WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2018 STUDENT MEDIA
Preserving knowledge Graphic by Turner Harbert — THE BATTALION
Texas seeing fewer severe weather events Texas A&M professors explain drop in number of hurricanes, tornadoes By Marina Garcia @MarinaIsACoolB1 Recent findings show a decrease in severe weather in Texas this year. So far, the number of tornadoes and hurricanes occurring on Texas soil in 2018 have been well below average. Different factors contribute to the low number of severe weather events happening this year, according to regents professor of atmospheric sciences John Nielsen-Gammon. Since 2000, Nielsen-Gammon has served as Texas’ state climatologist. “With tornadoes, the weather patterns weren’t favorable,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “We had various severe droughts within the Texas panhandle and parts of North Texas. That’s usually where that weather occurs.” Though a similar lack of tornadoes has occurred before, Texas has seen fewer tornadoes this year than in any year on-record, said assistant professor of atmospheric sciences Christopher Nowotarski. “If you look at 2017, last year we were slightly above average for tornadoes,” Nowotarski said. “[Over] the last five to 10 years, we’ve been a little bit below average for tornadoes.” This trend of fewer tornadoes varies across other states. The Weather Channel reports that while states like Wyoming and North Dakota are exceeding their average tornado count, Texas is behind its yearly average by 90 tornadoes. Hurricanes are not a yearly trend in Texas, but across the Atlantic, the number of hurricanes are reaching the average number this year. “Nothing has hit Texas this year,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “That’s a good thing considering what happened last year [with Hurricane Harvey.]” This year, the storms that do become major hurricanes are causing more damage, Nielsen-Gammon said. “Heavy rainfall [from hurricanes] is increasing and also, because of sea level rise, hurricane storm surges are higher,” Nielsen-Gammon said. WEATHER ON PG. 4
TRADITIONS
MUSTER SPEAKER NOMINATIONS One of the most time-honored traditions at Texas A&M is the annual Muster Ceremony, which remembers all Aggies who have died over the past year. The Aggie Muster Committee selects a speaker who embodies the core values of A&M to deliver an address at the Campus Muster Ceremony. This year, the committee is inviting current and former students to send in nominations for the upcoming 2019 Campus Muster speaker. Nominees should reflect the Aggie Spirit and values, and should be submitted for consideration by Friday, Oct. 19. To nominate a speaker, visit tx.ag/2019SpeakerNominationForm.
Photos by Brandon Holmes — THE BATTALION
The Texas A&M Preservation and Conservation Laboratory maintains the university’s collection of books and artifacts.
Students and staff help restore and maintain A&M’s books and artifacts By Salvador Garcia @SalGarJr The Texas A&M Preservation and Conservation Laboratory works diligently to ensure library materials are preserved for the future. The lab is tasked with maintaining the university’s collections of books and artifacts for long-term accessibility. The lab is located on the fourth floor of the Evans Library Annex, where staff and student-workers
handle general circulation collections along with rare items from the various A&M libraries. Although the space is for staff and student-workers only, tours can be given to groups upon request. Conservator Jeanne Goodman said the type of work done in the lab is dependent on each item’s state and purpose. Books meant for everyday use are repaired with functionality in mind. “These are books that circulate; they’re not rare items,” Goodman said. “These are books that are going to go in backpacks; they’re going to go in book drops; they’re going to be open completely flat [for] students [to] look at. [The work of the lab]
protects them better and makes them easy to handle.” Rare items require specialized care to maintain the original structure so that scholars can draw conclusions by experiencing the items as they were meant to be used. “When we think of special collections, we think of it more as an artifact as opposed to a functional item,” Goodman said. “We have to make sure that we’re making contextual decisions with the item and not changing some of that artifactual knowledge.” Goodman said the lab takes every precaution — such as controlling humidity and PRESERVATION ON PG. 4
FILE
The city’s anniversary celebration will include educational booths where attendees can learn about College Station’s history.
City celebrates eight decades in Aggieland College Station prepares for 80th anniversary festivities next week By Kenedi Kruger @kenedikrug The City of College Station is set to celebrate its 80th anniversary on Oct. 21 at Richard Carter Park, the original homesite of one of the first settlers of the town. There will be booths and activities for attendees with information regarding College Station’s history, environment and culture. Organizations contributing to the celebration include the Historic Preservation Committee, A&M Garden Club, La Villita Daughters of the American Revolution, Monarch Gateway, Brazos Valley Master Naturalists and the Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley.
Gerald Burgner, chair of the Historic Preservation Committee, said his committee took part in initiating the celebration and hopes there will be similar events in the future. “Our role was to get it started,” Burgner said. “The Historic Preservation Committee are the ones who came up with the idea. We did the 75th anniversary five years ago.” Burgner said he hopes the celebration can become either an annual event or be hosted every five years. Burgner said he encourages the public to come out and enjoy the festivities. The event presents a unique opportunity for local organizations to come together, said Jane Cohen, coordinator of the celebration. “Several groups will have historic information, and [the event] is at the homesite of the earliest settler, Richard Carter,” Cohen said. “We do have a descendant of the Car-
ter family [who will be attending.]” Cohen said there will be many activities to celebrate the city of College Station, including a table presenting Native American legends about the local plant life, a map of monarch butterfly migration and a craft table where the Children’s Museum will help children make Native American dolls. Andrea Howard, chapter secretary for the Master Naturalists, said she is excited for the group to take part in the event. The Naturalists will have a booth focusing primarily on urban wildlife. “The 80th-year anniversary will be an event where we are likely to educate the public on natural topics,” Howard said. The celebration will be free and open to the public. Cohen said many students from Texas A&M will serve as guides throughout the event.
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Editor
Aggieland 2019
Qualifications for editor-in-chief of the Aggieland yearbook are:
REQUIRED • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); • Have at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for that semester; PREFERRED • Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, Law, and Society); • Have demonstrated ability in writing, editing and graphic design through university coursework or equivalent experience; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible position on the Aggieland or comparable yearbook.
Application forms should be picked up from and returned to Douglas Pils, Student Media General Manager, in Suite L410 of the MSC. Deadline for submitting application: 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 7, 2018.
PROVIDED
A teacher uses a LEGO Mindstorms set to explain concepts of engineering to sudents in Accra, Ghana.
Inspiring a new generation of engineers Former student brings robotics program to girls school in Ghana By Katie James @kaytayjamesv
Megan Rodriguez, Editor in Chief Luke Henkhaus, Managing Editor Taylor Fennell, News Editor Anthony Pangonas, News Editor Jordan Burnham, Asst. News Editor Kathryn Whitlock, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Falcon, Life & Arts Editor Samantha Mahler, Asst. Life & Arts Editor
Angel Franco, Sports Editor Abigail Ochoa, Asst. Sports Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Chief Jesse Everett, Asst. Photo Chief Daoud Qamar, Video Editor Kevin Christman, Asst. Video Editor Sanna Bhai, Special Sections Editor
THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the 2018 fall semester and 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.
Judy Amanor-Boadu, Class of 2013 is giving back to her community with a girls’ robotics club in Ghana. Elementary school girls at Christ the King International School in Accra, Ghana — where Amanor-Boadu went to school — are exposed to engineering at a young age with a LEGO Mindstorms set donated by Texas A&M‘s Women in Engineering program. The LEGO kits are used because they incorporate multiple aspects of engineering — mechanical, electrical and computer programming — into one educational tool, Amanor-Boadu said. The girls decide how to put the pieces together and program the brick or “brain” of the robot. The pilot program has experienced considerable success, with more girls showing interest than the program can currently accommodate. “There’s only one kit, so they have to turn so many students away because
you can’t have 50 kids working on one project,” Amanor-Boadu said. Expanding the program is a slow process, but Amanor-Boadu said the group is making the most of their resources. “It’s mostly a funding challenge,” Amanor-Boadu said. “It costs $1,000 to $1,600 for a whole kit, but a [programmable] brick is much cheaper, around $500, and you can have many girls programming if there are multiple bricks.” The skills the girls acquire can help them in high school, college and beyond. The teachers involved in the program are looking to form a team to compete in an international robotics competition, but Amanor-Boadu said the club alone is already proving beneficial to the girls’ education. “It’s about solving a problem,” Amanor-Boadu said. “I believe last year the topic was hydrodynamics, but they are given a problem that the LEGO kits can be used for and let their imagination run. Girls who knew nothing have been able to pick up the fundamentals and run with it.” Based on their exam results, Ghanaian junior high students are put into a
specific educational track, such as business, visual arts or science. Students choose a specific field of study within that track. The robotics program can spark an interest in engineering careers early on before they have to make that decision. “The goal is to spawn interest about the whole engineering subject and help initiate interest in robotics,” Amanor-Boadu said. “It would’ve been nice to have that when I was in school, so I want to help the next generation.” Amanor-Boadu received her master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from A&M and now works for Intel. She was involved in Women in Engineering and led the autonomous underwater vehicle team during her time at A&M. Amanor-Boadu said she saw a need to prove the worth of studying engineering, especially in Ghana, where pursuing medicine is often valued above other scientific career paths. “There are so many opportunities out there and problems that need brilliant minds to solve them,” Amanor-Boadu said. “They’re not limited to medical school. Go out there and make the world a better place.”
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The Battalion | 10.17.18
Solar eclipse, barley and placebo pills: this week in science When it comes to the world of science, discoveries and breakthroughs are made every day. To help you keep up with them, The Battalion compiles a few of the most compelling scientific stories from the past week. By Anthony Pangonas @apangonas
creative commons
The 2017 total solar eclipse causes bees to stop buzzing, according to a recent study.
Environment: Warming climate could lead to a global shortage of barley
Psychology: Placebo trial conducted by Harvard shows that even when cancer patients know they are taking a placebo pill, it helps fight fatigue
Animal Science: Bees don’t buzz during an eclipse
According to a new study, rising global temperatures could lead to a shortage in the global barley supply. The study’s authors reported that due to concurrent droughts and heat waves, a sharp decline in crop yields of barley could lead to strong risks of price surges for beer. The research team modeled scenarios based on current and expected future levels of fossil fuel burning and carbon dioxide emissions. Areas including the Great Plains, the Canadian prairies and Europe, where barley is widely grown, could see decline in crop yields from three to 17 percent. Only 17 percent of the globe’s barley is used to brew beer, while most is used as animal feed. With a drop in supply, some areas may decide to restrict the grains’ usage. More information available at tx.ag/ZsJKRRm
In a new paper, patients who were told to take a pill with no active pharmacological ingredients still experienced improvement in their condition. Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common side effects of treatment, and the open-label placebos have helped reduce patients’ symptoms, including nausea, pain and migraines. Typically, patients in clinical trials don’t know whether they were taking the real medication until after the study is over. This study, however, allowed 40 cancer patients to take the pill knowing it did not do anything, and researchers still saw improvements in fatigue-related symptoms. Researchers said they believe this could be connected to the physiological response to physically swallowing the pill and the mind believing that some action is being taken to help the body feel better. Full study available at tx.ag/j4I6opJ
A new study revealed that as the 2017 solar eclipse occured, the buzzing sound that bees make completely stopped. Bees generally spend entire days working until the sun sets. Using microphones attached to flowers, the scientists taking part in the study found that the bees continued buzzing until totality, the part in the total solar eclipse when the moon blocks all direct sunlight. As soon as totality occurred, the bees went into an abrupt silence. When the next total solar eclipse takes place in 2024, scientists will set up microphones in hives to conduct further testing. Full study available at tx.ag/RdTFEvK
classifieds
Place an ad Phone 979.845.0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University
AUTO 2009 Honda Accord Ex- Excellent condition with maintenance records. White with tan interior, new brake job, WeatherTech floor liners. Michelin tires in great shape. $6100. 979-846-0861
FOR RENT 2bd/2ba cozy condo 3-blocks from campus, fenced backyard, w/d connections, all new flooring, over 1000sqft, no HUD, $725/mo total. 506-D College Main Available January 1st. 254-289-0585 254-289-8200
When to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day
FOR RENT 3bd/1.5ba CS, fenced backyard, carport, W/D connections, tile/laminate flooring, available now, $995/mo, 979-587-2550.
HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $75-$150/hr, up to $500/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com Budweiser now hiring, helper on truck, 2-3 days a week, 6am-3pm, $12/hr, apply 1000 Independence Bryan, TX.
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$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.
HELP WANTED Christ's Way Baptist Church is seeking part-time minister of music. Please send resume to 3885 Copperfield Dr. Bryan 77802, or email mary@christsway.org Part-time cleaning, day and evening, Monday-Friday. Call 979-823-1614 for interview.
HELP WANTED Looking for student needing weekend work. Lawn care work $15/hr. Call Jay at 979-777-8637 If You Have Something To Sell, Remember Classifieds Can Do It!
HELP WANTED Producers Cooperative Association, part-time, inside feed sales position. Work around your class schedule! Call/email today 979778-6000, tcurry@producerscooperative.com.
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Tutors wanted for all subjects currently taught at TAMU/Blinn and Sam Houston State starting at $10/hour. Apply online at www.99Tutors.com 979-255-3655. We are searching for a motivated and detail oriented individual who loves the design and construction process. Knowing any version of the Auto-CAD software system is a must for this position. Ultimately, we are looking for a long term individual to add to our team. Salary is an option. Contact John at R.A.I. Designs Inc. (979)846-3366.
REAL ESTATE CS, 1457 Fincastle Loop, 4/3/2, reduced $243,500. Michael, TAMU'93 Civil Engineering, 979-739-2035, mcgranntx@yahoo.com; Nadia 979-777-6211, mail@nadiarealty.com Town&Country Realty. Hablamos Espanol!
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Weekend merchandisers. Budweiser has immediate openings for part-time positions. Great pay from $150-$200! Pre-employment drug screen. Apply at Jack Hilliard Dist., 1000 Independence, Bryan, TX. 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.
MUSIC Private Piano/Voice Instruction. Pianist/Vocalist for Weddings and Special Events. Call Scott today at 979-204-0447. www.brazosmusicgroup.com
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BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION
Vinyl Record Show www.VinylRecordShow.com Saturday, October 27th Edith Anthony — THE BATTALION
The Brazos Center 3232 Briarcrest Drive Bryan, TX 77802 Regular Admission - $5 10am-4pm Early Bird - $10 8am-10am (Good for the entire day) There will be over 60 tables of Vinyl, CD’s, and plenty of music memorabilia at the show! For more info: 210-415-2972 or email musicconnection@sbcglobal.net CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK
“The Inuit Print: First Generation” will be on display in the MSC’s J. Wayne Stark Galleries until Dec. 15.
Inuit art on display in MSC Professor’s collection of prints displays distinct cultural heritage By Vanessa Hernandez @Galileaaa6 The J. Wayne Stark Galleries are currently home to “The Inuit Print: First Generation,” an exhibit composed of artwork from the collection of retired Texas A&M professor Peter Witt. A professor emeritus of recreation, park and tourism sciences, Witt began collecting the work of Inuit artists shortly after he moved to Ottawa, Canada for his first teaching job. Witt said this exhibit features artists who grew up on the land and learned to express their experiences through art later in life. “Inuit printmaking did not start until the late 1950s, largely as a way for the Inuit, who by then had moved into permanent communities, to earn a living,” Witt said. “Most of the prints are by artists from the Cape Dorset community, considered to be the leading community for the production of Inuit art.” According to Witt, the artists represented in the exhibit are some of the most honored and respected of the early printmakers — Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Pudlo Pudlat and Helen Kalvak. “People should notice the number of accomplished women artists,” Witt said. “Women have played a dominant role in printmaking since the earliest collections were released in the late 1950s. Several of the artists are considered national treasures in Canada and around the world.” Witt said his father was particularly interested in Inuit art and opened The Arctic
PRESERVATION CONTINUED temperature — to ensure the future availability of the items. “This is for future Aggies,” Goodman said. “The decisions that we make here affect the future of the items. … We have to think in long terms. Once I’m not here anymore, these artifacts should be here 50 or 100 or 200 years or more.” Student workers have the opportunity to learn from the ground up, Goodman said. They handle work related to general circulating collections, helping to make book covers and binding. Preservation assistant Madilene Byerly, Class of 2018, said she began working as a student in book repair. After graduating,
WEATHER CONTINUED This was seen when Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas in September. However, these strings of major storms happened later on in the hurricane season than usual, said associate professor of atmospheric sciences Robert Korty. “During July and August, there was a large area of Saharan dust,” Korty said. “This makes it somewhat difficult for hurricanes to form. As that dissipated at the end of August, conditions switched very suddenly, becoming more favorable for hurricanes to form.”
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Circle art gallery in Los Angeles in 1971. Witt said he quickly fell in love with Inuit prints and sculptures and became a collector himself. “Luckily, my wife, Joyce, also had an interest, so over the years we built our collection,” Witt said. “Our interest in Inuit prints and sculptures also builds on our interest in the arts of first peoples — in particular, the art of Native Americans.” Witt said he and his wife have not been able to display all of the prints in their house at one time, so it is a thrill for them to see all the prints together under gallery lighting. “I hope that people will add to their knowledge of a culture and peoples that many think of as primitive, living in igloos and artistically inactive,” Witt said. “The Inuit are doing amazing work in graphics, sculpture, drama, music, film and other art forms. People should enjoy their skills and dedication to their craft.” Sociology junior Cierra Jackson is part of the staff that set up the exhibit. “Working at the J. Wayne Stark Galleries has given me a better appreciation of the arts, especially since they aren’t as talked about as the sciences here at A&M,” Jackson said. “ I hope students learn to appreciate the impact art has.” Engineering freshman Darrius Dias visited the gallery after the opening day, and said he likes how the art galleries are on campus, making them easily accessible to students. “You don’t hear much about the Inuit people, and I wasn’t aware of the fact that they had art,” Dias said. “It was interesting learning about them more in the artistic sense. Having something like this so close is great. Everyone should come out and see something new once in a while.”
she moved to the special collections at the library. “I’ve always had a passion for things that are old,” Byerly said. “I think it’s really important to hold on to that and to preserve it for the future for people who may not have had the opportunity to experience things.” Nuclear engineering senior Skyler Stohner said her passion for books led her to work at the lab. Stohner said getting to work on books that can be as old as pre-colonial America is enjoyable because she plays a part in preserving knowledge. “Sure, not all these books get looked at every day, but eventually someone somewhere is going to need something inside one of them, and it’s important that it’s there,” Stohner said.
Korty said this explains the rapid growth of hurricanes forming over the Atlantic such as Hurricane Michael. Since weather patterns can change dramatically over a short time, it is difficult to know if Texas will continue to see this decrease in severe weather. Hurricane season is still ongoing, ending in late November, and the main season for tornadoes starts in late spring. Nielsen-Gammon said it’s likely the numbers will be closer to average in the near future. “Since this year is unusually low, it’s a fairly safe bet that next year we’ll see more,” Nielsen-Gammon said.
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