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You are what you eat
thebattalion Conference pals ● tuesday,
Evolution of the conglomerate meat industry and its practices has shaped our health, says Joey Roberts, wellness blogger for The Battalion. He analyzes the meat industry at www.thebatt.com.
september 27, 2011
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texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2011 student media
SEC video A&M and SEC officials answered questions about finances, rivalries and expansion plans at a press conference on Monday. Visit www.thebatt.com to hear about these issues from the speakers.
coming wednesday
Research rewarded Undergraduate researcher Colleen Fisher was recently published in the prestigious academic journal Science for her comprehensive record of the mammalian species. Get the full story on Wednesday.
inside
b! research | 4 Graduate students face cuts Changes in the funding policy for graduate students left some without teaching jobs. Others struggle to get by without paid tuition. The Office of Graduate Studies weighs in.
Randy Luck — THE BATTALION
A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne, University President Bowen Loftin, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive and SEC Chairman Bernie Machen saw ‘em off at the press conference Monday at The Zone Club in Kyle Field.
SEC officials visit Aggieland to celebrate expansion Adrian O’Hanlon III The Battalion Maroon-clad fans filed into the Zone Club at Kyle Field well before 6 p.m. to welcome Southeastern Conference officials and celebrate Texas A&M’s new conference home. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive and Bernie Machen, chair of SEC presidents and chancellors, spoke from a platform positioned behind A&M’s four NCAA championship trophies from 2011 and welcomed the University to the “league of champions.” Machen said he anticipates many exciting football games from the newest member of the SEC. “I’m here to welcome this great university to the SEC on behalf of the SEC presidents and chancellors,” Slive said. “I can’t wait to come to Kyle Field on for football games on Saturdays.” Slive and Loftin exchanged A&M and SEC helmets representing their respective organizations. Slive wore a maroon tie to honor the Aggies, and Loftin wore a striped blue and gold bowtie representing A&M’s new conference affiliation. Director of A&M Athletics, Bill Byrne, joined Loftin, Machen and Slive on stage after the welcoming ceremony to field questions about the alignment process and A&M’s future
in the SEC. Slive said the league was “very happy” with its 12-team format but thought A&M was “a real fit” when it expressed interest in joining. Slive also discussed speculation of further expansion for the SEC. When the SEC expanded in 1991 to 12 teams, the Conference added two members — Arkansas and South Carolina — balancing the East and West divisions. “We have not been necessarily looking to expand,” Slive said. “At some point in time, that may come to pass. We anticipate being a 13-team league.” The venue grew silent when officials addressed speculation that the beginning of A&M’s membership in the SEC brings an end to the Aggies’ rivalry against the University of Texas. Loftin said he has not discussed the rivalry with Texas officials in that context. He pointed out that some SEC members maintain similar non-conference rivalries, specifically mentioning Georgia-Georgia Tech and Florida-Florida State. Loftin said the rivalry is important to the fans and the University. “This is a storied rivalry,” Loftin said. “It’s See SEC on page 6
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
Loftin fields questions while wearing a blue and yellow bow tie in honor of the SEC during Monday’s press conference.
campus
texas
KANM broadcasts student mix
State law changes speed limits
KANM DJs must adhere to FCC’s policy regarding on-air obscenities, but enjoy freedoms because of their oncampus location.
Barrett House The Battalion KANM has been on campus for 35 years, and carries the tradition today as a student-run radio station that operates independently of the University. The station’s goal is to play music outside of the commercial spectrum, exploring genres from indie rock and pop to folk and jazz. Students who have listened to or seen the operations said they feel that it’s a good thing to have on a college campus, even if it breaks from the University’s personality. “It’s good for the college vibe, not so professional, more down to earth,” said James Fife, sophomore engineering technology major. The DJs run free form shows using original playlists. To add to the uniqueness of the music lineup, the DJs use on-air names like Dingoes Ate My Cake, Folktronic, and Hot
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AJ Adams — THE BATTALION
Dog in the Morning. Trey Norman, sophomore electrical engineering major and KANM DJ Folktronic, said the station set up is chaotic at the moment, but should change next spring. “I’m looking forward to the MSC move. It’s a much nicer facility,” Norman said. The broadcasting studio is currently located in the Graphic Services Building. The radio station also promotes various groups and events happening on campus and around town. “I believe it’s important to have a
college radio station because it gives the student body a media to voice their opinion,” said sophomore industrial distribution major Christian Fernandez. “A person’s music choice is a big opinion for a person and we deserve to speak our mind.” The station has several broadcast channels that allow students to tune-in regardless of their location: 1580 AM, Campus Cable Channel 88, 99.9 FM and online at KANM.tamu.edu. Students can even listen on their smart phones with a radio application. See KAMN on page 2
Amber Jaura The Battalion As of Sept. 1, Texas motorists no longer have separate speed limits for nighttime and daytime driving. The 82nd Texas Legislature passed HB 1353 this summer, which removed the distinction between night and day speed limits, as well as differential speed limits for trucks. Henry Stowe, an activist for the National Motorist Association, said in a press release that the change was determined by a speed study by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), called an 85th percentile study. This study measured the driving speed of vehicles on rural roads and highways to determine the speed below which 85 percent of drivers travel.
Also as a result of the legislation, TxDOT is considering increasing rural highway speed limits from 70 to 75 mph on some stretches of road. Michael Jedlicka, traffic engineer for the Bryan district TxDOT, said this provision of the bill could affect multiple roads in the BryanCollege Station area. “The studies are said to start this year and continue on to next year til they’re all complete,” Jedicka said. “Inside Bryan-College station we have only one major highway, yet as it stretches in different directions, the roadways may be potential candidates for this speed limit change.” Junior psychology major Zaid Siddiqui said he believes these changes are needed for rural highways as the five mph increase will not cause safety See Speed on page 6
9/27/11 12:39 AM