● wednesday,
inside column | 3 Cost of fees University President R. Bowen Loftin discusses the reasons behind establishing the “University Advancement Fee.”
september 12, 2012
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texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
thebattalion Grant rooted Morrill Act paved way for the education of ‘the people’ Jennifer Keith Special to The Battalion
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n 1862, Texas A&M’s roots were planted through the passing of the Morrill Land Grant Act, allowing for the establishment of dozens of colleges nationwide.
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION and Courtesy Photos
Texas A&M was the first public institution of higher education in Texas. Its west entrance is marked by the Administration Building, which was constructed in 1932.
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This year, the University celebrates the 150th anniversary of the act, which was initially proposed by Vermont Senator Justin Smith Morrill in 1857 and signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. Through the act, the federal government gave 30,000 acres of land to every state, per state representative, for the purpose of building colleges that teach agriculture, military tactics and mechanical arts with a focus on classical studies — all with an underlying mission of giving a liberal education to the working and rural classes. William Morrill, Class of 1972, is the great-great-grandnephew of Senator Morrill, and he said Senator Morrill saw education as a foundation for future greatness. The senator’s inspiration for the act came from a desire for the people. “[Sen. Morrill] saw that we have universities like Harvard and Yale, and that the country’s privileged class could get a college education,” Morrill said. “But the sons of military people were not receiving an education.
He knew that for our country to move forward, it was necessary to provide education of the industrial, agricultural and military arts.” The Morrill Land Grant Act created more than 75 land grant colleges throughout the U.S., some of which include the University of Florida, Cornell University, Oklahoma State University, the University of Alabama and, of course, Texas A&M University. Jason Cook, A&M vice president for marketing and communications, said 10 of the 14 universities within the Southeastern Conference are land grant colleges, a common foundation that underlies the purpose and drive behind these universities. “[These] SEC schools share in the land-grant heritage, which speaks to the league’s sense of solidarity and common purpose,” Cook said. “These institutions are woven into the daily lives of their respective states, ranging from the food we eat to See Morrill on page 3
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A&M football looks to SMU James Sullivan The Battalion In a matchup many writers, analysts and fans equaled as one of the program’s most colossal in its storied history, the Aggies, run by former University of Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin, fell to the Florida Gators 20-17. The players and coaches rehashed Saturday’s events at a press conference Tuesday while looking ahead to the SMU Mustangs. Following the Aggies’ reminiscent secondhalf offensive collapse, the team said they re-
mained optimistic in their new leader, redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel. “I think he did a great job,” senior offensive tackle Luke Joeckel said. “He’s a very confident guy. He’s a tough guy. He’s always trying to make plays and he’s going to do that for us this year.” Manziel, who stepped onto the college stage for the first time against a powerful Florida squad, was able to impress over the course of the game. He would rack up 78 rush yards See SMU on page 2 David Cohen — THE BATTALION
Students watch a showing of “Mooz-Lum” on Tuesday evening at the MSC.
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Students discuss post-9/11 social issues after ‘Mooz-Lum’ screening
No. 10 A&M golf team swings to SEC
Jessica Smarr Special to The Battalion
Mark Dore The Battalion The men and coaches of the golf team savor the lingering taste of a 2011 Big 12 Conference Championship, sweetened by a No. 10 preseason national ranking by Golfweek. The Big 12, however, is a thing of the past. The Aggies’ new home, the Southeastern Conference, is a new animal: the national Top 25 features six SEC programs. Head coach J.T. Higgins said the Aggies look forward to embracing the challenge. “Five of the Top 12 teams in golf are from the SEC,” Higgins said. “We’re looking forward to that challenge. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun as well as super competitive. This league is full of great teams and great coaches and we’re excited to get in there and mix it up with them.” Pre-season rankings hold no bearing once
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Junior Johannes Veerman drives a ball down the fairway at the Carmel Cup in California on Sept. 2. the teams hit the fairways and flex their collective golf muscle, honed over the offseason. The Aggies debuted their new-look roster at the Carmel Cup in Pebble Beach, CaliforSee Golf on page 2
Planes fell from the sky on Sept. 11, 2001, leaving a scar the U.S. sought to repair, sometimes under at the vilification of the Islamic community in America. Since the terrorist attacks, many Muslims have had their reputation affected by a radical group that also claims the name of Islam. And eleven years later, the U.S. still remembers the attack. A showing of the film, “Mooz-lum,” was presented by the MSC’s Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee, which highlighted the struggles of rectifying a Muslim identity with an American identity. A discussion followed with Rebecca Hankins, associate professor, certified archivist and A&M librarian, as well as Nafisah Hankins, Class of 2010, who is working on her thesis on identity constructions of African-American Muslims at the City University of New York. Members of the Muslim community were also interviewed
to explore aspects of the experiences of the Islamic community in a post-9/11 America. “Most of the Muslim organizations, if not all of them, condemned it,” said Anwer Ahmed, a professor of accounting at the Mays Business School and the President of the Islamic Community of Bryan-College Station, when speaking of the tragedy of Sept. 11. Sena Karasipahi, a professor with the Department of International Studies, spoke of the contradiction of the terroristic acts of 9/11 and the actual religion of Islam. “The first meaning of Islam is submission and peace — submission to the will of God. A parallel meaning of Islam is peace,” Karasipahi said. “And then after 9/11, Islam, which literally means peace, began to be associated with killing and terrorism.” The attacks of 9/11 began to immediately define the relations non-Muslim Americans had with Muslim Americans. “Before 9/11, we never felt as strangers See Mooz-Lum on page 5
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