thebattalion ● thursday,
september 1, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
A&M to bolt from Big 12 Loftin delivers news with letter to Conference Students respond to switch ◗ Texas A&M announced its departure from the Big 12 Conference today. ◗ The Batt Online asked students about their reactions to the switch. Check out the online video at thebatt.com.
Adrian O’Hanlon III The Battalion Texas A&M notified the Big 12 Conference of its intention to join another athletic conference Wednesday. In a letter to the 10-team conference, Loftin said the University will submit an application to join another athletic conference, but did not specify which. If the application is accepted, A&M will end its membership in the Big 12 on June 30, 2012. University President R. Bowen Loftin is authorized to negotiate conference alignment and said A&M will seek a “mutually agreeable settlement” with the Big 12. “We, too, desire that this process be as amicable and prompt as possible and result in a reso-
lution of all outstanding issues, including mutual waivers by Texas A&M and the conference on behalf of all the remaining members,” Loftin said in the letter. Earlier this week, A&M officials denied reports that a letter of withdrawal was delivered to the Big 12. Jason Cook, A&M vice president of marketing and communications, said those reports were inaccurate and the University delivered the letter instead on Wednesday. In terms of a withdrawal fee, A&M officials said Nebraska’s 2010 departure from the Big 12 set a precedent for the process. The Cornhuskers paid nothing out of pocket, but the Big 12 $19.37 million in conference revenues from
Q:
thebattalionasks What do you think about A&M leaving the Big 12?
“I think in the long term it would be a good move for A&M.” Lindsay Neybert, senior English major
See Big 12 on page 5
“I like the tradition of playing schools in the Big 12. Saw ‘em off just won’t be the same.”
“If we go to the SEC, we’re going to get killed. That’s all I know.”
Camille Manning, sophomore meteorology major
Jason Coleman, freshman general studies major
campus news
Fish Pond comes back A&M’s fountain of tradition returns, now in front of Sbisa Michael Dror The Battalion Fish Pond is back — the site of countless pond hops, postgame yell practices and countless other Aggie traditions. Drained late last spring and relocated to a plaza in front of Sbisa Dining Center, the fountain was refilled with water yesterday at 11 a.m. Originally destined to be moved as a part of the 2009 renovation of Military Walk, the project was pushed back to coincide with the Ross Street Project, which seeks to expand the road around Fish Pond’s previous location. The 73-year-old fountain finding a new home in front of Sbisa, will soon be linked to Rudder pending this fall’s expansion of Military Walk. “Fish Pond was not in a prominent location before the move,” Lane Stephenson, director of Texas A&M University News and Information Services, said. “Now, it can be given a spotlight.” Despite its new location, much of the history associated with Fish Pond remains in place. Peter Lang, executive director of transportation for Texas A&M and a coordinator of the Ross Street Project, See Fish Pond on page 5
Photo Illustration by Tyler Hosa and Josh McKenna — THE BATTALION
Aggie yell leaders junior chemical engineering major Josh Light, senior industrial distribution major Austin Walker, senior finance major David Benac, senior economics major Patrick Ivey and junior business major Nelson Ingram brandish their wildcat privileges on Kyle Field.
Pass it back, Ags Brian Regan headlines First Yell Friday Jennifer Siegel
First Yell ◗ Tickets are available at the Twelfth Man Ticket Center at Kyle Field, by calling 888-99AGGIE (992-4443), or at http:// tickets.12thmanfoundation.com ◗Event begins at 8 p.m. Friday in Reed Arena and includes performances by Brian Regan, student groups and the yell leaders.
The Battalion First Yell kick-starts this year’s football season at 8 p.m. Friday in Reed Arena. Comedian Brian Regan headlines the event, and several Aggie mainstays will showcase their organizations’ talents. First Yell is a joint effort between current and previous yell leaders. Since First Yell’s debut in 1999, the event has always taken place during the first week of class. This date was chosen so that the majority of students could attend without worrying about schoolwork and exams. “It’s such a great time to get people of all ages to come together and really start off the fall semester with a bang; the new students, the old students, everybody there out to enjoy the evening together,”
inside: Learn your yells
said David Benac, head yell leader. Sophomore cadet private frst class Scott McDuffie of Squadron 20 attended last year’s First Yell, which included an act by commedian Bill Engvall. “I grew up with his comedy and really enjoy how he makes light of real life events and makes jokes about them,” McDuffie said. Senior political science major Mark Jessup also plans to attend this year’s First Yell. “I am excited about seeing the student body come together and unite to support our team,” said Jessup, head drum major in the Aggie band. Planning for this year’s First Yell began last fall when the yell leaders searched for the perfect main See First Yell on page 4
Be prepared for your first Midnight Yell Practice.
page 3
Josh McKenna — THE BATTALION
campus news
thebatt.com
University Dining provides options Sarah Smith The Battalion Students will have additional options for healthy and nutritious meals this school year, according to officials in the Department of University Dining. Aiming to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, outlined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, many retail dining locations including Sbisa Dining Center and
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Duncan Dining Hall now carry a range of healthy food choices. These include whole-wheat couscous, roasted red pepper hummus, fresh fruits and vegetables and a variety of gluten free vegetarian and vegan options. “As someone planning on going into pediatrics, the future of food quality does worry me,” said Megan Wheeler, a sophomore biomedical sciences major. “It has become increasingly easy and cheap to buy processed foods full of
fats and low on good nutrition. This and the fast food world we live in has made childhood obesity skyrocket.” Toward these goals, University Dining hired Sandra Baxter, a dietician, to create an online University Dining nutritional database for students. Baxter also said she plans to meet with dietary restrictive students throughout the year to develop a variety of meal choices that
Day in the life of a cadet The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets are known as the keepers of the spirit. Want an inside look at this spirit? Discover a day in the life of a freshman Corps member in an online photo and video story at thebatt.com.
blogs
Apple to apples Everywhere on campus, students have iPads. Is the piece of technology really that good? Do other tablets have better quality? Read what O’Dell Harmon has to say in his technology blog at thebatt.com.
See Dining on page 4
9/1/11 1:28 AM