The Battalion - April 15, 2019 by The Battalion

‘A big loss for this small community’

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

Left: Shedrick Darnell, a 30 year resident of Franklin, stands near his mother’s “Wall of Faith” while surveying the damage of his family’s home following the tornado. Top: Frederick Darnell hoists an American flag above the wreckage of his home. Bottom: Connie and Victor Henry look for valuables and keepsakes in the rubble of their home.

After tornado tears through town, Franklin residents come together to begin rebuilding homes and lives By Jordan Burnham @RJordanBurnham Ten crosses still hang on the wall of Shedrick Darnell’s home, which now has no roof or windows. This is just one of over 50 houses that were destroyed, leaving piles of wood and sheetrock scattered across the south side of Franklin. Saturday afternoon, a tornado ripped through the entire width of Robertson county and left the town devastated in its wake. With a population of a little over 1,500, the county seat

located 40 minutes outside of College Station found itself in the direct path of an EF3 tornado. One church and 55 residential homes were destroyed, and 4,000 across the county were left without electricity. Connie and Victor Henry moved to Franklin after their house in Hearne was destroyed by a water leak. Connie, who was in her home as the tornado tore through the brick building, said everything happened quickly, yet felt like it lasted forever. “In an hour and 45 minutes, my life changed from what we call normal to disaster,” Connie Henry said. Born and raised in Franklin, William Kirven was at home with his puppy when his power cut out and the wind started to howl. Kirven said he quickly went to the bathroom to seek

safety. “And as I’m holding the door shut, I see light behind me,” Kirven said. “The whole back side of the house flipped off to the front, so I came out of the bathroom and there was a piece of sheetrock just laying over, like a piece of the wall had fallen, but it was high enough so I could get under and ball up until it passed over me and I got up and ran to my sister’s house.” Though many of Kirven’s friends and family have also been affected by the storm, he said he is thankful that no one was seriously injured. Kirven plans to rebuild the home he and his mother share. “Even different communities, they’ve all come together,” Kirven said. “Everybody is alive, that’s the main thing.” FRANKLIN ON PG. 2

Long journey home An unpredictable, international Aggie Ring Day story 73 years in the making By Hollis Mills @ sillohsllim On its golden surface, the Aggie Ring is a testament to the pursuit of a higher education. But underneath resides a story only the ring bearer can tell. For Jonas Lossner, that story began 73 years before he placed Aggie gold on his finger. This Ring Day, the mechatronics senior celebrated the acceptance of his Aggie Ring surrounded by family and former students at the Miramont Country Club in Bryan. This intimate setting away from campus was chosen to ring in Jonas’ achievement and reminisce on a contribution the Lossner family made to

Aggieland before they had even known of it. In the winter of 1944, outside of Kommerscheidt, Germany, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest was waged for over 140 days and nights, injuring or claiming the lives of 33,000 American GIs. Among the fallen was Medal of Honor recipient Turney Leonard, class of 1942, whose remains were recovered in 1949, though his Aggie Ring was not. This is because three years prior, 15-year-old Alfred Hutmacher, Jonas’ grandfather, discovered Leonard’s ring while assisting American forces in relocating the graves of fallen soldiers. Intrigued yet unaware of its importance, Hutmacher placed Leonard’s ring in a shoebox, where it sat for over 50 years before being returned to the university by Jonas’ father, German Lt. Volker Lossner. Upon the ring’s RING DAY ON PG.2

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Mechatronics senior Jonas Lossner shows off his new Aggie ring to his brother Sebastian, Class of 2016, and his parents.

Pouncing on the Tigers No. 12 A&M earns series win over Auburn with explosive fourth inning By Caroline Gooding @goodasitgets19

Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION

The Aggies defeated the Tigers 4-1 Sunday afternoon. Texas A&M will play the University of Houston Cougars on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

No. 12 Texas A&M baseball defeated No. 19 Auburn 4-1 on Sunday to take the series win 2-1. The win is a meaningful one for the Aggies, helping to get them back on track after struggling in the previous two SEC series matchups. The Aggies and Tigers both started off the day slow. In the first and second innings, dominant fielding by the Aggies brought an end to both innings with no runs scored and no runners left on base for Auburn. Auburn matched this performance after sti-

fling the Aggie offense from earning an early lead during their at bats. In the third, the Tigers managed to gain some traction with a single by freshman infielder Ryan Bliss to start the inning. The single was shortly followed by a single to deep left field to send Bliss, who had made it to third off A&M errors, back to home plate, putting the Tigers up 1-0. Shutout in the third, the Aggies entered the fourth inning looking for a momentum swing. A single by junior outfielder Cam Blake was a promising start for a stagnant A&M offense, which only recorded two hits in the previous three innings. Junior shortstop Braden Shewmake, who holds a .327 team high batting average, followed this with a single to deep BASEBALL ON PG. 2

NEWS

The Battalion | 4.15.19

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

Top left: An American flag flies among the wreckage of south Franklin. Bottom left: A Franklin resident looks at what is left of his home. Center: The Franklin community banded together to help those in need gather their belongings after the storm. Top right: Pieces of homes were thrown across streets and into neighboring houses during the tornado. Bottom right: Tractors and backhoes filled the streets of Franklin Sunday morning after the storm.

FRANKLIN CONTINUED Victims of the storm can find shelter at the First Baptist Church, which has volunteered its facilities to the Red Cross. Interim pastor Ted Elmore said the shelter has an abundance of water, food and supplies as of Sunday. He said the rural community is largely faith-based, which has helped its members to pull together. “Even folks who are not part of the faith community have compassion for their neighbor,” Elmore said. “And so it was not even sitting back wondering, ‘What do we do?’ We just show up.”

RING DAY CONTINUED return, Volker Lossner remarked that he was overwhelmed by the graciousness the Aggie community greeted him with, and he knew this hospitality would ease a worried mind. “The thing I was thinking about the next day when we had breakfast together was I needed to make a phone call to my father-inlaw,” Volker Lossner said. “At that time he already was an old man and suffering from his disease, but I got him on the phone and I told him, ‘Papa, they don’t hate us. They love us.’” Back in Germany, the Lossner family received visits from a handful of grateful Aggies, two of whom were Donald “Buck” Henderson, Class of 1962, and James “Jim” Nelson, Class of 1949. Their gatherings consisted of jubilance and a unanimously favored strawberry shortcake. In 2007, Nelson, moved by the Lossner family’s selflessness, offered his own contribution: assisting the Lossner sons’ education if they chose to attend A&M. “We were so impressed with what we’d seen in the Hürtgen Forest and the Lossner

BASEBALL CONTINUED center field. Junior catcher Mikey Hoehner hit a single to left field to drive in Blake, scoring the Aggies’ first run of the game. But a three-run home run by A&M’s junior outfielder Logan Foster brought home the win for the Aggies. “He threw me a fastball, and I was hunting fastball,” Foster said. “In those situations, we practice that all the time with a runner on third and less than two outs. You just got to put your best swing on the ball and not let him get a first strike. Today as an offense we were

Emergency management coordinator for Robertson County Billy Huggins said Red Cross will be conducting a disaster survey to calculate the total cost of the storm’s damage. He said the survey will account for each area hit by the weekend’s storms, including the each of Alto two hours northeast of Franklin. “Alto is just destroyed,” Huggins said. “We have to follow the FEMA guides on how we track everything so that we get reimbursement assistance from FEMA.” Billy Huggins’ nephew Chris Huggins is leading Operation BBQ Relief’s deployment to Franklin. The non-profit disaster relief organization responds to catastrophes all over the country. Chris Huggins said the organi-

zation planned to give out over 1,350 meals throughout Saturday and Sunday. “Our motto is to give that one hot meal out that counts,” Chris Huggins said. “BBQ is a comfort food, you know. BBQ brings back memories, good times, good memories. It’s a moment for someone to sit down and have a hot meal, and it brings back hope.” Robert Gonzales, a public information officer with the Red Cross, said about 15 people are currently taking refuge in the First Baptist Church’s temporary shelter, and the Red Cross’ role is to provide assistance and supplies for families in the shelter. “The other thing that we’re doing is providing what we call disaster equipment sup-

family that we met that we felt it was wonderful to have these two beautiful young boys come to Texas A&M,” Nelson said. After a few trips from Germany to Texas, the family accepted Nelson’s offer and their oldest son, Sebastian, Class of 2016, became the first Lossner Aggie. Taking in his younger brother’s big day, Sebastian Lossner remarked, “You can’t make this up,” and said they will always cherish where life has taken them. “I have never felt as proud as I am today,” Sebastian said. “With him having the ring and us sharing the story, I think this has brought us even closer together.” Also in attendance for the ceremony was Bryan-College Station-based artist Benjamin Knox, who gifted the Lossner family his first printing of a Class of 2020 Aggie Ring. Knox described the Lossner family story as a destiny that has only just begun. “I look at this story as not just a story of the Aggie spirit, but a story of almost predestiny,” Knox said. “That predestiny is a story of love. It’s a story of hope and beauty, international unity, and with these fine young men carrying the torch now, the next generation is your

generation and you guys are going to be the ones that set the tone.” As Jonas — one of the “luckiest guys” to attend A&M, according to Henderson — took to the podium on Friday, he addressed the room with “a story that only the Aggie family could write.” “None of this today would have been possible without Turney Leonard sacrificing his life to liberate Germany, my grandfather holding onto a ring — seemingly insignificant — for over 50 years, and my father realizing there was so much more to this ring than anybody could have ever imagined,” Jonas said. With his Aggie Ring on his hand and an intersecting German-U.S. flag pin attached to his lapel, Jonas said it will always be important to share the Lossner family story because “former enemies” can become friends — even family. “There are really no words that could ever express how thankful I am for the opportunity to come here, study what I’m passionate about and pave the way for me to give back to the very same people who made me who I am today,” Jonas said. “The Aggie family.”

fully committed to our approach.” In the fifth, Auburn’s offense began to gain momentum, with hits by Steven William and Will Holland to put two runners in striking distance for the Tigers. With two on base and two outs, the Aggies called for a pitching change. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Bryce Miller took the mound and ended the inning with a single pitch. Pitching changes for the Aggies proved to be a key theme of the day. Five A&M pitchers were used over the course of the game, each of them performing well when called to the mound . “Christian [Roa] got us off to a wonderful

start and each guy we went to did an amazing job. Just really proud of the toughness our guys showed today,” A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “Each guy we went to got us off the field in some big spots.” While Roa got the Aggies off to a great start, freshman left-handed pitcher Chris Weber earned the win. A&M’s closer, Kasey Kalich, who was awarded the save, pitched a dominant ninth inning. The sophomore right-handed pitcher had a 1-2-3 inning after striking out the first three batters to close out the game. Childress said he was proud of his team’s ability to compete against a tough conference

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Megan Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief Luke Henkhaus, Managing Editor Jordan Burnham, News Editor Sanna Bhai, Asst. News Editor Henry Mureithi, Asst. News Editor Kathryn Whitlock, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Falcon, Life & Arts Editor Samantha Mahler, Life & Arts Editor Jane Turchi, Special Sections Editor

Angel Franco, Sports Editor Abigail Ochoa, Sports Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Chief Meredith Seaver, Asst. Photo Chief Daoud Qamar, Video Editor Kevin Christman, Video Editor Brady Stone, Page Designer Sydney Clark, Page Designer

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Jonas Lossner (left) and Sebastian Lossner display their rings at Jonas’ ceremony.

opponent like Auburn. “We’re not hitting on all cylinders right now,” Childress said. “To say that as a team we’re not hitting on all cylinders and still finding ways to win an SEC series is an awfully bold thing to say. It’s hard to do. It’s hard to win SEC games, much less a series.” With the win, the Aggies move to 27-10-1 on the season and 9-5-1 in SEC play. Auburn takes home the loss and now has a 24-12 overall record and is 8-7 in conference play. A&M will be back in action on Tuesday to take on the University of Houston at Schroeder Park. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

AGGIELAND 2018

Senior Boot Bag

plies, so things like clean-up kits,” Gonzales said. “Mops, brooms, buckets, gloves, shovels, rakes — things that they can utilize to help clean up their home and everything.” Charles Pope works at the county courthouse and said there are no words to express the impact of “a big loss for this small community.” “It’s going to take a while for them to get back on their feet,” Pope said. “But with the good Lord’s help, with everybody coming together — they can rebuild.” Students and community members who would like to volunteer can call the emergency operations center at (979) 828-6680.

here

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2018AGGIELAND

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The Battalion | 4.15.19

Latino voting could transform Texas As 2020 elections approach, shifting demographics hold political potential By Henry Mureithi @HenryMureithi5 Despite their growing population in Texas, Latino voters have consistently been an elusive demographic for political parties. Each election cycle brings renewed speculation about the political fortunes that could be afforded by Latino voting, and with the next presidential election ostensibly already underway, 2020 will be no different. In Texas, Latinos make up about 39 percent of the total population — 36 percent of the adult population — and are projected to outnumber non-Hispanic whites just in time for the 2020 election, becoming the largest ethnic group in the state by 2042, according to the Texas Office of the State Demographer. To date, about 10 percent of Texas mayors and county judges are Hispanic and 13 percent of county commissioners, based on an analysis by the Austin American-Statesman. In the Texas State Legislature, 23 percent of legislators are Hispanic. “I believe that Latinos and the youth vote are key in our next elections,” associate professor of history Sonia Hernández said. “We saw an increase in Latino voter turnout in this last Texas Senate election. While there was Latino support for Ted Cruz, an overwhelming majority of Latinos voted for Rep. Beto O’Rourke — which gave Cruz quite a scare. In a majority Republican state like Texas, the gap between these two candidates should have been huge.” These demographics have not yet translated into seismic political power, with Hispanic voters making up only 21 percent of the 2016 Texas electorate, according to the Center for American Progress. In hopes of addressing this gap, the civic engagement non-profit Jolt Action is focused on increasing the leadership of young Latinos in Texas. As part of their voter turnout efforts, Jolt Action brought their “Latino is Powerful Campus Tour” to Texas A&M on April 9. “We work with a lot of students and young people, in particular women, through training and leadership development,” Jolt Action organizing director Tess Ortega said. “We want them to take these lessons and take them back into their communities.” Several formerly Republican-leaning areas of Texas are shifting politically due to emerging Latino communities in those areas. But Jolt Action communications director Antonio

Arellano faulted both major political parties for not putting in sufficient effort to engage Hispanic voters. As of 2018, 25 percent of Hispanic adults in Texas either self-identify as Republicans or lean Republican, while 44 percent either identifying or leaning Democratic. Independents make up the second largest group among these voters at 31 percent, according to Pew Research. “The future is Latino,” Arellano said. “And frankly, both parties have done a terrible job at reaching out to the Latinx community. … We demand to be treated with respect and dignity that we deserve.” In the past, Hispanics have voted at least somewhat Democratic. Despite O’Rourke’s unusually close 2018 finish against Cruz in reliably-Republican Texas, the strength of O’Rourke’s support was buoyed almost exclusively by a surge in support from the parts of the state dominated by non-Hispanic white voters — not its expanding Latino communities in South and West Texas. Arellano said this trend reflects a larger criticism among Latino political organizers. Despite the tendency of Hispanic voters to vote for Democrats, Arellano said the party has repeatedly failed to take advantage of the demographic shifts taking place in areas like Texas. Looking to the future, the controversy surrounding the immigration policies of the Trump administration have prompted predictions among pundits of a possible surge in Latino voter turnout in protest to these actions. “We will have to see what happens in 2020, but in these past midterms I think voters sent a loud message about the country’s trajectory,” Hernández said. “There were horrendous images of separated families at the border — including those whose legal right is to petition for asylum — and those policies were implemented by the Trump administration. People witnessed this anti-family policy and it did not sit well with many on both sides of the aisle.” This upside was not echoed in the results of the most recent elections. The Texas Hispanic share of the electorate in 2018 did not exceed its 2016 levels and was only two percentage points higher than in 2012. With a larger pool of eligible Latino voters, this might change in 2020 since Hispanic turnout tends to be higher during presidential election years. During the campus event, Jolt Action founder and executive director Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said part of the group’s effort is aimed at countering efforts intended to diminish Latino political agency. Among these are structural barriers to voter participation in

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

When the “Latino is Powerful Campus Tour” visited A&M, moderator Antonio Arellano spoke about being the first DACA recipient to sign a contract with ABC-13 News in Houston.

the state including the 2011 Texas voter ID law and various racial redistricting efforts arising after the 2010 Census, in addition to controversial changes to the 2020 Census itself. In 2017, the Texas voter ID law was struck down by a federal judge because they ruled it discriminated against black and Hispanic voters. Another federal judge ruled in 2017 that city officials in Pasadena drew an electoral map with the intent to discriminate against Latino voters. Furthermore, the Supreme Court also found the Republican-controlled Texas State Legislature racially gerrymandered a state legislative district in, heavily-Hispanic Fort Worth. The proposal to include a citizenship question in the next census — which some fear may lead to an undercount of the U.S. Hispanic population — is currently before the Supreme Court. “These are all the same old tools of poll taxes and literacy tests and voter ID laws repackaged with the same purpose,” Ramírez said. “To deny us and [other] communities of color the right to determine a different direction for our country. At Jolt, we say, ‘Don’t be discouraged because our community is under attack. They’re attacking us because they know we’re powerful.’” Further inhibiting their electoral potential, Hispanic voters tend to be less educated and have lower incomes than non-Hispanic

whites — both factors are strong predictors of voting propensity. Senior Class President Andrea Flores said her conversations with Latino former students and her own experience campaigning for student office on the slogan “Minorities are Priorities” have shown her evidence of the changing politics of the student body and the broader A&M community, perhaps reflecting wider shifts in the state. “A&M has usually had a reputation of being a conservative school,” Flores said. “Alumni are always telling me how much more diverse and welcoming to minorities A&M has become since their time here. As A&M moves towards becoming a [Hispanic Serving Institution], I hope this progress continues into the future.” Communication freshman Miranda Calderon and university studies freshman Vanessa Hernandez are establishing a student chapter of Jolt Action on the A&M campus. Calderon said although there are numerous Latino organizations at A&M that deal with Latino issues and the Latino community, she felt that Jolt Action has the potential to address an unmet need in terms of voter empowerment. “One of our main goals is to mobilize more young Latinos on campus to get registered to vote,” Calderon said. “We hope to be able to engage with students who may not normally pay that much attention to politics.”

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