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Jennifer Nguyen — THE BATTALION
Power towers Utility system saves University millions, reduces greenhouse gas emissions Camryn Ford The Battalion
G
enerating up to 50 megawatts of power, Texas A&M University’s Central Utility Plant produces two-thirds of campus power through its combined heat and power generation system. The $73.25 million system which is about to reach its first birthday has covered its own costs in the past year, and is saving the University money which can be invested in other high priority requirements. Jim Riley, executive director of Utilities and Energy Services said, “The system operates continuously to provide two-thirds of the campus electrical power plus thermal energy
for cooling and heating campus.” The Combined Heat and Power system is projected to have an annual cost avoidance of $6 to $10 million with a payback period of less than 10 years. After it pays itself off, the system is expected to last an additional 20 years. While reaching 80 percent efficiency, it is providing a reliable on-site electrical and thermal energy
source for the campus, Riley said. The University spends $30 million each year on purchased utilities and about $40 million is spent on operation, maintenance, and costs that deal with the utilities and energy services, totaling $70 million in expenditures. Although the campus is in the expansion process, the amount of energy consumption has reduced by 25 percent with a 40 percent reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions on a persquare-foot basis over a ten-year period. “This energy consumption See Utilities on page 4
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
Switches integrate networks together and deliver Internet access to students and faculty. About every 20 months, bandwidth demand doubles. Future plans includes upgrading the current 20 gigabit network to 100 gigabit network — a first in Texas if approved.
Data centers decrease system downtime Roger Zhang The Battalion
T
ype in www.howdy.com in the URL address box in any Internet browser and the website magically works.
Services like Howdy Portal along with financial aid, grades, neo email, class registration and more are run by the University. Behind the scenes of these services lays an intricate network of servers, supercomputers, hard drives, cables and refrigerant that make the whole system work.
Texas A&M University has two tier-2-level data centers on campus: the main data center in the Teague Building and a smaller data center in the Wehner Building. These data centers house everything from student See IT on page 6
aurora shooting
religion
Former Blinn student one of 12 killed in CO
Holy month for Muslims begins
Suspected shooter may receive death penalty Trevor Stevens The Battalion Jessica Ghawi, avid hockey fan, aspiring sports journalist and Texas native, was one of 12 people killed early Friday morning when a man opened a spray of gunfire at “The Dark Night Rises” premiere in Aurora, Colo. Ghawi, a former College Station resident while attending Blinn College, moved from San Antonio, to study broadcast journalism near Denver, Colo., where Ghawi’s long-time high school friend from San Antonio, Brent Lowak, flew to visit Ghawi and see the midnight premiere. Moments before the two close friends would be struck by bullets, Ghawi texted her mother for the last time. “Get some sleep mom. I’m really excited for you to come visit. Need my mamma,” Ghawi
texted her mother, who uploaded a screenshot of the conversation on Twitter. The Associated Press talked with the parents of Lowak while he was in critical condition at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Lowak’s mother, Sue Greene of Bulverde, Texas, said the two were sitting in their sixth or seventh row seats when they heard the hiss of gas canisters thrown by the gunman. Greene said her son and Ghawi ducked, but not before Ghawi was hit in the leg. According to Greene, as Ghawi screamed, her son applied pressure to the wound. Then she stopped screaming. Lowak realized his friend had been shot again, and soon she was dead. He had been wounded, as well. Shot in the backside, he couldn’t walk or run to safety. Lowak crawled away, and he managed to find a van taking victims to the hospital. “Only then did he leave her. They were best friends,” Greene said. See Ghawi on page 5
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink Joanna Raines The Battalion
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jessica Ghawi, former Blinn student and Texas native, avoided a Toronto mall shooting last month.
penn state
NCAA levies sanctions against Penn State amid scandal Penn State loses wins from 1998, must pay $60 million Aaron Deering The Battalion Eleven days after former FBI director Louis Freeh’s report on Pennsylvania State University’s football program, the NCAA announced a list of severe penalties against the school. Penn State will: pay $60 million, the equivalent of one-year’s revenue from the football program, which will go to an endowment for programs preventing child sexual abuse or preventing current victims; incur a four-year bowl ban; vacate all wins dating back to 1998; reduce 20 total scholarships over the four year period; and be placed on probation for five years. Penn State’s conference, the Big 10, has levied its own sanctions: a five-year ban from the conference championship and it will withhold Penn State’s allocation from the Big 10’s bowl
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revenue pool to the tune of $13 million, to be paid to charities of the Big 10’s choice. These sanctions come nearly a year after former defensive coordinator for the team, Jerry Sandusky, was accused of molesting children within Penn State facilities and his home. The Freeh report found that the head coach of the team for the past 45 years, Joe Paterno, along with other administrators hid information they knew about the scandal. Since the allegations arose last year, Sandusky has been convicted of 45 counts of child molestation and many school administrators have been fired. Andre Ward, a junior mechanical engineer, said he felt bad for the student athletes. “When you love playing as much as they do, this is a rough punishment,” Ward said. The NCAA’s sanctions have serious implications. First, by sitting out bowl games for four years and vacating all possible revenue from these games, the program will be hit hard and
boosters will have to carry the slack. This also sets back recruiting for the next five years due to the difficulty in recruiting top athletes when they know they won’t see a bowl game until 2017. Second, vacating wins dating that far back means Penn State gives up 112 wins, including six bowl wins and two conference championships. Paterno once stood as the winningest coach in NCAA history with 409 wins, but now slips to 12th with 298. People across the nation said Penn State could face the infamous ‘death penalty’ that Southern Methodist University in Dallas suffered in 1987, which cancelled their entire season that year along. Bryce House, junior accounting major, said the punishment fits the crime. “It’s justified, it’s just about right for what happened,” House said. “It definitely hurts the students though and the image of the University for the graduates.”
The holy month for Muslims, as dictated by the Quran, Ramadan began Thursday, This month commemorates the revelation Prophet Muhammad received which inspired the Islamic holy book. Ramadan occurs in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a period of 30 days where Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset. The fasting is to Ramadan promote selfdiscipline and meals awareness of During Ramadan, God. two meals are Before the eaten. The first, fast begins, “suhoor,” is eaten Muslims prebefore dawn and pare both second, “iftar,” physically and after sundown. spiritually. “Throughout even the month before starting, all the Muslims try to gain up strength and eat healthy and rest, exercise, do all the different things to prepare mentally and physically,” said Amna Ahmed, Class of 2011 and current graduate student. Ahmed said the community also prepares spiritually by memorizing and trying to understand passages of the Quran. Living minimally for a month allows for a time of reflection and See Ramadan on page 5
7/23/12 10:25 PM
Today 30% chance t-storms High: 94 Low: 75
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Naila Dhanani, Editor in Chief THE BATTALION is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.
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Allison Linder The Battalion A light breeze brushed through the air as the Texas sun spread its rays over the 42-acres of grapes awaiting harvest at the Messina Hof Winery and Resort in Bryan on Saturday. Before being led to the vineyards to harvest the season’s fruit, guests participating in the 35th Annual Harvest Festival were equipped with a name tag, a Messina Hof goodie bag and their own personal wine picker. “From three tons of grapes, we will make about 600 gallons of wine. And 600 gallons times five is 3,000 bottles. So, as a result of picking that, each of you is assigned to drink 3,000 bottles of wine,” said Paul Bonnarigo, owner of Messina Hof Winery, after a guest asked how many bottles will result from the harvest festival. People of all ages came dressed to do some serious grape picking, wearing oversized floppy hats that might be spotted at the Kentucky Derby to nitty-gritty gardening gloves and plaid patterned Bermuda shorts. “Thousands of people come from all around Texas and even from outside of Texas. People like to check it off their bucket lists, or come
stomp grapes like [I Love] Lucy,” said Brittany Hassingriff, marketing and public relations manager at Messina Hof. For more than an hour, crate after crate was filled with black Spanish grapes and then dumped by guests into four overly sized Messina Hof harvest tubs, which rested behind an industrial sized tractor. This is a special year for the history of the winery, as owners Paul and Merrill Bonnarigo, welcomed the birth of their first grandson, Paul Anthony Bonnarigo. “This crop will be his vintage. They had a granddaughter two years ago and made a wine for her, so this harvest will be his,” Hassingriff said. Newborn baby Paul’s type of wine and name has yet to be revealed. “Their granddaughter’s wine is called Sofia Marie Rosé, and the bottle is signed by her golden footprint,” Hassingriff said. Owner, second-time grandfather, and “master wine maker” Paul Bonnarigo, was in the middle of all the action addressing guests and telling stories while dressed in his red wine maker’s beret and eclectic bright purple slacks. “The squawk you just heard out there is a bird call, an electronic hawk. What it
Photos by Courtney Laine — THE BATTALION
Participants of the 35th Annual Harvest Festival pick and stomp grapes Saturday afternoon at the Messina Hof Winery and Resort. 42 acres of grapes will result in three tons of grapes, yielding 600 gallons of wine and 3,000 bottles. does is scare the other birds. So if you look at the sky, you don’t see birds because the hawks swoop down and pick them up and then take them to Dairy Queen,” he said. Birds are considered pests to vineyards, so by using a hawk call to keep them away, the winery saves time and money that would be spent on netting the 42-acre vineyard. When the grape picking concluded, guests made their way over to the grape stomping portion of the festival where everyone was given their own T-shirts. After the grapes were stomped, guests were invited to step on the
backside of their T-shirts, in order to create their own personal piece of wearable winery memorabilia. “Picking grapes was by far my favorite part. I liked the fact that we kind of got to see how everybody communicated together and pick a bunch of grapes. I’ve never picked grapes before, so it was pretty fun,” said Melissa Sleeper, senior sociology major and first-time grape harvester. The harvest festival is a month long event that will be held every weekend until Aug. 12.
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Jennifer Nguyen — THE BATTALION
Senior political science major Frank Sanceri writes on a Bisbee memorial erected after his body was found by maintenance workers Thursday afternoon.
Campus cat Bisbee dies, remembered by students, faculty Aaron Deering The Battalion
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Bisbee, the orange and white feral cat who made Texas A&M University his home, died Thursday. Bisbee was reported missing for about a week. A student last saw him on July 10, slipping into a hole near his house on the side of the Biological Science Building East. Many students, faculty and alumni on and off-campus expressed their sorrow at Bisbee’s death. Eugenia Beh, a librarian at Evans, said she paid Bisbee a visit as often as she could. Beh said she asked maintenance workers working at BSBE to keep an eye out for Bisbee. Early afternoon on Thursday, one worker found him
near the hole where he entered the building. “I’m mourning with thousands of students, faculty, staff and alums,” Beh said. It’s currently unclear what the Aggie Feral Cat Alliance of Texas, the volunteer organization that watches over feral cats on campus, will do with Bisbee’s body. Stephanie Freeman of AFCAT, said Live Oak Pet Services will cremate Bisbee free of charge but they are open to student input on what should be done with Bisbee. David Gutierrez, senior sport management major, said he will miss Bisbee. “I’m going to miss his random ability to be at the right place at the right time,” Gutierrez said. “And those few times he actually let you pet him.” Among those grieving
To donate: AFCAT is accepting donations to AFCAT 4474 TAMU College Station, Texas 77843. include former student. Rebecca Haughey, Class of 2011. She lives in New York but said she has not forgotten Bisbee. “I left behind three wonderful cats in Florida when I headed out of state to A&M for college, and it turned out to be a lot harder to leave them behind than I had thought it would be,” Rebecca said. “It was always such a comfort and reminder of home to be able to stop by Bisbee’s hangout area after a stressful test and spend a few moments with my favorite Aggie cat.”
“The Who” was one of the loudest and craziest bands of the 1970s. To get a rare look behind the scenes of the making of their thematic album, “Quadrophenia,” Cinemark 18 is showing the documentary “Quadrophenia: Can You See the Real Me” at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. For a preview, see thebatt.com.
campus Libraries reduce copy machines All University Libraries’ contract with the copy machine service vendor will expire Dec. 31, 2012 and will mean the end of “copy cards,” or copy machine payment cards. Refunds for any excess amount remaining on the cards will not be paid back to users. “We recommend that copy card users limit the amount they purchase to meet their needs until Dec. 31,” said Anna Janne, head of Business Services at the Libraries. The number of copy machines will be reduced in response to increased requests for scanners. Janne said there will be no charge for scanning. Trevor Stevens, staff writer
7/23/12 10:10 PM
news
page 3 tuesday 7.24.2012
thebattalion
Left: By utilizing Modular Biological Unit pods, the center can produce more than one type vaccine. The pods can be refitted for other vaccines creating much flexibility when it comes to production. Below: The center is on West Campus on Discovery Drive. It is one of five such facilities developed by the University and federal government in a bipartisan partnership.
A look inside:
Biosecurity center to prepare against biological warfare T
exas A&M University System opened the Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing on Monday on West Campus on Discovery Drive. The Center was recently awarded a contract worth $285.6 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is expected to enhance emergency preparedness against emerging infectious diseases and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. Officials said research is already being conducted on cancer-fighting drugs.
Photos by Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Principle Investigator Brett Giroir,left to right, Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Robin Robinson, Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services Marjorie Petty, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Chairman of the Board of Regents Richard Box, Vice Chairman of the Board Phil Adams, and Regent John White open the Center.
The Quality Control Lab maintains air quality and assures product standards are met. Samples of the air are tested periodically to ensure a sterile environment.
The inside of a Modular Biological Unit pod. The current set up is used for upstream production, or harvesting proteins. Another pod is used for downstream production, or the purification of the proteins.
The Modular Biological Unit gray area can accommodate 20 pods. Each pod can be outfitted to produce a different type of vaccine. Each pod can cost between $750,000 to $900,000.
The cold room is used to store vaccines at safe temperatures. Probes around the cold room monitor temperature hot spots.
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7/23/12 10:03 PM
news
page 4 tuesday 7.24.2012
thebattalion
Super Summer Savings
Tips to save
Jennifer Nguyen — THE BATTALION
One of the many gigantic fans that cools the chillers at the Central Utilities Plant on North Campus. There are three other satellite plants near Rudder Tower, Reed Arena, and the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.
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Utilities Continued from page 1
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You deserve a factual look at . . .
Arabian Fables (I) How the Arabs soften up world opinion with fanciful myths. Josef Goebbels, the infamous propaganda minister of the Nazis, had it right. Just tell people big lies often enough and they will believe them. The Arabs have learned that lesson well. They have swayed world opinion by endlessly repeating myths and lies that have no basis in fact.
What are some of these myths? occupied, destroyed all Jewish institutions and The “Palestinians.� That is the fundamental houses of worship, used Jewish cemetery headstones myth. The reality is that the concept of to build military latrines, and renamed as “West “Palestinians� is one that did not exist until about Bank� what had been Judea and Samaria since time 1948, when the Arab inhabitants of what until then immemorial. was Palestine, wished to differentiate themselves The attempt, quite successful, was to persuade an from the Jews. Until then, the Jews were the uninformed world that these territories were Palestinians. There was the Palestinian Brigade of ancestral parts of the Jordanian Arab Kingdom Jewish volunteers in the British World War II Army (itself a very recent creation of British power (at a time when the Palestinian Arabs were in Berlin diplomacy). Even after the total rout of the Arabs in hatching plans with the 1967 Six-Day War, in Adolf Hitler for world which the Jordanians “The web of lies and myths that the Arab conquest and how to kill were driven out of all the Jews); there was propaganda machine has created plays an Judea/Samaria and of the Palestinian important role in the unrelenting quest to Jerusalem, they and the Symphony Orchestra (all destroy the State of Israel. What a shame world continued to call Jews, of course); there territory the “West that the world has accepted most of it!� this was The Palestine Post, Bank�, a geographical and so much more. concept that cannot be The Arabs, who now call themselves found on any except the most recent maps. “Palestinians,� do so in order to persuade a The concept of the “West Bank� is a myth. misinformed world that they are a distinct The “Occupied Territories.� After the victorious nationality and that “Palestine� is their ancestral Six-Day War, during which the Israeli army defeated homeland. But, of course, they are no distinct the same cabal of Arabs that had invaded the country nationality at all. They are entirely the same — in in 1948, Israel remained in possession of language, customs, and tribal ties — as the Arabs of Judea/Samaria (now renamed “West Bank�), which Syria, Jordan, and beyond. There is no more the Jordanians had illegally occupied for 19 years; of difference between the “Palestinians� and the other the Gaza strip, which had been occupied by the Arabs of those countries than there is between, say, Egyptians but which (hundreds of miles from Egypt the citizens of Minnesota and of Wisconsin. proper) had never been part of their country; and of What's more, many of the “Palestinians,� or their the Golan Heights, a plateau of about 400 square immediate ancestors, came to the area attracted by miles, which, though originally part of Palestine, the prosperity created by the Jews, in what had been ceded to Syria by British-French previously had been pretty much of a wasteland. agreement. The nationhood of the “Palestinians� is a myth. The last sovereign in Judea/Samaria and in Gaza The “West Bank.� Again, this is a concept that did was the British mandatory power — and before it not exist until 1948, when the army of the Kingdom was the Ottoman Empire. All of Palestine, including of Transjordan, together with five other Arab armies, what is now the Kingdom of Jordan, was, by the invaded the Jewish state of Israel, on the very day of Balfour Declaration, destined to be the Jewish its creation. National Home. How then could the Israelis be In what can almost be described as a Biblical “occupiers� in their own territory? Who would be miracle, the ragtag Jewish forces defeated the the sovereign and who the rightful inhabitants? combined Arab might. But Transjordan stayed in The concept of “occupied territories� in reference possession of the territories of Judea and Samaria to Judea/Samaria (often called the “West Bank�) and and part of the city of Jerusalem. The Jordanians Gaza is another of the many myths created by Arab promptly expelled all Jews from the area that they propaganda.
reduction has saved the University over $140 million in 10 years, which has paid for the majority of the required improvements,� Riley said. Faculty members said the new system is an additional helper in this recent reduction of energy consumption. “In a typical fossil fuel power generation plant, power generation efficiency is around 35 percent with a 5 percent line loss from source to site which nets a delivered on-site efficiency of 30 percent,� said Charlie Shear, supervisor of the Energy Stewardship program. “A modern CHP like TAMU’s will have a high efficiency of 75 to 80 percent.� Shear also said higher efficiency reduces energy consumption and cost, as well as significant reduction in emissions and carbon footprint. Without such a system, the University would be paying between $6 and $10 million more each year to provide heat and energy on campus. Le Xie, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering said, “Since it was built recently, the efficiency of this type of system is much more advanced than the ones 30 or 40 years ago.� The hot summer months have failed to block out the success of the system. “The CHP is meeting and exceeding expectations for both reliability and efficiency. Inlet air pre-cooling uses chilled water at 42 F to cool the inlet air to the gas turbine, thereby allow-
This
energy
consumption reduction has saved the University over
$140 million.
—Jim Riley, Utilities and Energy Services executive director
ing the gas turbine generator to produce maximum output even on the hottest of summer days,� Riley said. The University also has a general electric and steam system, which has operated continuously longer than any other in the region with power generation since 1893. Riley said an extensive network of electrical distribution and water distribution and collection systems serve more than 700 buildings on campus, and provide utility services to more than 5,000 acres. Xie said having such a system increases the reliability of campus, because if something happened to the outside world, the campus is still going to be functioning. When asked if our systems were up to date, Riley said, “Absolutely. Texas A&M can proudly claim to have some of the most modern and advanced utility production facilities in the nation.� In an effort to contribute to these savings, Shear encourages students, faculty and staff to turn off electrical appliances such as lighting and computers when not in use. Helpful tips on how to save can be found on several websites, but the city of College Station has also provided some local tips for different seasons. You can find them at www.cstx.gov.
Jim Riley, the executive director of the A&M Utilities and Energy Services, shared some insight on how to reduce your bills this summer: â—— Turn off lights whenever space will be unoccupied for more than ďŹ ve minutes. â—— Turn off equipment not being used, including computers, copiers, printers and fax machines. â—— Conserve water by reporting leaky faucets and running toilets to AggieWorks online at http:// aggieworks.tamu. edu. â—— Raising your air conditioner thermostat from 72 F to 78 F will save up to 18 percent on cooling. â—— Close shades or blinds when it’s warm to reduce solar heat gain. Open them when it’s cool. â—— Use lower wattage and uorescent bulbs and turn off lights when not in use. â—— Wash and dry full loads of clothing and clean lint ďŹ lters after each use. â—— Do heat producing tasks (cooking, laundry, dishwashing) in early morning or late evening. â—— Replace the return air ďŹ lter at least once a month. â—— Wear lighter clothing and use fans to help circulate air for greater comfort. â—— Set the water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees.
Unable so far to destroy Israel on the battlefield — though they are feverishly preparing for their next assault — the Arabs are now trying to overcome and destroy Israel by their acknowledged “policy of stages�. That policy is to get as much land as possible carved out of Israel “by peaceful and diplomatic� means, so as to make Israel indefensible and softened up for the final assault. The web of lies and myths that the Arab propaganda machine has created plays an important role in the unrelenting quest to destroy the State of Israel. What a shame that the world has accepted most of it! This message has been published and paid for by
Facts and Logic About the Middle East P.O. Box 590359 San Francisco, CA 94159
Gerardo Joffe, President
FLAME is a tax-exempt, non-profit educational 501 (c)(3) organization. Its purpose is the research and publication of the facts regarding developments in the Middle East and exposing false propaganda that might harm the interests of the United States and its allies in that area of the world. Your tax-deductible contributions are welcome. They enable us to pursue these goals and to publish these messages in national newspapers and magazines. We have virtually no overhead. Almost all of our revenue pays for our educational work, for these clarifying messages, and for related direct mail.
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7/23/12 8:17 PM
news
page 5 tuesday 7.24.2012
thebattalion
Ramadan
Ghawi
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
prayer. It is during this holy month that Muslims draw closer to God and rely on him to sustain them through the fast. “If you can control [your eating and drinking] then you can control your other desires too. It’s kind of a reminder and a way to become closer to your religion,” said Taha Habib, senior industrial distribution major and president of the Muslim Students Association. Habib has been fasting since Ramadan began and he said it is easier now than when he was in high school. “It’s not hard in college,” Habib said. “Now you can just hangout with your other Muslim friends.” The period of fasting is not only an emphasis on self-denial. Ramadan is also a time to refocus on giving to the needy community. Anwer Ahmed, professor in the Department of Accounting, said that during Ramadan, the Muslim community gives
As of Sunday, Lowak was able to take a few steps for the first time since the shooting, and his condition was upgraded from critical to serious. As part of her aspirations to become a sports broadcaster, Ghawi, known professionally in sports broadcast networks as Jessica Redfield, used a blog to cover the NHL. She also kept a personal blog, and in her last post she wrote about surviving a shooting in a Toronto mall food court in June. “I can’t get this odd feeling out of my chest. This empty, almost sickening feeling won’t go away. I noticed this feeling when I was in the Eaton Center in Toronto just seconds before someone opened fire in the food court,” Ghawi started the blog. Ghawi wrote that right after she paid for her food, she had a “panicky” feeling that led her to go outside for some fresh air. She wrote that three minutes later a
AN AD Phone 845-0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University
FOR RENT $1200 Pre-lease, 4 bedroom houses, W/D, pets ok, near TAMU. Call Maroon & White Management, 979-422-5660. $1350/mo, 2 story house, 4/2/2, newly remodeled, comes with W/D. 979-777-2849. $395 Room in shared 4/2 house. Walk to TAMU. 9 month lease Ok. Call Maroon & White Management, (979)422-5660. 2 bdrm/2bath duplex. Brand new. 1000 sqft. All appliances included, W/D. Nice, quiet country setting. Water is included. Extra land for horses is a possibility. Energy efficient heat pump. Electric bill is super affordable! Super nice!! Very close to main campus/Health Science Center, beat the traffic!! Call for more information 979-777-2253. 2-3/bedroom apartments. Some with W/D, some on College Main, remodeled with dishwashers, Great deal! $175-$600/mo. 979-219-3217. 2/1 completely remodeled, new app. & W/D (808 Navidad) $569, 2/1.5 townhouse style, with W/D connect & fenced yard (1208 Verde) $589, Only $200 deposit, NO HUD, 979-450-9093 or 979-450-9094 (espanol). 2bd/1ba apartment, 800sq. ft. New appliances, carpeting and tile. W/D. bus-route. $575/mo. 210-391-4106. 2bd/2.5ba unique floorplans w/balcony views of Kyle Field. Brand new luxury apartment condos. Fullsize stainless steel appliances, W/D, designer ammenities granite/wood/tile, bus stop. Only 36units on Holleman at Wolf Pen. www.broadstoneranchatwolfpen.com, www.aggielandleasing.com, 979-776-6079. 2bd/2ba 4-plex. Spacious floorplan, W/D connections, close to campus. $550/mo. www.aggielandleasing.com 979-776-6079. 2bd/2ba unique floorplans w/balcony views of Kyle Field. Brand new luxury apartment condos. Fullsize stainless steel appliances, W/D, designer ammenities granite/wood/tile, bus stop. Only 36units on Holleman at Wolf Pen. www.broadstoneranchatwolfpen.com, www.aggielandleasing.com, 979-776-6079. 3/2 CS Duplex. Fenced, shuttle, very large. Treehouse Trail, Cypress. www.c4properties.net 979-268-1074.
Indian Muslim men wait to break their fast on the first night of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Jama Masjid, in New Delhi, India. to the poor and needy based on how blessed they are. At the end of the fast, each household will give $8 per person in their family to those who are in need. It is Islamic tradition to pray five times a day. During the month of Ramadan, an extra prayer is added at night. This extra prayer allows for the entire Quran to be read in a month time span. Following the month, there is a day of celebration, known
WHEN
as Eid al-Fitr. The Muslim community celebrates the conclusion of the holy month and thanks God for sustaining them through the period of self-denial. “It’s like charging your religious battery,” Ahmed said. “You feel like a better Muslim.”
TO CALL 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day
FOR RENT
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$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.
FOR RENT
3/3,3/2 Houses, Townhouses &Apartments, 1250-1400sqft. Very spacious, ethernet, large kitchen, walk-in pantry &closets, extra storage, W/D, great amenities, on bus route, now pre-leasing, excellent specials. 979-694-0320. www.luxormanagement.com
Apartment: 2/1at Southwest Parkway and Anderson. $500/mo. On busroute. 682-365-0282.
3/3s, 2/2s, $1050+, $890+, granite, close to campus, cable/internet included, owner broker 979-777-5477.
August Move In, spacious 3bdrm/2bth duplex, W/D provided, $895/mo. 979-693-0551.
3bd/1.5ba House under one mile from campus. $850/month, $400 deposit. 1106 Georgia 979-255-8637. 3bd/1.5ba with all appliances. Fenced backyard and near campus. 979-774-9181. 4/3, 3/3 &3/2 Houses, Townhouses, Duplexes &Fourplexes, 1250-1700sqft. Very spacious, ethernet, large kitchen, extra storage, W/D, great amenities, on bus route, now pre-leasing, excellent specials. 979-694-0320. www.luxormanagement.com 4/4.5 luxury townhome, $500/mo, on bus route, available August, each bedroom as own thermostat and bathroom, includes W/D, 3/2 brick house in CS w/ garage and large fenced yard, renovated, available in August, $1250/mo, 4b/3ba brick house in Bryan, 903 Lazy Lane, Available in August, $1550/mo, Waypoint Properties, 979-450-3011, www.waypointonline.com 4bd/2.5ba. Walk to campus &Kyle Field! Huge, 1,770sq.ft., remodeled house w/2 master bedrooms. Must see! New wood floors/paint bathrooms/ceiling fans &large fenced yard w/big deck. Pre-leasing for 8/1, 1013 Welsh. $1500/mo. Call 972-313-5834. 4bd/2ba house. Close to campus, wood floors, tile floors, ceiling fans, granite countertops, W/D, fenced yards. 979-776-6079. www.aggielandleasing.com 6bd/4ba., 2-car garage. Central AC, fenced, good parking. Haswell Dr., Bryan. $2000/mo. 979-822-0492. 903 San Benito, 3/2/2, W/D, on shuttle route, $1000/mo, 979-268-5206. 911 Gardenia, CS. Available August 1st, new 2 story brick home, 4bd/2.5ba, perfect student housing close to A&M Campus with 2-car garage, patio for grilling and a small fenced yard, $1500/mo., First Month's Rent is Your Deposit! Call or text 817-915-0258 or email dshelton@buxtonco.com. Hurry, time is running out!
man opened fire where she had just been standing. “I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday … I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath,” she wrote. Senior mathematics major Rachel Robeson said it’s horrifying to consider that one man could massacre so many innocent strangers. “No one could have seen this coming, so the gunman is the only one to blame. The perpetrator and the families of the victims are in my prayers,” she said. The man accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 more at the Aurora movie theater, James Holmes, made his first appearance in court Monday morning for a brief procedural hearing. Holmes will face formal charges from prosecutors on July 30. District Attorney Carol Chambers for Arapahoe Country, Colo., said her office is considering the death penalty against him, according to The Associated Press.
August Leasing. 4bd/2ba house. Close to campus, wood floors, tile floors, ceiling fans, W/D, fenced yards. 979-776-6079. www.aggielandleasing.com
Available August 15th, 2bd/2ba apartment, W/D, approximately 900sqft, $575/mo, call 210-387-5030. Available August. 4/4 house in Buena Vida. W/D, new appliances, granite, fenced. gigem95@verizon.net 713-252-5555. Beautiful 2bd/1ba duplex in C.S., 3-minutes from campus, remodeled, all new, many extras, W/D, Internet, cable, drapes, fenced backyard, quiet, one week free, 979-422-3427. Beautiful 3bd/2ba condo on shuttle route with move in specials, 203 Navarro, small pets ok, 979-268-3200. Big 2/2 in fourplex. Balcony, W/D, water paid, near shuttle, $650. 979-324-5835. Big 3/2 duplex, W/D, lawncare, tile, near shuttle, fenced yard, $1050. 979-324-5835. College Station: 3/2, 1240sqft. Newly remodeled! All Stainless Steel Appliances! Close to shuttle, W/D, lawn/pest/maintenance included. 905 Balcones (off Welch), $1000. KAZ Realty 979-324-9666. Country Living! Short drive to campus. 3bdrm/1bath home. Kitchen, dining and den. Garage w/carport, fenced yard w/2 large dog pens. Barn and feed silo w/three to four fenced acres w/corral. $895/mo. Call 979-255-5555. Cozy 2bd/1ba condo. Off Wellborn, in Bryan. Fireplace, FP, no HUD, $495/month total. 254-589-0585. 254-289-8200.
FOR RENT Cozy 2bdrm/2bth condo 3-blocks from campus, yard, w/d connections, over 1000sqft., no HUD, updated, $595/mo total, 506-A College Main Available August. 254-289-0585, 254-289-8200. House. 126-A Richards, C.S. 3bdrm/1ba. 979-822-6439. Rent by owner. http://sites.google.com/site/aaarentalcs/ Duplex for rent, 2/1, no deposit, 1000sqft, $675/mo. 979-450-0098. Newer 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 townhomes, close to campus, cable/internet, $810-$1200. Broker/owner 979-777-5477. Northgate. 2bd/2ba. Walk to campus. aggievillas.net. Call 979-255-5648. Spacious 2bd/1ba, C.S. duplex, 3-minutes from campus, Internet, cable, W/D, remodeled, fenced front and backyard, 1000sqft, beautiful with many extras, one week free, 979-422-3427.
FOR SALE $135,999 reduced, must sell, 4/2, 1923sqft, excellent condition, 2 A/C, 1405 Todd Tr., 979-450-0098. INEXPENSIVE, OFF-CAMPUS LIVING! 2bdrm/2ba. mobile home, 2.5 miles from A&M. Great for students looking to save money on housing. (Campus average: $2500/semester). ASKING $9,799.00 OBO TO OWN. No moving, no campus living regualtions, location along shuttle route, all appliances included. Call Blaine 940-867-2159. Very rare Ag maroon 1966 Seagrave fire truck for sale. Looks, runs + pumps great. Ideal for parades, shows and parties. Completely loaded with accessories. Call Dave at 281-346-1250.
HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $100-$200/hr, up to $1000/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com
puzzle answers can be found online at www.thebatt.com
HELP WANTED Child Care- FT & PT shifts available. Some nights & Saturdays required. Apply in person at 3609 E. 29th St., Bryan. Energetic part-time nanny w/transportation and references. Send resume to amy.muston@gmail.com Fall Camp Intern Needed. Are you looking for a fun place to serve this fall? Stoney Creek Ranch, a Christian camp in New Ulm, TX (easy drive from College Station) is looking for a fall intern. You’ll do various jobs helping campers enjoy their time at camp in a Christian environment. The reward is great! For more information, please contact Pam Gray (Class of 85’) at pam@stoneycreekranch.org or 713-851-7292. This is a fully paid position offering room and board and meals while working. Visit our website at www.stoneycreekranch.org Full/Part-time carpet cleaning technician available, non-smoker, good driving record, call 979-693-4474. J.Cody’s hiring meat cutters, apply within 3610 South College. No experience necessary, just common sense! Landscape internship. Learn how to perform commercial landscape, must be willing to work in incredibly hot weather. 15-30 hrs per wk. Work shifts from 3:00pm-9:30pm. 979-255-9000. The Steamery now hiring carpet cleaning helpers to move furniture for the month of August, 979-693-6969.
MUSIC Peter Block Mobile DJ, professional 22+yrs. experience. Specializing in weddings, TAMU functions. Mobile to anywhere. 979-596-2522. http://www.partyblockdj.com
NEEDED El-Paso Bound? Need Someone to take a dresser-mirror to daughter. Will pay! Call 979-276-2378, 979-218-1872.
PETS Imperial Shih-Tzu puppies! 4-8lbs, rare liver, chocolate/white, black/white, $400 and up. 2 male Maltipoos, $600/each. linda_d_54@yahoo.com 979-324-2866.
ROOMMATES 1-Male roommate needed to be 1-of-2 in 4bedroom house for Fall 2012. $500/mo., plus half of utilities and cable. Email if interested: ampiwonka12@gmail.com 2-female roommates needed. Large updated townhouse off Southwest Pkwy. Bus-route, W/D, 1/3-utilities. Large room $350/mo., smaller room $250/mo., or both $550/mo. 979-204-9788. Bryan, 2 roommates, $375 each, all bills paid, wifi, furnished, 361-249-0387. Female roommate wanted. 2bdrm/2ba apartment. 1/2 rent, $287.50. Call 210-387-5030. Roommate wanted. $300/mo., all bills paid. Fully furnished. 979-777-4445.
SERVICES Apple certified iPhone repair w/one year warranty, allphonetoys.com Member Better Business Bureau. 979-694-2800. Student discounts available.
TUTORS Spanish tutor/teacher, all levels. $20-$30 per 1-hour session. Class of ‘98. 979-268-7849.
STUDIES IN PROGRESS FACIAL ACNE STUDY
Volunteers ages 12 and older, with facial acne are needed to participate in a 12 week clinical research study with an investigational topical medication. All eligible volunteers will receive at no cost: • Acne Evaluations by a Dermatologist • Study Medication • Compensation up to $250.00 for time and travel Volunteers will need to make 5 office visits over the 12 week period. For more information please contact:
ATHLETES FOOT STUDY Volunteers ages 18 and older are needed to participate in a 6-week clinical research study with an investigational topical medication for athletes foot. Eligible volunteers will receive at no cost: • Study related medication or placebo • Medical Examinations related to study • Compensation up to $150.00 for time and effort For more information please contact:
URINARY TRACT INFECTION STUDY Female volunteers who think they might be experiencing a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) are needed to participate in a 2 day clinical research study of an investigational study medication for the pain that is associated with a UTI. Symptoms of a UTI include: Pain, Burning and Frequency when urinating. Eligible volunteers will receive at no cost: • UTI Assessments by a Study Doctor • Antibiotics for their UTI • Study Medication • Compensation up to $100.00 for time and effort Eligible volunteers will be required to make 2 office visits. There is no cost to you for participating in this research study. For more information please contact:
J&S Studies, Inc. 979-774-5933 1710 Crescent Pointe Parkway, College Station, TX 77845 www.js-studies.com
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TAKE A PIECE OF A&M HISTORY WITH YOU · Reserve your 2013 Aggieland The 111th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook will chronicle traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, Greeks, campus organizations and seniors and graduate students. Distribution will be during Fall 2013. Cost is $75, plus tax. Go to the optional services box in Howdy when you register for fall.
· Order your 2012 Aggieland (if you haven’t) The 2012 Aggieland yearbook will be a record of the 2011-2012 Texas A&M school year. Books will be mailed out during Fall 2012. By credit card go online to http://aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-8452696. Or drop by the Student Media office, Suite L400 in the Memorial Student Center. Hours: 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Monday–Friday.
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services to library resources. The main information technology department, Computing and Information Systems, oversees the main information technology infrastructure. Pierce Cantrell, Vice President and Associate Provost for Information Technology, said “[Computing and Information Systems] are responsible for campus networking, data center operations, help desk central, infrastructure systems and services, custom software development, administrative services like payroll and TAMU email.” With so many mission critical services, both data centers are rated tier-2 data centers. Tier-2 data centers are the second lowest rating out of four levels. Requirements for a tier-2 rating are redundant infrastructure capabilities like power, cooling and an expected uptime greater than 99.741 percent. Uptime is the amount of time a service is accessible to all users. “Both data centers have generators, uninterruptable power supply and the ability to run a long time without power,” said Cantrell. Data centers require a huge amount of power to run. Being green when it comes to data centers can help reduce costs and increase uptime. “We just did a major $1.9 million cooling renovation in the Teague building and all the equipment that went in is a lot more energy efficient,” Cantrell said. “Every time we get the opportunity to be energy efficient we certainly try to take advantage.” Cooling is one of the most difficult challenges to address when considering environmental impact. The Teague data center house 457 physical servers, two supercomputers and racks of networking equipment. When all of that is condensed together in a
thebattalion
tight space, cooling becomes an issue. John Rauser, associate director of operations and customer help, said “The thing with cooling a server rack is getting cool air where you need it.” With the new cooling renovation, the Teague data center operates more efficiently while increasing uptime. “The cooling units are so much more efficient, they use much less energy. They don’t even have to run all the time — they cycle on and off,” Rauser said. The new cooling units pressurize the cool air to circulate cool air throughout the whole server rack and not just the bottom. Besides upgrading infrastructural capacity, virtualization is another way to reduce the environmental footprint. Virtualization is the ability to run multiple instances of an operating system. Virtualization reduces the physical footprint by consolidating multiple servers into one, optimizing both physical space and computing resources. “You can take servers that used to be one application in a 4U space, and now you can run several hundreds of machines in the same space.” said Cheryl Cato, associate director for infrastructure systems and services. A green data center is good for the environment, but losing critical systems, such as those well-earned grades, spells bad news for users. The Wehner data center acts like a backup by housing some systems for the Teague center. Although, relying on one backup does not guarantee safety. “Wehner is really too close to Teague. You could have some kind of disaster here that could take out both,” Cantrell said. Critical data like payroll and financial information and learning management are stored on magnetic tapes, encrypted and shipped off site
for storage. Currently, the University does not have a disaster recovery data center. Data centers are susceptible to both Mother Nature and unauthorized users. The Teague data center prevents physical breaches with multiple security measurements: key card access to restricted areas, 24/7 staff and video surveillance. To prevent unauthorized access from remote locations, firewalls filter every connection, automated programs sift through emails for phishing scams and viruses, and personnel monitor data access. “The way we secure starting at the borders all the way down to the individual host, we’ve got protections that it’s unusual for them to get anything useful at all,” said Cato. Preventing unwanted access is one of many challenges that Computing & Information Services have to deal with. “Just keeping up with the rate of change is the biggest challenge,” said Matthew Almand, associate director for networking and information security group. “But we try to keep ahead of the need. If we respond to a need, we’re too late and that’s something we try to avoid.” Students — the main users — are demanding indeed. “They want Internet access everywhere and they want it quick, lots of wireless,” Rauser said. Increasing Wi-Fi access area, improving cellular signal, grounding redundant fiber optic lines, expanding Internet bandwidth and building a new data center are some of the future plans to help better serve the students and faculty. “People expect information technology to work just like electricity. People expect their networking equipment to always work always be on with really good bandwidth — it’s a challenge to keep up,” Cantrell said.
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