The Battalion - May 29, 2019 by The Battalion

AGGIES BOUND FOR MORGANTOWN

Junior shortstop Braden Shewmake leads A&M with a .315 batting average and 46 RBIs. The Aggies will face Duke in the first game of the Morgantown Regional on Friday.

Megan Cusick — THE BATTALION

SPORTS The Battalion | 5.29.19

A&M selected to Morgantown Regional Aggies lose hosting bid, will play Duke in regional opener on Friday By Brian Bass @brianbass4 With much anticipation to possibly host Regional for this year’s NCAA Tournament, it was announced Monday that Texas A&M will not host and instead participate in the Morgantown Regional with Duke, West Virginia and Fordham. The Aggies will face Duke in the regional opener on Friday at 3 p.m. On Sunday night the NCAA published a list of locations for the Regional rounds on

Twitter, with College Station not on the list. A&M came very close to hosting, coming up just short of the 16-host limit that earned the privilege to host. The Aggies finished 18th and 22nd, according to D1baseball.com and the USA Today Coaches Poll, respectively. Not only did A&M not earn a hosting site, but the team will have to travel across the country for the regional round. “You know, we thought we had a good chance [to host],” catcher Mikey Hoehner said. “But, it sucks when you can’t beat Ole Miss, that was their goal and we didn’t get the job done. We’re good away, we’re good at home so we’re not too worried about it. We’re going to take care of business in West Virginia.” University of Mississippi swept the Aggies during the conference slate in late April, and followed with a win in May to knock out A&M out of the SEC Tournament. “We didn’t play well enough to earn that last host spot late in the season, and I feel like Ole Miss took it away from us,” A&M pitcher John Doxakis said following

the selection show. The NCAA committee placed A&M as a No. 2 seed in the Morgantown Regional round, and the Aggies matched with the No. 3 seed in the Duke Blue Devils. The double elimination regional will also be the Aggies’ farthest trip this season from College Station, traveling 1,301 miles to West Virginia. “Personally I like playing on the road more,” Doxakis said. “You don’t have to worry about taking care of the field and all that, you just get to go and play. I think that helps teams that get to travel, as much as it is fun hosting with the 12th Man and stuff like that. [But] being on a plane is a little more stressful — across the country, different time zones. We’re not going to make excuses for ourselves and we’re just gonna go after it.” The Blue Devils finished the regular season 31-25 and 15-15 in ACC play, losing in the pool play round to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament. Duke won six out of it’s 10 conference series, on the year, but has struggled defensively. Duke has also had a hard time playing on the road and at neutral sites this season, staying just a game above .500. The Blue Devils will have to face it’s best pitching opponents this year in Morgantown.

Congratulations to

Grounds Associate of the Month,

J. J. Aguilar

“They’ve had a great year,” A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “[They’ve] been to a regional three out of the last four years. [Head coach] Chris Pollard and his staff [have] been doing an amazing job, they’ve been hitting .270 as a team; pitching at a really high level. It’s going to be a great test right out the gate.” Childress said Doxakis will start game one of the regional, and expects to start left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy on the mound for the second game. The winner of A&M-Duke will face the winner of the West Virginia-Fordham. The Mountaineers were given the No. 15-overall seed of the tournament, while the Aggies swept Fordham in the first series of the 2019 season. The Aggies will face Duke at Monongalia County Ballpark on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN 2.

The Battalion Production Schedule For the summer The Battalion will print once every two weeks. The next edition will be on Tuesday, June 11.

Abigail Ochoa, Editor-in-Chief Brian Bass, Sports Editor Camryn Lang, Life & Arts Editor Khadeeja Umana, Life & Arts Editor

Meredith Seaver, Photo Chief Brady Stone, Page Designer Sydney Clark, Page Designer

THE BATTALION is published once every other week during the summer (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.

Associates who receive this award are recognized for going above and beyond their normal duties to promote teamwork, unity, a positive attitude, kindness and exceptional customer service. Thank you, J.J., for all your hard work and dedication to the Arboriculture Team!

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.

NEWS

The Battalion | 5.29.19

REACHing out a hand Aggies start non-profit organization for A&M staff By Brady Stone @bradystonex Support staff, such as custodial and food service employees, at Texas A&M take a part in a student’s everyday life. From cleaning up classrooms to cooking your favorite campus food to maintaining the campus grounds, these employees are a constant force on campus. But issues like homelessness and financial instability can often be hidden behind their smile or ‘my pleasure.’ An Aggie-led organization, The REACH Project, aims to help A&M support staff with the like poverty and homelessness — issues that are common due to the lack of affordable housing. The REACH Project, which began operation in March, is a non-profit organization that helps university support staff who struggle with the financial instability that can stem from the lack of affordable housing in the Bryan-College Station area. “We hope to enhance life experiences by providing health resources, education practices like GED attainment and fiscal responsibility and other immersive education and learning practices that can help someone end the cycle of poverty,” Co-Founder and CFO Garrett Littlejohn said. Littlejohn, Class of 2019, and Co-Founder and CEO Max Gerall Class of 2018, began this journey as current students when they connected with a food service employee named Melissa Martinez. “After going to A&M and spending a lot of time in Sbisa, we met Ms. Melissa, the cashier lady at the front desk,” Gerall said. “After about three or four years, we became pretty good friends and I started to hear stories about her life, family and some of the trials and tribulations that they were going through and that’s kind of where it all started.” Gerall said that although they ini-

tially started REACH to help Martinez, they have been able to help many others through initiatives like hosting on campus health clinics for support staff and design competitions where students innovate affordable housing. “It really started initially with Ms. Melissa and the story of needing to find affordable housing,” Gerall said. “[But], it led to us learning there was a lot more that we could provide in education and community resources.” After witnessing first hand the struggles that A&M support staff experience, Martinez said that she is glad that those who are struggling have been given the resources and opportunities through the REACH Project. “I love what they are doing. I think it’s good that they are trying to help people with not only low income housing, but that they are also trying to help with educational classes and health,” Martinez said. “It’s good because the housing is expensive and some families are only able to afford to pay the rent, so they are left without cars, and other things they need.” Although these struggles are common today, Gerall and Littlejohn are confident that their dream of providing affordable housing innovations, as well as community development resources, will come to fruition. As the one who inspired this organization, Martinez said that she is glad that support staff have someone fighting for them and seeing the issues that they are struggling with. “It feels good knowing that there are people out there like Max and Garrett who actually take notice of people like myself and others who struggle,” Martinez said. “It makes me happy and I’m grateful that there are people like those two out there that care about others and their well-being.” For more information on the REACH Project and upcoming events visit them on Facebook at TexasREACHProject.

PROVIDED

Top: The REACH Project founders, board members, student volunteers and architect presented the first land plan concept in August 2018. Bottom: REACH provided glucose and A1C testing to staff.

NEWS

The Battalion | 5.29.19

Cannes Film Festival delivers ground-breaking films

New AD in Aggieland A&M hires athletic director from University of Mississippi By Brian Bass @brianbass4

Via University of Mississippi News

Former Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork accompanied by chancellor Dan Jones when he initially moved to Ole Miss. Texas A&M named Bjork to fill the athletic director position in College Station on May 23.

Texas A&M has a new athletic director. University President Michael K. Young announced on May 23 that University of Mississippi athletic director Ross Bjork will fill the athletic director position. Bjork will be officially welcomed to College Station on June 3, prior the SEC Spring Meetings in Florida. After former AD Scott Woodward left for LSU in April, former A&M football coach and Hall of Famer R.C. Slocum has served as interim athletic director and will serve until Bjork’s instatement on July 8. “I am thrilled to welcome Ross Bjork to Aggieland,” Young said in a university press release. “His outstanding reputation as a leader will be vital to the continued trajectory of our athletics program. His appreciation for higher education is evident in achieving the highest GPA and graduation rates on record during his tenure at Ole Miss.” Under his administration, Ole Miss earned bids to two New Year’s Six bowls in 2014 and 2015, and a bid a College World Series appearance in 2014. Bjork took over as AD in Oxford in 2012 after departing from Western Kentucky, where he served the same role. He was the youngest AD in the Power Five at the time of his hiring at Ole Miss. “I am so honored to accept this position and look forward to greeting coaches, staff and the entire 12th Man,” Bjork said in a university press release. “I remember visits to Kyle Field even before its massive renovation, being enthralled with the whole environment. I love leadership lessons, especially in military history; The Corps of Cadets – the “Keepers of the Spirit” – are also a wonderful draw to the university. I will always aspire to live up to the core values that the university holds

dear, and to compete for and win championships.” During SEC team meetings in Destin, Florida on Monday May 23, Bjork joined A&M football announcer Andrew Monaco and Host on 12th Man Production Will Johnson on the Studio 12 podcast to discuss the new job and why he made the decision to move to A&M. “I think when anytime that a topfive athletic department job comes open and you’re contacted about that opportunity, you have to listen,” Bjork said on the podcast. “...I didn’t have to leave Ole Miss. Ole Miss has been great to me and my family, and we’re back on track with a lot of things. But you get a phone call saying hey you’re on the list, they want to meet with you, are you willing? You say absolutely, where’s that meeting at, when do I need to be there? Because Texas A&M is a top-five program. Resources, footprint, fans, former students I mean, everybody is all in at Texas A&M. The commitment is there. This is an opportunity that we could not as a family and me as an athletic director pass up. It’s really, really humbling and I’m honored to be part of Aggieland and the 12th Man.” Bjork said he is excited to start building relationships within the 12th Man Foundation and maintain the progress that Woodward made with the foundation. “I can’t wait to engage with the board. I had great experience working with outside boards, separate entities if you will, but also integrating them into our processes, integrating them into the vision of the athletic department,” Bjork said on the podcast. “...We built all these great things and you guys have built all these great things, Texas A&M and the 12th Man Foundation has, but what’s next? That’s going to be our job is to learn and listen what our coaches need, what the student-athletes’ needs are, because there’s always going to be ‘what’s next?’ There’s always going to be something. It’s non-stop in this competitive world so it’s going to be fun to turn all those assets on.”

Assistant Opinion editor attends Cannes Film Festival, reviews festival standouts Cole Fowler

@thecolefowler

ANNES, FRANCE — This past week, I was given the incredible opportunity to attend the most important film festival in the world — the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Cannes hosts the most selective film festival in the world and this year featured one of the best lineups in recent memory. Films like Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse,” Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite” and Pedro Almodóvar’s “Dolar y gloria” were just a few of the prestigious films featured. Along with the major releases from internationally acclaimed filmmakers, the festival also features many different sections that focus on the less popular films and gives independent filmmakers a larger platform. The two week festival is the heartbeat of international cinema, and all of the most important figures within film were in attendance. As the festival is invite-only, I was so incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to attend. Unfortunately, with the sheer amount of different sections and films, combined with the hours of waiting in lines to ensure I got a seat, I was unable to view every film. Of the films I viewed at the festival, I have selected a few of my favorites to feature. “A Hidden Life” by Terrence Malick Malick is no stranger to the festival and he was back again this year with his latest film, “A Hidden Life.” The film follows the true story of Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. Malick focuses his film around the philosophical investigation into the moral ambiguity of lying to escape death. While the film is a true story, Malick avoids using tropes associated with the biopic genre and focuses on Jägerstätter’s relationship with his family and his inner turmoil during his life. With Malick’s international acclaim and popularity, this film will most likely receive a release in the U.S. “The Climb” by Michael Angelo Covino Covino’s film was one of the least talked about films at the festival, but certainly one of the most impressively shot films in recent history to premiere at the festival. Using smooth long-takes, Covino expertly depicts the rocky friendship between two best friends: Mike and Kyle. The film takes place over several years and follows the friends through many major life events. This film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival and won the Coup de cœur award. “Ang Hupa (The Halt)” by Lav Diaz Lav Diaz is known for his contribution to the art of slow cinema, and “Ang Hupa (The Halt)” is no excep-

tion. Although it wasn’t his longest film, “Ang Hupa (The Halt)” is nearly a five-hour film depicting the dangers of a fascist government. The film, which takes place about 30 years in the future, is a low-budget, scifi film that covers everything from the psychology of the Philippines’ dictator to Diaz’s fear of a drone-based police force. While the film’s length may have discouraged people from attending the screening, Diaz’s work was one of the most awe-inspiring films of the festival. “The Lighthouse” by Robert Eggers Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse,” a follow up to his widely popular debut feature “The Witch,” was arguably the most talked-about film at the festival. The film features Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as a pair of lighthouse keepers off the coast of Maine in the 1890s. The two struggle from the psychological effects of isolation and paranoia as they begin to spiral out of

control. This film was one of the most wild films I saw while at the festival, and will certainly be a popular one in the U.S. . “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho has slowly grown his popularity in the United States with films like “Okja” and “Snowpiercer.” His latest film, “Parasite,” will no doubt follow in the same path. The film follows an unemployed family’s interest in the glamorous life of the Parks, a wealthy family. As the family’s interest begins to grow deeper, they discover dark secrets within the Park family. Not only does Joon-ho’s expertly crafted dark comedy reflect the growing tensions between the classes within South Korea, the film also includes some of the most suspense-filled scenes of the festival.

PROVIDED

Assistant Opinion Editor Cole Fowler attended the invitation-only screening of Xavier Dolan’s new film, “Matthias et Maxime” at the Cannes Film Festival. It is held in Cannes, France at the Palais de Festivals.

NEWS

The Battalion | 5.29.19

Emotions in ravens, space mud and loudest underwater sound: This Week in Science By Luis Sanchez @LuisSanchezBatt When it comes to the world of science, researchers make discoveries and breakthroughs every day. To help you keep up with them, The Battalion has compiled a few of the most compelling scientific advances from the past week. Negative emotions spread throughout ravens Testing conducted by researchers shows that ravens are able to pick up negative emotions from each other, but not positive emotions. Ravens have displayed problem solving skills in the past, alongside complex social interactions. For this set of tests, ravens were given cognitive bias

tests that showed optimism or pessimism for a box that could contain a treat or be empty. Ravens were then paired up and given either unappealing raw carrots or dog food. As the first raven reacted to the food, the second watched only the first raven and not the food. Ravens had positive reactions to the dog food, while ignoring the food or even scratching because of the carrots. The cognitive bias test was then given again to the second raven. The results showed an increase in pessimism if the raven’s partner showed disappointment with their food, but no increase in optimism if the partner had previously been given dog food. Space mud collected by researchers

In late April, a small town of Costa Rica witnessed a celestial object burn up and break up into multiple pieces as it fell through Earth’s atmosphere. The residents of Aguas Zarcas experienced the pieces rain down throughout the town. Early reports showed that the rock was non-metallic. Arizona State University was able to retrieve samples from meteorite hunters. What sets this meteorite apart from others is the large amount of clay it had. It is believed that the mud fragment used to form part of a larger body on its way to becoming a planet. The mud is thought to have a similar composition to that of asteroid Bennu, and would serve as a prelude to what is brought back from the as-

teroid. Loudest sound to be produced underwater What could quite easily be the loudest sound created underwater is man-made and not found in nature. The sound was produced by taking a small water jet, comparable to about half the width of a human hair, and hitting it with an X-ray laser. The sound was produced in a vacuum chamber and measures about 270 decibels. The sudden burst of energy not only produced such a loud sound, but evaporated water as well. Knowing at which point a liquid begins to boil via laser would be useful information to scientists, as such lasers are used to identify chemical properties and not going over the limit ensures the liquid isn’t lost.

Via Arizona State University

On April 23, residents of Aguas Zarcas, Costa Rica had a meteorite fall in small pieces across their town.

Chick-fil-A bill, distorted Pelosi videos, Theresa May resigns and Austria corruption: This Week in Politics By Luis Sanchez @LuisSanchezBatt

Creative Commons

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May resigned and will serve until July.

When it comes to the world of politics, the news cycle is ongoing with headlines developing every day. To help you keep up with them, The Battalion compiles a few of the most compelling political stories from the past week. Controversial bill “Save Chick-fil-A” is passed through Texas legislature The San Antonio City Council voted to stop the opening of a Chick-fil-A in the city’s airport. The cited reason for the council’s decision was based on Chick-fil-A’s past donations to Anti-LGBTQ organizations. a bill was made as a response to the vote in the Texas House of Representatives. The bill aimed to protect the company’s religious interests from the government, but was killed in the House. However, the Senate then made a bill of their own and passed it in a 19-12 vote. The Senate’s bill then made its way to the House were it was amended and passed in a 7962 vote. Passing the new amended bill with no issues, the Senate has now reached Gov. Greg

Abbott’s desk. The governor has expressed support for the bill and is expected to sign it. Doctored videos of Nancy Pelosi slurring her words go viral White House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the object of videos with manipulated audio going viral on social media platforms. The videos depicted Pelosi slurring and struggling with her words during a conference. President Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, shared one of the videos through Twitter but has since deleted his tweet. The president himself also shared a video and commented on the verbal stumbling. Many tech companies have responded in order to combat the spread of misinformation. Youtube took down a video that made Pelosi sound slurred, while Facebook rated the video false and tried to limit its spread. U.K prime minister resigns amidst Brexit complications Theresa May, prime minister of the United Kingdom, has announced her resignation. May will step down as the current leader of the Conservative Party on June 7. A new prime minister is estimated to be elected around late July,

and May will serve as prime minister until then. May previously used her resignation as an offering to ease her Brexit propositions, however, British Parliament couldn’t reach a decision on any Brexit deals. On May 27, EU elections revealed that in the portion given to British seats, the Brexit party had the most out of any other British Party. But with the Labour Party on the fence, it could still mean that those who side with remaining inside the EU would have more seats. Scandals arise over Austrian vice chancellor conspiring with Russians Two German newspapers published a video recording of Austria’s vice chancellor and deputy head of government, Heinz-Christian Strache, sharing private government information. In the recording, Strache is shown offering government contacts to Russians in exchange for political donations and help winning the 2017 general election. Since the release of the video, Strache has resigned alongside his political ally, Johann Gudenus. This has brought an end to the current ÖVP-FPÖ government in Austria.

NEWS

The Battalion | 5.29.19

classifieds

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Michael K. Young was appointed in 2015 with a five-year contract. He will be on a yearly appointment moving forward.

By Abigail Ochoa @AbigailOchoa88 In an letter obtained by a Texas Tribune open record request, Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said President Michael K. Young’s contract will not be renewed come April 30, 2020, but his employment will be decided by yearly appointment letters. “While your employment agreement allows for a 5-year renewal term, the System desires to bring your employment status into line with our other university presidents, none of whom has an employment agreement,” Sharp said in the letter. “...this decision is in no way a reflection on your performance as President of Texas A&M University for the past four years.” Young will continue as president for the next two years, and although he could be appointed again, it will be a year-to-year decision by annual appointment letters and the system’s policy. These terms of employment are the same for the current system campus heads. “We look forward to your continued service as our President, and fully expect you to build upon the successes realized since your arrival in Aggieland,” Sharp said in the letter. Appointed as President in 2015, Young has a five-year contract with the A&M system that guarantees $1 million in annual pay. In a released statement, Young said he understands the system’s decision. “As an administrator and employer, I understand and appreciate the need for consistency in the format of appointment letters among presidents throughout the A&M system. It is the right path,” Young said in the statement. Despite his contract not being renewed, Young said he is excited to continue to serve A&M. “I love being part of this great university, and I am excited about its trajectory of success. The Chancellor’s strong words of support help motivate me further to lead A&M and build on the remarkable achievements of our faculty, staff, students and former students.”

FOR RENT Don't Miss 4bd/2ba, walking and biking to campus, fenced backyard, 816 Avenue A CS, $1395/mo, 979-229-4222.

HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $75-$150/hr, up to $500/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com Part-time cleaning, day and evening, Monday-Friday. Call 979-823-1614 for interview. IT SUPPORT TECHNICIAN Fulltime position. $13/hr, Desktop support. Application and software setup. Troubleshooting. 3+yrs. experience. IT degree preferred. teamdq@smithdq.com

Private Party Want ads

$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.

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.

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.

REAL ESTATE Bryan Regala $10.000 Dolares al Comprar la Primer Casa! Llame a Nadia McGrann, Town & Country Realty, 979-777-6211. Creci en Argentina!

ROOMMATES Female Roommate Wanted Now/Fall 2019. Beautiful, quiet and safe 3/2.5 condo. Full kitchen, w&d, internet, on bus route, TAMU/Blinn. $500/mo. all bill paid. Call today 210-693-6360 or 210-861-4019.

to todays puzzles

President Michael K. Young joins other university presidents employed by yearly appointment letters

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

ANSWERS

Young’s contract not renewed

When to call

to todays puzzles

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

ANSWERS

Place an ad

SPECIAL

see ads at thebatt.com

WHERE GO WHEREAGGIES AGGIES GO TO TOGET GET HEALTHY. HEALTHY.

Howdy Ags! Howdy Ags!MedPlus MedPlus Northgate Northgate welcomes students! welcomessummer summerschool school students! College Station MedPlus offers Aggies anan easy solution havean anillness illnessoror injury that needs College Station MedPlus offers Aggies easy solutionwhen when they they have injury that needs prompt attention. Located conveniently within walking the Texas TexasA&M A&M campus in Northgate, prompt attention. Located conveniently within walkingdistance distance of of the campus in Northgate, we offer wide range of services including: weaoffer a wide range of services including: • Cold• and Coldflu and flu

• Sore throat • Sore throat

Sprainsand and strains •• Sprains strains

• Sinus infections • Sinus infections

• Allergies • Allergies

Urinarytract tract infections •• Urinary infections

• Bronchitis • Bronchitis

• Headaches • Headaches

Diarrheaand and intestinal infection •• Diarrhea intestinal infection

• Ear infections • Ear infections

• Rashes • Rashes

Walk-ins welcome or call 979-485-2827 for WHOOP! Walk-ins welcome or call 979-485-2827 foran anappointment. appointment. WHOOP! 711 Church Ave.,Ave., Suite 101101 • College Station 711 Church Suite • College Station

Monday – Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday – Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

979-485-2827 979-485-2827 We accept mostmost major insurance plans. We accept major insurance plans. SM CC SM e dePdl P u sl u . cso. c mo m