The Battalion: January 19, 2017 by The Battalion

THE 2017 INAUGURATION AMERICA WILL OFFICIALLY WELCOME A NEW PRESIDENT FRIDAY. FIND ANALYSIS, COMMENTARY ON PAGE 3

BREAKINGBARRIERS

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

After leaving El Salvador, bilingual engineering sophomore Leonidas Villatoro was required to translate legal documents for his parents.

Student language brokers act as translators for Spanish-speaking parents By Ariel Hayes @arielkhayes

or most 7-year-olds, the idea of reading — let alone translating — complicated legal documents would be an almost impossible task. For language brokers like engineering sophomore Leo Villatoro, this was a daily responsibility when he was little. Language brokers, unlike traditional translators, are bilingual children who grow up informally translating and interpreting for their parents or relatives. Villatoro moved to the United States from El Salvador and began translating and interpreting for his mother shortly thereafter.

“I started learning and picked up English quickly, vocabulary wise, and I had decent conversational skills,” Villatoro said. “With bill statements or refunds, you know, the bank, anything with legal documents, I would help out.” Although he picked up English very quickly, Villatoro said the responsibility of acting as his mother’s translator was a heavy burden for a child so young. “It was hard to translate because I didn’t know a lot of the legal words — it was advanced vocabulary coming from companies and stuff, so it was a lot of pressure and sometimes I felt bad because I saw all my family did for me to have a better life and the only thing

that I could do was help them translate this piece of paper,” Villatoro said. For bilingual education sophomore Alexia Peralta, who speaks both English and Spanish, growing up as a language broker inspired her choice in major. “As a bilingual educator, I’m sure I’ll run into parents who only speak Spanish, so my being able to translate school policies or information about meetings to parents who only speak Spanish will for sure be a super useful skill,” Peralta said. Peralta’s background in interpreting and summarizing information from a young age still influences the way she communicates in English and Spanish.

NOAH SIMPSON— THE BATTALION

Prep work begins for new classroom facility Construction outside of MSC will be first part of the process By Tyler Snell @tyler_snell2 The noises of construction have become nearly omnipresent on campus, and the newest source of that noise is just outside the Memorial Student Center at the end of Military Walk. While the construction is taking place some distance away, the project is prep work for the construction of a new facility next to Cain Garage that will host class-

rooms. Additionally, the services previously located in Cain Hall — including Disability Services and Student Counseling — will be relocated to Bizzel from their temporary location at White Creek after the building undergoes renovation and reconstruction in the coming semesters. “I think [final location of student services is] going to be a vital location for the students specifically just because it is in the heart of the campus,” project manager Audrey Rohloff-Ecklund said. “It’s right off Military Walk, so it’s easier access for Student Services, which is huge I think, because right now [students] have

LANGUAGE BROKERS ON PG. 4

OPENING THE DOORS TO SPRING RECRUITMENT

to drive over to where they are.” The project is projected to finish in October 2019 with the goal being for the services to move back into the building and be available for spring 2020. “We are just waiting on approval from the architects and the construction company,” said Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Reber. “When they set the construction dates, they said 20 to 22 months, and they did build in some days [to account for rain and weather. Many departments have been involved in the construction process from the Chancellor’s CONSTRUCTION ON PG. 5

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH IN ICU FOR RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS Former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was admitted into Houston Methodist Hospital for shortness of breath Saturday. His wife Barbara was also admitted as a preventative measure for fatigue and coughing Wednesday. Bush’s spokesman, Jim McGrath, said he was responding well to treatment early Wednesday morning. Bush was moved into the ICU later in the day and he was reported to have been suffering from respiratory issues deriving from pneumonia. Doctors put Bush under sedation to carry out a procedure to clear his airway. At time of press, Bush is resting and in a stable condition. The 41st president has been coping with health problems and hospitalizations for the greater parts of 2014 and 2015, including Parkinson’s disease, respiratory problems and a fall at his home in December of 2014 which resulted in breaking his C2 vertebrae. Due to these health concerns, Bush wrote to President-elect Donald Trump wishing him luck in his upcoming term and apologizing for not being able to attend his inauguration on Friday. — Staff Report FILE

“Sometimes whenever I need to describe something in English to someone I use my Spanish to help me find words to better articulate my thoughts,” Peralta said. “Whenever I’m talking to people I think in both Spanish and English and I respond in whatever language is being used. It definitely affects the way I think about things.” Acting as her parents’ informal translator also became a source of pride for Peralta. “I felt important, because I felt that responsibility of helping my parents and a sense of accomplishment because I was able to help them understand.” Peralta said.

FILE

Open house allows student organizations to attract new members.

340 student organizations to attend spring MSC Open House By Tyler Snell @tyler_snell2 Students will once again crowd the MSC this weekend in search of a new activity, organization or group to become a part of during the Spring 2017 MSC Open House. This semester the MSC will host more than 340 student groups looking to pick up some new members. Student Director Carling Repass said the spring open house is not as big as its fall counterpart, which hosts close to 600 organizations, because of the way different organizations recruit. “Some organizations don’t recruit in the spring and just decide to go to the fall open house that most closely

aligns with their recruiting process,” Repass said. “A lot of organizations switch officer teams in the spring, so they might be changing people and want to change who they are corresponding with.” Repass said the biggest challenge is coordinating an event that involves more than a third of the student organizations on campus and the amount of students that flood the MSC. “It’s stressful, but it’s a really big pay off to see it completed because I was in charge of the fall one as well,” Repass said. “It’s a lot of work but having that sense of accomplishment at the end is probably the biggest benefit for me.” MSC OPEN HOUSE ON PG. 5

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INAUGURATIONDAY

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OBAMA’S LEGACY

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Tuition Hearing for proposed changes to tuition charged to entering nonresident undergraduate students for the 2017-‐2018 Academic Year

Jobs The newly sworn in president inherited a country facing its greatest economic trial since the Great Depression. The area in which the president succeeded most was in job growth. During the Recession the unemployment rate reached its highest point in October of 2010 at 10 percent. Since Obama took the reins more than 14 million jobs were added to the market and the unemployment rate currently sits at 4.9 percent. The labor force participation rate, however, is at 62.7 percent — three points lower than it was in the beginning of 2009 — and has been on a steady decline since his inauguration. The Middle East Obama walked into office in 2009 during a conflict in Iraq that began in 2003. Pentagon numbers would show that by October of 2009 the country suffered more than 4,300 American casualties. While the transition out of Iraq had begun under George W. Bush’s administration, Obama saw the pull out through. Also during Obama’s first term, Navy SEALS assassinated al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden. Since that time, however, relations in the Middle East have worsened considerably. Both the Israeli and Iranian governments have grown increasingly hostile toward the Obama administration, and in turn the U.S. government. The power vacuum left after the United States pulled out of the Middle East resulted in new powers taking control, including the Islamic State group which has continued a reign of terror throughout that region.

Friday, January 27, 2017 3:00-‐5:00 pm. 601 Rudder or Thursday, February 2, 2017 5:30-‐7:30 pm. 601 Rudder Watch the Live Webcast on Channel 6 http://ttvn.tamu.edu

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Health care On March 23, 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was put into action. Before the ACA, commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” many Americans could not receive health care due to preexisting health conditions. According to a White House report, 62 percent of Americans found it difficult to obtain inexpensive health care. Since the ACA was enacted, six in 10 Americans receive coverage for $100 a month or less. Despite numerous Americans receiving health coverage, insurance premiums have increased from $12,680 in 2008 to $18,142 in 2016. Because of these price increases major health insurers have begun to stop selling health insurance through the ACA, including

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President Barack Obama will officially end his term as president Friday during Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

Aetna and UnitedHealth Group, two of the largest providers. LGBTQ issues The 44th president was the first to openly support marriage between same-sex couples. One of the major steps toward normalizing homosexuality was the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act in 2010. The act enabled soldiers to serve in the military without having to conceal their sexuality. Due in-part to his Supreme Court appointments, Obergefell v. Hodges, a 5-4 decision, guaranteed the right of marriage for same-sex couples in June of 2015. The environment Last year was the third year in a row to be considered the hottest year in recorded history. Since he took office,

Obama has taken concrete steps toward aiding evironmental preservation efforts, including taking steps against climate change. In his first budget in 2009 the president increased the budgets for both the Land and Water Conservation fund by 38 percent and National Parks Service by 10 percent. A landmark multinational environmental agreement, the Paris Agreement was established and agreed to under the Obama administration, which will force countries hoping to participate in foreign trade to cut down significantly on their emissions and environmental impact. Despite his efforts to reduce carbon dioxide output and overall emissions in America, Obama failed to fully enact any major law that would cut down on America’s release of greenhouse gases, or its high rate of pollution.

Notice of University Student Rule Revisions Additions, deletions and changes to the University Student Rules may occur over the course of the year.

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Each student has the responsibility to be fully acquainted with and to comply with the Texas A&M University Student Rules. Student Rules can be found at http://student-rules.tamu.edu.

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ALL CLASSES: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Thursday in the Sanders Corp Museum Library Feb. 6th - 9th & Feb. 13th - 16th Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95.

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1/18/17 10:03 PM

THE 2017 INAUGURATION INAUGURATIONDAY

The Battalion | 1.19.17

Trump to be sworn in Friday, Texas A&M experts weigh in Goidel, Kluver expect inauguration to be peaceful, unifying event By Brad Morse @BradMorse53 A little over two months after winning the presidential election, President-Elect Donald Trump will shed the “elect” from his title and be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America Friday. The theme of the ceremony will follow Trump’s campaign slogan: “Make America Great Again.” Trump’s election was met with mixed reactions across the country and he comes into office with the lowest approval ratings in history. Despite Trump being a polarizing figure, though, communication professor and fellow at the Public Policy Research Institute Kirby Goidel said he doesn’t expect anything other than a peaceful ceremony. “All inaugurations are reminders of the peaceful transfer of power,” Goidel said. “Without this, you don’t have a democracy. It is also the end of a historic presidency which adds to its poignancy.” Randy Kluver, communication professor, said he expects Trump’s inaugural address to focus on unifying the country rather than alienating half of it. “The inauguration is a national ritual, a time where the nation comes together,” Kluver said. “We expect pledges from the nation

to come together.” Several members of the Democratic Party, including U.S. Representative John Lewis, have said they will not be attending. “We’ll likely see more Democrats deciding not to attend, and there will likely be at least some protests and demonstrations,” Goidel said. Kluver said the boycotts are not surprising given the president-elect’s approval rating and conflict-filled campaign. “He comes in with lower approval ratings than almost anyone in memory — in the lower 40 percent,” Kluver said. “I can’t recall the last time this many members of Congress have said they will boycott an event like this.” Kluver said while he agrees with the boycotts as a matter of principle, he sees it as a source of potential problems. “What this does is set up a conflict that will become a defining part of the upcoming years, and I don’t see how that helps,” Kluver said. Chairman of the Texas A&M College Republicans and petroleum enginnering junior David Isenhour said while the protests would attract attention, he expects the ceremony to go well. “I expect it to go smoothly from a security standpoint, but this is a different time,” Isenhour said. Isenhour said he doesn’t expect the protests to make much of an impact on the event itself, rather only on the media coverage of the event. “There won’t be much headway from the

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President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in at Friday’s inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C.

politicians missing it, but the biggest difference will be the televised attention to protest” Isenhour said. “I would like to see everyone put the partisanship, the pride aside, the left and the right, to come together and show that plurality still matters.” Trump will also be writing his own speech, which is unusual for the ceremony. “Hopefully he comes out and says he wants to work with both sides, and to be that unifying figure we saw on election night,” Isenhour said.

The inauguration ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Friday. Trump will be sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Attendees will include former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, as well as Trump’s election rival Hillary Clinton and her husband and Former President Bill Clinton. All major TV networks will air the ceremony, and it will be livestreamed on Twitter.

& IN PROTEST

IN SUPPORT We all need to hope for Trump’s success

Regardless of whether you like Trump, you have to respect the office Matt Jacobs

@mtj2203

think it’s time to address the spraytanned elephant in the room. This Friday Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. Faith in the legitimacy of our government is at an all-time low, and with declarations of “Not my president” becoming all too common, political discourse doesn’t look like it will improve in our fair nation. Regardless of who you voted for, it’s time for us to all root for the United States, which will be led by Trump. And that means we need to hope for his success.

“Democracy is hard. It requires standing by the process even when you lose.” First, let’s get a few things out of the way: I voted for Donald Trump on Election Day. But don’t get me wrong — as someone who identifies as a conservative, I definitely did not vote for him in the Republican primary. In fact, I could not stand the man during that time, and was very vocal about it. I was disappointed with him winning the Republican nomination. Yet Hillary Clinton clearly represented a much bigger threat to my ideology and beliefs than Donald Trump did, and so he won my support easily for the general election. Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote. But that doesn’t matter, and never has. Andrew Jackson won the popular vote by over 10 percent in 1824 but lost to John Quincy Adams, and Samuel Tilden won the popular vote by 3 percent

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but lost to Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876. Both of those margins are greater than the margin of 2.1 percent Hillary Clinton obtained. Our country has intentionally chosen to not use the popular vote to decide the winner of the presidency, in order to ensure that the president has the support of not just the large and powerful states, but most of the states. Is the Electoral College a perfect way of doing this? Of course not, but for now it is the best we have. Besides, if the popular vote was what mattered, the candidates would have campaigned accordingly and the results probably would have been the same. Now to Russia. Russia did hack the Democratic Party Committee, and revealed information harmful to Clinton’s campaign. But it would be immature to focus on Russia. The thing to focus on is the corruption in the Democratic Party leadership, essentially handing Clinton the Democratic nomination. I am sure I don’t need to remind anyone about the recording of Trump talking with Billy Bush, with all of its lewd bragging about grabbing genitalia. It is illegal in many states, including California where the recording took place, to record someone without their permission. That tape, illegally obtained, was used by an unknown source to sabotage Trump’s campaign. But we rightly chose to not focus on the questionable means by which that tape was made public, but instead on Trump’s shameful bawdiness in it. I urge my Democratic friends to do something similar. It has been revealed by intelligence organizations including the Department of Defense and National Security Administration that Russia ordered these hackings to reduce our faith in our institutions. Let’s not let them succeed. Democracy is hard. It requires standing by the process even when you lose. Conservatives acted up similarly with the election of president Obama, so we aren’t strangers to this issue. Donald Trump is our president. By all means, stand up to the man when you disagree with him. I very well might have to as well, but let us not forget to respect the office into which we elected him.

Matt Jacobs is a political science senior and news reporter for The Battalion.

Respect is earned and Trump hasn’t earned it

Amid other problems, Trump’s lack of health care plan is upsetting Grace Neumann @GracieEve18

hat most Americans once considered inconceivable is now a reality: Donald Trump is slated to become the 45th President of the United States of America. A man who disrespects women, completely disregards millions of American’s health, attempts to discredit the free press and has suspicious ties to and openly supports one of America’s top enemies is now our commander in chief. Trump has made history, not only as the first president to have no political experience, but he is also coming in as the president with the lowest approval rating upon election — 53 percent of Americans don’t think he can do the job. Most of the other 47 percent have begrudgingly accepted that Trump is now our president. They reason that while they may not support him, they do believe he deserves respect due to his high standing. I am not one of those hesitantly optimistic citizens for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I believe respect is something that should be earned, not freely given simply because of someone’s high standing in society. So far, despite his claimed acumen as a businessman, Trump has done nothing to earn my respect. Furthermore, I don’t think he will be a successful president based on his policy proposals thus far and recent actions. At the forefront of issues at this point is his promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act; Republicans in the Senate have been successful so far in voting to repeal crucial — and arguably the most vital for Americans — parts of the ACA. Should this proposal pass through the Republican-controlled House, up to 18 million Americans could lose their health care within a year, and 32 million more within 10 years. I am directly affected by this. I currently have a medical condition that requires prescription medications; currently I pay $9 each month total on medications. Should Obamacare be repealed, I will be forced to pay upwards of $1,200 each month for these vital medications. As a student putting myself through college, I simply can’t afford that each month.

My biggest issue with the impending and imminent repeal of Obamacare is the fact that while Republicans claim they’ll replace it, currently they have no plan in place. It took the ACA over two years to finally pass and be enacted. Millions of Americans don’t have that kind of time.

“Respect is something that should be earned, not freely given simply because of someone’s high standing in society.” Trump is a man who has not only shown absolutely no respect for women, but he has been publicly accused of sexually assaulting multiple women. Just the other day, a Connecticut republican was arrested for grabbing a female colleague’s genitals after a disagreement. His excuse? “I no longer have to be politically correct.” This is merely a preview of what’s to come in Trump’s America. Many Republicans openly stated they had no respect for Obama, yet now they’re telling Americans they need to support and respect Trump, whether or not they agree with his policies. Why should I be expected to respect a man — especially a man who has no respect for myself as a woman — simply because he is the president? Why should anyone be required to respect another person?

Grace Neumann is an English junior and a page designer for The Battalion.

1/18/17 9:57 PM

NEWS

The Battalion | 1.19.17

LANGUAGE BROKERS CONTINUED Peralta’s background in interpreting and summarizing information from a young age still influences the way she communicates, in both English and Spanish. “Sometimes whenever I need to describe something in English to someone I use my Spanish to help me find words to better articulate my thoughts,” Peralta said. “Whenever I’m talking to people I think in both Spanish and English and I respond in whatever language is being used. It definitely affects the way I think about things.”

Acting as her parents’ informal translator also became a source of pride for Peralta. “I felt important, because I felt that responsibility of helping my parents and a sense of accomplishment because I was able to help them understand.” Peralta said. Diana Garcia, a general studies sophomore, first began translating for her parents before she was fluent in English herself, and still helps interpret English for her parents when necessary. “When I was four, I went into Pre-K not knowing how to say yes or no or anything, and teachers would yell at me because I didn’t understand,” Garcia said. “They called my mom to the office and there were no translators, so they sat me in the office, 4-year-old little me,

Cody Wallace Pittsburgh Steelers

having to translate and not know English myself.” Garcia quickly grew into her role as a language broker, and the responsibility, while sometimes tough, helped her overcome her shyness as a child. “I always had to translate from English even though I was six so it was really stressful. My personality wasn’t very outgoing and I hate talking on the phone, but it forced me to be outgoing because I couldn’t say no to my parents,” Garcia said. Being a language broker and, more broadly, being bilingual also helps Garcia feel more connected to her roots. “If I didn’t know the language I wouldn’t

AGGIES IN THE

Running back Christine Michael, who played for Texas A&M from 2009 to 2011, has seen action for the Packers in the postseason after rushing for 47 yards in the Packers’ 38-13 win over the Giants in the Wild Card round.

PLAYOFFS By Angel Franco

The offensive lineman has been plagued with injuries this past season but is a key component of the Steelers front line. Wallace played for A&M from 2004 to 2008.

know the culture. Most of my family doesn’t speak English because they only visit,” Garcia said. “I feel more connected to my family and culture, because I have friends who can’t talk to their uncles or grandparents because they don’t speak Spanish, but I can.” Despite the inherently demanding nature of being a language broker, Villatoro said he is grateful for the way he grew up. “I’m very friendly. I don’t assume, when I meet a new person, ‘Oh, this person’s from there so we probably won’t get along’ I just hear them out,” Villatoro said. “[Being bilingual] has helped me so much, especially with learning something new; it’s just a little easier. It’s made me more open to other cultures.”

Come Sunday night, the two teams who will compete in Super Bowl LI will be revealed, and each of the four teams in contention for a conference crown have an Aggie on its roster.

Christine Michael Green Bay Packers

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Martellus Bennett New England Patriots

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Offensive lineman Jake Matthews has been an integral part of Atlanta’s offense. He will compete in his first conference championship game since joining the NFL in 2014, after playing for A&M from 2010 to 2012.

In his first season in New England, Bennett has racked up seven receiving touchdowns, breaking his previous record of six. He played for A&M from 2006 to 2008.

Jake Matthews Atlanta Falcons

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Prosthetics bring pups hope A&M Commerce class designs inexpensive carts for disabled pets

OPEN HOUSE CONTINUED The spring Open House presents a unique opportunity for students to get even more involved or start their involvement on campus. “I hope it gets students excited for what the university can offer them in recognized student organizations,” said MSC Communications Coordinator Jamie Arrexi. “Our hope is that they find their niche within the community.” MSC Hospitality adviser Caitlin Hoover said the Open House not only benefits the students who attend, but also the ones who work to put it together. “MSC Hospitality has really taken a lot of pride in the event in making it a really great experience for everyone who is in a recognized organization or MSC committee on campus to really promote student involvement and really [get] Aggies involved, and to really help them explore their passions and interests,” Hoover said. Even though the spring open house hosts a smaller number of organizations than in the fall semester, Repass said it is still a great opportunity for students to attend. “I think so many students may think they are involved enough in the fall and then they go through the fall semester and realize that they aren’t and really want to do something else in the spring,” Repass said. “They have something to come out again and find organizations.”

COURTESY: Texas A&M Commerce

Texas A&M Commerce created rolling carts to allow disabled animals to walk again.

By Sanna Bhai @bhaisanna

echnology to design prosthetics for humans has been around for years, but a class at Texas A&M Commerce will now focus on making prosthetics for disabled animals. E.A.S.T, or Empathy, Art, Science, Technology, is a new class at Texas A&M Commerce which focuses on developing inexpensive prosthetics for disabled animals. Josephine Durkin, associate professor of art at Texas A&M Commerce, was always curious about the combination of art and technology. When she found a project that joined them for such a noble cause, she said she wanted to expand upon it. “Then I read about a project to make rolling carts for handicapped animals who could not afford them because shelters do not usually have a budget for these types of services,” Durkin said. “I thought it was a great idea.” Durkin said she focused on the empathy element of the class because com-

bining empathy with art and technology adds a different perspective to the table. “Having the students develop technical skills — problem-solving skills — in order to help these animals, is that there is no reason you can’t have students learn the two things simultaneously,” Durkin said. “And then I thought I should create a class for this, which is open to all majors.” Shelby Morales, animal science junior, said focusing on empathy is important and a great addition to a class of this nature, but there are negative implications to possessing a large amount of empathy, as it can lead to obstacles for both the animal and the owner. “It is that compassion that can be transferred to dealing with people and shows a person’s true heart,” Morales said. “However, it can also cloud one’s judgment. Having too much empathy for animals can lead to hardship if an animal’s condition is more severe than we would like, and other options need to be noted. Too much empathy can lead to stress on the person, and pain on the animal.”

To create these carts there is lots of delicate work required in order to build the right fit for the specific animal. The students can provide the carts, but adjusting to it is up to the animal using the cart. “The point of our carts is that we try to make them out of cheaper materials, such as PVC pipes because we want to make them affordable for all families,” Walker said. Derek Walker, studio arts senior, said one dog named Lucy is having difficulty adjusting to the cart as it is restricting her from her daily practices. “Right now our biggest obstacle is that we have Lucy, and she is a pretty young dog and she has a lot of life in her and loves to run around,” Walker said. “She gets around pretty well with her three legs, so she is not used to this cart and it is awkward to her, making her uncomfortable with it, which we want her to be.” The carts created in the class are given as a donation to families that require them. These wheel-carts will be featured in “Altered Works” in Spring 2017.

Noah Simpson— THE BATTALION

Construction for the new Cain Hall, when be located next to Cain Garage, has interfered with paths located outside the MSC.

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUED office to the Division of Student Affairs, and Rohloff-Ecklund will act as the liaison during each phase of the project. “I’ll be in charge of making sure the architecture team and the construction manager risk team help organize the meetings, making sure they design and build according to the A&M system requirements,” Rohloff-Ecklund said. “With [the building] being on campus and in the heart of the campus I think it will be much easier access for everybody.” Despite a long wait for some of the services to move back to central campus, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Phillip Ray said he is excited for the construction because it represents the growth at A&M. “I think that A&M is seen throughout higher education as not just a rising star but the star,” Ray said. “I’m just excited about the excellence and excited about leading as Aggies always do in our campus and amenities and services to our students.”

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