The Battalion - March 25, 2019

MONDAY, MARCH 25 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA

SWEET VICTORY

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Senior forward Aja Ellison, junior forward Cheah Rael-Whitsitt and sophomore guard Chennedy Carter sway during the War Hymn following the Aggies’ victory over Marquette.

A&M women’s basketball earns its spot in Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ Half way through the second quarter, Texas A&M women’s basketball assistant coach Bob Starkey was very animated on the bench after A&M allowed Marquette a wide-open shot. From across the court Starkey could be heard yelling at his team: “COMPETE. COMPETE. COMPETE.” Both A&M and Marquette competed until the final buzzer, but it was the A&M defense that carried the No. 4-seed Aggies to a 78-76 victory over No. 5-seed Marquette.

Marquette senior guard Natisha Hiedeman said while the A&M defense was strong, it was the offense’s highspeed tempo that changed the course of the game.

“I think the momentum shift was always back and forth,” Hiedeman said. “We had it going for a little bit, and then Texas A&M just came right back, started hitting their shots and we just couldn’t stop them on defense.”

With the win, A&M punches its ticket to its second straight Sweet 16 appearance.

Sophomore guard Chennedy Carter not only led the team with 30 points and nine rebounds, she led the momentum for the Aggies to come back and win the second-round game in front of A&M’s home crowd.

With 2.5 seconds left in the third quarter, Carter made a layup and was fouled as she fell to the ground with a loud thump that would be heard through a very loud Reed Arena. However, the All-SEC sophomore wasn’t going to stop competing.

As she laid on the ground, Carter stuck her tongue out and shimmied before standing up to walk over to the foul line where she made the free throw to put the Aggies within two points of tying the game.

Carter also played a crucial role in the Aggies regaining possession in the final seconds of the game. According to A&M head coach Gary Blair, Starkey told him Carter played her best defensive game of the year.

BASKETBALL ON PG. 2

Paul Burke — THE BATTALION

Aggies celebrated Holi on Simpson Drill Field with a festival on Sunday afternoon.

‘Everybody is family’ Hindu Holi festival gathers a diverse crowd to Simpson Drill Field Sunday

By Jackie White @ jackie_white21 As springtime officially returns, so does the annual Hindu Holi festival with its bright colors and lively celebration.

On March 24, Aggies and community members alike excitedly packed Simpson Drill Field to celebrate the widely popular Holi festival. Organized by the Indian Graduate Students Association, Hindu Students Association and Nepalese Students Association, the Holi festival celebrates the beginning of spring and the

triumph of good over evil. Participants enjoyed running around the field and showering each other with bright colors.

Ronak Ranjitkumar Mohanty, mechanical engineering graduate student and president of IGSA, has organized the festival at A&M for five years. Although Mohanty has celebrated in India before, he said the feeling of unity is emphasized at A&M as people from all backgrounds participate.

“It’s an event that is not only for Indian students,” Mohanty said. “It’s Indian students, it’s American students, it’s people from all over the world. We have actually had more requests on our Facebook from American students than Indian students wondering when Holi is.”

HOLI ON PG. 4

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Debby Krenek, Class of 1978 and current publisher of Newsday, pledged $10,000 to The Battalion during her keynote speech at The Battalion’s 125th anniversary gala.

Batt celebrates 125 years Gala reunites Battalion staff, raises thousands of dollars for newspaper

By Jordan Burnham @RJordanBurnham With every decade since the 1950s represented, The Battalion celebrated its 125th anniversary with a gala on Saturday, and looked forward to future years of producing exemplary student journalism.

Over 200 former Battalion staffers, advisers, journalists and community mem-

bers celebrated Battalion history and the influence of the publication. Speakers and advisers encouraged previous generations of journalists to support the future of The Battalion, which has undergone serious financial setbacks in recent years.

Keynote speaker Debby Krenek, Class of 1978, shared stories from her time at The Battalion and her career. Krenek became the first female editor-in-chief of the New York Daily News in 1997 and is now the publisher of Newsday.

“Many of us bonded as we worked BATT GALA ON PG. 3

Crafting more than beer Local brewery offers unique craft tastes, family friendly atmosphere

By Hollis Mills @sillohsllim

Josh Gleason — THE BATTALION

New Republic Brewing Co. offers 14 ales, blondes, porters and IPAs on tap daily.

A 10-minute drive from the university leads Bryan-College Station residents to North Dowling Road, down the winding street of Post Oak Trees and the occasional prickly pear, and past the tractors and horse stables. At the end of its beaten path is the New Republic Brewing Company.

Established in 2010, Aggieland’s oldest microbrewery presents its regulars and the curious with self-distributed craft beer brewed directly at the site of consumption. With 14 ales, blondes, porters and IPAs on tap daily, NRB aims to concoct an all-inclusive atmosphere through an appreciation of beverages and good conversation.

Step into the NRB backyard any week-

day from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., or any weekend starting at noon, and one will find hardwood picnic tables preoccupied by birthday gatherings, Jenga competitions, a waft of fresh food and the hymns of throaty musicians caressing sedated patrons. NRB prides itself on its family and pet-friendly environment, an aspect general manager Leigh-Anne McGarel said was part of the reason she came to work at NRB. “I enjoyed the company, as in the people who you share a beer with after work, but then I fell in love with the actual company,” McGarel said. “In craft beer, the question isn’t about mixing business and pleasure. Our business is our pleasure.”

McGarel said providing the Bryan-College Station community with a comfortable setting where adults can moderately unwind while the kiddos get to play is the goal, while still appealing to the university crowd, like neighboring apartments The Cottages and The Barracks.

“You move to College Station and your BREWERY ON PG. 3

SPORTS

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The Battalion | 3.25.19

Provided by Texas A&M Athletics

Junior Braden Shewmake talks to young University of Kentucky fans after the game on Sunday afternoon.

Sealing the sweep Aggie baseball takes home game three against Kentucky Kelsi Gonzales — THE BATTALION

Junior Blake-Ann Fritsch and redshirt freshman Hannah Mayo celebrate after the Aggies win the final game of the series against Alabama on Sunday.

Fight to the finish A&M softball overcomes obstacles in 4-3 victory over No. 4 Alabama on Sunday

By Abigail Ochoa @ AbigailOchoa88 In a nail-biting seventh inning, the Texas A&M softball team did something no other Alabama opponent this season could.

Entering the seventh inning, the Aggies put on their rally caps in hopes of redeeming themselves from game one and two of the SEC series against No. 4 Alabama. With two outs on the board and two Aggies on base, junior pitcher Payton McBride stepped up to the plate to do just that.

McBride’s single to left field caused an uproar in the dugout and among the crowd, as junior outfielder Blake-Ann Fritsch slid home to give A&M a 4-3 victory over the Crimson Tide.

“It kind of went with my walkout song, ‘I Ain’t Done,’” McBride told SEC Network. “Honestly, I told myself that we were going to end it today and we were going to beat them because we had so much adrenaline [in the sixth inning]. Having the base runners get on instantly is what helped me.”

A&M’s win put an end to Alabama’s 33 game win streak, which is tied for the third longest win streak in NCAA Division I softball history.

“This win feels really good,” Evans said. “We didn’t play well on Friday or Saturday and it’s one thing to not win but another thing to not play well and not win. I was disappointed in our inability to be in the game the first two days. Today we talked about mixing up the lineup and changing our mojo to be able to come out and get after it.”

The Aggies are 2-7 in conference play and before the sixth inning, it looked like Sunday’s outcome

BASKETBALL CONTINUED Everything — the points, the minutes the leadership is expected.

“I’ve been working on my defense a lot,” Carter said. “I’m not the only good defensive player on my team. We all fought and can play defense.”

Junior guard Shambria Washington, who

would be similar to their past SEC matchups.

Alabama added two solo home runs early in the first with a homer to center field by sophomore outfielder Kaylee Tow and another center field home run, just two batters later, by junior shortstop Claire Jenkins.

A&M tied up the game in the sixth with two runs of their own by freshman second baseman and outfielder Madi Jatzlau and freshman outfielder Taudrea Sinnie.

Jatzlau’s run home caused uncertainty on the field and led to a review by umpires. Umpires and coaches questioned the possibility of obstruction on Jenkins

by Sinnie, who ran to third as Alabama infielders were going for Morgan Smith’s single to the pitcher.

After no obstruction was called, A&M earned its second run of the inning when Alabama freshman second baseman Skylar Wallace made a fielding error, returning Sinnie to home plate.

Now tied going into the seventh and final inning, A&M’s starting pitcher Kendall Potts made the biggest stop of the game after getting out of a bases loaded situation.

The junior began the inning with one out and two on base. She later walked junior Bailey Hemphill to load the bases for Alabama. Jenkins stepped up to the plate, but was no match for Potts, and struck out swinging on a 1-2 count.

“Going into our next games on Wednesday and this weekend it gives us a lot of confidence and a lot of energy, because we’re going into it knowing if we can beat them then we can beat anybody,” McBride said.

The Aggies will face Sam Houston State in a twogame, non-conference series on Wednesday, March 27 at Davis Diamond. The first game will start at 4 p.m. with the second game following at 6 p.m. Both games will be televised on the SEC Network.

had 13 points and went 3-for-4 beyond the arc, made a three-point shot that put the Aggies’ ahead of Marquette 77-76 late in the fourth quarter.

Following the game, Washington was asked if she enjoyed playing in Carter’s shadow, but before Washington could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Carter.

“Sham is really the backbone of our team,” Carter said. “She’s the engine. She really gets

By Brian Bass @brianbass4 Junior infielder Braden Shewmake led No. 18 Texas A&M baseball to a dominating win over Kentucky with five hits to top the Wildcats 17-5 in a three-game series sweep.

A&M found consistent success at the plate on Sunday, getting 19 hits off of the Wildcats’ pitching rotation.

However, Kentucky was not nearly as successful, with only eight hits in 35 plate appearances.

The Aggies move their overall record to 21-5 and 5-1 in SEC play, while the Wildcats fall to 14-10 overall and moved their conference losing streak to six.

A&M’s defense didn’t start off strong due to a home run from Kentucky outfielder Ryan Shinn, followed by a single RBI to right field from infielder Elliott Curtis to make it 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning.

A&M head coach Rob Childress made the decision to replace starting right-hand pitcher Christian Roa after just 0.2 innings with left-hand pitcher Joseph Menefee.

After a pair of single RBIs from junior infielder Bryce Blaum and senior outfielder Jonathan Ducoff at the top of the third, the Aggies exploded with eight runs in the fifth inning.

Freshman infielder Ty Coleman hit a single RBI through right field to advance Ducoff across home plate, followed by a double RBI from junior catcher Mikey Hoehner. Junior designated hitter Logan Foster hit a sacrifice fly ball at the next at-bat for another RBI, while Blaum got three RBIs off a triple with the bases loaded.

Shewmake topped off the scoring in the fifth with a double RBI hit into right-center field to make the score

us going. Without her defensive stops and her leadership as a point guard, we probably wouldn’t be this far right now.”

The Aggies will be traveling to Chicago to take on the winner of the No. 1 seed Notre Dame and No. 9 Michigan State next week for a trip to the Elite 8. If the Aggies were to face Notre Dame — the reigning national champion and the team that eliminated the Aggies last season — sophomore N’dea Jones

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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

THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

during the 2019 spring semester (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.

News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.

Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com.

Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.

10-2.

“It was an absolutely relentless show today in every facet,” Childress said.

“For us to have to go to the bullpen in the first inning, [Menefee] comes in and gives us a hold and allows us to get our big inning. From an offensive standpoint, this is what we felt that we were capable of all year long.”

The Wildcats attempted a comeback in the fifth with three runs, but kept scoreless for the remainder of the contest.

In the top of the sixth, a double RBI from Hoehner extended the lead to nine, followed by a closing appearance from closing sophomore pitcher Bryce Miller in the seventh inning.

Miller threw seven strikeouts, two hits and just one walk in the final three innings of the game, sealing the sweep for the Aggies.

In the ninth, A&M caught fire from the plate once more, adding six runs from five different batters. Junior catcher Hunter Coleman hit his third home run of the season, followed by Blaum scoring off of a wild pitch. Ducoff hit another RBI with a double down the left field line and Hoehner closing it out with a double down left-center field.

A&M clinched its first conference sweep of the season after winning on 5-3 on Friday and 9-5 on Saturday against Kentucky.

“Can’t tell you how proud I am of our team all weekend long,” Childress said. “The first SEC series in this beautiful $50 million stadium, and for us to play the way we did from the first inning on Friday night through the weekend. To seal the weekend with an exclamation point in every facet of the game on Sunday is a pretty special performance.”

The Aggies face off against Lamar on Tuesday at Blue Bell Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network Plus.

said this trip was different.

“I would say it feels different than last year because a lot of us didn’t really play last year,” Jones said. “We all were put in new positions and new roles. So I just think that this year — yes, we made it last year but it means more to us this year because we finally feel like everybody on the team has a role and everybody’s competing, everybody’s giving it their all, and we all want it.”

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The Battalion | 3.25.19

Photos by Josh Gleason — THE BATTALION

New Republic Brewing Co. will celebrate its eighth anniversary on April 27.

BREWERY CONTINUED friends introduce you to Northgate, and you may not even look further,” McGarel said.

“However, if you want to skip the hassles of long lines and parking, and enjoy a quality craft beer priced for a college budget, this is it.”

Upon entering the venue, patrons are greeted by the sight of fermenters, bright tanks and steel kettles used to brew the same refreshments on the menu. This department is managed by NRB’s head brewer Travis Walker, who described the brewing process as “90 percent cleaning, nine percent waiting and one percent doing things.”

“An actual brew day is an eight to 12 hour

BATT GALA CONTINUED tirelessly day and night to bring forward the stories at The Battalion that A&M students needed to know…” Krenek said. “We bonded over working long hours, sometimes as late as two in the morning, putting the paper to bed.”

During her speech, Krenek announced that she will be donating $10,000 to The Battalion.

She stressed the role student newspapers play in creating strong journalists.

“I think journalism is so incredibly important because it’s important that the truth comes out, and that’s what journalists do — they find

day, if it goes well,” Walker said. “The process starts with a mash tun, where you put your grain and water and basically make a grain tea out of it, extract the sugars. Then from there it goes into the kettle, boil it and add your hops, everything else, cool it, and then it goes into the fermenters.”

From there, NRB’s craft beer goes into the glass — or rather the can — for sales and office manager Shannon Seelye. In the sales department, Seelye is the overseer of NRB’s distribution into grocery, convenience, liquor stores and bars across the Bryan-College Station area, and some Spec’s outlets as far as Houston.

According to Seelye, pitching the brews across Texas is mostly dependent on settings and demographics, but between the two is an

appreciation for a good story, in particular, how each brew earned its name. Seelye said her favorite of the bunch is NRB’s “Dammit Jim!” Amber Ale — a story of misunderstanding, Star Trek appreciation and the “hook, line and sinker for coming to this company.”

“At first we called it ‘Bellows,’ but ‘Bellows’ is also a bottom shelf bourbon from Jim Beam,” Seelye said. “We put out our ‘Bellows,’ which is a Texas craft amber, vastly different than a bourbon, then Jim Beam sent us a cease and desist order saying, ‘Hey, stop using our name.’ Then we wrote on our social media, ‘Hey, the beer’s not changing, the name just has to change,’ and somebody wrote back to us saying, ‘Dammit Jim! I’m a craft beer not a bourbon.’ Thus the ‘Dammit Jim!’ was born.”

Currently, NRB is working overtime for one of its biggest events of the year: the establishment’s eighth anniversary on April 27. To ring in the celebration, NRB will host three live bands, various food trucks and will serve 30 unique brews.

In the meantime, customers like Steve Nam can enjoy a pint alongside friends and family, as his daughter flings a frisbee into the spring breeze.

“Not a lot of places cater to families,” Nam said. “You always have to be mindful of knocking over this and that, but there’s an open play area here and tons of other kids, so it kind of fits in with what we like to do on Sundays — try some tasty beers and eat some different food fare.”

the facts and they tell the truth,” Krenek said after the event. “It’s important for journalists to get paid and I think you know this is a profession that needs to continue and needs to grow.”

In addition, Krenek said she will be reaching out to the office of the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, John Sharp to have a conversation on the importance of student media.

“I credit the Batt for all of the success that I have had, pretty much, in my life,” Krenek said in an interview. “Going out into the journalism world can be hard, and the Batt is one of the few places that I think really prepares

young journalists to report and edit and get real hands-on experience.”

Guest speaker Sonia Moghe, Class of 2007, former Battalion editor-in-chief and CNN breaking news and digital storytelling producer, shared her personal experience as a journalist. She credited The Battalion for starting her career, and praised student media for giving journalism students real experience before they graduate.

True Brown, a development officer for the Texas A&M foundation and the incoming president of the Former Journalism Student Association, introduced the 2019 Hall of Honor FJSA Inductees: Paul Barton, Class of

1980, and Kelly Brown, Class of 1989.

Brown said the gala focused on remembering the past and looking toward the future of student journalism. Funds raised from the event — including money from the silent auction, which had about 25 items donated from Aggies and former Battalion staffers — will go to The Battalion.

“This newspaper has a role on this campus and it’s important we make sure our student journalists are taken care of while they produce it,” Brown said.

Communication junior Madison Brown contributed to this report.

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Place an ad Phone 979.845.0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University

ANNOUNCEMENTS Departments receiving University Advancement monies will orient the Student Affairs Fee Advisory Board about their respective organizations on March 27, April 3, April 10, and April 17, 2019, beginning at 6:00 p.m. each night. The orientation sessions, which are open to the public will be held in Suite 117 of the John J. Koldus Student Services building. For more information about department presentation times, please visit this link http://safab.tamu.edu/schedule/

When to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

FOR RENT 102 Redmond for rent August '19'20. 4bd/2bth with plenty of room for roommates! Check out the listing on zillow.com! 832-628-4351 2bd/2ba cozy condo 3-blocks from campus, fenced backyard, w/d connections, new ceramic tile, over 1000sqft, no HUD, $695/mo total. 506-B College Main.

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$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.

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HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $75-$150/hr, up to $500/day.

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Hours are 8-1 or 11-5. Apply in person. 3016 East Villa Maria.

Immediate opening.

Work around your class schedule!

No Saturday or Sundays, off during the holidays. The Battalion Advertising Office is hiring an Advertising Sales Representative. Must be enrolled at A&M and have reliable transportation. Interested applicants should come by our office located in the MSC, Suite 400, from 8am-4pm, ask to speak with Joseph.

HELP WANTED The Battalion Advertising Office is hiring for our Street Team. Work around your class schedule on campus! Interested applicants should come by our office located in the MSC, Suite 400, from 8am-4pm, for more information Ask to speak with Joseph.

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Annie Lui — THE BATTALION

Cepheid Variable hosted the 50th annual AggieCon at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center from March 22 to March 24.

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The Golden Con Student led AggieCon celebrates 50th anniversary over weekend

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Texas A&M University Vol. 116

2018AGGIELAND It’s not too late to order your copy of the 2018 Aggieland, a photojournalistic record of the 2017-2018 school year. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook.

Go Online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.

AggieCon celebrated its 50th anniversary and invited fans of horror, fantasy, tabletop, comic books, anime and more to a three day convention catered for the community.

The student-led convention is hosted by nonprofit student organization Cepheid Variable and lasts three days — this year from March 22 to March 24. AggieCon 50: “The Golden Con” was held at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center. The event hosted 49 vendors and 700 people, with many famous guests and panelists who attended the convention, including Christopher Wehkamp, a voice actor from Tokyo Ghoul and other anime films.

Communication senior and AggieCon director Tessa Thomas said she was excited when Wehkamp reached out to the organizers to be a panelist at the convention.

“Every time I passed him he was always smiling and happy and he treated all of the Con guests like they were family: hugging them, taking pictures with them, giving them autographs,” Thomas said. “I really hope he comes back to AggieCon in the future.”

In the Dealer’s Room — where everyone stops for souvenirs — people dressed in cosplay walked by, artists showcased their work and students visited booths that dis-

HOLI CONTINUED

$75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee) Come by office L400 of the MSC and skip the mail fee charge.

Don’t forget to also preorder your copy of the

2019AGGIELAND A photojournalistic record of the 2018-2019 school year. The 117th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Distribution will be the Fall 2019.

Go Online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase. $75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)

By Khadeeja Umana @Deeja_Umana

Mohanty said there are other traditions associated with Holi such as a bonfire the night before to symbolize the burning out of evil. Although many agree that Holi is exceptionally fun, Mohanty said the Holi festival also has a deeper meaning: unity and the celebration of diversity.

“No one is too rich or poor, or big or small — we all come together and celebrate the festival,” Mohanty said. “We put different colors on everyone so you cannot discriminate.”

Mohanty said the community that Holi brings is his favorite part of the festival.

“My favorite part of Holi is everybody coming together, even if we all have busy academic lives but for this day, people will show up,” Mohanty said. “Friends who have graduated two years ago still come to A&M to celebrate Holi. They live in Houston or Austin, but make sure that, at least for Holi, they are at A&M.” The Holi festival at A&M has gathered a wide range of attendees including students, former students and members of the community. Pratima Purohit, management information systems graduate student, said Holi brings out a sense of community and unity in a fun way.

“It is meant to be fun but there is also a lot of significance that goes behind it,” Purohit said. “Celebrating each other and unity is what Holi really means.”

played characters and items from books and movies.

Environmental design junior Camila Grande said this was her second time attending the event and she loved seeing all of the craft in the Dealer’s Room.

“I love talking to the dealers, the people coming in and out and the panels,” Grande said. “And as somebody who is studying arts, I really enjoy seeing other people’s work.”

Many businesses also gathered in the Dealer’s Room to reach out and advertise to the community. Clockwork Games and Events employee Tate Baker said AggieCon has a lot to offer local businesses.

“We wanted to support the local community and we wanted to help get our name out there,” Baker said. “We’ve seen a lot of our regulars here, so it’s really good to see the community active and engaging in a way that gets us out to see some of the other shops and this kind of stuff from out of town, as well as some of the more famous people like the voice actors who have been here.”

AggieCon promotes science-fiction, fantasy and horror novels, books and movies.

Political science senior Preston Smith said AggieCon ties together his love for anime, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings into one weekend.

“AggieCon brings together a bunch of people who love all of these things,” Smith said. “Tons of merch to buy, art, fun panels and events — it’s just a crazy time for us nerds to get together and nerd out.”

Andrea Onate, an international studies freshman, was excited to find out that A&M was holding a Holi festival and, said that she has always wanted to attend one.

“I didn’t know A&M did this, so I feel like this is a way to bring the community together — international students, people from other cultures,” Onate said. “It’s just a new experience outside of the A&M traditions.”

Some of these experiences included listening to upbeat Indian music blasting through the speakers, and watching a flash mob of dancers. However, the most visual aspect of Holi is the bright colors. December White, a community member of the Bryan-College Station area, used to live in India and attends Holi every year. “[My family] loves to attend this and it’s actually our favorite Indian festival,” White said.

Holi not only brings a part of South Asia to A&M, but allows people from all backgrounds to come together, celebrate and have fun.

Perhaps most importantly, it allows people to escape from daily life and feel a sense of community. Biswajeet Mohapatra, a management information systems graduate student, said this is where the roots of Holi lie.

“The prime motive is that when you put the colors on your face you don’t know who anybody is,” Mohapatra said. “Everybody is family.”

I transferred to Texas A&M in the fall of 2016. I “wanted to do something that mattered in college, something that would help me excel and grow as a leader and a person. I wanted a challenge and the opportunity to influence people as a leader and be a member of a team. It is incredible to be surrounded by motivated individuals with shared values who challenge themselves and each other.

It is very encouraging to form bonds with other people on their way to success.

“

- Ashton Self ‘19

TX.AG/CurrentStudent

@AGGIECORPS