The Battalion — March 31, 2022

THURSDAY, MARCH 31 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2022 STUDENT MEDIA

Silver Taps

Anne Locker-Thaddeus Sept. 9, 1954 — July 30, 2021

Weston Miller Dec. 19, 2002 — March 5, 2022

Justin Magtubo April 11, 2000 — Feb. 1, 2022

TRIBUTES ON PAGES 5 & 7

Chasing the mark Cameron Johnson — THE BATTALION

Junior outfielder Brett Minnich swinging at Olsen Field.

A&M baseball looks to ride wave of momentum Aggies flip ‘Horns, prepare to take on Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Sophomore Caden Norris ran the 800-meter race during the SEC Indoor Track Championships after recovering from heart issues.

Faith, challenging experiences, setbacks led to success for Caden Norris at A&M, on track for greater achievements

By Michael Horton @mhhort

T

hree years ago, Caden Norris would say you were crazy if you told him he would be running alongside olympian Craig Engels.

In high school, Norris painted a picture of Engels, and the painting still has a home in his college residence. Today, the sophomore sports Engels’ signature mullet and mustache combination. But, having the opportunity to compete with a track and field idol is just one of the boxes that Norris has checked off in his collegiate career — a

career that was anything but guaranteed.

At Midland Christian, Norris was a jack of all trades, lettering all four years in cross country, track and basketball. He was decorated in each of these pursuits, but district and regional crowns in the 800-meter during his junior year were an indicator of his future in track.

Texas A&M was always the ideal spot for Norris. His older brother is a member of the Corps of Cadets, and said he was sold on the environment after watching the Aggies’ dramatic seven-overtime victory against LSU in Kyle Field in 2018. Whether he was a member of the track team or not, he was dead set on being an Aggie.

Regardless, Norris was resolute to earn a spot on the team.

“I told myself, ‘no regrets,’” Norris said.

“I just put my trust in the Lord. If he wants me at A&M, it’s going to happen.”

Norris began constantly reaching out to the A&M track coaching staff, making his

By Jordan Epp @j_epp22

interactions with staff members a daily routine. Eventually, the high school senior was given a tangible goal: 1:53 in the 800-meter.

This, he was told by A&M athletic assistant Chris Harrell, would earn him a tryout spot.

Harrell interacts with many athletes in the offseason about joining the track team. Serving as the gatekeeper of the coveted maroon and white roster spots, Harrell is tasked with enforcing the team’s intense time requirements. While Norris’ times did not initially meet these hefty standards, Harrell recalls the Midland-native was notably determined to stay in contact with the program.

“Most of the time, you never hear back from people again,” Harrell said. “Certain people, especially those that want to come to school here anyway, are more inquisitive and keep the conversation going. Anytime [Norris] emailed, I responded to him.”

In the first meeting of his senior spring season, Norris clocked 1:56. Still three

With a somewhat unassuming record of 159, at first glance, one might take Texas A&M baseball’s record at face value. The team appears to be good enough to beat worse opponents, but struggles against better ones.

But, inside that win-loss record is a statistic that shows what this A&M team is about: a 3-1 record against ranked teams, coincidentally, all coming versus teams ranked No. 8.

Yet, on further inspection, another peculiar statistic appears. A&M is not only 12-8 versus unranked teams, but it has only won three of its five weekend series with 2-1 series losses against both Penn and Auburn.

For a team that went 9-7 in March, there are two sides to the coin that is Aggie baseball — it’s just never a certainty which face the coin will land on. They’ll want to continue to ride the momentum in their three-game weekend series against the Alabama Crimson Tide on April 1-3.

Fresh off a 15-9 win over in-state rival No. 8 Texas in Austin, A&M baseball is riding high.

That game came just two weeks after A&M won its three-game series versus then-No. 8 LSU.

NORRIS ON PG. 3

BASEBALL ON PG. 3

How to stay safe at Chilifest 2022

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Freshman leadership organizations paint their shacks to match different themes like the movie “Up.”

Habitating huts Alternative on-campus housing raises awareness of homelessness

By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel The sidewalk outside Kyle Field may look a little different on campus this week with a few additions to the plaza.

The Texas A&M Chapter of Habitat for Humanity is hosting its annual fundraiser to

raise awareness for homelessness across the community. During Shack-a-Thon, students spend five straight days, 24 hours a day in housing structures they build themselves to open a conversation about homelessness and raise money to support Habitat for Humanity.

A&M Habitat for Humanity director of Public Relations and environmental design senior Hanah Lansford said this year, the event boasts 14 student organizations spendSHACK-A-THON ON PG. 2

FILE

Chilifest hosts booths that feature unique art like the longhorn with sawed off horns.

Safety tips, advice to have fun at this year’s Snook music festival

By Kathryn Miller @KathrynMiller0 With Chilifest making its long-awaited return in Snook this weekend, attendees of previous years’ festivals share how to stay healthy during the festival’s long days of music and drinking.

Chilifest is an annual two-day music festival, featuring performances from renowned country and rock artists, with its main purpose to give back to local charities in Brazos Valley. This year, the event is from Friday, April 1 through Saturday, April 2. The event has taken place annually since 2000,

with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.

Between the music, drinks and chili, here are tips to ensure one’s safety and health while attending: Stay hydrated and prepare for any circumstance Chilifest President Matthew King said, on top of wearing appropriate attire to regulate body temperature for being outside all day, staying hydrated is essential to maintaining one’s energy and health during the festival.

“We have food and drinks out at the festival, so intend to stay hydrated,” King said.

“It’s going to be hot, and you’re going to be drinking all day. Definitely bring a hat or sunglasses to keep sunburns to a minimum.

CHILIFEST ON PG. 4

NEWS

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The Battalion | 3.31.22

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M’s Chapter of Habitat for Humanity organizes Shack-a-Thon once a year to raise awareness for homelessness. Fourteen organizations participated this year, building and staying in their shacks for a week to raise money.

SHACK-A-THON CONTINUED ing time in their shacks around Kyle Field. “[Shack-a-Thon] demonstrates that livingconditions aren’t uniform, across the community or even across the world,” Lansford said. “To show that we need to make sure that we’re advocating for [legislation] to help housing as well as for raising funds like this organization is trying to do to help build pumps in our community.”

Canvassing outside Kyle Field, there are a variety of shack themes, decorated by each organization, including Bikini Bottom, Waffle House and Minecraft.

“It’s an amazing experience to see how other people are actually living, as well as you’re bonding with the people that you’re spending time with,” Lansford said. “There’s a lot of teamwork that goes into building, painting,

decorating, making the shacks, coordinating who’s going to be there, all of those different kinds of things, as well as now we’re able to educate this large body of students that we have at Texas A&M.” Participants in the event vary, including many freshman leadership organizations, such as Freshman Leaders Establishing eXcellence, or FLEX. Though it has been a few years since the organization has participated, engineering freshman Joseph Valenta said the group worked to plan and build its structure over Spring Break.

“We really worked hard to try to get it as cubical as we can,” Valenta said. “For having no experiences in the past, we did pretty good.”

Valenta said FLEX members have used the event as an opportunity to get to know one another on a deeper level. Members of the organization have also gotten to know fellow

students who are participating with other organizations and those passersby who are interested in learning about the event.

“It’s also a cool event that Habitat for Humanity puts on that just helps to raise awareness about homelessness,” Valenta said. “Overall, it’s been a fun experience. You don’t get to build a lot in college, so it was a lot of fun to do that.”

Engineering freshman Jaden Gregg said the event has given his organization, Freshman Leaders in Progress, or FLiP, an opportunity to work together for a common cause.

“Shack-a-Thon is a great thing, because I love helping others. All the money that this goes into raising for Habitat for Humanity does a great thing,” Gregg said “It’s honestly a great team-building exercise for everyone and FLiP. As we worked, we worked on it for the course of four or five days, but together and all painting it and the teamwork that we

had to use and the process and even bringing it here was all great for all of us.”

Throughout the week, Shack-a-Thon organizers host various events for participants and the community to gather for including special appearances by the College Station mayor Karl Mooney and the Yell Leaders, as well as movie nights and Nintendo Switch tournaments.

After the event, Lansford said some organizations choose to store their shacks for use in future Shack-a-Thons. For the remaining shacks, the wood will be repurposed to be used by the local Habitat for Humanity chapter.

Money raised from the event also goes to the chapter, which helps to build houses in the community for deserving individuals.

Editor’s Note: Emma Lawson contributed to this story.

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SPORTS

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The Battalion | 3.31.22

BASEBALL CONTINUED “This was a grind, and I’m very aware how good our league is,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said after Game 3 of the series on Sunday, March 20. “This was a very good team that we played this weekend. They had some great arms coming out of the bullpen and starting pitchers that really presented challenges for us.”

For the maroon and white, when the pitching has been good, the team has been good.

The team has allowed less than eight hits in 10 different games, going 10-0 in such contests.

The Aggies have also allowed four or fewer runs in 13 games, going 12-1.

The successes and failures on the mound have been more indicative this season of victory than the bats have. The Aggies have had five or fewer runs 13 times and gone 7-6 in those games, but for the nine games in which the Aggies combined for an ERA above 4, the team is 3-7.

One of the stars of the team has been junior right-handed pitcher, and Texas Tech transfer, Micah Dallas, who leads the Aggies in number of innings pitched. Of all A&M pitchers with more than nine innings pitched this season, Dallas has the second-best WHIP, or walks and hits per inning pitched, and third-best ERA and opposing batting average.

Pitching has been a focus for head coach Jim Schlossnagle during his new era in Aggieland, having brought on Nate Yeskie, a well-renowned pitching coach and an NCAA champion, as an associate head coach after coaching under Johnson for multiple years.

“I’m super proud of our guys [with] where we are pitching-wise to piece it together against a nationally-ranked team,” Schlossnagle said after the team’s win over Texas. Earlier in the season on Saturday, March 5, Schlossnagle shared his three recipes to success after a bout against Iowa: “Pitching, defense, timely hitting — when you get all three, you win.”

A&M’s bats haven’t been anything to scoff at, though; it’s a unit led by sophomore first

baseman Jack Moss and graduate outfielder Dylan Rock. Of all Aggies with 40 or more at-bats, Moss leads the team in batting average at .393, and on-base percentage at .468. Rock leads the team in slugging percentage at .654 and homers at six.

Alabama comes into the series with a similar record, 15-11, but has struggled more with high-level competition. The Crimson Tide are 1-5 against ranked competition, having gone 0-3 against then-No. 1 Texas and being outscored 9-1 as well as having gone 1-2 against then-No. 9 Florida and being outscored 18-26.

Coming off a walk-off win versus Southern Alabama, the Crimson Tide are 3-3 in their three-game weekend series and have a 14-4 record at home.

“I am really glad to get a win tonight over a really good South Alabama team. We haven’t been great in midweeks the last few weeks — and I am not sure that we played our best tonight — but I am proud of our guys for doing enough to get a win over a good team,” Alabama coach Brad Bohannon said. “We are going to take tomorrow off and get ready for Texas A&M this weekend” Two of Alabama’s best hitters are senior outfielder Tommy Seidl and junior infielder Denton Zane. Seidl leads all players on the team with more than 40 at-bats in both batting average at .363, and on-base percentage at .434, while Zane leads the unit in slugging percentage at .583 and on-base plus slugging percentage at .953; Zane also leads the team in homers with seven.

To keep the Tide at bay, the Aggies will need smart pitching. Alabama’s team is not full of heavy hitters — at only 10th in the SEC for home runs and 12th in slugging percentage, — but the team knows how to get runners onto the field, reflected by the fourth-place mark in the SEC in on-base percentage.

The Aggies will start their series on April 1, at 6 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Cameron Johnson — THE BATTALION

Junior outfielder Brett Minnich (23) bats at Olson Field in Blue Bell Park against Santa Clara.

NORRIS CONTINUED

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Caden Norris was set on coming to Texas A&M, regardless of whether he made the track team.

seconds short of his goal, Norris’ hurdles were just beginning, as this would be the last time he would compete at Midland Christian. All of his future meets were canceled due to COVID-19.

Norris, however, continued to train. When the tracks were closed, he would measure the distance on the road and run a straight 800 meters. If an opportunity to race presented itself, he was going to be ready.

In August 2020, the training proved its worth, as Norris attended the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Satellite Beach, Fla. After months of biding his time, the Midland native had the chance to leave it all out on the asphalt.

As the moment approached, Norris recalled coming to terms with the stakes at hand.

“It was stressful,” Norris said. “I was thinking, ‘This is the end of my track career. I either run fast enough or I’m done.’ I prayed that I would have my best performance; if I ran 1:54, I was ready to be happy that I gave it my all.”

The gun sounded, and Norris took off.

One minute, 52.31 seconds.

Less than a week before he was scheduled to make the move to College Station, he received the call he had been waiting for. His performance not only granted him the tryout spot he had anticipated, but he was invited to join the squad as a preferred walk-on.

Like Harrell, assistant track coach Milton Mallard was in contact during Norris’ process of walking on. Once he had achieved the required time, Mallard said it was evident that Norris’ attitude would be a great fit at A&M. “Caden is an upbeat young man,” Mallard said.

“He is very likable and very friendly. He was excited about the opportunity to prove that he had the tools to continue his career in athletics. We were excited that he chose Texas A&M.” Before the feeling of accomplishment had fully set in, Norris faced another hurdle. While attending a routine physical, he was told that his troponin levels were abnormally high, putting him at risk for a heart attack. Further tests brought undesirable results — Norris was unable to run.

He was trapped indoors, unable to run until he was medically cleared. Norris had transformed

from a four-year varsity athlete in multiple sports into someone who doctors advised to avoid movement in general. After his uncommon path to the collegiate level, he met with yet another setback.

Norris was determined to resolve the issue and get back on track. He received an ultrasound, but was still not medically cleared. While he was initially discouraged, he found a way to see the positives in the situation.

“Looking back on it, I am thankful that it happened,” Norris said. “It allowed me to grow a lot with the Lord and I realized what major I wanted to pursue. When I was not running, I became interested in learning about foods that are good for your heart, and I realized that I have a passion for nutrition.”

Following a trip to Houston for a cardiac MRI, he finally received the green light and was allowed to continue competing. After six months of inactivity, Norris was finally free to run.

After months without collegiate training, he made his debut at the Willie Williams Classic in Tucson, Ariz., on March 19, 2021, with a time of 1:53:31 in the 800-meter. His times saw gradual improvement throughout the 2021 outdoor season, highlighted by a time of 1:50.84 at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.

After what proved to be a rocky freshman campaign, Norris was ready to bounce back in 2022.

He had an entire offseason to train, and that was just what the doctor ordered.

He started the season off with a bang at the Wooo Pig Classic, running 2:25.91 in the 1,000-meter, the 11th fastest mark in A&M history, and he was not done signing the maroon and white record books. He earned the 12th fastest 800-meter mark in school history at the Texas Tech Open with a time of 1:49.35. Less than two weeks later, he tallied the school’s ninth best run with a time of 1:48.55 at the Music City Challenge.

As the primary coach of the 800-meter runners, Mallard has seen Norris’ journey from a different point of view than most. The coach said he is excited to see Norris continue to reap the benefits of his work.

“For me to continue to watch him progress and get a little bit better each time he goes to compete is exciting, especially given our philosophy here at Texas A&M,” Mallard said. “I love seeing young people succeed.”

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LIFE&ARTS

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The Battalion 3.31.22

FILE

Chilifest 2022 is returning to Snook for the first time since 2019. Eleven artists will be performing from Friday, April 1 to Saturday, April 2.

CHILIFEST CONTINUED The big thing is watch your consumption.

Stay safe, stay hydrated. We have water out there, and we’re giving away free bottles, and all the vendors sell water as well.”

Brazos Pinto, Class of 2020, said he is planning on drinking a gallon of water a day in preparation.

“I’m hydrating, a lot, because I don’t know if it’s going to be hot or if it’s going to be cold.

With how the weather’s been, it is certainly an up and down kind of deal,” Pinto said. “Pretty much aside from that, I might pack some sunscreen and just get ready to party. I’m getting ready to have a good time, going in with the understanding and knowing that it’s going to be a mess, but it’s going to be a fun mess for being the first Chilifest in two years.”

Camp out to avoid traffic Pinto said the last time he attended Chilifest was his freshman year, but he remembers traffic getting in and out of the festival was backed up and ride hailing is always expensive.

“This year, my plan is, once I get there, I’m not leaving until Sunday; I’m camping out,” Pinto said. “I bought into a Build team, and they are going to have a section in the Build that is purely for camping. When I heard that, I thought that it was a perfect idea. That gets

rid of having to worry about getting home at the end of the day and no worries about having to pay an Uber or anything of that nature.

It gets a lot of people off the roads, and keeps the attendees safer. I’d rather be safe and in one place than having to deal with traffic once I get back to my car.”

For more information about camping out for Chilifest, visit the camping website.

Go with friends and visit the Builds Builds are great designated home bases to regroup with friends, eat and check in with members of your organization, Pinto said.

“Definitely go with friends. I wouldn’t go by myself; it’s always more fun when you know someone there,” Pinto said. “If you haven’t bought into a Build, I personally would so that you’re not having to wait on getting drinks or getting food … I know everyone puts in a lot of work and a lot of time and money into putting up these Builds. It’s kind of almost like a mini version of Vegas — everyone has their own theme. It’s cool to go walk around and see them if you want to take some time to take a break and get out of the mosh pit in front of the stage.”

For more information on Builds, visit Chilifest’s Team website.

Plan for a sober ride If you aren’t planning on camping out,

agricultural economics senior Clayton Lopez said for anybody who is going to attend Chilifest, the No. 1 priority should be to plan for sober rides.

“No matter their age, as far as getting to and from Chilifest, before you even think about going, before you even think about whose Build you’re going to be in, make sure you have a plan for a sober ride before you attend,” Lopez said. “The buses that take you to and from Chilifest have very long lines, and they’re very unreliable.”

Lopez said if one doesn’t have a sober ride, they should get two people out of one’s group to alternate driving days.

“That way, those individuals can have at least one day when they don’t have to drive.

Have those two people take a look at the concert lineups and pick which day that they want to attend and drink or indulge in that latter day,” Lopez said. “The day other than the day they pick will be the one that they drive, so you won’t have to subject someone to driving for both days — just get two people. That way, they can at least have half a good time, and the other day they can make sure that all their friends get home safely.”

Plan for lack of phone service Lopez said phone service is essentially non-existent, so he, his sister and the rest of their group are going to have designated

meeting times and places to regroup and make sure everyone is OK. “Write it down on a piece of paper and put it in your pocket before you even go, that way, ‘OK, at 1 p.m. I’m going to check back in at the Build or the tent,’” Lopez said. “If you can’t find someone, they either forgot or they’re in trouble, so [with a meeting place] you can go and find them and [ensure] they’re not lost for an extended period of time. It doesn’t have to be every hour, but just to have scheduled meeting places and time helps a lot.”

Your actions represent your organization Lopez said while it’s important to enjoy your time at Chilifest, attendees should respect the privilege they have of being able to attend with their respective organizations.

“If you are a fraternity brother, a men’s org[anization] member or a lady who’s wearing the letters or men’s org merchandise, just remember that your actions reflect the organization that you are wearing or associating with,” Lopez said. “We’ve learned from COVID[-19] that who we love and hold dear can be taken away from us very easily.

Respect why you’re there and have fun, but understand that this is the first time back for a lot of people, so there is probably going to be some crazy stuff going on.”

SILVERTAPS

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The Battalion | 3.31.22

Silver Taps September 9, 1954 — July 30, 2021

ANNE ARUNDEL LOCKER-THADDEUS ‘ A life long learner and teacher’

By Caroline Wilburn @Carolinewilb

A

selfless individual with a craving to learn, Anne Arundel Locker-Thaddeus dedicated her life to teaching others, both inside and out of the classroom.

Anne’s daughter Natalie Thaddeus said her mother was a unique individual who loved the color purple, butterflies and crocheting.

“She was interesting, and she was interested in everything,” Thaddeus said. “If she could have just gone to school her whole life and gotten paid to be a perpetual student, she would have. She loved learning about different cultures, which is why she was an anthropologist. When she tried her hand at something, when she got into it, she just threw herself into it. She was always asking people questions, and always trying to learn more about them instead of really sharing much about herself.”

Applying as an undergraduate in the early 1970s, Anne originally wanted to attend Texas A&M, but was discouraged by her father, H. M. Locker Jr., Class of 1941. After earning her master’s in 2009 from the University of Texas-Pan American, now known as the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Anne decided to come back to work toward her doctorate degree at A&M. “When she went to get her doctorate, she applied to 10 schools and only one got back to her and it was A&M and she was so excited,” Thaddeus said. “We just all laughed because of what her dad said. We laughed so hard, and just pictured him rolling in his grave since she was attending A&M. I think ultimately, she loved the community of it. She probably thought it would be a fascinating culture to study because A&M has a very deep-seeded culture of tradition. I think that’s what she really loved about it.”

As a professor at Blinn College and Bryan Collegiate High School, Anne had a love for teaching others and expanding her own knowledge, Thaddeus said.

PROVIDED

Graduate student Anne Arundel Locker-Thaddeus (middle) will be honored at the April 5 Silver Taps ceremony.

“Growing up, she would teach my friends how to crochet and how to knit,” Thaddeus said. “She was always offering to teach people who wanted to learn. That’s one of the things my friends loved about her. They could ask her a question about what she was doing and she would just talk to them for hours about it and answer all your questions.”

Family friend Giulia Giuffre said she found Anne’s knowledge in anthropology and mathematics interesting and encouraging.

“It was sort of inspiring, because she went back to school for her master’s and doctorate at a later time,” Giuffre said.

“She just had a lot of different interests, and because of that she dabbled in a lot of different things. Mostly, it was just really inspiring to see her go back and continue to learn and expand

on her education.”

Because she was unable to attend initially, Giuffree said Anne was excited to fulfill her dream of being a student at A&M when she began graduate school.

“I know she loved that,” Giuffree said. “I know she met a lot of great friends and great people while she was there. She introduced me to some of her Aggie family while she was there. I know it meant a lot to her.”

Anne is remembered as a very kind and generous person, Giuffre said.

“She was always lending things out, letting me borrow things, giving me things,” Giuffre said. “She always had a nice, kind word, and was very complimentary. It was always a nice confidence speaking with her, because she would always have a nice thing to say. I don’t even think she was really aware of [it], but it would kind of turn your day around. For her it was sort of just a passing comment, but it was always really nice to hear.”

Giuffre said she admired Anne’s determination and ability to not give up. As someone with many passions, Giuffre said she always appreciated Anne’s advice.

“I was always really inspired that, when many people would have felt it was too late in their life to go back to school, she went back to school for her graduate degrees, and that meant a lot to me,” Giuffre said. “Anne really showed me that you don’t have to know what you’re going to do for the rest of your life, because you can always change what you’re going to do. It’s just about living in and enjoying the moment and doing what your passion is. I remember how she would just always say nice things and it really made me value the power of words and how that can really change a person’s day.”

A constant friend who aimed to make people feel comfortable, Anne always focused on others more than herself.

“She would always say she didn’t care if she became a famous professor,” Thaddeus said. “She wanted to be the teacher of the person who would make the big discoveries or who would write the big paper. She very much wanted to be a supporter of things and not necessarily in the limelight.”

OPINION

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The Battalion | 3.31.22

period of several months, it became clear a change in organization should also be reflected with a change in architecture.

With less overhead and institutional overlap, this proposal provides an opportunity for development on campus as well. So, in order to seize the moment, we should replace nearly every building on campus with a replica of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex.

Seeing as investments are best allocated to the College of Engineering, these new buildings would be used exclusively by engineering faculty and students.

After all, there is no more majestic scene on campus than the modern engineering structure. Gone are the days of attending classes within the crusty and forsaken halls of Heldenfels, Blocker or the Chemistry Building. Instead, we shall attend classes in opulent, glass encased rooms with technology embedded into every available crevice.

Some may grumble, “But if each building is for engineering students, where will everyone else hold classes?” I am sure there are basements somewhere with the ability to accommodate these students and faculty. Even if there are no such spaces, the absence of them should be seen as an opportunity, not a setback.

Freeing these “Not Engineering” students from the domain of the physical classroom will allow for them to better utilize the realm of virtual courses. In recent years during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made great strides within this field, and I’m sure these students wouldn’t mind returning to an online format.

While I anticipate receiving some pushback regarding my proposal, let it be known, my endeavor is intended to be value-neutral. Some, such as my colleague and foolish editor Caleb Powell, have argued against increased consolidation. According to Powell, maintaining our current system of colleges will foster communities and missions tailored to our student’s needs. Many other critics will likely accuse me of undervaluing our science and humanities programs and our students within them.

Let it be known that this notion is a false one.

I do not wish to chart A&M’s course, but rather ensure we can follow our current trajectory in a more effective manner. These recommendations are not indicative of my own principles, but rather our university’s current priorities.

If you are concerned about the state of the “Not Engineering” programs at A&M or value the unique community and opportunities your department provides, then I respectfully request that you direct your criticism not toward me, but toward President Banks instead.

FILE

Opinion columnist Caleb Elizondo responds to current efforts to consolidate the colleges of Science, Geosciences and Liberal Arts with a proposal of his own.

A modest proposal

Opinion columnist Caleb Elizondo says A&M could be a stronger leader in academia Caleb Elizondo @CalebElizondo7

I

n light of last year’s MGT Consulting report, Texas A&M is highly cognizant of ensuring the university is operating efficiently to best serve its students and expand plans of growth. In the words of A&M President M. Katherine Banks regarding the report, it’s time to plot “The Path Forward.”

The MGT report recommended we consolidate some of our colleges in order to “realign” academic emphases. While the ensuing dialogue has been productive, current recommendations lack a certain ambitiousness required to make A&M a top-tier academic institution.

While we now plan on consolidating the colleges of Science, Geosciences and Liberal Arts, there is a lot of room for improvement upon this proposal. If

anything, this merger does not go far enough, and bolder action is necessary to realize A&M’s objectives.

So, in the spirit of ensuring our school can achieve its aims of excellence and expansion, I would like to take a moment to put forth my own modest proposal that will more honestly reflect our institution’s goals and values. In order to accommodate new trends in growth and optimize institutional effectiveness, I propose we reorganize our university into only two colleges: the College of Engineering and the College of “Not Engineering.”

The College of Engineering would change little, and would be focused on improving current programs such as computer, mechanical and biomedical engineering in addition to the rest of the 22 undergraduate programs. The College of “Not Engineering,” in turn, would provide whatever else we offer at this

institution.

Undertaking this endeavor will require an orderly model of transition. In order to achieve this aim, I recommend that the College of “Not Engineering” should be initially assembled from the colleges of Science, Geosciences and Liberal Arts. Every following year, however, the College of “Not Engineering” would be allowed to consume a college of its choice — provided it is not engineering, of course. The incorporated college should ideally not be involved in the decision, rather be notified at the last possible moment so as to joyfully surprise them.

After reflecting upon my proposition, I couldn’t help but feel that I was thinking too small. After all, reorganizing the bureaucracy can only do so much; what we are looking for is a complete reinvigoration of A&M as a bastion of learning.

After consulting with experts over a

Caleb Elizondo is an engineering freshman and opinion columnist for The Battalion.

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The Battalion | 3.31.22

December 19, 2002 — March 5, 2022

WESTON ALAN MILLER A dedicated Aggie and friend

By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel

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good friend to all, Weston Alan Miller was dedicated to ensuring everyone was treated fairly and had a heart for helping others.

Born on Dec. 19, 2002, to parents Kendall and Cindy Miller, Weston was adored by his entire family, including his older brothers Austin and Marshall. From a young age, Weston always made sure everyone felt included and loved.

Though Weston was the youngest brother, Marshall said he and Austin would find every opportunity to hang out with Weston, and often their friends even asked if Weston could be present when they were together.

“What was really special about Weston our whole life growing up, is that he never got on anyone’s nerves,” Marshall said.

“Most little brothers were annoying and obnoxious, but we always wanted to hang out with Weston.”

Austin said as a young child, Weston would often ride around on his back as the family went about everyday activities. As much as his older brothers loved him, Weston showed them the same love in return.

“During that time, our age difference allowed him to easily ride around on my back most places we went together. Walking around the zoo, Houston parks or back-and-forth Aggie football games, he was riding on my back, talking, laughing, telling me to go faster to chase after someone,” Austin said during Weston’s funeral service. “Speaking of laughter, Weston had a laugh during his younger life that one would do just about anything to hear, Marshall and I, in fact, my parents would sometimes do just about anything to hear it — no matter what we broke or interrupted.”

In addition to his family, Weston also showed great gratitude toward his friends including childhood friend and college roommate, sports management freshman Alex Frugoni. From spending time at the Miller family houseboat in the summers to bonding over their shared love for “Star Wars,” Frugoni said Weston inspired him from the time they met in Kindergarten.

PROVIDED

Political science freshman Weston Alan Miller will be honored at the April 5 Silver Taps ceremony in Academic Plaza.

“Weston always was the constant for me,” Frugoni said.

“Weston was always someone who was super friendly to everyone he met, but also very loyal to his close group of friends.”

Weston loved deeply and had a distinct list of interests including Aggie sports, the Houston Astros, reading and the color lime green, which influenced his choice in favorite soccer team, Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg, Frugoni said. Often, his friends would catch Weston in his signature green crocs, which he wore everywhere.

“He had like four pairs of lime green crocs that even in college, if he didn’t need to be wearing tennis shoes, the lime green crocs were on,” Frugoni said. “Our high school friend group [always] joked about that.”

Coming to Aggieland was a destiny for Weston as he came from a long line of Aggies including his grandfather William James Miller, Class of 1948, father Kendall, Class of 1988, and two older brothers Austin, Class of 2019, and Marshall, Class of 2021.

Upon coming to A&M, Weston quickly became an active member of Phi Delta Gamma fraternity, where he pitched in any way he could, even on crutches, fraternity brother and

business freshman Matthew Isbell said.

“Weston was always putting other people first before him,” Isbell said. “Whenever you talk to him, you could really sense that he really wanted to be there talking with you at that moment, which I feel like is a rare characteristic for a lot of people these days. He was just super selfless and one of the sweetest souls I’ve ever met. He really embodied the Core Values of Texas A&M in his everyday life.”

From a young age, Weston fell in love with sports and participated in a variety of sports including skiing, wake boarding and soccer. Though, after suffering from bad knees, Weston endured four knee surgeries. During his most recent rehabilitation over the summer of 2021, he met friend Callie Hurley, who said the two bonded over their injuries and helped to support one another through the recovery process.

“Weston was one of the few people who understood what it was like to go through multiple surgeries, so he was a really good friend to have in that. He was always just a constant encouragement, and I think that’s what we were to each other,” Hurley said. “He was just someone that I could relate to and he could relate to me and find comfort in each other, [knowing] there’s people out there doing the same thing as us and that’s kind of how we bonded.”

Weston never let his surgeries stop him, though, as he would always find a way to help out while using his crutches or wheelchair. Most notably, Frugoni said Weston was at the Aggies’ win over Alabama when everyone in the stands stormed the field.

“There’s a hilarious video of him on crutches, jumping off the ledge and crashing onto the field to celebrate with everyone,” Fregoni said. “He wasn’t gonna let some stupid crutches stop him from celebrating one of the biggest wins in the history of this football program.”

From dedicating himself to his schoolwork to attending A&M sporting events and traditions, Weston’s friends and family all echoed his embodiment of the A&M Core Values at every point in his life.

“Selfless Service really speaks to me the most,” Marshall said.” He would give you the shirt off his back [and] he just cared about people so deeply. I’ve never met anyone like him.”

April 11, 2000 — February 1, 2022

JUSTIN MAGTUBO A kindhearted, shy individual with aspirations to explore

By Kathryn Miller @KathrynMiller0

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n intelligent, sharp-minded individual, Justin Magtubo was a passionate student who brought joy to his family.

TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

Editor-in-Chief

Born to Rey and Gerry Fe Magtubo, Justin was born in THE Kidapawan City, Philippines, and was the first child and first grandchild born on his mother’s side of the family. Justin and his family migrated to the United States when he was only four years old.

A lover of nature, Justin’s mother said he loved to spend Summer 2021 & Fall 2021–Spring 2022 Summer editor oversees print, digital and special editions from May 24, 2021, to Aug. 15, 2021. time outside and collect souvenirs from the places he would Fall and spring editor oversees print, digital and special editions from Aug. 16, 2021, to May 14, 2022. visit. While at Texas A&M, Justin practiced Kendo, a traditional Japanese style of fencing. Gerry Fe said one of her favorQualifications for editor-in-chief of The Battalion are: ite memories with Justin was their trip to Hot Springs, Ark., REQUIRED last summer.

• Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and “We went fishing and kayaking, and that’s where he caught enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during PROVIDED the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); a big fish from the water,” Gerry Fe said. “He had the biggest Electrical engineering senior Justin Magtubo will be honored at • Have at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate smile I could ever imagine.” student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate the April 5 Silver Taps ceremony in Academic Plaza.

Justin was incredibly kind to his friends and family, and student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In Gerry Fe said he was a perfect child in the sense that he always make sure he was keeping track of his things and eating well. order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate focused on his studies. He had many interests, including piano, “I remembered going to bed past midnight to make sure student) must have been taken for that semester. technology and online gaming, Gerry Fe said. you are back in the dorm after a late studying,” Gerry Fe said.

PREFERRED “He was just very kind. He will never say ‘no’ in case he “I remembered the first birthday I was not with you, that was • Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, hurts somebody,” Gerry Fe said. “He also had a big love for your 19th birthday, I cried at work. I remembered the first Law, and Society) or equivalent; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible editorial position technology. Last summer he made his own desktop. He bought time you told me you felt you had a fever and wanted to drive with The Battalion or comparable daily college newspaper, everything and built it on his own. That’s how much he loved to College Station right away.”

– OR – it … he doesn’t buy the one that is already ready to use at Best As a brother and son, Gerry Fe said Justin brought his family Have at least one year editorial experience with a commercial newspaper, Buy. He loved to make his own.” so much joy.

– OR – Justin was a food lover who loved international cuisine, spe“He did well in school, there was stress along the way as all Have completed at least 12 hours in journalism, including JOUR 203 cifically Indian food, Gerry Fe said. He aspired to travel the normal engineering students face, but he always [did well],” (Media Writing I) and JOUR 303 (Media Writing II) or JOUR 304 (Editing for the Mass Media), or equivalent. world after he graduated from A&M. Gerry Fe said. “He was a perfect child and a perfect son.”

“Every time we visit him in Texas, he always wanted us to Applications are available by request from bring some ingredients so he could make Indian food while editor@thebatt.com or dpils@tamu.edu.

They should be returned to Douglas Pils, Student Media at school,” Gerry Fe said.

General Manager, in MSC Suite L410 or dpils@tamu.edu.

“After college, he had Application deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, April 5, 2021. on his bucket list that he wanted to visit Japan and ride on the bullet train.

TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA That was on the top of his INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR bucket list.”

Even though Justin seemed quiet and shy to Price Includes those who didn’t know him, Gerry Fe said Justin Embroidered Logo and Name was a good person with a (More logos available) caring heart and his nature Qualifications for editor-in-chief of the Aggieland yearbook are: was to love, and, in turn, loved by so many.

Shop for Little Aggies REQUIRED Gerry Fe said a fond • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and Much More memory of Justin was and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to seeing him act like a polgraduate); etsy.com/shop/aggiesandbows itician, just like his Lolo • Have at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point ratio (3.25 if a Poten.

by Charlotte, graduate student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if “During your fourth a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the Reveille’s Dressmaker appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during birthday at Mama Lola’s the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least house you would walk Aggie Mom & Grandma six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for around, meet and shake that semester; the hands of your visitors PREFERRED For A&M Sterling Jewelry: like a politician [would] • Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, do,” Gerry Fe said. “I nevLaw, and Society); stores.ebay.com/charboeg979 er taught you how to do • Have demonstrated ability in writing, editing and graphic design through university coursework or equivalent experience; that, but I think you just • Have at least one year experience in a responsible position on inherited that from your 1711 N Earl Rudder Fwy the Aggieland or comparable college yearbook.

Lolo Poten.”

Justin was extremely exBryan, TX 77803 Applications are available by request from cited to be an Aggie, Gerry aggieland.yearbook@gmail.com or dpils@tamu.edu.

They should be returned to Douglas Pils, Student Media Fe said, and she called and General Manager, in MSC Suite L410 or dpils@tamu.edu.

979-778-2293 | charboeg@yahoo.com texted Justin everyday to Application deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, April 5, 2021.

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The Battalion | 3.31.22

AGGIE STATE OF MIND Men’s basketball traveled to New York chasing NIT trophy

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Guards junior Aaron Cash, junior Tyrece Radford, fifth-year Quenton Jackson and freshman Manny Obaseki played in Madison Square Garden for the National Invitational Tournament semifinal game against Washington State on Tuesday, March 29. Some Texas A&M Yell Leaders traveled to New York with the team, including senior Yell Leader Woods Johnson.