The Battalion, March 21, 2018 by The Battalion

Portraying past lives through paintings Art collection offers insight into Native American culture, history By Kathryn Whitlock @Kathryn-whitloc8 Capturing the lives of Native Americans, the Visions of the Past exhibit reveals Joseph Henry Sharp’s resonating artwork, which ranges from portraits to landscapes. Featured throughout the Runyon Collection in the Forsyth Galleries at Texas A&M, Visions of the Past is open until May 13. To highlight Sharp’s fascination with Native American culture, this exhibit consists of paintings, a magazine cover, a postcard, a stereoscope card, a miniature pueblo, Cub Scout teepees from the 1950s and other works. According to Jennifer Korolenko, cu-

rator of Education & Public Programs in the Forsyth Galleries, Sharp was born in the 1850s and founded the group, Taos Society of Artists. Throughout the 20th century, this group of western artists worked for magazines, traveled to the American West and captured life in the pueblos. Astounded by its beauty, Sharp permanently moved to Taos, New Mexico, where he discovered the people of the pueblos and made them the subject of his paintings. “He was known for painting evocative portraits of Native Americans, because at the time what was most popular in Western genre painting was that of cowboys and Indians, like [Frederic] Remington’s man-on-a-horse,” Korolenko said. “Sharp and his colleagues painted more scenes of everyday life, landscapes and interiors. People thought they were too soft, but they came to be

incredibly important, because it portrayed Native Americans in a way that was very uncommon for that time.” Korolenko said Sharp had a hearing impairment, but it did not hinder his passion for Native Americans culture nor his work. “He had an accident where he almost drowned, and as a result he lost most of his hearing,” Korolenko said. “He would wear a board around his neck to communicate with people. There was already a language barrier when trying to communicate with Native Americans. Obviously, he was a good communicator in other ways.” Sharp’s paintings feature a brilliant use of light, and Abby Fontenot, biomedical sciences junior, said this is what first captivated her attention. GALLERY ON PG. 2

Fresh start

Casey Dawson — THE BATTALION

Joseph Henry Sharp’s collection will be on display in the Forsyth Gallery until May 13.

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M football team prepares for a new season and new coach, Jimbo Fisher, at the first spring practice of the year.

Jimbo Fisher welcomes in spring with his first official practice as Texas A&M head coach By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ March 20 was the vernal equinox and officially marked the start of the spring season. In College Station, something new was beginning as well. Tuesday afternoon, Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher held the first spring practice of the year, signaling the start of a new era for a program which hasn’t won a national title in 80 years. Fisher, who signed a 10-year, $75 million contract in December, inherits a team which finished tied for fourth in the SEC West and with a 55-53 loss to Wake Forest in the Belk Bowl. Following the first practice of the spring, Fisher said his

players had a positive demeanor. “Kids had a good attitude, thought that they worked good,” Fisher said. “They’re getting used to new schemes, new practice in general, everything is different for them. … Where they’re moving too, they’re learning. Their attitude is good. Got to get a lot better in some things.” Fisher said he won’t have a real feel of his roster until the tail end of the spring football season, but he will be able to tell which players are adjusting based on the their ability to learn as they go. “I think we’ve got some great [players] that can take and learn what to do,” Fisher said. “You can never judge a guy’s ability ‘til he knows where he’s going, how fast he can go. How quick they learn is what you’re going to be judging.” It is no secret there are heavy expectations for Fisher to produce a national championship at some point during his tenure at A&M. In February, A&M Chancellor John Sharp presented Fisher a national championship plaque with a blank date on it. Fisher said while he welcomes the pressure and expecta-

tions, there are steps which need to be taken before reaching the pinnacle of college football. “I wouldn’t be here if those weren’t the expectations,” Fisher said. “There’s a process to get to your expectations. Just like you can’t worry about winning the game, you have to worry about preparing for the game, playing the game. There’s a lot of things you have to put in place and get situated so we can get the results and the consistency we want.” Fisher’s first practice was fast-paced and constantly moving, something Fisher said was going to be implemented. However, according to Fisher, his team was able to keep up with the new pace. He credited the team’s physical health to director of athletic performance, Jerry Schmidt. “Schmidt did a great job [with preparing the team during the off-season],” Fisher said. “Our body fat has dropped, strength got better. We cranked them real hard, had a great offseason program. Kids had a great attitude and they worked FOOTBALL ON PG. 4

Abby Collida — THE BATTALION

Service dogs are used to help their handlers with everyday tasks.

Putting their best paw forward

Assistant professor Laura Dague and Technical Consultant to the Obama Administration on the Affordable Care Act Jonathan Gruber discussed healthcare reform while integrating questions from the audience.

Handlers, disability services give tips to help respect service animals on campus

Next steps for the Affordable Care Act

By Naren Venkatesh @KnowNaren

Bush School hosted a discussion on future of health care featuring Obama Administration consultant

While the dogs on campus may seem friendly and approachable, many of them are service animals and approaching them often impedes their ability to do their job. Aiding their handler in everyday tasks is the job of service dogs, according to Kristie Orr, director of disability services for Texas A&M. Examples of service animals include seeing eye dogs, service and therapy dogs and autism assistance dogs. “Any kind of dog can be a service animal,” Orr said. “The definition of a service animal is, ‘A dog SERVICE DOGS ON PG. 3

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

By Henry Mureithi @SOCOMBlack An expert in the field discussed the impact and the future of the health care law Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the Affordable Care Act, at the March Mosbacher Institute’s Conversations in Public Policy Series event. Jonathan Holmes Gruber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology economics professor and Technical Consultant to the Obama Administration on the Affordable Care Act, led the discussion. The lecture, hosted by the Mosbacher Institute and the Texas A&M Department of Economics on March 20, was followed by a

Q&A which was moderated by Laura Dague, Texas A&M public service and administration associate professor. Gruber said while issues remain in the United States healthcare system since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the overall effect of the law has been positive. “The two major goals of the [Affordable Care Act] were to increase insurance coverage and fix a broken insurance pool,” Gruber said. “On the former, it’s a complete success. Twenty million Americans gained insurance coverage. That is the consensus view for the [Affordable Care Act]. What about insurance markets? Well, this is where it is a little bit more controversial.” During Gruber’s lecture, the health economics researcher described several effects of the law that were outside the original intent of the law, detailing how American society has been affected by the Affordable Care Act. For example, the overall spending ACA ON PG. 2

NEWS

The Battalion | 3.21.18

GALLERY CONTINUED “The way that Sharp portrays natural light is outstanding,” Fontenot said. “With each brushstroke you can see his wide use of color, but it remains beautifully subtle. In his art, I can only imagine the depth and story behind each picture.” According to Heather Bennett, Forsyth Galleries collections manager, Sharp captured the Native American lifestyle toward the end of their idealism, when there were opportunities to travel, herd animals and live amongst nature in teepees. Bennett said there is unease when white men paint Native Americans due to their stylization, but Sharp refrained from such styles. “A lot of people don’t realize the modern degradation in which Native Americans live and the way we as a society have turned our backs on them,” Bennett said. “I appreciate so much that [Sharp] was there and captured them. He stayed within certain tribes so he was

recycling things that would’ve been applicable to them. He was [a] prolific photographer as well. Sharp created this wealth of information through his photos, paintings and drawings. He did prints as well. Society is fortunate to have this record that he created.” Bennett said she wants this exhibit to illuminate the idea the United States belonged to someone else and thus spark an interest in history. “I hope that when people come into this exhibition they will want to read up about [Sharp], read about the Pueblo Indians, pique their interest and care enough to look into it all,” Bennett said. “They don’t live this way anymore. But the Pueblos were not as much affected by American Colonialism, so they were able to maintain their previous heritage. Although nowadays, they are more of a tourist thing that people come and stare at. Are we really appreciating them, or are we just checking a box?”

XX — THE BATTALION

The Visions of the Past exhibit displays Native American culture through its pieces.

ACA CONTINUED

XX — THE BATTALION

Guest speaker Johnathan Gruber has a Bachelor of Science in economics from MIT and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.

on healthcare slowed in the years following the law’s passage. Gruber is heavily involved in healthcare research and crafting public health policy. He is a research associate, the director of the Health Care Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research and an associate editor at the Journal of Public Economics and the Journal of Health Economics. As stated in economics associate professor Jason Lindo’s introduction, Gruber has also been described in the popular press as a key architect of both the Massachusetts health care reform, and the Affordable Care Act. “I will probably never work on anything more fulfilling than my work on RomneyCare in Massachusetts and later on, working on Obamacare,” Gruber said. The Affordable Care Act is a set of three mutually supporting interlinked ideas, according to Gruber. He said those are guaranteed coverage regardless of medical history, the individual mandate and subsidies for low income families — ideas originally proposed by the conservative think tank “The Heritage Foundation” and passed by former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney. “It’s a three-legged stool,”

Gruber said. “Obama, to his credit, said, ‘I will take this Republican plan and I will try and make it the centerpiece of my health insurance proposal.’ And that’s what Obamacare was. Obamacare is essentially that same Massachusetts plan with a face and a few more zeros.” Health economics and healthcare policy has not historically been communicated to the public well, according to Dague. “I think that sometimes the political reality of something is different from the expert consensus,” Dague said. “And that is because of a difference in public perception versus what the research says. That is something that can be fixed maybe through better communication of what is the theoretical consensus, what is the empirical consensus.” In terms of connecting health economics to public policy, Dague said studying healthcare impact gives a better perspective on the optimal solutions available. “It’s a shame that health policy in general has become so politicized,” Dague said. “Because many observers, many policy researchers, don’t think that many of these [solutions] are controversial.”

LET’S BE FRIENDS BATTALION MULTIMEDIA

THEBATTALION

THEBATT.COM

@THEBATTONLINE

THE BATTALION

@THEBATTONLINE

classifieds

Place

an ad Phone 979.845.0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University

ANNOUNCEMENTS Traditions Club Job Fair 4/3 1-3pm. Please visit www.traditionsclub.com to apply or contact our hr manager at ahinojosa@traditionsclub.com.

FOR RENT

When

to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

FOR RENT Sublease 1 room @ The Cottages. 3bd apartment, $635/mo including utilites & bedroom furniture. On bus route 40. Call 303-8340623 or otknight@tamu.edu

HELP WANTED

2/1 with study, Bryan, original hardwood floors, new appliances, garage, deck, shady yard. Near St. Joseph Hospital. $995/mo., Call 979-846-8464.

Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $75-$150/hr, up to $500/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com

Northgate brand new 1/1. 2/2, 3/2, and 3/3 & 3/2 house, parking free, walk to campus. aggievillas.net Available now. Call 979-255-5648.

Cleaning commercial buildings at night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031 for interview.

SPECIAL

see ads at thebatt.com

Private Party Want ads

$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 Farm & Garden Hand. Feed/Vaccinate cattle, pick up limbs, repair/build fences, weed eat, stack hay 5 high, mow/plow pastures, take care of cattle. Prefer experienced sophomore from West Texas. 1 day/week, prefer Th/F, $15/hr. 979-530-7016.

HELP WANTED Hiring Ft/Pt Carpet Cleaning/Water Remediation Technician. Clean driving, background & drug screening. Send resume to: jobs@thesteameryinc.com Part-time child care help needed. Apply in person at Fit for Kids. 3609 East 29th Bryan, Tx.

HELP WANTED Leasing Consultant needed, individual needs to be energetic, customer oriented, have a professional appearance and able to work weekends, base pay plus commission, PT/FT available, apply in person at 3645 Wellborn Road, Bryan, Reveille Ranch Apartments. Panera Bread now hiring delivery drivers, cashiers, & line cooks! Flexible schedule, competitive pay! Positions will go fast, so apply in person today at 1407 University Dr. East, or send resume to careers@rollingdough.com Part-time Insurance Service Clerk. Assisting day to day operations with three agents in South College Station. Work 2pm-7pm, we can fit your schedule. Please drop off your resume at 12815 FM 2154 Ste. 105 Cs, Tx 77845.

ANSWERS

to todays puzzles

HELP WANTED 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.

MISCELLANEOUS Editing/Writing service provided for essays, research papers, thesis, dissertation, other documents. Retired English professor, 29 years experience. Rates: $25-$35/page. Call 830-708-0498. Please leave a message and I will return your call.

REAL ESTATE BUY/SELL with Team McGrann! Michael, TAMU'93 Civil Engineering, 979-739-2035, mcgranntx@yahoo.com Nadia 979-777-6211, mail@nadiarealty.com Town&Country Realty. Hablamos Espanol!

the

battalion Classified Advertising Easy Affordable Effective For information, call 845-0569

NEWS

The Battalion | 3.21.18

Courtesy — THE BATTALION

The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine’s Open House will feature activities such as professor lectures, interactive booths and a petting zoo.

Opening the doors of veterinary medicine to the community The 25th annual Open House highlights opportunities available within the college By Hannah Falcon @hannahfalcon_ On March 24, the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine will host its 25th annual Open House. In 1916, Texas A&M was the first school in Texas to open up a veterinary medicine school. Now, over 100 years later, the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences remains the only veterinary school in Texas. In order to garner attention for the establishment, the school hosts annual, student-run open houses free to the public. The open house is a event organized by veterinary students to display the many dimensions of veterinary sciences and attract prospective students. The event will feature a variety of veterinary-related attractions such as a feline room, dog breed tent, lectures from professors, petting zoo and demonstrations, according to Brianna Boyl, veterinary graduate student and publicity manager for the open house. There will also be a number of equine attractions, including a live horse painted to show organs and

SERVICE DOGS CONTINUED has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The tasks performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.’ In some cases, a miniature horse can also be a service animal. No other animal can be a service animal.” Orr said it is not always clear when a service dog is working, so people should never play with them in order to avoid accidentally interfering. “Service animals should be assumed to be working and should not be approached,” Orr said. “If the service animal’s handler says that they are not working and you can pet the dog, you can. You should never knowingly interfere with a service animal that is working.” Ashley McMeans, zoology sophomore, is a service dog handler and uses the services of her 100-pound Great Pyrenees, Nymeria, whenever she leaves home. “I have had [Nymeria] for nearly two years, since she was just two months old,” McMeans said. “I try to find seating in classes where there is enough room for my service dog to

bones. According to Boyl, one of the most popular events is the teddy bear surgery. “Every year we have teddy bear surgery, which is this incredible opportunity that veterinarian students put on, where guests can participate in mimic surgery on teddy bears that have been donated by students in the veterinary school,” Boyl said. With a variety of disciplines available for students, Boyl said she looks forward to showcasing the numerous opportunities the veterinary school has. “The unique thing about veterinary medicine is that there is such a diverse amount of experiences that you can have within the industry as far as career options, so it’s a really unique way for people to come see how many different interests you can have within one profession,” Boyl said. Pamela May, veterinary graduate student, said she has attended Open House since before she was an undergraduate. Now, May is the 2018 director of this veterinary school tradition. “It’s all student run,” May said. “We do have faculty advisors but it’s student-led. I’ve been organizing with a team of 100 student leaders all year, pretty much since the last open house, to make this one happen.” With the backlash the veterinary school has faced in the past,

May said she hopes the open house will garner good press for the veterinary school and transparently display the different aspects of veterinary medicine. “We’re opening our doors to the public so they can realize what a great thing it is to have the vet school here, we don’t want to hide anything, especially with all the social media impacts going on right now,” May said. “We’re very open with what we have going on at the vet school, we want people to see what we do and why we love what we do.” Victoria Grimsley, veterinary graduate student, and Hunter Enderle, veterinary graduate student, are the co-junior directors of the open house. May said new students are brought in each year to train for executive positions, which they will take over the following year. This process has helped the open house evolve and improve over the past 25 years, according to Grimsley. “Knowing that Open House has allowed students to share their passion for veterinary medicine with the community for 25 years is just amazing in my opinion,” Grimsley said. “By opening our doors each year, we are able to inspire the next generation of veterinarians and further strengthen the human-animal bond.”

lie down while also staying out of the way as way due to the nature of its service, but this much as possible. This includes avoidance of is something I face hundreds of times every sitting in an aisle seat with my dog sprawled single day.” out in the walkway where anyone can trip In addition to students interfering with over her.” her service dog, McMeans said she has also McMeans said experienced other pet while A&M is owners using their una largely service trained dogs as emodog-friendly camtional support animals “I am a normal perpus, she has faced to bring on campus. son and I want to feel uncomfortable sit“It is a crime to uations. misrepresent a dog as normal, not like I have “Overall I a service dog,” Mcmy disability on display would say A&M is Means said. “Profespretty friendly toforce handlers and because I need a dog to sors ward service dog their service dogs to sit handlers, but I do next to other dogs who help me.” feel there is a bit are not service dogs. of unintentional Misrepresentation of discrimination,” an animal as a service Ashley McMeans, McMeans said. “It animal is a crime and zoology sophomore seems as if everyis punishable in the where I go, there state of Texas by a fine are people who want to stare, make noises at, of $300 and 30 hours of community service. talk to, pet, or take photos of my service dog. Texas A&M University in College Station, Most of these people do not understand that Texas, does not actually have a service dog it is a crime to distract a service dog in any policy, which I believe is, in part, why we

THE TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA BOARD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

Editor

THE TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA BOARD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

Editor

have so many issues.” McMeans said handlers who feel harassed can file a complaint with the Department of Disabilities on campus. “Texas A&M’s Department of Disabilities is the primary resource for those who intend to file a complaint,” McMeans said. “However, they do not deal with the general student body, only faculty and heads of campus organizations. If there is an issue with a specific group or organization, the heads of these organizations can also be contacted to file a complaint.” It is essential for people to behave around on-duty service dogs and treat the handlers like any other person, according to McMeans. “As a disabled service dog handler, I would like to be treated with the same common courtesy given to ‘normal’ people,” McMeans said. “I am a normal person and I want to feel normal, not like I have my disability on display because I need a dog to help me. When people ask me about my dog, I feel like they are unintentionally discriminating against me, because those people would not be talking to me if I did not walk around campus with a dog.”

THE TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA BOARD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

Editor-in-Chief

BATTALION Aggieland 2019 BATTALION THE

Serving TexaS a&M UniverSiTy

Since

1893

Summer 2018

(The summer editor will oversee print, digital and special editions, and will serve May 15, 2018, through Aug. 13, 2018)

Qualifications for editor-in-chief of The Battalion 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) or equivalent; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible editorial position on The Battalion or comparable daily college newspaper, – OR – Have at least one year editorial experience on a commercial newspaper, – OR – Have completed at least 12 hours in journalism, including JOUR 203 (Media Writing I) and JOUR 303 (Media Writing II) or JOUR 304 (Editing for the Mass Media), or equivalent.

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, March 28, 2018.

THE

The IndependenT STudenT VoIce of TexaS a&M SInce 1893

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 college yearbook.

Fall 2018 –Spring 2019

(The fall and spring editor will oversee print and digital editions, and serve Aug. 13, 2018, through May 13, 2019)

NEWS

The Battalion | 3.21.18

Congratulations to Ricky Scher

Grounds Associate of the Month

Associates who receive this award are recognized for going above and beyond their normal duties to promote teamwork, unity, a positive attitude, kindness and exceptional customer service. Thank you, Ricky, for all your hard work and dedication as the Grounds Shop Supervisor!

Dalia Muayad — THE BATTALION

A panel of graduate students gathered to discuss the challenges of balancing activism and professionalism in the workplace.

Balancing activism and academia Brad Morse, Editor in Chief Gracie Mock, Managing Editor Sarah East, Social Media Editor Anthony Pangonas, SciTech Editor Angel Franco, Sports Editor Luke Henkhaus, News Editor Megan Rodriguez, News Editor

Sanna Bhai, Special Sections Editor Kenya Robinson, Life & Arts Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Editor Tenoch Aztecatl, Multimedia Editor Liang Zhao, Page Designer Devon McGarvey, Page Designer

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. 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.

Scholar-activist spoke at workshop and shared ideas By Matt McDowell @MattMcDowell43 Graduate students were advised on how to combine their love for research with their passion for activism at the Professionalizing as a Scholar-Activist workshop on Tuesday. Guest speaker Karma Chavez, associate professor of Latino studies at the University of Texas, defined a scholar-activist as someone who does scholarly work for a university while simultaneously serving as an activist for causes they feel are important. One of the attendees, Moises Cerezo, history graduate student, asked what can be done to bridge the often large gap between scholarly work and the people and communities that need attention. “We have all of these academics and there’s a disconnect between theory and practice, and there’s a disconnect between these dissertations you spend

all these years writing and all this studying and it doesn’t get down to the layperson,” Cerezo said. “What is our real contribution to the world if it doesn’t get down to the person that needs it?” Scholars have a particular responsibility to the communities they study, according to Chavez. “If we’re scholars that study particular groups … we are obligated to those groups in ways that they would not be otherwise,” Chavez said. The panel debated challenges and issues which might occur when trying to continue ones scholarly work while being activists for issues they deem significant. Passion for activism can be used to discredit the validity of one’s academic work, according to Desirae Embree, English department graduate teaching assistant and Class of 2015. Embree said there are ways to remain enthusiastic for activism and produce quality work. “What concerns me is that the knowledge is expected to be objective … if there’s a purpose in me doing the research or bringing my own agenda to the research, which is pro-woman, pro-

queer, anti-racist, it somehow compromises the knowledge I’ve produced,” Embree said. “I have wondered that because of the identity that I hold, it makes my work look emotional instead of rigorous. It sets the bar that much higher for my work, too.” The panel discussed if it is possible to be an activist through established institutions and universities. Specifically, they addressed how a scholar-activist’s relationship to their university must be carefully nuanced in order to support issues they care about while remaining at their university. Chavez said universities can often be reformist instead of activist by insisting on making small changes to flawed institutions, rather than completely rebuilding from the ground up. “A university is designed like a public school … it is aiming to produce good civil members of society … reform is going to be something other than radical, it will suggest America is great because America is good, we don’t need to actually destroy the whole thing,” Chavez said.

AGGIELAND YEARBOOK It’s not too late to come purchase your copy of the 2017 Aggieland Yearbook, a photojournalistic record of the 2016-2017 school year. The 115th edition of Texas A&M’s Official Yearbook. Ordering can be done online at aggieland.tamu.edu, or by calling 979-845-2613. Avoid the mail fee and purchase your yearbook at our office, located in Suite L400 of the MSC.

Don’t forget to preorder your copy of the 2018 Aggieland yearbook, a photojournalistic record of the 2017-2018 school year. The 116th

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond practices at the first spring training session.

edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. FOOTBALL CONTINUED

Distribution will be the Fall 2018. Go online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.

$75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)

hard in the weight room. We’re not out of shape, we didn’t have anybody cramp, miss practice or come out [because they] were tired. We have a lot of reps — we go fast — so I was very pleased with that part.” During the 15 minutes allotted to the media during practice, Fisher dedicated a decent amount of time to working with the quarterback unit. During that time, the quarterbacks took reps under center. Fisher said many schools around the country run primarily out of shotgun formation, however, with the transition to his pro-style offense, Fisher said he will focus on taking snaps under center. “There will be times,” Fisher said. “Sometimes we’ll be in the gun, sometimes

we’ll be in both. I did something different for these guys that haven’t been underneath center as much. There are things that we will like to do in our offense that I think you need to be under center.” Fisher said each unit will have to challenge one another to be able to handle the tough defenses and offenses they will face during the season. “In this league, you have to be able to run the football and stop the run,” Fisher said. “There’s no doubt, I’ve been here a long time. You’re going to make your plays, throw the ball, you can spread the offense, but you have to have the physicality.” A&M football continues with its spring football schedule, which will conclude with the spring game on April 14.