The Battalion, March 29, 2018

BACK ON TRACK THURSDAY, MARCH 29 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2018 STUDENT MEDIA

Johnny Manziel talks about his football career, past and future

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ A comeback is defined as a return by a well-known person, who is typically an entertainer or athlete, to something they did before and found success. However, for former Texas A&M quarterback and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, his comeback means more than just returning to an NFL stadium.

In the two years since his release from the Cleveland Browns, Manziel has experienced ups and downs which have been well documented since his rise to stardom after winning the Heisman.

Now, as Manziel returned to his old college stomping grounds a changed man, he said his focus aside from football is taking care of himself. Last year, Manziel announced he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is taking medication.

“I have a regime that I do,” Manziel said. “I say this sometimes, but it’s equally as important — if not more important — I can’t do what I want to do football wise if I don’t do what I need to

do mental health wise. If I’m not going to see a psychiatrist and psychologist at least a couple of times a week, if I’m not going and taking my medicine that I need to take, then I’m not the same person and I see it. First things first, I can’t do me without doing the necessary steps to get my head right and that’s just the fact.”

Manziel participated in the Aggies’ 2018 Pro Day, throwing to wide receivers Christian Kirk and Damion Ratley, as well as others who participated in the drills. When asked what Tuesday’s Pro Day was like in comparison to his Pro Day a couple of years back, Manziel said they were polar opposites.

“It was a lot different, last time was a circus,” Manziel said. “We had a president here, it was nuts. We had music playing and it was a big ordeal. I was in shoulder pads and a helmet. This really wasn’t about me, it was about the guys.

It was a lot more relaxing. It was a winwin situation for everybody, as far as me getting to come out and throw, [Christian] Kirk getting to catch some balls from me. I know everybody wanted to see that connection. That’s the one we missed with me leaving and him coming in.”

Attendees included Manziel’s wife, COMEBACK ON PG. 3 Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Johnny and Bre Manziel attended the Texas A&M-Kentucky basketball game Feb. 10.

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

U.S. Senator John Cornyn discussed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act with business leaders Wednesday.

Making the American Dream reachable Senator Cornyn met with local businesses and addressed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

By Taylor Fennell @TaylorPaige1299 Due to a new tax reform law, the American Dream is not out of reach today, according to United States Senator John Cornyn.

Cornyn met with four local business leaders Wednesday to discuss the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was designed to allow small businesses to create job opportunities and invest in their employees.

The meeting, hosted at C.C. Creations, began with a roundtable discussion, in which the local business executives shared stories of the law’s impact on their companies and employees.

Kenny Lawson, CEO of C.C. Creations, said he has seen the benefits of the new tax code in his company since it became law in December.

“I really think [the act is] doing exactly what the

tax reform wanted to do,” Lawson said. “It’s money back in the taxpayers’ pockets and it gives businesses an opportunity to grow and use those tax deductions in a positive way.”

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allows small business owners to immediately write off the full cost of new equipment, write off interest on loans and lowers the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

These developments have led to growing businesses and a better economy, according to Cornyn.

“What I’m hearing here is what I hear everywhere around the state from small businesses, is that this has provided [small businesses owners] the ability to invest in their businesses, grow it, hire more people and pay better wages to the people who work there,” Cornyn said. “That’s exactly what we had hoped for when we passed this piece of legislation.”

Thomas Gessner, principal of Gessner Engineering, said the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides employees better job security, which allows them to settle into the community long-term.

CORNYN ON PG. 4

SENATE CAMPAIGN

O’Rourke visits A&M

C. Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION

Democratic senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke held a town hall at the Texas A&M Student Recreation Center Wednesday night.

He discussed gun policy, healthcare and environmental issues.

More at thebatt.com.

Abby Collida — THE BATTALION

Holy Thursday is a holy day celebrated by many Christian denominations in different ways on the Thursday before Easter.

Holy Thursday plans As they prepare for Easter and the conclusion of Lent, Aggie Christians reflect on what the Last Supper means to them

By Hannah Falcon @hannahfalcon_ Although they are all rooted in a common faith, different Christian denominations celebrate holy days in diverse ways.

According to the four Gospels of the Christian scripture, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus Christ celebrated Passover with his 12 disciples the night before his crucifixion. Christians everywhere now honor this day by imitating the communion Jesus shared with his disciples through traditional celebrations.

Addie Otterstetter, biomedical engineering sophomore, is Catholic and a small group leader for John 15, a Bible study group geared toward freshmen at St. Mary’s Catholic Center. Otterstetter said she believes the most important part of the Catholic faith is the communion, because it shows no matter how far a person strays from the light, Jesus is still willing to give himself to them fully and Holy Thursday was when Jesus served communion to his disciples.

“The Holy Thursday Mass is a remembrance of the Last Supper,” Ottersetter said. “It’s a big deal because it’s the last time you receive communion before Easter and all the words the priest says during the consecration every day come from Jesus during the Last Supper.”

Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the end of Lent, a 40-day period of repentance and self-reflection leading into Easter. Ottersetter said when she remembers Jesus’ resurrection, as told in the Bible, it gives her comfort at the end of this difficult time.

“Holy Thursday is a day that I reflect on everything I’ve struggled with during Lent and just thinking that Jesus is rising from the dead and no matter what, it’s going to be ok,” Ottersetter said.

Camille Mason, communication freshman and non-denominational Christian, said her church celebrates Holy Thursday by imitating the way Jesus washed the feet of disciples on the night of The Last Supper.

“At my church, we put on something on Thursday night the week of THURSDAY ON PG. 2

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The Battalion | 3.29.18

New cultural cuisine organization. It does good work and I’m confident that they’ll use the money that I’m sending their way in a good way.”

Quinn Tran, petroleum engineering senior and Bon AppeTea employee, said mixing the teas is a hobby, rather than a job, for her. She said her boss lets her have some freedom and input because of her past experience in the bubble tea business.

“It’s a really chill environment, the boss doesn’t try to micromanage, he lets me have some creativity to make drinks,” Quinn Tran said. “I really like making drinks, so for me it isn’t just a part-time job, it’s something that I enjoy doing.”

The friendliness of the staff and loyalty of the customers is what makes Bon AppeTea stand out from other bubble tea restaurants, according to Quinn Tran.

“The boss really encourages us to form a relationship with the customer, to know their name, know what they like and know their favorite drink if they’re a regular,” Quinn Tran said. “A lot of customers like that we notice them and remember their drinks.”

Van Tran said he feels rewarded by the community and the smiles on customers faces. He said he is excited about opening up his next restaurant, Nam Cafe, next door.

“The best part about owning a restaurant is that you work for yourself,” Van Tran said. “I put in a lot of hours, but I get to see the fruit of my labor. I enjoy seeing people happy because they enjoy my sandwiches and they enjoy my drinks.”

Bon AppeTea serves Vietnamese food and drinks

By Hannah Falcon @hannahfalcon_ A Vietnam native hopes to present unique flavors to local residents with original bubble tea concoctions on Northgate.

In January, Van Tran opened Bon AppeTea, a Vietnamese restaurant on Nagle Street which serves macaroons, banh mi sandwiches and unique bubble tea creations. Van Tran said the pun in the name Bon AppeTea is a nod to the French colonization of Vietnam in the late 19th century. Since Vietnamese cuisine incorporates traditional French elements, Van Tran said he thought the wordplay on the French phrase “bon appetit,” which translates to “enjoy your meal,” would encompass all elements of his menu.

Van Tran said he picks an employee each week to create their own original drink to be featured as the “drink of the week,” where 10 percent of the proceeds made from the beverage go to various charities. This week, Paul Thompson, business junior, created HonCocoTaro and chose to donate the proceeds to Bryan-College Station Habitat for Humanity.

“The HonCocoTaro is a mixture of honey, taro and coconut,” Thompson said. “The taro and coconut combination is really common and I decided to add honey. My freshman year, I volunteered quite a bit with Habitat for Humanity and I really liked the Dalia Muayad — THE BATTALION

Bon AppeTea is a new Vietnamese restaurant located on Nagle Street.

Easter Events in Bryan-College Station Easter Egg Scramble What: The event will feature an Easter egg hunt, orchard tours and other outdoor activities.

Where: Royalty Pecan Farm When: Saturday, March 31, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Easter in the Park What: The event, sponsored by Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, will start with a sunrise service at 7 a.m. and a complimentary breakfast will follow.

Where: Central Park in College Station When: Sunday, April 1, from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Easter Brunch at the Vintage House What: A reservation is required for this brunch buffet, which includes an omelette bar, waffle bar, fruit and more.

Where: Messina Hof When: Sunday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

THURSDAY CONTINUED Easter called Maundy Thursday and it’s just a time to reflect on the coming days, especially Friday, which we talk about and discuss the fact that Jesus died on the cross for us,” Mason said. “We also wash each other’s feet, just like Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. We do that for people in our church to show them that we want to serve them the way that Jesus served people during his time here on Earth.”

Some Protestants in the Christian faith do not receive communion everyday, so it’s a special occasion when they have the opportunity to do so, according to Mason.

“Communion is a really cool time of getting to remember and getting to recognize and praise Jesus for what he did when he died on the cross, when his blood was shed and his body was broken,” Mason said.

“That is a time where we get to stop and remember that with gratitude and thanksgiving.”

Reverend Preston Greenwald of A&M United Methodist Church said he tries to emphasize the story and history behind the holiday during his church’s Maundy Thursday service.

Greenwald said the word “Maundy” means covenant and represents the new covenant Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper.

“This Thursday, we will gather together in the Great Hall and begin to tell the story of the Passover that Jesus served,” Greenwald said.

“Of course, we don’t celebrate the Passover because we are not Jewish, but we still find truths in the story of the Passover. We gather at the tables and share the story and the history and then we will all participate in communion together, and that’s what that service is really centered around, the first communion that Jesus served.”

Greenwald said he believes although Easter is a popular time for Christians, the story of Christ is meant to be lived all year, not just for one hour on Sundays.

“Maundy Thursday begins a journey,” Greenwald said. “This is a moment where Jesus is looking behind. It’s a moment where he takes a breath with his best friends and remembers all the places they’ve been. Now, he’s about to transition into something else, so he’s both saying goodbye and saying hello. It’s a powerful moment to realize that Jesus spent his whole life doing this for us, so now we spend our whole life doing this for Jesus.”

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The Battalion | 3.29.18

PROVIDED

PROVIDED

Allison Polka, Don Broach, Nancy Broach and Ken Broach pose together.

Photos of A&M bonfires hang over Don’s saber from being The Company Commander in the Corps.

All in the family: Brenco Marketing run by the Broachs Aggie graduates operate business which supplies fuel to A&M and the Bryan-College Station area

Don Broach said Brenco Marketing Company has sold petroleum products to Texas A&M for years, placing the university in the top 20 percent of their business. “[We sell] about a million gallons a year and the majority of that is diesel fuel,” Don Broach said. “The buses are the [biggest consumers]. They’re the ones that’s going to be 800,000 to 900,000 gallons [of diesel fuel a year].”

Russell Bennett, transportation manager of Brenco Marketing, said the smaller amounts of fuel supplied to A&M are used to take care of the campus terrain.

“We supply utilities and landscape maintenance such as lawn mowers, weed eaters and the Bobcat tractors they use when they go all around campus taking care of the scenery,” Bennett said.

Don Broach’s brother, Kenny Broach, Class of 1975, currently serves as the executive vice president of the company, and Don Broach’s daughter, Allison Polka, Class of 2004, works as the account executive for the company and said she hopes to step into her father’s position.

Brenco Marketing has helped maintain an A&M tradition, serving as the fuel supplier for the Aggie Bonfire until it’s devastating collapse in 1999, and continues to provide fuel for the current off-campus student bonfire organizers.

By Miranda White @mirandakw A family of fourth generation Aggies have been serving the Bryan-College Station area with petroleum products for nearly 100 years.

Brenco Marketing, a Broach family business, began in 1924 when J.S. Broach became the first Sinclair Oil and Refining Company bulk agent in the Brazos Valley. After selling the distributorship, J.S. Broach entered the petroleum business in 1960 and started the Broach Oil Company, which was renamed Brenco Marketing in the 1980s.

In 1974, J.S. Broach’s son, Kelly Broach, Class of 1957, assumed control of the business and grew it into one of the largest wholesale distributors in Texas. Kelly Broach’s wife, Nancy McDonald Broach, began working for the company in the 1970s and currently serves as the company’s senior vice president.

Kelly Broach’s son, Don Broach, Class of 1977, has held the title of president and CEO of Brenco Marketing since 1989.

“We have been doing that for years until the Bonfire fell, and once it fell and they moved it off campus, we still will give them fuel to help build it,” Don Broach said. “We don’t give them the fuel that they put on it to burn it, but we give them the fuel to run their chainsaws and trucks and stuff like that, so we will do that each year.”

Don Broach said the students who build Bonfire often bring gifts to him as a show of gratitude for Brenco Marketing’s support.

“They would always bring me a picture each year [of the Bonfire] on campus,” Don Broach said. “Once they moved it off, they will give me a center pole of wood that they will use to build a bonfire with, so they will brand it and bring it to me.”

Polka said working in the family business has strengthened her relationship with her father and their bond as business partners.

“Working with my family has such a deeper purpose and meaning than working with anyone else,” Polka said. “It’s unique to have the relationship that we do, to where we can have a business relationship and not ever have an issue and have a father and daughter relationship and never have an issue. It’s just really cool.”

COMEBACK CONTINUED In interviews and on social media, Manziel has credited his wife for being a major contributor to his comeback.

Bre said she is grateful for the support her husband receives every time they come to Aggieland.

“It’s a pretty cool thing to see,” Bre said. “I didn’t do the whole college experience and I really didn’t have a background in sports whatsoever. So, when I came here, I had no idea what to expect, but it is pretty amazing how supportive this community is and how much people care about him.

To go from our lows to this, it’s great to see him at a good place again. We appreciate the Aggies.”

Bre said she and Manziel met through mutual friends and have been able to remain honest and truthful to one another.

“I think our relationship does well because we’re very sarcastic and we were really good friends before we ever dated,” Bre said. “It makes it really easy to talk — we’re both very blunt, upfront people.”

Before the start of the A&M Pro Day, Bre said she and Manziel had a conversation about being able to envision what they want to accomplish and then going out and executing it in the right manner.

“Whatever you put out in the universe, you’re going to get back,” Bre said. “That’s something we work on. Obviously, he’s very talented and he has his cocky moments and that’s what makes him the player that he is, but we also we want to make sure that he’s putting out in the correct way and focusing his energy into that.”

Bre runs her own company, Bodies by Bre, which focuses on workout routines designed to help women lose weight and tone their bodies. Bre said the passion for working out she and Manziel share and their competitive nature allow their relationship to thrive while also staying on track to reach their goals.

“Fitness is a really good base for us,” Bre said. “Because I’m getting up in the mornings, so even the days that he doesn’t want to get up I’m like, ‘Alright, what time are you going to the gym because I’m going at nine.’ It’s always cool

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Johnny Manziel was invited to throw for the wide receivers at Texas A&M’s Pro Day.

‘cause he’s very competitive, so I’ve learned [to say], ‘Okay I’m going, and I was there for two hours, when are you going?’ So it’s fun. We push each other.”

Manziel said the question of whether or not he’ll be invited to a training camp will not burden him moving forward.

He said he plans to make the most of the opportunities given to him throughout his comeback.

“I’ve blocked it off,” Manziel said. “I can’t do anything, I can’t stress about it. All I can do is make sure I am where I need to be. Where I’m at mentally, physically and when I get a chance to go to the Spring League — being there, getting to do the film stuff, getting back in to the real football stuff, not just coming out and throwing and working out.

The Spring League gives me a little bit of a practice setting.”

Mike Evans, current Tampa Bay wide receiver and one of Manziel’s top targets in college, said he looks forward to what the future holds for Manziel and hopes to see him back in the NFL. “I think he is an NFL guy,” Evans said. “Starting from the bottom up is good. It shows that he’s willing to work.

He just loves football.”

Johnny said regardless of if he gets an offer to play in the NFL, he will play football this year in the Canadian Football League. However, Johnny said he will try and exhaust his resources to try and stay stateside.

“If something pops up, then it pops up,” Manziel said. “If not, I’m going to go play in the CFL and things are going to be fine. One way or another, one day down the line, I’ll get back to exactly where I want to be. I’m not going to stop ‘till I do.”

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The Battalion | 3.29.18

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

U.S. Senator John Cornyn made a stop in College Station to talk about the new act.

CORNYN CONTINUED “If our employees have the opportunity to stay with us, grow with us, buy homes in our communities ... then that’s really, from a professional services standpoint, that’s the best thing we can ask,” Gessner said. “We can have that retention, have them grow with us and keep them around. [The law] has enabled us to do that and it’s really important to us.”

Larry Hodges, president of Copy Corner, said his company spends more money on employee investment than on technology, a trend the new law has allowed them to continue.

“I looked at our team, and three out of our four main managers were all student workers at one point, and graduated [from] A&M and had an opportunity to stay because we had opportunities for them,” Hodges said.

“So now, we’re able to aggressively reinvest in our people. I tell my managers, ‘We’re spending all this money on equipment all the time, but what you don’t realize is we spent more money on people than we do on all the equipment put together.’”

The new law has allowed businesses to pay lower taxes, enabling them to spend more on their employees through benefits, such as health care coverage. Claudia

4 Smith, co-owner of Aggieland Carpet One, said these benefits are meaningful because it helps her prioritize her employees.

“Something that has kept me up all night lots of times, lots of years, is the increase in health insurance,” Smith said. “As a very small business, I am not required to provide that benefit to my [employees] but I always thought if you have a healthy staff, your company will always be successful. So that is something I have done forever, but it has continuously been increasing. I was thinking that I was not going to be able to provide that for my employees anymore, and now I can, under the new bill. So that brings me peace of mind because my employees are family.”

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act results in more than just improved wages for employees, according to Cornyn, because it allows Americans to obtain an ideal they may have thought was impossible.

“Since the Great Recession of 2008, I think many Americans had come to feel that our best days were behind us,” Cornyn said. “What we’ve demonstrated here is that is absolutely not true. We can get the economy growing again, so people can find work. They can have more take-home pay and they can provide for their families and have the sort of things that, perhaps, they had come to believe were just luxuries and things they could not afford. So really, it’s about the American Dream.”

While he is proud of the new tax code, Cornyn said there is more work to be done.

He said the individual tax rate, which is currently locked in for 10 years, should become a permanent factor in the law.

“We weren’t able to make the individual tax rates permanent,” Cornyn said. “That’s because of some complex procedures and budget rules, but I think what we ought to do here before the end of this year is have a vote, because I know everybody on the political spectrum, from Bernie Sanders on the left, to the most conservative folks in Congress, people like me, believe that we ought to make those individual tax rates permanent.”

Lawson said the Bryan-College Station community benefits from the law in a variety of ways, and said both cities have potential for continued success.

“Bryan-College Station is a very robust community and there’s a lot of good growth opportunities, so this really is even more impactful, I think, in this area,” Lawson said.

“Different organizations view the tax reform differently, but I know that all of us have a consensus that it’s a positive thing in Bryan-College Station.”