WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2016 STUDENT MEDIA | @THEBATTONLINE
Texas A&M scores No. 4 spot in first College Football Playoff rankings of 2016 season By Lawrence Smelser @LawrenceSmelser In the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings announced Tuesday, Texas A&M was selected as the No. 4 team. The top six teams selected by the committee are as follows:
Hanna Hausman — THE BATTALION
The Aggies are the highest ranked one-loss team in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
No. 1 Alabama (8-0) No. 2 Clemson (8-0) No. 3 Michigan (8-0) No. 4 Texas A&M (7-1) No. 5 Washington (8-0) No. 6 Ohio State (7-1)
The Aggies were ranked 26th in strength of schedule ahead of Washington (69th) and Ohio State (43rd). Texas A&M is coming off a 52-10 win over New Mexico State and has three wins over ranked opponents this season with victories against UCLA, Arkansas and Tennessee. The lone loss for Kevin Sumlin’s squad was against No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa where the Aggies fell 33-14. Kirby Hocutt, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee Chairman, said the decision was razor thin to go with A&M ahead of Washington. “Texas A&M has played a stronger schedule at this point in time over Wash-
ington,” said Hocutt, who also serves as Texas Tech’s athletic director. “Texas A&M has wins over four teams that have records better than .500 compared to Washington only having two wins.” Kirk Herbstreit, a college football analyst for ESPN, said he was surprised when seeing the Aggies ranked in the Top 4. “I think we all had around the country a collective eyebrow raise when we saw Texas A&M there at No. 4,” the former Ohio State quarterback said. “I think the committee thinks of the whole body of work but it is shocking to see RANKINGS ON PG. 3
Following the death of Charles M. Sessums during halftime of the 1926 A&M vs. Baylor game, cadets allegedly went to Waco with a cannon with intent of firing it on Baylor’s campus in an act of revenge.
Graphic by Rachel Grant, Photo FILE
CLUBS, CANNONS AND FOOTBALL Tension between Baylor, Texas A&M stems from accidental death during halftime riot in 1926 By Josh Hopkins @texasjoshua1 Most quotes seen in this article were made available to The Battalion by Cushing Library at Texas A&M University. The records provided consist of witness testimony, correspondence and relevant news articles. 90 years later, The Battalion hopes to break from urban legend and tell the story of what caused a riot, which inevitably led to the death of one Texas A&M cadet, and the secession of Texas A&M-Baylor athletics relations for the next five years.
“T
he rumors are so many and the stories so conflicting concerning what actually happened, that it is questionable in my mind whether we shall ever be able to develop the whole truth; but we owe it to ourselves and to our Institutions to clarify the situation as far as it is practicable for us to do so.” — Texas A&M University President T. O. Walton in a letter to Baylor University President S. P. Brooks Nov. 1, 1926. The Oct. 30, 1926 football game was a critical game for both Baylor and Texas A&M. Baylor defeated the Aggies in 1924 and went on to become Southwest Conference Champions, while A&M successfully defeated Baylor in 1925, earning
its own place at the head of the conference. The 1926 game symbolized both teams’ key to their next victory, and would determine which team was the true head of the conference. But what happened during half time of that game would be talked about for years to come. Aggie witnesses claimed that prior to the 1926 halftime, senior Yell Leader J. D. Langford had requested that Baylor not make use of a Ford car used in previous demonstrations. “[Langford] explained that the use of such a car was extremely distasteful to A. and M. cadets by reason of the fact that in 1924 such a car was brought before the A. and M. sections and was run around the football squad, resting on the ground, nearly striking some of the players…” — The Aggie, Nov. 15, 1926. The halftime escapades began with an “exhibition of calisthenics,” a military drill frequently used by Texas A&M cadets that emphasized precision and discipline, put on by Baylor students. “It could not have been taken as anything except a taunt as the boys were dressed up in ridiculous cadet costumes and simulating hazing by bending over and undressing by having long streamers pulled from around their bodies.” — Junior cadet John H. Hume, Witness Reports. “Then right along at this same time, not three minutes before nor three minutes after, I noticed a car and I did not see it before it got to our 50 yard line…” — Senior Yell Leader J.D Langford, Witness Reports. A&M witnesses described the Ford as an old automobile
painted red containing a male driver and five to six girls holding placards showing Baylor defeats over the Aggies. Many of the Aggie witnesses claimed to have originally thought the girls were men dressed up in dresses. Within seconds of the car crossing the 50-yard line, a number of cadets were over the fence with intent to stop the car. Upon seeing cadets reach the Ford, 20 to 40 Baylor students in football uniforms sprang into action. The fight quickly devolved into a free-for-all as fans from both sides poured onto the field to join the fray. At the peak of the fight, somewhere between 100 and 2,000 individuals were involved. At some point during the fight, senior cadet Charles M. Sessums was struck on the back of the head with a club. Sessums was helped off the field by two other cadets, but died as a result of his injuries in a Waco hospital early the next morning. Throughout the fight, the Aggies were poorly outnumbered, in large part due to the quick thinking of Langford. Upon reaching the center of the fight around the Ford, Langford jumped on top of the Ford and signaled to the Aggie Band to start playing Taps. Langford followed up by signaling the Star Spangled Banner to be played, and by the end of both songs the majority of both sides combatants had been returned to their seats. Langford had the entire Corps take a solemn pledge to remain in their places until after the game.
FOOTBALL
1926 HALFTIME ON PG. 2
SOCCER
Aggies seek to build off win
DOING IT THE WRIGHT WAY
By Alex Miller @AlexMill20
Senior Grace Wright finds niche at A&M after international success
Texas A&M football head coach Kevin Sumlin and other team members met in their weekly press conference Tuesday morning to look ahead to the Aggies’ matchup with Mississippi State this Saturday. With kickoff slated for 11 a.m., it will be the third straight contest at Mississippi State to get the early nod, with the previous two having opposite endings, as each team earned a lop-sided win. Texas A&M won 38-13 in its first trip to Starkville as an SEC member in 2012, while the Bulldogs served revenge in the 2014 meeting, beating the Aggies 48-31. Sumlin said the Aggies must be alert given the early start time, especially in an SEC road game. “Like anything else, be ready to play,” Sumlin said. “Create our own energy. Talent level and fans are fabulous wherever we go, but we’ve got to worry about us. Guys have done a good job of that week to week.” The Bulldogs’ quarterback Nick Fitzgerald has given opposing defenses fits this year, as the sophomore is coming off a 536-yard, seven touchdown performance against Samford. Despite those numbers coming against an FCS opponent, Sumlin said he knows his defense will face a difficult challenge in Fitzgerald this Saturday. “Big guy — 6-foot-5, 230. That’s the first thing that gets your attention,” Sumlin said. “He can spin it. Can put it down and run it. Is a load when he runs it. Another one of those
By Matt Koper @MattKoper
Hanna Hausman — THE BATTALION
Senior offensive lineman Avery Gennesy has started at left tackle in every game this season.
deals where you get later in season, quarterbacks that are young are starting to see more things and are getting better.” Sumlin said the game plan this week is business as usual, and he hopes his team can build off their strong performance last weekend against New Mexico State. “We’ve got to continue to play our style of defense and create our energy,” Sumlin said. “Follow it up with a solid special teams and good offensive performance.”
For someone who’s done it all — played on the international stage, set up game winning goals and played for great teams throughout her career at Texas A&M — senior defender Grace Wright is very humble. Before she left A&M Consolidated, the College Station native was playing internationally for the Republic of Ireland at 17 years old. With dual-citizenship because of her paternal grandfather, Wright played in the U-17 UEFA Championship qualifier. That was only the beginning. Wright played in 20 matches for Ireland’s U-19 and U-21 international teams — the U-19 squad reached the semi-finals of the U-19 European Championship in 2014 when Wright was a sophomore. She even got the call up for the Irish Women’s National team that faced off against the United States on Jan. 23 this year. Despite having success internationally before she came to A&M, Wright was still a little unsure of herself due to players ahead of her and the fact she had a few different positions with Ireland. Her doubts would quickly be erased. As a freshman in the second game of the 2013 season against UTSA, Wright delivered an assist to set up the winning goal for Shea
Senior defender Grace Wright won the 12th Man Award after her performance in the SEC Tournament. Kevin Chou — THE BATTALION
Groom. From that point forward, Wright said she was sure of herself. “For me I was more scared to death that I WRIGHT ON PG. 3
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The Battalion | 11.2.16
PROVIDED — Katie Keith
During the summer of 2016, sophomore Katie Keith (left), Baylor student Rachel Burns (middle) and Grand Canyon University student Cassie Arrington (right) were counselors at Sky Ranch, a Christian summer camp in Van.
Counselors by summer, students by fall Aggies talk experiences, joys of being summer camp counselors By Michelle Milstead @Mmilsteadd
batt THE
The IndependenT STudenT VoIce of TexaS a&M SInce 1893
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The BaTTalion is published daily, Monday through Friday 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, daily, TX 77843. in Suite L400 THE BATTALION is published MondayOffices throughare Thursday during theoffallthe and Memorial Studentand Center. spring semesters Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (except holidays news and department exam periods)is managed at Texas byA&M University, News: University The Battalion students at College TX 77843. inOffices are Media, in Suite aL400 Center. Texas Station, A&M University Student unitofofthetheMemorial DivisionStudent of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M website:inhttp://www.thebatt.com. University Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom Advertising: Publication of advertising doeswebsite: not imply sponsorship or phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; http://www.thebatt.com. endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display Publication of advertising does advertising, not imply call sponsorship Advertising: advertising, call 979-845-2687. For classified 979-845-or endorsement TheareBattalion. campus, local,through and national display 0569. Officebyhours 8 a.m. toFor 5 p.m. Monday Friday. Email: advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. battads@thebatt.com. 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 A part of the University Advancement FeeBattalion. entitles eachFirst Texascopy A&M Subscriptions: free, additional $1. of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1. student to pick up acopies single copy
Summer camp staffs have invaded the MSC, handing out flyers and telling all who pass to “Apply for the best summer of your lives.” While many students choose to travel, take classes or work for internships during the summer, some opt to spend it working and serving at a camp with kids. Ginna Ballen, industrial distribution sophomore, worked half of this past summer at Sky Ranch, a Christian summer camp. She never went to camp as a kid but wanted to work at one to try something new. Ballen worked in the retail support staff and said it taught her a lot about selfless service. “We were doing so much and no one saw and we were rarely told thank you,” Ballen said. “It’s definitely an experience you will walk away a better person and also being filled and knowing how to serve. You can’t walk from camp and not get anything out of it —
that’d be impossible.” Ballen said even though working at a summer camp was difficult, it was fun because she got to be a kid again. “You’re around kids and kids just have a joy about them,” Ballen said. “I realized how much I hadn’t laughed until I got to camp because camp was constant joy and laughter.” Management junior Lydia Wallis said she knew she wanted to be a counselor at Pine Cove because when she was a camper she felt accepted and encouraged. “I wanted to work [at Pine Cove] because I knew from experience already that it was a place I could be myself,” Wallis said. “I got to yell as loud as I want and be the goofiest me I can be.” Camp is more than just fun and games, Wallis said. She said as a counselor she was able to have a special insight into her campers’ lives as they opened up to her. “So many girls told me the worst things about just growing up way too fast and I just got the opportunity to speak life into those moments and tell them they are so worthy of love and remind them of who they are,” Wallis
1926 HALFTIME CONTINUED
man moved. I let them sit down, and while people that were around our section moved out, I gave them time to move because I wanted to talk to our boys.” — Langford, Witness Report Ironically, many observers described the game itself as one of the tamest of the decade both before and after the halftime riot. Baylor eventually won the game 20-9, and went on to place second in the conference. In the hearings that followed the incident four witnesses identified Sessums’ likely attacker, but due to the chaos of the incident and conflicting reports the matter was dropped. The claims that the Baylor students were intent on a fight and came prepared with clubs never disappeared from the Aggie narrative. Baylor President Samuel Brooks and A&M President Thomas Walton released a joint statement acknowledging the fault of both universities in the incident, but a story published by the Baylor newspaper incited fierce anger in the Texas A&M students who felt the story was badly biased. Baylor students universally expressed strong regret for the death of Sessum but overall insisted the blame for the fight lay with the Aggies. Tensions between the two schools continued to escalate for the remainder of the semester. “Our Corps has been called ‘The Conference Bullies,’ but would fair-minded people believe this after seeing some 1,500 Baylor students, sympathizers, and men in the Baylor football uniform, armed with clubs, sticks, and iron rods attack and brutally beat an unarmed group of some 400 A. and M. students, and even go so far as to kill one of that number?” – The Aggie, Nov. 18, 1926 Alexander B. Sessums, For older Aggieland yearbooks go online to aggieland.tamu.edu Class of 2006 and great great grand nephew of Charles or call 979-845-2613. You can also drop by the Student Media Sessums, said while little inOffice in Suite L400 of the MSC. formation was passed down
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said. Chase Rabel, construction science sophomore, said T Bar M has always been a second home to him and there was nothing more rewarding he could do with his summer. “I went there for five years as a camper and really loved it and looked up to counselors when I was a kid so I wanted to teach kids that were in my situation what I’ve learned and pass it on,” Rabel said. “There’s something really awesome about helping kids with whatever they need. Even if they’re just there to have fun, it’s cool seeing what they take away from camp.” Allied health sophomore Katie Keith applied to work at camp after she was volunteered for an interview. She said she didn’t expect to ever work at a place like Sky Ranch, but after her interviewer told her what it was all about, she felt like she was meant to be a part of it. “I’m not really a camp person,” Keith said. “It’s just funny because I went in thinking ‘Ugh, why did I sign up for this interview?’ and left being like, ‘I really hope I get the job.’”
through the family about the incident and aftermath, it has not been forgotten. “I know my great great aunt Grace had never really forgiven Baylor about it,” Sessums said. “My older sister ended up going to Baylor and she wasn’t really happy about that situation.” A Baylor petition to discontinue playing Texas A&M in athletics quickly accumulated more than 1,000 signatures and was met largely with apathy by A&M students. On Dec. 8, Brooks and Walton released a statement terminating athletic relations between the two colleges. “In consideration of the strained athletic relations now existing between the student bodies of Baylor University and A&M College, we, the Presidents, of the said two institutions hereby cancel all existing athletic contracts heretofore made by these schools.” – Statement released by Brooks and Walton, Dec. 8, 1926. The growing tensions inevitably led to one of the most infamous Aggie urban legends of all time. The legend goes that a group of Corps members gained possession of an old World War I artillery piece, loaded it onto a Waco-bound train, and headed toward Baylor intent on shelling the campus in an act of revenge. Robert Spoede and Paul Leming, Classes of 1948 and 1952 respectively, recall hearing stories about a riot between A&M and Baylor that led to a bloody brawl during halftime of the 1926 football game. Spoede said details about the story are vague and wide-ranging as he heard this story passed down by Aggies, but he believes the incident did occur and that the story rings true. “There was a story about [the Aggies] taking a cannon out on the railroad track and they were going to shoot the cannon at Baylor after this incident,” Spoede said. “There was something about that — I don’t know any details about it — but that is part of the Aggie lore and Aggie legend about the Aggies wanting to take a cannon up to Baylor and blast away after this incident.” The legend continues that the plot was foiled when the Texas Rangers stopped the train by felling trees across the tracks. In an attempt to determine the validity of the myth, The Battalion reached out to Lisa G. Kalmus, curator of the Corps of Cadets Center. Looking through the 1927 yearbook, and using census records from 1910, Kalmus was able to confirm a little known fact. Sessums, the cadet killed in the Baylor scuffle, had a younger brother attending A&M at the time of the incident. Harry Sessums was also in the Corps and a member of Battery B, an artillery company. Kalmus said it is very possible that Harry Sessums could have been involved or even the leader of such a revenge plot, but the plan was likely stopped by other members of the Corps before it got as far as the legend claims. The Battalion was unable to further verify the extent of the plot. “The postgame incident of the cannon was the plot that they organized,” Kalmus said. “What it looks like is they were dissuaded from doing that.” With such high tensions it is easy to understand why Baylor and A&M would not face each other in any sport until 1931 and the Corps would refuse to travel to Baylor for decades longer.
FROMTHEFRONT
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The Battalion | 11.2.16
Kevin Chou — THE BATTALION
Senior defender Grace Wright scored her first career goal in a 2-1 win over Mississippi State Oct. 27.
WRIGHT CONTINUED
Hanna Hausman — THE BATTALION
Senior wide receiver Jeremy Tabuyo had two receptions for 29 yards against New Mexico State.
RANKINGS CONTINUED an undefeated Washington coming off their best win of the year against Utah to be sitting there below a team with one loss.” Herbstreit’s fellow analyst Danny Kanell said he believed the committee was wrong putting A&M at fourth. “I think that Washington deserves a better spot than Texas A&M,” Kanell said. “It tells me that the committee is looking at [Texas A&M’s] resume and nonconference schedule and that having a nonconference win against UCLA is better than a Rutgers or Ohio or Portland State like Washington has played.” Washington concludes its schedule with games against California, USC, Arizona State and rival Washington State. Louisville (7), Wisconsin (8), Auburn (9),
and Nebraska (10) round out the Top 10, which includes three SEC West teams: Alabama, Texas A&M and Auburn Sumlin said on Tuesday that his team would be in practice at the time of the rankings release and that the team is solely focused on beating Mississippi State. “We didn’t change anything because of the rankings,” Sumlin said “We’ve got nothing to do with it. All we can do is win the game in front of us. Why should we worry about it? We have to worry about winning Saturday. If we do that every week and keep focused, there will be something good at the end.” A&M will head to Starkville to take on the Bulldogs Saturday and finishes its schedule with games against Ole Miss, UTSA and LSU (13).
was going to lose it for everyone than actually contribute,” Wright said. “That was just an amazing way to start the season. It kind of helped me in my confidence and just feel comfortable and like I could contribute.” That confidence carried her the rest of the way, and by the end of her freshman season and after having another crucial assist in the SEC Tournament Final, Wright was awarded the 12th Man Award by her team. Head coach G. Guerrieri said the award goes to a player who may not be a starter, but steps up for the team regardless and Wright was a shining example of that. “In her case, she was able to step into different roles we had on the field,” Guerrieri said. “She probably played that season four or five different positions, stepping in for other players. That was a team that won the double — the regular season and the conference tournament, went deep into the NCAA Tournament and was just loaded with All-American level players, so for her to be able to kind of blend in with that group is pretty extraordinary as a freshman.” In 2016, Wright has played 1,623 minutes including the postseason, passing her minutes as a freshman at 1,039. She even scored her first career goal, the deciding factor in a 2-1 win over Mississippi State in the regular season finale Oct. 27. Additionally, she’s started every game this season on a defense that is second in the conference in goals against at 0.92 and has recorded five shutout wins. Wright said she’s proud of the defense’s performance this season, especially against SEC opponents. “We have dropped some games recently, but I think that shows that even though we’ve given away goals off set pieces and we’ve lost lots of games 1-0,” Wright said. “It shows our defense still is playing really well because our goals against record is so strong.” Guerrieri said Wright’s intangibles as a defender and a teammate are something you just can’t teach, making his job easier. “She’s incredibly intelligent, she has very good intuition as far as her surroundings and
understanding what her surroundings are,” Guerrieri said. “She’s been an exceptional teammate because of her kindness and her unselfishness and those are all incredible characteristics.” One of Wright’s closest friends on the team is sophomore Kate Hajdu. They became close last year, bonding over practicing free kicks and working out together, and have been friends ever since. “Me and her have a lot of the same tendencies — to be very type A and to be very on top of things,” Hajdu said of her current roommate. “And that’s one thing we both have really bonded over. She really took me under her wing and kind of showed me my way through college and let me be myself because we have so much in common.” Hajdu has nothing but praise for the dedication and kindness Wright brings to the team. “Grace is 100 percent the most all-in person I’ve ever met in my life,” Hajdu said. “She’s so passionate, always Type A, always on top of things, like she has her entire life planned to a tee. It’s honestly admirable just to see how never lets that down and she’s relentless in the way that she prepares for everything.” Wright is set to graduate in May of 2018 with a bachelors degree in accounting and a masters in finance. She’s had two consulting internships thus far, and has another one set up in public accounting in New York City starting in January. Additionally, Wright said law school or getting back into consulting isn’t out of the question. Wright said her time on the pitch at A&M has taught her how to work hard and put herself out there. “The Aggie Network and having the coaches and teammates on my side — I know people on the team are going to be extremely successful later in life,” Wright said. “Just to have those connections really is a big deal, but I think on top of that time management skills and willingness to be uncomfortable, I think those are huge … I just think there are so many lessons that can be learned from college athletics.”
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The Battalion | 11.2.16
‘Texas Tribune’ to host Transportation Symposium By Brad Canon @Bradcanon1 The future of a high-speed rail in Texas will be at the forefront of a Transportation Symposium discussion Thursday. The Texas Tribune and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute have partnered for Thursday’s symposium, which will focus on the topics of the possible construction of a high-speed rail in Texas, the future of urban mobility and opinions from TXDot officials and Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. Senior research engineer for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute Ginger Goodin, who will speak on the topic of urban mobility, said she will be bringing up how the projected growth of Texas’ population doubling by 2050 presents many challenges and how technology in the transportation sector will have an impact on transportation. “As we look to the really significant challenges we have in our major metro areas in the state — congestion, safety, air pollution — when you have thriving urban centers like we have in Texas … the problems are going to continue to be a challenge,” Goodin said. “So I’m hoping we get into talking about some of those kind of new ideas and where technology plays a role in addressing these really significant problems.” Ben Leman, Grimes County judge and “Texans Against High-Speed Rail” board of directors member said in regards to the high-speed rail, there are two reasons why it is important for Texas A&M students to come to the symposium in which he will be giving input. “This project is the biggest infrastructure project in the history of Texas by far,” Leman said. “If you want to live in a state where private businesses for a private purpose can take your land, then you are changing Texas drastically.” CEO of The Texas Tribune Evan Smith, who will be one of the moderators at the symposium, said the challenge for the state is figuring out how to get a growing population from place to place more efficiently. As a moderator, Smith said his goal is to ask questions that will inform the audience. “I think the state has been grappling on what to do for highway funding, toll roads, high-speed rails and the great many other options that exist ... and students are affected by this as we all are,” Smith said. The approval of the high-speed rail and the use of eminent domain are the two main topics Leman hopes to discuss on Thursday. The company Texas Central Partners, which is the entity planning to complete the high-speed rail project, does not need approval from the state of Texas to com-
PROVIDED — The Texas Tribune
Brandon Formby (above) and Evan Smith (below) from The Texas Tribune will moderate Thursday’s Transportation Symposium.
plete the project. However, the impact the completion of this project will have on the surrounding communities will outweigh any possible statewide need for this project and that is not a concern on Texas Central Partners radar, Leman said. “Regardless of whether one wants this project or does not want this project, we should all agree that the power of eminent domain is a very strong power and there is a process in place and sequence of steps that need to occur in a specific order to make sure that power is justified as determined by the state or the federal government,” Leman said.
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