MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA
REMEMBERING
9/11
Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
The ‘Freedom from Terrorism Memorial’, designed by four Texas A&M architecture students, is dedicated to the lives loss on September 11, 2001. It also memorializes those who lost their lives during the war on terrorism. Located at Trigon by the Quad.
Students and community reflect on the 16th anniversary of September 11, 2001 By Tenoch Aztecatl @tenochaztec On September 11, 2001, the United States of America suffered the single largest attack on American soil since the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, with a death toll of nearly 3,000 Americans spanning across 3 states. To this day, 9/11 remains one of the most devastating dates in American history, with a hand of destruction so powerful that nearly every living American was affected. Sixteen years after that traumatic day, many Americans can still recall exactly where they
were or what they were doing on the day of 9/11. KBTX news anchor and executive producer Rusty Surette was working his second day as the five o’clock anchor for the Lake Charles, Louisiana news station, KVHP, when news of the attacks rang through. “We really didn’t think a whole lot of [the initial attack]. It was just kind of a thing we were keeping an eye on,” Surette said. “But then the second one hit.” Surette said he remembers the overwhelming silence that encompassed the entire room when footage of a second plane hitting the South Tower of the World Trade Center was broadcast live on NBC. “This was one of the only few times in my 23-year career that a newsroom has ever been
silent,” Surette said. “We just stood there for about five minutes watching the TV and I don’t remember anybody saying anything.” Moments after watching the second attack take place, Surette said he remembers police and fire department dispatches ringing into the newsroom signaling, ‘Attention all units: The United States is under attack.’ Surette said he recalled the immediate reaction by his news team to gather all information possible to be relayed out to viewers. “That will forever be the day that changed America,” Surette said. “Even so many miles and so many states away from where it actually happened, it just had a ripple effect on the country.” Doctoral student and Texas A&M communication professor Paige Gloeckner was a
student in her fourth grade class in Crawford, Texas when news of the attacks reached her elementary school. George W. Bush’s second headquarters, Prairie Chapel Ranch, was also located in Crawford at the time of the attacks, and Gloeckner said she remembers the large police and secret service presence as her school was evacuated. “At first it was more curiosity of what had happened,” Gloeckner said. “And then later on it became kind of, ‘Oh my god, what happened? This is so sad.’” Gloeckner said she remembers being picked up from school by her mother and having the events explained as reality began to set in. “It was odd as a nine year-old, you don’t really know what’s going on,” Gloeckner said. 9/11 ON PG. 2
24-14 5 takeaways: Texas A&M’s home opener versus Nicholls By Angel Franco @Angelmadison_
Paul Burke — THE BATTALION
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November will mark the next phase of the expansion of the sidewalks on University Drive.
Ensuring pedestrians’ protection University Drive to undergo sidewalk safety expansion By Tyler Snell @Tyler_Snell2 No longer will students walking along University Drive have to narrowly avoid cars while trying to stay on the sidewalk or off the road where a sidewalk doesn’t exist. The city of College Station plans to start the final phases of sidewalk improvements in November to increase the safety of pedestrians. The University Drive Pedes-
trian Safety Improvement project is a part of a bond issued in 2008 that will make the sidewalks along University Drive 12 to 18 feet wide and add new pedestrian signals. The project is projected to be completed in one year. “There are so many pedestrians that cross University Drive, so the wider sidewalks and improved signals will give more time to cross,” Emily Fisher, Public Works assistant director for the city of College Station, said. “I’m definitely looking forward to improving that safety.” This improvement project has been in the works since 2008 and
Fisher said it has involved collaboration with both Texas A&M and the Texas Department of Transportation. “When we do a bond package, you basically authorize the city to go into debt to pay for the improvement,” Fisher said. “You have to stack it, so this was one that we pushed back to the end of the seven year bond period, [and] it’s taken a lot of coordination with A&M and TxDOT.” The sidewalk project was originally started by TxDOT with the pedestrian wall along Northgate. EXPANSION ON PG.4
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Next man up With the injuries that have plagued the Texas A&M team so early in the season, the next man up has never been more important. When running back Keith Ford went out for the game following an apparent injury, the Aggies looked to running back Kendall Bussey to provide a spark in Ford’s absence, and he did just that. Despite not starting the game, Bussey became A&M’s leading rusher of the night, rushing for almost 100 yards on 15 carries. Not only that, he also scored the goahead touchdown that broke the tie.
Jake Hubenak needs to step up as a leader Although the Aggies have a leader on the offense in junior wide receiver Christian Kirk, he can only do so much. Senior quarterback Jake Hubenak has the potential to be the other leader that the offense can look to. Freshman quarterback Kellen Mond, although very talented, is young and lacks the in-game experiences that shape a leader. It was evident when Hubenak came in with a little under 10 minutes left in the third quarter that the offensive tempo — which was dismal for the majority of the game — returned to the fast pace that wasn’t seen since the first half of the UCLA game. Hubenak brings experience and leadership that he has gained through his career, which includes his stints at both Oklahoma State and Blinn College . GAME ANALYSIS ON PG.2