thebattalion l thursday,
october 24, 2013
l serving
texas a&m since 1893
l first paper free – additional copies $1 l © 2013 student media
AT UNIVERSE’S EDGE
A&M researchers help discover farthest known galaxy Wendy Davis
Because this galaxy is so far away, it took the light from this galaxy 13.1 billion years to get here.” — Casey Papovich, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at A&M and discovery collaborator
John Rangel
Steve Finkelstein (from left), Vithal Tilvi and UT researcher Mimi Song work at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The team used Keck’s nextgeneration infrared instruments to confirm results on the galaxy originally taken by Hubble.
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he answer to how the cosmos formed lies at the edge of the universe, and astronomers at Texas A&M and the University of Texas, among other institutions, may have caught a glimpse of it. Texas A&M researchers and their colleagues announced Wednesday the discovery of the farthest — and youngest — galaxy known to mankind. At just 700 million years old, the galaxy gives astronomers an unprecedented look at the characteristics of the very young universe
and may begin to answer the question of how the Milky Way, and everything in it, took form. Time Travel If historians were suddenly given the ability to send a camera back in time 2,000 years to Ancient Rome, history as we know it would be revolutionized. This discovery, which astronomers modestly refer to as “z8_GND_5296,” See Galaxy on page 2
COURTESY PHOTOS
A rendition of the 13.1 billion-year-old galaxy that would have glowed blue due to the intense heat of its early stars, but it is invisible to the naked eye due to “redshifting.”
Panel discusses US intervention Assistant professor for the Bush School, Joshua Shifrinson, speaks on the History of U.S. intervention and its effect on future policy.
ecent events such as the conflict in Syria have placed a global spotlight on the current U.S. policy on international intervention. The Bush School Community Dialogues Committee presented the “International Intervention and the U.S. Responsibility to Protect” dialogue Wednesday. The program featured three panelists who discussed the history and impact of foreign intervention. Joshua Shifrinson, Bush School assistant professor and panelist, said the U.S. is usu-
inside international | 5 Webcam in Afghanistan Students interact with a university in Afghanistan to promote tourism and break down the media portrayal of the country by sharing information about Afghan culture.
lifestyles | 3 Autumn brought by Pinterest Students use Pinterest for their fall decorations, food and parties.
cushing | 6 Award-winning research to be recognized Cushing Memorial Library to honor recipients of the Cushing-Glasscock Graduate Award, Thursday, in which the winners will present the award-winning research they conducted over the summer.
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33-year veteran new University police chief Ragan encourages community and student involvement Mackenzie Mullis The Battalion
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Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION
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ally involved with a large military operation every one to two years and elaborated on the reasons this occurred. “The U.S. doesn’t always intervene for one set purpose,” Shifrinson said. “The justifications of being involved include humanitarian goals or strategic purposes that hinge heavily on domestic politics.” Ashe Matocha, staff reporter For the full story, go online at thebatt.com
. Michael Ragan was named Wednesday as chief of the University Police Department. Ragan served with the UPD for 33 years and as interim chief since the retirement of the former chief Elmer Schneider six months ago Christopher Meyer, assistant vice president for safety and security, said Ragan is more than qualified for the position. “I’ve known and worked closely with Mike Ragan for several years and have witnessed firsthand his expertise, professionalism, integrity and firm commitment to ensuring the safety of our campus — its students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Meyer said. Ragan, Class of 1982, said he wants to
strive to make UPD a department that exemplifies excellence. “There is so much talent [in this department],” Ragan said. “We are trying to mirror what the University is, and the goal of the University is to be a Top-10 University. It’s the same in our profession. There are University police departments that strive for excellence and we need to have that same commitment to be the best of what we are.” Ragan said he is looking forward to being accessible to stuJ. Michael dents and encourages Ragan anyone to email or call his office if there is a need. “The reputation of this department is important to me and if I need to visit with someone and explain something or if I need to hear them out and say, ‘You have a good point and we need to change some things that we are doing,’ I want to be available,” Ragan said.
campus activism
Pro-life Aggies display symbolic cemetery Lauren Simcic
The Battalion iny crosses numbering 3,300 dotted the lawn Wednesday in front of the Academic Building. Pro-Life Aggies set up and supervised the outdoor display, the Cemetery of the Innocents, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event was an extension of a nationwide pro-life demonstration by the same name. “The number 3,300 represents the 3,300 lives lost every day to abortion in the United States,” said Joseph Francis, junior history major and president of Pro-Life Aggies. “Our statistics are from the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood.” The organization shared information through silent protest and fliers, Francis said. Until this year, Pro-Life Aggies did not conduct the Cemetery of the Innocents and instead performed a procession called the Memorial for the Unborn, said Maria Arcibar, senior bioenvironmental sciences major and ProLife Aggies public relations officer.
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Jonathan Sheen — THE BATTALION
Pro-Life Aggies set up and supervised the outdoor display, the
See Cemetery on page 4 Cemetery of the Innocents, on Wednesday in Academic Plaza.
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