The Battalion - Feb. 17, 2020

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2020 STUDENT MEDIA

T E A D G I U D I N D A E C

LEPLEY

B E RG E R

MENDOZA

Online voting will be open at vote.tamu.edu from Thursday at 9 a.m. until Friday at 12 p.m.

In-person voting will be available in Rudder Plaza on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

RICHARDSON

Z U N I GA RIVERA

JUNIOR YELL D. COX

ORDAZ

G RAHA M

VALADEZ

SALINAS

SENIOR YELL K. COX

HUFFMAN

NORRIS

PORTER

SHATZER

Photos by Meredith Seaver Candidate profiles by Sanna Bhai, Brady Stone and Julia Potts Quotes in this package have been edited for clarity.

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The Battalion | 2.17.20

EVAN

BERGER AGRICULTURAL LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT JUNIOR from Katy, TX

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THIS POSITION?

Within my three years at Texas A&M, I’ve served the university in many different capacities. After spending two years in the Student Senate, this felt like the role for me because I’ve always had a passion for the students here at A&M. I don’t think there’s any one quality that truly identifies a leader or one quality that makes you qualified to be the student body president. Combining my passion for the university, the students and my drive to serve this place and these students makes me the biggest advocate and representation of the Aggie family. That’s something that makes me extremely qualified for this role.

WHAT IS YOUR PLATFORM?

My platform is going to consist of three major pieces: reunite, renew and reflect. All of those are going to center around bringing us back into one big Aggie family and making sure we can reunite this campus. We also need to renew a lot of programs that might have fallen into disrepair and reflect on a lot of initiatives taken by past members of student government and how we can continue to take the right ones and put them into better practice for the future.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

I would have to pick Dr. Joe Townsend, who is a former faculty member at A&M, and I got the opportunity to meet him a little bit earlier this year. I came to find that he is one of the most interesting and influential people that I’ve ever met in my life. If I could, I would sit on his couch and listen to him tell stories for weeks. I would just be tuned in and focused because he and his wife have so much wisdom to share and they are just such positive, inviting and welcoming people.

SHELBY

LEPLEY AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS JUNIOR from Huntsville, TX

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THIS POSITION?

I have been involved in student organizations on campus in a number of ways within my department, college and the university as a whole. Whether it’s the student council for the College of Ag and Life Sciences or SGA’s development commission or being involved with MSC ALOT or MSC SCONA, I’ve gained very valuable lessons on how to be an effective leader. I’ve held several different internships outside of Texas A&M that have allowed me to see how A&M interacts with the rest of the world.

I’ve interned with the United Nations, and I know how to work with diverse groups of people and make sure that we’re working together for purposeful action.

WHAT IS YOUR PLATFORM?

My platform is divided into four areas: moving Aggies, leading Aggies, Aggie success and we are the Aggies. Moving Aggies looks at transportation and access to student services and healthy dining options on campus. Looking at student organizations and leading Aggies, it’s really important that we empower our student orgs and make sure they have the tools to give to their student body. When we look at Aggie success in classroom learning. I would really like the opportunity to work with administration to help make class curriculum more consistent. Finally, we come to we are the Aggies, and it’s probably where I’m the most passionate. It refers to diversity, it refers to inclusivity, but also bringing people in to invest in Aggie Core Values, tradition, spirit and the Aggie family.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

If I could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, it would have to be my nana and papa. These would be the grandparents on my dad’s side. They died when I was very young, but there were lots of lessons I learned from them through my parents, like selfless service. Since I didn’t get the opportunity to build a relationship with them, I would most certainly want to sit down, have dinner and just talk to them.

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Samantha Mahler, Editor-in-Chief THE BATTALION is published on 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.

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The Battalion | 2.17.20

TREY DANIEL

RICHARDSON AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS JUNIOR from Aransas Pass, TX

ERIC

MENDOZA ECONOMICS JUNIOR from Houston, TX

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THIS POSITION? I have served in SGA, and that really sets me apart from the other candidates because, while serving in SGA, I learned the proper avenues and routes for working with administration. When the student body wants to accomplish things, the truth is SGA has the ability to accomplish a lot of excellent things, but oftentimes that is overlooked because people don’t know the proper routes to take. With that being said, I also have experience outside of SGA, which allows me to have a connection with the average student who’s not in SGA and listen to them about what they want.

WHAT IS YOUR PLATFORM?

My platform is based on four pillars: health, transportation, communication and campus engagement and enrichment. For health, we want to create a system at Texas A&M so that no matter where students go on campus, there is a very apparent and advertised healthy option for them. If elected student body president, it would be to work with transportation systems to create an incentive program for students who are riding the bus on and off campus; and I will ask Texas A&M to invest more to fix and alleviate the parking problem. My next one is communication. I have seen the need to hold our elected student leaders accountable and increase SGA’s visibility to the student body.

My last one is campus engagement and enrichment. We really want to properly honor those who have come before us and continue the momentum of the Matthew Gaines initiative by having an executive cabinet member solely working on the committee to raise funds.

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THIS POSITION?

I was elected as a freshman representative and for the past two sessions have continued as an off-campus senator. I currently serve as a speaker of the Student Senate for the 72nd session where I have learned the intricacies of SGA and what it takes to make change happen on this campus. This has allowed me to build relationships that I hope to utilize throughout this next year.

WHAT IS YOUR PLATFORM?

I want to focus on three things: communication, continuity and collaboration. For communication, I want to make sure you are able to communicate with us and that the student government is able to reciprocate change. For collaboration, I want to ensure our fantastic SGA committees are working with colleges around campus to get them the resources they need and to get all student voices heard, to have a unified student voice. For continuity, I want to ensure I can continue to work on things I have done for the past three years, such as the Fall Break Initiative, Matthew Gaines Initiative and increasing parking around campus.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

For my dinner guest, I would choose Bill Gates. Not only is he an incredible businessman, but also a better philanthropist. I have gotten the opportunity to visit the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle and see the work they do, and if you haven’t, I encourage you to take a look at it.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE? Norman Borlaug. He is the only man to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his work and contributions in the field of agriculture. He is one of the people who founded the Green Revolution, as they called it in the 1970s, and is accredited for saving over a billion lives. He was the man who inspired me in high school and still does today as I work toward my future career goals of international agriculture development by going to countries and helping them develop their agriculture sector, which is the cornerstone of any economy. Being able to pick his brain and learn about his passions and what he would have to say about today’s international field would be remarkable.

Full candidate profiles are available on thebatt.com including video recordings of each candidate’s interview.

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The Battalion | 2.17.20

EDGAR

CALEB

RIVERA

ZUNIGA

POLITICAL SCIENCE JUNIOR

ECONOMICS JUNIOR

from Everman, TX

from Cedar Creek, TX

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THIS POSITION?

Throughout my time here at Texas A&M I’ve been involved in a number of organizations across campus and I’ve also been an activist. Any time I see something on this campus I feel can be improved on, I’ve worked with organizations and community leaders to start new initiatives and create new resources to address the issues that affect people from all across the university. On top of that, I have experience in SGA. I’m not afraid to put my voice out there, as I’ve always wanted to provide equal opportunity for all.

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THIS POSITION?

Throughout my involvement at Texas A&M, I have always tried to be a leader from within. I have always preferred to be hands-on and see tasks through from start to finish. I will use this same leadership quality as student body president, meeting with students and student leaders to help reach our goals. If there is any change we would like to see here on campus, we have to roll up our sleeves and come together as a student body to make a better future for students at A&M.

WHAT IS YOUR PLATFORM?

WHAT IS YOUR PLATFORM?

I’m running on a three-point platform of representation, access and success. Throughout my time here, I’ve noticed some disadvantages or struggles that affect people from my community, first generation students or people of color. Representation: having more representation through mental health resources, faculty and staff and physical pieces around campus. Access: A&M has an array of resources which have helped students in my community and communities all across campus, but they need to be easily reachable for all students. Success: making sure every student has an equal opportunity to succeed whether they come from a low socioeconomic background or they’re a person of color.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

Kobe Bryant was somebody I looked up to as a basketball fan since I was probably 6-years-old. I modeled my motivations and attitudes to succeed after him. I learned a lot from his mentality to push himself further than ever before.

My platform includes three things. The first thing is connecting traditions to students.

Being a first-generation college student and Aggie, I have found my community here through the traditions that we hold so dear. As a student body president, I would like to help connect those traditions to students who may not partake in the same things.

My second thing is student safety. The most important thing here at A&M is the safety of our students. You cannot have a healthy academic environment if students do not feel safe. It would be my goal to have every student not feel worried about if they are safe here, on- or off-campus. And the third thing is supporting our Aggie family. As student body president, I would like to work with student leaders in helping strengthen their outreach to our Aggie family and helping people in our student body find their community.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

If I could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, I would have to go with John David Crow. He was the first Heisman Trophy winner for A&M, and I would just love to meet with him and talk about what it was like as a student here when it was an all-male military college. I’d ask him about Aggie football back then and see if there was any correlation to now, and just talk to him about what it was like to be an Aggie in the 1950s.

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YELL

5

The Battalion | 2.17.20

JUNIOR YELL CANDIDATES DAVE

COX

Favorite yell?

“Locomotive”

PUBLIC HEALTH SOPHOMORE

Favorite Aggie tradition?

The Aggie Ring

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

Hearing the War Hymn

I want to be a Yell Leader because I want to serve my university as best I can, and I want to be able to make connections with as many Aggies as I possibly can while I’m here.

Tell us a joke!

Why do t-sips eat cereal out of the box?

Because they’re afraid of the bowl!

MASON

GRAHAM

Favorite yell?

FINANCE SOPHOMORE

“Farmers Fight”

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Muster

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

It is an opportunity to serve others well. After all the university has given me, I see it as a chance to take small opportunities over this next year to serve.

The people

Tell us a joke!

How do ducks fly?

They just wing it.

AYDE

ORDAZ

COMMUNITY HEALTH SOPHOMORE

Favorite yell?

“Locomotive”

Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

I want to be a Yell Leader so I can represent what Texas A&M really is. We are a very diverse campus, and our ever-growing minority student population needs to be represented.

Favorite Aggie tradition?

The 12th Man

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

The family atmosphere

Tell us a joke!

Knock knock.

Who’s there?

Boo. Boo who?

Oh, don’t cry. It’s just me!

MEMO

SALINAS AGRIBUSINESS SOPHOMORE

Favorite yell?

“Beat the Hell”

Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

I want to serve and give back to Texas A&M for all it has done for me and my family.

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Muster

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

The people

Tell us a joke!

You wanna hear two short jokes and one long joke?

Joke, joke, joookeee.

NATHAN

VALADEZ PHYSICS SOPHOMORE

Favorite yell?

“Locomotive”

Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

When I was at Fish Camp, I participated in leading yells and it really inspired me. Later during Fish Camp, I led an entire Yell Practice and decided I wanted to take it one step further.

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Football games

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

The camaraderie between Aggies

Tell us a joke!

Have you ever heard of the movie constipation?

No? Because it hasn’t come out yet.

YELL

6

The Battalion | 2.17.20

SENIOR YELL CANDIDATES KELLER

COX

Favorite yell?

“Locomotive”

CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE JUNIOR

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Muster

Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

Being a Yell Leader this last year has been an eye opener for me. I had always seen my brother as a Yell Leader, but being on this side of things has been a totally different story. It has been such an honor to serve this university in this capacity.

The reason I am trying out for it again is because I feel like I owe it to the school that has given me so much. I love the Spirit of Aggieland, and to be an embodiment of that is a big deal to me and I would love to do it for another year.

The people

Tell us a joke!

How do you catch a unique bunny?

You-nique up on it.

How do you catch a tamed rabbit?

Tame way, you-nique up on it.

JACOB

HUFFMAN

Favorite yell?

SPORTS CONDITIONING JUNIOR

“Beat the Hell”

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Muster and Silver Taps

Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

I want to continue to be a Yell Leader because for me it is the best way I have found to serve this university that has given so much back to me. I have gotten to explore Aggieland firsthand. I am a first-generation Aggie, and getting to take in all the traditions, the spirit and the family that has developed here has meant so much to me and has really developed me as a person and an Aggie. I want to continue being an ambassador for the Spirit of Aggieland.

The people

Tell us a joke!

Why did the chicken fall down the well?

Because the chicken couldn’t see that well.

SAM

NORRIS

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JUNIOR Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

I have a need for constant attention, and I am hoping this will finally help me earn my father’s love.

Favorite yell?

“Horse Laugh”

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Midnight Yell

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

The people

Tell us a joke!

You want to hear a joke?

Texas is back.

WESTON

PORTER

INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION JUNIOR Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

Growing up, I watched my dad as he served our church community and seeing the joy that he got out of that, I said what better place to do the same kind of service but here at Texas A&M.

Favorite yell?

“Locomotive”

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Silver Taps

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

The people

Tell us a joke!

I ordered an egg and a chicken from Amazon. I will let you know.

JAKE

SHATZER

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND ECONOMICS JUNIOR Why do you want to be a Yell Leader?

I want to be a Yell Leader because I think being a Yell Leader is all about selfless service, and that’s the core value I identify most with. I think it would just be a huge honor to be able to serve the student body and Texas A&M in that capacity and to be an ambassador for Aggies everywhere.

Favorite yell?

“Sit Down Bus Driver”

Favorite Aggie tradition?

Silver Taps

Favorite thing about Aggieland?

The community

Tell us a joke!

Por que el tomate no toma cafe?

Porque toma te.

OPINION

7

The Battalion | 2.17.20

FILE

Voting in student elections begins on Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. and closes on Feb. 21 at 12 p.m.

A more perfect Aggieland Opinion editor Henry Mureithi says student body elections are your chance to be heard

Henry Mureithi

W

@HenryMureithi5

e are in a critical time of change in Aggieland. Almost 144 years since classes began at Texas A&M as an all-male military college, the appearance of the university has obviously transformed.

However, so has everything from the instructors that lead our classrooms to the students that grace Military Walk. Despite the progress which has been made thus far, none of that matters if Aggies don’t go out and vote in the student body elections.

It is a chronic concern that so comparatively few students vote in student elections for a student body as big, diverse and socially engaged as we are. Turnout

in the spring 2019 elections was about 23.5 percent, and that number hasn’t changed much from year to year.

Some students may feel they don’t have enough time to vote. However, voting is not a time-intensive process.

All you have to do during the two-day election period is go to the A&M “Elections Online” website, put in your UIN and the system automatically directs you to all the relevant ballots based on your major, classification and residency.

Other nonvoters may feel that the student government does not affect their lives, but this view is also mistaken. We have seen recently what can happen when people choose to have their voices heard in the polls. Case in point, every student who has used an excused absence to go to an interview for a job, graduate school or internship since Student Rule 7 was modified last spring owes

the change in large part to the advocacy of these elected student leaders. Voting makes a difference.

When you choose not to vote, you’re putting your life and future at A&M in the hands of people who probably don’t care about the same problems. Casting a ballot is the only avenue that many of us will ever get to have sway on which issues get taken seriously or how our complaints are addressed by the university or our money is spent. The right for students to have their say should be as fundamental to what it means to be an Aggie as Muster or Midnight Yell.

The most significant obstacle to our collective power as a student body is our sense of apathy and disillusionment.

Voting is a profound statement about what we all believe A&M should be.

Do you care about the Matthew Gaines statute effort? Vote. Are you dissatisfied

with other student rules? Vote. Do you believe the university should be doing more to make the campus inclusive for all students? Vote.

There are few things as admirable as working for the betterment of your fellow Aggies. All the candidates who have taken it upon themselves to dive into the arena for a chance to improve the lives of their fellow students as best as they believe how — whether as student body president, senators, class presidents or Yell Leaders — should be commended for embodying the highest ideal of the Aggie Core Values. The rest of us should strive to match their commitment by casting our vote on Thursday and Friday.

So I say to you: Gig the vote!

Henry Mureithi is a computer science senior and opinion editor for The Battalion.

Why are our Yell Leaders not a mirror of our student body?

Opinion writer Allison Dennis says the Aggie tradition of the Yell Leader needs to catch up to the diversity of our student body Allison Dennis

A

@allisondennis45

s a second-generation Aggie and a granddaughter of a professor at Texas A&M, my family introduced me to the beauty of the unbreakable traditions of Aggieland from a young age. I recall wondering what it took to become one of the individuals in the white janitor uniforms who ran around Kyle Field with the indisputable air of respect from all Aggies around me.

Now, as a student here at A&M, I’ve realized one of the qualifications of a Yell Leader seems to be being a white male.

According to College Factual, the racial demographics of A&M is 63 percent white, 22.6 percent Hispanic/Latino, 6.9 percent Asian, 3 percent African American, 1.4 percent Non-Resident Alien and 3.3 percent ethnicity unknown.

Gender diversity is 48.5 percent female and 51.5 percent male. How then can our Yell Leaders, who are supposed to

be the face of our campus, embody the character and culture of students if they are lagging so far behind in adequate representation? These demographics should serve as a reminder to the Aggie family that our student body is so much more diverse than the undiversified and unrepresentative lineup we have seen in the history of Yell Leaders.

With student body elections approaching quickly, it is essential to ask the unspoken and formidable questions regarding this side of Aggieland. What is stopping our students from considering a candidate who could be more representative of the diverse composition of our student body? What is holding back students who don’t identify as the most significant demographic on our campus from running?

The answers to these questions boil down to one simple phrase: the status quo. I don’t recall there being a rulebook stating women cannot be Yell Leaders. I don’t remember it specifying that the position must be occupied by

the majority demographic of students.

While students initially created Yell Leaders as a silly means to an end, it has transformed into the symbolic embodiment of the core values of A&M. We must remember Yell Leaders ultimately hold equal weight as those in student government to advocate and represent us. If Yell Leaders are supposed to mirror the character of our campus, they should be more reflective of the diversity of every Aggie, not just those who adhere to the traditional and outdated sense of the position.

Although we have the voice to decide who will serve as the leaders and ambassadors of our campus, we bypass the opportunity to alter the status quo in fear of either change or rejection. Controlled by the belief that a tradition must remain complacent, past and present Aggies have thrown away the prospect of supporting candidates who would personify our campus. We must understand the unyielding power of a diverse range of values and character in leadership, especially

in roles arguably more influential than student body president. We must realize that inclusivity of all Aggies is so much more important than the maintenance of a tradition set in its ways. As soon as we do, we will awake to the notion that just because a pattern is customary to a few, it does not equate to being immutable by all.

We must end these gaps in diversity which have kept competent and passionate Aggies from running. No student should feel the discouragement that arises from non-representation. No student should feel as though they could not win an election because their identification does not match that of the usual pattern.

When Aggies recognize that distancing ourselves from the status quo will only fortify our tradition, many will finally see our reflection staring back at us from Kyle Field.

Allison Dennis is an applied mathematics freshman and opinion writer for The Battalion.

Now is the time to pre-order your copy of the

2020AGGIELAND 2019AGGIELAND We have extra copies of the 2019 Aggieland, a photojournalistic record of the 2018-2019 school year. The 117th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook.

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

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. $81.19 (Includes Tax and Mailing Fee)

S AV E U P T O 9 0 % O F F Y O U R FAV O R I T E N A M E B R A N D S .

NOW OPEN Sell us your trendy, designer, & vintage fashion for CASH or 50% MORE in store credit!

2410 Texas Ave. So. in College Station @UptownCollegeStation

www.uptowncheapskatecollegestation.com