inside voices | 5 For or against?
thebattalion
To build, or not to build? Columnists debate whether or not President Barack Obama was right to reject Keystone XL on page 5.
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february 8, 2012
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Pipeline oil,
The facts are that for the next 30-40 years we will have to live on gas and coal.”
Plight
— Stephen Holditch, director of the
Obama rejects permit, debate continues
Texas A&M Energy Institute
Kevin Smith The Battalion President Barack Obama rejected a permit on Jan. 18 to start building the Keystone XL Pipeline, a 1,700-mile pipeline that would travel from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the Gulf Coast. If construction were approved, the pipeline would create tens of thousands of jobs for construction laborers and engineers. Kelly Brumbelow, associate professor of petroleum engineering, said in the long-term, all students at A&M, along with everyone else, would be affected to some degree by the effects of the pipeline — good and bad. “On the good side, the U.S. would have another means to import petroleum from a friendly neighbor,” Brumbelow said. “On the bad side, there will be a lot of greenhouse gas emissions just to get the oil into the pipeline, and the processing costs will make this a relatively expensive oil source.” Many factors contribute to the controversy that surrounds the president’s decision, including environ-
mental concerns, profitability of the Keystone XL project and conflicting bipartisan views. Brumbelow said the big conflict is that it would cross western Nebraska, over the Ogallala Aquifer, which is a very important aquifer for several states. “You might have a rupture or leak, and petroleum would seep into the aquifer underneath,” Brumbelow said. “Sometimes it can be very expensive to treat the water and clean potential spills. The number one issue of tar sand oil is that it’s very hard to get out of the ground and also hard to process because it’s so thick. To draw oil out of a place like that, you have to scrape open the earth for thousands of acres.” Stephen Holditch, the director of the Texas A&M Energy Institute and professor of petroleum engineering, said the pipeline is so vital to the well being of the American oil power struggle that its construction is inevitable. “Let’s say the unthinkable happens and they don’t build this pipeline — the Canadians are just going to build a pipeline to the pacific and sell it to China,” Holditch said. “The environmental concerns are essentially nonsense; See Pipeline on page 5
Tim Issacs — THE BATTALION
thebatt.com
campus
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A&M women will play Kansas State 7 p.m. Wednesday at Reed Arena. Read the preview at thebatt.com
A look in the mirror A&M men’s basketball head coach Billy Kennedy spoke with media Tuesday regarding the state of the team. Read what he had to say at thebatt.com
Benefits of chocolate Read why it’s okay for women to indulge in chocolate cravings in our women’s issues Wednesday blog at thebatt.com
Michael Dror The Battalion The glowing blue lights of emergency phone columns have dotted college campuses for years, allowing people to alert others of their impending danger. Texas A&M’s 115 emergency stations allow anybody to make a free 3-minute call to 911 or any other number to seek help. Texas A&M prides itself on having one of the nation’s friendliest campuses, but safety is equally important. Many college campuses are hubs for criminal activities, with young adults’ rash mistakes contributing to dangerous environments. While Texas A&M is safer than many locations, there are still reasons to remain vigilant. “Twenty assaults, one aggravated assault, and two sexual assaults were reported to the University Police Department since last January,” said officer Kristi Hosea of UPD. “Even though our crimes against persons are relative-
ly low, it is important for everyone to utilize some measure of safety in their daily activities. It is all about taking precautions such as being aware of your surroundings, being assertive and making eye contact, and knowing that there is safety in numbers.” Now, students with smart phones can download an app to better utilize the availability of technology as another way to call for help. The myGuardianAngel app uses a wide variety of tools to ensure that its users feel safer in hazardous situations. When activated, the large red “help” button can send out an immediate 911 call, while simultaneously alerting multiple friends or family members that a call was made. The app includes an array of technical features, such as a GPS tracker and a 30-second video recorder. The recorder lets the user take a video of his or her surroundings for potential evidence in further investigations.
Texas A&M seeks to bolster on-campus safety with emergency phone columns and improved cell coverage.
religion
Muslim students invite questions, open discussions Chase Carter The Battalion With a student body nearing 50,000, discussions of cultural origins reach across the globe, encountering numerous races, cultures and creeds. In the midst of this ongoing conversation, the Muslim Students’ Association, strives to raise awareness and understanding of its culture and religious beliefs. Conciding with Muslim Awareness Month during February, the student group has organized events for
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See Guardian on page 3
James Thompson — THE BATTALION
those curious about Islam and the people who practice it — beginning with a look into the life of famous human rights activist Malcom X and his conversion to Islam. The Muslim Students’ Association has been active since the mid-1990s, and not only on the Texas A&M campus. Branches operate all over the nation with an extensive communication network among them all. “We want to show the people who go to class with us, eat lunch with us, walk by us on campus that there isn’t anything separating us but our religion,” said
Muhammad Daoudi, senior university studies major. “But that’s just a part of who we are. The more others can understand and appreciate that, hopefully they will become more comfortable with it.” More so than a religion in the Western sense, the Islamic faith also contains a foundation of model behavior listed in a set of rules called Shariah. According to the Muslim Students’ Association, people sometimes believe this exempts Muslims from U.S. law. See Muslim on page 4
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