The Battalion: April 20, 2017 by The Battalion

Softly call the Muster Let comrade answer

‘HERE’ 7 P.M. • FRIDAY • REED ARENA

2017 Roll Call for the Absent TYREL BROWN ’20 • ANTON GRIDNEV ’19 • MATTHEW HAYES ’19 • RONALD THIESSEN ’19 • CASSIDY VENABLE ’19 • MICHAEL HOPPER ’18 • REX JACKSON LEDDY IV ’18 • ALEXANDER JONES ’18 • ZHONG-HAO CHEN ’17 • WILLIAM DOUPHRATE III ’17 • NICOLETTE HUEBOTTER ’17 • ROSS LIGHTFOOT ’17 • ANITA MANTRI ’17 • MARICARMEN QUIROZ-OCTAVIANO ’17 • ALANNAH RITCH ’17 • LAUREN BROWN ’16 • CALLIE SISK ’16 • RACHEL SPELMAN ’16 • ANDREW SUTTER ’16 • RICKILEE MERCER ’10 • MICAH KOHUTEK ’03 • JESSICA GARDNER SANDOVAL ’00 • DENNIS AVERITT ’90 • BRADLEY JOHNSON ’89 • LT. COL. JAY JONES ’89 • PATRICK “RICK” HIRSCH ’87 • JEFFREY RALEY ’85 • DONALD BENKENDORFER JR. ’84 • DR. CHARLES CONRAD ’83 • ELIZABETH HOMAN ’83 • WILLIAM ELLERBROCK ’81 • JOSE QUIROS ’81 • JAIME ROMAN SR. ’81 • JAMES BALETKA ’77 • DR. STEVE BURCH ’77 • DON CORLEY JR. ’77 • DR. ELIZABETH “LIBBY” GARDNER ’76 • JEFFREY SEBESTA ’76 • RICHARD PEURIFOY ’75 • DR. CHARLES MAGNUSON ’74 • OLLIE BROWN ’72 • FRED PROUDFOOT ’72 • DERRYL SCHROEDER ’72 • ROBERT SPILLER ’71 • JOHN COHAGEN SR. ’70 • WANDA ROBERTS ’70 • DR. SAMUEL MUECKE ’69 • JACKSON BARNES ’67 • KATHLEEN BROWN ’67 • MICHAEL BRYAN ’67 • DONALD EGGEBEEN ’67 • DR. KAMAL EL-ZIK ’67 • MICHAEL FLAHIE ’67 • J. GUFFIN ’67 • LT. COL. ALFRED HOCKING ’67 • MICHAEL KLOPPE ’67 • KENNETH KUBALA SR. ’67 • DR. WILLIAM MAULE ’67 • GEORGE MENZIES III ’67 • LEWIS MOEHLMAN ’67 • IVAN “DOC” SCHMEDEMANN ’67 • DR. DEAN TEEL ’67 • DR. THOMAS TEER ’67 • JOHN WESTMORELAND JR. ’67 • GEORGE WILLIFORD ’67 • HASKELL WRIGHT ’67 • RONALD HARLAN ’66 • ROBERT ABERNATHY ’65 • HARRY BAUERSCHLAG ’65 • FRANCIS CLARK ’65 • AARON PENLAND ’65 • ROBERT JAY ’64 • GERALD BROWN ’63 • SAMUEL CURL ’63 • DANIEL FLORES JR. ’63 • JAMES PEACOCK ’63 • JERRY PERKINS ’63 • MANUEL DEL LLANO ’60 • ROBERT PUTZ SR. ’60 • KENNETH STUFFLEBEME ’60 • WENDELL KOENIG ’59 • ALPHONSE “AL” MOELLER ’59 • FRANK PETROSKI JR. ’59 • KENNETH BREAZEALE ’58 • DIMITRI PAPPAS ’58 • JAMES BARTON ’57 • ROGER ALEXANDER ’56 • ROY MILLEN ’56 • HENRY PARKMAN ’55 • DR. HENRY PEARSON ’55 • TREBOR MORRIS, JR. ’54 • JAMES RICHARDSON ’53 • JACK THOMAS ’53 • HERSHEL TRUELOVE ’52 • WILLIAM WALKER ’52 • EARL GILMORE, JR. ’51 • MARVIN HAMILTON ’51 • LEIGHTON LEE ’51 • LEO MIKESKA ’51 • EDWARD ADAMS ’50 • MAURICE STEPHENS ’50 • FRANK TARABA ’50 • DR. BURTON HINK ’49 • DAVID MOEHLMAN SR. ’49 • JOE ATC H I S O N ’48 • WILLIAM FULLER ’46 • JAMES HAWKINS ’46 • CHARLES FISCHER ’44 • BB “MAC” MCCURDY ’41 • FORREST JORDAN ’39 • LEE FAGG ’28 • DR. ROBERT ALBANESE • DR. HARRY COYLE • DR. CHRISTODOULOS FLOUDAS • MARY JEWELL • MARTHA MASON • DR. CHARLES WIGGINS

Hanna Hausman — THE BATTALION

Senior Boot Bag Senior Boot Bag

ANSWERS

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The Battalion | 4.20.17

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After the Roll Call is read, Ross Volunteers fire three volleys of seven shots.

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134th Muster ceremony expects 17,000 attendees Roll Call stands at 117, Class of 1967 to celebrate 50th Reunion By Tyler Snell @Tyler_Snell2

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Thousands will gather in Reed Arena at 7 p.m. Friday, not for a basketball or volleyball game, but to celebrate and commemorate the Aggie Spirit during the 134th Muster Ceremony. Aggie Muster is a worldwide tradition in which Aggies gather to reflect on the previous year and remember Aggies who have died in the year since the last Muster ceremony. Over the past week, the Reflections Display in the Flag Room has given students a chance to get a glimpse of the lives of those whose names will be called through photographs and memorabilia displayed by the family members. The Class of 1967 will be back on campus for its 50-year reunion and will attend a barbecue from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Northeast Plaza of Kyle Field, before going to the Muster Ceremony. The barbecue is meant as a way for Aggies both young and old to join together in camaraderie and the Aggie Spirit. The campus Roll Call to be honored at the Muster ceremony stands at 117 at time of press, and the worldwide Roll Call surpasses 1,600. More than 13,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony in Reed Arena. Students, family

members or visitors who knew the person called, who shares their class year or who feels inclined may answer “Here” when the name is read aloud to show that person is still a member of the Aggie community. “We try to raise awareness at the end of the day that not every student is going to want to attend or cannot attend, so that is difficult for us as well and wanting everyone to be involved with Muster,” said Marikit Tomlinson, Muster Committee Chair and Class of 2016. “I think Muster is a really humbling experience because this is a really great place, not just a place to get an education. It’s a place that really is a family and will take the time to honor you when you are gone, not just in these four years but in your life.” Eddie Davis, Class of 1967, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s ceremony, and said Muster is what makes A&M so unique and special. “We always talk about how unique A&M is, and Muster is one of those things that makes A&M unique because it was started as a way for Aggies to gather and it has extended over time for Aggies wherever they are to gather,” Davis said. “I think it is paying respect to fellow Aggies, to the institution you care about and paying respect to those that have passed on. It’s very, very unique, and it makes it special.” Erin Youngblood, university studies senior and Roll Call and Families subchair, said one of her favorite parts of Muster is the Reflections Display.

“I like to think of the Displays as an epicenter for all of the Muster activities that happen during the week,” Youngblood said. “As you walk around the room you notice how things like styles and quality of pictures change, but things like diplomas, Aggie Rings and the true Spirit of Aggieland have not.” Katy DeLeon, biomedical sciences junior and Programs Executive, said if not for Muster she would not have the closely knit group of friends who work on the Muster Committee today. “We are from all over and would not have met if not for Muster and the campus community,” DeLeon said. “I hope that [attendees] are just reminded of how strong the Aggie spirit is and take time to really figure out what it means to them, attend Muster on campus and in their hometowns and keep the tradition alive.” Tomlinson said watching the families’ and students’ reactions is what makes Muster truly special and is the whole reason the Committee works all year. “For the families, we really just want them to feel a sense of peace in getting to honor a loved one at Muster and getting to close that Aggie chapter in their life even if the family isn’t from A&M,” Tomlinson said. “It’s just really cool because you work all year for one day, so getting to know the families and see that it is creating an impact on people’s lives and how it really means a lot to them means a lot to me.”

Campus leaders discuss Muster symbols By Josh McCormack @_joshmccormack Hundreds of candles lit, a chorus of voices speaking “Here,” dedicated Ross Volunteers marching solemnly donned in white uniforms and a Roll Call of the names of Aggies who have died in the last year — here are the symbols which honor the fallen during Muster. The Muster tradition, which began in 1903, is one of the most treasured customs practiced by students at Texas A&M and Aggies around the world. Like most traditions Aggies participate in, the ceremony includes multiple symbols representing different aspects of the tradition. Following the conclusion of speeches given by the incoming student body president, Muster Speaker and others, the Roll Call is read. Incoming Corps Commander Brad Sauer said despite the solemnity caused by hearing the names of those who have died, it’s an important gesture. “It is an important way to recognize the Aggies who have come before us. ‘Somber’ would be the best way word for it. Yes, it is a list of names, but everyone knows somebody on that list and someone somewhere will be there to support you,” Sauer said. “It’s a Muster for [the Corps] because one of our guys’ names will be called. Muster helps the healing process.” As each name is read, Aggies throughout the world will say, “Here.” This specific symbol truly speaks to the idea that once you are an Aggie, you will always be one, said Student Body President-Elect Bobby Brooks, who will give his first speech at the ceremony. Brooks, who lost a friend in the first few weeks of arriving at A&M, said his first Muster ceremony allowed him to move forward in light of the tragedy. “When everyone called ‘Here’ — that is when the moment when I came to terms with my friend passing,” Brooks said. “I had seen news articles I had seen the ambulance which took him away. Those things weren’t real to me until he had gone through the same decorum as everyone else. Calling ‘Here’ for my friend was a verbal commitment that he had passed and that he was a cherished friend of mine.” As each name is called and “Here” is spoken, those participating in Muster will light a candle, one by one, eventually illuminating the entirety of Reed Arena. To actually see a wall of light in the darkness that represents the lives of the Aggies who have died is something that can take your breath away, said incoming MSC President Annie Carnegie. “The candles definitely stand out to me. I think that visual representation of each individual who is being called is so impactful, and you see it grow throughout the evening,” Carnegie said. “So it’s something that again it’s bringing that individual perspective but also we are also apart of something greater than ourselves. When all of those candles are lit at the end of the ceremony when you see all of those candles

FILE

As names on the Roll Call are called at Muster, families of the Aggies who have died light a candle in their honor.

lit you can’t really distinguish one from the other. There are all part of that family.” After each candle is lit, the Ross Volunteers march into Reed Arena to perform a 21-gun salute for the Aggies whose names have been called, spoken for and honored with the lighting of the candle. “The first time I saw the Ross Volunteers was at my first Silver Taps; seeing them again at my first Muster was huge. Anytime you see those white uniforms, it stirs the emotions. White is the color of angels and heaven, when you are at a ceremony like Muster, that is what you are thinking of,” said Ja’Cory Clark, 2017-2018 Student Senate speaker. What the symbols speak to is the idea of the community and family built at A&M, Brooks said. “There is this kind of beauty in celebrating who we are as a culture and as a community,” Brooks said. “That’s something that is absolutely wonderful to me, to know that we all can connect on muster and we can all feel the loss of one and we can all celebrate the life as one together as a group.”

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The Battalion | 4.20.17

REMEMBERING 1942 CORREGIDOR

75 YEARS LATER

PROVIDED

In 2015, a group of Aggies returned to the Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor. Some of the members pictured had family members who fought in the Pacific Theater.

Author of ‘Softly call the Muster’ weighs in on origination of cherished Aggie tradition Capt. Bob Epstein, Class of 1944, was the only original member from the 1946 Muster in attendance for the 2015 Aggie Muster in Corregidor.

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_

y 1942, World War II was in full force, having already claimed the lives of millions of people. A little over five months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, several Aggies were tasked with protecting the small island of Corregidor, also known as the “Rock” in the Philippines. “Hold Corregidor” Maj. Gen. George F. Moore, Class of 1908, was sent to the Rock in February of 1941 with Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright to defend the island and Manila Harbor at all costs. Under the Manila defense plan, the island would act as a backup and haven if a retreat from the nearby province of Bataan became necessary. On April 9, 1942, the American and Filipino forces on Bataan were forced to surrender to Japanese forces and were taken into captivity, and the soldiers on Corregidor were heavily shelled. Since the island provided little to no shelter, soldiers were scattered throughout the island. A headquarters was set up in the bomb-proof tunnel known as Malinta, which was located on the tail-shaped part of the island, along the supply depot and hospital. Once it was clear to military officials that the island was impossible to protect due to a shortage of supplies, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Commander of the Allied Forces in the South Pacific, to be evacuated on March 11, 1942. The timeline of the events on Corregidor in 1942 often get mixed up with those of 1946, when a group of Aggies returned to the Rock after it was secured. It was originally believed that the Aggies who were on the island in 1942 came together in Malinta Tunnel to celebrate San Jacinto Day despite being under fire with heavy artillery. In truth, though, they were scattered all over the island.

PROVIDED

“There had been no good news from anywhere, and even though they were in a dire circumstance, that news coming that the Aggies and in the spirit of San Jacinto and Texas Independence had mustered on the island.” John A. Adams, Jr. Class of 1973 and author of “Softly Call the Muster”

Via Aggie Network

In 1946, almost 130 Aggies gathered on the island of Corregidor to honor the men who defended the island against the Japanese during World War II four years prior.

Roll Call Still on the island in 1942, Maj. Gen. Moore wanted a list, or roll call, of Aggies who were still fighting. He contacted Maj. Tom Dooley, Class of 1935, to help gather the names. Once the list of names — which took a while to gather due to the circumstances — was compiled, they asked one of the reporters to wire the story of the Aggies who remained on the island. By the time the wire was sent back to the Allied Forces and nations, it was close to April 21, San Jacinto Day. According to John A. Adams Jr., Class of 1973 and author of Softly Call the Muster, the Aggies on the Rock wanted a list of their names in order to ensure there was a record of them being there, so their family would receive their life insurance. “One of the reasons they wanted the names to go out is that they wanted to confirm to their families and to everybody that they were there,” Adams said. “Because if they were killed, they would have a record that they were there and [their families] could be paid their insurance from the Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance.” The news of what was thought to be the “Aggie Muster” spread like wildfire via news outlets across the nation. And in a time where all the news coming in was negative and bleak, this news — although only partially true — was much needed. “They got the report released and little did they know that it just electrified [the home

front],” Adams said. “There had been no good news from anywhere and even though they were in a dire circumstance, that news coming that the Aggies and in the spirit of San Jacinto and Texas Independence had mustered on the island. They had been in contact; they didn’t get together and sit around and drink warm water and eat bread — they were spread out. When it got here, they picked it up like that.” Two weeks after the initial Roll Call, the soldiers on Corregidor surrendered. Returning to Corregidor On April 21, 1945, three Aggies — Lt. Col. Ormond R. Simpson, Class of 1936, Maj. R.N. “Dick” Conolly, Class of 1937 and Lt. Tommy Martin, Class of 1940 — returned to the recaptured island of Corregidor to remember the Aggies who surrendered there three years prior. Despite being recaptured by the Allied Forces, there were still groups of Japanese snipers on the island. Although only one photo of the three Aggies who visited the island in 1945 exists, this small Aggie Muster led to one of the most famous photos in Texas A&M history. One year later, almost 130 Aggies returned to Corregidor to honor the men who fought on that very island four years prior. In the years following the famous 1942 roll call, Aggies have mustered across the globe every April 21 to honor Aggies who have died throughout the year. The events on Corregidor forever changed the way thousands of current and former students celebrate the lives of Aggies. Solidifying the Aggie presence In 2015, A&M dedicated a memorial on the island of Corregidor to the Aggies who fought on the island in 1942, in addition to the Aggies who visited the island in 1946. Marty Holmes, Class of 1987 and vice president of the Association of Former Students, said the birth of the monument stemmed from a conversation a group of A&M cadets had with a member from the Corregidor Foundation, a non-profit private organization in charge of the military artifacts, as well the development of the island as a tourism venue. “A number of years ago — maybe seven or so — some cadets from the Corps were touring Corregidor and met with the gentleman who runs the Corregidor Foundation and helps oversee the park,” Holmes said. “In the course of the conversation, there was a monument for a group of airborne rangers that dropped in to liberate the island back from the Japanese. The conversation somehow came up that, ‘We need an Aggie Monument for all the Aggies in 1942 and 1946.’ He said, ‘If y’all would be willing, we would be honored to do it.’ So that started a trail [of events].” The monument was designed by two students of the Texas A&M College of Architecture, Luis Martinez, Class of 2012 and Carmen Torres, Class of 2016. Most of the monument was built onsite by local craftsmen, but some parts were made the United States. The monument features four maroon-tiled “steps.” On the tallest part of the monument features the Aggie Muster Symbol with a plaque describing the 1942 and 1946 Musters. The middle pillar features a plaque with the names of the 88 Aggies who defended Corregidor and Bataan. To the right of the center pillar lies the names from the 1942 Muster, and to the left the names from the 1946 Muster. Editor’s note: Much of the information in this story was found in Adams’ Softly Call the Muster

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The Battalion | 4.20.17

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

(Top) Photos taken from the 1967 Aggieland yearbook featuring seniors walking through a saber arch, graduating and taking their dates to Ring Dance. (Bottom) Class of 1967 returns for their 50th reunion featuring a dinner, BBQ and attending Muster as a class.

Class members recall addition of women, African-Americans, Corps being non-compulsory By Alex Sein @Alexandrsein

he Class of 1967 will return to Aggieland this weekend to commemorate 50 years since their time as students, and to say “Here” for the members of their class who will be called during this year’s Muster Roll Call. Mickey Batsell, one of the class agents for the Class of 1967, said Eddie Davis, Jr. is the first from his class to speak at campus Muster. “The speaker for the campus Muster is Dr. Ed Davis, who is a classmate of ours, and he was the past head of the A&M Foundation,” Batsell said. “It’s pretty unique, since this is the first time a member of the 50th class has been the Muster speaker.” Batsell said the new and improved Aggieland is significantly different from the campus the Class of 1967 once knew. “For many of my classmates, it will be the first time that they’ve been back to A&M in a very long time,” Batsell said. “It’s going to be a real eye-opener to them about all the construction and progress, and just the size of the school.” Progress seems to be this year’s unspoken theme for the 50-year reunion. According to Batsell, monumental changes were made to the university during his time as a student, including changes to admission standards which allowed both women and African Americans to attend Texas A&M, as well as dynamic changes to the Corps. “While we were there, our sophomore

year, which was 1964 to 65, there were four major changes that took place at A&M,” Batsell said. “Any one of these changes would have been kind of upsetting the apple cart if they took place at other schools.” Terrell Mullins, a 1967 class agent, said back then, the atmosphere at A&M demanded change. “The school was not growing; in fact, as I recall, about one-third or a little over of my freshman class had quit by mid-semester of the first semester,” Mullins said. “Earl Rudder had the foresight to make some tough decisions, and I can only imagine the heat he was getting from the alumni.” The biggest change was making the Corps of Cadets non-compulsory. According to Batsell, the change also opened up many opportunities within the Corps for upperclassmen. “There were some people that stayed for their third and fourth year that didn’t want to go in the military, so they became what’s called Drill and Ceremony — we call them D&C Cadets,” Batsell said. “They didn’t take the ROTC classes, they didn’t have to go to summer camp, they weren’t under contract, and they weren’t receiving any kind of an allowance from the military branches.” In accordance with that, there were also some other changes made to the university to help it expand further. “The second thing that happened was that they changed the name from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas to Texas A&M University, and that was dramatic,” Batsell said. Changing the name to something broad-

er helped invite people to the university who otherwise would have been thrown off by the major-related specificity of the previous name, again promoting growth, said Batsell. “The third thing that happened was they admitted women to A&M. Not to the Corps, but to A&M,” Batsell said. According to Mullins, though, this was one change that the university hadn’t been prepared for, mostly because of the way it was before 1964, when the change occurred. “In 1963, I think what happened was there was very limited allowance for enrollment of females. I think it was wives of Aggies, maybe daughters of faculty members,” Mullins said. “Of course, in those days, there was hardly any place to live other than the male dorms.” Batsell said the decision to admit women into the college was extremely controversial. “The Aggieland for ‘64, in the back, the second to last page in The Aggieland, there is a picture of the twelve women that were in that first class that was admitted,” Batsell said. “Their pictures are in the shape of a question mark, so that was kind of an editorial comment by the folks that put together The Aggieland.” At that time, the university also admitted African Americans for the first time, according to Batsell. “All of those things took place our sophomore year at A&M,” Batsell said. “Pretty dramatic stuff to take place while you’re a student there.” But the Class of 1967’s time at A&M was not all drama and serious change in school policy. Mullins recalls some light and some

dark moments from his time at A&M. “While Bonfire was being worked on, Kennedy was assassinated,” Mullins said. “It was decided that in memory of the president, we would not have a Bonfire that year.” Mullins was a freshman in 1963 — the year J.F.K was assassinated. He and the Class of 1967 didn’t see a Bonfire until their sophomore years. “As far as our class, I guess we’re kind of known for swiping five Southwest Conference mascots. I don’t know that that’s a great accomplishment that we should be proud of.” Mullins said. “We had to make our own entertainment in those days, there was not much going on.” However, there is a lot going on now, Batsell said. Muster, for the university, is not all about reminiscing — especially with such a special 50th anniversary class coming back to campus. “The Muster organizing committee, the people that work on this, they start working on next year’s Muster right after Muster is over,” Batsell said. The significance of Muster also radiates beyond the A&M campus. Kathryn Greenwade, Class of 1988 and vice president of the Association of Former Students, said the significance of Muster spans the globe. “You have the campus Muster, which is the largest Muster, but in addition to that, there will be about three hundred Musters that will take place around the world,” Greenwade said. “Some of those will be gatherings of just a small group of people, some of those will be a gathering of several hundred people.”

“For many of my classmates, it will be the first time that they’ve been back to A&M in a very long time. It’s going to be a real eye-opener to them about all the construction and progress, and just the size of the school.” Mickey Batsell, Class of 1967 class agent

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The Battalion | 4.20.17

A LIFETIME OF SERVICE Eddie Davis, ‘67, to add Muster Speaker to long list of service By Mariah Colon @MariahColon18 Eddie Davis, Jr. will join the Class of 1967’s 50-year reunion class at the campus Muster ceremony, not just as a member, but as the 2017 Muster speaker. A Vietnam War veteran, Davis got his bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism, and was Commander of the Corps of Cadets during the 1966-1967 school year. After he received his master’s and doctorate from A&M, he continued to serve the university in multiple capacities, including as CFO, Executive Deputy Chancellor for the University System and president of the Association of Former Students. Davis has spoken at Aggie Musters around the world, including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Heidelberg and New York City. Davis said being able to speak at his 50th class reunion holds a special meaning to him because of his extensive involvement with Texas A&M. “I left here and spent four years on active duty and then [attended] graduate school and came back to work at A&M in 1972,” Davis said. “Other than three years when I was the chief financial officer up at North Texas I spent all of my career here at A&M or with the A&M System and the A&M Foundation.” Bailey McCracken, communication junior and Speaker Executive for the Muster Committee, said the process of choosing the speaker for Muster involves many candidates and intensive deliberation. “It’s a really deliberate process that we have, we get a lot of excellent nominations that come in and we look at each person off of six different traits that we look for in a speaker … We deliberate as a subcommittee, we talk through it, we present five to seven of the top people and then we vote on it and come back and decide on the speaker,” McCracken said. McCracken said Davis’ involvement and commitment to A&M is something that stood out during the selection process. “Ed Davis has been at A&M pretty much his whole life starting his freshman year of college until his retirement earlier this year … He has served at so many top positions at Texas A&M including CFO, interim president for a while, and then he was president of the Foundation for over 20 years,” Mc-

Cracken said. “He’s just an all around excellent guy. You never hear a bad word about him; he loves this place.” Jim Palincsar was senior vice president of development of the Texas A&M Foundation when Davis was president of the Foundation. Palincsar said Davis’ character is an embodiment of the values A&M holds dear. “Here’s somebody who has dedicated his life to service, and in particular to Texas A&M,” Palincsar said. “I think he embodies the Aggie values of selfless service and leadership, integrity … He is just the walking billboard for all of the Aggie core values.” When Davis found out he would be speaking at campus Muster, he said he immediately felt honored to be given such a big responsibility. “It is also a challenge to try to get it right and to have remarks that will be meaningful and interesting for the group that is gathered on campus,” Davis said. “So a mix of feeling very honored and respected to be able to do it, and at the same time a little apprehensive about getting it right.” Marikit Tomlinson, kinesiology senior and chair for the Muster Committee, said Davis’ speech will likely cover a variety of topics. “He’s going to be telling some Old Ag stories, he’s going to be addressing his class… and talking about what his time looked like at A&M and he’s going to be addressing those in the audience who are there to honor their loved ones,” Tomlinson said. Davis said among all A&M’s revered traditions, Muster stands alone as one of the most hallowed traditions A&M practices. “From the 12th Man, to Silver Taps, to the football experience … But I think the ultimate tradition is Muster,” Davis said. “I think we revere it because it is a way of communicating that you are always a part of the Aggie family, and that being recognized by comrades after you have passed on; it is more than just symbolic with our institution.” Davis said through Muster he hopes the families of the fallen know that they are just as much a part of the Aggie family as the Aggies they’ve lost. “There is no way to totally heal people’s wounds who have lost a loved one especially if they’re a student and their life was cut short, but I hope the families who attend this Muster understand that whoever they are,” Davis said. “They will always be respected and a part of the Aggie family. I think it’s an important part of not only our tradition but their healing as we honor those who have died in the past year.”

Eddie Davis, Class of 1967, will be reuniting with his class for his 50year reunion, in addition to serving as the 2017 Campus Muster Speaker. Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

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Hold onto a piece of Aggieland

It’s not too late to order your copy of the 2017 Aggieland yearbook. The 115th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook will chronicle the 2016-2017 school year. Distribution will be Fall 2017.

If you haven’t, come by and purchase a copy of the award-winning 2016 Aggieland yearbook, a 574-page photojournalistic record of the 2015-2016 school year.

For older Aggieland yearbooks go online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613. You can also drop by the Student Media Office in Suite L400 of the MSC.

2017 Student Employees of the Year The Student Employment Office and Scholarships & Financial Aid wish to congratulate

The 2017 Texas A&M Community Student Employee of the Year

The 2017 Texas A&M Campus Student Employee of the Year

Hannah Hoffman

Shelby Schiefelbein

Class of 1956 Endowed Scholarship Recipients Corie Depue & Shelby Schiefelbein The following students were nominated for their outstanding contributions as employees.

More than 17,000 people are expected to attend the campus the Muster ceremony.

Muster planners coordinate extra parking, urge early arrival for Friday ceremony By Emily Bost @EmmyBost More than 17,000 people are expected to come together on campus to attend Muster April 21, and in order to accommodate such a large number of people, logistic coordinators have been working to ensure things run smoothly Friday evening. Because of the large attendance Muster annually warrants, extensive planning has gone into seating and parking arrangements. Families of Aggies who have passed, students and faculty will gather to commemorate the lives of Aggies, according to Muster Program Executive Carly Morrison. “We are expecting a full house of Aggies to be there and say ‘Here’ for the Aggies that have gone before us and we hope that we are able to see a large part of our student body there next Friday,” Morrison said. The doors of Reed Arena will open Friday at 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. ceremony. Families of Aggies who will be commemorated have a reserved parking area in Lot 100 G, surrounding Reed Arena. The remainder of Lot 100 and surrounding parking lots and garages will be open for Muster attendees. Families of the Aggies who will be commemorated will sit on what is referred to as “the block,” or the floor of Reed Arena. Their seating arrangements are organized by the class year of the Aggie they are representing. Candles will be distributed to one member from each honored family, serving as a symbol of remembrance and comfort. “We want people to come to Reed Arena, especially families and students, and just have Muster happen … We want them to have the best experience possible and it be as easy for them as possible,” said Katy DeLe-

on, biomedical sciences junior and Muster Programs Executive. Students will be seated on a first-come, first-serve basis and are encouraged to arrive around 6 p.m. to be guaranteed a seat in Reed, Morrison said. “Everything is open to students, except for sections 104 and 105, which are for invited guests, like the deans of colleges and stuff like that,” DeLeon said. “It is closed to students until 6:45 and then it is open to fill in the gaps, because we want to fit in as many student into the arena as possible.” Due to the large amount of expected attendees, Rudder Auditorium has been reserved as an overflow location for students to be directed when the seats in Reed Arena fill up completely. Muster will be live-streamed in the auditorium, allowing for more students to experience Muster, Morrison said. “We just wanted to give people another option to have seats to watch Muster live,” DeLeon said. The University Police Department will have a small presence during the ceremony to supplement the comfort and fluidity of the evening. With such a large crowd of people, Muster Committee requested police presence for general safety, said Lieutenant Chad Houston of the University Police Department. “We’re not anticipating anything … but we’ll have officers right there on the scene that can address any [situation] right away,” Houston said. DeLeon hopes for the combination of Muster Committee’s efforts to coordinate logistics will result in an impactful ceremony that runs smoothly to commemorate the lives of Aggies who will be honored.

Leading up to Muster, The Battalion encourages readers to reflect on the lives of the 17 students who were honored at Silver Taps this academic year and will be honored at Muster Friday. Features on each of the students can be found at thebatt.com

Texas A&M Campus Employees: Anthony Antonidis Tillsley Benson Kayla Brumley Luis Castanon Brian Christensen Ashton Creel Corie Depue Rebecca Dillard Katie Emmons Lucero Galicia Geoffrey Giannone Emily Ginn Christian Gonzalez Justin Gor Catherine Jansson Daniel Juarez Robles Mason Klemm Justin Luce Jorge Macias Kyrsten McFaddin Nicholas O’Brien Aishat Olayiwola Chelsea O’Neal Dipti Paranjape Brandon Piganell Debra Roussel Shelby Schiefelbein Paige Shenkir Sarah Steiner Moriah Thompson

Texas A&M Information Technology Center for Executive Development, Mays Business School Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs Department of Statistics Office of Sustainability Information Technology, College of Engineering Residence Life and Housing Small Animal Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Student Business Services Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing Texas A&M Transportation Institute Communication Lab, Mays Business School University Police Department Student Health Services Department of Accounting Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Physics & Astronomy University Libraries Office of Student Services, College of Architecture Department of Mathematics Department of Geology & Geophysics Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M Foundation Department of Economics Department of Construction Science Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Study Abroad Programs Office Aggieland Prospective Student Center School

Courtney Thoms Joli Timm Christopher Tralmer Larry Tuttle II Joshua Tyler Samantha White

Department of Biology Annenberg Presidential Conference Center Department of IT, Division of Student Affairs University Libraries Academic & Student Affairs, College of Engineering Undergraduate Advising Office, Mays Business

Lauren Brown

Texas A&M Community Employees: Isaiah Cruz Leonardo Gonzalez Gabriel Guerra Carter Haney Hannah Hoffman Mallory Johnson Vanita Ledyard Lauren Lindemulder Adam Mahmoud Olivia Miller Guadalupe Mojarro Grace Neumann Stephanie Ruff Jazmin Salazar Sydney Sanders Teresa Schuman Monica Sylvester

Tailgate Guys College and Career Center, Rudder High School Aggie Station, American Campus Communities Best Western Premier AlphaBEST Education Turbomachinery Laboratory, TEES Bryan/College Station Convention and Visitors Bureau Campus Homes Keystone Millwork Agricultural Research Service, USDA Down Syndrome Association of Brazos Valley Emergency Services Training Institue, TEEX Taylor Made Gluten Free Bakery Engineering Payroll, TEES Aggieland Outfitters Enterprises Unlimited Aggieland Credit Union

Congratulations to all those nominated!

Zhong-Hao Chen

Tyrel Brown

William Douphrate III

Anton Gridnev

Matthew Hayes

Michael Brennan Hopper

Alexander Jones

Rex Leddy IV

Ross Lightfoot

Anita Mantri

Maricarmen Quiroz-Octaviano

Alannah Rose Ritch

Callie Sisk

Andrew Sutter

Ronald Thiessen

Cassidy Venable