The Battalion: November 20, 2013 by The Battalion

thebattalion l wednesday,

november 20, 2013

l serving

texas a&m since 1893

WHAT ABOUT THE BATS? Allison Rubenak

The Battalion anging upside down between the cracks and crevices of Kyle Field, the winged division of the 12th Man will need to seek residence elsewhere as a result of stadium renovations. Michael Smotherman, associate biology professor, said there are an estimated 100,000 bats that have lived in the concrete stadium. While efforts will be taken to humanely keep the bats from inhabiting the new stadium, Smotherman said as migration season approaches and construction continues there may be a temporary influx of bats in the community.

“Obviously we’re going to disturb some of their stuff, but we’re working every which way to make sure we don’t do any harm to them,” said Leo Goertz, athletic fields maintenance manager and Class of 1982. “We’re just trying to get them to relocate to a more suitable place where they can enjoy their doings and not create as much issues and problems as they do here in the stadium.” Goertz said the bats typically avoid people but occasionally fly low at football games. He said the primary nuisance is the excrement they leave throughout the See Bats on page 2 William Guerra — THE BATTALION

diversity

football

LSU marks win-streak roadblock

‘Road Warriors’ put perfect away record on line James Sullivan The Battalion

ince Texas A&M’s July 2012 realignment into the Southeastern Conference, the football program has remained perfect in road matchups, currently sitting at 10-0 away from Kyle Field, including 6-0 against the league. The undefeated streak has generated a buzz around the locker room and a popular moniker among the players — ‘Road Warriors,’ a nickname the program even had printed on T-shirts. During A&M’s weekly press conference Tuesday at the Bright Complex, senior wide receiver Travis Labhart explained the

inside lifestyles | 2 Improv act arrives

player mentality behind an away game, noting the strong relationships that developed among teammates. “When you go on the road, you have to realize it’s you and your teammates against the world,” Labhart said. “You have to embrace that opportunity. That’s when teammates become best friends—when there’s blood, sweat and tears.” A&M will test its road streak Saturday at Tiger Stadium, known widely as Death Valley, with an SEC West divisional battle against No. 22 LSU, hoping to improve its 8-2 (4-2 SEC) record with less than a month until bowl selection. Labhart, who played his final game in Kyle Field in A&M’s 5141 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 9, said that while the team is See Presser on page 4

Aimee Breaux The Battalion

Shelby Knowles — THE BATTALION

Senior receiver Travis Labhart says road matchups like Saturday against LSU create team bonding opportunities.

Class Council forms relationship with Bryan residents Megan Moore

Special to The Battalion

basketball | 4 Men’s hoops beat PVAMU Sophomore guard Alex Caruso’s late three-pointer helps A&M to a 75-65 win over visiting Prairie View A&M on Tuesday night in Reed Arena.

Event planned at UT cancelled amid scrutiny

BOND ACROSS GENERATIONS

New York Neo Futurists will perform 30 plays in 60 minutes at 8 p.m. Thursday in Rudder Theatre.

COURTESY

Frank and Janie Degelia stand in front of their house in Bryan in 1953.

‘Catch an immigrant’ game draws group ire

s some Aggies on the sophomore Class Council have found, service has a way of transforming tasks and to-dos into affection and friendship. Frank and Janie Degelia have been living in the same Bryan house since 1953, but the couple recently needed help maintaining the house. Noting this, four to six members of the sophomore council go to the Degelia home one Sunday each month as part of the council’s current TAMily project. The team of students usually dusts, vacuums and works in the yard to help with home upkeep. One of these council members, Mary Crimmins, sophomore gen-

eral studies major and vice president of the Class of 2016, said she fell in love with the couple when she came across them at The Big Event last spring. “The focus of TAMily project is to help people of the community with any needs they may have,” Crimmins said. “When Big Event came, it occurred to me that maybe we could take the TAMily project in a new direction.” Crimmins said the couple was a perfect match. “It’s not like [Mrs. Degelia] was helpless,” Crimmins said. “She was right there with us. She was doing [chores] with us and it is not like she doesn’t want to do those things for herself.” See Degelia on page 2

hile the Young Conservatives of Texas’ “Catch an Illegal Immigrant” event planned for Wednesday on the UT campus was cancelled, members of the Texas A&M Council for Minority Student Affairs gathered Tuesday night in the MSC to further establish their support for undocumented workers. Members created posters with words of support for undocumented students in Austin and plan to promote pictures of their signs over social media Wednesday, the day the YCT’s mock immigration sting game was planned. Melanie Garza, junior agricultural leadership and development major and council member, said the event came after reflecting on the organization’s purpose — helping College Station DREAMers, those who would qualify for the DREAM Act that would grant citizenship to undocumented residents, if enacted. Nery Guerrero, executive board representative for the Council for Minority Student Affairs and senior nutritional sciences major, said the organization saw the game as disrespectful and demeaning to students, regardless of whether or not they are undocumented. Guerrero said standing up and showing the demeaning nature of events like YCT’s leads to the cancellation of such events. “We can’t do much to change everybody’s views, but at least those types of events won’t be held,” Guerrero said.

LAST CHANCE TONIGHT! Tickets available now at MSC Box Office.

STUDENT RUSH TICKETS ONLY $20! BAT_11-20-13_A1.indd 1

A Limited number of student rush tickets are available for ONLY $20 to tonight’s MEMPHIS performance in Rudder Auditorium! Hurry! Available only at the MSC Box Office. Please limit 2 tickets per student. Student ID is required. This offer not valid for tickets already purchased.

11/19/13 11:07 PM