FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA
Lighting up the season By Taylor Fennell @TaylorPFennell
College Station got a little brighter on Thursday, as friends and family joined the city’s Citizen of the Year to light up a 19-foot outdoor Christmas tree. The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum hosted their annual Christmas tree lighting in conjunction with the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce on Thursday night. The Chamber’s Citizen of the Year, Judge Alvin Jones, led the ceremony by officially lighting the tree with a cartoon-style lever. During the event, members of the Brazos Valley Corral serenaded the audience with holiday songs such as “O Christmas Tree.” David Anaya, the library’s marketing and communications director, said the event is structured similarly to a ceremony that was incredibly important to President and Mrs. Bush during their time in the nation’s capital. “The purpose behind it was to replicate the Christmas tree lighting at t h e White House,” Anaya said. “That’s the reason we do it, to get that same feeling in the area. In Washington D.C., they have a celebrity Christmas tree lighter, musical entertainment and a reception after. We try to do the same thing here, in College
GOING AFTER JIMBO FISHER
LIGHTING ON PG. 3 Andrew Salinero — FSView
Fisher is speculated to become A&M’s head coach after the Aggies fired Kevin Sumlin last Sunday.
Multiple reports indicate A&M has found new head coach By Angel Franco @angelmadison_
D
eep in the offices of the Memorial Student Center, the Texas A&M Board of Regents held a special meeting to discuss A&M’s next head football coach. Although nothing was officially announced as to who the next coach will be during the nearly threehour closed session meeting — many speculate the Aggies have their man. A l l s i g n s Annie Lui — THE BATTALION
seem to point to Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher. However, in Tallahassee, Fisher continues to dodge questions regarding his future as the Seminoles’ head coach. According to a report released late Thursday night by The Eagle, sources — who gave information on the condition of anonymity — close to the Board of Regents will meet Monday to give A&M President Michael K. Young the go ahead to offer and hire Fisher on Monday. Following the end of the executive session, A&M chancellor John Sharp gave no indication as to who the Aggies were looking to hire. “We have candidates,” Sharp said. “It’s just not something we can talk about it cause it’s sensitive with the coaches and the others.” On the Florida side, one of the bigger issues between Fisher and the FSU administration, has been the lack of upgrades of the facilities. Sharp alluded Fisher would be willing to come to A&M due to the fact that A&M has top tier facilities. “We’ve got the best facilities in the SEC, the best stadium and we intend to have the best coach,” Sharp said. According to a report by The Associated
Press, an unnamed source on the FSU side of the situation said the university expects Fisher to head to Aggieland. The AP report said the source asked to remain anonymous due to the lack of public talk on both sides of the situation. Wednesday night, Fisher held his weekly call-in show in Tallahassee where fans can ask him questions in person or on the phone. A fan announced as ‘Mike from Tennessee’ called Fisher out by questioning his loyalty. “It’s been kind of a tough season,” Mike said. “I remember watching a lot of your press conferences where you would talk about how we need to be committed to the program and keep cheering for the team and we need to be talking about that and the loyalty to the program. So I’m wondering, where’s the loyalty to the program Jimbo?” Fisher addressed the incident in his post-practice press conference — FSU is playing Louisiana–Monroe a game that was postponed due to Hurricane Irma to start the season. Fisher said he wished that they wouldn’t have rushed the fan away to give Fisher the chance to respond to him. Fisher and the Noles are looking to become bowl eligible after a 5-6 season after starting the season ranked No. 3 overall.
Keeping Bryan-College Station environmentally friendly City of Bryan offers recycling drive-in services for Brazos Valley residents By Jillian Sanders @jillsands98 When driving through residential streets in Bryan, students may notice a lack of recycling bins along the curbs. In 1996, the city of Bryan opened a drivein center for recycling and it has been citizen’s only option for recycling despite College Station having free curbside recycling pickup since 1991. Although the city has seen an increase in recycling over the years, according to environmental operations supervisor Jared Birkhead, city officials have noted that there seems to be a lack of understanding regarding the recycling services available. “I think recycling is pretty new to this area in Texas in general,” Birkhead said. “You know if you go up North, they are very pro-recycling just because the price of land is so much more expensive in those areas. Landfills are still generally cheaper here, in Texas as a whole, therefore it’s cheaper to run them, cheaper to dispose of them. But we understand the recycling aspect, the environmental impact, so that’s why we offer those services. Because we do want to do our part.” In addition to using the free drive-in, residents in Bryan can pay to have Brazos Valley Recycling pick up their recyclables every two weeks. “We just kind of leave it open to whatever is most comfortable to the citizen,” Birkhead said. “They both have their pros and cons.
Savannah Skrivanek - THE BATTALION
Drive-in centers and curbside pickup are available in Bryan and College Station respectively for residents interested in recycling.
There’s no perfect recycling system or solid waste system. We think we can capture most people with these two options available.” In College Station, Brazos Valley Recycling does curbside pickup at no additional charge to citizens, however the company is paid from residents’ monthly sanitation fee. “At present the provision of recycling col-
lection and associated public education programs account for approximately $3.18 out of the $14.40 monthly sanitation fee,” said Heather Woolwine, Recycling and Environmental Compliance Manager for College Station. “The residential recycling collection services was initiated as a pilot program in 1990. In 1991 it was decided based off of the
success of the program to expand the service city wide.” In 2017, the city of Bryan recycled 750 tons during the fiscal year. In College Station, 2,690.33 tons were recycled from RECYCLING ON PG. 4
STAFFPICKS
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The Battalion | 12.1.17
BOWL PREDICTIONS Angel Franco
Alexis Will
Sports Editor @angelmadison_
TEXAS BOWL
TEXAS BOWL
Sanna Bhai
Asst. News Editor @EmmyBost
Managing Editor @g_mock2
Although I doubt this will hapHow cool would it be to sing All I want for Christmas is to pen, it’s still good to hope for a the War Hymn after a fightin’ Tex- watch A&M and t.u. play each miracle. as Aggie win over the Longhorns? other in football while I’m still a student.
TEXAS BOWL
Emmy Bost
Gracie Mock
Creative Director @AlexisMWill
Just like old times!
Sci-Tech Editor @BhaiSanna
sssssssssssss
TEXAS BOWL
TEXAS BOWL
classifieds
Place
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When
to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day
FOR RENT
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see ads at thebatt.com
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$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.
FOR RENT
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HELP WANTED 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
the battalion read the fine print.
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ANSWERS
to todays puzzles
the
battalion
Classifieds
Call 845-0569 To Place Your Ad
Crossword Theme: Facts about traditions and Aggie experiences supported by The Association of Former Students. ACROSS 4 Location where Bonfire Remembrance is held 6 The Aggie Ring is the most visible symbol of the 10 Maroon Out sales benefit traditions, Class gifts and 11 Starting place for Elephant Walk 12 The Big Event’s message DOWN 1 Person responsible for setting Fish Camp calendar 2 Fish Fest is the official class event 3 First campus Muster held in this dorm 5 G a t h e r i n g p l a c e f o r S i l v e r Ta p s 7 Action for sophomores at Pull Out Day 8 Idea for Midnight Yell born in this dorm 9 Item donated for Replant
Answers: tx.ag/YellCrossword
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NEWS
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The Battalion | 12.1.17
Electrical engineering grad student Alfredo Costilla Reyes was awarded the Mexico National Youth award Nov. 7. PROVIDED
NATIONAL ENTREPRENEUR, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED Texas A&M Ph.D. candidate receives highest youth award given in Mexico By Kathryn Whitlock @KathrynWhitloc8 The Mexico National Youth award, the highest award presented by the Government of Mexico to the country’s youth, was presented to Alfredo Costilla Reyes, a Texas A&M graduate student working toward a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. Alfredo Costilla Reyes’ path to A&M has been woven with prestigious and noteworthy accomplishments. Dating back to childhood in Toluca City, Mexico when he found his interest in the entrepreneurial lifestyle. From his parents enrolling him in “My First Company” workshops at the age of 9 to starting a company after graduating college, Alfredo Costilla Reyes has not slowed down. “I really want to be the change I want to see in the world,” Alfredo Costilla Reyes said. “I think that my studies along with my projects are just an instrument to build a better world. I want my work to improve somebody else’s life. For me, that makes me jump out of bed every single morning.” After receiving a degree in electronic engineering from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Alfredo Costilla Reyes found his way to A&M. During a competition in his undergraduate studies, he won a fully funded research summer-stay at A&M, which strengthened his affinity to graduate school. BitGrange is a current project Alfredo Cos-
tilla Reyes has been a part of. The goal of the project is to be the agriculture platform for a new generation of food consumers. This gives consumers the opportunity be their own food producers by allowing them to grow food inside their houses. “We are creating tools for a new generation of farmers and entrepreneurs in the ag space,” Alfredo Costilla Reyes said. “We are giving them the best tool they can have: education. I think we live in a very disrupting era, my vision for BitGrange is that by providing with this tool to millions of families, and allowing them to grown their own food in an easy and fun way, one day we will be able to see the largest farm in the planet that doesn’t own a single square inch of land.” Omar Costilla Reyes, his brother, is a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering at University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. He has been involved with the software side of the project. Omar Costilla Reyes said his brother’s work ethic, determination and responsibility toward others is inspirational. “He is very well deserving of receiving the award since his story is a source of inspiration to the Mexican youth and society in general,” Omar Costilla Reyes said. “I think his drive to make a positive impact on society has been a crucial factor to win the award. Since he graduated from the University of the State of Mexico he has created a variety of companies, from starting a Mexican sauce business to creating a tablet.” Omar Costilla Reyes said success comes with perseverance and his brother is a prime example. When they were younger, the two
sparked a flame of passion and contributed to one another’s love for science and engineering. “Since we were young we were entrepreneurs; we went knocking door to door near our house selling Mexican candies to the neighbors,” Omar Costilla Reyes said. “We both share the same responsibility to work for a major cause in our society and to solve a major problem in this world that can reach millions of people. He has always shown big responsibility and determination in everything he does. I have seen him go the extra mile to complete things he feels passionate about.” Alfredo Costilla Reyes said he credits Kim Dooley, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences associate dean, for being a constant source of support and unceasing motivation. Dooley said she met him a year ago when he participated in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences competition on the Grand Challenges. Dooley said that despite all of the awards, Costilla beams with humility and gratitude. “He reminds me why I love working in higher education,” Dooley said. “After his team won our competition, there was quite a bit of synergy. The team went to the Thought for Food competition in Amsterdam and they were able to pitch the prototype. We encouraged him to apply for the Kirchner Food Prize, where he became the first TAMU winner. As a native of Mexico, it made sense to support his nomination for this prestigious award. We are very proud of him.” Alfredo Costilla Reyes’ journey to the Mexico National Youth award was not with-
out hindrances. He said his first year of graduate school was complicated and close to prematurely ending. “At that time, when I was working in my projects, some people told me I was wasting my time, and asked me to give up, some others even laughed at my plans,” Alfredo Costilla Reyes said. “But I didn’t give up on my dreams, I kept believing in myself and mastering my craft.” Alfredo Costilla Reyes said he was able to find a support group and find momentum from such adversities. Now, he said that he realizes after winning the Mexico National Youth Award that people attentively listen to him. Because of this award, Costilla Reyes said he sees the palpability of his actions and the accompanying effect. “This award also lets me open more doors and to have a wider network, just to say an example, former President of Mexico Vicente Fox, invited me to meet him last week,” Alfredo Costilla Reyes said. “It all originated from receiving this award.” Currently, Alfredo Costilla Reyes said he is aware of friction between the United States and Mexico. To improve these tensions, he said his work will go beyond himself and benefit the world around him. “I want to help the United States see that Mexico is also sending their best people,” Alfredo Costilla Reyes said. “We are not enemies, we are neighbors and I know that even though this topic is way beyond my hands, I want to do great things at A&M and improve the world around me and be the change I want to see between our nations.”
BATTASKS
What is your favorite Christmas song?
“Has to be ‘Christmas Don’t Be Late,’ by Alvin and the Chipmunks, because it’s hilarious.” Shaun Fattig, computer engineering senior
Savannah Skrivanek — THE BATTALION
Junior Nata Gvakharia takes a breath while swimming the 500 yard freestyle during the Art Adamson Invitation in College Station.
Swim & dive travel to Rice for last fall meet By Hannah Underwood @hannabunderwoo The Texas A&M women’s swimming and diving team will travel to Rice for an outdoor meet against the Owls on Saturday. This will be the Aggies’ last meet of the fall. They will return to the pool on Jan. 6 against the Missouri Tigers. A&M head coach Steve Bultman stressed that this meet is crucial in breaking up the twomonth long drought the Aggies would otherwise face. “We don’t want to go from the middle of November until Jan. 6 without racing,” Bultman said. “It’s good to get up and race. We’ll have some people swim some different events, not exactly their best event all the way up and down. It’ll be fun to get an opportunity to race.” The No. 3 Aggies are 3-1 with their only loss coming from
No. 2 Texas. The team is fresh off a first place victory at the Art Adamson Invitational on Nov. 16-18, where they defeated No. 1 Stanford by a margin of 1,273.50-1,053. At the invitational, four Aggies achieved NCAA “A” cuts: Beryl Gastaldello in the 50 free (21.69), Sydney Pickrem in the 200 IM (1:53.38) and 200 breast (2:05.56), Lisa Bratton in the 200 back (1:50.10) and Bethany Galat in the 200 breast (2:06.52) and 400 IM (4:02.85). “One of our goals in that meet was to swim fast, to do some good times, but also to get people qualified for NCAAs,” Bultman said. “We feel like we have 11 or 12 girls qualified for NCAAs, which that’s big.” The Rice Owls are 4-1, and coming off a second place finish at the Phill Hansel Invitational. The meet will kick off at noon at the Rice Competition pool.
“Jingle Bells. I like the tune.” Rachel Wood, nutrition sophomore Annie Lui — THE BATTALION
Bush Library celebrates the holidays by lighting a 19-foot Christmas tree.
LIGHTING CONTINUED Station. “I love that it’s ‘Christmassy’ because we’re in a college town and not many people put up Christmas lights,” Dahlander said. “It’s a nice surprise to see. When I go home, I like to look around at Christmas lights and decorations. It’s also fun to see families here, not just students.” According to Finch, the tree lighting is one of the biggest events of the year for the library, and he hopes families will take their Christmas photos in front of the tree. He said it’s a great way to bring the community together. “It’s fun and a nice way to celebrate the holidays,” Finch said. “We like to feel like we’re a part
of this community and this is a nice way to do that.” The event was about more than a Christmas tree, according to Jones, who said he’s proud that the Bush Library puts the tree lighting ceremony on each year to foster community and holiday spirit. “Christmas is such a wonderful time for all of us,” Jones said. “No matter how old you are, you can think back to when you were that little youngster and Christmas Eve came and all the things that ran through your head at that time. You could hardly wait to go to bed and wake up. As we get older, we become more involved with our families. We spend time with parents, siblings and friends. Now, with our own children, we can truly understand what Christmas is all about. It’s about love.”
“I have to go with Mariah Carey ‘All I Want for Christmas is You.’ It’s a classic and it’s just something you can easily dance to.” Sara Brown, animal science sophomore
“The one by Mariah Carey is pretty good, ‘All I Want for Christmas is You,’ that’s a good one. It’s real catchy.” Jacob Knostman, psychology sophomore Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
NEWS
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The Battalion | 12.1.17
Josh McCormack, Editor in Chief Gracie Mock, Managing Editor Alexis Will, Creative Director Katy Baldock, Social Media Editor Angel Franco, Sports Editor Luke Henkhaus, News Editor
Mariah Colon, Life & Arts Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Editor Adrienne DeMoss, Multimedia Editor Maya Hiatt, Page Designer Brad Morse, SciTech Editor
THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the fall and spring semesters 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 StudentAffairs.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.
Bryan-College Station has various recycling options available for its residents.
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.
Savannah Skrivanek — THE BATTALION
RECYCLING CONTINUED
Ready to make the most of your world? Do the unexpected. Apply by January 1 peacecorps.gov/apply
residential dwellings. Environmental studies freshman Hollie Schaper lives at an apartment complex in College Station. Despite having some challenges with the complex, Schaper said she and her roommates have still found ways to recycle. “We recycle, but we have to take it somewhere because my apartment complex doesn’t do recycling,” Schaper said. “We take it to one of our roommate’s grandma’s
house.” Bryan officials said they hope that as time goes on, more citizens will become aware of the available recycling options. “You will see a correlation — as curbside becomes more popular, the drive through is going to go down [in use],” Birkhead said. “The only difference in our drive through is that we’re not limited to Bryan. You can live in Huntsville, you can live in Navasota, you can live anywhere outside the city, in the country and you can still bring your recyclables there.”
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AGGIELAND YEARBOOK
It’s not too late to order your copy of the 2017 Aggieland Yearbook, a photojournalistic record of the 2016-2017 school year.
The 115th edition of Texas A&M’s Official Yearbook will be available before the holidays. Go online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.
$75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)
Don’t forget to preorder your copy of the 2018 Aggieland yearbook. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Ordering can be done online at aggieland.tamu.edu, or by calling 979-845-2613. Distribution will be the Fall 2018.
2016 Aggielands and previous yearbooks are now on sale. Stop by room L400 in the MSC or call 979-845-2613. $40.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)