thebattalion
lifestyles Review Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin doesn’t overshadow his past acheivements, but the August release does show off his skill as a songwriter and arranger.
● thursday,
september 2, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
A&M lays off staff
lifestyles | 6
sports Aggies back on track
Earlier this week many employees in the Texas A&M Human Resources Department were laid off. President R. Bowen Loftin and his executive team have been working to strategically reallocate the A&M budget. This new budget reallocation has changed many aspects of life at A&M for faculty and students including the elimination of many positions. “Our thoughts are certainly with the individuals, and their families, whose positions have been eliminated as part of the strategic budget reallocation process that Dr. Loftin and his executive team have been communicating campuswide for about several months,” said Sherylon Carroll, associate vice president for the Communications Division of Marketing and Communications. Haley Lawsom|Staff Writer
The A&M volleyball team swept Sam Houston State Wednesday at Reed Arena.
sports | 3
opinions Ending before over? President Barrack Obama announced Tuesday the war in Iraq is ending, but the withdrawal of nearly 100,000 soldiers by July is too soon. Regardles of the reasons behind Operation Iraqi Freedom, Americans need to honor the sacrifices made and actually accomplish the mission.
opinions | 7
nation Microsoft hikes Live prices Microsoft is raising subscription prices for its popular Xbox Live Gold online gaming service in the U.S. and three other countries. Beginning Nov. 1, an annual Gold membership will cost $60, up from $50. A three-month subscription will cost $25, up from $20. And a onemonth subscription will be $10, up from $8. Xbox owners mainly use the service to play multiplayer games such as “Call of Duty” online.
Apple unveils streaming box Computer corporation unveiled its new Apple TV, featuring newly compact size and HD streaming capability. Apple also showed a redesigned lineup of iPods including a touch-screen Nano, an iPod Touch with video-chat features and a design overhaul for the Shuffle. Associated Press
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April Baltensperger — THE BATTALION
Internet grant helps students
Phil and Lori Stephenson work together as they play together since the addition of Lori to the coaching line.
Match makers Assistant soccer coaches serve same family T.D. Durham The Battalion In the competitive and monstrously successful realm of college athletics, there are things that are simple to do as a fan. Choosing a favorite player, following statistics and cheering your lungs out at a sporting event are examples of these simple things. What usually slips past the DVRs of passionate sports zealots are the people behind the scenes who give their very hearts and souls to make sure that what you watch on your plasma screen is even possible.
Texas A&M soccer team assistant coaches Phil and Lori Stephenson are not only prime examples of those who put sweat and blood into the athletic programs at A&M, but they are one of the only examples of co-coaches who share a family. Yes, they’re married. Phil grew up in England and was recruited to play soccer on the collegiate level in the United States. Lori was the daughter of a United States military man and grew up participating in nearly every sport. Both of the Stephensons played soccer in college and went on to be All-
Americans on the pitch. Phil said they both attended a ceremony honoring their abilities but didn’t find out the other had been there until years later. “It was a funny story,” Phil said. “We had no idea that the other one of us was there!” After playing in college, Phil was offered the head coach position at Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C. Phil also was working with the Olympic Development Program for the southern U.S. See Soccer on page 5
Library renovations improve study space Katie White The Battalion Sterling C. Evans Library reopened this fall after a summer of renovations with remodeled and updated study space and a larger café area. The University renovated Evans and the popular Poor Yorick’s Coffee House this summer with their patrons’ needs in mind. “We really just wanted to make it more comfortable for students to study,” said Robin Bedenbaugh, coordinator of marketing and communications for the University libraries. Junior communication major
Morgan Blohm visits the library and coffee shop often and said she is pleased with the new layout, which has more seating. “The line out the door is no longer,” Blohm said regarding Poor Yorick’s, which now seats 85 people, up from 16 before the renovations. Bedenbaugh said students now have the opportunity to recycle plastic and paper and can bring food from the café into the study areas. The hours at Poor Yorick’s have also been extended, closing at midnight Sunday through Thursday. See Evans on page 5
Jeffrey Frankens — THE BATTALION
Students study in the renovated first floor of Sterling C. Evans Library. The library redesign incorporates more earth tones and open areas.
■ Federal funds improves online access on rural campuses Travis Lawson The Battalion Federal legislation signed in 2009 provides 11 Texas A&M University System universities with high speed broadband Internet. A $6.6 million grant given to A&M is just one part of the $7.2 billion American Reinvestment and Recovery Act signed into law by President Barack Obama last year. Vice President Joe Biden said in a White House press release that the broadband portion of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act would provide new opportunities in areas such as job opportunity and education. “In addition to bringing 21st century infrastructure to underserved communities and rural areas, these investments will begin to harness the power of broadband to improve education, health care and public safety,” Biden said. The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant also came with $3 million in matching contributions that will go towards providing a fiber optic network to places like Texas A&M at Galveston and the Texas A&M Health Science Center. A&M is partnering with rural telephone and cable companies as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety as part of the effort. The new Texas Pipes network will be capable of providing speeds between 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps and will call 147 miles of new fiber. See Broadband on page 2
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