The Battalion: November 3, 2016 by The Battalion

INSIDE LOST RING: GROUP PARTNERS TO REPLACE RING PAGE 4

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RING DUNKS: ALTERNATIVES TO ALCOHOLIC DUNKS PAGE 7

THE BATTALION | THEBATT.COM

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: AGGIES HEAD TO STARKVILLE PAGE 7

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RING DAY

POSTER: REVEILLE IX PAGES 8&9 FOOTBALL GETS POLITICAL: QBS ANNOUNCE CANDIDACY PAGE 10

Alexis Will — THE BATTALION

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LIFE&ARTS

The Battalion | 11.3.16

Holocaust survivor shares experiences Max Glauben talks through memories from WWII By Austin Schulz @AustinASchulz An MSC ballroom was full of students listening to an 88-year-old survivor of five concentration camps of the Holocaust tell his story Tuesday night. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Max Glauben saw the tragedy of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, labored at numerous concentration camps and participated in the infamous Dachau Death March. Since his liberation, he decided to pass on his story to others, even if many would not listen at first. “When I was in Germany between ’45 and ’47, I learned English. So when I came to the States, I started speaking not any earlier than the seventies, because earlier on, some of the things that happened to us were sometimes unbelievable by the people here.” Although Glauben has spoken to thousands of people about his experience, he said he started small. “I started after I got married when my grandkids started to go to school,

even went to third grade, fourth grade. And in an easy way, I tried to make them upstanders instead of bystanders by explaining in a nice way that it wouldn’t create any hate — the same hate that was applied toward us,” Glauben said. Glauben hopes by sharing his story and educating others about the Holocaust, he might make the world a better place. “The thing is that only true education and knowledge enables you to tell somebody of what has happened,” Glauben said. “We possess the greatest computer that was ever created. The brain of each individual can do anything that’s been done and is needed to be done in this world. By true education, you have to want to learn. And that’s the only way that you can change this mechanism to be an upstander, and not a bystander.” In spite of all that has been done to him, Glauben preaches a message of forgiveness and discourages hatred in the face conflict. “If the people would just sit down and think about what they want to do, take an inventory of themselves, and maybe try to correct some of the bullying that they had done in the past, or maybe they don’t like somebody,”

Glauben said. “In the Jewish religion, we go once a year to the person that we think we hurt, and we say, ‘Forgive us,’ And if we say that three times and they don’t forgive us, then the sin is on them.” The audience responded to Glauben’s story and message with a standing ovation. Noah Thompson, psychology sophomore, said Glauben’s message resonated with him. “I learned a lot about human perseverance listening to him speak. Even though this man has been through so much, he’s filled with so much joy,” Thompson said. “He really wants to give this message of constant learning, constant knowledge to all those future generations. Despite what he’s gone through, he’s still joyful.” International studies freshman Isabella Adams also spoke of Glauben’s perseverance. “It’s very inspiring that people who go through such horrific things can still have hope and maintain that hope and try to pass it on to other people,” Adams said. “What others should take from this is, like he said: Never, ever give up. People are stronger when they put their minds to things.”

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RINGDAY

The Battalion | 11.3.16

PROVIDED

Sam King will receive her Aggie Ring on Friday, along with 2,905 other Aggies.

AGGIE RING IS MORE THAN PROOF OF ATTENDANCE Sam King

@Sam_King372

lmost two years ago at a pitch meeting where we were planning for the 2015 spring Ring Day edition, I volunteered to write a column about why I didn’t want to get my Aggie Ring. Man, am I glad I didn’t write that column. My family is Canadian — very Canadian, we’re the only ones in America — so I had no predispositions or ideas about which schools in Texas I should apply or go to. I applied to UT and A&M with the same apathy. When I ultimately chose to go to A&M, it was a strategic move — I could easily graduate in three years, the tuition was within my price range and it was close enough to home without being in my parents’ backyard. I wrote an entry in my journal following my New Student Conference questioning why anyone would say “Howdy” everytime they met someone on campus. I lived for the weekends I could go home. And I definitely did not want a gaudy chunk of gold on my finger — my diploma would be enough proof of my time at A&M, thank you very much. But the more I got involved at A&M through The Battalion, the more I discovered what made the campus so special: the people. I’ve met so many people and made

so many friends through my time at The Batt. Whether I was writing about caring students who wanted to put windchimes on campus to help students with visual impairments or about a professor who raps, the Aggies of Aggieland are what have changed me from the moody freshman who just wanted to graduate to the nostalgic senior wishing for more time. I’ve worked on numerous Ring Day editions now, each time reading stories of how important the ring is to the people who wear them. It may have taken me awhile to understand it, but the ring isn’t simply a symbol of having attended A&M — it’s a reminder of the friends, relationships and lessons that defined your time at A&M. When I look down at my ring on Friday, I won’t be thinking about how I learned to write a speech in my communication classes. I’ll be thinking about the classmates who became friends. When I look down at my ring on Friday, I won’t be thinking about eCampus assignments. I’ll be thinking about the people who make me laugh until my sides hurt. When I look down at my ring on Friday, it won’t just be a symbol of “You went to A&M.” It will be a symbol of “You were a part of A&M, and now A&M’s a part of you.” Sam King is a communication senior and editor-in-chief for The Battalion.

CONGRATULATIONS! Join the celebration as 2,906 shiny new Aggie Rings will be delivered at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center

November 4 • Aggie Ring Day 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Ring Tickets distributed online at AggieNetwork.com. Limited tickets available at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center. Visit tx.ag/RingDay2016 to assist in planning your Aggie Ring Day experience. Over 15,000 guests are expected, so please prepare accordingly.

Important Reminders • The Haynes Ring Plaza is a restricted area for ticketed Aggie Ring recipients and their guests. The Ticket Check is on the west side of the Ring Plaza. • The Aggie Ring replica is not a photo station during Aggie Ring Day. Personal photography stations are available outside of the Alumni Center. • The Aggie Ring Shuttle drop off is on Houston St. on the west side of the Alumni Center. If your group’s time has already passed, please wait until the top of the hour when your group will be called once again. Entrance will only be allowed if it is either your group’s approximated time slot or when your group is called at the top of the hour (see schedule for clarification).

AggieNetwork.com

LOSTRINGS

The Battalion | 11.3.16

1 lost ring, 3 helping hands

Aggie Belles, family friend, customer partner to replace lost Aggie Ring

PROVIDED

hen Viona Vraniqi lost her Aggie Ring at Gulf Shores this past summer, she didn’t expect not one, not two, but three different groups to team up to buy her a new ring. Vraniqi, a human resource development senior, is known for her Aggie spirit and love for A&M. Last year, she was one of only a few women in A&M history to run for Yell Leader and is heavily involved on campus. So it’s no surprise that three different parties — John Havel, Lee Neathery and the Aggie Belles — partnered up to get her a new piece of Aggie gold. “It was super special. I had it for four months or so, and on Aug. 8 I went to the beach and it was a freak accident that I couldn’t repeat it even if I tried,” Vraniqi said. “I was in the Gulf of Mexico and I ended up losing my ring. It flew off my finger and we weren’t able to find it.” Upon losing her ring, Vraniqi sent out a tweet asking anyone who found a ring with her name on it in the Gulf Shore area to contact her. “The Aggie Network is so big, so I didn’t lose hope and I haven’t lost hope that it will get found,” Vraniqi said. “I got some retweets—the Association retweeted it—but the outcome of those retweets weren’t the same people who got me this new ring.” Astri Farber, marketing senior and co-president of Aggie Belles, a campus women leadership organization, got into Belles as a sophomore along with Vraniqi. She said Viona has been a huge inspiration for Belles members, which is what prompted them to come together and buy her a new ring. “She’s one of those people that everyone that you meet knows her and loves her,” Farber said. “She is someone who is very radiant and she has inspired a lot of our girls to run for leadership positions and feel confident being woman leaders on campus.” When Farber and other members of Belles found out Vraniqi lost her ring, Farber sent a message on the Belles staff GroupMe encouraging them to buy her a new ring. The vote was unanimous. “She has little brothers so she didn’t want to ask her parents to buy her another ring,” Farber said. “She said she’d get one after she graduates or when she gets a job.” Farber planned on going to the Association to order the new ring then have the Belles pay her back. In the process, she ran into an unexpected coincidence. “I reached out to her roommate, Kendall, who knows her ring size to get some information,” Farber said. “Kendall called her [mom’s boyfriend], John, who has a close friend, Marty, that works at the Association. When Kendall called John, he told her that he already ordered a ring for Viona.” John Havel, Class of ‘1985, has known Viona for two

By Shahd Elbushra @shahd10_21 years. His girlfriend’s daughter, Kendall, is Viona’s roommate. Havel said Kendall told him about Vraniqi losing her ring. “I’ve been very impressed with Viona because she is a first generation Aggie, and I come from a family of Aggies — three generations,” Havel said. “So when I heard she lost her ring, I said, ‘She displays her spirit so well and she is such a great ambassador for A&M; I want to make sure she has an Aggie Ring on her hand again.’” Havel called the Association of Former Students and placed the order and planned on going to College Station for the weekend of the next home game to pay for the ring then. “The next day Kendall called me — totally unknowing that I was doing this — and said, ‘John I know you know people, so who do I need to contact about buying an Aggie Ring?’” On the phone, Kendall told John the Belles were planning to replace Vraniqi’s ring. When Havel told Kendall he’d already ordered it and had yet to pay for it, they decided to split the cost of the ring. Three weeks later, Vraniqi met Lee Neathery. Vraniqi worked at Saltgrass and one day while waiting tables, Neathery was sitting at Vraniqi’s table talking about how she’d also lost her ring. When Vraniqi told Neathery her own story, Neathery offered to buy her a new one. Not wanting to burden Neathery, Vraniqi turned down the offer. When Kendall heard about Vraniqi’s interaction with Neathery, she told Havel. A few days later, the Association called Havel to tell him that Neathery had placed an order for a ring for Vraniqi. “I contacted Lee, who I never met before, and she told me, ‘How about we split it three ways,’” Havel said. “We both laughed about it; I said, ‘This is more about how special Viona is and how her Aggie Spirit is so strong that other people want to help her.’” Thus, the ring was split three ways and last Friday, Oct. 28, Havel presented Vraniqi with her brand new Aggie Ring. “So we met at their house and Viona didn’t know what was going on, so I started to tell a story about how I was so impressed with this girl that I wanted to buy her an Aggie ring,” Havel said. “Viona didn’t know it was her.” Vraniqi said she went home after her exam expecting to lay down, but she came home to the Belles in her living room. Havel told her how impressed he was with her Aggie spirit, and Viona started crying. “You hear stories all the time and for it to happen to me — it is a testament to how incredible and amazing the Aggie family is,” Vraniqi said.

LOSTRINGS

The Battalion | 11.3.16

RETURNING A LEGACY Macmanus family replaces long-lost Aggie Ring to their father, Class of ‘49 By Gracie Mock & Chris Martin @g_mock2 & @martin19340

PROVIDED — Tricia Macmanus

(Top) The Macmanus family placed the new Aggie Ring in a box hidden from Jerry until he opened it. (Middle) Jerry Macmanus’ reaction to receiving the Aggie Ring. (Bottom) The Macmanus family holds an informal Yell Practice at their annual family gathering.

When Jerry Macmanus, Class of 1949, and his family started marching military style in their front yard during their annual family gathering, he was shocked to see a box with his Aggie Ring inside. Jerry lost his ring 10 years ago and was surprised by his family this summer with a new one. A video made by his daughter, Tricia Macmanus, Class of 1989, documenting the moment has circulated throughout the Aggie Network. Tricia Macmanus said when her father lost his first ring, he wasn’t visibly upset and played it off as no big deal. It wasn’t until this spring when the decision was made to buy him a new one. “My sister and I were talking about my dad’s favorite outfit — he has a maroon sports coat, an Aggie tie that has the A-T-M all over it, he wears a white button down shirt and jeans and cowboy boots,” Tricia said. “The only thing he’s missing is his Aggie ring and she said, ‘Well, why don’t we just get him a new one?’” Jerry Macmanus said the first time he received his Aggie Ring, it meant so much because he was able to survive the Corps and graduate college. “We were really proud of the fact that we were able to graduate from college,” Jerry Macmanus said. “That was the main thing, plus the fact that I received a commission in the Army, Army reserves and I was proud of that, and I did in on active duty several times. From there, Tricia said she found out how much the ring would cost and talked about it with her eight siblings, who were all in on the idea. She said she and one of her sisters came up with an idea to keep the box hidden until Jerry opened it. “If we hand him a ring box, he’s going to know it’s a ring right away,” Tricia said. “It’s obvious, so we went to Michael’s and bought a wooden box, kind of like a cigar box, and we stained it and we put material on the inside of it, kind of made it look like a jewelry box and then we hot glued the ring box inside of that and I

had everybody sign the inside of the lid, kinda like a gift card.” The Macmanus family is known to do “outof-the-box” events, according to Tricia, so the military style presentation wasn’t out of the ordinary and didn’t indicate what was to come. Jerry Macmanus said he had no inclination that his children were going to buy him another Aggie Ring but was flabbergasted when he realized they had. “I was completely overwhelmed, it was a complete surprise,” Jerry Macmanus said. “My original ring was worn almost through — you couldn’t already tell what it was and I lost it. When my kids gave me the new one, they had quite a ceremony — kind of military style — and presented to me and I was completely overwhelmed with the love that I knew they had for me to get me that ring because I did want but I didn’t want to buy because I just didn’t know how long it was going to last.” Jerry Macmanus said receiving his second ring meant more than when he received his first. “I lived a pretty good life as an Aggie and was very proud of A&M all the time, I am proud of the Corps and meant a whole lot to me to get that,” Jerry Macmanus said. “Whenever I get a chance, I show it off to anybody on Texas A&M. ‘College’ is on my ring, but not ‘university’ — which is kind of special, very very special.” The Macmanus family has deep Aggie roots, with 22 Aggies over three generations. Tricia said even the non-Aggies in the family can feel the Aggie spirit and that A&M is a big part of who they are as a family. “Just besides being a family, to have that connection with your family members, makes life even richer,” Tricia said. Justin Macmanus, biological and agricultural engineering sophomore and cadet said his grandfather was in the Corps and the five sons on his dad’s side were in the Corps. He said it was a powerful moment when his grandfather was presented the ring and showed a lot about how much A&M meant and still means to his grandfather. “Just seeing what it means to him makes me proud that I’m a part of that and that I’m … completing that legacy that he started,” Justin said.

RINGDAY

The Battalion | 11.3.16

The Association of Former Students works to return lost Aggie Rings to their owners.

MIGHT BE LOST, BUT WILL BE FOUND Alexis Will— THE BATTALION

VP of Association sheds light on the process of finding an Aggie Ring By Gap Barbin @gap_barbin At the height of the A&M’s double overtime win against Tennessee, a student sitting on third deck excessively celebrated, causing his slightly oversized Aggie Ring to slip off his hand and fly through the air to land second deck — adding another entry to the dozens of Aggie Rings in the lost-and-found database. To Aggies, losing an Aggie Ring is more important than misplacing an expensive piece of jewelry or a prized college memento. With this understanding in mind, the Association

of Former Students takes an active role in reconnecting lost and found Aggie Rings with their owners through online and in-person measures. Kathryn Greenwade, vice president of the Association of Former Students and Class of 1988, said the Association recognizes the high value of an Aggie Ring and works diligently to return rings to their rightful owners. “We know what the Aggie Ring means to an Aggie, and we know that they want to be reunited with it,” Greenwade said. “Certainly, if a ring is lost or stolen you can order a new ring, but there’s something about your very first Aggie Ring. We want to do what we can to reunite that with the owner.” Aggies lose rings more often than expected. In fact, in 2015 the Association reports 79 of 1,966 lost rings have been found and in

the 2016 calendar year, there have been 95 of 1,697 rings reported found. When an Aggie reports a lost ring, Greenwade said the Association has a simple system to best reunite the owner with his or her lost Aggie gold. “An individual can call us at the Association of Former Students and speak to the ring office to report a lost or found Aggie Ring,” Greenwade said. “They can also go onto aggienetwork.com/ring and there will be an option to report a lost or found ring as well. Where we really get involved is when someone finds a ring, and then we take an active role in trying to locate that Aggie and reunite them with that ring.” Greenwade said this modest approach to connect lost and found rings to current and former Aggies works, and numerous stories

confirms these effective measures. “We had a former student, Class of ’88, who was in Dallas on business, and he lost his ring in a hotel room. He had given up,” Greenwade said. “A couple of years later, someone is staying in that very same hotel room and they find the ring behind the mirror.” In sharing this particular account, Greenwade offered hope for discovery even in the most distressing circumstances. “Well, the person who found it was a Longhorn, actually, and he was a pilot for Southwest,” Greenwade said. “He called a friend of his, an Aggie who was also a pilot for Southwest, and said, ‘I know this means something to someone.’ We were able to reunite it that way, and I think it’s something this individual never expected it would be found again.”

The evolution of the Aggie Ring By Josh McCormack @_joshmccormack

Alexis Will — THE BATTALION

The Centennial Wood Carvings located across from the Flag Room in the MSC contains detailed carvings of the Aggie Ring throughout the years.

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A five-point lone star, a cannon accompanied by a saber in addition to a rifle and an eagle inside a circular rope. These symbols, glinting in gold, connect Aggies all over the world. Before the Aggie Ring was something any Aggie today can recognize, before the 1930s, the Aggie Ring went under various design changes from year to year. “Prior to 1930, each class would design their own ring and while they were fairly consistent from year to year, there were minor changes,” said Kathryn Greenwade, vice president of the Association of Former Students and Class of 1988. “There are a couple of years that they decided to take a little bit of a departure.” Pre-1900s, the Aggie Ring was completely different to the one current and former students wear nowadays. The face of the ring was black, it included an intertwined TAMC and it was smaller than today’s ring. “There were a couple of distinctive designs,” Greenwade said. “The 1891 ring looks very different to the one we have today. You start to see in the early 1900s that the ring moves towards the ring that we

have today.” The Class of 1930 decided to alter the ring by adding a large red stone to the middle, where the crest usually is placed. After that ring, no other major changes have occurred. “Starting about in 1930 there was a concerted effort to standardize the ring and put some requirements around it and establish some parameters for receiving the ring,” Greenwade said. “Since that time it has been virtually unchanged. The only changes that would have occurred since 1930s would be the name around the crest of the ring when our university changed from being the A&M College of Texas to Texas A&M University.” Despite the year-to-year changes before the 1930s, Texas A&M has decided that the rings received by students every year in the modern era is the one they want to represent the university for the anticipated future. “I don’t foresee any changes to the design of the Aggie Ring,” Greenwade said. “I think we have arrived at a ring that is representative of our university and the Aggie spirit and this is the ring we will have going forward.”

11/2/16 10:54 PM

RINGDAY

The Battalion | 11.3.16

A different kind of DUNK Aggies find ways to follow tradition without a drop of alcohol By Hannah Fenske @hannahfenske13

ince the ring dunk’s beginning in the 1970s, thousands of Aggies choose to christen their new piece of Aggie gold in a 60-ounce pitcher of their favorite — or least favorite — beer each year. However for some Aggies, the idea of guzzling over four beers at once is less than appealing. These Aggies choose to dunk their ring in alternative mediums, like tea, Kool-Aid or even Cheetos. Elementary education senior Sammy Snook dunked her ring in 48 seconds on Sept. 17 in iced tea with lemon. It wasn’t very good, but it worked, Snook said. “I don’t really drink so I figured a pitcher full of alcohol would literally hurt me,” Snook said. “I feel like you just have to [dunk]. It’s an A&M tradition.” Snook advised those who are considering dunking in something other than beer to just do it. “Dunk anyways,” Snook said. “It’s so much fun, you get to have a party and have people you love there and make a fool out of yourself in front of them.” Caroline Matlock, genetics and biochemistry senior, dunked her ring on Sept. 17. At her dunk, titled “Dunks out for Harambe,” Matlock elected to dunk her Aggie gold in Cheetos Puffs. “I dunked in Cheetos Puffs because I currently can’t consume alcohol and every other liquid just sounded like a really bad idea,” Matlock said. “I was sitting around talking to some of my friends about what I should dunk in, and I think chips came up in conversation. I decided Cheetos Puffs would be fun and different and entertaining.” Matlock stood on stage with the rest of the dunkers and when they started chugging beer, Matlock started eating Cheetos Puffs. “I realized, about 10 Cheetos Puffs in, that I don’t have any liquid and so it’s really hard to swallow them,” Matlock said. “That took a little longer than I expected. So then I continued to eat them until everyone around me

TheBatt_1103_07.indd 1

was finished and then I started offering them Cheetos Puffs and then whenever everyone else was done dunking I just kind of walked around the crowd and had everyone else eat Cheetos Puffs with me and then about nine minutes into it, I finally finished the last one.”

On the same day she got her Aggie Ring, Jillian Waldron, child professional services senior, dunked with a group of her friends in a Disney-themed event. “We did ‘Dunk with all the Colors of the Wind,’” Waldron said. “We dunked in not beer, so we did Kool Aid. We all had a different color of Kool Aid.” The reasons why Aggies choose to opt out of the traditional beer dunks range from being younger than 21, health reasons, religious preferences or just a distaste for beer. For Waldron and her fellow dunkers, they elected to dunk in Kool-Aid due to their age and faith. “The reason we decided that we didn’t want to dunk in any alcohol was because, first off, all of us except for one girl, were under 21,” Waldron said. “So it would have been underaged drinking for us so we did not want to participate in that at all. Also, our faith is just a huge part of our life and getting drunk on alcohol isn’t appealing to any of us.” Biology senior Jordan Barton dunked her ring in November 2015. Barton suggested to not dunk in something too sweet. “I dunked in half and half sweet tea and unsweet tea,” Barton said. “I was the only one of my friends who was 21 at the time and I didn’t want to be the only one who was drinking beer.” Barton’s ring dunk partners also chose to dunk their rings in alternatives to traditional beer. “One of my friends I dunked with decided to stick her face in Cool Whip on a plate to find her ring instead of dunking, because she didn’t want to. So I think in comparison mine isn’t that bad,” Barton said.

Photos by Alexis Will — THE BATTALION

11/2/16 11:02 PM

IX 1741 University Dr. East College Station, TX 77840 979-846-3600

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Kevin Chou — THE BATTALION

THE BATTALION | THEBATT.COM

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FOOTBALL

The Battalion | 11.3.16

THE GIG’EM TICKET

A&M quarterbacks Conner McQueen, Trevor Knight and Jake Hubenak jokingly announced their political candidacy in Tuesday’s press conference.

Aggie quarterbacks balance humor, focus in remainder of 2016 season By Alex Miller @AlexMill20

Lawrence Smelser — THE BATTALION

over Aggieland.” McQueen, fresh off his career-high nine yard rushing performance against New Mexico State and head of the “Gig ‘Em Ticket,” is keen on taking his newly formed campaign slowly, just like the Aggies are on the gridiron. “We’re taking it one week at a time,” McQueen said. “It’s something that we’ve been focusing on both in the campaign and throughout the season, doing everything that we can throughout the week to prepare ourselves for game day on Saturday.” One of the tougher questions McQueen faced in the town hall-type session was whether he would implement an executive order for A&M and the University of Texas to play each other again once elected to office. “Right now we are mainly focusing on the grassroots of our campaign,” McQueen said. “Looking forward, that may be something to really reach out to our constituents about and see what they have to say about the situation.” While Knight stated he believes the ticket will carry in Texas and Oklahoma, he was uncertain about Mississippi, but Hubenak quickly added, Lawrence Smelser— THE BATTALION

Less than a week from Election Day, the presidential race has added a new trio to the conversation. Dressed in suit tops, athletic shorts and tennis shoes, seniors Conner McQueen and Trevor Knight along with junior Jake Hubenak jokingly announced their potential candidacy for the White House at Tuesday’s press conference, a move that was slightly spontaneous. “With the presidential race coming up, we’ve decided to put Mr. Conner McQueen on the ticket, I’ll be the Vice President, and we have Speaker of the House [Jake Hubenak],” Knight said. “We have a solid campaign going and look forward to Mr. McQueen running this country. He’s done a great job of winning

All three A&M quarterbacks played in the New Mexico State game last Saturday.

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“There’s a good chance by the end of the weekend, we’ll take over.” Although the three candidates come from the same position, Knight said the rest of the team backs their third-party campaign. “We’ve spoken with our locker room,” Knight said. “They’re all supportive of us and they’ve all pledged to put our name down on the ticket for this presidency. We all believe in each other and in the message Mr. McQueen tries to convey.” McQueen then revealed the truth behind the intriguing presidential plan, noting the three brainstormed the idea in the training room Monday evening after A&M football media relations director Alan Cannon asked them if they would all appear with the media on Tuesday. “I was wearing a gingerbread costume in the training room while getting taped when AC approached us three about doing media today,” McQueen recalled. “And within about 45 seconds, it swirled into us doing it all at the exact same time wearing coats and ties.” Hubenak added that the joking interaction and nature the three share allows them to take pleasure in one another while staying serious and focused at the game as well. “That’s kind of how we handle everything,” Hubenak said. “Obviously we’ve got big games coming up, but we just like to have fun, enjoy each other and our teammates.” The trio’s alleged campaign manager, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, later gave

some insight into the shenanigans that occur within the quarterbacks room on a daily basis. “It’s a thrill minute,” Mazzone said. “They’re all fun guys to be around even if you weren’t coaching them. They all get along great. They’re obviously very good friends and get along great so it’s been a fun group to coach.” Mazzone added that the three all help each other on the field and in practice, even if only one can start. “They’re in meetings during the game, practice,” Mazzone said. “Conner — I don’t know how many snaps he’s taken this year, maybe six — and he takes the best notes in my room. They’re all very engaged in what we’re doing and all very focused on the position and helping each other.” Head coach Kevin Sumlin gave the McQueen-Knight-Hubenak campaign a forward “Yes” when asked if he supported their efforts, but despite the slim chance of his players winning the Oval Office next Tuesday, was also pleased with the position the three were in last week against New Mexico State as each player stepped onto the field. “It’s always good when all three of them play,” Sumlin said. “And the guy who played the least got the loudest applause and cheers. It just tells you where our team is right now. There’s a time to be serious and respect the game, but there’s also a time to enjoy life and enjoy your teammates.”

11/2/16 10:41 PM

FOOTBALL

The Battalion | 11.3.16

FULL SPEED AHEAD

GRAPHIC BY Jacob Martindale @PapaDuck17

No. 4 Texas A&M’s quest for Playoff continues in Starkville Saturday By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary While most of the recent news surrounding the Texas A&M program lately has been regarding its surprising No. 4 ranking in the first College Football Playoff poll released Tuesday, the Aggies have done their best to tune it out and focus on their next opponent. That next opponent comes in the form of Mississippi State, which the Aggies (7-1, 4-1 SEC) will play Saturday in Starkville. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network. “We’re looking to be 1-0 after this weekend,” said sophomore wide receiver Christian Kirk. “So that’s the main thing on our mind right now.” The Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3 SEC) have had their struggles this year as head coach Dan Mullen breaks in a new quarterback following the de-

parture of Dak Prescott, now the signal-caller for the Dallas Cowboys. MSU has lost three of its last four games — including losses to Kentucky and BYU, teams that have lost a combined eight games already this season. But the Aggies still refuse to overlook any game, especially one that will take place in a hostile environment like Davis Wade Stadium. “We have to create our own energy,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said during Tuesday’s press conference. “It’s an SEC away game. [Mississippi State] has good players, they have fans that are passionate, they make a lot of noise and that’s what makes [the SEC] the best league in the country.” The Bulldog offense has been productive so far this season, averaging more than 30 points per game, and it features a few talented weapons. Sophomore Nick Fitzgerald is a dual-threat quarterback who has had success both on the ground and through the air in 2016. In MSU’s last game against Samford, the 6-foot5, 230-pound Fitzgerald threw for 417 yards,

rushed for 119 and accounted for seven total touchdowns. “He’s their leading rusher, he does a tremendous job running their zone read scheme,” defensive coordinator John Chavis said of Fitzgerald. “Their blocking schemes are designed for him to run the ball and he takes advantage of that, and he’s a big physical guy that we’re going to have to tackle.” Fitzgerald’s go-to receiver, Fred Ross, has been one of the SEC’s best pass-catchers for the past three years, and he’s been effective once again in 2016. Ross ranks third in the conference in receptions, fourth in receiving yards and first in touchdown catches. “You see great receivers in the SEC every week, and he fits that category,” Chavis said of Ross. “He’s one of the elite receivers in this league; there’s no question about that. He’s capable of making plays and he’s done that for quite a while.” The Aggies will counter with a defense that has improved this year and enters Saturday’s contest ranked fifth in the SEC in scoring defense.

Offensively, A&M continues to look better with Trevor Knight behind center. Kirk had a breakout game last week against New Mexico State when he returned two punts for touchdowns and also caught a touchdown. Receiver Josh Reynolds remains one of the best deep threats in the SEC, and Kendall Bussey established himself as another strong running back option behind Trayveon Williams and Keith Ford. Mississippi State’s defense certainly has its holes — the Bulldogs have given up more passing yards than any team in the SEC and have allowed each of their last two opponents to cross the 40-point plateau — and the Aggies will look to take advantage of them. And as the Aggies prepare for Mississippi State, don’t expect them to be distracted reading their own press clippings. “Why should we worry about it? We have to worry about winning Saturday,” Sumlin said. “If we do that every week, there will be something good at the end.”

FOOTBALL

The Battalion | 11.3.16

AROUND THE SEC WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN WEEK 10 OF THE CONFERENCE

Carter Karels @CarterKarels

he first College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday, and the Aggies are in an ideal position at No. 4. However, there is still a chance Washington could surpass them if the Huskies claim the Pac 12 title undefeated. And Ohio State could make things interesting with a win over Michigan. At the very least, Texas A&M must win out. A couple remaining SEC games could also affect the outcome, as No. 1 Alabama hasn’t locked up the SEC West title by any means. Here’s a look at some of the most interesting matchups in the SEC this weekend.

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 13 LSU Nov. 5, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 7 p.m. on CBS LSU’s year has been quite the rollercoaster. At this point, the Tigers fired their legendary coach Les Miles midseason for simply losing to two top 10 opponents — Wisconsin and Auburn. Now, LSU is on a three-game winning streak and Leonard Fournette is starting to make highlight reels again. Since the Tigers have just one loss in conference play, a win over undefeated Alabama could really shake up the SEC. The Crimson Tide enter the game after an off week after defeating their biggest

threat of the season — a then-undefeated Texas A&M. Now, they only have two hard games left with No. 13 LSU and No. 9 Auburn. Texas A&M fans need Alabama to either finish undefeated or lose to both LSU and Auburn. Since the latter is highly unlikely, Aggie fans should want Alabama to come out of Tiger Stadium victorious, keeping A&M’s loss the nation’s best loss on a resume.

Prediction: Alabama 27, LSU 19

No. 11 Florida vs. Arkansas Nov. 5, Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas 2:30 p.m. on CBS This season hasn’t looked good for Arkansas since losing to Texas A&M. The Razorbacks put up a fight against the Crimson Tide, losing on a late fourth quarter run making it a 49-30 Alabama victory. But last week, Auburn embarrassed Arkansas 56-3. The Gators, believe it or not, have a shot at making the College Football Playoffs. They must finish the regular season 11-1 and beat the SEC West winner, and it’d help if that were a 12-0 Alabama team. Anything short of that, which is unlikely, will put Florida in a similar position as last season. Florida should win this one because of how poorly Arkansas has played lately. The Gator defense can shut down Brandon Allen.

Georgia vs. Kentucky BONUS PICK Nov. 5, Commonwealth Stadium, Vanderbilt vs. No. 9 Auburn Lexington, Kentucky Nov. 5, Jordan-Hare Stadium, Au6:30 p.m. on SEC Network burn, Alabama The ultimate sleeper in the SEC this season, besides Texas A&M, is Kentucky. 11 a.m. on ESPN Somehow, there is a scenario where the Wildcats face Auburn in the SEC title game. With two losses in the SEC, the Wildcats simply need to defeat their remaining conference opponents — a struggling Georgia and a Tennessee team crashing into the ground. Since Florida beat Kentucky and has one loss, it would need to lose against Arkansas and LSU. That scenario isn’t crazy talk — it could happen. It all starts with beating Georgia at home this Saturday, and what a year it’s been for the Bulldogs. After a questionable firing of Mark Richt last season, Georgia responds by being in a position where it possibly won’t make a bowl game. The Bulldogs have four losses, and Kentucky, Auburn and Georgia Tech are left on the schedule. For Kentucky, a win wouldn’t just clinch a bowl. It would bring the Wildcats one step closer to an SEC East title. A Bulldogs victory would likely result in a bowl berth later on, saving face for Georgia.

Auburn continues to become a more impressive win for Texas A&M as the Tigers have won every game since losing at home to the Aggies. They should head into the Alabama game 9-2 with eight straight victories, making the College Football Playoff very interesting. Vanderbilt will be an easy win for Auburn.

Prediction: Auburn 34, Vanderbilt 13 Carter Karels is a journalism junior and a sports writer for The Battalion.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Prediction: Kentucky 34, Georgia 30

FILE

Prediction: Florida 31, Arkansas 20 BATTSPORTS

THEBATT.COM

TBT: After the Aggies defeated South Carolina 35-28 in Week 9 last season, they cracked the College Football Playoff rankings at No. 19.

ANALYSIS

The Battalion | 11.3.16

Why Aggies deserve No. 4 Playoff ranking Alex Miller @AlexMill20

exas A&M found itself sitting comfortably at No. 4 in the first College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night. The rankings may have come as a slight surprise, too, as the Aggies — despite having one loss — were ranked one spot ahead of Washington, who is currently 8-0 and tied for first in the Pac-12 North. Playoff Chairman Kirby Hocutt said the Committee believed the Aggies have played a stronger schedule than the Huskies so far, etching four wins over teams with .500 records compared to Washington’s two. Their message to A&M is clear: You are rewarded for playing (and beating) quality teams. Their message to Washington may be clear, too: Win out, or potentially be left out. But if the standings hold and Huskies do win out to finish 13-0, which would entail them claiming the Pac-12 title, it may be hard for the Committee to keep them No. 5 and behind what would still be a one-loss A&M come Dec. 4 when the final rankings are released. The Aggies, unlike Washington, have one loss and do not have the luxury of dropping a game to remain in playoff contention, meaning they must win out themselves. Both teams’ paths to an undefeated November, however, are not simple. The Aggies have yet to face Ole Miss and LSU, each of whom have had underachieving seasons to date, but are two teams the Aggies are a combined 0-4 against in the past two seasons. A&M gets to play both games at home, though, and the Aggies will face LSU five days after the Tigers play Florida. The Bayou Bengals will also be on their final leg of playing five conference games in 19 days. Likewise, the Aggies will come off a game against UTSA, which should give them a chance to rest any potentially injured players. LSU may come in banged up after the long haul, though, and any setbacks could hinder them from winning in College Station. All those elements combined should give A&M a high chance to keep LSU from spoiling a special season. Washington has a tough remaining schedule ahead with road matches against Cal this weekend and rival No. 25 Washington State to end the season. That does not include the Pac12 Championship if they win their division, which would potentially pit the Huskies against No. 15 Utah, who Washington beat 31-24 on the road last week and is their best win to date, or a surging No. 16 Colorado team. Wouldn’t it be great if former A&M offensive coordinator Jake Spavital or Washington State head coach Mike Leach, who was very disliked amongst Aggies from his Lubbock days,

did A&M a favor and knocked off their biggest contender to date and out of Playoff contention? As far as the other contenders towards the title go, the Committee made two clear statements: 1. The Big 12 will be shut out until further notice. 2. Louisville has ground to make up. On the first note, the message was a rude awakening to the Aggies’ former Big 12 foes and attests to the league’s mediocrity this season. Two-loss Oklahoma, who is undefeated in conference play and sits atop the Big 12, came in at No. 14, and is far on the outside looking in. The league’s two oneloss members, Baylor and West Virginia, each of whom were undefeated this time a week ago, came in at No. 17 and No. 20, respectively. Baylor, West Virginia and Oklahoma have yet to play each other. The Sooners still have Oklahoma State on the last weekend of the season as well. If any of those teams lose again and engage in conference cannibalism in the final month, the Big 12 would see itself out of any Playoff conversation. And for now, the ground needed to be made up seems insurmountable for any Big 12 school, especially with the sheer number of quality teams ahead of them. Yes, Oklahoma was No. 15 in the initial Playoff rankings FILE last year and marched their way in, but only after knocking off Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State to end the season. This While some said Kevin Sumlin entered the 2016 season on year’s Sooners are the only team of the three Big 12 “contend- the hot seat, the A&M head coach has silenced any doubts ers” remaining that has a shot at running the table, with their with results on the field. remaining schedule being the strongest. Even if Oklahoma finishes 9-0 in the Big 12, it would still be improbable for them Back to the Aggies’ Playoff chances: The track record for to reach the Playoff with two losses despite being a conference A&M’s conference comrades in the Playoff rankings is not as champion, probably even less worthy of a one-loss, second fortunate as the Aggies may have hoped. place SEC West A&M. In the two previous initial College Football Rankings, the For Louisville, it’s evident the Cardinals weren’t treated as SEC has produced five total teams in the first top fours. Only the title contender they were seen as after dismantling then- one — Alabama last season — made the actual Playoff, as the No. 2 Florida State in Week Three, who has since stumbled Crimson Tide won the National Championship a year ago. to 5-3, and rightfully so. It’s also clear that A&M’s 19-point The other five, Mississippi State, Auburn and Ole Miss in loss to No. 1 Alabama wasn’t weighted as badly as Louisville’s 2014 and LSU in 2015, went a combined 8-10 after the initial six-point loss to No. 2 Clemson. Maybe the fine line has been rankings and dropped an average of 11 spots, with the highest drawn with the Cardinals’ poor play lately, as they nearly had finisher being Mississippi State at No. 7. close calls with Virginia and Duke who are the bottom two But that means there is still a 20 percent chance and one teams in the ACC Coastal respectively. that, in August especially, any Aggie in their right mind would The Aggies also beat UCLA with a healthy Josh Rosen, take. Only the most optimistic foresaw A&M entering Noending Tennessee’s magic by handing the then-5-0 Vols their vember with a single loss and in the thick of the Playoff confirst loss of the season and took down No. 9 Auburn, who has tention. Plus, the Aggies have a realistic shot to ultimately won five in a row, by 13 on the road. Louisville’s next-best make it in the end. win after Florida State? Syracuse, who is 4-4 and sits fourth in Four games still remain on A&M’s schedule, but the stars the same division as the Cardinals. have aligned for a potential November to remember in AgThe best team left on Louisville’s schedule is probably gieland. The Aggies’ quest for the Playoff continues this week Houston or Kentucky. The Cougars have underachieved this in Starkville and the mission will remain the same until the final season, but still have the star-power to knock off the Cardinals. play against LSU: Just keep winning. The surging Wildcats will also be a challenge for Louisville and if given the possibility, would love to ruin their “little brothAlex Miller is a journalism freshman and er’s” chances of making the Playoff. sports writer for The Battalion. With that said, it appears an 11-1 Louisville would stand no chance to an 11-1 A&M.

FOOTBALL The Battalion | 11.3.16

Week 10 staff picks No. 4 A&M vs Mississippi State

No. 6 Ohio State vs No. 10 Nebraska

Saturday, Nov. 5 @ 11 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5 @ 7 p.m.

HEATH

RACHEL

CHRIS

ANGEL

GRACE

SAM

Angel Franco Sports Editor @angelmadison_

November rocks. A&M is No. 4 in CFB Playoff rankings and it’s almost Turkey Day.

Chris Martin Sci-Tech Editor @martin19340

After we’re done with them, they won’t be Bulldogs, they’ll be puppies.

Sam King Editor-in-Chief @SamKing_372

I love every kind of dog. Except the Bulldogs.

Josh McCormack Life & Arts Editor @_joshmccormack

Bowling for Soup said it best: Ohio is lame.

Grace Neumann Page Designer @AustinTXHokie

2014. 14-1. May the Huskers do to the Buckeyes what the Hokies did: Crush them.

Alexis Will Multimedia Editor @AlexisMWill

Remember the time the OSU tuba player hit the cameraman? That’s what OSU will do to them.

NEWS

The Battalion | 11.3.16

ONLINE STUDENT SENATE: “The White Creek Transportation Bill,” a bill designed to simplify access to Student Counseling Services and “The Student Senators of Integrity Resolution” were at the forefront of Wednesday’s Halloween-themed Student Senate meeting. Madeline Sambrano — THE BATTALION