● tuesday, july 31, 2012 ● serving texas a&m since 1893 ● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media

thebattalion

As Texas A&M University contin-ues to reach the goals set by Vision 2020, it has made changes spanning all areas of college life — from mov-ing athletics to the Southeastern Con-ference or purchasing a law school, the University, and campus, have changed.

There have been new construc-tions sites for the liberal arts building and the Northside dorms, along with renovations to the Player Develop-ment Center, a training facility for the football team, Joe Routt Boulevard and Corps Dorm 8.

The Arts and Humanities building broke ground almost a year and half

ago, and the building should be fin-ished by early fall and departments can begin moving in by November.

This building will be the first on campus dedicated specifically to the arts and humanities. It will include re-cording studios, costume and rehearsal rooms and an outdoor courtyard with electrical access for actors to run lines, musicians to perform and students to gather.

The demolition of Northside resi-dence halls, Moore, Crocker and Mc-Innis Hall began summer 2011. The schedule is to have an 85-week con-struction process that will end by July 2013, allowing residents to move in

Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION

Under the current model of electricity supply, Texas could be without electric reserves by 2022.

Bulbing demand, electric shortage

See Construction on page 4

Voters head to polls for runoffs

Republicans and Democrats flock to polls today once again to cast their votes in runoffs to resolve undecided elections from the May primary.

The next Brazos County district attorney is set to be practically de-cided in a Republican race between Jarvis Parsons and David Hilburn. Parsons, a prosecutor with the DA’s office, scored 48 percent of the vote in May. Hilburn, a defense at-torney and former prosecutor, fin-ished with 22 percent in the original four-person race.

The Republican winner July will replace the current district attorney who is retiring, Bill Turner, as no Democrat is running.

Additionally, a Republican

nominee to represent the rural Texas State House District 12 will be chosen. This newly created dis-trict includes portions of Brazos and McLennan counties and all of Rob-ertson, Falls and Limestone coun-ties. In a close five-person race in May, Calvert lawyer and rancher Tucker Anderson earned 29.5 per-cent, with Brazos County rancher Kyle Kacal coming in second with 24 percent.

The winner will face Democrat Robert Stem of Waco in Novem-ber.

Republican statewide candi-dates include: U.S. Senate, David Dewhurst vs. Ted Cruz; Railroad Commissioner, Christi Craddick vs. Warren Chisum; Railroad Com-missioner — Unexpired, Barry

Robby SmithThe Battalion

University construction projects to end this yearAaron DeeringThe Battalion

electionscampus

Widely renowned as the face of college football, ESPN’s College GameDay crew will shoot a commercial at Kyle Field Tuesday eve-ning and all Aggies are invited to partake in the event.

The commercial shoot — featuring familiar faces to college football fans including football analysts Kirk Herbstreet, Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Tom Rinaldi — will attempt to capture the essence of Tex-as A&M University and the show itself. The

commercial will air throughout the 2012 col-lege football season on ESPN networks.

Prior to the shooting of the commercial, fans — including minors with adult accompa-niment — will be permitted to enter the sta-dium at 7 p.m. through Gate 9. Parking should be free at lots 61 and 62 starting at 5 p.m. for fans’ convenience. ESPN is expected to wrap up its filming session at roughly 1 a.m. The first 2,000 fans to arrive will receive free T-shirts commemorating the event.

This chance for added University publicity continues a string of highly publicized events involving Texas A&M including the SEC in-

duction, athletic director Eric Hyman’s induc-tion, and A&M football’s uniform unveiling.

“This is an incredible opportunity to wel-come the crew of ESPN to Aggieland and rep-resent Texas A&M and the SEC in the Game-Day commercial,” Jason Cook, University vice president for marketing and communications, said in a statement.

This particular Gameday commercial is unique as ESPN decided upon the location through a May online voting contest. A&M would edge Nebraska 225,803 to 222,972 and claim the opportunity to bring the famous show to campus.

Senior Yell Leader Nelson Ingram said he wasn’t surprised Aggies rose to the challenge.

Students also expressed their excitement. Tyler Campbell, junior biomedical engi-

neering major, said GameDay should finally give the University some positive publicity as it moves to a new conference.

“It’s been a really long time since [Game-Day] has been here,” Campbell said. “A&M has been portrayed pretty negatively through-out its transition to the SEC. I hope people realize that we’re still the Aggies and we’re still class-act students and we’ll get behind the school in our first season in the SEC.”

Chandler SmithThe Battalion

ESPN College GameDay comes to Aggieland

For more infoGo to brazosvotes.org to fi nd polling place by precinct. If a voter voted in the May primary, they must vote in the same party’s runoff. If a voter did not vote in May, they may vote in either party’s runoff .

See Voting on page 3

commercial

Larger Texas population uses more energy, sources changing

Due to population growth, high temperatures and increas-ing energy demands, the electric use in Texas is growing faster than the electric generation be-ing built to service. This leads to a decrease in the electric reserves, the gap between the energy sup-ply and demand during the peak hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is the electric-ity grid operator for the state and forecasts the reserves to be 14.3 percent in the summer of 2013, 9.8 percent in 2014, and drop be-low zero in 2022.

“Our goal is to prevent out-ages,” media communications

specialist for the Council Rob-bie Searcy said. “ERCOT is very focused on grid reliability and we’re working very closely with public utility commissions on so-lutions to these future resource adequacy concerns.”

The Council’s electric grid covers 75 percent of Texas and accounts for 85 percent of the electricity usage in the state. It serves most of the major metro-politan regions with the excep-tion of El Paso. Areas not covered include part of the panhandle and some of the southeastern regions of the state.

Julie BlancoThe Battalion

See Energy on page 4

T 

exas’ population is on the rise and so is the

potential for energy shortages.

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2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010SOURCE: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Offi cers responded to a report of a disturbance at Shotzi’s bar at 9 p.m. on Sunday, according to the College Station Police Department.The report said a fi ght broke out within the bar. While responding, offi cers heard several gunshots fi red at the scene.However, upon arrival, the offi cers reported they could not fi nd anyone that may have been shot nor did they fi nd any suspect who could have fi red the shots given the crowd. Nearby streets were closed while offi cers investigated the area. Offi cers reported they found bullet shells in a nearby parking lot, confi rming previous reports of gun shots, but no arrest have been made. The department requests if anyone has additional information to call 979-764-3600.

Aaron Deering, staff writer

Electric utility generation decreasesThe population of people living in Texas from 2000 to 2011 increased by almost fi ve million people, from 20.9 million to 25.7 million. From 2000 to 2010, total energy supply increased from 378 billion kilowatt hours to 412 kilowatt hours; however, electricity utility generation decreased from 297 billion kilowatt hours to 95 kilowatt hours (red line). The bulk of the difference was met by “Independent Power Producers” (blue line), which are non-public utility providers that generate non-renewable and renewable resources, such as coal, biomass, nuclear, wind and natural gas.

thebatt.comKujo missingKujo was brought to the U.S. after being rescued by Marines in Afghanistan. He has been missing for more than two weeks, and there is a $2,500 reward for whoever fi nds him. If you have information, please call 254-749-4934.

b-cs newsShooting occurs on Northgate

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THE BATTALION is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising, call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com.Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1. Call 979-845-2696 for mail subscriptions.

thebattalion THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893

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Sophomore Breeja Larson, left, Team USA placed sixth during the 100m breaststroke swimming finals. She will compete in the 4x100m medley relay on Friday.

2012 London Olympics:How Ags stack up

Class of 2010 Alia Atkinson, right, Team Jamaica, placed fourth in the 100m breaststroke swimming final.

Senior Jennifer Nichols, Team USA, reached round of 64 in the women’s archery individual. Nichols will compete Tuesday in the tournament round.

Freshman Miranda Leek, Team USA, reached the quarterfinals in the women’s individual archery competition, but did not advance. The U.S. women’s archery team also did not advance.

PHOTOS BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Smitherman vs. Greg Parker and Jus-tice Supreme Court Place 4, David Medina vs. John Devine.

The only runoff race for Demo-crats is the statewide race for the U.S. Senate seat. The two remaining candidates are Paul Sadler and Grady Yarbrough. The victor of this runoff will face the winner of the Republi-can runoff in the November general election.

The U.S. Senate seat is open for election due to Kay Bailey Hutchi-son’s retirement.

Looking toward the general elec-tion in November, candidates are al-ready gearing up for the competition.

Libertarian party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Dis-

STUDIES IN PROGRESS

J&S Studies, Inc.979-774-5933

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FACIAL ACNE STUDYVolunteers ages 12 and older, with facial acne are needed to participate in a 12 week clinical research study with an investigational topical medication. All eligible volunteers will receive at no cost: • Acne Evaluations by a Dermatologist • Study Medication • Compensation up to $250.00 for time and travelVolunteers will need to make 5 offi ce visits over the 12 week period.

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ATHLETES FOOT STUDYVolunteers ages 18 and older are needed to participate in a 6-week clinical research study with an investigational topical medication for athletes foot. Eligible volunteers will receive at no cost: • Study related medication or placebo • Medical Examinations related to study • Compensation up to $150.00 for time and effort

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URINARY TRACT INFECTION STUDYFemale volunteers who think they might be experiencing a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) are needed to participate in a 2 day clinical research study of an investigational study medication for the pain that is associated with a UTI. Symptoms of a UTI include: Pain, Burning and Frequency when urinating. Eligible volunteers will receive at no cost: • UTI Assessments by a Study Doctor • Antibiotics for their UTI • Study Medication • Compensation up to $100.00 for time and effortEligible volunteers will be required to make 2 offi ce visits. There is no cost to you for participating in this research study.

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PRIVATE PARTY WANT ADS

$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.

PLACE AN ADPhone 845-0569 Suite L400,Memorial Student CenterTexas A&M University

WHEN TO CALL8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through FridayInsertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

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FOR RENT

$1200 Pre-lease, 4 bedroomhouses, W/D, pets ok, near TAMU.Call Maroon & WhiteManagement, 979-422-5660.

$1350/mo, 2 story house, 4/2/2,newly remodeled, comes withW/D. 979-777-2849.

$395 Room in shared 4/2 house.Walk to TAMU. 9 month leaseOk. Call Maroon & White Man-agement, (979)422-5660.

2 bdrm/2bath duplex. Brand new.1000 sqft. All appliances included,W/D. Nice, quiet country setting.Water is included. Extra land forhorses is a possibility. Energy effi-cient heat pump. Electric bill is su-per affordable! Super nice!! Veryclose to main campus/Health Sci-ence Center, beat the traffic!! Callfor more information979-777-2253.

2-3/bedroom apartments. Somewith W/D, some on College Main,remodeled with dishwashers,Great deal! $175-$600/mo.979-219-3217.

2/1 completely remodeled, newapp. & W/D (808 Navidad) $569,2/1.5 townhouse style, with W/Dconnect & fenced yard (1208Verde) $589, Only $200 deposit,NO HUD, 979-450-9093 or979-450-9094 (espanol).

2bd/1ba apartment, 800sq. ft.New appliances, carpeting andtile. W/D. bus-route. $575/mo.210-391-4106.

FOR RENT

2bd/2.5ba unique floorplansw/balcony views of Kyle Field.Brand new luxury apartment con-dos. Fullsize stainless steel appli-ances, W/D, designer ammenitiesgranite/wood/tile, bus stop. Only36units on Holleman at Wolf Pen.www.broadstoneranchat-wolfpen.com, www.aggie-landleasing.com, 979-776-6079.

2bd/2ba 4-plex. Spacious floor-plan, W/D connections, close tocampus. $550/mo.www.aggielandleasing.com979-776-6079.

2bd/2ba single floor townhome,gated, security system, small back-yard, River Oak Wolf Pen district,$1300/mo plus bills, 210-912-8042.

2bd/2ba unique floorplansw/balcony views of Kyle Field.Brand new luxury apartmentcondos. Fullsize stainless steelappliances, W/D, designer am-menities granite/wood/tile, busstop. Only 36units on Hollemanat Wolf Pen.www.broadstoneranchat-wolfpen.com,www.aggielandleasing.com,979-776-6079.

3/2 CS Duplex. Fenced, shuttle,very large. Treehouse Trail, Cy-press. www.c4properties.net979-268-1074.

FOR RENT

3/3,3/2 Houses, Townhouses&Apartments, 1250-1400sqft.Very spacious, ethernet, largekitchen, walk-in pantry &closets,extra storage, W/D, great ameni-ties, on bus route, now pre-leas-ing, excellent specials.979-694-0320.www.luxormanagement.com

3/3s, 2/2s, $1050+, $890+, granite,close to campus, cable/internet in-cluded, owner broker979-777-5477.

3bd/1.5ba House under one milefrom campus. $850/month, $400deposit. 1106 Georgia979-255-8637.

4/3, 3/3 &3/2 Houses,Townhouses, Duplexes&Fourplexes, 1250-1700sqft. Veryspacious, ethernet, large kitchen,extra storage, W/D, greatamenities, on bus route, nowpre-leasing, excellent specials.979-694-0320.www.luxormanagement.com

4/4.5 luxury townhome, $500/mo,on bus route, available August,each bedroom as own thermostatand bathroom, includes W/D, 3/2brick house in CS w/ garage andlarge fenced yard, renovated,available in August, $1250/mo,4b/3ba brick house in Bryan, 903Lazy Lane, Available in August,$1550/mo, Waypoint Properties,979-450-3011,www.waypointonline.com

4bd/2.5ba. Walk to campus &KyleField! Huge, 1,770sq.ft.,remodeled house w/2 masterbedrooms. Must see! New woodfloors/paint bathrooms/ceilingfans &large fenced yard w/bigdeck. Pre-leasing for 8/1, 1013Welsh. $1500/mo. Call972-313-5834.

4bd/2ba house. Close to campus,wood floors, tile floors, ceilingfans, granite countertops, W/D,fenced yards. 979-776-6079.www.aggielandleasing.com

6bd/4ba., 2-car garage. CentralAC, fenced, good parking.Haswell Dr., Bryan. $2000/mo.979-822-0492.

903 San Benito, 3/2/2, W/D, onshuttle route, $1000/mo,979-268-5206.

911 Gardenia, CS. AvailableAugust 1st, new 2 story brickhome, 4bd/2.5ba, perfect studenthousing close to A&M Campuswith 2-car garage, patio for grill-ing and a small fenced yard,$1500/mo., First Month's Rent isYour Deposit! Call or text817-915-0258 or emaildshelton@buxtonco.com. Hurry,time is running out!

FOR RENT

Apartment: 2/1at Southwest Park-way and Anderson. $500/mo. Onbusroute. 682-365-0282.

August Leasing. 4bd/2ba house.Close to campus, wood floors, tilefloors, ceiling fans, W/D, fencedyards. 979-776-6079.www.aggielandleasing.com

August Move In, spacious3bdrm/2bth duplex, W/Dprovided, $895/mo. 979-693-0551.

Available August 15th, 2bd/2baapartment, W/D, approximately900sqft, $575/mo, call210-387-5030.

Available August. 4/4 house inBuena Vida. W/D, newappliances, granite, fenced.gigem95@verizon.net713-252-5555.

Beautiful 2bd/1ba duplex in C.S.,3-minutes from campus, remod-eled, all new, many extras, W/D,Internet, cable, drapes, fencedbackyard, quiet, one week free,979-422-3427.

Big 2/2 in fourplex. Balcony, W/D,water paid, near shuttle, $650.979-324-5835.

Big 3/2 duplex, W/D, lawncare,tile, near shuttle, fenced yard,$1050. 979-324-5835.

College Station: 3/2, 1240sqft.Newly remodeled! All StainlessSteel Appliances! Close to shuttle,W/D, lawn/pest/maintenanceincluded. 905 Balcones (offWelch), $1000. KAZ Realty979-324-9666.

Country Living! Short drive tocampus. 3bdrm/1bath home.Kitchen, dining and den. Garagew/carport, fenced yard w/2 largedog pens. Barn and feed silow/three to four fenced acresw/corral. $895/mo. Call979-255-5555.

Cozy 2bd/1ba condo. OffWellborn, in Bryan. Fireplace, FP,no HUD, $495/month total.254-589-0585. 254-289-8200.

Cozy 2bdrm/2bth condo 3-blocksfrom campus, yard, w/d connec-tions, over 1000sqft., no HUD, up-dated, $595/mo total, 506-A Col-lege Main Available August.254-289-0585, 254-289-8200.

http://sites.google.com/site/aaar-entalcs/ Duplex for rent, 2/1, nodeposit, 1000sqft, $675/mo.979-450-0098.

Newer 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 townhomes,close to campus, cable/internet,$810-$1200. Broker/owner979-777-5477.

FOR RENT

Northgate. 2bd/2ba. Walk tocampus. aggievillas.net.Call 979-255-5648.

Reduced rent, 3bd/3ba duplex,Paloma Ridge Drive CS, $950/mo,pets OK, W/D included, backyard,tile floor, close to campus,713-594-3787.

Spacious 2bd/1ba, C.S. duplex,3-minutes from campus, Internet,cable, W/D, remodeled, fencedfront and backyard, 1000sqft,beautiful with many extras, oneweek free, 979-422-3427.

FOR SALE

$135,999 reduced, must sell, 4/2,1923sqft, excellent condition, 2A/C, 1405 Todd Tr., 979-450-0098.

INEXPENSIVE, OFF-CAMPUS LIV-ING! 2bdrm/2ba. mobile home,2.5 miles from A&M. Great forstudents looking to save moneyon housing. (Campus average:$2500/semester). ASKING$9,799.00 OBO TO OWN. Nomoving, no campus living regual-tions, location along shuttleroute, all appliances included.Call Blaine 940-867-2159.

Mens OCR 10-speed roadbike.44cm Shimano SORA gears. Greatcondition! $225. 979-224-2844.

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HELP WANTED

Athletic men for calendars,books, etc. $100-$200/hr, upto $1000/day. No experience.aggieresponse@gmail.com

Baptist church needs nurseryworkers for Sunday mornings andevenings and Wednesday eve-nings. Please call Mary at776-5000 or e-mailmary@christsway.org

Child Care- FT & PT shifts avail-able. Some nights & Saturdays re-quired. Apply in person at 3609 E.29th St., Bryan.

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Full/Part-time carpet cleaningtechnician available, non-smoker,good driving record, call979-693-4474.

GREAT JOB, GREAT PAY!!Student Media has an openingfor a student to deliverThe Battalion newspaperstarting with the Fall semester(Wed., August 22nd). Positionrequires paper delivery between6am-9am, Monday through Fri-day. Must have reliable transpor-tation. Great pay! Interested ap-plicants apply at the Student Me-dia offices located in the MSC,ask for Joseph.

HELP WANTED

J.Cody’s hiring meat cutters, applywithin 3610 South College. No ex-perience necessary, just commonsense!

Landscape internship. Learn howto perform commercial landscape,must be willing to work in in-credibly hot weather. 15-30 hrsper wk. Work shifts from3:00pm-9:30pm. 979-255-9000.

The Steamery now hiring carpetcleaning helpers to move furni-ture for the month of August,979-693-6969.

MUSIC

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NEEDED

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PETS

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ROOMMATES

1-Male roommate needed to be1-of-2 in 4bedroom house for Fall2012. $500/mo., plus half ofutilities and cable. Email ifinterested:ampiwonka12@gmail.com

2-female roommates needed.Large updated townhouse offSouthwest Pkwy. Bus-route, W/D,1/3-utilities. Large room$350/mo., smaller room $250/mo.,or both $550/mo. 979-204-9788.

Bryan, 2 roommates, $375 each,all bills paid, wifi, furnished,361-249-0387.

Female roommate wanted.2bdrm/2ba apartment. 1/2 rent,$287.50. Call 210-387-5030.

Roommate wanted. $300/mo., allbills paid. Fully furnished.979-777-4445.

SERVICES

Apple certified iPhone repairw/one year warranty,allphonetoys.com Member BetterBusiness Bureau. 979-694-2800.Student discounts available.

TUTORS

Spanish tutor/teacher, all levels.$20-$30 per 1-hour session. Classof ‘98. 979-268-7849.

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news page 3

tuesday 7.31.2012

ElectionsContinued from page 1

trict 17 seat Ben Easton visited Texas A&M University on July 19. Easton will face Republican incumbent Bill Flores in November.

Joseph Puente, senior telecom-munication media studies major, said Easton came for a class project for COMM 460, a course that focuses on analyzing how candidates run campaigns for office. He said they were doing a campaign analysis of the candidate and his plan to run for Con-gressional District 17.

While visiting, Easton shared his views with the class, explained his campaign strategy and answered stu-dents’ questions.

“I am fiscally conservative and I belong to the NRA, but I am going to be way to the liberal side on some things like sex, drugs and rock ‘n’

roll,” Easton said in opening. “If you try to label me, I don’t fit in. I speak very strongly and passionately — the one-dimensional spectrum doesn’t work.”

In regards to his strategy, Easton said he is battling the ‘machine par-ties’ to try to break into the machine. It’s an uphill battle. He said he knows the odds are against him, but he wants to get the message of his party out there.

Puente said that in their project, as they came up with campaign man-agement plans they became interest-

ed in hearing about Easton’s plans to finance his campaign.

“I do not believe we have the right to do the matching funds stuff. I shouldn’t take from you to subsidize the political process,” Easton said. “I want to do this in $500 of my own money or less. So far, so good.”

Puente said the main thing he took away from Easton’s presentation was Libertarian views may be more com-mon among college students than they think. People who are Libertar-ian are a lot more ideal and may be more common than people might

think, whereas the two main parties have become so polarized nowadays, Puente said.

“I think if local candidates were to visit universities while campaign-ing, they would have to get approval, but I think it would be important for them to visit the community and get their name out,” Puente said. “For local elections, they receive the low-est turnout. I think for being in a college town and in the community in general, local candidates should get out there more often for college students.”

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thebattalion

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TAKE A PIECE OF A&M HISTORY WITH YOU· Reserve your 2013 Aggieland

The 111th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook will chronicle traditions, academics, the other education, sports, the Corps, Greeks, campus organizations and seniors and graduate students. Distribution will be during Fall 2013. Go to the optional services box in Howdy when you register for fall. For info, call 845-2696.

Despite triple-digit temperatures and the potential to reach peak energy de-mand periods, the Council doesn’t an-ticipate fading outages this summer.

“ERCOT has several steps we take when generation reserves become tight to help ensure the reliability of the grid,” Searcy said. “Those steps include bring-ing all available generation online, we then would take some of the larger us-ers offline. Those users have agreed prior through contracts with ERCOT to go offline during those times when there is a problem.”

During the peak demand hours Texas residents are advised to do some simple tasks to use less electricity. Since air con-ditioning is one of the biggest challenges to the Texas grid in the summer, residents are encouraged to turn thermostats up a few degrees and avoid using large appli-ances such as washing machines and dry-ers.

The Texas Public Utility Commission is also taking steps to avoid future energy shortages.

It recently voted to raise the wholesale price cap for electricity. This price cap is hit on hot summer days and will be al-lowed to rise by 50 percent.

The idea behind this decision is to al-low power plants to make more money on electric generation so they could build more plants to supply the growing popu-lation in Texas.

The decision to raise wholesale prices could affect the residents of College Sta-

tion.“We try to get power contracts that

cover our load but during peak situations when it gets really, really hot, almost all utilities may have to buy off the market,” said Timothy Crabb, College Station’s in-terim director of electric utilities. “If they raise that price, that could raise the price of the utilities, which could ultimately raise the cost to the customer.”

Most College Station residents pay 12 cents for a kilowatt hour.

College Station purchases electricity from the the Council that has generation stations throughout Texas. There are no power plants in College Station, but that could change in the future. “College Sta-tion’s power supply contract, part of that runs out in early 2015 and we’re investi-gating all sorts of things,” Crabb said.

College Station uses more than one energy source to provide electricity to Texas residents. Crabb said it is important to diversify energy sources due to the un-predictable nature of resources availabil-ity.

You don’t want everything to be based off one fuel source because a change in the market can drastically affect cost,” he said. “Right now natural gas is [priced] low, at one time it was high priced.”

The U.S. has issued renewable fuel standards, according to Sergio Capareda, associate professor of biological and agri-cultural engineering.

Capareda said renewable resources such as algae and high-tonnage sorghum can generate electricity.

“I have a portable mobile fluidized bed gasifier that can gasify air,” Capareda said. “We turn the solid biomass into gas, and that gas is injected into an internal com-bustion engine, and that engine runs from the gas that’s attached to a generator — so it’s generating power.”

EnergyContinued from page 1

for the fall 2013 semester.The Department of Residence Life said the

project will revitalize the north side of campus.The Player Development Center for the

Athletics Department has also begun. This center will have a weight room for football players and include offices for coaches, a nu-trition center, locker rooms and other training rooms. The facility will be complete by the end of 2012.

Joe Routt Boulevard between Rudder Tower and Koldus has been under renovations since April 23 and should be complete by fall.

Changes to Routt will include adding two mid-block crossings with a single level surface from door-to-door, widening the width of the loading circle at Rudder and defining the two lanes by a 4-foot-wide unloading area separat-ing them and creating bi-directional bike lanes.

Renovations to Harrell Hall, or the Corps of Cadets’ Dorm 8, are expected to be complete by August. The plans include replacing Lounge D with a Leadership Learning Center.

Dorm 8 will see major changes — with new building codes in place since it was built

ConstructionContinued from page 1

We try to get

power contracts

that cover our

load but during peak situations when it gets

really, really hot, almost all utilities may

have to buy off the market.

—Timothy Crabb, College Station interim

director of electric utilities

in 1939, an elevator is required and there will be a fourth floor connection to the Leadership Learning Center.

Bryson Sutterfield, deputy Corps com-mander, said he lived in Dorm 8 his freshman and sophomore years and he is eager to see the changes.

“If there was any dorm on the quad that could resemble the ‘dorm pride’ typical of most or-dinary American university dormitories, Dorm 8 was it,” Bryson said. “[The renovations are] much needed and long deserving upgrades to the home of the Keepers of the Spirit.”

Courtney Laine — THE BATTALION

The Leadership Learning Center connects Harrell and Lacy Hall and will be complete in August.

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