MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 I SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 I © 2015 STUDENT MEDIA I OTHEBATTONLINE
BATT
Allison Bradshaw — THE BATTALION
Copper-stamped gift of education
Duo hopes to tackle illiteracy
in developing countries
By Mason Morgan
or two A&M students, break-
ing the cycle of poverty in de
veloping countries starts with
copper wristbands.
According to a research study
done by the United Nation’s educa
tional, scientific and cultural body,
86 percent of all refugees migrate
to developing countries. In those
countries, one out of four children
is illiterate. They can’t read, they
can’t write and the inadequacy of
their education guarantees a diffi
cult future.
In response to this, students sup
ported by Startup Aggieland work
to fund education for refugees all
around the world.
“Refuge,” founded by interna
tional studies junior Andrea Batarse
and international studies senior Lexi
Carley, supports refugee education
with handmade bracelets, promis
ing the proceeds from every brace
let sold are donated to UNICEF,
which then provides one month of
education for a refugee.
“Back in 2014, we, two fresh
Texas A&M undergrads, were in
spired by the stories of the refugees
we worked with, along with our
organization MSC Freshmen Lead
ership International,” Batarse said.
“We were shocked listening to the
stories of those who had fled their
homes and arrived in the U.S. with
hardly an education or skills. Their
perseverance to thrive and create
their own future inspired us to help
pave a way.”
The bracelets, each taking about a
week to make, are sealed to prevent
oxidation and tarnish. This process
REFUGE ON PG. 2
Frederica Shih —THE BATTALION
The hazy future
Handful of Texas proposals call into
question the state’s marijuana forecast
By Nikita Redkar
The chatter surrounding
marijuana law in Texas in
tensifies this week as four pro
posals go before a Texas Flouse
committee hearing Wednesday.
The Texas House Criminal
Jurisprudence Committee, led
by state Rep. Abel Herrero, will
consider marijuana criminaliza
tion through a number of lenses.
One bill seeks to make possession
of less than an ounce a civil in
fraction, while two others would
make it a Class C misdemeanor.
A fourth aims for wholesale le
galization.
“[The bills] range from allow
ing just one medicinal compo
nent of marijuana to legalizing
the drug in its entirety,” Texas
A&M School of Law professor
Frank Snyder said.
More than half of the United
States permits the drug in at least
one of its forms, with 23 states
recognizing medicinal usage of
marijuana and four legalizing it
for recreational use — Colorado
and Washington since 2012, and
Alaska and Oregon since 2014.
Other states, including Texas,
have pending ballot measures to
allow the drug medicinally or
recreationally.
Heather Fazio, Texas political
director of the Marijuana Policy
Project, works to mobilize grass
roots efforts in support of broad
er marijuana policy in Texas.
Fazio said the organization’s pri
ority right now remains the re
moval of all penalties for medical
marijuana and lighter charges for
those found in possession of the
drug recreationally.
“We are pushing for the pos
session of a small amount of
marijuana — one ounce or less
— to be ticketable and without
jail time,” Fazio said. “Addition
ally, the charge will not remain
MARIJUANA ON PG. 4
NEUROSCIENCE
'Memory Medic' talks
nuts and bolts of
learning proficiency
Shelby Knowles —THE BATTALION
Dr. Bill Klemm, who earned the name 'Memory Medic' for his
research, has been a professor at A&M since 1966.
Professor encourages
students to exercise mind
By Spencer Davis
When Dr. Bill Klemm was
20 years old, he would mem
orize the content of magazines
and newspapers down to the
page number to practice his skill.
He said by adjusting memoriza
tion techniques, anyone can have
similar memory proficiency.
Because of his knowledge, Kl
emm, a professor of neuroscience
at A&M, said people call him the
Memory Medic.
Klemm has taught in the Texas
A&M Department of Veterinary
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
since 1966. He has covered the
study of memory in three books,
several dozen journal articles and
in a well-read blog. Klemm also
holds numerous speeches across
the country, including one he
held at a TEDx event.
Most of Klemm’s work fo
cuses on how students can study
MEMORY ON PG. 4
Q&A
FACULTY
Student bodybuilder $2 million institute grant brings
juggles work, school cancer researcher to Texas A&M
The Battalion news reporter
Nikita Redkar sits down
with human resources senior
and competitive bodybuilder
Cory Hageman, who recently
won second place overall in
a statewide bodybuilding
competition.
THE BATTALION: What
made you want to begin
bodybuilding and pursue it
competitively?
HAGEMAN: I have been
interested in bodybuilding
competitions for a couple
years now. I followed girls on
Instagram who posted their
fitness routines and results
and it piqued my motivation
to train. The more research
I did, I found the idea of
these girlstraining months
at a time to get their bodies
exactly where they want
very appealing. It was their
perseverance and healthy ap
proach that motivated me.
THE BATTALION: What are
some fitness philosophies
you have trained by during
your preparations?
HAGEMAN: Success in these
competitions is a symbol of
commitment, a technique
that takes steady dedication
and not extremity. I chose to
do this competition because
HAGEMAN ON PG. 4
By Gracie Mock
w One institute’s effort
^ to bring notable cancer
researchers to Texas institu
tions has landed the A&M
Department of Chemistry a
new associate professor this
fall.
The associate professor,
Jonathan Sczepanski, is one
of three statewide recipients
to receive a Cancer Preven
tion and Research Institute
of Texas, CPRIT, $2 million
First-Time, Tenure-Track
Faculty Member recruitment
grant. This one-time award
brings cancer scientists and
researchers to academic in
stitutions across Texas.
According to a 2014
CPRIT report, an estimated
119,115 Texans were di
agnosed with cancer and
44,150 died of the disease
last year. The report states
the CPRIT grants program
has been highly successful in
enhancing Texas’ cancer re
search efforts and increasing
the external visibility of the
state in this field.
To be eligible for the grant,
Sczepanski was nominated by
the Department of Chemis
try. After an initial interview
for a faculty position with the
department head and anoth
er faculty member from the
Department of Chemistry,
Sczepanski said he then ap
plied for the grant which was
reviewed by the CPRIT and
GRANT ON PG. 2
PROVIDED
Jonathan Sczepanski is one of three statewide
recipients to receive a CPRIT grant.