The Battalion - December 9, 2019

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA

F A L L

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G R A D U A T I O N

E D I T I O N

ANOTHER SEMESTER IN

AGGIELAND Photos by Meredith Seaver and Angelina Alcantar — THE BATTALION / Archive photo via Aggieland Yearbook

Clockwise from top left: Twenty years after the 1999 Aggie Bonfire Collapse that killed 12 and injured 27, Texas A&M continues to honor the victims through annual remembrance ceremonies held at the Bonfire Memorial. // Senior guard Jasmine Williams of the A&M women’s basketball team speaks at a Midnight Yell Practice on Oct. 26. // Union Pacific 4041, “Big Boy,” makes its way down the tracks during a visit to College Station in November. The restored steam engine was joined by Union Pacific 4141, that locomotive that carried George H.W. Bush’s casket to College Station in 2018. // In August, the A&M community mourned the death of John J. Koldus, a long-serving vice president for student affairs and namesake of the Koldus Student Services Building. // The Texas A&M volleyball team topped Rice 3-1 on Dec. 6 to secure a spot in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009 // Alexis Villareal, a student in A&M’s Aggie ACHIEVE program, shows off her on-campus living space. The new program gives students with intellectual and developmental disabilities an opportunity to have a complete college experience among their peers.

FILE

Porter S. Garner III, president and CEO of The Association of Former Students, addresses graduates at a Texas A&M commencement ceremony in May of 2018.

Graduation by the numbers Texas A&M December graduate total surpasses previous record

By Luis Sanchez @LuisSanchezBatt Texas A&M’s upcoming fall graduation numbers break the previous record set in the fall of 2018.

Bryan Thigpin, assistant to the associate vice president for external affairs in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, said there will be a total of five commencement ceremonies held on campus this semester. The first took place on Dec. 7, with three on Dec. 13 and the last one on Dec. 14.

The first ceremony was a doctoral commencement and hooding ceremony at Rudder Tower on Saturday. The other four will take place at Reed Arena for various master’s

and undergraduate degree recipients.

According to data provided to The Battalion by Lesley Henton, director of university relations for Texas A&M’s Division of Marketing and Communications, this year’s fall graduation class breaks the previous record set last year, with a total of 5,334 graduates receiving diplomas this semester. The largest number of graduates will be from the College Station campus, totaling 5,230. Galveston will have 99 and the Qatar campus the remaining five.

The majority of degrees being awarded are Bachelors, with 4,022 in total. Master’s degrees will be awarded to 1,037 graduates, along with 265 doctoral degrees and 10 professional degrees.

There will be 704 graduates from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The College of Architecture will have less than GRADUATION ON PG. 4

PROVIDED

Battalion managing editor Samantha Mahler and Aggieland yearbook editor Elizabeth Liu traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the National College Media Convention.

Student Media shines Battalion receives 14 national awards, including ‘Pulitzer of college journalism’ Staff Report

The Battalion is one of 15 four-year college newspapers selected by the Associated Collegiate Press to receive its prestigious Newspaper Pacemaker Award, distinguishing the publication as one of the best student papers in the country.

www.blinn.edu

n

AWARDS ON PG. 6

PUBLICATION NOTICE This is the final print edition of The Battalion for the fall 2019 semester. The Batt will return in print on Jan. 16, 2020. Over the winter break, readers can follow thebatt.com for updates.

REGISTER

NOW!

The award, often referred to as the “Pulitzer of college journalism,” was last earned

by The Battalion in 2008, though the paper was a finalist in 2012. Judges selected the 2019 Pacemaker winners based on each publication’s work during the 2018-2019 school year. For The Battalion, this included coverage of George H.W. Bush’s state funeral, Aggie football’s historic 74-72 victory over LSU and a special edition on racist images

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NEWS

2

The Battalion | 12.9.19

Courtesy of Cassie Stricker

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Aggies headed to ‘Kyle Field South’ A&M to face former Big 12 rival Oklahoma State in Texas Bowl

By Hannah Underwood @hannahbunderwoo Texas A&M will make its 11th consecutive bowl game appearance on Dec. 27, facing No. 25 Oklahoma State in the Academy Sports and Outdoors Texas Bowl.

The 11-year streak is the ninth-longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and the upcoming game marks A&M’s 41st bowl game in program history.

At least 40 members of A&M’s roster hail from the greater Houston area, making this game special for them, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said.

“We appreciate the opportunity to play in the Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston,” Fisher said in a statement. “A lot of our players are from the Houston area and will have the chance to play in front of a lot of family and friends. We will face a tough, top-25 opponent in Oklahoma State, and our team looks forward to playing in front of a lot of Aggies in a great city and a tremendous NFL stadium.”

A&M Director of Athletics Ross Bjork said the 100-mile trek from Aggieland to Houston makes this feel like a home game.

“The Academy Sports & Outdoors

Texas Bowl provides us the opportunity to play at our ‘home away from home’ in the city of Houston,” Bjork said in a statement. “With over 100,000 former students in the region and NRG Stadium being just 100 miles away from Kyle Field, this is like another home game for us, a great platform to showcase Aggie Football, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and a great Aggie game day experience.”

The last time the Aggies and Cowboys matched up was during A&M’s final year in the Big 12. The two teams have a lengthy history, as they played each other annually from 1996 to 2011, and A&M holds a 17-10 advantage over the Cowboys as opponents in the Southwest and Big 12 Conferences, though Oklahoma State has won the last four.

Despite the long relationship between the programs, this month’s bowl game will mark only the second time the teams have met in the postseason.

In 1981, A&M topped the Cowboys 33-16 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Fisher led the Aggies to a 7-5 finish in his second season at the helm of the program, as they closed out the season with a 50-7 loss to LSU on Nov. 30.

Bjork said the Aggies’ tough schedule with games against three separate AP No. 1 teams has prepared them for a bowl game against a ranked opponent.

“We’re coming off a regular season that featured five teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 10, including three No. 1 opponents, a schedule that prepares us for any bowl opponent,” Bjork said. “We look forward to playing one of our old Big 12 opponents in Oklahoma State and are expecting the 12th Man to fill the stadium at ‘Kyle Field South.’”

The Mike Gundy-led Cowboys are coming off a 34-16 loss to Oklahoma, which gave them an 8-4 season record and tied them with Texas for third in the Big 12.

The Cowboys’ offense, which averages 33.3 points per game, is led by running back Chuba Hubbard. The redshirt sophomore leads the nation with 1,936 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, the Aggies’ rushing defense is ranked 29th in the nation, allowing opponents less than 150 rushing yards.

This will be A&M’s third appearance in the Texas Bowl, with the first coming in the Aggies’ final year in the Big 12, when they topped Northwestern 33-22.

A&M last played in the Texas Bowl in 2016, when the Aggies fell to Kansas State 33-28.

The Aggies and Cowboys will meet once again in the Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston on Dec. 27, with kickoff slated for 5:45 p.m.

VeoRide contract renewal in limbo A&M seeks updated system to curb abuse of bike-share

By Brady Stone @bradystonex

HOW TO GET YOUR AGGIE RING ON APRIL 17 OR 18, 2020: Check Ring Eligibility: Jan. 6 - Feb. 11 Order Dates: Jan. 7 - Feb. 12 Aggie Ring Days: April 17 & 18, 2020 If you meet the requirements after Fall 2019: 1. Login or create an account at AggieNetwork.com beginning Jan. 6 to check your Ring eligibility.

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In a statement emailed to students on Dec. 6, Texas A&M Transportation Services announced that it may not renew its contract with bike-share vendor VeoRide due to increased misuse of the turquoise bikes.

In January of 2019, Texas A&M began a one-year contract with the new vendor after terminating its partnership with Chinese bikeshare company ofo in December 2018. A&M’s contract with VeoRide will conclude on Dec. 31, and since it is unclear whether the company will be able to provide new features to help the university better manage the bikes, Transportation Services said it has not yet re-upped the deal.

“Because of an increasing level of inappropriate activities (bikes parked to block access to ADA ramps, sidewalks, and doors; vandalism and unsafe antics involving

bikes), we have requested a bike share system that allows for bikes to be locked to a rack to prevent these activities,” the statement from Transportation Services said.

“We may also consider a smaller geofence to help ensure an appropriate number of bikes are available on-campus and to make the program more manageable.”

Throughout the semester, VeoRide bikes have been a popular subject on social media, with posts of the bikes in peculiar places, catching the attention of A&M students and employees.

Transportation Services said its decision regarding renewal of the contract will likely be made some time after the end of the current semester. It recommended that students who rely on the program follow transport.tamu.edu for updates, which should be posted by Jan. 7, according to Friday’s statement. Those who have purchased VeoRide subscriptions that last beyond Dec. 31 will receive prorated refunds if the contract is not renewed, Transportation Services said.

Via @TAMU and @_mtzpriscila on Twitter

This semester, VeoRides in odd places around campus have attracted attention on social media.

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GRADUATION

4

The Battalion | 12.9.19

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Left: Economics senior and Battalion editor-in-chief Luke Henkhaus is leaving the paper after seven semesters on staff. Right: For the last several years, the clock in The Battalion’s newsroom has contained pictures of the current editor-in-chief, a tradition signifying that the editor is “always on the clock.” When editors leave, their pictures are moved to a bulletin board.

Time marches on

Has-been editor-in-chief desperately clings to final moments at The Battalion as graduation looms Luke Henkhaus

W

@luke_henkhaus

hat can I even say? How can I begin to describe the most wonderful, intense, transformative experience of my life so far? I guess I can start by saying thank you.

Thank you to the people who welcomed me with open arms from the moment I walked into this newsroom.

You took a painfully awkward freshman with no reporting experience and turned him into a journalist.

Thank you to our adviser, ad salesman and Batt Dad, Doug Pils. I remain astounded by your tireless dedication to the paper and its staff, and I am so grateful to have had you as a mentor these last few years.

Another huge thank you belongs to Sam Mahler, an amazing managing editor who I’m sure will make an even better editor-in-chief. And while I’m at it, thank you to everyone on staff for making my final semester a great one.

Now, before I’m ceremonially dragged out of the newsroom and stripped of

my title, I hope you’ll indulge a retiring editor as he tries to make sense of his journey here.

Partway through my very first semester at The Batt, one of my news editors issued something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, saying she felt certain that I would be editor-in-chief one day. If this wasn’t enough, that year’s editor-in-chief later offered this somewhat foreboding prediction: “Eventually, you’ll realize that you don’t trust anyone but yourself to run this place.”

None of this is to say that I believe my rise to this position was written in the stars or otherwise natural and inevitable.

If anything, I feel this is one of the least probable things that could have happened to me. But the incredible encouragement I received from those previous editors made me want to prove them right. And so I stayed down in this basement until my picture was taped inside the clock in the middle of our newsroom — a tradition we’ve carried on to remind us that the EIC is “always on the clock.”

The road to ultimate recognition under the ticking hands of that clock was certainly a long and interesting one, with plenty of bumps and stalls along the way. I’ve covered Texas A&M through

all the highs and lows of these last seven semesters; in times of celebration and times of intense mourning. Through it all, I’ve seen The Battalion continue to do what it does best: inform and engage the student body in the way that only a student newspaper can.

This, I believe, is where I must get on my soapbox for a moment. As someone who has seen the incredible value that The Batt can offer the A&M community, it hurts to see how far we have fallen in some respects. From freshman to senior year, I’ve seen The Batt transition from printing daily to printing weekly. I’ve seen us move from paying all our staff members to relying mostly on dedicated volunteers. While we are grateful for those who donate their time and effort to keep this paper alive, I am concerned that we are missing out on the important perspectives of those who can’t afford to work for free.

I am inspired to see the many amazing people who share these concerns and have resolved to help turn things around through organizations like the Friends of The Battalion and Former Journalism Students Association. It has helped tremendously to know we are not alone in this fight.

Luke Henkhaus is an economics senior, journalism minor, and editor-in-chief for The Battalion.

GRADUATION CONTINUED

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 9 a.m. - Reed Arena Engineering 2 p.m. - Reed Arena Bush School of Government and Public Service Agriculture and Life Sciences Dentistry Geosciences Masters in Medicine Nursing Public Health Science 7 p.m. - Reed Arena Architecture Liberal Arts Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019 9 a.m. - Reed Arena Mays Business School Education School of Law More information on ceremonies is available at graduation.tamu.edu.

Speaking of not being alone, there are two people I still need to thank.

Emily and James Henkhaus are the best parents anyone could ask for, and I couldn’t have made the most of my time in college without their support. I love you, Mom and Dad, and I hope someday I can fully express my gratitude for all you’ve done.

Now the hands on the clock are moving much faster than I would like, and it’s finally setting in that my time at The Battalion is really coming to an end. I can only hope I’ve done as much for this place as it’s done for me, but I can’t say with confidence that that’s the case. All I can do is leave you with the same words the last three graduating editors picked to end their own time here. Despite my best efforts, I guess I’ve become kind of a sucker for tradition. So in that Spirit that can ne’er be told, I’ll say it with all the strength and meaning I can muster: Thanks, and gig ‘em.

FILE

Many graduates decorate their caps with different sayings that relate to their degree, occupation or experience at Texas A&M.

half of that with 306 graduates. The College of Education and Human Development’s 743 graduates will surpass the 584 students receiving degrees from the Mays Business School.

The largest number of graduates from a single college will be from the College of Engineering, which boast a total of 1,391 graduates. The College of Geosciences will have 135 graduates, with the Bush School of Government & Public Service having a fourth of that amount with 36 graduates. The School of Law keeps a lower count, with 29 graduates.

The College of Liberal Arts will have the second-largest number of graduates from a single college. According to Henton’s data, 805 graduates will receive degrees. The College of Medicine will have five graduates, and the College of Nursing will have 31. The College of Public Health will have 61 graduates.

According to Henton’s data, the College of Science will have 204 graduates, and the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences will have 194 graduates. The College of Dentistry and the Irma Lerma Rangel College will each have one professional graduate.

According to a November article from the Office of the Provost, graduation and first-year retention rates have been on the rise at A&M, particularly among first-generation students.

That group saw an increase in graduation rate from 50.3 percent to 54.5 percent in the latest available data.

GRADUATION

5

The Battalion | 12.9.19

Over in the blink of an eye Holmes says being an Aggie has shaped his life for good Jack Holmes

T

@Jack_Holmes98

he homework is completed, the papers have been written and the exams have been turned in. All that waits now is the rest of my life, out in the real world – just that.

Attending Texas A&M is about more than classes, grades and assignments, though. It is hard to believe that I graduate in a few short days, but I am ready. I’m excited. There is no other school at which I would have wanted to spend the most formative years of my life.

I am a first-generation Aggie. In fact, I am the first in my family to attend college in the United States, as my family moved to Houston from England when I was just five years old. When I arrived on campus in August of 2016, I had no idea what to expect, and I felt so small. How was I going to find my place at a school so vast?

I quickly realized that A&M has a knack for building people up and weaving them into the maroon and white tapestry that is Aggieland. A student does not simply attend this university – they become a part of it.

That is what makes such a big school feel so small.

As the saying goes, “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”

I first became involved in FLEX, one of the many freshman leadership organizations on campus. Joining that organization was the single best decision I made. I found my people there, and more importantly, I found a family. That is what I am most thankful for.

The relationships I formed in that organization are ones that I will cherish for the rest of my life. There are too many people to name that have impacted my life in a positive way. I met some of my best friends in FLEX – people who I know will be at my wedding one day. They know who they are.

FLEX was the springboard into the rest of my college career. It gave me the confidence to apply to be a sportswriter at The Battalion in the spring of my freshman year. As a journalism major, writing for The Batt was the most formative experience for my skills. It opened doors for me, like landing an internship at NBC Sports Washington.

The school newspaper supplemented what I was learning in the classroom. It allowed me to put what I was being taught into practice. I have found that you learn the most about journalism by actually doing it.

Although the lessons can sometimes be harsh, they are the ones that stick with you.

On the sports desk, I started as the golf beat writer. As I graduate, I have covered almost every sport there is at A&M. I would like to thank everyone at The Batt for helping me grow as a writer.

Graduating a semester early was not in the plan initially, but it is how things shook out over the last few years. Since receiving my Aggie Ring in September, my final semester in Aggieland has come to a close in the blink of an eye.

There are too many memories to write about here and too many people to thank.

Whoever I have come into contact with over the last seven semesters, no matter for how long or how long ago, just know that I am thankful to have met you.

I would like to thank my parents, Jane and Jono, and my siblings, Mollie and Alfie, for their unwavering support throughout my time at A&M. There were several challenges thrown our way, but we all stuck together, and they were always there if I ever needed anything.

Both of my siblings are now freshmen at A&M, which is still crazy for me to think about. They are finding their own place on the tapestry, and they are becoming a part of this amazing university in their own unique ways. I know their futures are extremely bright.

As for me, the future is still unclear. But I am confident that whichever path I choose to walk, I am more prepared than I ever could have imagined as a freshman heading to Fish Camp.

A&M has taught me countless lessons and helped me grow into a man Aggies can be proud of. I am ready to face the real world, whatever that may be, and follow one of the endless paths that this school has opened for me.

Always wearing my Aggie Ring. Always proud to be an Aggie.

PROVIDED

Jack Holmes is a journalism senior and sportswriter for The Battalion.

Journalism senior and Battalion sportswriter Jack Holmes received his Aggie Ring in September and will graduate on Dec. 13.

The ride is over, but home is home Miller reflects on a Battalion journey longer than his college career

By Alex Miller

W

PROVIDED

Journalism senior and Battalion sportswriter Alex Miller started writing for the paper the summer before his freshman year.

Congratulations CLASS OF

@AlexMill20

hen my class was dismissed last Tuesday, I had a smile on my face. It was my last class of college ever.

My classmates standing next to me asked me how it felt. I told them it was great!

Then, as I walked past the Academic Building after leaving Bolton Hall one final time, I thought to myself: This is it?

Really?

It hadn’t hit me until then. This was it.

Fortunately, that means no more 8 a.m.’s, paying for parking or trying to navigate my way to class around this university’s endless construction.

But it also means no more strolls down Military Walk, no more bumping into pals in the MSC and no more fall Saturdays at Kyle Field.

I kind of got frightened. Being a College Station native, this is the only home I’ve ever known, and Texas A&M has always been a part of it.

When I went to an advising meeting last April, I was unexpectedly told I would be graduating in December, which is a semester early. The news was exciting, but also sad. I felt I was being cheated short of my time here in Aggieland.

This fall was a blur. It went by so fast.

2019 GRADUATES!

Good luck and best wishes in all of your future endeavors!

I’m not ready for the ride to be over, but here we are.

The good news is, I believe I’m ready for the next step.

I can only praise the Lord for blessing me with amazing experiences these past three-and-a-half years, surrounding me with some of the most loving people and building me into not only a better journalist, but a better man.

I’ve been writing for The Battalion since before I was even a student.

There’s been some amazing times and some tough ones, but I hope I have contributed to the greater good of keeping Texas A&M’s readership informed with fair and accurate news.

I urge our readers to keep picking up the paper. The Battalion, and journalists in general, need our readers to show their support more than ever.

I thank two people in particular – Douglas Pils and Angel Franco – for helping mold me into a better journalist during my time at The Battalion.

They’ve helped lead me from the start, and I wouldn’t be here without them.

The future remains uncertain, but one thing is for sure: this isn’t goodbye to College Station and Texas A&M. It’s a see you later.

Home is home no matter where life may take me. And home will always be College Station and Texas A&M. Alex Miller is a journalism senior and sportswriter for The Battalion.

NEWS

6

The Battalion | 12.9.19

Luke Henkhaus, Editor-in-Chief Samantha Mahler, Managing Editor Sanna Bhai, News Editor Camryn Lang, Asst. News Editor Hollis Mills, Life & Arts Editor Meagan Sheffield, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Underwood, Sports Editor Jane Turchi, Maroon Life Editor Meredith Seaver, Photo Chief

Henry Mureithi, Opinion Editor Cole Fowler, Asst. Opinion Editor Lexi Ellis, Social Media Editor Daoud Qamar, Multimedia Editor Robert Castro, Asst. Multimedia Editor Demi Navarro, Asst. Multimedia Editor Brady Stone, Page Designer Sydney Clark, Page Designer Cori Eckert, Page Designer

THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2019 fall 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.

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Agricultural communications and journalism senior Samantha Mahler was the fall 2019 managing editor for The Battalion.

Passing the Batton

News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media,a unit of the Division of Student Affairs.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.

Current managing editor to fill editor-in-chief role in spring

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.

Staff Report

Join us

For the first time since the 20052006 school year, a new editor-in-chief will assume leadership of The Battalion between the fall and spring semesters.

Following current editor Luke Henkhaus’ graduation in December, managing editor Samantha Mahler will transition into the role.

During the fall 2019 semester, Texas A&M Student Media was converted from an auxiliary department into two recognized student organizations, The Battalion and the Aggieland yearbook.

Due to this ongoing transition, the editor selection process for The Battalion

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AWARDS CONTINUED in Texas A&M yearbooks, as well as the paper’s extensive three-part series on the Corps of Cadets.

“We had a busy year,” said 20182019 managing editor and current editor-in-chief Luke Henkhaus. “It means a lot to receive this level of recognition, and everyone from last year’s staff should be very proud of the work they put in.”

Pacemaker winners were announced in November at the National College Media Convention in Washington, D.C., where The Battalion received several other national honors for a total of 14. Battalion managing editor Samantha Mahler attended the conference along with Elizabeth Liu, editor-in-chief of the Aggieland yearbook.

was handled differently than it has been previously, with Mahler being hired directly by General Manager Douglas Pils. In the past, prospective editors for both the Aggieland and The Battalion were interviewed by the Student Media Board, which then voted to make its selections.

“With our change to being a student organization, that process is in limbo,” Pils said in an email sent to Battalion staff members. “We may return to that in the spring as we look to select editors for the Fall of 2020, but we will not do that this semester.”

An agricultural communications and journalism senior, Mahler was a Life & Arts editor for The Battalion during the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters.

“I’m honored to be selected to be the new editor and incredibly excited to get to work,” Mahler said. “The

Battalion’s leadership has continually shaped me throughout my time here, and I am confident our staff will continue to produce great work next semester.”

Henkhaus, an economics senior, has worked with Mahler since she joined The Battalion in February of 2018. He said Mahler’s demonstrated skills as a reporter and editor made her a good fit to serve as managing editor, and he is confident in her ability to lead the paper as editor-in-chief.

“Sam was always a great writer, but it has been a joy to watch her grow as a leader in our newsroom over the last two years,” Henkhaus said. “It feels good to know that I am leaving The Battalion in good hands, and I can’t wait to see what she does in the position.”

“Being able to travel to an area of the country I had never been to was so exciting, and to be able to represent The Battalion was the cherry on top,” Mahler said. “For five days, I was able to explore national history while sitting in on journalism workshops.”

In the College Media Association’s Pinnacle awards, The Battalion was the runner up to the University of Texas’ Daily Texan in the Four-Year Daily Newspaper of the Year category. The Battalion took home first place Pinnacles for best special section of four pages or less and best newspaper front-page design.

Former Battalion photo chief Cassie Stricker earned first place in the general news photo category of both the Pacemaker and Pinnacle awards, receiving individual recognition for her photo of George W. Bush delivering his father’s eulogy.

The Aggieland was a finalist for the Four-year Yearbook Pacemaker for the first time since 2015. It received three other national honors, including second place in the Pacemaker awards for yearbook cover of the year.

Mahler, who has been selected as editor-in-chief of The Battalion for the spring 2020 semester, said while A&M’s student publications work for much more than just awards, it is gratifying to receive so many honors on the national stage.

“Sure, when we write these stories, there might be the idea of winning an award in the back of our minds,” Mahler said. “After all, we have awards from previous staff members hanging around the newsroom for inspiration and encouragement. But for our staff, the duty to tell the stories of our campus, to document them clearly and honestly, is a responsibility that tugs on our hearts.”

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HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $75-$150/hr, up to $500/day.

No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com Chemistry tutor needed for high school student, preferably for afternoon or evening lessons. Please call 979-574-3910.

Flooring sales pro that loves home design and construction estimating. Great career, full-time with Aggieland Carpet One. Please call 979-574-3910.

When

to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

SPECIAL

Place

Private Party Want ads

$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.

HELP WANTED Interior Designer needed for a kitchen and bath company, Aggieland Carpet One. Must have experience with design specific software such as 20/20. Wonderful opportunity for recent graduate.

Please call 979-574-3910.

Warehouse Help Needed.

Monday-Friday, 8a.m.-5p.m. Fulltime or part-time positions available. Call 979-779-7042 or email valleysupply@suddenlinkmail.com.

REAL ESTATE First-time Homebuyers!

B/CS Downpayment Assistance Programs! Nadia, 979-777-6211; mail@nadiarealty.com Michael McGrann, TAMU '93 Civil Engineering, 979-739-2035, Town & Country Realty.

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NEWS

7

The Battalion | 12.9.19

DECEMBER REWIND 2018

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

An issue of The Battalion from June 7, 1999, describes Texas A&M’s adoption of the Vision 2020 plan, a set of goals meant to guide the university through the following two decades. As 2020 begins, A&M looks to build on the plan.

Building Texas A&M’s future As Vision 2020 ends, officials develop plan for next decade

By Alyssa Gafford-Gaby @AGaffordGaby In 1999, Texas A&M University adopted Vision 2020 as a strategic plan for growth over the following two decades. As this plan’s 20-year tenure comes to an end, the A&M Office of the Provost is working to develop a new plan for the next 10 years.

The executive committee, cochaired by Michael Benedik and John Zachry, has been working with faculty, staff and students to create a new comprehensive vision statement and strategic plan to be implemented at A&M following the end of Vision 2020. In the creation of the new vision statement and strategic plan, the Office of the Provost held numerous forums for faculty, staff, students and community members to learn what the A&M community needed most.

The new plan, which is yet to be officially named, focuses on four vision pillars and six strategic priorities. “[These priorities include] increasing our global impact, positioning Texas A&M University as a best place to work, live and learn; growing and supporting faculty, staff and research; and enhancing and reinventing education for students,” the Office of the Provost says on its website.

Benedik said Vision 2020 was a longer vision statement than most, but helped to shape A&M into the university it is today. The new vision statement has been narrowed down to four main focuses: the university as a community, transformational education, discovery and innovation, and impact on the state, nation and the world, as said in the rough draft for the new plan. Benedik said this concise vision statement, coupled with the six comprehensive strategic focal points, will help the A&M community thrive.

“Vision statements tend to be a set of aspirational visions, and strategic plans are much more operational,” Benedik said. “Vision 2020 really transformed the university, but we are already there, so we’ve been working on this new vision statement to continue growing for about three years. We’ve been working on the strategic plan since last spring, hosting a number of public forums where we collected all the feedback to be incorporated into each section.”

The new vision plan is intentionally shorter than Vision 2020, focusing on how the university can further shape what was previously implemented, Benedik said. It is based around the core values of A&M, but is intended to help the university adapt with the faculty, staff and students’ needs as times change.

“Our quest for excellence as a preeminent public land-, sea- and

space-grant university will be realized through our commitment to transformational education, ground-breaking research and a university community unfettered by discipline boundaries but focused on society’s vital challenges,” the new vision plan reads.

“We will do so with integrity and respect as we prepare the next generation to lead by our example.”

Psychology sophomore Hannah Pierdolla, who attended one of the forums hosted by the Office of the Provost, said the forum helped to educate faculty and staff on things to be improved on, and helped students voice what they need for success.

“I think it’s important to A&M to plan out general goals like these so that they have an outline for what they want to accomplish,” Pierdolla said.

“Then, as time goes on, they can get more specific and fill it in. It’s good to know what problems they need to address so they can more actively look for solutions to those problems.”

While the new vision statement and strategic plan are still in the final stages of being made official, Benedik said the goal is to have it released by January 2020. Whether it is published

by January or not, Benedik said it will definitely be made official at some point in Spring 2020.

To read the rough draft of the new vision statement and strategic plan, visit tx.ag/RoughDraft.

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

2017

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

2016

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

2018: A military honor guard carries George H.W. Bush’s casket out of the train that carried it to College Station. 2017: A rare snowfall during finals week transforms A&M’s campus. 2016: Then-Student Body President Hannah Wimberly joins actor Hill Harper at Aggies United, a counter-event held in response to an on-campus speech by white nationalist figure Richard Spencer.

Don’t forget to also pre-order your copy of the

2019AGGIELAND It’s not too late to order your copy of the

2020AGGIELAND A photojournalistic record of the 2019-2020 school year. The 119th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Distribution will be the Fall 2020.

Go Online to tx.ag/BuyTheAggieland or call 979-845-2697 to make your purchase.

2019 Aggieland, a photojournalistic record of the 2018-2019 school year. The 117th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook.

$75.00 (Includes Mail Fee)

Go Online to tx.ag/BuyTheAggieland or call 979-845-2697 to make your purchase.

FREE portrait sessions for the 2020 Aggieland will happen again during the 2020 Spring semester. Look in The Battalion paper, thebatt.com, social media or campus email for dates, locations and times.

AGGIELAND PHOTOS

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