Opinion

“It’s a small world. And the older I get, the smaller it gets.” — Attributed to my longtime friend and sage, Oscar Elliott.

We have a lot to be excited about this spring at Sul Ross State University. It’s a season of renewal, growth, and fresh beginnings.

Since the dawn of the information age, the way we communicate and live has undergone a transformative journey. Many sought hope and prosperity in big cities like Houston, El Paso, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin, attracted by the economic opportunities and comforts the big city provides. However, a different kind of allure beckons from the high desert region - the desert’s call.

“I say that half your life is spent trying to get out of a small town and the other half trying to get back to one.” — Kelly Cutrone, American publicist, television personality, and author. The preacher’s sermon on Sunday centered on a prevalent problem in America today.

New Year’s is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s an opportunity to reflect on all that we accomplished in the past 12 months while looking ahead with hope, optimism, and expectation for what we will create together in the year ahead. The new year is always full of so much promise.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. — Eleanor Roosevelt Looking back is part of the fun of writing a weekly column for decades.

As we bid farewell to 2023, we take a moment to reflect on the journey we’ve shared together as a community. This year has been a testament to the strength, resilience, and unity that defi ne the City of Alpine. As we express our gratitude, remember the highs and lows, honor those we’ve lost, and anticipate the possibilities ahead, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every member of our community.

“A sister is someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway.” — Author unknown It was just a few days ago. November 14.

As the sun sets on another year at Sul Ross State University, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the incredible achievements and transformative experiences that have characterized our campus community. Reflecting on the past year, and indeed the last 18 months since I arrived, I find myself compelled to celebrate the remarkable milestones that have defined our journey at SRSU.

When managing rangeland for grazing purposes, it is essential that owners and managers understand the resources that are available to them to assist in this sometimes difficult and complex process. There is a wide array of innovative tools and resources at the disposal of individuals who find themselves making these critical management decisions. One of the many, highly effective services that producers can utilize through AgriLife is the Grazing Land Animal Nutrition Lab, commonly referred to as the GAN Lab. The GAN Lab dates back to the 1980s with its roots in the Conservation Biology and Range, Wildlife, & Fisheries Management Departments at Texas A&M University. The original goals of the lab were to study grazing and nutrition trends in livestock. An innovative approach was utilized that allowed actual measurement of nutrient intake and diet composition of animals through fecal samples, instead of the more commonly used widespread forage testing in pastures and rangelands. The results often portrayed a vastly different picture when compared with the actual grazing diets of the animals using these pastures.