THURSDAY, MARCH 21 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA
‘All united’
After mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, Aggies hold vigil in honor of 50 who lost their lives By Samantha Mahler and Khadeeja Umana @MahlerSamantha & @Deeja_Umana Aggies of all faiths and backgrounds stood quietly in candlelight on Wednesday night to honor the victims of last week’s New Zealand mosque shootings. A joint effort between several students, the vigil was held in Academic Plaza due to the location’s role in Silver Taps remembrance ceremonies. Organizers said it was essential for them to hold the vigil after a gunman walked into two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday prayer and killed 50 Muslims on March 15. After a reading of the names of the shooting victims and a five-minute silence, individuals representing the Sikh, Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities spoke at the vigil. The gathering ended with a Muslim Dua — a prayer incorporating passages from the Quran — that was translated into English. “We wanted to incorporate members of different faiths to show that despite different religious beliefs we are all united in our struggle for peace and love,” biomedical sciences senior Roukaya Mabizari said. “We hope to tear down the negative stigma associated with Islam and show that Islam is a religion of peace and we are just as much affected by terrorist attacks as any other person.” Public health freshman Iman Ahmed was another one of the students who helped organize the vigil. As a Muslim, Ahmed said the shooting affected her personally because her younger sisters attend school at a mosque. “It just really hit home because it’s a place I go to every day, a place my family goes to every day, and so for such a horrendous act to happen, it’s just scary to know that could be happening anywhere and that there are people in this world that have the sick twisted view of the world, and of Muslims, people they don’t know or they understand,” Ahmed said. Business administration sophomore Dana Murad was one of the organizers who reached out to various religious organizations on campus. Though she said previous shootings have VIGIL ON PG. 2
Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION
Students gathered in Academic Plaza Wednesday evening to honor those who were killed in the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque shootings. Candles were lit and members of different faiths across campus stood in solidarity.
Josh Gleason — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher runs out onto the Coolidge Practice Fields on Wednesday before the start of hi second spring season with the Aggies.
PROVIDED
The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History is preparing to host their first Wildflower Day this weekend at Boonville Heritage Park.
Springing into action ‘The earth laughs in flowers’ Texas A&M football holds first 2019 practice, looks ahead to April game By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ Spring wasn’t the only thing that began on Wednesday in College Station. Under a cloud-filled sky, football practice was in full bloom as Texas A&M returned to the Coolidge Practice fields for the first time in 2019. A year ago — Jimbo Fisher’s first spring football season with the Aggies — players and coaching practice alike were trying to get acquainted with a brand new system and coaching style. Fisher — who led A&M to a 9-4 record with a seven-overtime victory over then-No. 8 LSU and a 52-13 win over NC State in the Gator Bowl to wrap up the 2018 season — said he was looking forward to beginning his
second year knowing what to expect. “At least you know the guys and they know us,” Fisher said. “They have a head start on what to do, where to line up and what goes on. So from that standpoint you’re comfortable. Now you’ve got to push to take those next steps.” During the course of the Aggies’ practice on Wednesday, A&M officials announced that the opening game of the season against Texas State had been moved from Saturday, Aug. 31 to Thursday, Aug. 29. For Fisher, having the game moved a few days earlier is beneficial for multiple reasons, including the addition of two extra days to prepare for A&M’s road game against reigning national champion Clemson. “It’s a Thursday night game where there aren’t many games that night, so you get a lot of attention, TV coverage on the SEC network,” Fisher said. “[The season opener] would have FOOTBALL ON PG. 4
Boonville Heritage Park to host first annual Wildflower Day on Saturday By Hollis Mills @sillohsllim
Those who are yearning for more of those red and blue wildflower hues are in luck, as the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History will host their first annual Wildflower Day at Boonville Heritage Park on Saturday. Boonville Heritage Park is the last preserved remnant of Brazos county’s original county seat. With its red cedar wood Tuner-Peters log house crafted from 90 percent of the original 1856 structure and meticulously furnished to fit period detail, the park allows guests to immerse themselves in a bygone era. This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., community members will experience those frontier staples alongside live music,
fresh food and lush greenery at no charge. Maria Lazo, associate director and education coordinator at BVMNH, said Wildflower Day will be one of fun and education, as guests will have the opportunity to learn more about the park’s wildflower presence from local botanists and science experts. “Of course, being a natural history museum, this is a great opportunity to teach the public and give them an environment where they can appreciate the wildflowers,” Lazo said. “Getting that exposure and education, rather than just driving by and admiring, will really drive this whole experience home for them.” According to park executive director Deborah Cowman, bringing the community together through a shared appreciation of Texas’ wildflower season was only a matter of time, thanks to the efforts of park program coordinator Mary Ann Cusimano. WILDFLOWER ON PG. 2
Campus connections
Student hopes his app uniting users with similar interests will help foster face-to-face interactions By Madison Brown Guest Contributer
With thousands of phone apps at your fingertips, one Texas A&M student has created an app designed to get people offline by geo-capturing and alerting two people with shared interests when they are near each other. Think of it as a variation on being alerted there’s a Charmander close by, but instead of capturing it, the Charmander joins you for a cup of coffee and conversation. The Pokémon Go phenomenon proved people would leave their home for virtual adventure. Communication senior Adam Valenta is betting he’s figured out a way for college students to stop interacting virtually on Tinder and Bumble by showing them the actual path to a person who shares their interests. Instead of users meeting and talking through a dating app, Valenta’s app makes it easy to have face-to-face interactions. “There is no actual meeting or communication through
the app,” Valenta said. “Users have to be in the same geofence, then they are notified by the app when someone near them has a common interest.” The application, called Plug, allows its users to upload a bio, interests and one image. The photo will be cross-referenced with a live user photo when an account is set up. Valentina said this feature prevents the online dating problem of catfishing. “The algorithm we have in place will make sure that a 40-year-old grad student does not meet up with an 18-yearold,” Valenta said. The idea for the app came to Valenta while binge-watching Netflix. Valenta told himself he came to A&M for a purpose, and he needed to make a difference. “The original idea actually came about for myself,” Valenta said. “I will be sitting in a coffee shop and see someone across the way, and I want to have a conversation with them. But we all have a fear of getting rejected and a fear of ego. I figured that if I could create a process for myself to make it easier to walk up to people and have conversations with them, I could bottle it up, put it into a company and APP ON PG. 2
Madison Brown — Guest Contributor
Communication senior Adam Valenta is creating a dating app that promotes real-life interaction.