houck2040/artisci huggingface dataset:
seventy-eight years ago monday more than 160 000 allied troops landed on the beaches of normandy launching the invasion thats often referred to as the beginning of the end of world war ii in europe the normandy landings also known as the d-day invasions were certainly incredibly significant to the war said adam seipp a professor in the texas a&m university department of history but not for the reasons that come to mind for most americans d-day set the stage for post-war europe seipp who is also associate dean of the graduate and professional school at texas a&m specializes in european war and society and transnational history he says the d-day anniversary is an important time to reflect on and recognize the sacrifices of the soldiers who risked and in some cases gave their lives on june 6 1944 for a free europe by allowing the allies to establish a presence in western europe d-day represents a critical step in laying the foundation for a post-nazi empire world seipp said the normandy landings in many ways meant that the capitals of western europe were liberated by the western allies not by the soviet union he said in a sense its perhaps more important for what happened after the war than what happened during the war seipp said d-day is remembered in europe today as a symbol for reunification this was exemplified in 2004 when gerhard schroeder became the first german chancellor to attend a commemoration of the landings on the 40th anniversary in 2014 seipp said a fascinating commemoration ceremony essentially re-imagined d-day european leaders re-imagined the normandy landings as a moment when europeans realized the error of their ways seipp said to reimagine d-day as this moment along the way to european integration is fascinating as an american its remembered very different there than in the united states
the defeat of nazi germany really happened on the eastern front d-days narrative frequently focuses on its part in bringing world war ii to a close but just three weeks after d-day the soviet union launched a massive offensive that seipp said was likely more integral to ending the war than the victory of the allies in france in a sense i dont think the normandy landings really did much to hasten the end of nazi germany he said theres almost no question the war was won and lost in the east during the june 22 summer offensive 25 million men attacked the german lines up and down the eastern front the assault known as operation bagration resulted in roughly 400 000 german casualties seipp said it should not be seen as a disparagement to those who fought at normandy but the fight hundreds of miles to the east in belorussia was what largely sealed the fate of the war the two operations are not even close in size seipp said this really was a war of annihilation on the eastern front and what broke the back of nazi germany it wasnt just an american effort also often overlooked he said is the role played by allied troops from great britain and canada on d-day i think that americans tend to forget that this really was a multinational effort seipp said the american memory of the invasion heavily focuses on the united states contribution he said but it in many ways was largely a british operation with canadians and some free french also participating despite this famous depictions of d-day in movies such as "saving private ryan" and the longest day present the invasion as mostly an american effort another likely contributor: forty years after world war ii the soviet union would go on to become the united states enemy in the cold war so it was a little awkward to give the soviets the credit they deserved seipp said also at the center of how d-day is remembered in the us is pointe du hoc where former texas a&m president gen james earl rudder famously led a battalion of army rangers up the 90-foot vertical cliffs defended by german troops on the normandy beaches this became one of the most famous moments in the battles history thanks to its portrayal in the longest day seipp said but most of the credit can be given to president ronald reagans speech about the boys of pointe du hoc delivered in 1984 for the 40th anniversary while there has been some retrospective debate over how militarily useful rudders mission to secure pointe du hoc ended up being seipp said theres no question the young lieutenant colonel did something insanely brave its just unbelievable those cliffs are terrifying and to do that under fire must have been an unbelievably horrifying experience he said originally published by texas a&m today
happy summer ags! im a psychological and brain sciences major working in bryan-college station this summer ive noticed aggieland takes on a slower pace in the warm summer months of june july and august when the student population in town shrinks significantly that makes it the perfect time to discover new hangouts or reconnect to some old favorites with a little more solitude ive put together a list of the best hangout spots around campus for you to enjoy in aggieland this summer what better way to get in that sunshine state of mind than grabbing a friend a good book or your favorite meal and heading to one of these destinations! 1 the gardens first up on our list is the gardens with 7-acres full of gorgeous flowers a water feature and wooden swingswhether youre out for a summer stroll or looking for a place to catch up with friends this is the place for you! 2 msc hall of honor located near the honor entrance of the memorial student center the hall of honor recognizes eight aggies who have received the medal of honor while this is a more somber spot on campus its a great location to learn about and honor those who exemplify the aggie core values 3 the academic building the academic building is a great historic hangout spot on campus and is the new home of the college of arts & sciences if you look up in the rotunda you will see a replica of the liberty bell at three stories high there is plenty of seating to study or read in the rotunda! 4 military walk located in the heart of campus military walk is an excellent spot with plenty of shade for your summer activities you can even stop by some historical and educational markers along the way and read about the history of texas a&m university! 5 brookshire brothers go grab a meal and experience a new addition to aggieland an outdoor concert venue dining area and grocery store combined you will have so much to explore 6 rudder with new student conferences in full swing this summer youll have no trouble making new friends when you stop by rudder! 7 east quad by the liberal arts and humanities building the east quad is an outdoor green space located near the liberal arts and arts and humanities building this spot is perfect for outdoor games lounging or a summer picnic 8 msc flag room if youre looking for a quiet place to study look no further than the flag room in the memorial student center known also as the living room of texas a&m the comfy couches and the opportunity to hear live piano music make this spot a relaxing choice 9 innovative learning classroom building rooftop patio on the second floor of the ilcb youll find an outdoor patio equipped with seating and a gorgeous view of main campus how could you not want to hangout here with views like this 10 the junction this coffee shop within the texas a&m hotel and conference center is a great summer hangout perfect for grabbing some iced coffee and some friendly competition from their wall of board games!
the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa)s climate prediction center announced in their may 24 2022 media briefing that they are expecting another highly active hurricane season this year noaa forecasters predict a 65 percent chance of an above-average season for 2022 which officially starts june 1 and continues through nov 30 these predictions include an estimated range of 14 to 21 named storms six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes (category 3 or higher) likely the anticipated increase in hurricane activity this season is attributed to several climate factors including weaker tropical atlantic trade winds and the ongoing la niña weather pattern which is expected to continue through the atlantic hurricane season and warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the atlantic this atlantic seasonal outlook is for overall seasonal activity and is not a landfall forecast noaas climate prediction center will update the 2022 atlantic seasonal outlook in early august just prior to the historical peak of the season for more information on hurricane preparedness view the homeowners handbook to prepare for coastal natural hazards which is available in spanish and english online at hazardshandbookcom and to download for free texas sea grant also has a webpage dedicated to hurricane preparedness including links to informational videos and a comprehensive list of further resources
in 1985 long after zentgraf had graduated was commissioned and entered the us air force the texas attorney general agreed to a settlement that would require a&m to actively embrace female participation in all areas of the corps special units included that same year abat and others were allowed to join and march with the aggie band and in 1986 a&m had its first female ross volunteers: mandy schubert 87 and nancy hedgecock 87 as zentgraf told the associated press on the day of the settlement its over but its just begun zentgraf passed away from cancer in 2020 after a long and successful career flying for fedex marching forward sure enough abats time in the corps and band helped pave the way for further integration the aggie bands a-battery became the first co-ed outfit and their living quarters became the first integrated dorm facility when abat moved in with the rest of her squadmates in 1986 by 1990 the all-female w-1 and squadron 14 were eliminated and co-ed units started to become the norm i think we do a disservice to young people if theyre not in the midst of both genders because theyre going to have to deal with both genders in the real world abat said it was a great thing and the right thing for the university she said her time in the aggie band also helped to dispel the myth that integrating the corps and its special units would dilute their distinct character the reality is change is always difficult abat said i think if you distill it down thats what people were afraid of that if women came into the band it would turn into just any other band but as abat notes the band did not fall apart and neither did the rest of the corps more diverse than ever it continues to train cadets for whatever may await them after graduation just as it did for those trailblazing women of the 1970s and 80s if you look at the history of these women 15 years down the road we already had five full colonels roper said other women have taken on very strong roles everything from the environmental protection agency right on down into business and the clergy each of those places they went benefited from having this particular group of women be part of their community
as one of the worlds leading research institutions texas a&m is at the forefront in making significant contributions to scholarship and discovery including in science and technology research conducted at texas a&m generated annual expenditures of more than $1148 billion in fiscal year 2021 texas a&m ranked 14th in the most recent national science foundations higher education research and development survey based on expenditures of more than $1131 billion in fiscal year 2020 texas a&ms research creates new knowledge that provides basic fundamental and applied contributions resulting in many cases in economic benefits to the state nation and world to learn more visit research@texas a&m
texas a&m university has long offered a bachelor of arts in geology but has recently restructured the program to emphasize eight new disciplinary themes that prepare students for a variety of careers that require or would benefit from knowledge of geology students can tailor their degree program to pursue careers in environmental law finance science journalism k-12 science education resource management and sustainability conservation public health public policy or public service the stewardship of the earth is going to play an increasingly important role in our society and culture said dr julie newman department head for geology and geophysics it will be critical to have people with a background in geology in position to affect our laws and public policies educate our children and inform the general public the ba in geology is designed for students who want to satisfy their interest in geology and apply their education to careers that can effect broader societal change ba students will supplement their geology coursework with courses from one of eight disciplinary themes: business and finance paleontology and paleoecology geospatial sciences geology of the human past pre-law life sciences public policy and economics and secondary education each theme consists of a menu of elective courses from other disciplines the department of geology and geophysics worked together with many other departments in the new college of arts and sciences in establishing these new themes the college of arts and sciences is a natural home for this geology degree that encourages students to explore and take advantage of the wide range of disciplines that require knowledge of the earth newman said to find out more information about the ba in geology visit the department of geology and geophysics degree program or contact the department of geology and geophysics academic advisor suzanne rosser
when texas a&m university mathematician vanessa coffelt wanted to further accommodate coursework for students who are blind or visually impaired the staff in the texas a&m department of disability resources accepted the challenge they worked closely with the department of mathematics to create a braille translation more than 2 300 pages worthwe dont read math the way we understand math said justin romack a disability resources assistant director who works with assistive technology in the division of student affairs if you think literally about how math is written even a simple equation such as2 times 2 on a sheet of paper looks like 2 the letter x and 2 if its not made accessible digitally thats how its readhistorically students with visual impairment have been unable to fully access stem courses math is an incredibly visual and spatially ordered medium youve got blind students who are shut out from that because the technology hasnt been there its costly to produce and it requires expertise romack said its far more likely to see a blind student pushed toward the arts than it is to see people tackling barriers to accessibility for them in the math spacewhile coffelt had successfully created an inclusive classroom that supported students with disabilities during her 23-year career she had never taught a student who was legally blind until this year i had to rethink how i was going to teach the class she said there are so many different components and word problems in this course it starts with matrices which are a challenge to describe it took more careful thought because i couldnt just pointcoffelt reached out to romack for help and together they identified needs for a braille translation the extensive list included the classs 1 100-page textbook lecture notes exams group assignments and check-in questions that coffelt uses to gauge student understandingrealizing the immense scope of the project and the quickly approaching start of the 2022 spring semester romack gathered a team of student workers to use a processing app to translate the materials to braille the complexity and overlapping concepts of the project called for sharp attention to detail and a thorough review of each translated chapter to ensure the math was coded correctly
my college commute from my home in san antonio to aggieland is roughly three hours 161 miles of backroads small towns and dairy cows its long its familiar and for the last 20 years of my life its remained the farthest distance ive traveled on my own from home that changed by 5 000 miles on february 5 2022 when i stepped off my first international flight and touched down on foreign ground i was alone in the madrid-barajas international airport tugging along two 50-pound suitcases filled with four months worth of clothes a wad of euros stuffed in my socks and a severe case of jet lag when it dawned on me: my 161-mile commute of boring backroads would never again compare to a 5 161-mile journey across the atlantic that journey was just the first leg of the greatest experience of my life this was the first step toward making my childhood dream of being an adventurer come true after touching down in the heart of spain i took a taxi to what i would call home for the next four months students in my study abroad program get to choose whether to live in an apartment private housing or homestay while completing their studies since i was determined to return home with a better understanding of spanish i decided it would be best to stay with a local family who would encourage me to practice my spanish daily once i was situated in my new room and got to know my host family i began the next part of my journey: exploring i got in touch with other students and we wasted no time taking to the streets of madrid together we figured out how to use the metro system a much fancier version of the new york subway and i spent an arm and a leg at sol in the center of madrid buying a brand new wardrobe to fit in with the spanish fashionistas every day i indulged in a two-euro cappuccino and an order of churros y chocolate and i always came home to a delicious meal featuring authentic spanish cuisine from tortillas to patatas bravas to an assortment of jamon and queso
thanks to my education abroad program and the scholarships i was awarded through texas a&m universitys education abroad office i got to experience the adventure of a lifetime in just four months my spanish improved tremendously i knew the streets of madrid like the back of my hand i had taken advantage of the opportunity to explore cities outside of spain and i built lifelong relationships with the people who were with me every step of the way on my final day in madrid i walked into the madrid-barajas airport with just a few more suitcases than i had arrived with and only five euros left in my pocket (not my sock this time) i ordered one last spanish cappuccino and boarded my flight mentally preparing myself for the nine-hour trip back home it wasnt until i watched the spanish countryside fade completely from my sight that i realized i had completed my first great adventure now as a new fall semester unfolds back in bryan-college station i cant wait for the next adventure to begin
learn more about education abroad in the college of arts and sciences and the important role that international experiences play in preparing students for successful careers and leadership roles in our increasingly diverse and global environment
queen elizabeth ii britains longest-serving monarch died sept 8 at the age of 96 ahead of her funeral and the coronation of her son king charles iii texas a&m today spoke with kevin mcglone a history professor in the college of arts and sciences whose areas of specialty include early 20th century irish and british history how significant is the queens passing for the united kingdom how if at all will this impact the country and its international relations the queens death comes at a turbulent time in british politics with a recent scandal-induced change of prime minister and soaring energy food and fuel costs a 2021 poll taken across england scotland and wales showed a 70% approval rating for queen elizabeth but only 50% of respondents thought favorably of her son and heir charles now king charles iii how her death and the accession of charles to the throne changes public perceptions about the monarchy remains to be seen beyond the united kingdom 14 countries (previously british colonies) still consider the british monarch to be their head of state and we could witness across some of these countries particularly in the caribbean a political intensification to remove the monarch as their sovereign liz truss was recently installed as britains new prime minister what could the queens death mean for truss as she takes office and forms her agenda just a few days before her death queen elizabeth ii swore liz truss in as the fifteenth prime minister of her long reign to get a sense of the length of her span as monarch winston churchill was the british prime minister when she became monarch in 1952 as a prime minister liz truss leads the nations government and the buck stops with her when it comes to policy decisions truss has taken charge of a country reeling from a covid pandemic-related and brexit-induced economic downturn with many fearing a deep recession elizabeth through her annual televised christmas addresses and queens speech to parliament among her many other public engagements always served as a voice of optimism and comfort through good times and bad liz truss who has taken office after a series of scandals involving her predecessor boris johnson needs to quickly respond to the many challenges facing the nation such as skyrocketing inflation and soaring food and fuel costs unfortunately for her king charles iii may not be politically impartial like his mother was in recent years he has made numerous speeches demanding action on climate change and recently he slated the actions of former prime minister boris johnson over his immigration policy should the potentially outspoken new king be a thorn in the side of truss as she sets out her governments agenda remains to be seen
what did elizabeth ii represent as a symbol for the country especially for the many brits who dont remember life before the queen from coinage to postage stamps from letter boxes to flags and of course the national anthem queen elizabeths presence was ubiquitous across british society the royal family is a source of fascination both within and outside the united kingdom and the queens death has felt almost familial to many mourners the recent highly-rated netflix series the crown a blend of history and fiction allowed viewers to intimately connect with their monarch from the comfort of their own homes and from their tv sets the british public got to bear witness to the many burdens she and her nation faced and withstood over the past 70 years what should we be watching for in terms of the future of the monarchy what challenges will charles face going forward king charles iii is 73 years old and is the oldest person ever to become a british monarch it will be interesting to see how he will be viewed by the british people the vast majority of whom have never known life without the queen as their sovereign what is clear is that charles lacks the appeal of his mother he is faced with the huge task of becoming that rock his mother undoubtedly was as britain grapples with political and economic uncertainty a recent poll in great britain suggests that three-fifths of its people are in favor of the monarchy as opposed to having an elected head of state or republic across the commonwealth its a different story in australia queen elizabeth was extremely popular with the vast majority of the people but with her now gone we may see a rekindling of the debate there between republicans and monarchists and possibly another referendum like the one that country had in 1999 we may see similar political drama in new zealand canada and across the caribbean king charles iii has had a checkered past in the public eye the intense british medias scrutiny that followed his 1994 admission of an extra-marital affair with camilla parker bowles (now his wife and queen consort) along with his acrimonious 1996 divorce from the much-adored princess diana tarnished his image and that of the royal family the recent sex abuse scandal involving his brother prince andrew has further discredited the house of windsor it will be interesting to see how the british people respond to their new monarch in the years ahead this story was originally published by texas a&m today