The Battalion: February 12, 2018 by The Battalion

Freshman guard TJ Starks (left) and junior forward DJ Hogg (right) combined for 33 points in the victory over Kentucky. Photos by Kevin Chou — THE BATTALION

FOURTH STRAIGHT SEC WIN

A&M defeats No. 24 Kentucky at Reed Arena in front of sold out crowd By Ryan MacDonald @Ryan_MacDonald2

With 13,263 fans in attendance for the sold out game, Texas A&M men’s basketball defeated No. 24 Kentucky 85-74 for the Aggies fourth straight win. The crowd included former A&M quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel, seated courtside, and A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher. Prior to the game, head coach Billy Kennedy said a deciding factor would be the matchup down low between Kentucky big men PJ Washington and Kevin Knox and Aggie big

men Robert Williams and Tyler Davis. Kentucky’s duo outscored A&M’s 13-8 in the first half. Kentucky sat in zone defense for the majority of the half, which made it difficult for the Aggie pair to find their stride in the crowded paint. The zone defense gave the Aggies space on the perimeter to shoot 14 three-point shots in the first half, though only two were successful. A&M junior forward DJ Hogg was the only Aggie to make a three-pointer in the half, netting both of them. Hogg also picked up the duo’s slack on the defensive end, grabbing six rebounds in the half. The first half was a back-and-forth affair and saw eight lead changes. The Wildcats led the Aggies 30-26 at the end of the first half. A&M started the second half on a 26-6 run

thanks in part to four three-pointers — two from Admon Gilder, one from DJ Hogg and one from TJ Starks. After netting just 14 percent (2-of-14) of their three-point shots in the first half, the Aggies caught fire from behind the arc throughout the second half. A&M finished the half netting 78 percent (7-of-9) from downtown. The Aggies also found success via the dunk off of alley-oops, throwing down seven in the game. “What they did to us in the second half [was bad],” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “You can’t let them have lob-dunk, lob-dunk, you just don’t do it. You foul or do something, you’re not going to give them that.” After losing their four-point halftime lead in the first minute of the half, the Wildcats never

regained their lead in the game. It seemed like everything went the Aggies’ way from there on, as shown in their two three-pointers that hit the backboard and swooshed the net. “The bank was open, as we say,” Kennedy said. “We made two of them, which is very rare. It was just our night, we made shots and banked shots in, really in the second half.” The sold out Reed Arena crowd was electric throughout the game and Williams said it fueled the Aggies’ second half run. “I think it was the first time that we had been in a packed, crowded gym for us,” Williams said. “Seeing the crowd go crazy like when DJ hit a three was my first time seeing that. It was the ultimate confidence boost. The crowd really helped us push through.” BASKETBALL ON PG. 3

SCIENCE

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Anthony Pangonas — THE BATTALION

Professor Tim Logan has studied how rain development is effected by aerosols.

A&M professor studies effects of aerosols Study looks at both the positive and negative effects on clouds By Anthony Pangonas @apangonas Cloud formation and the amount of rain that can be brought by these clouds can be negatively affected due to the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere, which can include wildfire smoke, sea salt and air pollutants. A new study of these effects was worked on by a team of researchers including Tim Logan, instructional assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M, and Xiquan Dong, a professor of hydrology and atmospheric science at the University of Arizona. Dong said in the preface to the research paper that the interaction between aerosol content and the climate in a particular region is one of the biggest uncertainties when it comes to predicting climate change. “The treatment of aerosols, clouds, radiation and precipitation in climate models has always AEROSOL ON PG. 2

Business honors junior Taylor Welch will work alongside the current MSC president until taking over the office on April 23.

Next in line for a legacy of leadership Taylor Welch named 69th MSC President, takes office April 23 By Luke Henkhaus @luke_henkhaus As 69th president of the Memorial Student Center, business honors junior Taylor Welch is poised to carry on a long history of service to Texas A&M’s campus and community. Welch currently serves as chair of the L.T. Jordan Institute for International Awareness, one of the 19 committees within the MSC she will oversee as president. Through these committees, the MSC’s programming includes conferences, entertainment and major service events benefiting current and former students as well as the greater Bryan-College Station area. As president, Welch will also coordinate with university administration, community members, former students and other student leaders to maintain the MSC’s role as an Aggie institution. With previous involvement in MSC Fish, MSC Business Associates and the MSC Wiley Lecture Series, Welch said her experience within the MSC has given her the confidence to make the most of her time as president.

“I think being a part of the MSC has taught me a lot about service,” Welch said. “That’s something that’s really important to me, and so while it’s looked different in each of those roles, I think I’ve learned a lot about how you can make an impact on your community and I think the MSC does an incredible job of doing that through programming.” Before taking office on April 23, Welch will work closely with psychology senior and current MSC President Annie Carnegie, gaining a practical perspective on the president’s role while learning the finer points of coordination within the MSC and across campus. Carnegie said she is excited to have Welch by her side through some of the MSC’s largest signature programs of the year. “Taylor is incredibly intelligent, passionate and motivated,” Carnegie said. “She is somebody who looks at a situation and can understand what’s going on, what some of the external factors affecting the situation are, who to bring in to help really evaluate what’s happening. She does a great job of bringing different individuals together to work through problems. I think that is going to make her tremendously successful in the coming year.” One highlight of Carnegie’s time in of-

fice so far was the opportunity to interview the MSC’s third president, Lamar McNew, Class of ‘53. Carnegie said speaking with him was a keen reminder of the legacy all MSC presidents are entrusted with upholding. “There have been so many incredible people who have come before us and in that moment, speaking with him, with someone who really paved the way for what I would be doing in the coming year, I was able to have this snapshot of what it’s like to enter into that legacy and to hopefully leave something to it as well,” Carnegie said. Reflecting on her own term as president, Carnegie said her year has been defined by the talent and dedication of the team she works with, including the executive vice presidents, vice presidents and the chairs of each MSC committee. “Everything that that group of individuals has done has been really impactful and really good for our campus,” Carnegie said. “I’m so proud of them and it’s been a true honor and privilege to get to work with them throughout the year.” The next step for Welch will be selecting her own executive vice presidents of diversity, programs and business, while looking MSC ON PG. 3

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The Battalion | 2.12.18

Grounded in History The story of Texas A&M’s buildings and statues By Luke Henkhaus @luke_henkhaus RUDDER TOWER /GUION HALL

CUSHING LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES

Dalia Muayad —THE BATTALION

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Eleven stories high, Rudder Tower stands tall in the heart of Texas A&M’s campus. Before the tower and theater complex were constructed, an auditorium called Guion Hall stood on the same site from 1918 to 1971, serving as an early hub for Aggie entertainment. The structure was named for Judge John I. Guion, the president of A&M’s board of directors from 1914 to 1918. Following Guion Hall’s demolition in 1971, construction on Rudder Tower began and was completed in 1974. The building is named for Gen. James Earl Rudder, Class of 1932, who went on to become one of the university’s most famous presidents. Rudder led A&M from 1959 until his death in 1970. Just a short walk away from the tower, at the foot of the steps to the theater complex, a bronze statue of Rudder stands, facing north down military walk.

COURTESY

Taken from the research, this figure shows how aerosol and concentration nuclei combine to form water droplets.

AEROSOL CONTINUED been one of the largest sources of uncertainty in predicting any potential future climate changes,” Dong wrote. “Characterizing the effects of aerosols and clouds on energy and

understanding the interaction among aerosols, clouds, radiation and precipitation are critical for weather forecasting and climate models.” Logan said aerosols are defined as particles that are in the atmosphere and can include both good and bad types based on what they are affecting.

Texas A&M’s first dedicated library space, the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives building was built in 1930 and provided a more permanent home for the books previously stored in Old Main and later the Academic Building. Included in the library’s first collections were the engineering books bequeathed by the building’s namesake, Col. Edward Benjamin Cushing, Class of 1880 and former president of the Association of Former Students. Cushing became a member of the Texas A&M Board of Directors in 1912 and was named president of the board in 1913. Cushing served on the staff of Gen. John J. Pershing during the later part of World War I and was awarded the French Croix de Guerre medal, an honor often bestowed upon soldiers of France’s foreign allies in the world wars. “Depending on what type of aerosols there are, that affects how the cloud develops,” Logan said. “The main ones to cloud formation include sea salt, pollution, mineral dust and wildfire smoke.” The cloud is affected from the very beginning by the inclusion of aerosols, Logan said. Due to the pollution, it can negatively affect rain development. “In order for clouds to develop, they need these particles,” Logan said. “They condense around these particles, start out as condensation nuclei and then they develop into larger cloud droplets and eventually become rain. So depending on the condensation nuclei there are, that affects if there’s a lot of rain or not.” Logan said not all aerosols are bad for cloud formations though — depending on the type that helps create the condensation nuclei, it can even help in the formation of more clouds. “In a companion study we did back in 2014 was a research site in the eastern North Atlantic and we watched how aerosol plumes would come overhead and how the clouds

would develop,” Logan said. “Different aerosol types led to an increased concentration in cloud condensation nuclei and some decreased it as well.” Logan said some areas with big pollution hubs, such as China, are being researched heavily to figure out how aerosols are affecting its weather. “In all honesty, that is still being hotly researched over there,” Logan said. “Asia is going through growing pains sort of like how we did through the industrial revolution and as their technology becomes better and cleaner, there should be a decline in pollution.” While uncertainty about the interaction between cloud formation, climate change and aerosol is going to take a while according to Logan, many aspects of it are continually being researched by scientists. “There’s always something different you can find,” Logan said. “You take what you learn and you can branch out into other stuff.”

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The Battalion | 2.12.18

Realities of life on the U.S.-Mexico Border

Provided by Katy Baldock Kevin Chou — THE BATTALION

Concerns over immigration and security policies have impacted life for many border communities.

Students share travel stories in light of immigration discussion By Savannah Merthens @SJMerthens Travel over the U.S.-Mexico border has been a prevalent topic of political discussion in recent years, elevated in the public consciousness by President Donald Trump’s push for enhanced security measures to prevent illegal immigration. A recent viral video of a woman on a Greyhound bus being removed by Customs and Border Protection officers who boarded the bus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida posed a question: What are people’s legal rights if asked for identification? More so, what are the gray areas in the legal system when living in a border zone? Abigail Ramos is a psychology senior from Progreso, Texas — part of a collection of towns that compose the valley about 30 minutes outside of Brownsville, Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border. In comparison to videos of border control and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Ramos said she hasn’t seen as many situations in her town but has had experiences with unusual border control actions. “Since I do live super close to the border, we just go have lunch literally in Mexico and then we’ll come back,” Ramos said. “Just like 30 minutes, whatever, just go eat, come back. That’s usually what we do on the weekends, stuff like that.” Although she does not have an issue crossing back to the U.S., she knows people who struggle to come back across the border due to a variety of concerns from security. For example, Ramos’ roommate, Spanish senior Anna Valdez, went across the border with her family for lunch during spring break in 2017. Her father, who lives and works in the U.S. with a visa, was detained and was not released until late January of this year. She said it was because of a red flag that came up from years ago. “That’s actually crazy,” said Huyen Pham, a professor of law

at Texas A&M University School of Law with a concentration in immigration law. “Crazy in the sense that if it’s a valid work visa, that should be able to be validated, checked pretty quickly … They certainly have the authority to check paperwork and if they have concerns about fraud, for example, or somehow if the documents are invalid they have the authority to deny you entry. I just can’t imagine why it would take that long.” Similarly, Ramos’ maternal uncle and aunt, who live in Michigan, came to visit them and stayed in Mexico. Her aunt was not allowed to cross back into the U.S. for an extended period of time. “Whenever they came to visit us they had to stay over there in Mexico,” Ramos said. “It took her probably six months, five months, to get her papers settled and stuff and she was able to stay here legally.” According to the American Immigration Council, expedited removal, which was created in 1996, refers to the legal authority given to even low-level immigration officers to order the deportation of some non-U.S. citizens without any of the due-process protections granted to most other people, such as the right to an attorney and to a hearing before a judge. “If they think you don’t have documents or that your documents are fraudulent they can always allow you voluntary departure or they can place in what is called expedited removal, where you have very limited release and you’re basically placed and sent back to your country of origin,” Pham said. If a person is trying to enter or has entered the United States and has an expired visa, Pham said most immigration advocates would recommend not showing it. “You’re basically giving them proof that you were born outside of the United States, which is the first thing they have to prove in order to deport you,” Pham said. “It does prove who you are, but for immigration purposes it’s not particularly helpful I wouldn’t think.” Andres Enriquez is an English senior from San Juan, Texas — about 15 minutes from the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge. He said the border patrol and state troopers are

Junior guard Tyler Davis slams the ball down for a dunk during A&M’s 85-74 win over No. 24 Kentucky.

permanent features of the community. “Border patrol is so prevalent that they get discounts at all the local restaurants, like the mom and pop diners,” Enriquez said. His mother was brought over the border as a child by way of his grandmother paying $100 per child to legally cross over into the U.S in the late 1960s. At the time, she had six children, which later grew to 10. “At the time, a mother of six brought over one child at a time through proper documentation, the proper course of action. It is doable,” Enriquez said. “At the time, $100 was a lot.” Although Enriquez would now be the third generation with legal documentation, when he and his family traveled to Arizona a few years ago, they were approached by border patrol in a mall and asked for proof of documentation. “We were walking around and I’m light complected and so is my mom, but my dad and my aunt and my uncle are all dark complected, so they [border patrol officers] said ‘Do you all mind showing us your citizenship,’ and my mom was like ‘Oh yeah, here it is’ and they said ‘Oh alright, have a great day,’” Enriquez said. During the 2016 presidential elections, Trump’s border wall and security promise was a significant component of his campaign. Ramos said the type of actions she has witnessed so far did not become as constant until after Trump was elected president. “I was in college already whenever he got elected, so whenever I went home to visit it was a lot more than it had been whenever I hadn’t left,” Ramos said. Ramos said she doesn’t think it’s fair for families to be separated due to over-exaggerated border security, especially in cases such as her roommate’s father. “I don’t think it’s fair that we’re ripping families apart,” Ramos said. “Like my roommate, she would cry constantly, like literally every day because her dad didn’t deserve it, and a lot of people’s families don’t deserve it.”

amazing job.” The Aggies will take their fourgame win streak into their matchup at Mizzou on Tuesday, Feb.13. The game will be televised on ESPN with tipoff slated for 6 p.m. Despite winning six out of their last seven SEC matchups, Kennedy emphasized that his team isn’t looking down the road, but rather maintaining their steady, one day at a time approach. “With this team and the make of it, we’re trying to win one day at a time and not get too far ahead,” Kennedy said. “Tomorrow will be a good day to rest up and get better and focus on one day at a time. We’ve just got so much immaturity and young guys that can make mistakes. When you start looking too far ahead, that’s when you get in trouble.”

BASKETBALL CONTINUED A&M posted 85 points in the game, their fourth straight game passing the 80-point mark. Kennedy attributes the increase in offensive production to the Aggies limiting their turnovers and converting the opposing team’s turnovers into fastbreak points. The Aggies committed just nine turnovers and netted 18 fastbreak points. After the game, Calipari praised Kennedy for the job he’s done in completely shifting the trajectory of his team, which started 0-5 in SEC play. “What Billy’s done because of the injuries and the stuff that happened, to have his team where it is now is what a successful coach is,” Calipari said. “It’s easy when things are going well. I want to know when you lose three of four, how do you handle that? He’s done an

Team update: Sunday, Feb. 11, Texas A&M athletics announced the dismissal of redshirt freshman JJ Caldwell and the suspension of freshman Jay Jay Chandler. According to the Brazos Valley County jail records, Caldwell and Chandler were charged with possession of marijuana less than two ounces on Feb. 11 with a $2,000 bail.

MSC CONTINUED outside the MSC at ongoing projects and initiatives. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know student leaders across campus and to see areas that they’re focused in and what that collaboration looks like with the MSC,” Welch said. Carnegie said one piece of advice she will share with Welch throughout the transition is to “be bold and be grateful,” accepting and appreciating the challenges she faces along the way. “There have been so many individuals who encouraged me or challenged me to do something that I didn’t know I was capable of,” Carnegie said. “So in those moments I had to be a little bit more bold than I typically would be, but I can look back and see how those

people really helped shape me into who I have become and I’m incredibly grateful for those people.” Looking forward to her term as president, Welch said she is honored to uphold the MSC’s legacy as a home for the Aggie family and a center for selfless service. “I can’t even tell you how shocked and how honored I am to be able to serve in this role,” Welch said. “The MSC truly has defined my college experience thus far in the best way. I am so honored to be able to serve in a role that 68 people have served in before and that’s not something I take lightly. I’m really excited to build upon what this year’s team has done and to be a small part of what I’m sure will continue to be many, many years that the MSC does great things for not only this campus but this community as well.”

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THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the 2018 spring semester and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (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.

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Consulting group aims to give organizations tools for success By Miranda White @mirandakw Texas A&M’s first ever consultant group is advising student organizations on how to best pursue their goals. Since the fall of 2017, the Texas A&M Consulting Group (TACG) has been on a mission to institute change within the student body by using financial expertise and creativity to assist those in need of help. Master’s in financial econometrics student and TACG president Danial Kordi said the group helps with numerous problems organizations tend to encounter. “We consult on campus clients by helping them with their operational integrity, such as dealing with marketing, recruiting and their internal structure,” Kordi said Master’s in finance student and TACG vice president Alec Calvillo said he and Kordi came up with the idea to create TACG while interning for professional services firm Ernst & Young in the summer of 2016. “Because consulting is something huge right now in all campuses, we wanted to combine minds from various disciplines and allow people to grow in their critical thinking, which is necessary for them to pursue their next step as consultants,” Kordi said. During their Wednesday meetings, members are trained for professional interviews by analyzing case studies that deal with everyday business dilemmas. “People who go into high-impact careers are always put through case studies during interviews, so we give them that content on a weekly basis,” Calvillo said. TACG welcomes all majors and supports those who wish to proceed into all branches of consulting work, according to Kordi. “If one wanted to go the technology route, we would bring in speakers that are for technology,” Kordi said. Assistant professor at the Mays Business School and the group’s adviser Christopher Yust said TACG is special because it is focused on practical expertise. “While it is great that they bring in individuals to speak about the profession, they are really trying to focus on not just talking

about consulting, but doing it,” Yust said. To consult student organizations, members devise an organized plan to help their client gain momentum. “One student organization came to us in need of help with recruitment, so we created a team of about five people to go out and advise them,” Kordi said. “Once the team constructed a deliverable plan, we showed our client a full presentation toward the end of the month, so they were able to implement their move forward.” Calvillo said it is important for their organization to achieve presentation readiness while taking the steps to become consultants. “When it comes to presenting to clients, we always have our members take the lead, because we want to push them out of their comfort zone,” Calvillo said. “We are teaching students to be able to take what’s in their mind and then translate it in a way that’s easily understandable.” Kordi said their organization enjoys serving the community and taking breaks from work to have fun and get to know each other better. “We will participate in Big Event this semester and do some profit shares as well,” Kordi said. “Aside from that, we have socials, because we don’t always want to focus on work. We want to have that fun component as well. We had a social gathering at Park West apartments where we grabbed some food, hung out and got to know the members on a more personal level.” Yust said if he was still an A&M student, he would have joined the organization. “To my knowledge, I don’t know any other organizations like this one,” Yust said. “If I were still a student at Texas A&M and such an organization existed, I would have most definitely joined it. I’m hopeful this organization can continue to grow and thrive to become another legacy at A&M 10 to 20 years down the line.” Yust said he is impressed with how the officers have taken their passions and transformed them into a group that benefits the entire student body. “They really approached this with a great level of seriousness and pride,” Yust said. “I believe that when you get to that level of engagement and people are passionate about what they do, the sky is the limit for them.”

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