thebattalion ● tuesday,
b-cs
october 16, 2012
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
education
Branded
Remains found in Bryan
Policy raises tuition rates
The Bryan Police Department received information regarding possible human remains buried in Bryan, possibly dated from the 1960s. The information was received late last week, according to a press release from BPD. The follow-up investigation led to an excavation of the bones at 608 E 24th Street. Kelley McKethan, public information officer of BPD, said the evidence will be sent to an anthropologist after it is collected to determine whether the remains are animal or human. The process will take anywhere from two weeks to two months. Further updates will be released as additional information is received, BPD said.
Professors offer insight on reasons for tuition hikes Jacob Garcia Special to The Battalion When it comes to higher education, there is at least one issue in which President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney agree: the rising cost of tuition. According to the Department of Education, the cost of tuition and housing at public institutions, adjusted for inflation, has increased by 42 percent during the past decade. “I think it’s pretty important, considering the fact that students are graduating with $25,000 in debt due to student loans,” said Jacob Brown, freshman international studies major. “They’re swamped with debt, and there’s a bad economy so [students] can’t even get a job to pay it off. I think a lot of students are paying close attention to the election due to that issue itself.”
Camryn Ford, staff writer
international
Clinton takes blame U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took responsibility for security at the U.S. consulate in Libya where an attack by extremists last month killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Pushing back against Republican criticism of the Obama administration for its handling of the situation, Clinton said Monday that security at all of America’s diplomatic missions abroad is her job, not that of the White House. The outrage has crystallized around Vice President Joe Biden for claiming in last week’s debate with Republican representative Paul Ryan that “we weren’t told” about requests for extra security at the consulate where assailants killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Congressional hearings revealed that the State Department was aware of, and rejected, requests for increased security in Benghazi. Spokesmen for both the State Department and the White House took pains Friday to make clear that Biden’s “we” referred to the White House, where such requests would not go. There are three separate investigations into the attack going on now: an FBI probe into the deaths of the four Americans, an independent inquiry by a panel appointed by Clinton and the congressional hearings. of the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington. Associated Press
See Tuition on page 6
state
Elyse Wudeck — THE BATTALION
Consistency in A&M brand promotes nation-wide recognition, prestige Chandler Smith The Battalion “From the outside looking in you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.” So the famous Aggie moniker goes, accentuating what makes Texas A&M University unique while highlighting what was once one if its greatest fallacies: the inability to effectively brand itself. Enter 2012 with the move to the Southeastern Conference and a continued drive to academic prestige, and what was before inexplicable has suddenly opened the eyes of people across the country. As recently as September, the media coverage surrounding the A&M-Florida football game generated $6.5 million in exposure. While athletics, particularly football, has received the majority of the recent headlines with its move to the SEC, academics remains at the heart of the University’s mission and purpose. Benefitting from a shift in marketing philosophy and heightened exposure through the SEC, A&M has placed itself in key position to reach former A&M president Ray Bowen’s “Vision 2020”. Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications at A&M, said the University’s goal has remained constant during the past 13 years.
“Our goal is tied into ‘Vision 2020’, which dates back to 1999,” Cook said. “The goal for Texas A&M is to be recognized as one of the Top 10 public universities in the country. Everything we do from a marketing ... standpoint is somehow tied into that goal.” But something had to be done to curb old habits. As Aggies always say: “from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it”. Cook said the answer was simple: consistency. “We’re very unique in higher education in that we have a consistent identity between athletics and the University,” Cook said. “So the same logo that’s seen on the side of the football helmets, seen by an average of 4.5 million people on a national SEC broadcast, is also used by the University. It’s used by every college and division on our campus. Brand consistency is where you have the greatest impact.” Pamela Green, director of communications for A&M’s Dwight Look College of Engineering, noted her college’s branding deficiencies prior to a renewed emphasis on a University-first approach. “Before the University started its big branding effort, [University branding] was something the engineering
Transfer rates increase According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 78 percent of Texas students receiving a four-year degree attended a community college in 20102011 for some of their coursework — the highest rate in the nation. The state is covered with 50 local community colleges that give students affordable access to many higher-education options. The state-mandated common course numbering system ensures transferability of courses in the core curriculum across public colleges and universities in the state. Many students take classes at a university and community college simultaneously, completing core requirements through junior college. Texas community and junior colleges play a key role in the economy of the state by providing most of the occupational education and technical training needed for new jobs. Associated Press
See Branded on page 6
kyle field
Game day cell reception fluctuates Rahul Nair Special to The Battalion It was game day at Kyle Field. The crowd of 80,000 strong watched and screamed in celebration as Johnny Football broke another school record. After the mugdowns and high fives, Aggies pulled out their smartphones to share the news with the world, only to be shut down by a lack of cell reception and dropped calls. Sports stadiums have always posed a challenge to telecommunications
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operators such as AT&T and Verizon. The concrete structures and the building architecture of such sports arenas have a tendency to reflect away cellphone radiation. Kyle Field is no exception. With the evolution seen in telecommunications traffic, sports stadiums have begun to garner increased attention from telecommunications operators. “The lack of cellphone service on game days has been inconvenient,” said Rebecca Ratliff, sophomore psychology major. “I
have had situations when I needed to get ahold of someone for the game and was unable to. There are, however, random spots with service that can be found so it is not completely hopeless when it comes to communication.” Cellphone reception at Kyle Field has come a long way from the mere two cell sites, five years ago, to 45 cell sites. A cell site is a location where telecommunications equipment such as antennas and See Communication on page 4
Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION
Sophomores Rebecca Loredo and Kathryn Lemmons, and freshman Juhi Patel sit in a network friendly area outside the MSC.
10/16/12 12:56 AM