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Gig ‘em week festivities Texas A&M officially welcomes new and returning students by hosting a week filled with free food and events. Read more at thebatt.com.
campus news
Sexual assault reported A&M police officers responded to a reported sexual assault on Saturday at about 3 a.m. The victim was forced into a vehicle at the Aggie Station apartments and was later released on campus following the assault. The suspect’s car is described as a gold or tan model 4 door sedan equipped with a sunroof and has a spoiler on the trunk.
coming thursday & friday
Fall Sports preview See what to expect in Aggie athletics as they embark into the rugged SEC.
inside column | 6 Embrace the SEC Students need to savor a rare opportunity as firstgeneration Aggies in the ‘Conference of Champions.’
august 27, 2012
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New to the family Class of 2016 initiates Aggie career Barrett House The Battalion
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s the school inhales the last breath of summer vacation, the Class of 2016 participated in their last pre-freshmen ceremony. Acting as an academic initiation into the University, the 2012 Freshmen Convocation aims to set incoming students on clear path to academic success. The Class of 2016 gathered Sunday afternoon along with their families in Reed Arena to hear the wisdom from campus leaders and former students. It was at the Freshman Convocation the freshmen were officially recognized as students, inducting them into the family that is Texas A&M. See Convocation on page 8
David Cohen — THE BATTALION
Keynote speaker John Hurtado, associate professor in the department of aerospace engineering, addresses the class of 2016 Sunday afternoon in Reed Arena.
campus
nation & world
Grand addition to Cadets’ skyline
Hurricane Isaac reaches Gulf
Barrett House The Battalion Light pours into an empty room, the silence broken only by Texas A&M anthems on repeat, awaiting the arrival of those who made the Buzbee Leadership Learning Center possible. Inside the Sam Houston Corps of Cadets Center, distinguished guests from across the Texas A&M University System and the state of Texas gathered to celebrate the opening of the LLC Friday evening. “This is a unique opportunity for us to get a chance to stand up a new building, the
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
Tony Buzbee cuts a ribbon Friday during the opening ceremony of the Buzbee Leadership Learning Center. first really new building we’ve had on the Quad in over 73 years,” said Brig. Gen. and Commandant of the Corps
of Cadets Joe Ramirez, Class of 1979. See Buzbee on page 10
ASSOCIATED PRESS
This NOAA satellite image taken Sunday shows Tropical Storm Isaac located about 50 miles southeast of the Florida Keys.
Staff and Wire Reports
Sisters begin their journey sports | 5 A&M beats UTSA, 2-0 The A&M women’s soccer team raced past the Roadrunners in the Aggies’ home opener. Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION
orority sisters waited in excited anticipation in the Zone Club on Saturday to welcome their newest members to their Greek organizations after a tiring week of recruitment.
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Tropical Storm Isaac sprawled over the Florida Keys Sunday evening, and it may strengthen over Gulf waters into a hurricane by the time it makes landfall between New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle. The storm was on course to strike land on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the powerful storm that crippled New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Forecasters expected Isaac to pass the Keys late Sunday before turning northwest and striking land as a Category 2 hurricane Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for a large swath of the northern Gulf Coast from east of Morgan City, La. — which includes the New Orleans area — to Destin, Fla. A Category 2 hurricane can sustain winds between 96 and 110 mph. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called a state of emergency and suggested that people begin evacuating lowlying parts of the state. Isaac was expected to draw significant strength from the warm, open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, but there remained much uncertainty about its path. Wind gusts of 60 mph were reported as far north as Pompano Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale. The Gulf Coast hasn’t been hit by a hurricane since 2008, when Dolly, Ike and Gustav all struck the region. Florida, meanwhile, has been hurricane-free since it was struck four times each in 2004 and 2005. See Isaac on page 7
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