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Most campus buildings are heated with steam pumped through a network of underground pipes. Overnight Thursday (Feb. 2), water flooded several of the underground vaults that house steam lines and other equipment needed to circulate it throughout campus. In this case, the flooding caused electrical shorts that temporarily disabled the pumps used to clear standing water from of the vaults. The mixture of cold rainwater and steaming hot pipes, led to steam escaping from a number of grates around campus. The steam wasn’t harmful, but made for an interesting sight and sauna-like conditions aboveground. Facilities Management dispatched crews to get the pumps operational, which quickly resolved the issue.

Athletes show off their art

ºÙºÙÊÓƵ' athletes aren't just talented on the court or field. They recently showed off their artistic skills through an exhibit highlighting their work. Athletic Director Kevin Blue said it's another way Aggies are defying stereotypes.  

Häagen-Dazs teases 'virtual reality experience'

The plight of the honeybee is nothing new, but now Häagen-Dazs plans to use virtual reality to show viewers the dangers facing bees from their perspective. The company, which funds bee research on campus, says the project is part of its efforts to research bees, which pollinate many foods, including those used in its ice cream:

Over the last five years, we've lost over one-third of our honeybee colonies nationwide, due to factors such as colony collapse disorder (CCD), an alarming phenomenon that occurs when honeybees mysteriously desert their hive and die. Researchers do not know exactly what causes CCD, but they believe there may be many contributing factors, including viruses, mites, chemical exposure, and poor nutrition. If this continues, we’re forced to imagine a world without them. No tasty pears, luscious raspberries, or juicy strawberries.

Since 2008, Häagen-Dazs® Ice Cream has teamed up with leading research facilities to donate more than $1,000,000 to honeybee research. Our ongoing contributions recognize the role honeybees play in our food production. Delicious Häagen-Dazs® flavors like rocky road, vanilla Swiss almond and strawberry, among others, rely on thriving honeybee colonies. The funds we donate are used to help support the at the University of California, Davis, which is the largest and most comprehensive state-supported apiculture facility in North America. 

The Häagen-Dazs® Ice Cream contributions also support the maintenance of the — a bee-friendly demonstration garden on the ºÙºÙÊÓƵ campus — as well as the development of educational materials.