The Battalion - April 12, 2019

FRIDAY, APRIL 12 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA

RING DAY + FAMILY WEEKEND

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

FAMILY WEEKEND SCHEDULE FRIDAY, APRIL 12

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

Family Photos 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Aggie Park, across from Kyle Field

Mays Business School Open House 9 to 11 a.m.

Wehner Building (WCBA) Lobby

Aggie Moms’ Boutique 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

2nd Floor, Memorial Student Center

Vice President’s Open House 9 to 11 a.m.

Throckmorton Street, across from Sanders Corps Center

Family Weekend Tailgate 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Terrace Aggie Sober Tailgate 5:30 p.m.

Student Recreation Center, Room 2225 Maroon & White Spring Football Game 7:30 p.m.

Kyle Field

Aggie Moms’ Boutique 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

2nd Floor, Memorial Student Center ¡Un Fin de Semana con Su Aggie!

3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building Family Weekend Centennial Celebration 7 to 10 p.m.

Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center

Celebrating a century Family Weekend marks its 100th anniversary with historic festivities

By Khadeeja Umana @Deeja_Umana Texas A&M is celebrating a century of Aggie family support this weekend.

Family Weekend, formerly known as Parents Weekend, will bring together the relatives who have supported students in their academic careers from April 12 through 14. The three-day celebration will include events like Aggie Ring Day, Aggie Sober Tailgate, the Aggie Moms’ Boutique, the Maroon and White Spring Football Game and a special Family Weekend Centennial Celebration. The Corps of Cadets will have events such as the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band award ceremony and the Parsons Mounted Cavalry Review.

This Aggie tradition began in 1919, originally as a Mother’s Day open house to allow moms to come to the campus and check on their sons. Over the years, the name changed to Mother and Dads’

Day, Open House, Parents’ Day, Parents’ Weekend and is now Family Weekend.

“There have been events that have come and gone throughout the years, and the name has changed several times throughout the 100-year history,” New Student and Family Programs coordinator Libby Daggers said. “But I think what remains the same is that it’s always been a weekend dedicated to celebrating the important people in our lives who make up our Aggie family.”

The Family Weekend Centennial Celebration on April 13 at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center will include curated reflection displays, artifacts and memories of the event’s long history. There will be an Aggie-themed photo booth, guest speakers, a live band and a dessert bar. Single tickets are $18 while a pair is $32.

“We’ve worked really hard to spread the word about this year’s Family Weekend,” Daggers said. “We’re really trying to promote some of the history of Family Weekend and really celebrate the past of Family Weekend while we also can look FAMILY WEEKEND ON PG. 7

FILE

The moment has arrived Association of Former Students preps to distribute over 6,000 Aggie Rings

By Shreya Rao @Shreyarao_ Thousands of students and their families are coming together on campus to celebrate this semester’s Aggie Ring Day. Split between Friday and Saturday, the April Ring Day is the largest one of the year. To qualify for their rings, undergraduates must complete at least 90 hours of coursework, with

45 of those hours at Texas A&M. This spring, 47 percent of the rings that were ordered were large or men’s rings and 53 percent were small or women’s, with a majority of the orders coming from students in the Class of 2019 and 2020.

The Association of Former Students has announced several changes to this year’s festivities and plans to provide any additional updates through email, @AggieRingDay on Twitter and at tx.ag/RingDayStatus.

Students who are scheduled to receive their Aggie Rings typically gather at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center. However, due to RING DAY ON PG. 2

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Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Some students opt for the Polara or white gold ring instead of the traditional gold ring for various reasons.

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Megan Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief Luke Henkhaus, Managing Editor Jordan Burnham, News Editor Sanna Bhai, Asst. News Editor Henry Mureithi, Asst. News Editor Kathryn Whitlock, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Falcon, Life & Arts Editor Samantha Mahler, Life & Arts Editor Jane Turchi, Special Sections Editor

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THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the 2019 spring semester (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.

News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of StudentAffairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.

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For nearly 200 Aggies getting their rings, gold is not a given

By Sanna Bhai @BhaiSanna On Ring Day, thousands of students will receive their piece of “Aggie gold.” But each year, there are some who opt for a ring of a different color.

A less sought out option is the silver-colored Aggie Ring, made of either Polara or white gold. From year to year, about two percent of students receive the white gold ring and less than one percent receive the Polara ring. The option to choose the white gold or Polara finish originated during the 1970s, said Kathryn Greenwade, vice president for communications and human resources at The Association of Former Students.

For this semester’s ring day, there are

RING DAY CONTINUED severe weather, students who are receiving their rings on Saturday will gather in the Student Recreation Center instead.

On Friday, Houston Street will be closed for the entirety of the event, from 30 minutes prior to Ring Day to 30 minutes after. Kathryn Greenwade, vice president for communications and human resources at The Association, said she recommends parking in West Campus garage for either day. From the garage, Saturday ring recipients can walk right to the Rec’s main doors, and Friday recipients can ride the Ring Day shuttle over to the Alumni center. The shuttle, which will only run on Friday, will also pick up passengers from Lot 100. The Cain and University Center garages will be available to park in as

a total of 181 students who have ordered a white gold or Polara ring, 41 of whom are attending the A&M campus in Qatar.

The Polara ring is a blend of silver and palladium and starts at about $300, while the cost of the white gold ring runs similar to the gold Aggie ring.

Reasons for choosing these options range from religious beliefs to personal preferences. Biomedical engineering junior Mohamed Harhash said that as a Muslim man, he is not allowed to wear gold jewelry, so he ordered the ring made of Polara.

“It is forbidden in my religion for males to wear gold,” Harhash said. “It is not a masculine thing to wear gold. It is only for females, for beauty. Males are not supposed to show signs of beauty.”

Marketing graduate student Salar Khokhar purchased a white gold ring because he liked the look of it. When he ordered it in 2014 as an undergraduate student, it was not a popular choice.

After inquiring with the Association about the ring, he was able to find the option online and order it. Now it is always a topic of conversation when he meets Aggies around the world.

“I just looked at it, and it looked different,” Khokhar said. “It was nice, and I wanted to put a diamond on it and what went well was the white gold. It was the same quality, the same cost, so I thought I would go with white gold, and I think it looked better on my fingers.”

The Aggie ring is a strong symbol of the Aggie Network and allows former students to recognize each other around the world. Although Harhash will have a silver Aggie Ring, he said it does not diminish the influence it has in the working world.

“The people I have seen have still gotten jobs because of their Aggie rings,” Harhash said. “It is silver, but it is still an Aggie Ring.”

well, but without transportation to the alumni center.

Greenwade said students and families should be aware that there are also changes in how students gather for the event, with the lines forming in the parking lot of the Alumni center toward Throckmorton Street.

“In the past, everyone gathered from the Ring Plaza to Houston Street,” Greenwade said. “For this year, everyone is getting together in our parking lot. We’re going to have a couple of large tents set up in the parking lot, so you’ll have a hard surface to stand on, and it’ll also allow us to keep everyone out of the streets.”

Over 500 staff members and volunteers are committed to keeping the day successful, with accommodations for potential schedule changes and shifts in the weather.

For students who miss an opportu-

nity to get their Aggie Rings at their scheduled time, there will be an ‘all call’ at the end of every hour, as well as one at the very end of the event, to allow possible late students a chance to pick up their ring. For students who miss Ring Day altogether, the rings will also be available for pickup during the alumni center’s regular business hours any day afterward. No matter when they get their rings, students also need to bring either two forms of ID, or one form of ID and their Ring receipt.

Greenwade said students participating in Ring Day should generally arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before their pickup time.

“We want you to arrive ahead of your pickup time, but we don’t want you to wait too long, especially if you have family members who can’t stand for too long,” Greenwade said.

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The Battalion | 4.12.19

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Jeanette Lipton and Ammarah Sattar both opted to get the larger men’s rings.

PROVIDED

Computer science sophomore Kevin Kuriachan (right) is a first-generation Aggie.

From the outside looking in First-generation A&M students and their parents reflect on meaning of the ring

By Meagan Sheffield @mshef350 Even staff members at the University of Texas recognize the significance of earning an Aggie ring.

Friday and Saturday, around 6,000 Aggies in College Station will receive the coveted ring that students can order after successfully completing 90 hours of coursework. According to the Association of Former Students, 40,000 students, friends and family members are expected to attend Aggie Ring Day festivities over the two-day period.

Aerospace engineering junior Hannah Lehman said she first decided to attend A&M when she visited on Aggieland Saturday and noticed how clean the campus was. Her mother went to college in Denmark, and her father works at UT Austin.

She said a contributing factor to her decision to buy an Aggie Ring was her ability to pay for it herself. She wasn’t originally planning on getting a ring, but said during her time at A&M, she began to appreciate the culture and traditions.

“It was definitely something I wouldn’t ask my parents to pay for,” Lehman said. “They’re helping me pay tuition and stuff, and I consider this to be a personal expense. I kind of like the idea of even if I don’t wear it all the time, I’d like to be able to show it to kids or grandkids and give it to someone.”

Hannah’s father, Jeffrey Lehman, is a senior systems administrator in UT’s Department of Geological Science and has worked for the university for the last 25 years. He said some of his

RING DAY CHANGES

friends from high school attended A&M. Now both of his children are pursuing engineering degrees in Aggieland.

“People here could not believe I was letting my kids go to A&M,” Jeffrey said. “I guess it sounded like a cult, but I believed it was a good school.”

Computer science sophomore Kevin Kuriachan is also the first in his family to attend A&M and will receive his ring on Friday night. When initially choosing where to go to college, he also applied to the University of Houston and MIT. “I don’t think [my parents] see A&M any differently than they would any other college,” Kuriachan said. “To them, [an Aggie Ring] doesn’t really mean anything, but I invited them to my Ring Day, and didn’t think they would say yes because it’s on a Friday night, but they did. Even if they don’t understand it, they’re still supportive.”

Kuriachan said he is currently deciding on where to go to graduate school. He wants to create and improve software after he is done with his schooling.

“I think [having a ring] is nice because if I’m not in College Station and I’m back in Houston, it helps you connect with people,” Kuriachan said. “Even before getting my ring, I’ve noticed whenever I see other people outside of College Station with an A&M shirt on, I get really excited because you know these are my people.”

Jeffrey Lehman said that although his father got a ring from Purdue University, he never felt that sentimental about college himself.

“It all feels kind of foreign to me, but I am very proud of her and think it may be even more special to her since she worked to save the money as well as worked hard in school to get to this point,” Jeffrey said. “She is proud of her school, and I am proud of her.”

Go big or go home

Aggie women discuss why they ordered a men’s-size Aggie ring

By Luis Sanchez @LuisSanchezBatt

Of the nearly 6,300 Aggie Rings that will be distributed during Ring Day, around 2,360 will be men’s rings. However, three of those men’s rings will go to Aggie women.

Kathryn Greenwade, vice president of The Association of Former Students, said that women do order men’s rings from time to time and that the ordering process is the same. The only distinction is that the Association asks the student to order in person to verify that the ring is for them.

Psychology junior Karla Alvarez placed an order for a men-size Aggie Ring. Alvarez said that from the start, the larger ring attracted her more than the traditional women’s ring. Alvarez said the size difference allowed for added detail of the Aggie symbols.

Alvarez is a first-generation Aggie and said these symbols are important to her as she has adopted the Texas A&M core values as her own. Alvarez said the symbols are also indicative of the work she has put in and have now come to represent her.

“Whenever I was looking into the school, I really identified with the values of it,” Alvarez said. “So the ring is a reflection of my identity as well.”

Genetics senior Ammarah Sattar received her men’s ring last semester and said the history behind the rings helped influence her decision when she was on the fence between the smaller and larger sizes. Sattar said she valued the sacrifices

women made in the past supporting their Aggies and being given a sweetheart ring.

However, Sattar felt that her sacrifice was a different one and she wanted it visually displayed.

A sweetheart ring is a ring that a male student from the Class of 1972 or before can purchase for his wife or mother and is a smaller replica of his ring. These were phased out after women were admitted to A&M. “I read a story about how the women’s ring used to be the Aggie sweetheart ring,” Sattar said. “I just feel like I worked so hard for this degree and it was so painful sometimes and it was so much hard work and it was so much effort. And I really just wanted the knowledge that the only other people who have this ring are the people who also [achieved] the same accomplishment that I did.”

Civil engineering senior Jeanette Lipton is Sattar’s roommate and also has a men’s ring. Lipton said having the larger ring expresses her Aggie pride much more boldly and keeps the ring from losing any of the detail that she admires.

“I like my giant ostentatious hunk of hunkiness,” Lipton said. “I also really like how big all the details [are] on the side.

Especially when you have it antiqued, everything is there, it’s all there. You can be far away and you can still see the details on the leaves, and I like that.”

Sattar said at the end of the day it is up to personal preference and the smaller ring is no less valuable than the larger one.

“Whether you appreciate the larger or smaller ring more, I feel like everyone should really choose the one they like the best,” Sattar said. “You’re the one who’s going to wear it.”

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The Battalion | 4.12.19

Signed, sealed, delivered This Aggie Ring is brought to you by Harry Henkhaus, Class of 1948 Luke Henkhaus

F

@luke_henkhaus

or as long as I can remember, “we have it so good” has been one of my dad’s personal catchphrases.

Even when I’m at my lowest, those words are always bouncing around somewhere in my mind. Today, as the hours fly by and I get ever closer to receiving my Aggie Ring, my dad’s famous phrase keeps working its way to the front, reminding me that this day has been entirely worth the wait.

No one who knows me would describe me as a very sentimental person.

But last year, I made a very sentimental decision. (I guess some combination of College Station water and the proverbial Maroon Kool-Aid finally got to me.)

Even though I’m a huge fan of autumn, even though I had enough credit hours, and even though I’d usually sell my soul to stand in a smaller crowd, I decided to pass on the Fall ring days. I had my heart set on the big spring Ring Day — not because of the weather but because spring is Muster season. And for me, saying “here” for my grandpa at my very first Muster was the first time I really felt like an Aggie.

When my family says “we have it so good,” we know that we owe a lot of that to Harry C. Henkhaus, Class of 1948. His love for his children and his grandchildren was always evident, as

PROVIDED

Economics junior Luke Henkhaus is receiving his Aggie Ring with the help of his late grandfather, Harry Henkhaus, Class of 1948.

was his love for Texas A&M. I recently watched a video of my grandmother describing the night she first met “that cadet from A&M College in his senior boots;” the same cadet who served in the Pacific at the end of WWII; and the same cadet who played a small role in the history of Muster when he joined his fellow Aggies on Corregidor in 1946, honoring those who had died defending

the island four years earlier.

The famous photo of the Aggies who gathered on “the rock” that day has been a part of my life since before I was born.

The copy in my grandparents’ house had a faint black circle around my grandpa’s face, making it easy even for me — the youngest grandchild — to spot him.

Whenever I see that photo, I feel at ease, like he’s still here with me in some small

way.

I feel the same way when I take a trip to the alumni center to look at my grandpa’s Aggie Ring. Not long after he died, we gave it to The Association of Former Students for their Corregidor display. I have to say it’s really cool to know that a little piece of Papa is always just a short walk away.

Take one look at that ring, and you’ll know how much it meant to him. He was rarely seen without it, and all those decades of wear left the surface nearly smooth. I certainly intend for mine to look like that some day, and perhaps my grandpa had similar expectations. One of the last things he did before he left this world was sign two checks — one for my brother’s ring and one for mine.

Whenever I stop by to look at that old, well-worn ring, there’s one more thing I have to look at. There’s a copy of the 1946 Muster photo that I had never seen before the display went up.

In the photo I had grown accustomed to, my grandpa wears a relatively mild expression. But in this copy, he looks back with a smile — the same smile I often see on my dad’s face, my brother’s face and surely my own face as well. I’ll certainly be smiling on Saturday, Papa. I hope you will be too.

Luke Henkhaus is an economics junior and managing editor for The Battalion.

A day worth the journey From an Aggie fan to an Aggie, Ring Day was a long time coming different. But I know this emotion will be more than my favorite character dying on my favorite show and instead, a compilation of all the good and bad moments of my college career that led me to getting my Aggie ring.

Moments like my first two months in College Station wondering if I made the right choice. The first time I stepped on the sidelines of Kyle Field with confidence, knowing it was where I belonged.

The bad days that seemed to never end and all the times I laughed and smiled more than I ever have. You never really know the kind of experience you will have once you’re in college, but it sure is worth the ride.

Needless to say, it will be a great day.

A childhood dream coming true. An expensive dream, but nonetheless a dream.

The saying “if it’s done twice, it’s a tradition” rings (haha) true in my family.

I will be the fourth person to receive my Aggie ring, adding to rings in the Class of 1996 and two from Class of 2014.

While this isn’t my family’s first Ring Day, I do hope it makes a lasting impact on them. An impact that will hopefully upgrade me from the kids table, since my age hasn’t seemed to do the trick.

Fingers crossed.

Abigail Ochoa

G

@AbigailOchoa88

rowing up there was always one thing I knew — I was an Aggie.

Texas A&M has been a major part of my life. Whether it was the many Saturdays around the TV watching football — especially Thanksgiving when my family would move our dinner table to the living room so we could watch the Aggies beat the Longhorns — or when my dad would give me a high five and I would instantly be reminded of the large piece of Aggie gold on his finger.

It’s crazy to think I will be receiving that same piece of gold on Friday, surrounded by the family and friends who helped me get there.

My grandmas, who showed me the power of hard work and dedication; my parents, who constantly challenge me to be a better person; my siblings, who make life more fun; my cousins, aunts and uncles, who continue to support me in my crazy dreams, and my friends, who make Aggieland feel like home. I can’t think of a better group to be present for such a special moment.

There is no doubt that I will cry when my mom puts the ring on my finger.

I cry at nearly every show and movie, so I don’t see this moment being any

Abigail Ochoa is an agricultural communications and journalism senior and sports editor for The Battalion.

PROVIDED

Agricultural communications and journalism senior Abigail Ochoa comes from a family of Aggies and is the fourth in her family to receive her Aggie Ring.

My ring represents home My love for Texas A&M has changed, but this ring keeps the Aggie in me forever Alex Miller

T

@AlexMill20

oday is a day I have been waiting for for years.

At 2:45 p.m. I’ll get a giant chunk of gold to put on my right hand — my Aggie Ring.

Growing up in College Station, Texas A&M was constantly around me. Both of my parents graduated from A&M, and my dad is from here, too.

I’ve lived in College Station my entire life, and I was entrenched in maroon and white from an early age.

When I was in elementary school, I helped a non-reg campaign for Senior Yell, and he won. I still have my overalls in my parents’ closet. I began to attend all kinds of A&M games. In high school, I earned the name “Aggie Alex” because of my love for A&M. During my senior year of high school, I teased the idea of going to Missouri or Auburn because of their journalism schools. Those thoughts were torched the day I got accepted to A&M. I was meant to be an Aggie. Heck, my initials are ATM (on purpose, of course).

However, my love for A&M has changed since I stepped foot on campus in the fall of 2016. I chose to be a journalist. I want to make a career of writing about sports. But properly training to become a professional means one must begin to act like one.

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

without throwing in personal objections.

It took time, but I did it.

Sure I was called a homer a few times, especially when A&M was tabbed No. 4 in the College Football Playoff and I wrote a 1,000-word column about why the Aggies deserved the spot only for them to crumble in November. I was once, politely, asked by a SID to calm down in the press box.

At times it feels like part of me has been lost.

Something that has been such a big part of my life has completely changed over the course of three years. I don’t feel “redass” or “a true Aggie” at times. I know people on several teams I grew up with. They’ve seen me in both ways.

Friday might allow me to reconcile my love for A&M. I’ve earned that Aggie Ring and have received an excellent education. Being from College Station has allowed me to build irreplaceable relationships that have helped me achieve so much in such little time. College Station will always be home to me, and so will A&M. And even though I’ll never cheer (outwardly at least) for A&M, I’ll always have this Aggie Ring to wear, reminding me of A&M, and College Station, a true love in my heart.

Journalism junior Alex Miller is from College Station and grew up with a love for A&M.

There was no more wearing maroon to games or saying “we” or “us.” The

team I loved so dearly for so many years had to become one I had to write about

Alex Miller is a journalism junior and sports writer for The Battalion.

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The Battalion | 4.12.19

Becoming an Aggie for life My Aggie Ring is a symbol of what I left behind and what I gained Sanna Bhai

L

@BhaiSanna

eaving home and coming to College Station was a big step, not only me, but for my entire family.

Being from a South Asian household, it was hard for my parents to separate themselves from me and let me live alone for an extended period. With immense trust, respect and a heavy heart my parents dropped me off at Texas A&M to get the education they never received.

And I thank them for this, from the bottom of my heart.

When I got to A&M I was overwhelmed with all the spirit; I couldn’t figure out where it all came from. Then I went to fish camp, and it began to make more sense. The only reason I am thankful

for fish camp is because it taught me the A&M traditions and began the process of grooming me into an Aggie for life.

I went to my first football game with an exchange student during my freshman year, which was fitting because I knew just as much as she did about Aggie football — nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I love football, but I was never a fan of Aggie football or college football in general; I am a through and through Dallas Cowboys fan. As I explained the game of American football to my friend, I could hear myself get more and more excited as minutes flew by. Since then, not only Sunday’s, but Saturday’s are also dedicated to football.

Throughout my last three years, I have contemplated my decision to come to A&M, leaving my comfort zone comprised of my family, high school and childhood friends multiple times, but what I have gained always outweighs my losses. I have

made friends that accept me for who I am, and without them, I would have never made it to this day. They encourage me to live up to my full potential, laugh at my dumb jokes, gossip with me until late hours of the night and tolerate me as their roommate. I have gained valuable experience and a family at The Battalion from my journey as a freshman writer to my current position as assistant new editor.

The editorial staff has ripped apart my writing, cherished my commitment and spent countless moments with me complaining about college.

My Aggie Ring is a symbol of all of this. A symbol of my journey at A&M. A symbol of my strengths and my weaknesses. A symbol of the family I made here. A symbol of who I am — an Aggie.

Sanna Bhai is a political science junior and assistant news editor for The Battalion.

PROVIDED

Political science junior Sanna Bhai says her ring represents her Aggie family.

Joining the tradition Earning this ring has been years in the making Grant Spika @GrantSpika

I

have been an Aggie since birth thanks to my dad who is class of 86.

From a video of me marching to the Aggie War Hymn with my sister to the countless pictures of me wearing maroon, I couldn’t get enough of A&M. My parents love to tell me about the time when I was three years old and they took me to my first Aggie football game. We left early, and I began crying and told my mom, “I wanna see more Aggies.” From that moment on, I never even began to think about going to school anywhere else than Texas A&M University.

For the 18 years I spent waiting to get to College Station, I expressed my love for A&M through sports. I would get into arguments on Facebook with people who talked bad about A&M sports. I used to annoy my friends in high school about Aggie sports, even though most of them didn’t care.

Not only did I love A&M, but it was also an opportunity to bond with my dad. We always watched games and talked about next year’s team

while I frequently asked him to see his Aggie ring.

Now that I will have my own, I cannot wait to pass on that legacy to my children as my dad did for me.

I cannot express how important it is to me that after waiting 18 years to get to College Station and four more tumultuous and rewarding years here, that I can finally say I’m an Aggie with proof. I love everything that the ring resembles, particularly the achievement of graduating from the greatest university in the world.

My motivation to study for every test and complete every homework assignment from grades K-12 came from the idea that I could one day get into A&M and then work even harder here to get that ring. Anytime I’d make a bad grade in high school, I thought about A&M. Anytime I made a good grade in high school, I thought about A&M. Now, the main goal I set out to accomplish for my first 22 years of life has been achieved, and I couldn’t be more grateful that the day has finally come.

Grant Spika is an architecture senior and sports writer for The Battalion.

PROVIDED

Architecture senior Grant Spika’s Aggie relatives inspired him to come to A&M. Pictured: sister Natalie and grandfather Bob Schmidt

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SPORTS

6

The Battalion | 4.12.19

Showdown on Family Weekend A&M baseball looks to recover from losing skid as Auburn travels to College Station

By Alex Miller @AlexMill20

Megan Cusick — THE BATTALION

Junior Mikey Hoehner is batting .308 this season and has hit three home runs.

After losing three of its last four games, No. 10 Texas A&M is looking to solve its latest issues at home against Auburn this weekend.

The Aggies (25-9-1, 7-4-1 SEC) sit a half-game ahead of the Tigers (23-10, 7-5 SEC), who are also in a slump, having lost eight of their last 11 following a 15-game winning streak. Auburn was ranked as high as No. 15 just two weeks ago.

“We need to bottom line play better, and the scoreboard will take care of itself; I feel like Auburn feels that way as well,” A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “It’s a very big weekend. They all are in SEC play. The end of this weekend will mark the first half of a 10-week challenge, and we’d sure like to finish that in a strong manner and take care of business at home.”

Friday night will be personal for starting pitcher John Doxakis. His counterpart, Tanner Burns, was his roommate last summer when the two played on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

“We talk on the phone every week,” Doxakis said. “We’ve had this one on the calendar since summer ball ended. I know a lot about him. We’re really good friends.”

Burns (4-0, 1.76 ERA) is one of the SEC’s top pitchers, with his 69 strikeouts ranking No. 13 nationally.

“It’s definitely an even playing field on what we’re going to be telling the hitters,” Doxakis said.

“He’s a great pitcher — power fastball with two off-speeds he can land for a strike. That’s why he’s one of the best in the country. It’ll be fun to go against him after being his teammate.”

Burns could have another solid outing too, given A&M’s recent struggles at the plate. A&M has found ways to get base runners, but has struggled to drive them home. During the Aggies’ latest rough patch, they’ve gone 10-for-39 (.256) with runners

in scoring position.

“Those opportunities don’t come along often when you’ve got a moment to get a big hit or move the base runners in scoring position,” Childress said. “We’ve got to be better at that. We haven’t been great at that over the past couple of weeks.

Two weeks ago, we were outstanding. And those moments become fewer and far between on weekends when you’re playing SEC competition.”

Meanwhile, the relief pitching found its way Tuesday against Texas State, tossing 8.2 scoreless innings after key relievers struggled in critical spots over the past week, which Childress said rebuilt some confidence ahead of this weekend. Still, Doxakis said it’s imperative that the Aggies get the bats and the pitching clicking at the same time.

“We’ve just got to start putting the pieces together,” Doxakis said. “Pitching will do good one night, hitting not that good and then it flip-flops.

Once we put it together, it’ll be hard to beat us.”

The Aggies were without third baseman Ty Coleman on Tuesday and had outfielder Cam Blake pinch-hit, as both were dealing with minor injuries, but Childress said he expects both back at full strength this weekend. Furthermore, Childress said the Sunday starting pitching position would remain open for the third straight weekend.

Nonetheless, the Aggies are looking to stay level-headed amid a low spot.

“I think we’re just trying to stay confident,” utility player Jonathan Ducoff said. “We know our team has a lot of talent. We care about each other, and we play hard. We’ve got big goals for what this year’s going to be.”

With thunderstorms forecast for Saturday, Childress said his staff is monitoring the weather with the help of KBTX meteorologist Shel Winkley.

Childress said he believes the Aggies will be able to get the game in with no issues.

A&M and Auburn will begin the three-game series Friday at 6:30 p.m. Saturday’s game will have a 4 p.m. first pitch, and the series will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be aired on SEC Network+.

“Let the love of learning rule humanity”

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Gathright Outstanding Junior Awards Proudly Announces Our New Members for 2019 Induction Ceremony & Introduction of the Phi Kappa Phi Gathright Outstanding Juniors for Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University at Galveston and Texas A&M University at Qatar.

Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 2:00 PM Rudder Theatre Complex The mission of Phi Kappa Phi is to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education & to engage the community of scholars in service to others. www.phikappaphi.org COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES Marina Conner, Outstanding Junior Mikayla Davidson Jean Ferguson Jacob Galloway Alexis Hudson Randi Owen Alicia Paulino Patricia Randal Marie Schirmacher Peyton Skoruppa Brighton Slovacek Ashley Sprinkle Amanda Stuart Melissa Virnau Sissy Winn Xing-Han Zhang COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE Savannah Sinowitz, Outstanding Junior Emma Holthouser Christopher Walker Daniel Wang Yu MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL Brody Coombes, Outstanding Junior Elena Bacon Grant Bagby Zackary Barnes Pearce Brown Shefali Chopra Kimberly Cobb Adam Coberly Dillon Davis Audrey Donohoe William Easton Joel Ha Amanda Horton Whitney Mask Kameron McEnturff George Piland Dora Praczko Kemp Sauer William Schroeder Madison Schwarzberger Kelsey Singer Michael White Ashley Wood Peter Zhang COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY Bikash Lamichhane COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Jason Zertuche, Outstanding Junior Reagan Anderson Amy Boatman Bailey Brinkman

Julie Buchanan Hannah Cariker Sara Cohenour Liza Crawford Sarah DeLay Patsie DeSantiago Mallary Ellsworth Ashleigh Foley Gabrielle George Katelyn Grosvenor Sarah Hancock Hannah Hanz Carissa Jackson Madison Knight Kacee Lambright Rachel Nicoletti Maria Noack Taylor Northfell Elizabeth Oates Rie Okawara Kendall Price Shari Ramirez-MacKay Aaliyah Rhoades Alexandra Ross Ryan Sacco Christine Santarelli-Harris Logan Stanford Robin Stephens Amalia Villarreal Lauren Welford COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Hannah Lehman, Outstanding Junior Mazen Ali Arthur Carriger Brandon Daniels Collin Davis Andrew Fancher Reginald Frank Carter Gehm Xiaoyu Guo Julia Hann Jacob Harrison IV Charles Herridge Jr. Laura Homiller Christopher Houk Peter Maggio Richard Marks Joshua McLeod John Medeiros Blaise Miller Christian Okamoto Emily Rook Maribel Rubio Anthony Small Milad Soleimani Andrew Spletter Michael Sporkin Madalynn Suiter Michael Tang

Braden Thom Trevor Turchan Andrew Wittmann David Wozniak Ian Xia COLLEGE OF GEOSCIENCES Samantha Longridge, Outstanding Junior Alexi Allen Michael Johnson Jacob Martin Justin Spotts BUSH SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SERVICES Marion Kipiani Charles Teel Jason Thomas Eric Washington SCHOOL OF LAW Debra Fincher Jared Hendrix Isabelle Hutchinson Thomas Levitt Zachary Oliverson Gus Oppermann V Elizabeth Weis COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS Olivia Osteen, Outstanding Junior Hannah Albright Brooke Angonia Laine Badri Riley Bookout Jacob Bronson Regina Castillo Chloe Cockrum Ashlyn Connor Ava Cusack Meredith Dickson Katherine Dillard Allison Duncan Jacqueline Elliott Riley Farrell Jeremy Fernando Maya Gallegos Tyler Gibbs Jordan Gilligan Samson Goriola Mekenzie Hardaway Aaron Harlow Lauren Hartgroves Luke Henkhaus Gabrielle Hoyumpa Catarina Hurtado Haris Jaffer Sadie Jenkins Alyssa Johnson

Brooke Johnson Jacey Jolly Holly Kurisky Elaina Li Ryan MacDonald Abigail Maier Marissa Maxim Michelle McAden Madeleine McMillan Cheyenne Miller Katherine Miller Georgia Neal Sophia Osteen Katherine Parker Madison Parry Madison Poe Brandon Ramirez Harrison Richter Spencer Riegel Duncan Russell William Scott Victoria Strickland Maddie Suhling Ali Thorburn Nick Trcalek Sarah Trcka Sarah Grace Zandstra COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Jacqueline Davidson Diego Peralta COLLEGE OF NURSING Claire Kovacevich, Outstanding Junior SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Gabriella Hand, Outstanding Junior Robert Brown Bolaji Durodola Raquel McDaniel Chinelo Nsobundu COLLEGE OF SCIENCE Jonathan Bywaters, Outstanding Junior Megan Bareis Jeremiah Bartz Kristen Consalvo Christopher Crookston Theodore Richardson COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Demonta Coleman, Outstanding Junior Hannah Carroll Mykah Guy Sarah Henry Madison Mau Natalie Mott Jacob Prater

Doja Qaraqe Victoria Shelby Elizabeth Shepard Phuong Uyen Tran TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY: GALVESTON Alexandra Yard, Outstanding Junior Joey Buck Alexander Gambino Ashlee Liu Josiah Mondubue Joshua Porter TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY: QATAR Seif ElGazar, Outstanding Junior Dana Al Huneidi Maryam Al-Emadi Abdul Sattar Alkahala Sara AlMulla Ahmad Al-Sadi Abdelrahman Amer Menatollah Elgendy Rami El-Turk Hassan Haider Joelle Katbeh Byanne Malluhi Omar Mansour Nosaiba Mohamed Arshad Mohamed Ali Elias Moubarak Aisha Naemi Farah Ramadan Anurag Srivastava Abdullah Yousuf 12 UNDER 12 YOUNG ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Kelly Davis Baylan ´05 Saurabh Biswas ’11 Katy Lowe Boatman ’04 Jake Donaldson ’04 Israel Escamilla ’11 Alyssa Fenoglio ’03 Sally Kolenda ’08 Chris Krueger ’04 Grant Speakes ’04 Angela Stephens ’03 Mike Yantis, Jr. ’02 Aaron Rainer ’98 & ’06 FACULTY Norma Arizpe Noah Cohen Robin Means Coleman Paul Dechow Thomas Jamieson III Patrick Stover

RINGDAY

7

The Battalion | 4.12.19

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Top: Agricultural economics senior Ashley Ralph poses with her grandfather, John Mayfield Jr., Class of 1958. Bottom: When Ralph received her Aggie Ring in April of 2018, her grandfather surprised her by presenting her with her great-grandfather’s ring.

Time-honored tradition Corps chief of staff receives her great-grandfather’s Aggie Ring

By Hollis Mills @sillohsllim The culmination of every Aggie education is met with the opportunity to finally don a gold-cast Aggie ring. After completing 90 hours as an undergraduate last April, Ashley Ralph earned not one ring, but two.

The agricultural economics senior quite literally received more than she signed up for at last year’s Ring Day when her grandfather gifted her the same Aggie ring his father graduated with in 1923. Today, the near-century-old ring is still an indication of Aggie knowledge, but in its passing from father to son to great-granddaughter, it is enveloped in a family tradition of Aggieland excellence and life in the Corps of Cadets.

In the years leading up to the ceremony, Ralph said she and her grandfather often discussed the day the ring would become hers.

Still, Ralph recalls the moment it arrived as a complete surprise because her grandfather had yet to mention he would even be attending the ceremony.

“When I came for my Ring Day a year ago, they had convinced me I wasn’t getting the ring because he was going to hang onto it, but I was still really excited to get my own ring,” Ralph said. “I got through the line, and they handed me my ring. I was trying it on, and the person tending the table asked me to turn around because he had something else for me, and I thought I had dropped something, but he handed me this little black ring box. When I opened it, I was completely shocked.”

Inside the black velvet box was a weathered ring Ralph said she had never seen before, though she knew exactly where it came from. To Ralph, the ring’s smooth edges did not represent wear and tear, but the history of her great-grandfather, John Mayfield, Class of 1923, a World War I veteran who traveled 19 hours by train from Houston to College Station, and served in the same Corps. For Ralph, it is a history she can embrace.

FAMILY WEEKEND CONTINUED forward to the next 100 years of Family Weekend and what that’s going to bring to our campus.”

The Parents of the Year award — which was changed from Mother of the year award in 1974 — offers a chance for current students to nominate their parents for their dedication to them as students and their embodiment of the Texas A&M core values. Brett and Courtney Turner of Houston were named the 2018-2019 Parents of the Year by The Aggie Family Ambassadors.

The Turners will officially start their roles as Parents of the Year the first day of Family Weekend.

“Many families just see their students off to college and don’t generally have an idea of the things that we have at A&M; they don’t see it from the students’ point of view,” Aggie Family Ambassador and elec-

“I think a lot of the values and traditions that we hold so dear to A&M and its culture are really summed up in just this one little piece of gold,” Ralph said. “I can see that ring and say, ‘This is what brought me here.’”

According to Ralph, her appreciation extends beyond the ring because she shared the moment with her grandfather, John Mayfield Jr., Class of 1958. Like his father before him, Mayfield Jr. graduated from A&M while serving in the Corps, but he never truly left campus; not once he had a granddaughter to take to Aggie football games and munch on ham and cheese sandwiches in the back of a pickup truck.

These early glimpses of Aggieland and the Corps assured Ralph of where she wanted to be.

“He was the one to really expose me to A&M,” Ralph said. “Every time we would come up here he wanted to come back and see the Quad. He wanted to see the Corps Center. He wanted to relive his days in the Corps. From my perspective, all I saw A&M as was the Corps, and I try to make the impact that I saw the Corps had when I was younger.”

Mayfield said passing down his father’s ring last April was not a question of why, but when, because just as his father wore the ring as a Corps Colonel, then his granddaughter should own it as she entered her senior year as Chief of Staff.

“It was a great deal of pleasure that brought tears to the both of us,” Mayfield said. “It was a pleasure to present her the ring, and I knew that her great-grandfather was smiling in heaven when I gave it to her.”

As graduation nears, Ralph said she only feels excitement, not because she is ready to leave it all behind, but because she cannot wait to take her Aggieland experiences with her.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and reflecting on my time in the Corps, especially with this ring,” Ralph said. “Every time I look at it, it just reminds me of how far I’ve come. It reminds me how far my family has come. You know it’s been a hundred years, and I hope it lasts a hundred more, but it’s really such a blessing and I feel so lucky to have this experience.” trical engineer junior Enrique Baqueiro said.

“Family Weekend essentially serves as that.

They just get to experience the many things that not many people except an A&M student would experience at this university.”

There are already conversations about Family Weekend 2020 since the event is a year-round operation according to graduate assistant for family programs and outreach Heather Deere.

“Family Weekend is a really great opportunity for students to say ‘here are the things I am doing at A&M, and I want you to be a part of it,’” Deere said. “[It is] really welcoming the whole support system that helps a student through their time at Texas A&M to show them why they love campus so much. It’s a great way for not only the students but the entire Aggie family and that Aggie network to come to campus and be connected to what’s happening during that weekend.”

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Our table will be located in the 12th Man Hall of the MSC, across from the information desk.

RINGDAY

8

The Battalion | 4.12.19

PROVIDED

The Aggie Rings for Veterans program provides funding for several Aggie veterans to receive their rings each year. Students who are selected meet with the program’s donors on Ring Day.

Serving those who served, on Ring Day and every day Veterans to receive Aggie Rings from donors at special ceremony on Friday

By Camryn Lang @CamrynLang While crowds of eager students gather outside the Alumni Center, several military Aggies will join scholarship donors in a quiet conference room to receive their long-awaited rings.

The Aggie Rings for Veterans program presents awards based on personal financial need, past military record and a one-on-one interview. The Class of 1960 began the tradition of fundraising specifically for veterans, and many scholarship programs have followed. These efforts will be shown on Friday

as 35 donors personally present Aggie Rings to those selected.

Sheila Nelson — Association of Former Students development specialist, coordinator for the private veteran ceremony and Class of 1992 — said the Class of 1960 acknowledged the pressing need for veteran support in this area that wasn’t previously considered. As of this year, the Class of 1960 will have given 56 rings to scholarship recipients.

“Veterans are a different class of student,” Nelson said. “They are a little bit older; a lot of them have kids and are married. It became apparent that a lot of them were paying their way through college on the G.I. Bill and didn’t have family support and were not able to afford a ring.”

Kathryn Greenwade, Vice President for communications and human resources at The

Association of Former Students and Class of 1988, said veterans don’t often seek out attention for their accomplishments but are always moved by the experience of receiving their rings.

“This [is] a group that does not seek recognition or appreciation, but its a group that when the appreciation is extended to them, they feel it deeply,” Greenwade said “So many of them, upon receiving their rings have said ‘I am going to do this for somebody in the future.’”

Kinesiology senior Anyssa Powell served in the Air Force and said she recognized A&M’s adherence to military traditions. According to Powell, the ring dunk is similar to a tradition in which officers dropped their rank in their drinks rather than a ring.

“Being in the military, we see so many tra-

ditions on campus that are military traditions ,and I don’t think a lot of people realize that,” Powell said. “When I got my ring, I wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it, but now I am making a big deal out of it. ... I actually feel the Aggie Spirit.”

Communication senior and member of the Army Reserves Adrienne Williams said A&M’s support in every aspect of veterans lives hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“The whole concept, when I got here, that the ring was such a big deal was so new to me,” Williams said. “I just started seeing them everywhere. This is this really awesome network that you can just see someone across the room and have a connection because we went to this school — like distant family.”