The Battalion - March 4, 2021

THURSDAY, MARCH 4 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2021 STUDENT MEDIA

Regents name sole finalist for A&M president

via gov.texas.gov

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that statewide COVID-19 mandates will be rescinded.

Abbott defies CDC guidance Gov. Greg Abbott rescinds COVID-19 restrictions, effective March 10

By Bec Morris @BecWrote

served on the search committee, announced Banks’ status as a finalist in an email.

“I can assure you that Dr. Banks emerged from an exceptional field of candidates,” Junkins said. “At every stage of her career, she has excelled in teaching, research and transformational academic leadership.”

Chairperson of the Board of Regents Elaine Mendoza said the candidates on their initial list were from across the country, and the board was excited about the finalists picked by System Chancellor John Sharp.

Mendoza said the goal in the search was to find someone who could expand the vision of A&M. “She’ll be the second woman to be president of this great institution. I think the first female engineer to boot. It’s awesome to see,” Mendoza said. “It is awesome that the chancellor looked far and wide, [and] had no position as to what this candidate should look like, so to speak. Breaking those barriers is huge.”

As Texas reaches the one-year mark of its first confirmed case of COVID-19, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday, March 2 during an address in Lubbock that the statewide mask mandate will be lifted and businesses can resume operations at 100 percent capacity beginning Wednesday, March 10.

Abbott’s order also states that counties cannot fine or penalize individuals who don’t wear masks. With all COVID-19-related executive orders reversed, Texas joins Mississippi, Florida, Missouri and Iowa as the first states to fully reopen and remove statewide restrictions.

“Today’s announcement does not abandon safe practices that Texans have mastered over the past year,” Abbott said in a press release.

“Instead, it is a reminder that each person has a role to play in their own personal safety and the safety of others. With this executive order, we are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny.”

After the executive order goes into effect, businesses will still be allowed to require masks on their premises, reduce capacity or add safety procedures at their own discretion, but individual counties are not allowed to enforce lower than 50 percent capacity. However, if COVID-19 hospitalization rates rise above 15 percent for over seven consecutive days, county

PRESIDENT ON PG. 5

MANDATE ON PG. 2

via today.tamu.edu

Kathy Banks currently serves at the vice chancellor of engineering for the A&M System and the dean of the College of Engineering at A&M’s flagship campus.

Kathy Banks set to become second female president in history of Texas A&M’s College Station campus

By Julia Potts & Brady Stone @juliaapotts & @bradystonex

K

athy Banks, Ph.D., has been announced by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents as the sole finalist for president of A&M. Banks, who currently serves as vice chancellor of engineering for the university system and dean of the College of Engineering, was unanimously chosen as the sole finalist by all nine of the members of the Board of Regents after being recommended by Chancellor John Sharp. This decision sets Banks up to be the 26th president and

second female president in A&M’s history.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Banks said in a press release. “The Core Values of Texas A&M, its rich traditions, unique culture and commitment to the greater good is the very foundation of this great university and resonates deeply with me. I hope to build upon that framework in our pursuit of preeminence, without losing what makes Texas A&M so special. Texas A&M is one of a kind, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Banks received her master’s of engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1985 and her Ph.D. at Duke University in 1989. In addition, she studied and worked at three land grant universities before coming to A&M in 2011, according to a press release from the A&M System.

After Michael K. Young resigned from his position as president of A&M in December of 2020, a 17-person search committee was named and began work to narrow down candidates to fill the job for the long-term.

Interim President John Junkins, who

Via Twitter @AggieWBB

Senior center Anna Dreimane came up with two big fourth quarter blocks in A&M’s 65-57 win over South Carolina.

Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

Communication junior Natalie Parks will serve as Texas A&M’s next student body president.

A&M makes history Aggies clinch first regular season conference title in program history

By Brady Stone @bradystonex Editor’s Note: Since winning the regular season championship, Texas A&M is now ranked No. 2 by the Associated Press and South Carolina has fallen to No. 7.

A dominant third quarter performance pushed the then-No. 3 Texas A&M women’s basketball team past the finish line and into the history books.

The Aggies clinched their first SEC regular season title in program history with a 65-57 win over then-No. 5 South Carolina. This win puts the Aggies in a league of their own

when it comes to ranked wins, with a perfect 9-0 record against ranked opponents good for the most in the nation.

A&M and South Carolina started the game battling for not only the conference title, but a boost to their resumes with SEC and NCAA tournament seeding on the line. The women’s basketball committee revealed on Sunday that both the Aggies and the Gamecocks have been picked as No. 1 seeds with A&M at No. 3 and South Carolina at No. 4 in the latest top-16 ranking.

“Women’s basketball needed a game like this,” A&M coach Gary Blair said. “We’re the two best teams in the SEC, and we’ve had to prove it night in and night out with different schemes brought against us or brought against South Carolina. Now it’s up to both of us to throw this season away and start all CHAMPIONS ON PG. 2

Natalie Parks to serve as SBP Parks, 5 For Yell elected to serve student body by large margins

By Aubrey Vogel & Julia Potts @aubrey_vogel & @juliaapotts Candidates, family and friends gathered at the 12th Man statue by Kyle Field to hear the results of the spring 2021 student body election.

The announcements were made at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, by business sophomore Cara Maxwell, the 2021 election commissioner. Communication junior Natalie Parks was elected the 2021-2022 student body president, with 4,097 votes. The 5 For Yell campaign swept Yell Leader elections with Zac Cross and Kipp Knecht chosen as junior Yell Leaders and Memo Salinas, Noah

Ferguson and Woods Johnson were chosen to be senior Yell Leaders.

Surrounded by her campaign team, Parks accepted congratulations from other student body president candidates. Parks, who will be the fifth female student body president in A&M history, said the moment feels surreal and she is still processing her victory.

“It’s an absolute dream come true,” Parks said. “I cannot wait to serve the student body.

It is beyond the greatest honor that I could have ever received.”

Cross said he is hoping for a COVID-19free world where the Yell Leaders bring the student body together to carry on Aggie traditions.

“I can’t get it out in words,” Cross said.

“It’s an amazing feeling, and I can’t wait to get to serve this university and the students ELECTION ON PG. 6

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The Battalion | 3.4.21

CHAMPIONS CONTINUED over again at the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.”

Heading into Sunday’s game, the Aggies knew controlling the Gamecocks’ sophomore forward Aliyah Boston on both offense and defense would be the key to their success. The Aggies did just that in the first quarter, only allowing her one basket and forcing her to the bench with an early foul.

“Both of us were trying to monitor our situations at the five position, but one thing we wanted to make sure [is that] we were still going to attack Boston,” Blair said. “[Senior centers Ciera Johnson and Anna Dreimane] did an outstanding job in there. Sometimes I had to go small ball, but, as usual, my guards were making good decisions and we were not

living and dying by the three.”

Senior forward N’dea Jones led the Aggies through the first, scoring eight points and grabbing five boards. Jones finished the game with 16 points and 14 rebounds, good for her 14th double-double of the season.

Jones, who became A&M’s all-time leader in rebounds during the game, said she hasn’t begun to process this milestone yet.

“Honestly when it happened I didn’t even know it happened, I was just worried about getting back on defense,” Jones said. “It feels pretty good, but I’m really happy that my team won. They needed the extra possessions I was able to give them, especially from Ciera [Johnson] and I … tipping the rebound to each other to try and help each other out.”

With A&M up only 35-34 at the end of the second, the Aggies charged out of half time on a 17-3 run. Sophomore guard Jordan Nixon

highlighted A&M’s third quarter performance with two timely three-pointers from the top of the key, one of which gave A&M its gamehigh 15-point lead.

“What I love about Jordan is she’s super calm,” Dreimane said. “When things start to get out of hand and people get emotional, she just always takes a step back and brings us all down.”

Johnson picked up her third foul of the game halfway through the third quarter and was substituted out for 6-foot-5 center Anna Dreimane. Dreimane performed well, helping A&M keep Boston scoreless in the third and coming up with two big blocked shots to kickstart the fourth quarter for the Aggies.

“Honestly I just try to go in and do my best,” Dreimane said. “I take great pride in defense so that’s my focus when I go in. I’m so glad that that’s how it went today and that

MANDATE CONTINUED

Creative Commons

Public health officials urge Americans to follow COVID-19 safety precautions including wearing a mask in public.

judges are permitted to use COVID-19 mitigation strategies, according to the terms of the new executive order.

Following Tuesday’s announcement, the White House COVID-19 response team held a press briefing where CDC director Rochelle Walensky said Americans should continue wearing masks and following recommended safety protocols despite state governmental decisions.

“I think we, the CDC, have been very clear that now is not the time to release all restrictions,” Walensky said.

According to Bloomberg, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden plans to speak with all governors currently lifting restrictions about their actions. “[Biden] believes and he’s hopeful that people in these states will continue to follow the guidelines that have been set out and the recommendations made by health and medical experts,” Psaki said. “This entire country has paid the price for political leaders who ignore the science when it comes to the pandemic.”

According to The Eagle, the mayors of both Bryan and College Station, said they are likely to lift most coronavirus restrictions, including mask requirements, following Gov. Abbott’s lead.

Brazos County alternate health authority Seth Sullivan said while he understands the pressure of such a decision, he strongly recommends the state and county wait to lift the mandate until a

it was a huge game and a huge win. I’m just so happy.”

Four Aggies scored in double figures, and senior guard Aaliyah Wilson led the pack with 16. Jones followed with 16, just ahead of Nixon with 11 and senior guard Kayla Wells with 10.

Wilson said the balance of her team is what makes the Aggies a difficult opponent.

“Everybody on the team has something they’re good at or can do,” WIlson said. “I think that’s what makes us so good. No team can just cut us off because every player brings something to the table.”

Next, the Aggies will enter the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history on March 5 in Greenville, S.C.

higher percentage of the population is vaccinated.

“As a public health professional, it would be my preference that we continue to do what we’re doing and finish the fight,” Sullivan told The Eagle.

As of Wednesday, March 3, Brazos County reported 42 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the active case count to 862 and the total number of reported cases to 17,532. ICU bed occupancy is at 81 percent, with 36 county residents hospitalized. The total number of county COVID-19 deaths is up to 209.

Statewide, Texas has over 2.6 million total cases — 178,433 of which are active — with 44,108 COVID-19-related deaths, the second highest total cases and third highest deaths in the country. California takes first in both total cases and deaths, with New York reporting almost 4,000 more deaths than Texas. Though the U.S. has seen a downward trend in new cases, Texas’s numbers have increased over the past seven days.

This announcement comes as Texas moves toward Phase 1C of vaccine distribution, with 3.5 million Texans in the first two categories having already received at least one dose. Only 6.8 percent of the 29 million Texans are fully vaccinated, with only 8.8 million total doses currently allotted to the state. Phase 1C now includes teachers, childcare workers and school staff, following Biden’s encouragement for this group’s prioritization. However, officials have not yet released what other sectors of the population will take part in this phase.

Brazos County currently has administered 25,982 vaccine doses as of March 2, but only 4.9 percent of the county population has been fully vaccinated.

In a meeting on Tuesday, Biden also said there will be enough vaccines for every adult American by May, due to a new vaccine production partnership between Johnson & Johnson and Merck.

In light of this new information, it is still unclear at this time whether Texas A&M will change its mask mandate or capacity protocols after March 10.

In a campus-wide email sent March 2 following Abbott’s announcement, the university said current COVID-19 protocols will remain in effect until at least March 10.

Dean of the School of Public Health Shawn Gibbs heads A&M’s COVID-19 response team.

“We are reviewing the governor’s executive order and will have a statement out before it goes into effect on March 10,” Gibbs’s office said in a comment to The Battalion.

Despite a decision not yet being announced by the university, students have already created a petition for A&M to maintain its current face covering requirements.

“As students and members of the Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station communities, we believe we have a responsibility to lead by example in protecting and serving our student, faculty, staff and city communities,” the petition reads.

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Brady Stone, Editor-in-Chief Myranda Campanella, Managing Editor Julia Potts, News Editor Bec Morris, News Editor Hannah Underwood, Sports Editor Jennifer Streeter, Asst. Sports Editor Casey Stavenhagen, Asst. Sports Editor Shelby McVey, Life & Arts Editor Jessica Le, Asst. Life & Arts Editor Amina Butt, Maroon Life Editor

Joshua Howell, Opinion Editor Caleb Powell, Asst. Opinion Editor Will Nye, Photo Chief Abbey Santoro, Asst. Photo Chief Mitchell Beddingfield, Multimedia Editor Annie Wells, Multimedia Editor Cori Eckert, Design Editor

THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2021 sprint 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.

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A&M moves toward zero emission transportation

via transport.tamu.edu

Three electric buses will soon join the Texas A&M Aggie Sprirt bus fleet in the summer of 2021.

Electric buses spark beginning of low emission fleet at Texas A&M

By Jack Corrales @JackCorrales11 A new change on it’s way to the Aggie Spirit bus system as Texas A&M’s Department of Transportation Services has purchased three electric and 35 diesel buses to add to its fleet in the summer of 2021.

Due to the large size of A&M’s campus, the bus system is an essential service used by many students. Doug Williams, a director within Transportation Services, said the department has investigated purchasing alternatively fueled buses for some time. He said the high price and new infrastructure support cost put these alternative options out of reach.

“Historically, Transportation Services has been responsible for providing 100 percent of

the funds required to acquire and operate the bus system,” Williams said. “Typical municipal transit systems are designated as the transit authority eligible to receive subsidization by the federal government to acquire capital.”

In the early 2000s, the university partnered with the Brazos Transit District to apply for and obtain its first subsidy with government funds, but they were unsuccessful until 2018, Williams said.

“We made a concerted effort in the 2018 application to appeal to the stated goals and requirements of the BUILD, Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, grant program offered at that time, including appealing to the government desire to acquire zero emission buses,” Williams said.

In their application, Transportation Services specified they would use the funds from the BUILD grant to purchase diesel buses in addition to three zero-emission, electric-powered buses acquired for $443,487 and $936,585 per

bus, respectively, Williams said.

“Thanks to the grant, the university paid just 30 percent of the total cost for these units,” Williams said. “The total purchase has allowed us to retire 35 buses, 2001 and 2002 year models, that were becoming extremely expensive and difficult to keep in service.”

Transportation Services elected to purchase three electric buses in the grant application because they wanted to test their performance and gauge the feasibility of moving toward an all-electric fleet, Transportation Services manager Madison Metsker-Galarza said.

“There were more logistical details involved in the electric bus order because we also needed electric chargers to ‘fuel’ them,” Metsker-Galarza said. “This required coordination with Texas A&M Utilities and Energy Services and SSC, plus the vendor, Proterra, coming on site to commission the chargers.”

Transportation Services has no prior experience with electric buses, but the transit in-

dustry is moving toward this technology with enthusiasm, Transportation Services manager Justin Tippy said.

“We hope to gain experience with these buses as operators as we enjoy the benefits of cheaper and cleaner fuel,” Tippy said. “There is some anxiety due to the unknown factors of range, comfort, reliability and other performance measures, [but] we anticipate success as we transition to electric vehicles.”

Since the initial order of three electric and 35 diesel buses, Transportation Services requested nine additional diesel buses, scheduled for delivery in the fall of 2021, so they can retire the older buses in the fleet, Transportation Services assistant director Madeline Dillard said.

“Over the summer and fall, we hope to collect an array of data from running electric buses in our fleet,” Dillard said. “This will help inform our decisions about future bus purchases.”

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The Battalion | 3.4.21

OPINION

Joshua Sozio — The Battalion

Opinion writer Stephanie Meckel discusses the restrictive nature of housing for low-income students at Texas A&M.

Apartment complexes should consider scholarships as income

Low-income students are negatively affected by current income requirements of student housing Stephanie Meckel @stephmeckel

D

uring the spring semester, many students search for a place to live for the following school year.

However, they often have limited options due to their economic situations.

Living in dorms can be an option for some students, but it is very costly, with dorm prices ranging from $2,400 to $5,452 per semester. In addition, incoming freshmen receive priority on-campus housing, which means dorm living might not be an option for some upperclassmen. These are just some of the contributing factors to why 77 percent of students at Texas A&M live in off-campus housing.

There are numerous choices for off-campus housing surrounding A&M’s campus. Apartment prices vary in College Station, depending on the distance from A&M and other factors such as the

number of students living in one unit. As a student who went through the trouble of finding student housing, it is not as easy as it sounds.

The majority of apartment complexes require students to have a guarantor who makes three to four times the monthly rent. By requiring a guarantor, landlords have someone to hold accountable in case the student does not pay rent.

But many students like me do not have parents who can serve as guarantors.

Coming from a low-income household, neither my parents nor any of my family members made enough money to qualify as a guarantor, which greatly limited my options for off-campus housing.

It took a lot of searching to find somewhere that accepted my financial award letter, which state the amount of aid I receive in scholarships, financial aid and student loans, as proof of income.

I was fortunate enough to have a car and could drive to attend classes since the apartments within walking distance

from campus would not accept my award letter.

Students who come from families who do not make enough money to qualify as guarantors are likely to be paying their rent themselves. Therefore, it is difficult to understand why the majority of landlords do not take scholarships, financial aid or student loans as income.

The best way to help low-income students is by qualifying student financial aid as income. This alternative approach is only fair since financial aid is how many students are paying for school and housing in the first place. Not doing so automatically discredits students whose parents could not afford to help with rent even if they wanted to.

By allowing students to use their award letters as proof of income, landlords would relieve a significant burden on students and would also increase their number of potential tenants.

The apartment complexes that would not take my award letter as income told

me no because I “could lose my scholarships or financial aid at any time.”

However, this is the case for any type of income. As quickly as I could lose my aid, someone — or someone’s guarantor — could lose their job and be unable to pay rent.

College is already difficult for low-income students. They often have the pressure of being the first in their family to go to college and sometimes have to work to support themselves and, in some cases, even their families.

Students should not have the additional burden of not finding an affordable and safe place to live. Not allowing students to use financial aid as income is unfair. Landlords and student housing companies need to consider low-income students when setting their policies so that they have the same access to student housing as everyone else.

Stephanie Meckel is a English senior and an opinion writer for The Battalion.

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The Battalion | 3.4.21

Celebrating Women’s History Month

via liberalarts.tamu.edu

March 1 marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, a month-long celebration of the contributions of women in history and society.

Aggies recognize women who have paved way for others’ successes

By Lauren Discher @lauren_discher Women’s History Month has sparked reflection among Aggies on the influential women in their lives.

Monday, March 1 marked the beginning of Women’s History Month, which serves to commemorate the crucial role women have played in history. Celebrated since 1995, this month encourages the study of women’s achievements and promotes gratitude toward the women in one’s life. During this time, many Aggies are showing appreciation to the women who have influenced them.

General studies junior Allisa Cervantes said her favorite part of Women’s History Month is the inclusion of all women.

“It means that women of all color, race, sexuality and orientation are celebrated and appreciated for their achievements and talents

in their own respective right,” Cervantes said.

When she thinks of powerful women, Cervantes said Malala Yousafzai, Christine Blasey Ford, Alex Morgan, Serena Williams and Selena Quintanilla come to mind.

“These are the women I looked up to as I was growing up and continue to look up to now,” Cervantes said. “The strength that each of these women possess is far greater than we know. They are responsible for breaking stigmas, and they display courage by standing up for not only themselves, but women everywhere.”

Mechanical engineering professor Jaime Grunlan, Ph.D., said there are a number of women who have greatly influenced his professional life.

“Dr. Lorraine Francis was my primary research advisor when I was pursuing my Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota,” Grunlan said.

“She is both a great teacher and researcher, having won significant awards for both. It was Lorraine who taught me to write and how to become a true scientist.”

His success as a professor, Grunlan said, is

largely due to Francis’ mentorship.

“Dr. Francis is the model of an empowered woman,” Grunlan said. “She is competent, confident, brilliant, compassionate and innovative. She is influential without overtly trying to be.”

Mays Business School Marketing Director Lisa Burton said for her, Women’s History Month is a reminder to be thankful to the women who have paved the way for others.

“So many women took great personal risks to fight for rights that I have,” Burton said.

“Each time I vote, I give thanks. Each time I am able to have my own bank accounts or credit accounts, I give thanks. It’s important to remember whose shoulders you stand upon.”

Burton’s mother, who she said suffered physical abuse from her biological father, is the strongest woman she knows.

“She removed both of us from that situation and persevered to provide as a single mom who had a high school education and very little money,” Burton said. “My mother taught me that your circumstances can shape you, but they do not have to define you or

determine your future.”

Burton said she was fortunate to have worked with women who championed for her success and inspired her to accomplish her goals.

“They encouraged me to go back to school and earn a graduate degree,” Burton said. “I would not be in the role that I’m in today had it not been for their encouragement and nudges. I try to pay this back to younger women and encourage them to think beyond where they are today.”

Perhaps one of the most notable feminists in recent history, Burton said, is the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“She did not allow prejudices to stop her from pursuing her dreams, and through her legal career [she] was able to open doors for so many others, both women and men,” Burton said. “Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks and Mother Teresa are a few others who come to mind. Each took unique paths but claimed their authority, which ultimately affected positive change in society.”

PRESIDENT CONTINUED

via engineering.tamu.edu

The Board of Regents will meet to confirm Kathy Banks as university president after a 21-day waiting period that is required by state law.

According to the System’s press release, Banks’ accomplishments have helped expand research programs, especially those within the College of Engineering.

“That growth has been intentional,” Sharp said in the press release. “Banks sought to enhance educational delivery, expand research and teaching facilities and improve faculty recruitment and retention.”

Sharp further boasted Banks’s achievements in the press release, saying her hard work during her 10 years at A&M, including contributions to the nearly doubled enrollment rate within the College of Engineering, is what drew him to make the decision.

“Where is there a dean in the U.S. who has accomplished what Dean Banks has accomplished?” Sharp said. “If she can do for the university what she did for engineering, imagine what the university can achieve!”

After a 21-day waiting period required by state law, the Board of Regents will meet again to confirm Banks’s role as the new president, upon which she will begin the process of taking office.

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The Battalion | 3.4.21

Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

5 for Yell candidates kneel in front of the 12th Man statue as election results are announced.

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Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

Woods Johnson and Zac Cross hug after being announced as 2021-2022 Yell Leaders.

ELECTION CONTINUED that are here.”

Knecht said he is looking forward to all the new experiences this next year brings while serving serve as a junior Yell Leader.

“I’m just at a loss right now,” Knecht said. “It’s incredible and such an honor.”

Ferguson said he has no words to describe his excitement at being elected.

“I’m honestly speechless,” Ferguson said.

“It’s beyond humbling knowing who’s stood here before me, and you don’t really feel the gravity of it and then your name is called.”

Representing the student body and supporting the Aggie family are the main goals for next school year, Johnson said.

“It’s just an amazing honor to just stand before here [by] Kyle Field with these Ag-

gies,” Johnson said. “They elected me to serve them, and the opportunity to be able to do that just makes me smile.”

Salinas, the only returning Yell Leader, said to have another run at being a Yell Leader is a dream come true, and he looks forward to serving every day no matter what the next school year brings.

“I am very blessed to have gotten to do this last year,” Salinas said. “I am so happy for the new guys, I remember that a year ago and I know the feeling. I am so happy to get to see Kipp, Zac, Woods and Noah get to do this and to get to do it alongside them.

They are such good people and I know that Texas A&M is going to be very happy and very proud that they are going to be represented by those guys and I’m just so happy for them.”

Election results and vote tallies for every race can be found at vote.tamu.edu.

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