The Battalion: February 15, 2017 by The Battalion

Sophomore George Janca will enter the 2017 season as the Aggies’ starting third baseman.

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Texas A&M has not been on the Princeton Review’s list of LGBTunfriendly campuses since 2014.

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LGBT Aggies talk about growing A&M community By Ariel Hayes @ArielKHayes In 2014, the Princeton Review named Texas A&M University one of the least LGBT friendly campuses in the country. But for the last two years, A&M has been left off that list and the local LGBT community, while small, has established a considerable presence on campus. Although biomedical sciences sophomore Drew Scowcroft said his identity as a gay man initially caused nervousness about coming to Texas A&M, his experience at Fish Camp calmed his nerves. “Once I got in all my friends were like, ‘Drew, you realize it’s on the list for one of the most LGBT unfriendly schools?’ Which at the

time it was, but now it’s not. After that I was nervous about it, but Fish Camp made me not nervous anymore,” Scowcroft said. “Fish Camp is such a great organization when it comes to diversity. They really got a good message across.” Scowcroft said being gay is not his most defining or important characteristic, but it has affected his growth as a person, his sense of empathy and his political stances. “It’s definitely made me the person I am today. I’m a lot more sympathetic because of it because you just go through hardships that others don’t go through and it forces you to find yourself early on,” Scowcroft said. “I’m very left-leaning, and maybe that is because of my sexuality. I’m very passionate LGBT ON PG. 4

Lawrence Smelser — THE BATTALION

George Janca poised for breakout season in 2017 Former shortstop to start new season as third baseman with focus on hitting this year By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary

STUDENT BODY I ELECTIONS The following students are campaigning for various elected positions in the upcoming student elections

Student Body President Kilian Bresnahan Robert Brooks Arthur McIntosh Benjamin Ikwuagwu

Senior Yell Leader Jeremiah Lopez Cooper Cox Ian Moss Jordan Dunson Zachary Harvey Kenneth Belden

Junior Yell Leader Gavin Suel Zachary Kocurek Connor Joseph Jake Ryan Cason Strnadel

Class Presidents Austin Burmeier (2020) Jordan Hoffart (2019) Amy Sharp (2019) Robert Ramirez (2018) Briannah Wheeler (2020) Bo Garza (2019) Jackson Oldham (2020) Stone Kinsey (2020) Viet Nguyen (2020)

Voting will be held Feb. 23-24

f the glass on the newly renovated Rec Center is ever in jeopardy of being shattered while Texas A&M is taking batting practice, chances are George Janca is at the plate. Head coach Rob Childress said Janca hits the ball further than anyone in the program, and his repeated moonshots instill fear in ace pitcher Brigham Hill when he realizes he will have to face him in intrasquad scrimmages. “I just go up there and try to hit it as far as I can,” Janca said. “I’m going to have an approach up there, but when it comes down to it I’m trying to hit it absolutely as hard and as far as I can. I just try to hit it really, really far and really hard.” The sophomore from Georgetown is slated to begin the season as the Aggies’ starting third baseman, and his

offensive upside is expected to shine in 2017. He was thrown into the fire last year as a freshman and started the first 28 games of the season at shortstop before Austin Homan took over. Janca’s final stats from his first season left much to be desired, but hitting in the SEC is extremely difficult for any freshman — especially when you factor in the added pressure that comes with playing a premium position like shortstop. “It’s not that he was weak physically or had a bad swing. Day in and day out in the SEC, it’ll chew you up. When you’re facing guys that are up to 95 [mph] with two pitches and sometimes three, it’s tough,” Childress said. “He’s a year older, a year more comfortable and I believe he’s going to have a really good sophomore year. He’s going to hit for some power.” The move to third base should be beneficial for Janca and the Aggies. As a converted shortstop, his range and arm strength project well at the hot corner, and playing a less demanding position will allow him to focus more on his hitting. JANCA ON PG. 2

TAMU Press gains recognition By Maddie Brennan @madkathbren Hidden behind the Aggie Band Hall in the back parts of Southside, the bustling offices of the Texas A&M University Press work each day to promote knowledge in the form of books. Founded in 1975 by John H. Lindsey and Frank H. Wardlaw, the Texas A&M University Press has since endeavored to establish itself as a top-tier university press. Since then, the press has seen huge growth and now publishes 50 to 60 books a year in a variety of topics like AgriLife sciences, history and politics, wildlife and fisheries and more, and has won more than 500 book awards. The Assistant to the Director and Rights Manager Linda Salitros said the TAMU Press’ publications have changed over time to encompass a broad range of interests and engage people in and out of scholarship. “When I came here in ‘95, what I saw being published were very scholarly books that only grabbed the interest of scholars in that field. I really saw our list flip a bit when [Shannon Davies, Press Director] came here,” Salitros said. “We were publishing books that the general public would enjoy reading. It really changed the

Leah Kappayil — THE BATTALION

The TAMU Press publishes around 50 to 60 books each year on a variety of topics.

whole complexion of our press, and people started to notice us.” As head of the Texas Consortium, the TAMU Press facilitates the publishing of eight other small university and literary presses, providing services like distribution, warehousing of books and marketing. Some of these presses

include the TCU Press, the UNT Press and the Texas State Historical Association Press. Recently featured in Texas Monthly, the TAMU Press’ recognition grows everyday. Unbranded, a book following the TAMU PRESS ON PG. 3

SPORTS

The Battalion | 2.15.17

Sydney Pickrem looks toward Tokyo 2020 After Rio Games, Pickrem picks up where she left off in swimming season By Matt Koper @Matt_Koper An American by birth and a Canadian by blood, kinesiology sophomore Sydney Pickrem is well traveled after swimming in several events for Canada during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Pickrem was born in Tampa Bay, Florida but has strong ties to Canada — most of her family lives in Nova Scotia, and her dad Darren, even played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. Pickrem acquired dual-citizenship when she was 14, after one of her club coaches found out that her parents were Canadian and she has been swimming for Canada ever since. Instead of leaving early to swim in the Olympic Trials for Canada, Pickrem stuck out the rest of her season with her team and head coach Steve Bultman, and the continued training paid off. “Our trials are actually a bit earlier than the States,” Pickrem said. “It’s actually right after our NCAA’s, so kind of back-to-back meets — SEC’s, NCAA’s and then Olympic Trials were right there. And I knew that going into my college career, but I decided to stick with NCAA and kind of do all three and I knew Steve would make it work.” In swimming the last meets of the 2016 season, Pickrem won the SEC title in the 400-meter individual medley, earned First Team All-American Honors for the 200 individual medley, 400-meter individual medley and the Aggies’ 800-meter free relay at the 2016 NCAA Championships. On top of all that, she qualified for Rio in the 200-meter individual medley and the 400-meter individual medley, taking down the record holder in the 400-meter, Emily Overholt. Following the Olympic trials, Pickrem and the rest of the team spent time in a training camp in Toronto before eventually leaving for Brazil nearly two weeks before the events. When Pickrem swam in the Games for Canada, she placed sixth in the 200-meter individual medley finals and 12th in the 400-meter individual medleys. She said she was initially disappointed with her times, but after talking with her dad, he helped put her races in perspective. “For me, I don’t think I’ll ever do well enough,” Pickrem said of her performance in Rio. “That’s my personality, that’s how I’ve always been, that’s how I get better … I had

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Sophomore Sydney Pickrem already has her sights set on the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

to take a step back and it never happened until after I was done with the Games, thinking I could reflect on it all. My dad told me, ‘You just swam in the pool with the best eight swimmers in the world in your event.’” Despite her finishes, Pickrem said she enjoyed being in Rio and learned a lot about other sports while being surrounded by some of the best athletes in the world. “It was pretty unreal,” Pickrem said. “I’ve been in village setting before, but then again when you come to it people say, there’s nothing like the Olympic Games and it’s true ... and you’ve all already reached this goal of being an Olympian and being able to share that with the hundreds of people that you’re surrounded by is pretty amazing.” Now that Pickrem is back in College Station and fully recovered from an injury she sustained, she’s once again surrounded by teammates like sophomore Claire Rasmus, her training partner. Rasmus said she was proud of her best friend for competing in the Rio Games. Ras-

Lawrence — THE BATTALION

During his summer in the wood-bat Northwoods League with the Wisconsin Woodchucks, George Janca had 191 at-bats and hit .309 against strong pitching.

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mus even had to hang up on a call from her mom to livestream one of Pickrem’s races during the Olympics. “I’m so proud of her,” Rasmus said. “I know how hard she works everyday, so to see her accomplish one of those goals that she’s always had, is always a nice feeling.” Bultman said Pickrem is in a spot to improve her swims and if she does, a medal isn’t out of the question. “I think she’s definitely got a shot to do that,” Bultman said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of other people that are working for that too, but I think she’s in a good position — she knows the things she needs to work on and some of the things we’re working on right now.” Pickrem has taken to heart a piece of advice from associate head coach Tanica Jamison as she continues to push herself with plans to compete in Tokyo in 2020. “Don’t make that same mistake,” Pickrem said in regards to how she swam in Rio. “That’s the one thing that our assistant coach Tanica always would tell me is, ‘You take

your mistakes, you realize them and not a lot of swimmers do, and then you’re not going to make them again.’ ” Before Tokyo in 2020, Pickrem will have to finish out the 2017 season and the SEC Championships — which Pickrem is competing in this weekend — building on her swims from Rio over the summer. This season, Pickrem picked up where she left off — posting individual wins in the 200-meter breaststroke and backstroke in two separate meets alongside a few top-three finishes in other meets. When it does come time for the Tokyo Games, Pickrem has one goal: to have a medal around her neck in 2020. “That’s the thing is people always say the Olympics is a dream, but for me it’s just a goal,” Pickrem said. “And it was kind of the right step in the path at the time, so we’ll take it year by year … Everything’s going to be preparation toward it. I want to get there and I want to get on that podium.”

JANCA CONTINUED

impact this year.” Senior outfielder Blake Kopetsky said he’s looking forward to seeing Janca’s hard work pay off. “He’s worked really hard in the cages and he’s going to be one of our key guys this year,” Kopetsky said. “He’s come a long way since last year as a player.” Despite being only a sophomore, Janca has become one of the leaders of the team, adding to his value, said junior starting pitcher Brigham Hill. “I think he’s going to have a great year,” Hill said. “He showed flashes last year, and you can just tell the ball jumps off his bat. I think from last year to this year he’s improved as a fielder and honestly, he’s turned into a leader as well and he’s done a great job.” All signs point to the fact that Janca has grown as a player and become a better hitter after going through a full offseason at A&M and getting a full summer’s worth of at-bats under his belt. He is primed for a breakout sophomore campaign and has the potential to be a key cog in the middle of the Aggies’ lineup in 2017. “I think I finally figured out my swing, what I want to do and what I can do at the plate,” Janca said. “It’s just all about being locked into what I can do and I think if that happens I’ll be alright this year.”

When assistant coach Will Bolt told Janca to start taking ground balls at third during the fall, he did it without complaining or questioning the move. After two months, he said he feels more comfortable with the position and is looking forward to helping the team in any way possible. “I don’t care where I play,” Janca said. “Anywhere I can get on the field, I’ll be there. I think having me at third base is the best thing for the team, and it’s been fun learning a completely new position. I’ve enjoyed it and hopefully I’ll help the team out.” According to his teammates and coaches, Janca has come a long way since last year. Over the summer, Janca played in the woodbat Northwoods League as a member of the Wisconsin Woodchucks. It took some time getting adjusted to the wood bats, but in 47 games, he racked up 191 at-bats and hit .309 against solid pitching. “He’s a different player,” Bolt said. “He’s stronger, he’s more confident. I think he started figuring some things out mechanically and mentally that are going to help him out offensively this year. He’s the type of guy that wants more — he wants to have that role of being a guy that’s counted on, and he works that way. He’s a guy who I expect to have a significant

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3 former students named on Forbes 30 under 30 list Martellus Bennet, Von Miller, Sam Xu named to sports, energy categories By Tyler Snell @tyler_snell2 Three former A&M students were recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which showcases the 30 most influential people under 30 years old. Martellus Bennett, Class of 2009, tight end for the New England Patriots, and Von Miller, Class of 2011, outside linebacker for the Denver Broncos, were named to the list in the Sports category. Sam Xu, Class of 2011, was named to the Energy list. A&M football head coach Kevin Sumlin said the program is proud of the accomplishments Miller and Bennett have made. “We are proud of Martellus Bennett and Von Miller being included on this Forbes list,” Sumlin said. “The young men are outstanding athletes and are driven to succeed on the field and in the business world.” Xu graduated with a petroleum engineering degree and is now the head of oil and gas investment banking at CohnReznick Capital Markets Securities after spending some time working for British Petroleum. “I took a very untraditional path in terms

of I graduated from A&M with a petroleum engineering degree but do not work for an oil and gas company,” Xu said. “Having been listed under Forbes now after only a few years is definitely rewarding, and I’m extremely honored to be a part of the elite group.” Xu said her time at A&M pushed her out of her comfort zone and taught her the skills she would need to be successful in the business world, in addition to the technical aspects of the engineering degree. “In high school I was always a loner, but at A&M it is just really hard to be by yourself,” Xu said. “I would say the A&M experience not only provided me with the tools to become a great engineer but also changed my personality and characteristics in a significant way, and I’ve benefited from it ever since.” After graduating from A&M, Xu worked with BP until 2013 and experienced the deepwater horizon crisis, which influenced her curiosity in other aspects of the energy business, including finance. “During the deepwater horizon incident, I really lived through it and saw the changes in the U.S. energy landscape,” Xu said. “I really wanted to explore the finance of the businesses instead of just the technical aspects, so I took a leap of faith and transitioned to energy investment banking.” Ding Zhu, a professor in the department of petroleum engineering who mentored and

Leah Kappayil — THE BATTALION

The TAMU Press publishes research and scholarship publications in addition to other works.

FILE

Von Miller, Class of 2011, was among three Aggies named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, along with Martellus Bennet, Class of 2009, and Sam Xu, Class of 2011.

taught Xu her senior year, said she had an uncanny knack to forge connections with other students and was determined to accomplish her goals. “She has this personal skill to connect her fellow students and lead the team to the right direction,” Zhu said. “I could see her bright future while she was a senior student.” Xu said her decision to switch careers was

a risky one but she felt prepared after being involved at A&M. “I never left Texas and to start all over again and work for a smaller company that was a really risky path,” Xu said. “But the four years at A&M, especially with petroleum engineering department, not only gave me the tools and skill sets of being a good engineer but also affected me personally.”

TAMU PRESS CONTINUED

many students who intern go onto careers in their desired fields, including marketing and editing. Although the TAMU Press doesn’t often publish student publications because of its rigorous screening process, Davies hopes to encourage students in their writing and reading endeavors. “We look at [student publications]; we advise on them,” Davies said. “We’re always happy to offer expertise on how the publishing process works and what they would need to do to make it into a book.” The TAMU Press’ publicity and advertising manager, Christine Brown, said the significance of the press for Texas A&M lies in its ability to reach across the nation and represent the university to people all over the country. “I think what we’re really proud of is being a representative for A&M in a way that maybe people don’t think,” Brown said. “Every book we print has the A&M logo on the spine and those books go to bookshelves, coffee tables, bookstores and libraries all over the world. We get to represent A&M in a way no one else can, and it reaches more places than any person can either.” For information about the Texas A&M University Press visit their offices or see their website: www.tamupress.com.

story of four Aggies who rode 16 wild mustangs across the country to promote awareness for the wild horse crisis and public land conservation, was published by the TAMU Press in 2015. Since then, the book has been made into a movie available on Netflix. In conjunction with the Land Grant Mission of A&M, the TAMU Press centers itself on the goal to foster educational outreach to the surrounding community and spread new knowledge and ideas, said Shannon Davies, press director. “As a university press, we are publishing not only research and scholarship, but also works that are for our public constituency,” Davies said. “I’m really proud of our ability to satisfy and extend the Land Grant Mission. It makes our press different. We reflect that mission, which is an outreach mission and partnership with the other parts of our university.” Above all, Davies hopes to increase awareness of the TAMU Press as a resource for students and faculty across all majors and departments, even those outside of their publishing genres. Specifically, the Press’ Internship Program allows students the insight and ability to engage with their TAMU Press, and

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LGBTQ CONTINUED about fighting for the little guy.” Chad Mandala, program coordinator of the GLBT Resource Center at Texas A&M, said it’s important to respect and understand all Aggies, regardless of their sexual orientation or identity. “We are really striving to promote the idea of an individual human’s inherent sense of worth and dignity,” Mandala said. “Gender pronouns are the most basic way of validating someone’s existence and by correctly utilizing pronouns you’re providing a level of affirmation for someone’s humanity.” For history junior Zachery Roethlisberger, who identifies as gay, the trepidation he felt before attending Texas A&M was more intense. “I was incredibly scared,” Roethlisberger said. “The only other person who went to college in my family graduated from here, so I was expected to go here, but I was very hesitant. I’ve been pleasantly surprised, but I’m not blind to the fact that there are a lot of people here who don’t agree with my lifestyle.” Sociology sophomore Hannah Kellen, who identifies as lesbian, believes communication is key to improving relations and understanding of the LGBT community. “I wish people knew that it’s not necessarily what you think it is,” Kellen said. “I would encourage people, even if they aren’t gay, to come out to LGBT stuff and some of their questions may be answered.” Kellen has had a generally positive experience being an Aggie who is also lesbian, though she sometimes wishes others understood that her identity as a lesbian woman does not make her a fundamentally different person. “So far it’s been a really great experience, and I wouldn’t say that me being gay and going to Texas A&M really changes my experience,” Kellen said. “I just wish that people could see that you can be completely normal, completely like everyone else, and you can still be attracted to the same sex. It doesn’t change the way that you are as a person.” Mandala said there are ample opportunities on campus for students to learn more about the LGBT community. “For folks that are looking for resources to learn more, they can definitely start with the GLBT resource center, and we are able to provide a number of different presentations, consultations for different groups that are interested in it as well as answering questions,” Mandala said.

XX — THE BATTALION

[Student], member of the LGBTQ community, believes imderstanding and listening to one another is vital in integrating the LBGT community with the Aggie Family.

According to Mandala, understanding and respecting the LGBT community should be a part of being a good member of the Aggie family. “No matter where an Aggie comes from, the idea of human dignity and respect is something we all inherently relate into; it really goes, I think, to the idea of being one big Aggie family,” Mandala said. “Being a family means that we may not always agree, but

BATT SPORTS PRESENTS

there’s always that level of respect and dignity and love that goes into it. I think that’s really all anyone is looking for, regardless of how you identify.” Despite differences in opinion, Roethlisberger said he maintains friendships with those he does not agree with, because he believes having an open and friendly dialogue is the best way of improving relations and understanding on both sides of the issue.

“There are some people who say they’re very religious and they don’t agree with my lifestyle, but we’re still good friends because I don’t ever let it deter me,” Roethlisberger said. “We need to practice more love and acceptance of one another and listen to one another. We’re never going to get anywhere if we’re set in our ways. We don’t learn through opposition, we learn through communication with one another.”

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DIAMOND DISCUSSION A

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PODCAST COURTSIDE CONVO WILL TAKE LISTENERS THROUGH AGGIE MEN’S BASKETBALL’S 2016-2017 SEASON.

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HAVE YOUR PICTURE TAKEN FOR THE 2017 AGGIELAND YEARBOOK! Specialties Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M University’s 2017 Aggieland yearbook.

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ALL CLASSES ARE WELCOMED 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday Feb. 15th & 16th Located at the Sanders Corps Museum Library

Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95.