The Battalion: October 8, 2010 by The Battalion

sports | 5 Cyrus Gray A&M’s do-it-all back plugs into roles wherever needed

Things to look for The offensive line and pressure on defense will determine the game for the Aggies

No. 11 Arkansas game preview

thebattalion ● friday,

october 8, 2010

● Serving

Texas A&M since 1893

Miss Rev & me

Life of Reveille

Joanna Raines

Michelle Myers — THE BATTALION

Reveilles VII and VIII pose together. The former mascot celebrated her birthday Sunday while the current Reveille accompanied her in welcoming guests.

Special to The Battalion Reveille is a favorite tradition among most Aggies. Seeing her on campus can make even the worst days better. Cadet Cody Guffey is privileged to spend day in and day out with the First Lady of Aggieland. He, along with the rest of Company E-2, cares for and lives with Reveille VIII. At the end of an E-2 cadet’s freshman year, he or she can go through the tryout process to become Reveille’s primary caretaker. The process lasts about two months and the cadet learns the traditions and processes for handling Reveille. The selection process adds to the physical and time management pressures that

already come along with being a freshman in the Corps. “Your normal, daily life is tough,” said assistant mascot corporal Evan Wasser, sophomore general studies major. “When you have a tryout process, pretty much every free second you would have is now taken up.” Guffey, a sophomore political science major, is this year’s mascot corporal. When he is not in class or training, he is at events with Reveille, playing with her or grooming her. “Being mascot corporal, it’s your responsibility to take care of everything Rev needs,” Guffey said. “The hardest part of the job is time management.” Being the mascot corporal

requires Guffey to put her needs first, while maintaining good grades and keeping up with his regular Corps duties. Wasser and the rest of E-2 help Guffey in taking care of her. “It requires a lot of help from them,” Guffey said. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without some help.” Usually, two to three members accompany Reveille to her events to ensure her safety. “Even if I have to go to the bathroom, she goes to someone else’s room. Always,” Wasser said. “She is never left alone.” Guffey and Wasser live with Reveille and while they sleep on the average dorm mattress, she enSee E-2 on page 4

Reveille VII turns 10 tomorrow Sarah Smith Special to The Battalion Schools across the nation boast of great triumphs and traditions. Some take pride in cows with large horns or a red man brandishing his hand as a firearm. Texas Aggies possess the symbol of dignity known as Reveille. Retired Reveille VII celebrated her 10th birthday Oct. 3 with a party at the home of her caretakers, Paul and Tina Gardner. The Gardners became Reveille VII’s parents May 8, 2008, and have loved every minute since. “It’s one of the most prestigious things that has ever happened to us,” Tina Gardner said. “Being married for 43 years, having a son and two precious granddaughters and now having Reveille VII. They’re all on the same line.” The Garners have been long time dog enthusiasts, having two other rescue dogs along with Reveille in the house. “They’re our children,” Tina said. “They have four legs instead of two but they’re still our kids.” The Gardners’ son was in Company E-2 from 1990-1994 and since then, they have actively participated in opening their home to the students of Aggieland. “We’re the parents that never graduated,” Paul Gardner said. Over the past two years, the Gardners have had their share of adventures with Reveille as well. Most notably, Reveille’s interesting battle with a skunk. The skunk emerged victorious. “There we were, midnight at HEB. We had the windows open and she’s barking at all students going by,” Tina said. “They’d start to make their way to the car saying, ‘Hey there’s Rev,’ but as soon as they smelled her, they bolted in the opposite direction.” Out of the 200 guests who attended the party, former students Benjamin and Christina Head and their daughter, Addyson, were particularly thrilled by the day’s events. “During our time at A&M, Reveille VII was our mascot,” Benjamin said. “We wanted to bring Addyson out to see Rev.

Texas A&M will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a three-day classical guitar symposium and competition. Performers from around the world will showcase guitar skills in the instrument and celebrate Hispanic culture.

Hopefully she’ll be class of 2028.” Reveille VIII also made an appearance to the party and together the prized pooches made a point of going room to room, greeting all the guests. “They have a play date every Thursday at Wiggles and Wags,” Tina said. “They really do love each other.” Reveille VII enjoyed the attention on her birthday, attempting to snag a piece of cake every so often and performing tricks with Cody Guffey, the mascot corporal. “I love taking her places like this; letting people see her and then seeing the look on their faces,” Guffey said. “Everyone’s excited to see Reveille.” The members of company E-2 stand true to all Reveilles’ needs, from giving up their beds to addressing her as “Miss Rev.” “One of my friends got let out of class early because she barked,” said Kollin O’Jessee, fellow member of E-2. Chris Busch, family friend and father of Reveille VII’s former handler, John Busch, answered questions concerning Aggie traditions and expressed his gratefulness that the Gardner’s took the opportunity to care for Reveille VII. “You can truly tell how much these people care,” Busch said. The first lady of Aggieland enjoyed her birthday surrounded by friends and family there to honor the highest-ranking member of the Corps of Cadets. “That dog is a hoot,” Paul said. “Life is never dull with Rev.”

The Battalion Displaced by disorder, hiding from authorities, the struggle for freedom and escaping turmoil. This isn’t just a captivating adventure story. It’s real life, and it’s captured on screen in the documentary “Hiding.” Wednesday, the campus group Global Justice presented a screening of “Hiding” in Harrington Education Center. This documentary, created by the nonprofit organization Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), focused on the dire situation of North Korean refugees in China and exposed the human rights violations they face every day in their struggle for survival. LiNK estimates there are nearly 300,000 North Korean refugees in China. However, these people are not recognized by the Chinese government as refugees. Instead they are labeled as illegal economic migrants and therefore receive none of the benefits of asylum

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Reveille VII celebrated her 10th birthday Sunday but will turn 10 years old tomorrow. She retired summer 2008 after serving A&M as the mascot and highest-ranking member of the Corps of Cadets for seven years. She lives in College Station with adopted parents Paul and Tina Gardner.

Hispanic guitarists celebrate heritage month Haley Lawson The Battalion There are many ways to celebrate heritage, including potlucks, guest speakers, and dressing up in native attire. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Department of Multicultural Services will celebrate by playing the guitar. Friday through Sunday, the Texas A&M Department of Performance Studies will be presenting a three-day classical guitar symposium and competition in Rudder Theatre. There also will be four international classical guitar virtuosi that will be part of the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, performing music from Cuba,

“Hiding” tells story of Korean refugees Katy Ralston

The First Lady of Aggieland

outlined by international law. More than 70 percent of North Korean women who flee are trafficked and often sold as wives to Chinese men. If the refugees are found in China they are sent back to North Korea where they face sentences of either political concentration camps or execution. “The Chinese government is going against international law and the UN definition of a refugee, they are supposed to grant people asylum,”said Jessica Bradford, senior political science major. “If they could just be recognized and groups like the [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] could have access to them and it didn’t have to be something underground then these people wouldn’t be suffering these fates.” LiNK runs underground shelters, much like a modern-day underground railroad, to provide these refugees with education, food, transportation and protection. They also provide help resettling them in South Korea See Hiding on page 4

Spain, Brazil and Latin America. “The first of the four performers is also the key organizer of this groundbreaking event, Isaac Bustos,” said Chris Harrell, staff assistant for the department of performance studies. “Bustos, who hails from Nicaragua, is an instructional assistant professor at Texas A&M and is the head of its burgeoning guitar studio.” Bustos will perform music from Spain by composers Isaac Albeniz Joaquin Turina and Joaquin Rodrigo. “All of [these people] have been influential musicians in the development of Spanish nationalistic music and style,” Bustos said. “My program will include a Sonata for Guitar by Turina,

Tres Piezas Españolas and two character pieces from Albeniz’s Suite Española Op. 47.” The second international performer will be Grisha Goryachev. “Russian-born Grisha Goryachev will be playing at Texas A&M for a second time after bringing a sold out audience to its feet at Rudder Theatre two years ago,” Harrell said. “Goryachev, a master of both flamenco and classical guitar styles, has charmed crowds the world over after debuting as a child prodigy at the age of nine in St. Petersburg.” Grisha will be playing some flamenco See Performers on page 4

Meal plan opposition bill passes Delegates representing residence halls met at the Mandatory Meal Plan Open Forum Wednesday night to evaluate student feedback about the meal plan proposal which A&M President R. Bowen Loftin signed in September and to review the Mandatory Meal Plan Opposition Bill. The Texas A&M Student Senate and the Residence Hall Association voted on the bill, which passed by a 48-4-7 vote. More than 550 students responded to a poll about how the meal plan affects residence plans. Forty-eight percent of students would not live on campus if it were in effect and 49 percent would still live on campus if they had to buy a meal plan. Seventy-one percent of respondents have a meal plan currently. Jonathan Spencer, senior industrial engineering major and ﬁfth-year resident of Aston Hall, introduced the legislation to the forum via video. The video is viewable on YouTube under the name “Introduction to the Mandatory Meal Plan Opposition Bill.” In the video, Spencer highlights questionable aspects of the bill. These included the insubstantial amount of student involvement and inconsistencies regarding minimums for junior and senior meal plans in the proposal, the bill’s initial introduction to RHA and its failure to take into account the loss of 600 beds, which may affect the meal plan minimums. Emily Villani, staff writer

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