thebattalion ● tuesday,
june 23, 2009
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texas a&m since 1893
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A whole
worldaway Study abroad Gail Hernandez — THE BATTALION
Megan Ryan The Battalion Headlines regarding studying abroad don’t always come bearing good news, and statistics from USAToday don’t bode well either. From 2004-2006, State Department Data reports 2,364 healthy Americans dying while studying abroad. Between 2002 and 2008, a survey of 917 New Mexico State University students revealed 11.1 percent experienced a “serious” safety or health incident while studying abroad. There is also no laws in place that insure travelers’ safety or compensation for losses. However, the Texas A&M Study Abroad Programs Office, SAPO, reports that incidents are rare, considering that the statistics represent a population of almost 250,000 students studying abroad each year, according to data from the 2006-2007 academic year. Also, SAPO offers resources for students in need overseas. SAPO has a team organized to ensure Aggies are pro-
tected from dangers or risks that may jeopardize their educational experience. Each fall and spring, SAPO has an orientation meeting for departing students. These meetings allow for discussion regarding health and safety issues that might arise while students are studying abroad. “All students participating on facultyled and reciprocal exchange programs are provided with more in-depth information regarding the specific location where they will study,” said director of SAPO Jane Flaherty. SAPO organizes briefings for staff members who teach study abroad courses to deal with medical emergencies. The study abroad office has a 24/7 emergency call system. “We would like everyone who travels to be informed,” said Ambassador Eric M. Bost, the vice president of Global Initiatives at Texas A&M. “The inference is that there is a greater likelihood that something is going to happen to you if you leave the
United States, and that’s not the case. Jane and her staff do an outstanding job in terms of having a pre-departure session and orientation for students and faculty, before they go overseas, that is geared to places that they go.” Bost also said that he has not seen a lot of dangerous situations. Even when he served as ambassador in South Africa, he said, he saw only two incidents of danger overseas. “I’ve been to 88 countries in my career, and I’ve only had one unpleasant thing happen to me,” he said. “It was in Paris, which people think is one of the safest places in the world.” Texas A&M and the Division of Student Affairs have developed a Critical Incident Response team (CIRT). This team has been trained as qualified to react to episodes regarding the students. “CIRT offers counseling, guidance and
2,364 healthy Americans died abroad from 2004 to 2006. 31 percent were traffic-related. Michigan State University students reported 89 incidents last summer, including missed flights and lost passports. 11.1 percent of New Mexico State University students reported serious health or safety incidents during study abroad from 2002 to 2008. Find more information about Texas A&M study abroad programs go to http://studyabroad. tamu.edu
See Abroad on page 4
USA Today
Middle-schoolers go green at Camp Energy Bryan students learn hands-on conservation techniques at weeklong camp Alex Worsham The Battalion A group of Bryan students are learning the essentials of energy efficiency and alternative energy this week in a new program at Davila Middle School. Camp Energy was designed to give sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders hands-on experience with energy conservation techniques, said Don Gilman, creator of the program and Texas A&M assistant research engineer. “We hope we will produce students who are interested in it at a personal level and apply it to their lives, possibly as a career,” said Bryan ISD secondary science coordinator Debbie Richards. It is imperative that youth learn this concept, Gilman said. “If our parents had learned about it at that age, we wouldn’t have the level of problems have now,” Gilman said. The 36 middle-schoolers will explore a different concept each day. Camp Energy teacher Su-
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san Hammond will teach an introduction to the different forms of energy, and energy transformations. “We’re going to do an energy survey to find out how efficient the school is,” Hammond said. “The students will find out different ways that energy conservation can take place in a large building, compared to a small building such as their homes.” The students need to apply this knowledge in the future to make the most of resources, Hammond said. “As our energy resources change, the cost of energy changes over time and energy technology improves, we want the students to find the best uses of our energy resources and conserve energy for future generations,” Hammond said. The students will also learn about heat conservation, alternative fuels, wind energy and nuclear energy. “Friday, the kids will build solar cars and have a solar barSee Energy on page 6
Former students honor Rohan Class of 1975 establishes scholarship for classmate Christen Beck The Battalion Members of the Class of 1975 have established a petroleum engineering undergraduate scholarship in memory of their classmate Charles A. Rohan, retired Chevron engineer. Discussions about establishing a petroleum engineering scholarship started in 2006, said Brady Bullard, petroleum engineering diROHAN rector of development. Soon after discussions began, Rohan died in Richmond,Texas, Bullard said, and the scholarship was then named the Charles A. Rohan Scholarship. Rohan was devoted to Texas A&M, Bullard said. “He was a true, bleed-maroon Aggie. [He] wanted his kids to go to A&M, and loved the school.” After graduation, Rohan interned at Getty Oil in Conroe, Texas. He later became area engineer for Getty Oil Onshore in Lafayette, La. He spent his 29-year career with Getty Oil, through its merger with Texaco and then Texaco’s merger with Chevron, until his retirement in 2002. In addition, Rohan served as a Getty Oil recruiter at Texas A&M job fairs and as a member of Texaco’s first response team for the U.S. Though Rohan began his college career at Mississippi State University, he considered Aggieland his home, said his wife, Toni Rohan. “Charles was an avid Aggie,” she said. Rohan would have been excited and pleased about the honorary scholarship, Toni said. The endowment of $275,000 given to the Texas A&M Foundation and raised by the Class of 1975 former students will be distributed among four students each year, once fully funded. Scholarship applicants must show leadership, good academic standing, a financial need and have a grade point ratio of 3.5 in their department coursework and an overall minimum 3.0 GPR. Class of 1975 members Terry Rathert, Ted Smith and class representative Trent Latshaw were instrumental in collecting the endowment, Bullard said. Latshaw, Rathert, Smith and See Rohan on page 6
Coming Wednesday
Patrick Clayton — THE BATTALION
As a part of Camp Energy, area seventh-graders Marcos Mejia and Ryan Hammons examine building materials designed to conserve energy. Throughout the week, students will have the opportunity to design and test green materials.
Once a week during the summer, The Battalion will be profiling a student leader to gain insight into their lives and what it takes to do their job. Wednesday’s student leader profile will highlight Laporcha Carter, President of the Black Student Alliance Council.
6/22/09 8:35 PM