The Battalion — Jan. 23, 2020

Page 1

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2020 STUDENT MEDIA

Serving students since

2020

Samantha Mahler — THE BATTALION

Southerns will host their grand opening Thursday, Jan. 23.

New dance hall brings Nashville to Aggieland Restaurant, country music venue to host opening concert series By Shelby McVey @shelbyxbreann

for the Dean of Student Life Lindsey Stluka said it’s convenient to have the Student Services Building on main campus. “It’s nice to be seen by students, and it’s nice to be able to tell students, ‘Hey, you don’t have to take a bus to come see us,’” Stluka said. Director of Disability Resources Kristie Orr said the building is focused on accessibility for all students. The two main entrances into the premises have light fixtures that act as wind chimes, which help those who are blind locate the doors. Stluka said the hallways and elevators are built larger to accommodate those with wheelchairs. “Anyone can walk into the building,” Orr said. “Some who may need the doors

College Station’s newest bar and live music venue, Southerns, opens on Jan. 23 to country music lovers all across Aggieland and will host its first concert series for its grand opening weekend. Beginning at 8 p.m., Kevin Fowler and special guest Jarrod Morris will kick off the venue’s concert series on opening day, with other artists such as Cory Morrow and Jake Worthington to follow throughout the weekend. Tickets to these shows and more can be found at southernstx.com. Located in Post Oak Mall, Southerns’ partial owner Rob Ridley said one of their main goals is to become a one-stop-shop for food and country music lovers alike. “We want this to be a place where people feel comfortable coming to sit down, eat a great meal and listen to some really great music,” Ridley said. With many live music venues already established in College Station, Director of Artist Relations and General Manager Bobby Lavigne said the goal of Southerns is to be a place where younger crowds and older audiences can come to enjoy the same kind of music.

OPENING ON PG. 2

SOUTHERNS ON PG. 3

Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION

At the Student Services Building grand opening, students had the opportunity to explore the new space on a “passport hunt.”

Student Services Building returns to main campus, grand opening held earlier this week in celebration By Marina Garcia @margar211

A

fter four years of development, the $42 million Student Services Building is ready to be shown off to Texas A&M students and faculty. The Student Services Building had its open house on Jan. 22 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

The open house included tours of the building, with free food and prizes for attendees to enjoy, as well as a chance to snap a photo with the Yell Leaders. The new building hosts the department of Residence Life, Offices of the Dean of Student Life, Disability Resources, and Counseling & Psychological Services. It also has each of the department’s various programs, such as the Testing Administration Center and the LGBTQ+ Pride Center. The different departments and programs began to move from their White Creek trailers into the Student Services Building in November. Services began in the new building in January of this year. The building is across from Rudder Auditorium and the MSC, and Communications Coordinator

MSC hosts Automation Symposium Industrial professionals gather for annual technology showcase By Rebecca Morris @RebeccaSheWrote

the community as LGBTQ+, so we wanted to make sure we were reflecting that and that the name of the Center conveys a positive connotation, so that’s why we chose ‘pride.’ We want to really make it obvious that this is a center that really values everyone and is going to support and affirm them.” With the new location and name change, LGBTQ+ Pride Center Coordinator Tori Jackson said it is a very pivotal time for the Center. Resources for LGBTQ+

Individuals from far and wide gathered in the MSC for the 75th annual Instrumentation and Automation Symposium. The symposium began Jan. 21 and will run until Jan. 23 on the upper level of the MSC. The goal of the Instrumentation and Automation Symposium is to educate industry professionals on developing technologies and practices impacting today’s world. Speakers include chemical engineering expert Eric Cosman, Emerson Automation’s Principal Senior Software Engineer Greg McMillan and Oklahoma State University Professor Emeritus R. Russell Rhinehart. Many other influential industrial speakers attended the general sessions and more specific talks, workshops and Q&A panels. Chairperson Paul Pathasema said the talks are divided into specific tracks that focus on certain aspects of industry, such as emerging technology, cybersecurity or safety. “Some of the tracks are on safety instrumented systems that really keep the processes safe,” Pathasema said. “If a process strays outside of its normal operating conditions for temperature or pressure, these systems

LGBTQ+ ON PG. 5

SYMPOSIUM ON PG. 2

Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION

The new LGBTQ+ Pride Center offers a comfortable and supportive space for students.

GLBT Resource Center renamed New LGBTQ+ Pride Center is now open in Student Services Building By Alyssa Gafford-Gaby @AGaffordGaby With the opening of the new Student Services Building, the GLBT Resources Center was renamed the LGBTQ+ Pride Center. Located on main campus in the Student

Services Building, the LGBTQ+ Pride Center provides resources, support and other forms of aid for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. The renaming of the resource center was several years in the making, said Heather Wheeler, the director of gender and sexual diversity at the Offices of the Dean of Student Life. “GLBT was a very common way to refer to the community when the Center was founded in the mid-2000s,” Wheeler said. “Now it’s much more common to refer to

REGISTER

NOW! www.blinn.edu

Spring 12 Week Courses Beginning Feb. 17

n

blinnbound@blinn.edu

Courses that fit your schedule. Tuition that fits your budget.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.