thursday at Rudder Auditorium.
Anne Black, executive director for MSC
OPAS, said demand fo' comedians has been
increasing.
"Our audiences have been asking for more
comedy since Carol Burnett's appearance two
years ago, so we contacted Seinfeld's agent
and asked him to come," Black said.
Black said there is a specific process for
selecting performers.
"We try to book what audiences want to
see, so it is entirely possible there will be more
[comedians]," Black said.
Seinfeld, coming off the success of his recent
talk show "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,"
is expected to sell out.
ELECTIONS
Recount reveals 5 For Yell would have swept
Result rendered
void due to special
revote decision
By Katy Stapp
^ The original Feb.
19-20 election re
sults for Senior Yell
Leader, certified by the
SGA Judicial Court,
state that after a re
count winners of the
2015 election would
have been Zachary
Lawrence, Ben Ritchie
and Kyle Cook.
| This result, howev-
f er, is rendered void by
the Yell Leaders’ deci
sion to hold a separate
revote, in which Ste
ven Lanz passed Cook
to win the election.
Cook finished fourth
in the revote.
In the end, seniors
Lanz, Lawrence and
Ritchie and juniors
Chris Wilder and Will
Alders will serve as
2015-2016 Yell Lead
ers.
Election Commis
sioner Emma Douglas,
who resigned Wednes-
day, submitted the re
count results ofJ-Court
YELL ON PG. 4
■m
'5 for Yell" candidates gather for the Spring 2015 election results.
Show gives B-CS
area early start on
SXSW festivities
SERVICE
Local bands to perform
Saturday in Bryan
By Keely Wi^ries
^ The Bryan-College Station
^ music scene will greet spring
break with a Pre-SXSW showcase
Saturday to feature home-grown
bands such as Electric Astronaut
and Sol Cat for the evening be
fore they head to Austin.
Revolution Cafe and Bar will.
host these bands, whose music is
influenced by indie pop, rock and
psychedelic music.
Johnny Fisher, guitarist of Sol
Cat, said he and his bandmates
are pumped to show the artists
touring alongside them in the lo
cal area.
“It is definitely more familiar in
Bryan, weird fact is that we were
looking back through our dates
from 2014 and we actually played
The Jag is one of the five bands
booked to perform at a Pre-
South by Southwest showcase
Saturday at Revolution Cafe and
Bar.
Bryan more than we played any
other place in the U.S., we played
it six times last year,” Fisher said.
“I’m really pretty excited — a
couple of bands from Nashville
are coming with us that we’re big
fans of, we love their music, so we
SXSW ON PG. 2
Alternative Spring Break
provides selfless service
Students travel to help
areas in need
By Paris Weber
^ College students often
^ flock to beaches or go
home to relax throughout
spring break, but one group
takes a different route that
centers on selfless service.
Alternative Spring Break is
a volunteer organization that
serves Bryan-College Sta
tion and other communities
through various spring break
trips. Students have spent
months preparing to go across
the United States to volunteer
in different communities on
projects ranging from wildlife
conservation to animal rescue.
Careful planning goes be
hind each trip. Blake Sokora,
biological and agricultural
engineering sophomore and
BREAK ON PG. 2
This semester, Aggies will
travel to five different site
across the country to help
areas in need over Spring
Break.