thebattalion ● thursday,
august 6, 2009
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2009 student media
Loftin asks for safety analysis ■ McFerrin Athletic Center to get a closer look in light of Cowboys’ collapsed facility
Carillo, Costa Rica is known for its pristine beach where snorkeling is popular.
Preserving paradise Aggies work to enrich Costa Rica Photos and story by Patrick Clayton | The Battalion
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Konrad Sauter, former student, and daughter Elke Sauter, a senior environmental engineering major share a common passion for environmental responsibility.
City of Bryan offers option of teen court The City of Bryan has instituted a new approach to juvenile delinquency. First time offenders under 18 who are enrolled full-time in high school may request teen court service for Class C misdemeanor offenses committed in the City of Bryan. Teen Court is a mock court in which offenders can be heard by a jury of their peers. The purpose of the court is not to determine a verdict. Those sent to court have already been determined guilty or pleaded no contest. It is instead to determine the punishment for the offense. The punishments range from community service to educational programs, depending upon the offense. The judge assigns Teen Court, which operates once a week and alternates between the schools. It operates at Bryan and Rudder high schools and will launch at middle schools in the spring. “I’ve taken a little bit different approach,” said juvenile
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case coordinator Rick Montero, “and thrown more education in it — having students, faculty and staff understand that it’s all of our jobs to help children understand the rights and wrongs so they don’t reappear in court again.” Every offender must return to the Teen Court as a juror so that they can experience both sides, Montero said. “Volunteering is a big thing, too,” he said. “We need attorneys to volunteer their time to help the students understand the role of defense attorney and prosecutor.” Offenders who complete the requirements of the punishment phase will have the offense dismissed by the court and will avoid the larger fines of adult court. If the punishment phase is not completed, the case will return to the municipal court for enforcement of fines and fees. Megan Clark, staff writer
enior environmental engineering major Elke Sauter grew up green long before the 21st century marketing campaign used the word “organic.” For years, developing countries have had to get creative when using natural resources and her native Costa Rica is no exception. For the Sauters, environmental responsibility has been a family tradition. With a passion for nature and agriculture, Elke’s father, Konrad Sauter, grew up in San Jose, Costa Rica, with a passion for the outdoors. Konrad, who has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture engineering and a master’s degree in food science and technology
from Texas A&M University, said he remembers his first vegetable garden, growing chayote, an indigenous vegetable of Costa Rica. “It’s important to remember the fruits and vegetables that are indigenous to our lands, which require little or no fungicides and pesticides,” Sauter said. Stressing the importance of the use of indigenous plants, Sauter said people can reduce the amount of chemicals needed to protect, grow and harvest such crops. “We need to pay attention to our forest, learning about the natural eco-
Texas A&M University Interim President R. Bowen Loftin has requested an independent safety analysis of the McFerrin Athletic Center. The company that built the $35.6 million center, Summit Structures LLC, of Allentown, Pa., has had five facilities collapse in the past seven years, most notably the Dallas Cowboys’ indoor practice facility, which injured 12 people when it collapsed in a windstorm in May. Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications, said there have been some ongoing questions regarding the facility, and Loftin wanted some additional data and information on the structure. “He wanted to make sure we had the best information possible given the circumstances,” Cook said. The building meets campus construction standards, and has withstood several events, including Hurricane Ike. “We don’t have specific safety concerns,” Cook said, “but given that the facility is used heavily by athletes, students and guests we always want to err on the side of caution.” The 191,000-square-foot complex is the home of an indoor football practice facility and an indoor track where the men’s and women’s track teams compete. Cook said the University is searching for an individual who has experience with the center’s structure type, and that the search and analysis are going to be done expeditiously. Kalee Bumguardner, editor in chief
See Costa Rica on page 4
Where on campus?
Jeremy Northum — THE BATTALION
Think you know every nook and cranny of Texas A&M? Test your campus know-how by e-mailing The Battalion and telling us where you think this photo was taken. The first people to get the answers correct will have their names published in The Battalion. Send your response with your name, class and major to photo@thebatt.com.
Wednesday’s answer Easterwood Airport
Correct response Paul Segars Jr., Thermographer, Physical Plant Department
Crash course to begin at Texas World Speedway The Texas World Speedway will launch its first Teen Survival Driving Academy Monday, a safety course that teaches young drivers accident avoidance techniques. “We are aware that the teen driving death toll is on the rise in the Brazos Valley and we are taking the challenge to reduce and hopefully eliminate this death toll altogether in the future,” said TSDA program coordinator and lead instructor J.C. Kester. “What really sets this course apart from the state driving courses and defensive driving is that we take the students out of the classroom and put them behind the wheel and show them what it feels like to nearly lose control of a vehicle.” Though the four-hour course was designed for new drivers, it is not limited to teenagers, Kester said. “Anyone can benefit from this course. And we promise to make it fun…even for the grown-ups.” After completion of the course, many students will receive auto insurance discounts, he said. “Most insurance providers will provide up to a 10 percent discount for the next three years for courses such as the Teen Survival Driving Academy.” The next course is Aug. 16. “We hope to have as many as one to two classes per month, however, since we are hosted by Texas World Speedway, we do have to schedule our events in between events at the speedway,” Kester said. “Courses also have limited seating, as we want to ensure we provide the best instruction possible for our class sizes.” For more information, visit texasworldspeedway.com. Meagan O’Toole-Pitts, city editor
8/5/09 9:33 PM