news for you editor’s note This is the final summer 2010 issue of The Battalion. The first issue of the fall semester will be Aug. 25.
texas IBM defends contract with state
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graduation
IBM Corp. is defending an $863 million data center contract with Texas; the state has threatened to terminate the contract, claiming the company failed to live up to its promises. The contract requires the company to merge the data centers of 28 state agencies into two facilities.
Aggies receive diplomas Friday
Habitat for Humanity constructs five houses in five days during Builders’ Blitz
Gayle Gabriel
Mentally ill inmates left untreated At least 16 percent of Texas inmates are mentally ill and some counties in the state don’t follow a law passed in 2009 requiring a psychiatric evaluation of those suspected to be mentally ill before proceeding with trials. However, many inmates wait for treatment in their cells for years.
A
s students receive residence hall assignments for the upcoming school year, it can be easy to forget there are others in Bryan-College Station who do not have the luxury of secure housing. Fortunately, volunteers from the area’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity pitched in extra hours for the “Builders’ Blitz” week this July, in which five houses were constructed in five days. So after a lengthy application process, hours of “sweat equity” work and much persistence, five families can enjoy the comforts of home.
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$2.49 Chevron at 1500 William J. Pkwy and Texas 21.
Austin Meek | The Battalion
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see story on page 2
nation &world BP receives mixed grade Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is overseeing BP’s response to the oil spill gives the company high marks for its engineering response, but low marks in dealing with people. Allen said that BP was too big to deal with the problems the spill caused individuals along the coast. Staff and wire reports
Politics as usual: Harry Podcast
On thebatt.com Tune in to hear Ian McPhail and Richard Creecy discuss current events. James Cavin checks in with Cavin Fever.
Student to lead agriculture group
Alec Goetz, staff writer
Sarah Ammerman, staff writer
Associate veterinary professor trains wildlife rescuers An oil-soaked seabird struggles against the side of the HOS Iron Horse supply vessel as the ship sails near the site of the blown-out oil well Deepwater Horizon. The 184 million gallon spill is one of the world’s worst to date. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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oil-covered animals are easy to trip on or get tangled in, and the slick oil often makes things slippery. “I’ve been told that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologists who came through our workshop have been using the skills they learned here,” Schmalz said. “We’ve built a much bigger team as interest in helping with the most recent spill has grown, and we’re much more prepared for the future.”
oil spill
risks of handling them. “Much of our training is an emphasis on the volunteers’ safety,” said Sharon Schmalz, executive director of the center. “Working with wild animals can be dangerous, so we teach them how to interact with the animals safely and avoid exposure to zoonotic diseases, which can be passed from animals to humans.” Responders are also educated on the potentially hazardous conditions they will be working in. The hoses and equipment used to clean
See Graduation on page 6
The National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow named senior agricultural communications and journalism student Lauren Greaves first vice president. “I’m really excited to be able to represent Texas A&M as first vice president, and I hope I’ll be able to make the organization better,” Lauren Greaves, Greaves said. senior agricultural The or- communications and journalism ganization major helps members further their career interests through interactions with other students and professionals. Members will manage different organization activities and communication within the next year, concluding with the national convention in New Orleans next July. Representatives of colleges across the nation elected the members of the team and were chosen based on their individual service, leadership, involvement and passion for agriculture. Greaves was elected at the 2010 Agricultural Media Summit in St. Paul, Minn. along with four other college students from the University of Missouri, Texas Tech University, Oklahoma State University and Cal Poly.
Photo illustration by Vicky Flores and Sarah Ammerman — THE BATTALION
Volunteers in Texas will be prepared to respond to future oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to a Texas A&M veterinary expert. Dr. J. Jill Heatly, clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is the lead veterinarian working with the Wildlife Rehab and Education Center in Houston, training volunteers to assist response teams during a spill. Heatly, who is certified in aviary medicine, began teaching classes earlier this year as part of the center’s Oiled Wildlife Training workshops. Aimed at state wildlife officials, U.S. Fish and Wildlife service representatives, industry environmental personnel and local veterinarians and vet techs, the workshops are designed to teach volunteers everything they need to know in order to effectively respond to an oil spill. “Birds are very visible victims of oil spills,” Heatly said. “But it’s important that the people working with them know how to handle them.” While the goal of the workshops is to teach participants how to save the lives of animals affected by an oil spill, the volunteers also spend time learning about the
The Battalion Caps and gowns at the ready: it’s time for graduation. Though summer graduation is smaller than its fall and spring counterparts, there is just as much excitement. “For the College Station campus, there are approximately 1,800 degree candidates listed for the Aug. 13 ceremonies,” said Andrew Armstrong, acting associate registrar for the office of the registrar. August graduation kicks off with the commencement convocation on Thursday. “Commencement convocation provides an opportunity for every degree candidate to hear the same inspirational speaker in a less formal setting,” ArmR.C. Slocum, strong said. former head “Our Univer- football coach sity has been for Texas A&M blessed to receive such noted speakers as President [George W.] Bush and Gen. [David] Petraeus. Our August speaker, Coach [R.C.] Slocum, is a legend and highly respected member of the Aggie family. He will certainly give a
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