Brazos Matters

Victoria Taylor, Sarah Lankford, and Giulia Goerigk discuss their experiences as student athletes in the Texas A&M Swimming program, their paths to A&M, majors at A&M, how they got acclimated to college, hosting team recruits, what inspired them to be swimmers, culture shocks encountered when coming to A&M, things that they would have liked their freshman selves to know, what they would have done differently in college, greatest challenges, things they will miss about College Station, how A&M has prepared them for the future, and their post-grad plans.

Savannah Gaines, Development Director at Aggieland Humane Society discusses her history with AHS, the difference between the 2 shelters in town and the areas covered by each, the current pet population, their new animal transfer van, the difference in pet population between northern and southern states, the pet food pantry, how AHS is handling increasing costs, reasons someone might surrender a pet, managing fundraising, current fashionable pets, fostering opportunities, pet licensing requirements, and how people can support AHS.

College Station Police Chief Billy Couch discusses his history with the CSPD, the evolution of the Northgate district over that time, the introductions of high-rises in the district, the changing customer base, common crimes, CSPD's approach to policing Northgate, conditional use permits for new bars in the city, issues in other areas of the city, and police department staffing & recruiting.

Sydney Fox, Public Engagement Specialist & Blake Knox, Transportation Engineer with the TXDOT Bryan District Office discuss the scope of the SH 6 widening project, how long work is expected to last, the influence of public feedback, how they're planning to mitigate impact on businesses and commuters, new shared use paths, upgrades to the Briarcrest & William J Bryan overpasses, a new diverging diamond intersection at University Drive, and updates to the northbound Texas Avenue exit.

Cameron House, Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor discusses dating app trends among different age ranges, how the apps have changed how people meet potential partners, the conflict of interest of companies working to make the apps addictive, how young people view & approach dating in a post-app world, encouraging caution, the effects on mental health, advice for using & getting off of apps, and meeting people with common interests & shared experiences.

Mariano Castillo, Professor of Practice of Journalism at Texas A&M and Avery Foster, Texas A&M Journalism student discuss the origins of the South Texas journalism project, covering a story about industrial air pollution in Laredo, student involvement in this project, how their 48 hours in Laredo went, reception by locals and public officials, future plans and goals including potentially serving news deserts in South Texas & the Brazos Valley.

Monica Martinez, Executive Director of Emergency Management & Dion Delao, Emergency Management Specialist & Meteorologist at Texas A&M University's Office of Emergency Management discuss their background and professional history, the benefits of having a meteorologist on staff, Code Maroon, coordinating closures with cities, school districts and the county, weather thresholds for alerts, best practices for receiving alerts, and how to prepare for emergencies.