The Battalion - February 27, 2020 by The Battalion

PUBLICATION NOTICE The Battalion will print next week on Wednesday, March 4 due to Spring Break. Print production will be cancelled during Spring Break and will resume the following week on Thursday, March 19.

Speaking for the people

Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION XX — THE BATTALION

A&M reported almost 65,000 students This is the cutline. You bold the name of a enrolled during the Spring 2020 semester. Texas A&M STUDENT only.

A&Mgoes makes Hede here hede goes here enrollment headhistory goes here Deck always stays in whitney. Even if Headline is in Kepler More students on Texas A&M’s campus now than ever before By Myranda Campanella @MCampanella_ Texas A&M set a record high for enrollment this spring semester with a total of 64,961 students, as reported on by the Division of Enrollment & Academic Services on the 20th class day. This enrollment encompasses the main campus and Health Center in College Station, as well as the Galveston and Doha, Qatar campuses. The figure includes undergraduate, masters, doctoral and professional degree students. In College Station alone, 59,837 students were reported, marking an additional record for the flagship campus. The growing number of students in College Station poses both pros and cons for the community. Phoebe Latham, environmental design sophomore, said though she likes the opportunities that come with an increasing population on campus, it comes at the expense of a more crowded campus with longer lines for food and more traffic around town. “The more [students] you have, the less space you have in dorms, and you have to expand more, and that’s going to cost a lot of money,” Latham said. “But, A&M is all about tradition, so the more people that come here, then the more opportunity there is for us to expand the Aggie family.” Hannah Pierdolla, psychology sophomore, said she has trouble finding parking on the growing campus, and the Aggie Spirit buses are often overcrowded, forcing students to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. The university is in the process of remedying this parking issue with the construction of a new parking garage along Polo Road across from Century Square. Despite the current parking problems, Pierdolla said she is in favor of admitting and enrolling more students. “There’s more people to meet from different backgrounds and different cultures, so that’s always good,” Pierdolla said. “I like meeting new people, and it’s good to have more Aggies out there in the world … to expand the Aggie Network.” Higher enrollment also poses a problem for class registration time, Latham said. With more and more students enrolled, it makes registration time more competitive for students to get into the classes they need, and it pushes students’ registration times further back on the calendar. “You have more people getting into honors, which means more people in earlier registration,” Latham said. “That means less opportunities for some people to get classes because there are so many people on each half — honors and non-honors — and it slows everything down. I think we need to have a cap.”

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Eric Mendoza was elected 2020-21 student body president on Feb. 21. Mendoza’s term will begin in April.

Eric Mendoza will serve as 2020-21 Texas A&M student body president By Julia Potts @juliaapotts

conomics junior Eric Mendoza was elected student body president for the 2020-21 school year. Students, faculty and candidates gathered at the E. King Gill statue on Friday, Feb. 21 awaiting the announcement to reveal the leadership positions for next school year, including the SBP.

Mendoza most recently served as Speaker of Student Senate and has interacted with many groups on campus. In addition to his Bachelor of Science in economics, Mendoza is pursuing his master’s in finance at Mays Business School. Political science junior Zach McCue, Mendoza’s campaign manager, said he could see Mendoza’s leadership potential from early in their friendship. McCue said Mendoza could do more for Texas A&M as SBP than as speaker of Student Senate. “He stood up there, and his humility and ability to explain his vision was something that instantly caught my eye,” McCue said. “I could tell this was a leader who was going to do something special.” Mendoza said those around him, in-

cluding those working on his campaign, should receive recognition in the wake of his victory. He said the relationships built before he started running aided him when he started his campaign. “I was certainly overwhelmed with support that I got from my team and from the community around us,” Mendoza said. “I would say that it was very much a humbling experience for many reasons. I think from the start, I really felt blessed to have people around me that supported me.” In the two and a half years Mendoza has attended A&M, he has been involved in multiple groups on campus, including Student Government Association and the MENDOZA ON PG. 6

Hannah Falcon — THE BATTALION

Meteorology junior Grace Leis prepares her broadcast before it will air online.

New club to broadcast with KAMU

Program offers meteorology students real-world experience By Hannah Falcon @hannahfalcon_

On the 12th floor of the tallest building at Texas A&M, the Oceanography and Meteorology building, meteorology students spend about an hour each night putting together a weather broadcast to air the next day on KAMU-TV. In the fall 2019 semester, KAMU approached Professor Don Conlee, Ph.D., to inquire about a student-run broadcast after they lost one of their full-time meteorologists. Meteorology students previously only had the opportunity to practice broadcast-

ing through radio with KAMU on 90.9 FM. However, Conlee put together a team of over 30 capable, experienced meteorology students who spent last semester planning for their first on-air weather segment, which was posted online Feb. 17. Student broadcasts will be aired Monday through Friday on KAMU 2. Head coordinator Mia Montgomery, meteorology senior, was the lead in the first broadcast. Since meteorology is a relatively small major, there is a lot of bonding, working together and opportunities for leadership, Montgomery said. However, she said there was one thing they have been lacking. “The one thing that we really, really wanted — something that we haven’t really had before — was a TV broadcasting club,” Montgomery said. “When it was brought

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to our attention that we had the potential opportunity to create something like this, we knew that we needed to do it.” Montgomery said her interest in broadcast began in Shel Winkley’s one-hour class, most often taken during the junior year of the meteorology major. Winkley, Class of 2007, works as an on-air meteorologist at KBTX, where he has mentored several students involved in the A&M program through internships. Winkley said the program is entirely student-run and advises everyone to turn their attention away from phone apps and toward broadcast programs with trusted meteorologists. “[The students] have completely, from the ground-up figured out what the format METEOROLOGY ON PG. 2

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The Battalion | 2.27.20

Hannah Falcon — THE BATTALION

On the 12th floor of the Oceanography and Meteorology Building there is a Weather Center and broadcast area that includes a green screen for students to film their broadcasts.

METEOROLOGY CONTINUED will be, how long they’ll be, and they have turned it into something that can be put on TV for Bryan-College Station to see,” Winkley said. Jeanette Gallardo, meteorology junior, manages the program’s social media accounts and coordinates the on-air talent for the broadcasts. Gallardo said she looked for

students who had experience on air to train other students who have not yet received those opportunities. Gallardo emphasized the importance of this training for students and the benefits a broadcast program offers A&M. “This is a really big deal for A&M because other big meteorology schools, such as OU or Mississippi State, they all have some sort of TV program in their meteorology program,” Gallardo said. “At least in a while, we haven’t

had any sort of TV branch in our program, and that’s what’s most visible to prospective students when they’re researching a meteorology school.” Grace Leis, meteorology junior, said her role as one of the leads is to interpret the weather to make it easy for anyone to understand. The students use forecasts they gather from the Weather Prediction Center and the National Weather Service.

Leis has previous internship experience in broadcast weather, but she said this is many students’ first exposure to working with a green screen and being on-air. “You can take all the classes, you can have a 4.0, but experience is really what’s going to get you that first job,” Leis said. “It’s going to get you to be successful in your first job. Having this every week for us to practice is priceless.”

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OPINION

The Battalion | 2.27.20

Creative Commons

George Bush Intercontinental Airport is one of the largest airports in the United States and is located in Houston.

Implications of secondary inspection Opinion writer Joshua Howell shares the story of two Iranian-Americans’ struggle with biased airport security Joshua Howell

@JoshuaEHowell

he officer spoke with Sina for about an hour. “How did you two meet?” He was referring to Sina’s wife, Niloofar. The two had met, if you must know, as childhood neighbors in a city north of Iran near the Caspian Sea. They started dating in 2013 and married four years later. They received their green cards in 2018 and are currently Ph.D. students at Texas A&M. However, it was now early January, and the couple was enduring a secondary inspection at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Upon reentry to the United States, the official who had checked their passports suddenly called over two officers and instructed the pair to follow them. Exhausted from 20 hours of travel, the couple was escorted into a separate room where they watched as those of other nationalities came in, were presumably asked several questions and allowed to leave. “It was all very smooth,” Niloofar explained during our interview. They waited for over an hour before she eventually fell asleep. Finally, an officer called Sina in. “How was your trip?” It had gone well. Sina and Niloofar

had spent the first leg visiting family and the second in Dubai. At some point, American forces had killed a high-ranking Iranian official. However, Sina was too busy enjoying himself on the beach to let it ruin his vacation. One can imagine the opening lines of his travelogue: “Soleimani died today. Or yesterday, maybe. I don’t know.” “What are your political views?” They don’t have strong political views. That makes them something of a rarity in Iran, a country where, Niloofar said, “people have to be very much involved in politics because it really affects their lives and the situation is very unstable.” However, their sensibilities are more common for immigrants. If they had strong ties to their home country, they would have never immigrated in the first place. Here, they worry more about airport officials pulling them over for secondary inspections than politics. “What are your religious views?” At this point, suspecting the questions were inappropriate, Sina pushed back. Still, the officer was unmoved. “No, you’re not a U.S. citizen,” the officer said. “You’re an Iranian citizen. You don’t have the right to just ignore my questions or try not to answer them.” That is inaccurate, the purest distillation of bureaucratic doublespeak. To illuminate the legalities of immigration, I spoke with Huyen Pham, a professor at

GUEST COLUMN

Expecting the Unexpected Cybersecurity expert Ray Rothrock ’77 practices and preaches resilience in all things. Tyson Voelkel @Tyson Voelkel Howdy Ags, In military circles, there’s a quote from Prussian General Helmuth von Moltke the Elder that is frequently recited: “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” In war and day-to-day life, the only certainty is uncertainty. We can plan our lives step-by-step, but it is all for naught if we are unprepared to meet the unforeseen obstacles or even outright failures that sometimes lie ahead. Great leaders do not live their lives, hoping these things never happen; they treat them as inevitable and practice resilience. Thanks to this mindset, former student Ray Rothrock ‘77 has become a leader in his field and a vigilant protector against cyberthreats. From age 13 to midway through his postgraduate education, Rothrock maintained a single focus for his future: He was going to be a nuclear engineer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University. However, in his first year of his master’s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the unthinkable happened: nuclear meltdown at the Three Mile Island power plant in Pennsylvania irrevocably damaged public opinion toward nuclear energy, stunting the industry considerably. His lifelong career path having all but vanished, Rothrock pivoted. A National Geographic article about Silicon Valley (then still in its infancy) inspired him to move to California and enter the tech industry. There, he joined two unsuccessful startups before striking

gold at the successful Sun Microsystems. After earning his MBA from Harvard, Rothrock launched a prosperous career as a venture capitalist evaluating, investing and coaching founders of startup companies. Today, between mentoring chief executives and investing in startups, Rothrock is a thought leader in cybersecurity. As the CEO of RedSeal, a cyber risk modeling company, he helps businesses and government agencies mitigate the risk of cyberattacks by making their internal networks more resilient. In addition to being a vocal proponent of national cybersecurity efforts and carbon-free nuclear energy, Rothrock and his wife, Meredith, are also devoted supporters of Texas A&M’s engineering, liberal arts and music initiatives. Rothrock excelled in the face of setbacks because he didn’t let them diminish the scope of what he could do. He studied in a wide variety of fields beyond his chosen career path so that he was prepared to apply himself to wherever opportunity called. Thanks to his professional elasticity, he can now live out his values by protecting others from harm. Remember: You may not have control over the future, but you can always work to make yourself stronger in the face of new challenges. And who knows. New doors might open that you could never have dreamed of. Thanks and Gig ’em, Tyson Voelkel ’96 President, Texas A&M Foundation Paid Advertisement

Texas A&M’s School of Law. Pham said even though green card holders are not American citizens, they retain constitutional rights such as the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process. National security can sometimes be a trump card. However, generally speaking, green card holders do not have to answer questions about race, religion or political affiliation. But not answering them might still lead to removal proceedings. “It’s not like you [can] refuse to answer questions, then you get admitted and it’s over,” Pham explained, but “a judge couldn’t remove you because you’re a Muslim.” Most immigrants aren’t aware of these technicalities, and if they do, the spectre of removal is enough to make compliance seem reasonable. (Incidentally, this is how the erosion of civil rights works — by making their surrender seem “reasonable.”) So, being a reasonable man, Sina answered the officer’s questions. “Who did you meet? What does each of your family members do? Are you sure you don’t have strong political views?” It all lasted for about an hour. Then the officer asked Sina to leave, and they brought in Niloofar to corroborate his responses. Only following some two and a half hours of waiting and interviews was the couple informed they had been pulled

aside for not completing a Customs Declaration Form. It is a simple entry document which asks noninvasive questions such as: “Are you bringing any fruits and vegetables into the country? How about meat or animals? Have you been on a farm or ranch recently?” It does not mention religion, political affiliation or family ties. Even though they had traveled to and from Iran multiple times, neither Sina nor Niloofar had experienced this situation before. While deplaning, they had asked several airport officials if they needed to fill out a Customs Declaration Form, and each time the officials had told them no. Neither Sina nor Niloofar could make sense of that. Following their release, they retrieved their baggage, got in their car, and drove the hour and a half down Highway 6 toward College Station. Sina is more placid than Niloofar and has thought about the inspection less than she. Niloofar, however, remains haunted by a creeping ambivalence, an ambivalence which makes her wonder — for the first time since she came to America — whether she immigrated to the wrong country. She still doesn’t know. Joshua Howell is a computer science Ph.D. candidate and an opinion writer for The Battalion.

NEWS

The Battalion | 2.27.20

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY CANDIDATE GUIDE

BIDEN

College Tuition and Loan Repayment

Biden plans to invest in community colleges and other areas of low-cost, high-quality education.

Environment

Information acquired from: joebiden.com, cbsnews.com, vox.com and militarytimes.com

Biden supports elements of the Green New Deal, which supports renewable energy and resource efficiency.

Health Care

Biden plans to build upon the Affordable Care Act by providing a public health insurance option.

Reproductive Rights Biden disagrees with his previous support of the Hyde Amendment. He now supports the governmental funding of abortion.

Gun Control

Immigration

Biden wants to remove liability protection for gun manufacturers and distributors and intends to ban assault weapons.

Biden says the immigration system requires comprehensive reform and plans to ensure humanity in the treatment of those crossing the border, and that families are not separated during the immigration process.

Marijuana

Biden supports the decriminalization of marijuana and believes decriminalization should be studied further before any long-term laws are enacted.

Military Spending Biden plans to spend more money on technological innovation and intelligence gathering, rather than weapon systems.

BLOOMBERG

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College Tuition and Loan Repayment

Bloomberg wants to make two-year college tuition free. Furthermore. he wants to make four-year college tuition more affordable for average income families and debt-free for lower income families.

Environment

Information acquired from: mikebloomberg.com, washingtontimes. com and militarytimes.com

Bloomberg says by using 100 percent clean energy and greener options, everyday people can lower the cost of their homes and steer the world to a cleaner future.

Health Care

Bloomberg plans to create an affordable insurance similar to Medicare and lower the cost of care and prescription drugs, as well as improving current health care policies.

Reproductive Rights Bloomberg supports women’s right to an abortion, and providing female care easily and safely. He also aims to lower the prices of birth control.

Gun Control

Bloomberg plans to enact stricter gun laws, make background checks universal and ban assault weapons.

Immigration Bloomberg supports safe and legal immigration to the United States, giving every qualifying person the opportunity to obtain a visa. He plans to rescind Trump’s ban on travel from Muslim-majority countries.

Marijuana

Bloomberg supports the decriminalization of marijuana on the state level.

Military Spending Bloomberg said the Defense Department should slow down military spending, especially regarding the expense of weapons.

BUTTIGIEG

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College Tuition and Loan Repayment

Buttigieg plans to make public college tuition free for 80 percent of American families. He will automatically enroll struggling student borrowers in income driven repayment plans, and loans will be canceled tax-free after being enrolled in them for 20 years.

Information acquired from peteforamerica.com and the Washington Post

Environment Buttigieg plans to double the amount of clean electricity generated in the United States by 2025, and achieve net-zero emissions from industry and agriculture by 2050.

Health Care

The core of Buttigieg’s health care policy is “Medicare for All who want it,” giving people the option to join an affordable public plan.

Reproductive Rights Buttigieg’s plan includes coverage of preventive and comprehensive reproductive care for women, including abortion.

Gun Control

Buttigieg’s plan to prevent gun violence includes creating legal standards for responsible gun ownership and researching gun violence.

Immigration Buttigieg’s immigration plan has four components: promote belonging and democracy, modernize the immigration system, protect the border and those who arrive there and engage with the global community.

Marijuana

Buttigieg plans to legalize marijuana and expunge past convictions for its possession. He pledges to eliminate federal incarceration for drug possession, reduce sentences for other drug offenses and to apply both of those retroactively.

Military Spending Buttigieg plans to re-prioritize military investments, primarily through ending ongoing war and focusing on strategic security operations.

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NEWS

The Battalion | 2.27.20

KLOBUCHAR

Information acquired from amyklobuchar.com, Politico, USA Today, New York Times, U.S. News and Military Times

Health Care

Klobuchar supports universal health care, involving changes to Obamacare to spur a decrease in costs for consumers.

Gun Control

Klobuchar supports universal background checks and the ban of assault weapons, as well as mandating a waiting period for firearm purchases.

Marijuana

Klobuchar was once known as a tough crime prosecutor who imprisoned many people for drug convictions. However, he now supports marijuana legalization.

College Tuition and Loan Repayment

Klobuchar supports extending public schooling through two years of community college or technical school, refinancing student loans at lower interest rates and expansion of education tax credits.

Environment Klobuchar supports government-supported environmental improvements by working within the Green New Deal, the Senate Climate Action Taskforce and the Clean Power Plan.

Reproductive Rights Klobuchar wants to guarantee further funding for Planned Parenthood. She supports women’s reproductive rights, including abortion in most cases.

Immigration Klobuchar supports comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship, and supports the DREAM Act.

Military Spending Klobuchar supports cutting parts of the Defense Department Budget.

SANDERS

Information acquired from berniesanders.com, Business Insider and plannedparenthood.org

Health Care

Sanders believes health care is a basic human right and should be guaranteed to every American in the form of Medicare for All.

Gun Control

Sanders believes the federal Government should institute a ban on assault weapons and mandate instant background checks on anyone attempting to purchase a gun.

Marijuana

Sanders plans to legalize marijuana use at the federal level by nominating staff at DEA in support of the change.

STEYER

Information acquired from tomsteyer.com, the Washington Post and plannedparenthood.org

Health Care

Steyer supports universal health care. He wants to create a public option strong enough to compete with private insurance, drive down costs and expand coverage.

Gun Control

Steyer has a plan, “We Can End Gun Violence,” which will implement universal background checks and red flag laws, ban assault weapons and create a new office of gun safety and enact licensing requirements.

Marijuana

Steyer plans to decriminalize marijuana in his criminal justice plan.

WARREN

Information acquired from elizabethwarren.com

Health Care

She plans to increase the quality of and access to health care across the nation while lowering healthcare costs. Warren has promised to reduce corruption among insurance, drug and pharmaceutical companies within her first 100 days in office to immediately reduce the costs of healthcare.

Gun Control

College Tuition and Loan Repayment

Sanders wants to make all public colleges and universities tuition-free, cancel all student loan debt and cap student loan interest rates at 1.88 percent.

Environment Sanders supports the Green New Deal. He plans to transform the energy system to 100 percent renewable energy and create 20 million jobs needed to solve the climate crisis.

Reproductive Rights Sanders supports Planned Parenthood, abortion access, birth control, health equity and sex education.

Immigration Sanders plans to reinstate and expand DACA, develop a humane policy for those seeking asylum and completely reform the immigration enforcement system.

Military Spending Sanders is open about his dislike of high military spending, and proposes deep budget and spending cuts.

Creative Commons

College Tuition and Loan Repayment

Steyer believes in affordable higher education for everyone and reducing debt through forgiving certain types of loans and refinancing, reducing unfair loan services.

Environment Steyer’s justice-centered climate plan will allow communities to report what they need, and the administration will issue $250 billion in climate bonds to invest. He wants to create an inclusive, people-led movement.

Reproductive Rights Steyer plans to fight for full reproductive justice for women. He opposes cuts to sexual and reproductive health.

Immigration Steyer believes the United States is a “nation of immigrants,” and hopes to make progress on immigration reform to make the U.S. a safe haven for refugees.

Military Spending Steyer plans to cut the defense budget.

Creative Commons

College Tuition and Loan Repayment

Warren has promised universal free public college and the cancellation of up to $50,000 student loan debt for 42 million Americans.

Environment Warren has committed $1 trillion over the next 10 years to match Gov. Inslee’s commitment towards achieving 100 percent clean energy for the United States.

Reproductive Rights As part of Medicare For All and expanding national healthcare coverage, Warren will include equal-access coverage for reproductive healthcare.

Immigration

Warren has promised to immediately expand background checks for gun purchases, and she will work with Congress to create a federal licensing system.

Warren has promised to separate law enforcement from immigration enforcement to improve morale and safety within communities. She has also promised to decriminalize illegal migration and instead focus criminal prosecutions on serious federal crimes.

Marijuana

Military Spending

Warren is an advocate of legalizing marijuana and to stop criminalizing addiction. She hopes to reduce drug use by focusing on rehabilitation efforts rather than incarceration.

Creative Commons

Warren wants to refocus foreign and security policy from expanding our overall military to improving foreign diplomacy by cooperating with allies in a common interest.

Creative Commons

Information compiled by Sanna Bhai, Julia Potts, Myranda Campanella, Alek Benavides and Spencer Belyea *Candidates included in this democratic primary guide were qualifiers for the Feb. 25 debate **President Donald Trump has won the first three caucuses and is polling above 80 percent in the republican primary according to many polls

NEWS

The Battalion | 2.27.20

Every vote counts Student Body Election results reveal Texas A&M’s new student leaders By Myranda Campanella and Julia Potts

@MCampanella_ & @juliaapotts

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Top: Newly elected SBP Eric Mendoza is congratulated by Vice President of Student Affairs Daniel Pugh. Bottom: Past Yell Leaders Gavin Suel, Kenny Cantrell, Karsten Lowe, Reid Williams and Cooper Cox celebrate the election of 2020-21 Yell Leaders Memo Salinas, Jacob Huffman, Weston Porter, Keller Cox and Mason Graham.

MENDOZA CONTINUED Consulting Club. Mendoza said he plans to use his connections in Koldus to bring his vision of A&M to light. “The relationships within Koldus, the relationships within the university are going to be super impactful to ensure that we not only know how to function inside of SGA, but know how to bring that and translate that into actual impact on campus,” Mendoza said. Mendoza said it is important to note there will not be a learning curve for this position. He said he plans to start performing the initiatives he promised in his campaign immediately with the help of his resources on campus. “We have a list of things we ran on, a list of

things we want to accomplish,” Mendoza said. “We certainly have a way that we believe we can get that done very quickly. What really has set us up for success is the fact that we have those relationships built, that we have people around this campus that can help us and we know who to call on.” Agricultural leadership and development senior Trey Elizondo, Mendoza’s speaking manager, said Mendoza told him he wanted to make a difference for the students as SBP. Elizondo said Mendoza was never interested in the title. “One of the main reasons why I decided to support Eric for student body president is because of his proven track record of what he’s done to make an impact here at Texas A&M,” Elizondo said. “I have never seen him take a

On Friday Feb. 21, Eric Mendoza was elected student body president, with Jacob Huffman, Keller Cox and Weston Porter earning the title of senior Yell Leader, and Memo Salinas and Mason Graham for junior Yell Leader. According to vote.tamu.edu, the number of ballots cast this year totaled at 10,471, nearly 5,000 less than last year. Mendoza remained the top SBP pick throughout all seven rounds of counting and received 58.59 percent of the votes, beating runner-up Edgar Rivera Jr., who received 41.41 percent of the votes in the seventh round. Huffman, Cox and Porter received 68.89 percent, 75.63 percent and 59.62 percent respectively for senior Yell Leader, while Salinas and Graham received 68.29 percent and 61.87 percent, respectively. Mendoza’s platform is based around expanding external communication between Student Government Association and departments and colleges around campus. He said he is looking forward to getting started immediately with a focus on a more unified student voice. “I think my team alone is made up of incredible people, and to have them support me I can only imagine the support from the students, so I’m really, really just grateful,” Mendoza said. “[This] means that what I’ve done the past two years means something, that this campus is ready to have a unified student voice to say that we value traditions, and we value everything that we’ve held dear to our hearts throughout this institution.” Sports conditioning junior Jacob Huff-

leadership role out of the selfishness of wanting to hold the title, but to truly serve the student body of Texas A&M.” Elizondo said Mendoza’s best quality is his honesty with those he works with and the whole of the student body. Mendoza does not beat around the bush when it comes to issues on campus. “One thing he’s done as a student leader on campus already is to be extremely transparent,” Elizondo said. “Everything he does, he makes it known why he’s doing that and how it’s going to make an impact on campus.” Mendoza said he intends to bring the thoughts of the student body into Student Government to ensure he is leading to the best of his ability. “The first tasks are sitting down and ensur-

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A&B SELF STORAGE / A&B SALES - EMBROIDERY 1711 N Earl Rudder Fwy Bryan, TX 77803 979-778-2293 charboeg@yahoo.com

For A&M Sterling Jewelry: stores.ebay.com/charboeg979

ing that I know what I ran on, and I am keeping myself accountable, people that I hopefully have in my cabinet keeping me accountable to those same standards,” Mendoza said. “That starts with sitting down with leadership around this campus.” McCue said Mendoza’s humility and generosity as a leader make him the best candidate for the job. McCue said Mendoza is sure to lead the student body well in the year to come. “He’s a leader because he’s humble,” McCue said. “He knows that people follow somebody who’s not self-centered, who’s not looking out for themself, but who is ultimately looking out for the end goal or the end mission, which is to further the mission of Texas A&M and its student body.”

LET’S BE FRIENDS Samantha Mahler, Editor-in-Chief Hannah Falcon, Managing Editor Sanna Bhai, News Editor Julia Potts, Asst. News Editor Brady Stone, Asst. News Editor Hannah Underwood, Sports Editor Jackson King, Asst. Sports Editor Hollis Mills, Life & Arts Editor Rebecca Morris, Asst. Life & Arts Editor Lexi Ellis, Engagement Editor

Jane Turchi, Special Sections Editor Meredith Seaver, Photo Chief Kaylee Cogbill, Asst. Photo Chief Henry Mureithi, Opinion Editor Cole Fowler, Arts Criticism Keagan Miller, Asst. Arts Criticism Robert Castro, Multimedia Editor Vatsal Modgil, Asst. MM Editor Cori Eckert, Page Designer

THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2020 spring semester (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media,a unit of the Division of StudentAffairs.Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com. 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.

NOT ANOTHER

AGGIE

Suicide Awareness & Prevention Oﬃce

man, elected senior Yell Leader, said he is looking forward to serving A&M again. “It feels really good,” Huffman said. “I enjoyed the first year, and I’m ready to do it again.” Construction science junior Keller Cox will follow in the steps of his older brother Cooper as he begins his second year as Yell Leader. “Honestly it’s the same way it felt the first time: an honor and a privilege that the students at this university would trust Jacob and I and these other Aggies to do it again, and to do it for the first time,” Cox said. Industrial distribution junior Weston Porter said being elected has not changed him, but he is looking forward to serving as Yell Leader. “I feel like it’s just the same thing, just a new title,” Porter said. “It doesn’t define me, so I feel the same exact way as I felt earlier today.” Finance sophomore Mason Graham said the journey to get to this point with the others that he has run with has been rewarding. “It’s an absolute honor,” Graham said. “The road that we’ve run to be here now, it’s just incredible, the guys that we run with, it’s just a huge honor.” Agribusiness sophomore Memo Salinas said he is humbled to have been elected to serve as a junior Yell Leader. He said the values he was raised on embody those of A&M. “I’ve grown up an Aggie my whole life, and I can’t think of more of a privilege to serve this university who’s given me so much,” Salinas said. “Obviously, you can tell there’s a lot of raw emotion. Growing up, dreaming of doing something like this, I’m just humbled that the people of this university trust me to serve them and serve them well, and I promise I’m gonna give them my whole heart every day, no matter what.”

SAVING A LIFE CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS 5 WORDS:

“ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE?”

@THEBATTONLINE

THE BATTALION

BATTALION MULTIMEDIA

LAST CALL!!!!! GET YOUR PHOTO TAKEN FOR THE 2020 AGGIELAND!

AR Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M University’s 2020 Aggieland yearbook. WHEN AND WHERE: Monday, 1-3 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. That’s March 2, 3 & 5 at Sanders Corps of Cadets Center, 1400 Coke St. To place your order for the 2020 book visit

tx.ag/BuyTheAggieland or call 979-845-2697. It’s just $65, plus tax and shipping.

Learn More: caps.tamu.edu/suicideprevention

If you are unable to make the specified times on campus, contact AR Photography for a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-721-0306. It’s your yearbook. Be in it.