The Battalion - February 7, 2019

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA

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The Cadet Slouch comic was created by Jim Earle, Class of 1954, and ran in The Battalion for over 25 years. Earle’s comics offered humorous commentary on many aspects of campus life.

Remembering ‘the Aggie’s Aggie’ Jim Earle, former student, professor and creator of long-running comic strip ‘Cadet Slouch,’ dies at 86

By Sanna Bhai @BhaiSanna James “Jim” Hubert Earle passed away in College Station on Monday, leaving behind lasting memories with his family and friends.

Born and raised in the small town of Jacksonville, Texas, Earle didn’t always know he wanted to be an Aggie.

However, the traditions, especially the Corps of Cadets, drew him in. Immersing himself into the culture of Texas A&M, Earle fell in love with the place. And over the years, Aggieland fell in love with him too, through his long-running comic, Cadet Slouch.

His passion for art began during his time at Jacksonville

High School with his first caricatures. A man of many talents, he was also a champion boxer, a track athlete and a football star. At the end of high school, he packed up and moved to College Station, where he would spend the majority of his life.

Starting in 1953, while Earle was a student at A&M, he began to publish comics in The Battalion. The character of Cadet Slouch, who started off making occasional appearances, soon became a daily addition to the paper. Earle’s wife of 61 years, Teresa Gatlin Earle, said Cadet Slouch was an everyday Aggie, just like Earle himself.

“He found the humor in everything,” Gatlin said. “He was not a military Aggie, he was just an Aggie’s Aggie. He was in the Corps, he loved that part of it, but he still was never a rah-rah Aggie.”

During his time at Texas A&M — both as a student and later as a professor — Earle became widely recognized for his work on Cadet Slouch, who went through various timely changes from 1953 to 1985, when Earle’s last comic was pub-

lished. Earle’s signature character gained immense popularity with both the students and the administration, leading to the creation of an entire comic book and even handmade Cadet Slouch dolls created by Earle’s mother. A&M administrators even approached him to create a resource that would encourage students to attend and pass their classes. Soon after, the university published Earle’s booklet titled “How to Flunk,”which offered a comedic account of common academic mistakes.

Though he was Class of 1954, Earle graduated in 1955 after completing a five-year degree in architecture and headed to officer training school at the Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, where he met his wife.

“He met me and he said ‘You’re a mighty pretty little girl; I might marry you,’” Gatlin said.

After the couple’s wedding on December 23, 1957, Earle returned to Aggieland to complete his Ph.D. in education and teach in A&M’s engineering design graphics department, EARLE ON PG. 4

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Sophomore guard Chennedy Carter leads the Aggies in points on the season, with 415 in total and 21.8 per game.

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Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher is welcoming the highest-ranked recruiting class the Aggies have had since A&M made the switch to the SEC in 2012.

Looking toward the future Final members of Fisher’s team sign on for 2019 season, rounding out Texas A&M recruiting class

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ Since most of Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher’s class signed their letters of intent in mid-December, the 2019 National Signing Day was mostly focused on adding the last members of the class and looking forward to spring football.

Fisher’s recruiting class is ranked No. 3 overall according to ESPN. Ahead of the Aggies are SEC opponents Alabama and Georgia, both of whom A&M will face during the regular season in 2019. Rounding out the top five teams were Oklahoma at No. 4 and Texas at No. 5.

According to ESPN, this will be the first time since 2014 that the Aggies have had a class ranked within the top five.

After spending a full year recruiting in the state of Texas, Fisher said the coaching staff always aims to recruit players from within the state, but also looks forward to bringing out of state talent to Aggieland. Of the 25 members of the class, 16 are from Texas and nine are from out of state.

As one of the newest coaches to come to a major program in Texas, Fisher said he understood that recruiting players would be a challenge. However, Fisher said it was much like recruiting in the state of Florida.

“It has such a large volume of players and numbers of players — everybody in America recruits here,” Fisher said.

“All the other states that don’t have that large volume have to go somewhere where there is a surplus of players.”

With Texas being such a fertile ground for recruiting in terms of player talent, Fisher said it was no surprise that both Florida and the Lone Star state are some of the most competitive places to land some of the best athletes in the nation.

NSD ON PG. 2

Aggies to face road test in Mizzou Tiger territory Blair says team should focus on Thursday game as tough late-season challenges loom ahead

By Dylan Poitevint @Poitite The Texas A&M women’s basketball team is looking for another victory over a conference foe as they prepare to travel to Missouri to face the Tigers on Thursday.

The Aggies have improved to a seven game winning streak after they defeated the Ole Miss Rebels on Sunday 72-60. In order to keep their winning streak alive, A&M will have to prepare for a difficult test with a road win against a talented Missouri team.

The Tigers are 16-7 and rank fourth in the SEC standings, just one spot behind the Aggies. Missouri is a talented team and can attribute much of their success to their shooting. When shooting from beyond the arc, they rank second in conference in threepoint shots made and rank third in three-point percentage.

A&M head coach Gary Blair is focusing in on what he believes will be a pivotal game for his team this season.

“The whole key is Missouri,” Blair said. “We’ve set ourselves W. BASKETBALL ON PG. 2

Megan Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the 2018 spring semester and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (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. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@ thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt. com. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687.

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Junior guard Shambria Washington has 67 assists on the season, topping the Aggie’s charts.

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up in tremendous shape, we’re 4-1 on the road, but the game is going to change.”

In order to get a win over the Tigers, Blair wants his team to get to the basket and draw fouls.

“What we’ve got to do is keep limiting our fouls,” Blair said. “We’ve got to make sure that we keep getting to the free throw line. When the three ball is not going like it wasn’t in the last ball game, get to the paint with the guards and not just the post players.

Find a way to get to the free throw line.”

With the regular season quickly coming to a close, the race to win the conference is hotter than ever. Texas A&M currently sits in third place behind Mississippi State and South Carolina. Behind the Aggies lies a four way tie for fourth place.

Blair said the final stretch of the season is crucial, and he knows it won’t be an easy road.

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“Six out of our last seven games, they have all won 15 or 16 games a piece,” Blair said. “The schedule is in front of us, and it’s sort of like football when the Aggies have to play the SEC West, and that’s what we have to do. Can you win ugly? Can you win pretty, playing fast? Can you have a great shooting night, and a great defense? It does not matter, as long as you find a way to get the win.”

As Blair looks toward the daunting schedule ahead, he said he wants the team to focus in on the Missouri game as he feels that could make or break the season.

“This momentum game is Missouri,” Blair said. “We can separate ourselves, and it’s a chase between Mississippi State, South Carolina and ourselves because all three of us still think we can win the league, but to do that, we cannot slip up at all.”

Tip-off for Thursday’s game is set for 6 p.m. in Columbia, Missouri at Mizzou Arena.

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Spring football practice begins March 20 and the spring game is set for April 13 at 1 p.m.

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NSD CONTINUED “Texas and Florida especially get bombarded,” Fisher said. “You’re right here with the SEC, Big 12, PAC-12, the ACC. Everybody comes into Texas because it’s as good as high school football as there is anywhere in America, from a player and coaching standpoint.”

One of the players Fisher said he was the most excited to have on campus is Ainias Smith from Sugarland. The 5’10” athlete from Fort Bend Dulles High school has a three-star rating according to ESPN. Fisher said Smith’s versatility is something he looks forward to developing over the summer.

“Ainias Smith is an all-around player,” Fisher said. “He is what I say an ankle-breaker, which can play in the slot, play outside but can also be a great return guy. [He’s] a guy you can get the ball to his hands very quickly and in a lot of different ways. We’re very excited about him.”

With the early departure of linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who elected to enter the NFL draft, and graduate Otaro Alaka, Fisher said it was crucial to add depth to the linebacker position.

On the afternoon of National Signing Day, the Aggies landed three-start linebacker Christopher Russell from Dyersburg, Tennessee. Fisher said during his media availability that Russell was an important get for the coaching staff, especially because of how late in the recruiting process they discovered Russell.

“We loved [him],” Fisher said. “We got on a little later, just because we saw the film a little later, but man we’re really excited about his athletic ability, his size, his instincts, his physicality and everything that goes with it.”

Fisher announced the A&M football program will begin spring practice on March 20 and the spring game is scheduled for April 13 at 1 p.m.

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Director Dan Gilroy’s “Velvet Buzzsaw” was released on Netflix and in select theaters on Feb. 1.

‘Velvet Buzzsaw:’ Tame, nonsensical horror Gilory’s latest collaboration with Jake Gyllenhaal is a bland mess

Check Ring Eligibility: By February 12 Order Deadline: February 13 Aggie Ring Day: April 12 & 13

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Cole Fowler

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@thecolefowler

an Gilroy’s latest work, “Velvet Buzzsaw,” is an interesting new addition to his already sporadic filmography. Gilroy gained national attention with his directorial debut in 2014 with his film, “Nightcrawler,” but he followed up his box-office hit with a drab, legal drama, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” Now, Gilroy has returned as a director and paired up with Jake Gyllenhaal once again. However, Gilroy’s latest work feels lifeless, especially within the context of its release on Netflix.

Despite the film’s many issues, its biggest problem is that its underlying themes are in direct conflict with its Netflix release. “Velvet Buzzsaw” depicts the horrors that begin to arise when one obsesses over the monetary value of a work of art. Yet, Netflix has proven time and time again that their business model is centered around assessing the value of their releases. Netflix clearly has the ability to reach millions of users, yet relatively few of their titles are heavily promoted. For example, last year Orson Welles’ final film, “The Other Side of the Wind,” and a documentary about its production, “They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead,” were both released onto the platform.

However, Netflix never placed them into the “New Releases” category and buried the films in their extensive database.

On the contrary, Netflix kept “Bird Box” on their front page for weeks and even ran ads on television.

So, it is deathly ironic that Netflix would release a film discussing the problematic process of placing money ahead of artistic expression when the company is, by far, the most notorious in the film industry for doing so.

The film itself is not worth overlooking the obvious

issues with its corporate influence. “Velvet Buzzsaw” never really finds its lane, and Gilroy, despite his oddly diverse filmography, clearly does not have the capability to master the tone of a genre splicing film.

The tone of the film is erratic, and the outcome of the characters is obvious too early on in the film.

The best aspects of the film are its horror elements, which really show off Gilroy’s directional capabilities. Although quite possibly unintentional, his nod to the “Phantasm” franchise with an art piece strikingly similar to the Sphere in the films was a nice touch to an otherwise dull film.

Despite the movie’s overall lack of quality, the acting is phenomenal, and boasts one of the best casts so far this year. Toni Collette follows up her Oscar-snubbed performance in last year’s “Hereditary,” and Daveed Diggs, who made the most of his talent in “Hamilton” and recently transitioned into film acting, continues to prove his range as an actor. Despite the immense talent of the supporting cast, Jake Gyllenhaal, unsurprisingly to say the least, steals the film. He plays the role of Morf, an art critic that discovers the horrific aspects of his occupation and attempts to stop the inevitable death of his co-workers.

Overall the film is watchable, but unfortunately for Gilroy, it is representative of the growing issue of films released by Netflix. As shown on numerous occasions throughout its existence, the streaming service is slowly draining the artistic aspect of film and replacing their corporate-fueled content in its place.

Netflix has the influence to give the joy of artistic film to those who otherwise would not have access to such cinema, but “Velvet Buzzsaw” is a prime example that they have no intention of doing so any time in the near future.

Cole Fowler is an English junior and columnist for The Battalion.

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The Battalion | 2.7.19

Freudian Slip brings young comics together ing people improv, that’s something we could market to maybe people who don’t want to join the club, but they want to get some sort of experience,” Cox said.

“We actually have a lot of organizations that hire us to do workshops just to get everyone comfortable with each other.”

Additionally, the group plans to host an improv comedy show on Thursdays at 7 p.m. on KANM Student Radio.

Telecommunication media studies senior Jana Landers has been a member of Freudian Slip since her junior year. She said there are several skills learned through improv that can be used in professional situations, such as answering questions during interviews and solving problems on the fly.

“Improv is a really cool tool to have in everyday life,” Landers said. “Everyone would benefit from learning the basics of improv.”

According to Landers, the most difficult part about improv is the unpredictability of their scenes, along with audience participation and reaction.

“You have to have a lot of positive self-talk,” Landers said. “Every show’s really different. Really it’s within the first five minutes we kind of get a good idea of how the show’s going to go. When you’re so in the moment, you are that character in that moment, and once you come off, it’s like ‘I don’t remember half of the things I said.’”

Industrial distribution junior Jensen Klodnicki said he joined Freudian Slip because it was one of the only opportunities for a student to act at Texas A&M. Klodnicki said he enjoys improvisation because of the friendships he has built and the happiness he gets to bring to the community.

“I tried out on a whim,” Klodnicki said. “It was 6 o’clock on a Tuesday and I wasn’t doing anything else.

It worked out and I really like it.”

Student improvisational comedy troupe performs monthly, prepares for Friday Valentine’s special

By Meagan Sheffield @mshef350 Although members of Freudian Slip practice nine hours per week, their monthly shows remain unscripted and unpredictable.

The improvisational comedy troupe will perform on Friday at 7 p.m. in Rudder Forum. Tickets for “FSlip Goes Sicko Mode: A Valentine’s Show” cost $5 and can be purchased through MSC Box Office.

Freudian Slip was founded in 1992 and does five public shows per semester, with additional shows by request. The troupe is currently composed of nine permanent members and eight probationary members.

Freudian Slip Director and public health junior Amon Cox said their shows usually start with a gimmick opener that goes into short-form games and long-form improv. They occasionally take suggestions for scene ideas from audience members throughout the show.

“When you’re in the middle of a scene, and you can feel that everyone just clicked and got on the same page, there’s this weird feeling, this group mind that you tap into,” Cox said. “That feels incredible because you can do that scene for an unlimited amount of time.”

Freudian Slip also offers workshops to the public where they coach participants on the basics of improv, working with a group and speaking in front of an audience through exercises and scenes. The next workshop is Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Rudder Tower 502. Fees are $10 per person and include pizza.

“Since we realized that half of what we do is teach-

EARLE CONTINUED

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Jim and Teresa Earle were married for 61 years.

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Founded in 1992, Freudian Slip performs improv comedy on campus. The group puts on multiple shows during the year.

conversations around him. His wife and two daughters believe that Slouch was based on of Earle himself. Although he never admitted it to them, they could see the similarities.

Both Palmer and Blodgett remember their father as a practical and thoughtful man. His first priority was his family and their reputation. He believed in living life to the fullest, having fun and remembering not to be serious all the time. Palmer said she remembers a story from her aunt about how Earle wanted Palmer to be her own person.

“I used to always be outspoken about what I had to do and they would be like ‘Oh Susan you can’t say stuff like that,’” Palmer said. “Daddy would be like ‘No no no. I want a child with an opinion. I want her to have an opinion and I want her to be self secure.’ ... I think he just wanted us to be leaders.”

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Earle thoroughly enjoyed being a professor at A&M. It was his dream job. In all his classes, he required the utmost respect of the armed forces, as he was both a former Corps member and an Air Force veteran.

“He was very respectful,” Palmer said. “I had friends that had him as a professor and they said he didn’t want you wearing a hat, wearing flip flops, ‘better be there on time, don’t come into my class with a drink, have a sharp pencil.’ He just had particular ways.”

If it was up to him, he would have never retired, Gatlin Earle said. He never wanted to grow old. In his 86 years of life, he enjoyed every moment of it. His life was full of Aggie spirit, laughter, family and of course, Cadet Slouch.

“It was his identity,” Palmer said. “He had a sense of humor and just had to express it.”

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where he later served as department head.

Earle retired in 1995, completing his teaching career at A&M. Despite his busy schedule and the extra task of creating new workbooks and textbooks for the department, he continued to set aside time to develop and publish new cartoons featuring Cadet Slouch and other iconic characters in The Battalion. Earle’s daughter, Elizabeth Blodgett, said Cadet Slouch was his way of expressing himself, and the character was a major part of his identity.

“He felt like he could not say some of these things, but he could put it in a cartoon,” Blodgett said.

Cadet Slouch ran in The Battalion for around 30 years, and the inspiration came from Earle’s own life experiences or from

Klodnicki is also involved in film and community theatre in Bryan. He said he wants to draw the people going to shows in Bryan into Freudian Slip shows, helping connect college students and families in the Bryan-College Station area.

“Being involved in [community theatre] myself, I feel kind of a tension between the campus and the student culture versus the community and the families that live here full-time,” Klodnicki said. “We just want to help bridge that gap.”

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