The Battalion: October 5, 2016

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2016 STUDENT MEDIA | @THEBATTONLINE

BATT State of the THE

University

THE BATTALION | THEBATT.COM

Michael Young announces new initiatives, direction of campus growth in address

By Meredith McCown @meredithrhoads

I

n the first State of the University address of his tenure and in conjunction with the 140th anniversary of Texas A&M, A&M President Michael Young discussed three strategic imperatives — transformational learning, discovery and innovation and the university’s impact on the state, nation and world.

Young, who has held the role of the 25th president of Texas A&M for 18 months, delivered his speech in the Martell Lecture Hall — a location he said he chose because it serves as a reminder of commitment and recognition.

During the speech, Young announced $2 million in grants for

A&M President Michael Young gave a State of the University address Tuesday and discussed future campus goals and initiatives.

interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary programs and the establishment of a group aimed at spurring collaboration amongst professors.

“Now in the spirit of hastening momentum on this call to action to grow our transformational on impact learning opportunities, I’m announcing $2 million this year devoted to grants for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary programs that can impact our students in transformative ways,” Young said. “So please open your imagination, creativity, ingenuity and student focus to help us achieve this strategic imperative.”

Young also talked about the establishment of a group called “Raising the Bar.” “I have established a working group, bearing the optimistic name of ‘Raising the Bar,’ to help us address all these issues and change both our structure and our culture to make the exceptional routine, to allow those professors who wish to collaborate to do so much more easily and seamlessly,” Young said. “We’ve set up an email … for concrete recommendations on enhancing discovery and innovation.”

SOTU ON PG. 3

Grant Phifer— THE BATTALION

APOLLO 13 ASTRONAUT TALKS

ADVERSITY

Sarah Stone — THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Senior linebacker Shaan Washington recorded 11 total tackles and a sack in Texas A&M’s 24-13 win over South Carolina.

Defensive prowess, maturity key to Texas A&M’s success Brian Okosun — THE BATTALION

Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise talked about overcoming disappointment in a Tuesday lecture titled “Failure is Not an Option.”

Fred Haise reflects on journey, awards scholarship to 2 students

By Sanna Bhai @bhaisanna One of only 24 people to fly to the Moon, NASA astronaut Fred Haise addressed a Rudder Auditorium packed full of A&M and local elementary school students Tuesday.

Haise was on the 1970 Apollo 13 mission that had to be aborted after an oxygen tank exploded, leaving the crew with limited power, water and cabin heat.

During Tuesday’s lecture, titled, “Failure

is Not an Option,” Haise reflected on the story of his team’s journey, which was portrayed through the Academy Award winning movie “Apollo 13.” Additionally, Haise presented two Texas A&M engineering students — Maura Cadigan and Mikayla Barry — with scholarships up to $10,000 on behalf of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

Haise, who started out as journalism student in college, had a shift in direction in his life when he decided to serve in the military once the Korean War started.

He flew a plane for the first time during his service and said that’s when he knew he wanted to fly for the rest of his life, prompting his desire to be an astronaut.

APOLLO 13 ON PG. 2

By Lawrence Smelser @LawrenceSmelser After its second consecutive 5-0 start to the season, Texas A&M will face a top 10 opponent yet again in its quest to remain undefeated when it hosts No. 9 Tennessee on Saturday.

This year the No. 8 Aggies will do it with an improved defense, and with what Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin believes is the biggest difference in his team — maturity.

Going 5-0 was no easy task for the Aggies, though. Against South Carolina the team went down 7-0 on the first play from scrimmage but managed to allow only two field goals for the next 59 minutes. The maroon and white have outscored opponents 44-3 during the third quarter in 2016.

“I told our team on Monday that the biggest compliment we could give them was after that first play that went for 75 yards there wasn’t panic,” Sumlin said. “I’ve been here at times where there’s finger pointing, panic and guys screaming and yelling at each other. We’ve been behind in games and weren’t

the frontrunners but we’ve settled down and played football.”

A&M’s defense leads the nation with 50 tackles for loss through five games. No. 3 Clemson is second with 48 and behind the Aggies in the SEC is No. 1 Alabama, with 33.

A&M safety Armani Watts has contributed to that total. He is the only player in the Southeastern Conference with a sack, interception, forced fumble, recovered fumble, pass breakup, tackle for loss and quarterback hurry.

“A little bit has do with the scheme and a lot of it has to do with players,” defensive coordinator John Chavis said of his team’s high number of tackles for loss. “We take pride in being a pressure defense and we don’t just pressure the passing game, we pressure the run game too. We’ve got fire zones and zone blitzes exclusively to stop the run. Our linebackers are playing better and our safeties are getting involved in making behind the line of scrimmage.”

Against the Gamecocks Trevor Knight turned the ball over twice, first with an interception and later was stripped while FOOTBALL ON PG. 3

Campus group fights for monarch survival Pre-planting process begins on Milkweed plants in green houses

By Tyler Snell @Tyler_Snell2

Grant Phifer — THE BATTALION

The Aggieland Monarch Project is working to plant milkweed plants to aid in monarch reproduction and survival during their migration through Brazos Valley.

The area between Cushing Library and the Academic Building on campus may not be a routine stop for the average A&M student, but for a monarch butterfly, it may become a crucial stop on their migration route.

Milkweed — a type of wildflower prevalent in the Great Plains that the monarch depends on for survival and reproduction — has been threatened for years by the introduction of herbicide-resistant cash crops in the farming industry among other factors. The ex-

tensive pesticide use in the farming industry renders the milkweed inhabitable to the monarch.

Brazos Valley is along the route monarchs make during their migration. In order to aid the monarch population in their migration, the Aggieland Monarch Project, an organization initiated in 2014 by Andrew Payne, began with the goal of encouraging A&M to incorporate milkweed and other pollen friendly plants into the campus landscape. Now, two years later, the organization has begun preparing flowerbeds in the campus greenhouses for seeding milkweed.

Currently the group is starting the pre-plant process, and the milkweed is scheduled to be planted in the beds in the green houses in mid-April.

MONARCHS ON PG. 2

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APOLLO 13 CONTINUED Haise said the explosion of Apollo 13 left him disappointed even months after the explosion, and then disappointed again when two later missions were cancelled. “[Apollo 13] was my big chance and in a second it went away,” Haise said. “I was happy again because I got reassigned as a backup commander for 16, which put me in the lineup to fly 19, which was then a mission.

The second disappointment was when 18 and 19 were cancelled.”

Haise, no stranger to disappointment, stressed the importance of being able to bounce back after facing adversity.

“Life has ups and downs and one must try to deal with it,” Haise said. “One of the most important thing is to work hard at figuring out what talent you are blessed with. We are all born with talent ... And it is how to marry that with the right career … to generally be successful and happy.”

Cesar Lopez, electrical engineering senior, said he attended the event because he had seen the movie and

2

The Battalion | 10.5.16

wanted to hear Haise talk about his experiences firsthand.

“Having an astronaut at Texas A&M does not happen often — it is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Lopez said. “Their mission was full of hardships and I wanted to hear the real life experience from what I saw in the movie.”

Mikayla Barry, biomedical engineering senior and one of the two scholarship recipients, said she was grateful and honored to receive the scholarship.

“I have put a lot of work into my research and having that validation from people who I really admire and respect is an incredible feeling,” Barry said. “The fact that other people are recognizing the work that I am doing and are encouraging to do even more in that field.”

Haise said coming to speak at Texas A&M was not only meant to inspire others but also to share his experience firsthand in order to convey to students that success is generated from hard work.

“Have a goal in mind and proper planning to set out and achieve the goal,” Haise said. “Doesn’t matter if you are building a house or going to space.”

Brian Okosun — THE BATTALION

Fred Haise, a NASA astronaut who was a part of the Apollo 13 mission that had to be aborted because of an explosion, spoke Tuesday in Rudder Auditorium about overcoming adversity.

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The monarch butterfly depends on the milkweed plant for sustenance, reproduction and growth, but the introduction of herbicide-resistant cash crops in the farming industry has made the milkweed plant uninhabitable for the butterflies.

MONARCHS CONTINUED “We can at least ensure that when [monarchs] migrate from Mexico or from Kansas and Nebraska, they have plenty of milkweed to reproduce and grow on,” Payne said. “I hope people will recognize that we must landscape to help the environment not just to be aesthetically pleasing.”

Payne was also a member of the Texas Naturalist Program, a volunteer conservation corps run by Texas Wildlife. It was during a meeting for this organiza-

tion that he first got the idea to aid the monarch butterflies.

“They would bring lecturers in to meetings, and one lady discussed the decline of butterflies and their habitats,” Payne said. “I was so intrigued by the story and wanted to help out the monarch butterflies anyway I could.”

Payne was involved in setting up the initial plans for the project, but after he graduated in 2015 a group called Circle K International decided to complete the project Kate Deremo, mechanical engineering sophomore, heard about the project and decided to continue with Payne’s goal.

“The butterflies’ food source is being taken away and replaced with crops and plants that are more aesthetically pleasing,” Deremo said. “Monarchs migrate through Texas but don’t have anywhere to stop and feed. This garden is going to help sustain the population.”

With the gardens in a highly traversed spot on campus, Deremo is excited for the students to enjoy their beauty, whereas Payne hopes students treat the sanctuaries with respect.

“I hope people won’t stomp through gardens,” Payne said. “I really hope people will respect the gardens and the habitats of the butterflies by looking at and appreciating them and not destroying the area with trash or walking through them.”

Early childhood education graduate student April Tillinghast said the sanctuaries will add a unique aspect to campus that not many colleges can boast about.

“I think [the gardens] are going to be a beautiful addition,” Tillinghast said.

“It seems like a calm, relaxing place to go study or meet socially. I think there a lot of pretty places, but that will be a very unique place that not many colleges have.”

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SOTU CONTINUED

Grant Phifer — THE BATTALION

In his State of the University address, A&M President Michael Young spoke about the status and future goals of the university in honor of its 140th anniversary.

FOOTBALL CONTINUED trying to scramble for a first down.

He finished the game with a 61.7 quarterback rating after going 23for-40 with 206 yards passing and no passing touchdowns. Knight did manage to find the end zone rushing and ran for 84 yards on 12 attempts.

“Statistically, Trevor Knight is mediocre — passing percentage-wise,” Sumlin said. “I think his best statistic is winning. We’re still working on things. He brings a lot of other things to the table. He’s been effective and productive. Last week was the first time he didn’t protect the ball well. That is being addressed.”

In its last two games against Florida and Georgia as well as Week 1 against Appalachian State, Tennessee has trailed heading into the fourth quarter but has come back to win. Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said if the Aggies are leading during the fourth quarter on Saturday, he wants his offense to be able to move the ball to prevent

Tennessee from having an opportunity to score.

“You want to be able to run clock with your running game,” Mazzone said. “We need to do a better job of that on offense. We don’t want to put Chief’s [Chavis] defense back on the field. In this offense, most of the runs we call have a pass attached. We need to do a better job of understanding when to hang on to the ball and keep that clock running.”

Due to the magnitude of Texas A&M’s matchup with Tennessee, ESPN’s College GameDay will be hosted live on the A&M campus.

Sumlin said he and the team are excited for them to be in College Station.

“It’s a big deal,” Sumlin said.

“They go to atmospheres that are meaningful. I can remember when they came to the University of Houston. It was a validation of where we were heading as a program. It puts in perspective the relevancy of this game and the program. It’s a compliment. You work hard to be in these games and to win them.”

Prior to Young taking the stage, industrial engineering senior and A&M track and field athlete Kohl Anderson introduced him by recounting Young’s accomplishments and reflecting on the influence he had on his life.

“As an aspiring law student, I was beyond excited to have the opportunity to spend a little bit of time with President Young,” Anderson said. “He is highly regarded as one of the best legal experts in the entire country. He is an outstanding leader … I am proud that he is serving as the president of our great university.”

Young discussed the importance of collaboration in terms of the three strategic imperatives, the first being transformational learning.

“Collaboration not just for the sake of it, but collaboration to make the world a better place,” Young said. “We want 100 percent of our students to have multiple transformational learning experiences during their time here at Texas A&M.” Leonard Bierman, speaker of Faculty Senate and marketing professor, said Young excels in highlighting the strengths A&M maintains and the opportunities it is provided with, especially in regards to the campus branches and external schools.

“He did a great job focusing on all of the strengths and opportunities that face A&M,”

Bierman said. “We’re a great university, but sometimes we haven’t gotten the recognition we deserve. One thing that has struck me as speaker of the Faculty Senate this year is the breadth of the work that’s going on here, from Galveston to the dental school to nursing school that he talked about, and creating synergies amongst all those as an opportunity.”

While Young presented his address, banners hung in the background representing the six core values of Texas A&M — leadership, loyalty, excellence, respect, integrity and service.

Young said it’s because of these core values that his experience at A&M has been unlike any other.

“No university with which I’ve been affiliated in my career reaches the heights and of the spirit of dedication and service like this university,” Young said.

Young concluded his State of the University address by encouraging the faculty and administration that their work is significant and makes a difference.

“I am simply amazed by the work I see daily and the meaningful impact it has on others.

Time permits me to mention only a few,” Young said. “But I recognize and applaud the hundreds of other ways we are making a difference throughout the world. And I warmly encourage you to seek opportunities to make that difference. What we do matters.”

Sarah Stone — THE DAILY GAMECOCK

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Astronomers ‘expect the unexpected’ with new telescope After 11 months of construction, the base of the Giant Magellan Telescope nears completion

By Josh Hopkins @texasjoshua1 In 2022, the dreams of hundreds of astronomers across the world will become a reality with the completion of a telescope large enough to see to the edge of the universe.

The Giant Magellan Telescope is a telescope being constructed in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Chile, one of the best locations for a telescope in the world. Texas A&M is among a large number of universities and science institutions supporting the project, including Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution.

Nick Suntzeff, A&M astronomy professor, said the sheer size of the collecting area will enable the GMT to see further than any other current telescope.

“When we go on the sky, we will be able to see things that no one else can,” Suntzeff said. “We will be able to look at nearby stars for planets with signatures of life in their atmospheres; we will be able to look at galaxies at the edge of the universe. There will be some amazing science we will be able to do.”

Darren DePoy, A&M astronomy professor, said construction first began on the project in Nov. 2015 and so far, support buildings and infrastructure are almost completed. DePoy said one of the most difficult parts of the project will be constructing the foundation — or pier — the telescope will sit upon.

“The key element of the telescope is a giant chunk of concrete. You dig a hole straight down to bedrock then you fill that hole up with concrete, and that’s what the telescope sits on,” DePoy said. “It needs to be incredibly stable. It’s an enormous amount of concrete. Something dramatic will happen to get all this concrete in this big hole that they will dig on top of the mountain to make the pier for the telescope.”

DePoy said once completed, the telescope will have an expected lifetime of between 50 and 100 years.

“We can apply the telescope to whatever is the most interesting science 50 years from now,” DePoy said. “Who knows what that might be? By changing its functions the instruments that go on the back of our telescope we can make sure the telescope is vibrant, and useful, and always producing good results.”

Suntzeff said the project has the majority of the money it needs for completion and is expected to be online by 2022 or 2023.

“When I first came here we had a little bit of money and it was just a dream,” Suntzeff said. “We still don’t have all of the money but it’s a reality now, and that’s very exciting. We will be the largest telescope when it is built and we will be on the sky before any of the other large telescopes for a while.”

Suntzeff said even though astronomers have expectations for what they will see with the telescope, he expects the unexpected.

“Whenever you open up a new telescope and start looking at the sky the cool stuff that you discover is not the stuff you expected, it’s completely unexpected,” Suntzeff said. “That’s

PROVIDED

The construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, a telescope large enough to enable astronomers to see the edge of the universe, is slated for completion in 2022.

what I think is really exciting, what it is that we don’t know what we’re going to discover.”

Jerry Strawser, chief financial officer at Texas A&M, said the university considers the project an investment in science.

“Like a lot of things, this is a long-term project and it is going to take a number of years to get finished,” Strawser said.

“But there are a number of leading astronomers who are on the board of directors who are excited about the project and what it will do for their research and the scientific community.”

DePoy said incredible scientific research can be done using the Giant Magellan Telescope.

“Maybe 100 years from now we will be building telescopes on the moon and then we really won’t need telescopes here on the surface of the earth, that’s not really very pertinent to me,” DePoy said. “For now, it’s a really super worthwhile thing to do. We can find planets with life on them, if we can, if they’re there. We can look at some of the earliest galaxies; we can investigate how the universe is structured.”