THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA
SLOCUM ON SELECTION COMMITTEE Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, announced in a statement Wednesday morning that former A&M head coach R. C. Slocum was named to the selection committee. The committee is tasked with ranking college teams throughout the season and ultimately choosing the top four teams to enter the playoff for a chance to play for a national championship. Slocum is the winningest head coach in A&M history. Starting out as an assistant from 1972 to 1980, he then returned to Aggieland two years later to serve as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator from 1982-1988. Slocum transitioned into the head coach position, leading the Aggies until 2002. In 2012, Slocum was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
STUDENT ELECTIONS APPROACH Election Informational: Jan. 20 in Rudder 301 at 5 p.m. Filing opens: Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. Filing closes: Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. Voting: Feb. 21 - 22 on vote.tamu.edu Results announced: Feb. 22 at the 12th Man Statue
UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS
Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION
Sophomore TJ Starks scored six of the Aggies’ points in the 85-66 loss to Auburn. A&M is now 7-8 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
Thursday, Jan. 16 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Keeping the Dream Alive Celebration at Lincoln Recreation Center from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
EATEN UP BY THE TIGERS
MLK Soul Food Lunch hosted by Brazos Valley Area Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will be from 11 a.m to 2 p.m at the Neal Recreation Center in Bryan. Each plate of food is $10 and all proceeds will go towards funding service projects in Brazos Valley.
By Abigail Ochoa @Abigailochoa88
Monday, Jan. 21 2019 MLK March and Program hosted by Brazos Valley Area Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The march will begin in Sadie Thomas Park at 10 a.m. and at Kemp Elementary for the program led by keynote speaker Brian E. Francis.
Aggie men’s basketball unable to move past mistakes in Auburn loss
The Texas A&M men’s basketball team might have put on a show for the Aggies in Reed Arena, but it was unable to come away with the win, falling 85-66 to the No.
14 Auburn Tigers on Wednesday. A&M head coach Billy Kennedy said the Aggies’ early mistakes on defense and the number of missed shots made the difference. “We got beat by a very good basketball team,” Kennedy said. “I thought that their defensive pressure and our inability to take care of the ball in the beginning of the game, it was critical. We did a poor job on the glass.”
With the loss, the Aggies move to a 7-8 overall record and add another loss in the SEC, making their conference record 1-3. Meanwhile, the Tigers keep their 2-1 conference record intact and move to 3-3 overall. Sophomore guard Savion Flagg took control in the first half, proving to be the most successful offensive player with 13 BASKETBALL ON PG. 2
FILE
While it can be fun to have a dog in college, pet ownership is a time-consuming responsibility.
Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION
After reopening in May, the Queen Theatre in Downtown Bryan began showing classic films once again.
Queen keeps it classic Bryan theater takes viewers back in time with silent movies By Lexi Ellis @lexiellis10 Walking up to the recently-restored Queen Theatre in Downtown Bryan, moviegoers immediately notice the giant, colorful rotating crown atop the building and the retro marquee that distinguishes the Queen from any regular theater. After nearly a decade of renovations, the Queen was reopened in May with new additions that remained as close to the original architecture as possible. The 130-seat theater has a balcony, a catwalk and $5 tickts. Perhaps the most intriguing, however, is the Queen’s commit-
ment to classic films. House manager Jim Bob McKown runs the theater, makes programing decisions and selects a wide variety of movie showings. Most recently, McKown led the charge to bring silent films to the Downtown Bryan theater. “We also like to provide arthouse movies,” McKown said. “You’re not really watching it for the story. You’re really watching it to be amazed that they had the technology to do this 100 years ago.” McKown recently played the silent movie “The Conquering Power” from 1921 starring Rudolph Valentino. McKown plans to start showing a silent movie once a month from now on. “It’s a really neat experience, QUEEN ON PG. 3
Canine companions
Students, humane society address pros and cons of owning a pet dog in college By Marina Garcia @margar211
Having a dog in college can certainly be a fun experience, but like all pets, they come with their own set of challenges. Scheduling time to properly care for a pet is important to consider before adopting. But there are certainly some upsides to having a furry friend while in college. Animal Science junior Reagan Gallagher rescued her dog a year and two months ago in Dallas. Dotti, or Dot-Dot, is a schnauzer who serves as an emotional support dog for Gallagher. “I was really stressed out,” Gallagher said. “That’s the thing they don’t warn you going into college, that it’s lonely.” Gallagher said going home to Dotti helped her to feel less lonely after a long day of classes. However, a huge challenge of having a dog is scheduling both work and classes to make sure that pets are not being left home alone for a long period of time. This can affect how a student spends their free time.
“You don’t really get to have that much of a nightlife or party life,” Gallagher said. “I know especially with me, I’m thinking about making sure I get home to her at the end of the night.” Animal science sophomore Hannah Langford said having a pet influences the way she manages her time. “It kind of changes the way I go about things,” Langford said. “I have to think about someone else before I just do whatever I want.” Since Langford was 9 years old, her black and tan dachshund Bella has been a part of her family. When she got an apartment her sophomore year, Langford knew she wanted Bella to join her. “To know that every day I come home and she’s there, she’s excited to see me, it’s a really positive part of my day,” Langford said. “I think it’s definitely a stress reliever to have her here.” The Aggieland Humane Society sees many students wanting to adopt. Communication specialist Darby McKenzie said the shelter works with them to make sure each dog will be properly cared for. They discuss scheduling, living arrangements and other things students might not consider when adopting. “We want to meet that head on before the pet leaves our facilities,” McKenzie said.
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Private Piano or Voice Lessons Music Services for Weddings/Special Events Call Scott at 979-204-0447
Senior Boot Bag Price Includes Logo and Name (More logos available) Shop for Little Aggies to an Aggie Xmas etsy.com/shop/aggiesandbows by Charlotte, Reveille’s Seamstress Aggie Mom & Grandma Located inside the office/store of: A&B SELF STORAGE / A&B SALES - EMBROIDERY 1711 N Earl Rudder Fwy Bryan, TX 77803 979-778-2293 charboeg@yahoo.com
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Fionn Whitehead stars as teenage video game creator Stefan Butler, the protagonist of “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.”
Good story hindered by interactive structure
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Life & Arts writer says newest Black Mirror film struggles to combine differing elements By Navid Nathani @nathaninavid
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etflix’s interactive film “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” follows Stefan Butler, a teenager creating a choose-your-own-adventure video game called Bandersnatch, based on a book of the same name. Directed by David Slade, this interactive type of film is not only new to the “Black Mirror” anthology series but also to the film industry as a whole. The film allows the viewer to make choices for the character, ranging from what breakfast cereal Stefan should eat to decisions that will lead to a morbid ending of the film. The film does this by pausing throughout the movie and giving the viewer 10 seconds to pick between two options, resulting in a scene with the option you picked in mind. This results in a flowchart-like narrative that hinges on prior choices. Starting with the familiar aspects of this film, the acting is very hit or miss. Fionn Whitehead, who plays Stefan, does a great job portraying a traumatized and isolated video game developer. However, the supporting cast is another story. Will Poulter makes the viewer feel intentionally uncomfortable but at the same time is very rigid in his expression when the character is clearly written to show some emotion. The rest of the supporting cast only has a few speaking lines, giving the film an impression that it’s an amateur production
Megan Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief Luke Henkhaus, Managing Editor Jordan Burnham, News Editor Sanna Bhai, Asst. News Editor Henry Mureithi, Asst. News Editor Kathryn Whitlock, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Falcon, Life & Arts Editor Samantha Mahler, Life & Arts Editor
Angel Franco, Sports Editor Abigail Ochoa, Sports Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Chief Meredith Seaver, Asst. Photo Chief Daoud Qamar, Video Editor Kevin Christman, Video Editor Jane Turchi, Special Sections Editor
THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the 2019 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.
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rather than a million dollar property, especially when compared to the incredibly high standards set by the “Black Mirror” series in previous episodes. The interactive aspect of this film is incredibly unique and frustrating. Due to the nature of the film, it is forced to pause constantly and allow the viewer to make a choice, which cuts tension and halts momentum. Depending on the choices you make, the film will allow you to go back to a critical decision to help you explore different routes. When you make the choice after a reset, the movie plays in fast forward where only the highlights of the story play, which helps the viewer keep track of where they are in the story. The film is basic in its cinematography but strengthened by series creator Charlie Brooker’s screenplay. “Bandersnatch” is written very well, with characters given clear motivations and the plot taking classic “Black Mirror” twists and turns. The story helps the viewer look past the technical issues with the interactive format and focus on how the film will ultimately end. The key aspects of this film are its interactive elements and what this combination of film and video game means for the entertainment industry as a whole. The biggest benefit of playing a video game is the interactive nature, while the biggest benefit of a film is seeing a story the creators want to tell. “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” falls off the tightrope when trying to balance both media of entertain-
ment. Due to the need to keep a concise narrative, the viewer feels like they’re never really in control of how the story plays out — that the interactive nature is only a facade. The audience is still just an observer to the story the creators want to tell, unlike in a story-driven video game, where the player constantly feels like a part of the journey. Another issue is that even though the viewer is at the whim of the story the creators want to tell, the different endings and paths the narrative can take leave the viewer unsure of what the creator is trying to say. What is true becomes unclear as different choices often lead to contradicting narratives. This film is extremely well-written after you make your choice, but as soon as you hit an inevitable reset, the story becomes too convoluted. Overall, “Bandersnatch” is an interesting film that is held back by the medium it uses. At this point, interactive films are impossible to be played for mass audiences, and these elements ultimately harm the story, showing that creators are better off choosing a medium rather than combining. It feels as if there are multiple interesting films in Bandersnatch, but none of them are ever explored. This film is perfect for someone that has two hours to spare, but it isn’t the industry-breaking film the creators were hoping it would be. Navid Nathani is a business administration sophomore and Life &Arts writer for The Battalion.
Texas A&M University Vol. 116
2018 AGGIELAND The 2018 Aggieland are here and it’s not to late to buy your copy. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook is a photojournalistic record of the 2017-2018 school year
Photos by Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION
No. 14 Auburn defeated the Aggies on Wednesday night, increasing the Tigers’ overall record to 13-3 (2-1 SEC).
Go Online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.
BASKETBALL CONTINUED points and three rebounds. Kennedy said Auburn did a good job of limiting sophomore guard TJ Starks’ shots because it changed the offensive pace A&M usually has, forcing Flagg to then step in as their offensive leader. Turnovers have become a problem for A&M this season, and things were no different in this game. A&M committed 15 turnovers against the Tigers. Paired with the lack of defensive momentum, A&M was unable to lead Auburn at any point during the game. According to junior forward Josh Nebo, this was something the Aggies were aware of coming into the game. “Against Auburn, you can’t have too many turnovers because they are a very good fast-breaking team that can
$75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee) Come by office L400 of the MSC and skip the mail fee charge.
Don’t forget to also preorder your copy of the 2019 Aggieland yearbook. The 117th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Distribution will be the Fall 2019.
get hot,” Nebo said before the game. “So we’ll have to limit our turnovers again.” With a 32 percent three-point guarding rate, A&M has had success defending shots in the three-point range. But after allowing 13 three-point shots and only making seven in the game, the Aggies proved this statistic could change in any matchup. Auburn’s senior guard Bryce Brown was responsible for five of the 13 threepoint shots. Starting junior guard for the Aggies Wendell Mitchell said stopping Brown became the number one priority once he started getting comfortable on the three-point line. “After he made his first two, you could tell his confidence was getting very high,” Mitchell said. “He started to just take ill-advised shots, just getting them up. But we’ve just got to find
him, find guys like that and strengthen our transition obviously.” Throughout the game, the Aggies used the Tigers’ aggressive defense to their advantage. This sent A&M to the free throw line and led to 21 points from fouls. Overall, A&M shot 70 percent from free throw range. Kennedy said the game was a chance for A&M to face a team that had a different style of play than they were used to. “I don’t want to take anything away from Auburn or their style of play,” Kennedy said. “Everything they do well, we don’t do well. So it was a tough matchup for us. They shoot … they control the ball very well, and they influence turnovers.’’ The Aggies will return to the court on Saturday to face Missouri at 2:30 p.m. in Reed Arena.
Notice of University Student Rule Revisions Additions, deletions and changes to the University Student Rules may occur over the course of the year. The following student rules have been revised: Rule # 39
Rule Soliciting on Campus
Date Student Rule Website Updated November 30, 2018
Each student has the responsibility to be fully acquainted with and to comply with the Texas A&M University Student Rules. Student Rules can be found at http://student-rules.tamu.edu.
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Q&A: 19-year-old Ph.D. grad speaks about academic journey, future job Noel Jett, Class of 2015, received her doctorate from the University of North Texas in December. At 19 years old, she is the school’s youngest Ph.D. graduate. When she was 16, Jett left Aggieland with a bachelor’s degree in psychology before she went to UNT to study educational psychology. News writer Katie James spoke with Jett about her experience.
7. What benefits come from being done with school so early? Career-wise, there’s no comparison, it’s an amazing opportunity. When it comes to my goal to be a therapist, it’s an unparalleled advantage. I can be licensed within the next few years, and since I’m hoping to work with a lot of younger people, I think youth is a great way to relate to and understand my future clients. I’ve already found my age to be an advantage as a teacher. I’m an instructor at an online alternative school for gifted/advanced students, and I have been able to relate to them more than others. It has been deeply enjoyable for me and them. There’s also a monetary advantage to doing school quickly. The less time I’m accruing debt, the happier I am. Not to mention the monetary advantage to starting a career sooner: that’s more time I’m accruing interest on my savings and investments, which is how I pay off my debt.
1. How does it feel to be the youngest person to get their Ph.D. from UNT and all the attention that comes with it? How something feels is subjective and complicated, I don’t really have any other feeling to compare it to. How does it feel to be a woman if you’ve never been a man? How does it feel to be from America if you’ve never lived anywhere else? How does it feel to get a Ph.D. at any age? So, it’s not easy to answer, but the basic answer is it feels great to be Dr. Jett. I’m glad to be done and start the next chapter of my life. As for being the youngest Ph.D. grad from UNT, that was never my goal. It’s fun to break a record, but it’s not important to me. Same goes for all the subsequent attention: I’m happy to raise awareness, but it was never a goal of mine to have articles about me. I just hope the articles can help people understand how and why one would go to college so early, especially those who are considering doing it themselves. 2. What made you decide to pursue your Ph.D? It’s something I needed for my career plan. It was a great experience, I learned so much, and I’m really happy I was able to complete it on my ideal schedule. 3. What made you choose A&M for your undergraduate degree? Out of the four schools I applied to, A&M was the best school at the best price. Plus, when I told advisors about my age at various different schools, some were negative, some were neutral, but only A&M advisers and staff were excited. They thought it was cool and interesting, rather than accusing me of being an attention-seeker or living under a rock or something. I had also been on A&M’s campus many times before to attend the Physics and Engineering Festival, so the campus wasn’t intimidating. Didn’t stop me from getting lost my first day, though. 4. Why did you decide to major in psychology? Going to college so young, my mom said I needed to major in something I was already really familiar with. So she said I was only allowed to major in math or psychology as those were my best subjects. I was always free to stay back in community if I wanted to be more adventurous, but I was ready to move on to college. I chose psychology because it’s what I’m more passionate about. 5. What’s next for you? What career or other goals do you have? I’m starting a master’s program in clinical mental health counseling
QUEEN CONTINUED especially at the theatre,” concessions worker Hefti said. “It’s really like going back in time to come here.” Sandy Farris, executive director of the Downtown Bryan Association, said the inclu-
Courtesy
Noel Jett, Class of 2015, graduated from A&M at 16 before earning her Ph.D. from UNT at 19 years old.
so that I can become a therapist. It’s crazy to go back to school after all this, and it’s a bit unorthodox to get your Ph.D. before your master’s, but it’s undoubtedly the best path for me. My goal was always to become a therapist who focuses on gifted people and their families. Growing up, I had unique issues that traditional child psychology often didn’t address, especially when I was a teenager in college. Of course, it was worth it, but since what I was going through was so rare and poorly understood, I was basically flying blind. I would love to be someone else’s resource so they can do something like what I did, but with a bit more guidance. 6. What challenges came from attending college at such a young age? I feel like I didn’t have that many challenges in college. At least my memories are mostly positive. Even so, it would be hard to determine which challenges I faced came from being younger and which were just challenges anyone else would go through. Obviously, I didn’t have a traditional college experience at that age but, that was never important to me. The majority of the “college experience” people talk about seems to just be stuff you do in your early 20s that you can do just as well outside of college. I still had a pretty great college experience, just a different one.
sion of silent films is part of an effort to keep with classic film history at The Queen. “Silent films started being shown just at the turn of the century in the early 1900s at the Queen, and so we just think it’s a cool way to look back, and it’s exciting that those films are still available to be shown,” Farris said. “It’s
8. What’s your fondest memory from your time at A&M? Oh, I couldn’t pick one, there were so many great moments. Late night study groups, events with Cepheid Variable like AggieCon and working the concession stands at games, working and hanging out with my Aggie Research Scholars team, running a research lab, doing my first interview ever with Leslie Henton, failing my first exam… okay the last one was terrible at the time, but is really funny to me in retrospect and was a learning moment for sure. I have some other great memories from the time I was at A&M not specific to being in school (see how that “college experience” encompasses things you can do at any time?) Like road tripping to New Orleans for a music festival and being on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Whiz Kids specialty week. Also, I really enjoyed writing for The Mugdown. Our meetings were always hysterical. 9. What kinds of things were you involved in at A&M? I already mentioned Cepheid Variable, but I was also in Spanish Club (for people of all backgrounds to speak to each other in Spanish, rather than a club for Spaniards — thought I should clarify), and when I was about to graduate and attending my last session with them, they got me a cookie cake, so that was really sweet (literally and figuratively). I was an Aggie Research Scholar, meaning I managed a research project with other undergrads as my team that I hired, which was a ton of fun and great experience. I conducted research that was published, and that was awesome too. 10. Who has been your biggest inspiration or role model? A big part of this journey was the fact that I didn’t really have anyone to be my role model in terms of my academic path. I hope to be that person for other people, and some have already reached out to me and told me I helped them in that regard, which is very humbling and gratifying. I did have some great inspirations in general for the kind of person I want to be, which has always been my mom. I’ve also had a great role model in my childhood math tutor and lifelong friend, Dr. Alicia Prieto-Langarica — she was my Plus One on Millionaire too.
not for everybody, but it’s a piece of film history that fits right in with the Queen history.” Hefti said the theatre offers a variety that can appeal to a diverse audience. “We have pretty fair mixture of movies,” Hefti said. “It’s a little bit of everything for everybody. I love the whole atmosphere.”
Farris said she likes that the Queen can introduce new generations of movie lovers to silent films. “It’s a pretty awesome experience to sit there and realize that almost 100 years ago there was an audience sitting there probably watching that same movie,” Farris said.
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Brand new 1bd/1ba, walking distance to campus, call 979-693-4900.
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HELP WANTED 3 strong men to help move furniture in home, contact 979-574-6066 for more information.
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HELP WANTED Part-time cleaning, day and evening, Monday-Friday. Call 979-823-1614 for interview. Looking to get real-estate license or have license but looking for a company to work for? Call 979-693-4900 or send resume to curtis@aafbcs.com Work around your class schedule! No Saturday or Sundays, off during the holidays. The Battalion Advertising Office is hiring an Advertising Sales Representative. Must be enrolled at A&M and have reliable transportation. Interested applicants should come by our office located in the MSC, Suite 400, from 8am-4pm, ask to speak with Joseph.
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MISCELLANEOUS FOR ALL TAMU DEPARTMENTS Event Tents- Table Drapes- Staff Shirts- Awards- Promo Products with your department logo. Quick turnaround. Licensed for TAMU. Contact: bkellysims@yahoo.com Website: promoworldllc.com
REAL ESTATE CS 2810 Jennifer, 4/2.5/2, shuttle, $189,500; Michael, TAMU'93 Civil Engineering, 979-739-2035; Nadia 979-777-6211, mail@nadiarealty.com Town&Country Realty. Hablamos Espanol!
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AILING DOGS FOUND ALIVE Video footage obtained by PETA has revealed that Texas A&M University experimenters have been intentionally breeding golden retrievers to develop canine muscular dystrophy. The dogs struggle to walk, eat, and even breathe. • Bred to Suffer The dogs in Texas A&M’s laboratory are imprisoned in barren metal cages. They struggle to choke down thin gruel—all they can manage to swallow because of their weakened jaw muscles. Ropes of drool hang from their mouths.
• Destined to Die Many of the dogs develop severe respiratory problems and congestive heart failure as their disease progresses. Most die or are killed before their second birthday.
• Hoping for Change Because experiments on animals aren’t applicable to humans, decades of experiments on dogs have failed to lead to a cure or even a treatment for muscular dystrophy in humans. It’s time for TAMU to switch to superior non-animal research methods to study this disease, including gene-editing technology and the use of cell cultures.
Please urge President Michael Young to shut down the cruel dog lab: • 979-845-2217 • PresidentYoung@tamu.edu • #StopTAMUDogTests
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