thebattalion ● thursday,
september 3, 2009
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Center seeks to improve vaccines Biotech facility awaiting approval from Regents
aggies WE
are
Laura Sanchez
Nicholas Badger — THE BATTALION
Julie Shannon freshman biomedical sciences major By Patrique Ludan | The Battalion
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ollege freshman experience many firsts: first time away from home, first time living with a roommate, first day of class. When Julie Shannon started classes Monday, she experienced a common freshman emotion: first-day jitters.
“I was slightly worried going into my first day,” Shannon said. “However, I got over my anxieties very quickly.” Shannon, a biomedical sciences major of Houston, is a part of Texas A&M’s largest incoming class. Yet, the amount
of students did not stop her from making friends in her classes. “Many of the people were also BIMS majors, so I was able to meet a significant amount of people,” Shannon said. A class that was proving worrisome for her before she started was her fundamentals of chemistry and lab. However, when she showed up on her first day, she soon realized that a professor has the capability to make the class manageable. “I thought all of my professors were very down to Earth and nice,” Shannon said. Other classes included on Shannon’s schedule are skiing, sociology and geography of global villages. She said she had little trouble finding her classes. And although she’s a freshman, Shannon has plans for the future. In the short
Follow Julie for a day Watch as Patrique Ludan captures Julie Shannon’s first day of classes at Texas A&M University online.
thebatt.com Coming soon Aggies are We will be a series of stories published every Thursday highlighting Aggies. Next week we will feature a transfer student. Watch for features on an international and graduate student.
See Shannon on page 7a
The Battalion Texas A&M University and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, TEES, are teaming up to bring a research center to the flagship campus called the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing. The center is scheduled to open in August 2011 and will focus on developments for medical purposes. “The center is designed for both education and research. What is to be proposed is essentially an engineering and architecture program in the development of new flexible manufacturing facilities for therapeutics,” said Michael Pishko, head of the chemical engineering department. The facility is in its planning stage and is awaiting approval Sept. 24 from the Board of Regents. “It’s going to be an engineering and biotechnology research development. The problem that we’re having now is we don’t have good enough technologies to make vaccines fast enough so that everybody gets vaccinated,” said Brett Giroir, vice chancellor for research for Texas A&M. “We still grow these vaccines in eggs which is a 100-year-old technology. So there’s an absolute critical need for us to develop new ways to make vaccines because we’re finding a lot more now, but we don’t have good ways to make them.” A need for a quick vaccine arose after the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. “The FDA and other organizations including the National Research Council, the Department of Defense and others have identified that the nation has a very poor ability to respond to the need for developing new therapeutics rapidly,” Pishko said. “It takes a very long time to get from the See Center on page 7a
A&M, LSU race for most fans on Facebook
Texas A&M Aggies are again in competition with the Louisiana State Tigers, and this time they’re putting their money where their mouth is. The top social networking site in the country, Facebook, is playing host to a Big XII-SEC rivalry between A&M and LSU. The two schools are competing in the “100,000 Fans100,000 Pennies Race,” which rewards the first school to reach
100,000 fans on Facebook a scholarship of 100,000 pennies, or $1,000, from the competitor’s sponsor. LSU was previously the leading school with 81,000 fans, but A&M toppled them last month with 83,000 fans. “Being the No. 1 University on Facebook showcases our Aggie traditions and network — with a contemporary twist,” said Associate Director
of Marketing and Communications Diane McDonald, “It puts a face to the Aggie network,” McDonald said, “and shows its size and strength.” At press time, LSU had 97,000 while A&M only had 90,000 fans.
Fiery freshman warning College Station Fire Department Lt. Bobby Rogers and firefighter Cody Blount put out a simulated dorm room fire Wednesday near Simpson Drill Field. The Mock Residence Hall Room Burn was sponsored by the Texas A&M departments of Residence Life and Environmental Health and Safety and sought to educate students about fire safety.
Travis Lawson, special to The Battalion
Join in To take part in A&M’s online rivalry log on to www. facebook.com/tamu or text “fan tamu” to FBOOK (32665) to instantly become a fan.
Maroon and white all over Students show Aggie pride Travis Lawson Special to The Battalion Aggies worldwide have an official day to strut their stuff — Aggies Colors Day. Friday will be the start of a yearly celebration in which Texas A&M students, former students and fans will show their Aggie pride at school and work, said A&M Assistant Athletic Director Drew Martin. “We want to encourage A&M fans to wear their A&M maroon and white gear — whether they’re going to work or going to class or just having a relaxing Friday,” Martin said. “It shows that the Aggie network is strong. It shows the power of the Twelfth Man.” Interim President R. Bowen Loftin announced the tradition Aug. 21, just in time for the start of the football season nationwide. “Aggie Colors Day will help put the long hot summer behind us as we get ready to ‘fight for the maroon and white,’” Loftin said. “It’s going to be a great year, and this is an exciting way to start the fall semester.”
thebatt.com the batt.com First hand
Watch the firefighters light, then put out the flames in the mock room. Jeremy Northum — THE BATTALION
See Colors on page 7a
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