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Joe Routt poll open Students can go online this week to voice their opinion about possible plans for the MSC plaza and Joe Routt. Options include closing the road to traffic entirely, making it one-way, and allowing traffic from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. A link to the survey was circulated via e-mail by University President Bowen Loftin last week. Robert Carpenter, staff writer
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Going camo at ACL Read about an ACL experience that was full of chaos and camouflage at www.thebatt.com.
Caffeine crazy
Caffeine is many college students’ energy staple But Joey Roberts, wellness blogger for The Batt, has something to say about caffeine’s impact on the body. Check out Joey’s blog at www. thebatt.com.
Emmy watch For Battalion blogger Melanie Starling, watching the Emmys and working out at the REC is a fun combination. Read as she shares her insights in a blog post at www. thebatt.com.
● tuesday,
september 20, 2011
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
Ten years running, Austin City Limits raises the bar for music festivals
I
t’s easy to sum up the philosophy behind this year’s Austin City Limits festival in three words: Bigger is better. No expense was spared in honoring the fall fest’s 10th anniversary, which means there were bigger bands, bigger crowds and bigger lines for a bus into Zilker Park. Oh, and get this: it rained.
The first day of the festival showcased everything new under the (sweltering, punishing) sun, beginning with some muchhyped newcomers. Cloudy skies dimmed some of the sunshine radiating from indie-poppers Cults, who opened the show Friday with their sugar-sweet 60s pop sound, but the off-and-on drizzle Alec Goetz provided a more apjunior English major propriate environment for the relatively somber James Blake. Blake, an Englishman and Friday afternoon highlight, brought thundering “post-Dubstep” bass and shuffling percussion in the midafternoon to an audience who seemed to have been expecting something a little less aggressive given his subtle debut album. Friday evening belonged to Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes and the Jamaican jams of Damien Marley, who performed with recent collaborator/rap legend Nas, and the day’s headliners: superstars Coldplay and Kanye West. Playing the two acts with the broadest appeal of the entire festival against each other seemed to be an odd decision, but audiences couldn’t go wrong with either choice. Coldplay’s set brought new songs and old favorites, while Mr. West’s show was characterized by manic energy, grand theatrics, and the spectacle of seeing the hip-hop hero’s unfiltered ego on display. Saturday brought a real-live rain shower and a line-up that appealed to an older crowd. The day’s menu was dominated by country-rock and soul, with an eardrum-bursting performance by Skrillex thrown in the mix for good measure. The country-fried side of the musical spectrum
Tyler Hosea — THE BATTALION
Popular bands including Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, and Coldplay performed last weekend in Austin’s Zilker park in the 10th year of the Austin City Limits music festival.
See ACL on page 3
inside voices | 3 Faith talks
national
campus
Student dies after rolling his truck
Chemistry graduate student Halil Okur says it’s important for A&M students to be open to interfaith discussions. Look inside to learn about unique opportunities for dialogue on campus this week.
Natalee Blanchat
business | 5 Mays in Houston Texas A&M’s business school will launch a new MBA program in Houston for young professionals in fall 2012. See inside for the details.
Josh McKenna — THE BATTALION
A&M community honors Constitution Week Ashley Harriman The Battalion Saturday marked the 224th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Texas A&M joined many other universities and organizations across the United States to honor the Constitution and the freedoms it protects. On Sept. 13, University President Bowen Loftin and Student Body President Jeff Pickering joined representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) signing a proclamation recognizing Constitution day and the document’s significance in. Pickering said he was proud to sign the proclamation on behalf of the student body. “As somebody who has a Constitution on my desk and I see it every morning, it was really cool to be part of that festivity,” Pickering said. “As students, we need to know the Constitution and what it stands for.” See Constitution on page 7
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Like Ike ◗ President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially enacted Constitution Week on Aug. 2, 1956 from a congressional resolution petitioned by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The Battalion Jacob Brent Hughes, senior wildlife and fisheries science major, died Sunday night in a car crash. At 10:30 p.m., 22-year-old Hughes was driving northbound on I&GN Road in College Station in a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. On Facebook, Hughes classified himself as a “chillin’ professional,” alongside his actual profession — Dixie Chicken cook and bartender. His co-workers at the Chicken, Roy Atkinson and Matt Weaver, said Hughes had a comical side and knew how brighten anyone’s day. “He knew what to say to bring you up when you were down,” Atkinson said. “He was one of those people who knew how to make you laugh instantly.” Weaver, senior sports management major, met Hughes in 2009 when they were cashiers for the Chicken Oil Co. before they moved to the Dixie Chicken. Weaver said Hughes was his best friend because of Hughes’ honest personality. “He wasn’t scared to step up and go against the grain,” Weaver said. “He wasn’t scared to speak the truth about things. He had a heart of gold.” Weaver recalled a time when he was bed-ridden for more than a year. He said Hughes was one of the few friends who would visit him in the hospital.
“My mom lives in Florida and my dad lives overseas,” Weaver said. “ He was one of the few friends to make sure I was OK and Hughes offered to buy me groceries if I needed them.” Atkinson and Weaver reminisced about good times spent with their friend, from the day he rescued four homeless dogs at once to his diverse taste in music, which ranged from country to rap. They toasted to the memory of Hughes because they said that’s what he would have wanted. “That was one of his last requests actually,” Atkinson said. “He always said if he ever passed away he would want all of his friends and family not to mourn, but to celebrate. That’s just the kind of person he was.” According to a police report, Hughes was driving faster than the posted speed limit. He lost control of his vehicle and ran off the roadway to the left, the police report said. After over-correcting, he traveled down an embankment and rolled several times, pinning himself inside the vehicle, according to the Department of Public Safety reports. Hughes was pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m. A memorial service was planned for friends and family members Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Center, Texas.
9/20/11 12:10 AM