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Gasoline for humans Pondering the human fuel source from a biological standpoint, Joey Roberts, wellness blogger for thebatt. com, breaks down proteins, carbs and fats.
● tuesday,
septemeber 13, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
Treasuring each step
inside research | 3 The good news A&M faculty are using the state’s worst drought in decades to develop heat and drought resistant crops.
voices | 7 Keeping the U.S. safe Former CIA counterintelligence chief and current Bush School professor salutes the unsung heroes of a decade without a second major attack. David Godinez — THE BATTALION
sports | 9 SEC talk
West Nile virus survivor Donnie Manry (right) smiles with his family in the backyard of their home in Bryan, Texas. (left to right: Stephanie, Colby, Chelsea, Haley and Donnie Manry)
West Nile Virus temporarily cripples Bryan resident West Nile since 2002
The Southeastern Conference commissioner broke silence Monday, indicating that Texas A&M will face SEC schools in 2012.
◗ 122 documented fatalities ◗ 301 cases of West Nile Fever ◗ 1,331 confirmed reports of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease
coming wednesday
Exploring the world While many of us sweltered in the College Station heat this summer, some students enjoyed international climates. Aggies share their experiences abroad.
Natalee Blanchatt The Battalion
D
ressed in a black button down shirt neatly pressed and lightly tucked into faded blue jeans and standing relaxed at 6 feet tall, Donnie Manry looks like a typical man born and raised in Brazos county. Manry, with an inviting smile and warm personality, served as a sergeant for the Bryan Police Department for more than 24 years. He always knew he wanted to
help the friends and loved ones from his upbringing by being an officer. “I wanted to try and make a difference,” Manry said. “When
I joined, I wanted to give back to a place that gave me so much, and there are a lot of good people in this community.” But aside from his tall stature, there are other striking features that set the spirited 48-year-old apart, such as hearing aids in both ears and a wooden cane he handles in his left palm ¬— a tool he said he would be immobile without.
These accessories are the byproducts of West Nile Virus, a disease Manry contracted in 2006 — a year that set the record for West Nile cases across the U.S. He was forced to retire a year later. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, humans can contract the virus See West Nile on page 6
sept. 11
Engineering faculty aid national security
Experts reflect on terrorism’s implications
Madeline Burns
Trevor Stevens The Battalion On Sept. 10, 2001, the U.S. was separated from foreign hostility by its borders; an ocean to the east, an ocean to the west and two nation-state neighbors to the north and south. The attacks the following morning left the physical borders untouched, but changed the concept of domestic security. The successful attack of a non-nation-state extremist group — with the resources and international infrastructure to carry out terrorism — and the wars that followed changed American military and diplomatic approaches to conflict around the world. It is a subject
Stephanie Leichtle — THE BATTALION
The Bush School is home to national security experts including former CIA, White House and military officials. near and dear to many experts and students in the Bush School of Government and Public Service. See Diplomacy on page 7
The Battalion Since the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. has focused attention toward developing the technology required to curb future threats. Many A&M faculty continue to contribute directly to national security through their research and policy development. Among these researchers is David Boyle. “I never felt, prior to 9/11, that anybody would really want to detonate a nuclear weapon and kill 50,000 people,” said Boyle, deputy director of A&M’s Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI). “Now I believe differently.”
Nuclear safety ◗ Read more about the A&M Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute online at http:// nsspi.tamu.edu/
See Nonproliferation on page 7
bryan-college station
Workers compact a day’s waste in a concentrated area where it will be flattened by a 120,000-pound Caterpillar 826 compactor and later used to generate energy.
Landfill to power Brazos County Natalee Blanchat The Battalion Residents living in Brazos County can now turn to their garbage as a sustainable way to power their homes. On Aug. 30, the Bryan City Council approved the ratification of a Landfill Gas Purchase Agreement with the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency (BVSWMA) and the City of College Station. Under this new agreement, methane gas collected from the Rock Prairie Landfill will be sold to Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) and
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College Station Utilities (CSU). It will also serve as fuel for a future electric generating facility currently in the planning stages. According to officials from BTU, the project is expected to dramatically reduce emissions, synonymous to removing 23,000 vehicles from roadways or planting 33,000 acres of rainforest. CSU director David Massay said depending on fluctuating seasons, between 1,300 and 1,700 homes will be powered through this new conversion process. Members of CSU
David Godinez — THE BATTALION
See Landfill on page 5
9/13/11 1:22 AM