The Battalion - April 21, 2021 by The Battalion

Softly call the Muster, Let comrade answer

‘HERE.’

LOVED ONES REMEMBER

MUSTER SPEAKER

REFLECTIONS DISPLAY

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pg. 3

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The Battalion | 4.21.21

FILE

Friends and family members of Aggies who will be honored at this year’s Muster will light candles after their loved one’s name is called during the Roll Call for the Absent at the Campus Muster ceremony in Reed Arena.

Loved ones remember Muster honorees As 2021 Muster Roll Call approaches, families reflect on honorees’ lives By Lauren Discher @lauren_discher As Aggie Muster approaches, family members and friends are reflecting on the lives and legacies of the loved ones they have lost. Since the founding of Texas A&M, every Aggie who has lived and died has remained a part of the Aggie Spirit. Muster celebrates that spirit, and although the tradition has changed through the years, its purpose remains to honor the Aggies lost during the past year and bring people together to celebrate their lives. Mickey Ohlendorf, wife of Muster honoree Norbert Kurt (Dutch) Ohlendorf, Class of 1954, said her husband’s story is a special one. “He loved Texas A&M to the core, as so many Aggies do,” Ohlendorf said. “He was a walk-on for the football team and was chosen as co-captain. He then went to Junction and survived it, along with a few other guys.”

The values former football coach Paul Bryant instilled in the men about the sport and rising to the occasion applied to their personal lives as well, Mickey Ohlendorf said. “[My husband] met so many challenges, but he continued to just never give up. That wasn’t in his being,” Mickey Ohlendorf said. In 2019, the Aggies played Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Mickey Ohlendorf said several events were held to honor the Junction Boys. “We didn’t know if he would be able to go because from May until mid-October, he had [medical] tubes, and he would just strap the tubes to his legs and go forth with his day,” Mickey Ohlendorf said. “About two weeks before the game, the doctor said he could go, and that game was the best medicine he could have ever had.” When fellow Junction Boy Richard Vick paid the couple a visit, Mickey Ohlendorf said he credited Dutch for one of his biggest plays, but her husband never cared about public acknowledgement. “He was the most humble person I’ve ever known,” Ohlendorf said. “He did his job, he

did what he needed to do and he sought no publicity. He is greatly missed.” According to the Association of Former Students’ website, Aggies gather to celebrate Muster at over 300 locations around the world each year. “The largest Muster is held on the campus of Texas A&M University at Reed Arena,” the website reads. “The ceremony is preceded by a Muster Barbecue at noon on Simpson Drill Field, which provides an opportunity for students and former students to meet and share their stories.” Another Muster honoree, Frank J. Fojit III, Class of 1963, served in the United States military and was prepared to go to Vietnam. His daughter Rebecca McCarty said he then returned to A&M where he worked in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, retiring after 36 years. “He was very unique, and he was a big talker,” McCarty said. “He worked in the corn department, and he was on some of the working teams that dealt with corn breeding. He bred the lines that yielded the maroon corn.”

When Frito Lay contacted A&M in the interest of creating a corn product lighter in color with fewer dark spots, McCarty said her father was positioned as the lead researcher. “Frito Lay accepted their breed,” McCarty said. “He loved genetics, so whether it was raising cows or chickens or corn, he loved it. With his chickens, he would breed pretty much every colored egg possible: maroon eggs, green eggs, blue eggs. It was always a surprise.” True to A&M’s Core Values, anytime anyone needed something, Fojit was always there to help, McCarty said. “He had some people working for him on his farm that didn’t have medical insurance, but they had medical issues, so he would pay for them to go to the doctor or whatever they needed,” McCarty said. “A lot of people that needed money would come to him, and he would employ them and help them in that way.”

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The Battalion | 4.21.21

Adapting tradition

FILE

The Ross Volunteers march off stage during the 2019 Campus Muster Ceremony. The 2020 Campus Muster Ceremony was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Campus Muster to be livestreamed from Reed Arena to Kyle Field By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel Muster 2021 will offer a hybrid viewing option where attendees are able to view a live stream of the campus ceremony inside Kyle Field on Wednesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. The

Campus Muster Ceremony, held inside Reed Arena, is reserved for families of the honorees and the Class of 1971. After being unable to gather in-person to stand for the fallen last year due to COVID-19, the Muster Committee felt it was important to find a way to allow students and families to be physically present for Muster this year. However, this was no easy task as the committee did not know until recently that the ceremony could be held in person, Roll Call and Fam-

ilies Executive and psychology senior Alison Richter said. “The ceremony this year has been tough to put together just because it is a tradition, and we [normally] don’t change much in our traditions as Aggies,” Richter said. “Having COVID[-19] as an obstacle, we had to change a lot of things and do a lot of things differently, but I’m very excited for those changes and being able to offer an in-person component for students to attend in Kyle Field.”

Aside from the family of the honorees, the 1971 reunion class, Muster speakers and event staff, Campus Muster in Reed Arena will not allow guests. Muster Committee Chair and health administration graduate Lauren Kraus said this is to ensure the safety of everyone present, as well as to allow them to experience Muster as normally as possible. “We really believed that since last year was fully virtual, we needed to give people the MUSTER PREVIEW ON PG. 7

Moseley to speak at 2021 Campus Muster Retired Air Force General to deliver keynote address in Reed Arena By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel

Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

The Muster Reflections Display offers insight into the lives of this year’s Muster honorees.

Displaying their stories Living memorials give Aggies chance to remember 2021 Muster honorees By Jessica Le @jxssicalx Honoring Aggies who have passed away, the Muster Reflections Display allows students to view living memorials and connect with the names on the 2021 Muster Roll Call. In preparation for Muster on Wednesday, April 21, student coordinators set up a Muster Reflections Display in the Flag Room of the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, as is typically done every year for the event. Families create the memorial for their loved ones

so students can learn more about the individual honorees. Approximately 40 of the 106 honorees’ families have chosen to participate in the display this year. Reflections Display coordinator Batia Guido said at the end of the academic year, Texas A&M wants to provide families a way to honor their loved ones and Aggies a chance to know the faces behind Muster. “We [can] get in this situation of forgetting that these are people that we’re honoring and not just a ceremony,” Guido said. “I always tell the families that [they] want to put items on there that help other Aggies connect with those who are being honored. It’s just a way for current Aggies to look at who we’re honoring … so that when they go to Muster, REFLECTIONS ON PG. 4

Retired Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley has been selected as the Campus Muster Speaker for the 2021 Muster Ceremony. According to a Feb. 23 press release by the Muster Committee, Moseley, Class of 1971, served more than 40 years in the United States Air Force and was the branch’s 18th Chief of Staff. Speaker Executive and political science sophomore Marcus Peña said Moseley was selected to speak last year but ultimately was not able to participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “[Having the speaker already chosen] is a really rare opportunity for people [on our committee] to have,” Peña said. “It was cool because I got to be a part of the process of voting for him, but I was on a completely different sub-committee at the time. By the time that he actually gets to speak, I am leading the sub-committee that is getting to know him and get to have him be a part of Muster.” Peña said he was able to bond with Moseley as they were given opportunities to talk and get to know one another. In fact, Peña said they discovered their freshman years were very similar, looking at events that were going on in the world at the time. “We talked about what it is looking like now and what was it looking like in 1968 when [Moseley was] in college,” Peña said. “We found out there are very many parallels: racial tension, political unrest, all these things that [were] problems in 1968 are problems now, and it is literally 50 years from the time he graduated now.”

Creative Commons

Gen. T. Michael Moseley will speak at the 2021 Campus Muster Ceremony.

Peña said Moseley is very knowledgeable about A&M, its traditions and the Core Values, being a student himself and having earned two degrees from A&M. Moseley was also a member of the Corps of Cadets during his time at the university. According to the Muster website, Moseley has been awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Association of Former Students and was inducted into the Texas A&M University Hall of Honor. Moseley said it is a huge honor to be selected as the Campus Muster Speaker, and he is humbled to speak at such an important event for the Aggie Community. “[Muster means] everything. It means

Because “here” means so much more.

‘HERE’

“Here” is not a place on the map but in the heart. “Here” is how we remember there are no strangers; only friends we have not met. “Here” is a promise made and kept at the same time—the promise that wherever Aggies go, they never go alone. The Texas A&M Foundation proudly supports this year’s Muster and every Muster to come.

MOSELEY ON PG. 6

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The Battalion | 4.21.21

REFLECTIONS CONTINUED

Photos by Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

The Muster Reflections Display in the Memorial Student Center’s Flag Room is where families can choose to display photos and belongings of the loved ones they have lost.

o May Minimester classes begin May 17 o Summer I classes begin June 7 o Summer II classes begin July 12 o Fall classes begin August 30

they’re more moved by it and understand the [honorees] more.” There are tables lined around the perimeter of the MSC Flag Room, Guido said, and each memorial is about three feet in size, adorned with belongings of the families’ loved ones. “It goes from Silver Taps honorees … increasing in age, all the way to professors, faculty and staff,” Guido said. “You can find things such as their favorite candy, books, photos [and] things that are personal to them.” Guido said families take from 10 minutes to three hours to set up their displays, but they all take the process to heart. “It’s been such an honor to talk to other families and see the joy in their eyes when they’re excited that they get to set their display up or get a little sad because they miss them [since] it was too soon,” Guido said. “That’s what‘s so beautiful about Muster … This means a lot to them more than we as students will ever know.” While viewing the display, communication senior Madelynn Simpson said although the items showcase only a small part of the honoree’s life, they are still important in conveying these Aggies’ legacies. “There was no small impact. Just stepping foot on campus was so important, and their lives deserved to be honored,” Simpson said. “It’s sad, but it’s just a beautiful way to remember their names and the impact they had at A&M.” Because Muster took place online last year due to COVID-19, Guido said this year is especially important for the display because there may be a lack of understanding among the students as to why this tradition is beloved. “It’s really important for the students to connect with the on-campus Roll Call to keep the tradition alive and to keep the Aggie Spirit within us,” Guido said. “It takes such a little instance for one to feel the Aggie Spirit within Muster, whether it’s … connecting with someone who’s being honored in the Reflections Display or even going to Muster and hearing a name that you’re familiar with and saying, ‘Here’ for them.” Materials science and engineering senior Greg Wong said as a result of the pandemic, students are so used to seeing names on a screen, but the Reflections Display allows for a deeper emotional connection. “If we are an Aggie family, we need to be able to recognize each other’s lives,” Wong said. “You can’t know every other Aggie, but we can come here and see parts of each other’s lives that we wouldn’t have insight into. Muster … can just sometimes feel like a long list of names, but this really personalizes that experience and makes it so you understand each one of those names was a person.”

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The Battalion | 4.21.21

City council passes ROO, 5-2

Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

Councilmembers Elizabeth Cunha and Karl Mooney, mayor of College Station, were the only votes against the Restricted Occupancy Overlay.

College Station City Council votes in favor of Restricted Occupancy Overlay By Alyssa Gafford-Gaby @AGaffordGaby At 4 p.m. on Monday, April 19, the City of College Station held a special meeting to vote on enacting a Restricted Occupancy Overlay, or ROO, within specific communities of the city. Following the call to order, Alyssa Halle-Schramm, the project manager for the ROO ordinance, gave an overview of the ordinance. Halle-Schramm said the city council began planning the legislation early in 2020, workshopping with the Planning & Zoning Commission. After a meeting in August, the city council took time to review the definition of family. Halle-Schramm said the council held meetings for public input and drafted a proposed ordinance. The proposal changes the current housing ordinance to where only two unrelated people may live in one household in certain zoning districts, opposed to the four unrelated people residing in a household that is currently allowed. For the ROO to be enacted within a zoning district, 50 percent plus one of the residents of a neighborhood must vote in favor of the ordinance. However, if 20 percent of the acreage in a certain neighborhood signs a petition against a ROO in

their neighborhood, the ROO for that area must be passed with three-fifths majority by the city council. “Single-family overlays can only be applied to single-family zoned neighborhoods,” Halle-Schramm said. “ROO is intended to preserve the single-family character of neighborhoods. This sets up that the ROO application must be collected by the petition committee. It is meant to be a citizen- and neighborhood-driven process.” The ROO ordinance includes a legacy clause that allows for current households with more than two unrelated members to continue living together. However, if the household demographics change, with only one family living in the house or one family and one unrelated person, the grandfather clause will be lost, Halle-Schramm said. The city council voted to amend this though and as long as it does not go above four unrelated members then the grandfather clause can remain despite any change in demographic. “Any occupancy level over two [nonrelated people], but not exceeding four, which is our current ordinance, are permitted to continue and are considered a nonconforming use,” Halle-Schramm said. After Halle-Schramm’s presentation and explanation of the proposed ROO, the council members were given the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns. Of these concerns and amendments brought forth, Elizabeth Cunha, place 4 councilmember,

discussed how some of the rules of ROO could be discriminatory and their material does not reflect the diverse population of College Station. “If you have three siblings and a roommate, they’re fine, but if they’re four students under a ROO they cannot live together,” Cunha said, before requesting the ROO handbook be translated to Spanish. “My last comment, and I’m probably a little sensitive to it because I come from a biracial family, but I would love it if our handbook represented the diversity in our community.” Cunha said her family often opens her home for friends in transitional periods to live with them, using an unrelated mother and child as an example. Halle-Schramm said, in response to this, if it is more than one person they will be in violation of the ROO, even if the unrelated people are not charged rent. Cunha replied that the fines for violating the ROO per day are more than what she makes per year. Editor’s Note: The fines associated with the Restricted Occupancy Overlay only happen after someone is taken to court for being in violation of the ordinance. The level of fines are determined by the judge in this situation. Place 2 Councilmember John Crompton also agreed with the discriminatory tendencies that could be brought up and suggested amendments were agreed upon to avoid this. While a number of concerns were raised, Dennis Maloney, place 6 councilmember, said

no matter what they decide and amend, people will be unhappy, but he has seen community members fighting for a ROO ordinance for upward of 30 years. “Any rule or regulation is going to hurt someone,” Maloney said. “I understand some people might be hurt by this, but someone will be hurt in every rule of life. We aren’t going to make everyone happy.” Supporters of the ROO, such as Maloney, said the ordinance protects neighborhoods from dramatic changes over the next decade, encourages family communities, reduces accelerated gentrification and lowers the costs of living within neighborhoods that choose to enact the ROO. Several city council members in support of the policy said it’s important to remember that by passing the ordinance, it only offers the option for neighborhoods to decide whether or not they want to implement the guidelines. The city council took a recess for dinner before welcoming the City Attorney Carla Robinson to discuss the legality of the ordinance. “The council has the ability to enact, and the city has the jurisdiction to enforce this kind of ordinance,” Robinson said. “This, of course, can change in the future.” Five citizen speakers, speaking on behalf of particular groups, were given 10 minutes to voice their concerns before the council. Of these speakers, several spoke on how the ROO clause functions against rental properties and renters. Texas A&M Student Senate Community Relations Committee Chair Carly Oldag spoke against the ROO ordinance on behalf of the Student Government Association, saying it stereotypes and disadvantages the students who make up a majority of the city. “I’m here to represent the student population,” Oldag said. “The Texas A&M Student Senate believes that the ROO serves as a tool of exclusion … What we are saying is this ROO is not the solution.” Of the five citizen speakers, four of them represented groups against the ROO, primarily on the grounds of discrimination and socioeconomic disadvantages. The one speaker who didn’t oppose it explicitly spoke of amendment recommendations for the ROO. Following the representatives of groups, many individuals were given the opportunity to speak for no more than three minutes to voice concerns, support or suggestions. After a five hour special meeting, the motion to implement the ROO ordinance in the City of College Station passed 5-2, with Elizabeth Cunha and Karl Mooney, mayor of College Station, voting against. For more information on ROO, visit cstx. gov.

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Retired General T. Michael Moseley will be the first Campus Muster Speaker since 2019, as the 2020 ceremony was online due to COVID-19.

MOSELEY CONTINUED everything to an Ag,” Moseley said. “It’s the reaffirmation of Aggie culture and tradition [and] a chance to renew that commitment to Aggieland.” Although the ceremony looks different from past

years, the Muster Committee still has been able to get to know Moseley as he prepared to speak at the Muster Ceremony. “He spoke at our weekly meeting last week and did a fantastic job,” Peña said. “He is very well-spoken and wanted us to ask him questions about what he experienced at A&M, and it was a very open-fo-

rum thing.” In addition to Moseley, the Campus Muster Ceremony will also feature Interim President John Junkins, Student Body President Eric Mendoza, the Ross Volunteers, Corps of Cadets buglers and the Chair of the Association of Former Students Pat Beaird, according to the Muster website.

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The Battalion | 4.21.21

From the Student Body President: Thank you, Aggieland

owdy Ags,

I couldn’t be more grateful as I write to you one last time as your Student Body President. I truly feel honored to have had the privilege to represent you every day. As I reflect on the year, I am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished together. Through all the challenges and successes of the past academic year, I am confident that the steadfast work of the Student Government Association and so many other key student organizations made a positive impact on our student experience. Texas A&M has never had a shortage of great student leaders, but especially this year, I want to thank the many, many students who dedicated themselves to the continuation of our Aggie experience. Whether in student government, an academic-based organization or any of the 1,000+ student organizations we have here at Texas A&M, your leadership impacted more people than you know. The steadfast optimism, never-ending drive and relentless commitment to one another I saw exhibited within our Aggie Family over the past year constantly re-energized me and reaffirmed my commitment to you. As we move ahead, I encourage you to foster these same traits with those around you. Our student body will all face a new set of challenges head on as we continue into 2021.

We have a large population of students from multiple class years that have not yet had the opportunity to experience a full year of normal campus activities or classes. Thousands of students will be reintroduced to many of our time-honored experiences this upcoming fall, and some of you will also be called to lead. This is a unique challenge, but one we should be excited to take on, together — one that our student body has proven it is more than equipped to handle. If I could make one final request, it is that we each continue to do the little things that have always set us apart as Aggies: saying Howdy, participating in our traditions, especially when inconvenient, and exhibiting our Core Values in our everyday actions. For those graduating, congratulations. I know you will continue doing these things even long after you leave Aggieland! I am sure I join you in excitement for the great fall semester we have ahead, and I know Texas A&M will be in great hands with Natalie Parks as your next Student Body President to lead you through it. It has been my honor to serve a student body I still feel so lucky to be a part of. Thank you for everything, Aggieland. Gig’ Em, Eric Mendoza, Class of 2021

FILE

As names are called at the Campus Muster Ceremony, loved ones answer “Here” and light their candles.

MUSTER PREVIEW CONTINUED ability to be together,” Kraus said. “We also knew that for our honored families, there is such power in numbers, and knowing that there are so many people that never met their loved one that are sitting in Kyle Field saying ‘Here’ for their honoree is just very special.”

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Economics senior Eric Mendoza has served a complete year as A&M’s student body president and will be replaced by communication junior Natalie Parks.

Awareness Executive and health junior Caroline Pierce said with so many people not on campus, the team adapted awareness week to include a video they made in honor of sharing the tradition of Muster with those who are not on campus. “We have been very lucky with all of the virtual aspects,” Pierce said. “[We posted the video] to be able to bring extra awareness to the tradition in a year where there might not be as much in-person interactions with our spring awareness week.” Even though students will not be in Reed Arena, a limited number of people will be allowed inside Kyle Field to watch the live stream together. “We felt putting it [in Kyle Field] would provide a sense of Aggie community, and we knew people on campus needed the in-person component,” Kraus said. “There are people on our campus that have never seen an in-person Muster before, and we felt it was important for people to see this tradition.” Pierce said Muster is important because it allows the campus community to take a moment to pause and come stand together as Aggies, representing the spirit of the Aggie Family. “Muster is very much the pinnacle of what it means to be Aggies; it really encompasses all of the Core Values,” Pierce said. “I feel like it is a tradition that brings everyone together in a world right now that is incredibly disconnected. It connects every student and former student, no matter where you live in the world.” The Campus Muster Ceremony will be live-streamed in Kyle Field for limited guests on April 21. The doors will open at 5 p.m. and seating will be first-come, first-served. A live stream will also be available at musterlive.aggienetwork. com. For more details on the history of the Campus Muster Ceremony, visit muster.tamu.edu.

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Joshua Howell, Opinion Editor Caleb Powell, Asst. Opinion Editor Will Nye, Photo Chief Abbey Santoro, Asst. Photo Chief Mitchell Beddingfield, Multimedia Editor Annie Wells, Multimedia Editor Cori Eckert, Design Editor

THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2021 sprint 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. Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com. Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.

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The Battalion | 4.21.21

‘The time is now to step forward and lead by example’

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Katherine Banks, Ph.D., was confirmed as the president of Texas A&M University’s flagship campus unanimously by the Board of Regents on March 31.

Katherine Banks, Ph.D., will step into her role as the 26th President of Texas A&M beginning June 1. Banks will be the second woman to serve as president of the university. Soon-to-be university President Banks spoke with The Battalion news reporter Aubrey Vogel; read their Q&A below. For the full version of their conversation, visit thebatt.com. THE BATTALION: How did you get to Texas A&M, and what has your role looked like up until this point? KB: I arrived at Texas A&M in January of 2012. I was [formerly the] department head at Purdue University in the department of civil engineering. I moved to Purdue from Kansas State University in 1997 where I was a professor for seven years. I joined Kansas State University after I received my Ph.D. from Duke University in 1989. The position for which I was hired when I arrived here in January of 2012 was Dean of the College of Engineering, Director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and Vice-Chancellor of Engineering, which included oversight of the three

engineering agencies. My office also connects with the other [A&M] System institutions and their engineering programs. For example, when there is a new engineering academic program at other System institutions, we help them ensure that the appropriate credentialing is achieved.

THE BATTALION: What influence do you hope to leave on the College of Engineering? KB: We have been very engaged in student success programs over the past nine years. Bottom line, our students are graduating faster, more students are retained and successful in our program, and that is a major success. Second, I am a big proponent of fundraising for scholarships, and we have raised significant funds for student support since I have been here. Former students really want to support our current students, and an excellent way to do that is through scholarship funding. Third, we have enhanced engineering education broadly through new programs. One example is Aggie Invents; it is a fantastic program. Also, we have lowered class size.

Our building is designed for classes with no more than 100 students. For engineering, it is difficult to teach very large classes involved with hands-on learning experiences. Another interesting change is our open teaching laboratory concept, which may sound a little odd. We now have teaching labs that may not be assigned for a Tuesday or Thursday 2-4 p.m. class schedule but may allow a student to come in wherever is convenient to complete the assigned laboratory assignment as long as a technician is present. This allows us to use the teaching spaces more effectively and efficiently, which means lower costs for facilities. Finally, it isn’t just about the students here on campus but recruiting the best students. We have created a new engineering K-12 program that is working with schools across the state to encourage students to think about an engineering career years before they enter college.

THE BATTALION: What are you looking forward to most after stepping into your new role as university president? KB: Learning more about the rest of campus. I have always been interested in multi-disciplinary challenges. As I mentioned before, complex problems are not solved by only one discipline. I think with Texas A&M’s foundation of Core Values, traditions and culture, along with our students’ inspirational energy and our supportive staff and faculty, we are truly positioned as no other university in the world to solve these complex problems. I am interested in connecting students, faculty, staff across campus to learn about their ideas, concerns and opportunities and then to align these ideas into a comprehensive vision for the campus that everyone can support.

THE BATTALION: How do you plan to interact with students? KB: I just enjoy being with students. I want to interact with students through

athletics, events and activities. The students are truly the heart of this university. I have served in a number of roles since I arrived in 2012; I have served as a faculty member, an administrator and also am an Aggie Mom. All of those roles taught me different things about this university, so I am looking forward to diving in and connecting with many groups on campus. I will depend on the student leadership to advise me on how to interact effectively.

THE BATTALION: Did you ever see yourself as a university president at Texas A&M? KB: Honestly, I wasn’t sure I would even go to college and certainly didn’t see myself in a faculty role. Moving into a department head role was interesting, and this dean’s role was an amazing opportunity that I have enjoyed very much. So, my selection as Texas A&M University’s president is truly one of the greatest honors of my life. This is an amazing university and a very different university from other institutions in the sense that the Core Values define who we are and the traditions and culture absolutely are the foundation of this institution. Because we value the culture of respect, we interact with one another differently than other institutions. We should always remember who we are, determine how our strengths and unique features position us to help the world and not be followers. We need to step forward and be leaders.

THE BATTALION: How does it feel to become the next university president? KB: I am so grateful that the chancellor and the Board of Regents selected me for this opportunity. The future is bright, but we need to work together to identify initiatives to position Texas A&M as a unique institution with a specific skill set that can contribute broadly to education, outreach and research. The time is now to step forward and lead by example.

PEER MENTOR APPLICATION

caps.tamu.edu/aggies-reaching-aggies/ Deadline to apply is June 1st, 2021