thebattalion l tuesday,
january 29, 2013
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Bill would revive A&M-UT rivalry Mark Doré
FILE PHOTO
The UT-A&M rivalry is the third most-played rivalry in Division 1-A football at 118 games.
The Battalion Texas Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, filed House Bill 778 on Monday, an action that, if passed, would reinstitute a longstanding, recently discontinued in-state athletic rivalry. Guillen, Class of 2000, took to Twitter saying the bill would require UT and A&M to play each other annually in a nonconference, regular season football game. The two schools met on the football field every year from 1914 through 2011, but an A&M move to the Southeastern Conference derailed the rivalry game.
“This game is as much a Texas tradition as cowboy boots and barbecue,” Guillen told The Texas Tribune. “The purpose of the bill is to put the eyes of Texas upon our two greatest universities to restore this sacred Texas tradition.” The bill doesn’t specify when the game should occur, but it does state that whichever team refused to participate in the contest would suffer restrictions on its athletic scholarships, The Texas Tribune reported. “I think the people of Texas want a game, and we’re trying to get them one,” Guillen said. There is some precedent for the filing. In 1955, a Florida Legislature bill that sought
to require an annual Florida-Florida State game in all sports was struck down, but then-governor LeRoy Collins personally requested that the schools’ athletic directors work out a deal, which they eventually did. In 1997, a similar bill was passed in North Carolina Legislature demanding University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and North Carolina State play East Carolina annually. The Alabama House of Representatives also passed a similar measure in 1947 intended to encourage an Iron Bowl renewal between Auburn and Alabama. When the schools continued their impasse, the legislature threatened to withhold state funding unless the rivalry was resumed.
With the proposed scope and scale of the project, we are going to need many groups assisting with the renovation and expansion of Kyle Field. — University President R. Bowen Loftin Caleb Stewart — THE BATTALION
The expansion of Kyle Field, estimated to cost about $425 million in renovations, could hold upwards of 102,000 fans.
Fielding Kyle
History shows student fees part of stadium renovation funding Aimee Breaux
The Battalion As the financial breakdown of the Kyle Field redevelopment project unfolds, the A&M administration is deciding how students will foot their portion of the bill. “With the proposed scope and scale of the project, we are going to need many groups assisting with the renovation and expansion of Kyle Field,” University President R. Bowen
Loftin said in a prepared statement. Loftin met with student leaders to better form a plan of action to find funding for the east side — or student section — of Kyle Field. “We look forward to a major project,” Loftin said at a press conference announcing a hotel tax agreement with B-CS leaders. “Probably the largest project ever done at Texas A&M University and perhaps the largest in Texas.” Of the estimated $425 million cost to reno-
vate Kyle Field, $95 million will go toward the renovation of the east side and $20 million will be raised through philanthropy and seat licenses, which must be on the first deck between the 30-yard lines according to SEC guidelines. For the remaining $75 million, Loftin proposed students raise the money because students are the primary users of the east side. The conceptual expansion of the student section will include the removal of the Read
Building to clear more space for expanded concourses in addition to a new first deck, renovated and expanded restrooms, enhanced concessions, additional entry and exit points and new benches for standing. “In overview, they are lowering the field by about seven feet,” said Scott Bowen, speaker of Student Senate. “They are also lowering first deck and renovating it to add several rows
stark gallaries
texas legislature
Loftin asks finance committee for alternative support
inside
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Sarah Gibson
The Battalion The Texas House of Representatives and Senate convened in Austin on Jan. 8 to start their 140-day session in which lawmakers began to outline their 2014-2015 goals for Texas. On the docket The bottom line for debate is the issue regarding how to distribute Texas Legislature an $8.8 billion surplus and estimated that for the whether any of the extra 2014-2015 fiscal years, money will be allocated to the state budget will be higher education. around $89 billion. In During the last legislaa preliminary budget, tive session in 2011, Texas higher education will was faced with a $27 billion receive $236 million less deficit. Higher education than the last fiscal year. takes up 12 percent of the total state budget, but suffered 41 percent of the total cuts made in 2011. Because of this, Texas A&M’s budget for the 2011 fiscal year was reduced by $14.3 million, according to the Strategic Budget Reallocations executive summary. See Legislature on page 3
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See Kyle Field on page 5
Jade Bedell — THE BATTALION
Former students present an exhibit called “The Absolute Truth… Nothing But Lies” that explores the juxtaposition of fantasy and reality.
Artists shoot truth and lies Laila Jiwani
Special to The Battalion In the Stark Galleries’ latest exhibition, “The Absolute Truth… Nothing But Lies,” photographers Dave Einsel and Robert Sebree fuse reality and make-believe in a myriad of realistic and distorted photography. Though they come from similar backgrounds, Texas A&M former students Einsel (Class of 1981) and Sebree
(Class of 1982) have taken two very different professional paths. The artists met at Texas A&M, both having come from military families, and worked together photographing for publications such as The Battalion and the Aggieland Yearbook. Whereas Einsel took a more photojournalistic approach with his career, Sebree now has a studio
trends | 4 Spring into fashion With the early arrival of springtime weather in College Station, the time to break out warm weather clothes has come again. Check out page 4 to see the looks of spring.
See Stark on page 4
1/29/13 12:35 AM