MONDAY, APRIL 1 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA
Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION
Psychology freshman Jimmy Berry cleans a gutter during his Big Event service project.
Paying it forward
19,000 A&M students participate in annual community service initiative The Big Event Cassie Stricker— THE BATTALION
Junior Logan Foster scored the run that tied the game on Friday before the Aggies went on to defeat Missouri 7-3 in game one of the series.
junior Chris Cornelius and senior Paul Gomez. Cornelius went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Gomez went 2-for-3 with an RBI. A&M started freshman left-handed pitcher Joseph Menefee, who has been a reliever all year. Menefee threw 3.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and striking out four Tigers. The Aggie bullpen was lights out as sophomore Bryce Miller, freshman Chris Weber and sophomore Kasey Kalich combined for 6.2 shutout innings, giving up just six hits and striking out nine. “We’re not satisfied,” Weber said.
On Saturday, thousands of students gathered in front of Kyle Field to kickoff the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation— The Big Event. Founded in 1982, The Big Event has helped thousands in the Bryan-College Station community and has inspired other universities to create a Big Event of their own. This year’s Big Event in Aggieland included around 19,000 student volunteers. Speakers at the kickoff ceremony included University President Michael Young and guest speaker John B. Zachry, Class of 1984 and namesake of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex. “I can’t begin to tell you how exciting and uplifting it is for me to be here at the start of this very special event and this incredible display of gratitude and caring,” Zachry said. “Frankly, just to see thousands of college students awake and alert on a Saturday morning is a pretty strong signal that something unusual and amazing is about to happen. But that something amazing is about to happen at Texas A&M should come to no surprise to anyone who knows anything about this very special place.” Reese Svetgoff, business honors senior and director of The Big Event, said he wants residents in the community to know A&M students care about them, which he believes
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Stalemate at Olsen
Aggies’ series with Mizzou ends on tie due to travel restrictions By Grant Spika @GrantSpika
Sophomore Aaron Walters stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and hit a high popup that stayed in the infield. The Tigers couldn’t communicate as the ball was dropped, allowing two runs for the Aggies. Those runs would be the difference in a game that ended in a 2-2 tie after the 10th inning due to travel restric-
tions. The tie is the first for both teams, as A&M now sits at 23-6-1 (6-2-1 SEC) while Missouri goes to 18-10-1 (3-5-1 SEC). The pitching for both teams was the difference as Missouri junior starter TJ Sikkema went seven innings, giving up no earned runs on just five hits. Sophomore Konnor Ash replaced Sikkema on the mound, throwing three shutout innings and giving up one hit. “Sikkema’s one of my favorite pitchers in the league,” A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “He’s very competitive ... He’s fearless and did a really nice job. We were very fortunate to score.” At the plate, Missouri was led by
By Jackie White @ jackie_white21
‘Aggies Matter, Period’ Students look to bring free pads, tampons to campus bathrooms By Camryn Lang @CamrynLang
PROVIDED
Student senate is implementing a pilot program which will put a dispenser with free pads and tampons in bathrooms on campus.
To assess and address the need for free menstrual products at Texas A&M, the Student Senate’s Student Services Committee is launching a pilot program and petitioning the university for further support. A recent resolution passed by the Student Senate has generated the “Aggies Matter, Period.” program, which will determine student demand for free menstrual products in university bathrooms. The pilot program involves in-
stalling pad and tampon dispensers in the bathrooms of high-traffic campus areas such as the Memorial Student Center, Evans Library, West Campus Library, the Commons, the psychology building, Blocker, Langford and Wehner. Student Services Committee Chair Ashali Chimata said they will also be keeping sustainability in mind by using plastic-free cotton pads and tampons. The pilot program is awaiting fund, but will be implemented in the near future. Through the Student Services Committee, Chimata has started a petition to the Texas A&M administration to show student support for the “Aggies Matter, Period.” project and aims to reach 1,500 signatures. Chi-
mata said the program is addressing insecurity around menstrual products and the danger that a lack of pads and tampons poses to health. “It is a public health concern,” Chimata said. “Especially given the amount of food insecurity that we have here on campus, it is not crazy to believe that people would be pad and tampon insecure and would be less likely to access medical care. What people don’t realize is that lack of pads and tampons can result in life threatening conditions such as bacterial vaginosis, toxic shock syndrome and urinary tract infection.” Recreation, park and tourism sciences sophomore Julia Reggio said if PRODUCTS ON PG. 3
Sexual Assault Awareness in April Health campaign highlights A&M’s campus resources By Camryn Lang @CamrynLang Texas A&M is promoting Sexual Assault Awareness on campus with the Say Howdy to Health campaign’s support. The Say Howdy to Health campaign will turn its focus to sexual assault awareness in April by promoting events from organizations like Step In. Stand Up. that will advertise campus resources and encourage students
to learn how to support those affected by sexual misconduct and harassment. According to Student Body President Amy Sharp, students have to take advantage of the education offered because it will be up to them to step in when situations arise. “As students, we have the power to protect each other and prevent things like [sexual assault] from happening,” Sharp said. “We are uniquely qualified to do that as opposed to administrators, faculty and staff that help with education. We’re the ones that are there in these scenarios
when things happen a lot of the time. If we are getting educated and also have the courage to intervene in these situations, we could help prevent a lot from happening.” Taylor Tyson, interpersonal violence prevention specialist in the Office of Health Promotion, said participating in April’s events will ultimately serve survivors. “A lot of the times when folks experience trauma, you start to feel alone, isolated; like ‘I’m the only one that has had to go through this’ or ‘nobody really cares,’” Tyson said. “There can AWARENESS ON PG. 4
Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
Student Assistance Services, the Student Counseling HelpLine and the Sexual Assault Resource center provide resources for students who have been assaulted.