WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2020 STUDENT MEDIA
Silver Taps
Nicholas J. King Apr. 14, 2000 - Feb. 7, 2020
Cameron C. McNeff June 30, 1998 - Feb. 15, 2020
Roel I. Prado June 3, 1999 - Feb. 13, 2020
TRIBUTES ON PAGE 5
Reveille I revealed
PUBLICATION NOTICE This week’s print edition of The Battalion is printed on Wednesday in preparation of students leaving for Spring Break. The Battalion will not print during Spring Break, and print will resume on Thursday, March 19. Over Spring Break, readers can follow thebatt. com and The Battalion’s social media feeds for breaking news and updates.
WHAT WE KNOW: SUPER TUESDAY
Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION
Brazos County voters form a line through the second level of the MSC on Super Tuesday.
PROVIDED
Eddie Chew Jr. stands with the statue of Reveille I in the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center. His parents Eddie Chew Sr. and Settie Mae were the original owners of “Puppy” or “Blackie” before she became Reveille I in 1931.
Aggieland’s first mascot originally belonged to African American groundskeeper, equipment manager By Hollis Mills @sillohsllim
A
t a home football game in the fall of 1931, the very first First Lady of Aggieland hopped onto Kyle Field with the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. Unbeknownst to those in the crowd that day, the black and white female cur’s first steps on the field would create one of Texas A&M’s most cherished traditions. While a crowd of over 2,000 attendees wel-
comed their new mascot, the team’s assistant groundskeeper and equipment manager, Eddie Chew, stood on the sideline and watched in disbelief. The puppy that vanished from his property six months prior was now wagging its tail alongside the Corps of Cadets. Following his retirement from the Air Force and administrative law, Willie E.B. Blackmon, Class of 1973, works on a committee for the preservation of historical markers in Bryan-College Station. Blackmon said he has spent a lifetime fighting for minority causes. In 2013, he convinced A&M administration to place Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Clarence Sasser, Class of 1973, into the MSC Hall of Honor. Black stories punctuated by distinguished service to Aggieland are the kind of narratives Blackmon enjoys putting a spotlight on. For this reason, he remembers the exact moment a colleague brought the story of
Reveille’s origin to his attention. “One day we were talking about the historical markers we were approving for the city,” Blackmon said. “By the end of the meeting she asked, ‘Judge Blackmon, did you realize that Reveille I was once owned by a black man named Eddie Chew?’ I said, ‘That’s not true. If it had been true, I would have known it by now.’” But Blackmon found the truth was stranger than fiction, as his colleague handed him an April 22, 1942, excerpt from the Bryan-College Station Eagle. “I was shocked,” Blackmon said. “A story dated 1942 by Eddie Chew talked about how they found out he was Reveille I’s original owner, he and his wife. Once it came to my attention, I started researching more and interviewing other people in the African American community in what became REVEILLE I ON PG. 6
During Super Tuesday, 14 states, including Texas, hold primary elections. Held on March 3 this year, Super Tuesday’s impact is large due to the number of delegates at stake. The democratic and republican candidates with the most state delegates at the end of all primaries will win their respective party’s candidacy. With 228 delegates, Texas could help determine the race. For the democratic candidates, early polling has favored Bernie Sanders with Joe Biden closely behind. Historically, Texas has been a red state, but there is speculation of it becoming “purple,” which would make it a crucial swing state. Voting in Brazos County was available in several locations, including the MSC. A long line trailed through the building on Tuesday as people prepared to vote for presidential and congressional candidates. Since incumbent Rep. Bill Flores announced his retirement, Super Tuesday voting will determine the republican and democratic candidates for the District 17 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Coronavirus outbreak prompts trip cancellations A&M-sponsored travel suspended to countries with Level 1, 2, 3 travel risk By Brady Stone @bradystonex Weeks after the university canceled non-essential, university-sponsored travel to China, Education Abroad trips to Iran, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong for the remainder of the semester have been suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. “Texas A&M is canceling university-sponsored student education abroad spring programs to Level 1, 2 and 3 [travel risk] countries,” a campus-wide email from the university read. “Any student, faculty, staff or visitor traveling from or through Level 2 or Level 3 countries must self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days before returning to the Texas A&M campus.” In a Feb. 28 email addressed to students with a planned study abroad trip to Italy during Spring Break, the program coordinator stated: “Spring 2020 Italy program has been canceled due to the coronavirus. Each of you will receive a full refund of your program fee. The refund process may take some time, but I will keep you posted as soon as I find out when the refund is issued to your accounts. Thank you for your understanding and stay safe.” On the same day, another email was sent to students currently studying in Italy assuring them their trip had not yet been canceled. The email sent to students in Italy stated: “At this time, the CDC is not recommend-
Via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The coronavirus has spread to several countries including Italy, Australia, United States, Japan and South Korea.
ing canceling or postponing worldwide travel. We have decided not to cancel spring semester or summer term programs in Europe or Japan. However, we have decided to cancel spring break trips to countries with the CDC Level 2 Travel Notice. This includes official university travel to Italy and Japan. The decision to cancel the spring break trips is due to
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the WHO recommendation that travelers to Level 2 countries should self-quarantine upon return to the U.S. As such, we feel that imposing the self-quarantine on spring break travelers would negatively impact the remainder of their spring semester.” Shortly after this email was sent, the CDC raised the Travel Advisories for Italy to a Lev-
el 3 warning, and the university followed up with a Feb. 29 email stating A&M is relocating all faculty-led programs currently in Italy back to College Station. This decision to suspend the current Italy Education Abroad trip and the planned Spring Break trips is in accordance with University OUTBREAK ON PG. 2