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THE BATTALION | THEBATT.COM

Leah Kappayil — THE BATTALION

Five panelists, including graduate student Blaine Balliett, talked about the difficulties of having disabilities Wednesday.

Panelists share their experiences with disabilities By Chevall Pryce The sidewalks, doors and buses that many students use without a second thought can pose unique challenges for Texas A&M’s disabled community — a theme discussed at Wednesday’s Insightful Connections’ disabled students panel. Five students with various disabilities such as blindness, spinal muscular atrophy and oculocutaneous albinism talked about their daily lives and answered questions from audience members in Rudder Tower. The students discussed transportation, accommodations they have to use, as DISABILITIES ON PG. 2

FALL 2016

The 3-D braille map made by engineering freshman Tyler Wooten gives visually impaired students a customized map of campus. is lex

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A FEEL FOR CAMPUS Engineering freshman develops 3-D braille map for visually impaired

PREREGISTRATION BEGINS THURSDAY Preregistration for the fall 2016 semester opens Thursday. An individual’s time for preregistration can be found in Howdy. — Staff Report

STATE

CADETS ALLEGEDLY DROP DEAD DOG ON BAND FIELD Three freshmen in the Corps of Cadets now face criminal charges after allegedly leaving a dead dog on the band’s practice field, according to KBTX According to KBTX, the body was found on Joe T. Haney Drill Field on the morning of March 7. A Corps lieutenant identified the perpetrators as Atticus Johnson, Garret Kale and Sterling Hampe, according to KBTX. The 18-year-old students claimed the dog was dead when they found it and that they only placed it on the field. According to KBTX, the dog was covered in blood and “bodily fluids” and was dressed in a Texas A&M baseball cap typically given to Corps freshman while propped on several pieces of firewood. The freshmen were charged with illegal dumping and will avoid animal cruelty charges. — Staff Report

STATE

RICK PERRY’S ABUSE OF POWER CASE DISMISSED The abuse-ofpower indictment against former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been officially dropped as of Wednesday. The case was dismissed in the state’s highest criminal court and was based on actions Perry Rick Perry took in 2013 while he was governor. After Rosemary Lehmberg, a Travis County district attorney, declined to resign following a drunk-driving incident, Perry vetoed state funding for the public integrity unit overseen by her. Perry has defended his actions despite a complaint filed by Texans for Public Justice, which led to a 2014 indictment accusing Perry of abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant. The coercion charge was dropped in 2015 by the 3rd Court of Appeals. Earlier this year the Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the abuse charge. A judge signed the dismissal Wednesday morning, making it official. — Staff Report

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By Chevall Pryce

3-D printer and hours of work by one A&M freshman will go toward helping the visually impaired navigate A&M’s campus. Tyler Wooten designed and 3-D printed a portable braille map of A&M’s campus to be used by students and faculty who are blind or visually impaired. The map is a direct copy of main and west campus with each building raised by a quarter of an inch. “There’s braille on top of the main buildings — like MSC, Rudder, Kyle Field and Sbisa,” Wooten said. “It helps someone who is blind or visually impaired find out where a building is … You can use it to help figure out where you are and orient where you are on campus.” Wooten said he came up with the idea

after he thought about how difficult it is for visually impaired students to navigate through campus and decided to take advantage of his 3-D printing class. Wooten used the 3-D printer in the Engineering Innovation Center and his own money to purchase the materials and print the individual drafts of the map. For the original draft of main campus, Wooten had to design the map from scratch. “For main campus, I had a picture of the map up on one screen, and I had SolidWorks open on my other screen and I was just eyeballing it, drawing all of the buildings,” Wooten said. “Enough people had heard about it that they taught me how to do it better. Now I can take a screenshot of the map, put it in SolidWorks and just trace the buildings.” The map is less than an inch thick, and

is made of gray Polylactic Acid, or PLA, a lightweight durable material. The maps are heat resistant and waterproof, said Wooten, who stress-tested the maps. Each section of the map is 5-by-9 inches and can connect with another section by sliding into place in order to make a full map of campus. Each map takes five hours to print, not including the hours put into the design. After his initial stage or production, Wooten reached out to Kaitlyn Kellermeyer, economics senior and activist for people with visual impairment, to get her opinion on the project as well as to help test it. Due to low production costs, Wooten said Kellermeyer, who has a visual impairment, suggested printing a 3-D MAP ON PG. 4

FOOTBALL

NFL Pro Day tests talent from A&M 14 football players look for place in next level By Lawrence Smelser Despite Germain Ifedi being the only player considered draftable in the first round by many pundits, 30 NFL teams had scouts on hand for Texas A&M’s Pro Day Wednesday morning. Fourteen Aggies made their case for playing at the next level, including offensive guard and tackle Germain Ifedi, punter Drew Kaser, special teams member and defensive back Sam Moeller, running back Tra Carson, kicker Taylor Bertolet, offensive guard Joe Cheek, cornerback De’Vante Harris, center Mike Matthews, defensive end and tackle Julien Obioha, defensive tackle Alonzo Williams, defensive back Devonta Burns, runningback Brice Dolezal, running back Blaine Townsend and cornerback Brandon Williams. The players were tested in the bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 40-yard dash and the 5-10-5, three-cone and long shuttles along with personal drills. Mike Matthews finished first in the bench press. The center was able to do 30 reps of 225 pounds. Julien Obioha and Taylor Bertolet finished behind Matthews with 27 reps apiece. Cornerback De’Vante Harris ran the fastest 40 time at the A&M Pro Day. Harris, 5-foot-10, ran a 4.44 which was faster than his time of 4.56 at the NFL Combine. Harris was also able to log the fastest time in the shuttle with a time of 11.38 seconds. “I improved my 40 time, [and] I feel like I did real good in my drills,” Harris said. “They looked real smooth and [also] in my transitions. I caught the ball real well and I just came out here with some confidence and really enjoyed it. I had fun and the other guys did as well.” In the broad jump, the former 12th Man Sam Moeller came out on top along with Devonta Burns. Both players posted jumps of 9 feet, 8 inches. Running back Tra Carson was an inch behind the two with a jump of 9 feet, 7 inches. Carson was able to clock a 4.54, despite having surgery just after the Music City Bowl on his big toe. The Pro Day PRO DAY ON PG. 3

Lawrence Smelser — THE BATTALION

Senior cornerback De’Vante Harris runs the 40-yard dash in front of NFL scouts and executives.

4/7/16 12:04 AM

NEWS The Battalion | 4.7.16

Wesley Holmes — THE BATTALION

Business honors junior Mike Duncan and biomedical sciences senior Luke Bacon promote the Stephen Dubner lecture in Rudder Plaza Wednesday.

‘Freakonomics’ author comes to campus Dubner to share unconventional approach to economics studies By James Palacios Throw an extra word in front of economics — “freaky” — and the Stephen Dubner way of thinking comes to light. Dubner, an award-winning journalist best known for his work “Freakonomics,” will deliver a lecture Thursday evening at Texas A&M to discuss his work, offer career advice and promote his new book. The book “Freakonomics” is the result of a collaboration of Dubner and Steven Levitt that tells stories about everything from cheating teachers to unusual baby names in order to show that economics is, at its core, the study of incentives. Published in the United States in 2005, 4 million copies were sold in 35 languages. The success of the book spawned the creation of a follow-up book called “Superfreakonomics,” a documentary, a radio show and a blog. MSC Bethancourt, a professional development organization, will host the event. Amy Brooke, MSC Bethancourt chair and English senior, said the organization hopes students learn about a new and better way of processing information through the

event. “The purpose of the lecture is to provide students with an opportunity to expand their minds with new ways of thinking,” Brooke said. “MSC Bethancourt focuses so much on learning and critical thinking, and we want to bring what we love to the A&M student body.” Brooke said the interest in Dubner expands beyond just his scheduled lecture on Thursday. She said Dubner’s Freakonomics podcast receives about 5 million downloads per month. “Aside from his work as an author he also runs a podcast, which I listen to all the time and highly recommend to any student,” Brooke said. “This campus is a perfect place for someone like Stephen Dubner, because we are all as excited about what he is saying as he is.” Brooke said the main focus of the lecture will be on Dubner’s latest book, “Think like a Freak,” which is a self-help book aimed at assisting professionals in innovation, business and marketing. Luke Bacon, MSC Bethancourt vice-chair and a nonprofit management certificate candidate, said Dubner’s presentation will make students think critically and apply knowledge to a vast majority of topics. “He will be presenting materi-

al from his new book ‘Think Like a Freak’ that takes traditional economic principles and uses them to look at unusual subjects and reveal the hidden side of everything,” Bacon said. “Students who attend can expect to learn more about a variety of subjects they likely haven’t been exposed to, and to gain an excitement for the limitless scope of economics.” Brooke said the lecture will not only challenge students to alter their current methods of thinking, but also help them improve on important life skills that will be crucial in future careers. “Attending this program could teach students a whole new way to approach situations, which helps with leadership, communication and creative problem solving, which are all crucial in today’s workplace,” Brooke said. “There are so many students here that are genuinely excited to learn. That is why organizations like MSC Bethancourt exist, to provide knowledge hungry students with outlets for learning about things they might not get from their classes.” Dubner’s lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday in Rudder Auditorium. Tickets are required for the event and can be purchased in the MSC Box Office for $5 for students and $7 for non-students.

SEC seeks student input with survey By Zach Grinovich

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MarkBreaux, Doré, Editor in Chief Aimée Editor in Chief Aimee Breaux, Managing Editor Katie Canales, Life & Arts Editor LindseyReiley, Gawlik, Managing Editor Stapp, News Editor Carter Asst. Managing EditorKaty Karels, Sports Editor Jennifer MickeyGawlik, Gashaw, Sports Editor Sam King,Knowles, News Editor Shelby Photo Editor Lindsey News Editor LawrenceKing, Smelser, Editor Mason Opinion EditorEditor Asst. Photo AllisonMorgan, Bradshaw, Samantha Asst. Sports News Editor Meredith Collier,Page PageDesigner Designer Katy JackStapp, Riewe,Asst. LifeNews & ArtsEditor Editor Claire Shepherd, ClaireAdam, Shepherd, Designer John Rangel, SciTechEditor Editor Alexis Will, Photo Olivia PagePage Designer

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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 979845-2687. 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 University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.

ANSWERS

to todays puzzles

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Engineering students have the chance to make their voices heard this week, as the Student Engineers’ Council conducts its semesterly survey across the college. The SEC’s Spring Engineering Survey aims to give students the opportunity to have a voice in the direction of the College of Engineering. The survey asks questions on engineering topics such as the 25-by-25 Initiative and how the college should spend differential tuition, and its results are presented to the administration at the end of every semester. Andrew West, SEC president, said the survey is important because it gives students the opportunity to make sure the administration

better listens to students, both current and future. “If you have strong opinions about what is going on in the college, and you want to make it better for not only yourself, but also for the people coming after you, take the survey and provide your opinion,s because it is going directly to the people that make those decisions,” West said. West said the survey covers a variety of topics, including the engineering college’s 25-by-25 Initiative — a plan to enroll 25,000 engineering students by 2025 — to how graduating students secure employment, the way the college spends differential tuition and the overall atmosphere of the engineering environment. “We have tried to cover different topics on the sur-

DISABILITY CONTINUED well as how they are treated by people who are not disabled. Tracey Forman, assistant director of the Disability Services Office, moderated the event. Blaine Balliett, agriculture leadership graduate student, said having a car has been a privilege. Blaine said as a person with a disability, he had to go through a longer process than standard drivers. “My car is probably the biggest thing in my life that’s given me independence. I can just go wherever I want to,” Balliett said. “In high school, it was something your friends would take for granted. It wasn’t that simple for me. I had to research how to get a car since I was 14, just to start the process.” Lack of specific accommodations on campus for various disabilities, including smoother sidewalks, a lack of handicap bathrooms and heavy doors were also put into perspective during the panel. Trey Parker, engineering freshman, said he navigates around campus using a motorized chair. Parker specifically noted his difficulty traveling near Reed Arena after leaving Breakaway. “So there’s one space just outside of Reed Arena, and every path except one

vey like 25-by-25 or differential tuition essentially to get student opinion then relay that to the deans and the department heads to show them what the student opinion is and then allow them to make decisions based on those opinions,” West said. Differential tuition is a significant part of the tuition that engineering students pay, and the survey asks what students believe this money should be spent on. West said in recent years, the student voice has been taken very seriously on this issue. “For the last couple years, professors of practice have been a large percentage on the survey, and then we take that to differential tuition oversight meetings and explain that is what the students want, and for the last

ends in a curb,” Parker said. “It always seems to change, too. I know where I’m going. It’s just changing, I swear.” Eric King, rangeland ecology and ecological restoration graduate student, shared some of the negative experiences that Parker discussed and said A&M’s sidewalks can often take their toll on the aids disabled people rely on. “I think my chair is the way it is — I’m talking about it being a piece of junk — is because of Texas A&M’s sidewalks,” King said. “There will be giant pieces sticking out of the sidewalk that I literally have to jump over by popping my front wheels up.” Visually impaired and blind students discussed how they navigate campus, as well as how they would like to be treated on campus. Kaitlyn Kellermeyer, economics senior, said people without disabilities need to understand that those who do have them have their own ways of living life. “I know that in my case, I have to touch things to find them. So, I want to kick the chair, I want to run into the door, I want to kick the curb,” Kellermeyer said. “A lot of people don’t realize that. I have to find it. I can’t interact with the space around me like you can.”

couple years that is where the majority of the money has gone,” West said. “So you can see a direct benefit of the survey there.” Any students in the college are asked to reply because as the total response to the survey increases, the weight it carries grows as well. “With any survey the university sends out, the response rate is usually relatively low,” West said. “We have grown our response rate in the past, but if more students respond and give their opinion, it just means that the deans and department heads will take it that much more seriously.” The SEC Engineering Survey was sent to all engineering students’ A&M email addresses. It closes 11:59 p.m. Friday.

Each student panelist presented a story about his or her friends helping too much. Visually impaired students mentioned instances of friends telling them where everything is, whereas students with other disabilities said they’ve had trouble with friends helping too much with mobility and eating. “I’d be playing a game with my friend Caleb, and all of the sudden there’s a straw in my face,” Parker said. “This would repeat every now and then. Again, I love him to death, but I don’t always want a drink.” Overall, the students agreed they wanted to be treated like people and that they were okay with questions. King said he is open to questions and doesn’t want people to shy away from him because of his disability, specifically children and their parents. “The parents will pull them away and tell them to stop staring. This is starting a trend here. It’s making it to where they feel they can’t be comfortable,” King said. “One time this kid just turns around and goes, ‘Woah,’ and his mom was mortified. I just started a conversation with him and raced him to a trash can. That just made a positive experience for him from then on.”

4/7/16 12:09 AM

SPORTS

The Battalion | 4.7.16

PRO DAY CONTINUED was actually moved back to April 6, so Carson could take part. The Texarkana native weighed in at 226 pounds, 14 pounds lighter than his initial 240 at start of the 2015 season. If taken in the first round, Germain Ifedi, who didn’t perform in any stat-measurable drills, would make it six years in a row for the Aggies having a first-round draft choice. “I’m excited to see where I land,” Ifedi said. “First round or wherever I land. I’d be more than happy if I was able to extend the streak. I think I’ve put in the work and put a product out there that could warrant a firstround pick.” The 6-foot-6 lineman has started the past three years for Texas A&M. Ifedi has played both defensive tackle and guard for the Aggies. “I don’t have a preference,” Ifedi said when asked which position he’d rather play. “I’ve played both and I think I’ve played both at a relatively high level so whatever team takes me and wherever they want me to play, I’ll play that position and I’ll adjust to it. I’ll enjoy it.” A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin discussed the importance of Pro Day and how past players have used it to create opportunities in the National Football League. “Some of them have Super Bowl rings to show for it right now,” Sumlin said. “Steven Terrell and some of the other guys come to mind. It’s very important based on the evaluation of people at the next level. And today it’s not just the physical part of it, the running and jumping, the drills become important but also their number of interviews and the mental side of it.” The NFL Draft will begin Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m. The second and third rounds are April 29, with rounds 4-7 scheduled for April 30. The draft will be broadcast on ESPN.

Brian Okosun — THE BATTALION

Sophomore pitcher Trinity Harrington tossed the Aggies’ first no-hitter since 2014 Wednesday, striking out two and walking one.

No. 10 A&M dominates over SFA after sweeping Arkansas By Angel Franco

Harrington, who has been limited in the circle for the maroon and white due to injury, pitched her first career no-hitter in the effort. Harrington said she felt comfortable in the circle for the Aggies. “This is my very first no-hitter ever,” Harrington said. “I felt really relaxed, there was no tightness, no pain in my arm. I’m usually tight in my arm, so it was an odd sensation but it worked in my favor.” The Aggie offense continued to dominate at the plate. Behind the efforts in the circle by Harrington, the Aggies amassed nine runs on eight hits. Reigning SEC player of the week Ashley Walters hit a two-run home run to extend the Aggie lead to nine in the bottom of

Texas A&M (31-6) defeated Stephen F. Austin (16-19) in run-rule fashion Wednesday with pitcher Trinity Harrington tossing a no-hitter. The No. 10 Aggies entered the contest after sweeping SEC-rival Arkansas. The Aggies regained momentum after a three-game skid two weeks ago. The offensive explosion led the Aggies to outscore the Razorbacks 29-5 throughout the weekend. The A&M offense continued to roll Wednesday night at the Aggie Softball Complex. Sophomore transfer pitcher Trinity Harrington pitched five complete innings for the Aggies.

the fourth inning, which would be the decisive score. Texas A&M head coach Jo Evans said she was pleased with the way her team performed. Evans also said she was proud of the team effort to help Harrington reach the no hitter. “Trinity really set the tone for us,” Evans said. “She was a commanding presence on the mound today. Our defense made some good plays, there were three in particular that were challenging. That’s how you get no-hitters, you get someone to step up to make a great play.” The Aggies will travel to Tennessee this weekend to take on the University of Tennessee Volunteers. The series will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and ESPNU.

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puzzle answers can be found on page 2

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4/7/16 12:10 AM

NEWS

The Battalion | 4.7.16

THE MAN BEHIND THE GAVEL Joseph Hood plans outreach expansion, senator development for 69th session By Sam King

n his way to watch the sun rise from the Administration Building three years ago, then-freshman Joseph Hood wound up lost and found himself at the Bonfire Memorial. Moved by the impact each of the 12 students left memorialized in stone, Hood set out to leave his own impact on Texas A&M. Last week, Hood, a political science junior, was elected the speaker of Student Senate for the 69th session, marking the peak of a long stretch of involvement with Student Senate and the Student Government Association. Hood ran to represent the freshman caucus during his first year at A&M, but was not elected. Instead, he began his involvement with SGA on the legislative relations team. The next semester, however, Hood was elected as an off-campus senator for the 67th session and worked on the finance committee. Hood was voted into the 68th session, where he was later elected the finance chair by his Student Senate peers. Hood said while his resume features many highlights for him, it’s not about the accomplishments — but rather the impact those accomplishments have. “That impact isn’t dictated by the situation we’re in. That impact isn’t dictated by what position you hold. It’s dictated by the fact that we’re going to come into interaction with one another, and we have direct control over the individual interactions that we have with each other,” Hood said. “I can control how I treat people around me, and that is it. That has a far greater impact on people than whatever accomplishment I may or may not achieve.” During Hood’s time as a student senator, he’s worked on several projects, including the creation of a petition to stop the Academic Building from being renamed after former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and an initiative that led to the introduction of wind chimes on campus to help students with visual impairments with navigability. “Most of the things that I’ve been successful with — that I’ve found — in Student Government had been because students had gotten behind it — I got them involved, but not because of anything directly that I had done,” Hood said. Ja’Cory Clark, an on-campus student senator and political science senior, attested to Hood’s ability to rally behind students before student senators voted in Hood at the last meeting. “Selfless service comes to mind first,” Clark said. “He’s one of the hardest working people I know, period. He’s always researching. He’s always meeting with constituents; he’s always there to make sure that he’s serving his constituents in the best way possible.” Hood will serve as the speaker of the Student Senate for the

69th session and said he has several goals for Student Senate and the university as a whole. While Hood has played an active role in several bills and motions, as speaker he said he plans to focus on student senator development and pushing bills and legislation they’re passionate about. “I believe that it is my job as speaker not to put forward policy, but to make sure that the policy that is passed by the body of the 69th session is the best policy possible in the fact that it’s well researched and that regardless of whether or not I agree with it, it’s representing the students of Texas A&M,” Hood said. Hood said outreach to the student body and the senators’ constituents is another key factor he wants to wants focus on in his tenure. Hood said he plans on introducing a liaison system where student representatives from organizations across campus work with Student Senate to disseminate information across campus. “We have 80 senators representing a student body of about 58,000 students,” Hood said. “Combined, I know we don’t know 58,000 people. We know quite a few of them, but there are areas of campus and corners of campus that might not be reached adequately right now.” Hannah Wimberly, student body president for the 2016-2017 academic year, said she has already started working with Hood and is excited to work together next year. “Since his election to the speaker position, we have been in consistent contact — sharing ideas, talking about goals, etcetera,” Wimberly said. “I am very much so looking forward to working with Speaker Hood and the rest of the Legislative Branch over the next year to continually improve the student experience at Texas A&M.” For Joseph Hood, it ultimately boils down to impact, and he hopes his time as speaker will lead to a widespread impact on campus, in the classroom and in the lives of Aggies everywhere. “We have 80 people in that body, and if we have 80 people who each pick an issue that they’re passionate about and they run with that issue, we can really magnify the impact that we have,” Hood said.

Joseph Hood caps a fouryear SGA career with his election to Speaker of the 69th Student Senate session.

Alexis Will — THE BATTALION

MaysFest draws thousands MaysFest, a bi-annual event hosted by the Business Student Council, gave business students a chance to de-stress by offering music, inflatable games and free food. The event also provided students with a networking opportunity with other business student organizations and business companies in attendance.

Madeline Sambrano — THE BATTALION

3-D MAP CONTINUED copy of the map for each member of the visually impaired community. Kellermeyer said she has been testing the map out on campus, as well as showing it to her friends who are blind or also visually impaired. “Generally for blind people, if you want to find a new location, you have to have someone teach you. You have to have someone walk you there,” Kellermeyer said. “But with something like this, you can kind of go exploring on your own and keep track of where you

are ... I’ve personally never used a map that I’ve found more useful.” The map is meant to work in conjunction with various wind chimes located across campus. These wind chimes were placed around campus to guide the visually impaired as part of an initiative spearheaded by Kellermeyer. The wind chimes will be featured on the map and given more elevation than other structures. “The wind chimes are specific auditory cues that blind or visually impaired students would use,” Kellermeyer said. “Because you can tell where they are on the map — as you

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pass them, you can use that as a checkpoint audibly and on the map to verify that you are where you think you are.” The map is still undergoing improvements, said Wooten. Since it is the first version of the map, buildings have been shortened, braille has been corrected and roads have been widened. Tracey Forman, assistant director of the Disability Services Office, said updating the map will need to be an ongoing process. “We’ve done one on paper before, so there’s tactile maps already out there,” Forman said. “Their braille labeling leaves some-

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thing to be desired. They need to work on that … I think right now they need to work on their scale. They have to figure out how to distinguish buildings and roads more.” In the future, Wooten said he wants to make similar maps for other locations. “It wouldn’t be too hard for me to be able to do it for other schools; I could just go online to Google images, screenshot their campus and trace all of the buildings, and send them copies,” Wooten said. “As long as it helps someone. I’m surprised no one thought of it.”

However, throu change, one thingghout the hullaballoo of will always rema in. . .

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4/7/16 12:09 AM