Brazos 360 Winter 2019

WINtER 2019

INSIDE Meet Matt Watson, the guru of texas A&M’s football uniforms, and Sandi and Christopher Lampo at Christopher’s World Grille

CHASING A DREAM How Bridget Frank overcomes being legally blind as a Texas A&M student and a nightclub DJ

Inside

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EVENT CALENDAR

Enjoy College Station’s Christmas lights at Central Park and get ready for the Randy Rogers Band, Steep Canyon Rangers and The Play That Goes Wrong.

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BY THE NUMBERS

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Fun figures on holiday hoops, fruitcake fascination, Star Wars’ money haul, Clark Griswold’s electric bill and extravagant Christmas purchases.

360 PROFILE

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Christopher and Sandi Lampo are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Christopher’s World Grille on Boonville Road.

360 PROFILE

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Matt Watson digs into athletics history in creating alternate uniforms for the Texas A&M football team.

COVER STORY

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PARTY PICS

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Photos from Texas Reds, Surviving and Thriving, Texas Renaissance Festival and Santa’s Wonderland.

THE LAST WORD Let’s play DJ with the presidential candidates.

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Bridget Frank discusses how she overcomes being legally blind as a Texas A&M student and an aspiring DJ.

STAFF Crystal Dupré PUBLISHER

Rob Clark MANAGING EDITOR

Darren Benson EDITOR

Linda Brinkman ADVERTISING MANAGER

Laura McKenzie Dave McDermand PHOTOGRAPHERS

ON THE COVER Bridget Frank at Northgate. Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie.

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

February 18 & 19

7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

March 17 & 18

7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

March 31 & April 1

7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

TOM AND MARY KIRK (McGregor, Texas)

FINISH YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING NOW!

MSC Box Office • 979-845-1234 www.MSCOPAS.org

April 20 & 22

7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

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Local EVENTS CENTRAL PARK CHRISTMAS LIGHTS College Station presents its annual array of more than a million Christmas lights, which will be on display through the holiday season.

Details: Daily from 6 to 11 p.m. through Jan. 2. Stephen C. Beachy Central Park.

Free. cstx.gov.

‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY’ StageCenter presents the holiday film classic in the form of a 1940s radio broadcast.

Details: Dec. 19-21 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee at 2 p.m. on Dec. 21. StageCenter, 218 N. Bryan Ave. $10 to $15. stagecenter.net.

‘WHO’S HOLIDAY’ The one-act, one-woman comedy is based on what happens to the Grinch and little Cindy Lou Who. The play tells the story of Cindy as a middle-aged woman living in a trailer who plans on hosting a Christmas party for her friends but gets caught up in reminiscing.

Details: Dec. 19-21 at 7 p.m. at The Theatre Company, 3125 S. Texas Ave., Suite 500. $20. theatrecompany.com.

RANDY ROGERS BAND The Texas country favorite returns. The group released its latest album, Hellbent, in April.

Details: Jan. 17 at Hurricane Harry’s.

Doors at 9 p.m., show at 10. $15. harrys. bcsclubs.com.

STEEP CANYON RANGERS MSC OPAS’ Intimate Gatherings presents the popular Grammy-winning band that plays a fusion of bluegrass, pop, country, and folk rock.

Details: Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. $30 to $56. mscopas.org.

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

Eagle photo by Dave McDermand

SANTA’S WONDERLAND The Christmas attraction features the Trail of Lights with more than 3 million lights, games, food, entertainment and activities for kids. Catch Jack Houston (above) and his band Texas Jack and the West Pole Posse performing Christmas songs with Texas arrangements on the main stage.

Details: Through Dec. 30. 18898 Texas 6. Prices vary. santas-wonderland.com.

Special advertiSing Section

CHI St. Joseph Health Consolidates

Emergency Centers

O

n December 1, 2019 CHI St. Joseph Health’s freestanding Emergency Center located at 4411 State Highway 6, near the intersection of William D. Fitch Parkway, will close permanently. All of the services located and associated with emergency care moved to the CHI St. Joseph Health College Station Hospital, located at 1604 Rock Prairie Road, previously College Station Medical Center.

Imaging and laboratory services, which are also available at the South College Station campus, are still accessible. Additionally, other services on the South College Station campus including Primary and Express Care, Pediatric Care and Therapy, also remain in their current location. Staff at the South College Station ER shifted to the College Station Hospital ER. Earlier this year, CHI St. Joseph Health acquired College Station Medical Center in College Station. Since that time, teams have been working on how care will be delivered

across the CHI St. Joseph Health System.

This change is an example of how CHI St. Joseph Health is able to combine our resources, staff and technologies to reduce duplicative services in the community and better serve our patients. Through this change, the organization is able to support a healthier Brazos Valley and expand the mission of steadfast commitment to serving our community. No changes have been experienced at the Emergency Department within College Station Hospital.

As CHI St. Joseph Health continues to work through opportunities to shape healthcare delivery in our communities, we will maintain our approach of one hospital with multiple locations in the forefront. And, as we make additional service changes, we will share them with the community.

CHI St. Joseph Health is comprised of five hospitals across the Brazos Valley, including Regional Hospital in Bryan-College Station and CHI St. Joseph Health College Station

Hospital (formerly College Station Medical Center). CHI St. Joseph Health is home to a Level II Major Trauma Center, the highest in the region. CHI St. Joseph Health is an academic and clinical partner of Texas A&M Health Science Center. Together, the CHI St. Joseph and Texas A&M Health Network includes over 100 employed primary care physicians, specialists and advanced practice clinicians. As an active member of the Brazos Valley, CHI St. Joseph Health is a leader in providing compassionate care as well as addressing the overall health of the community. It is part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) which recently joined with Dignity Health to form CommonSpirit Health, a new nonprofit national health system committed to advancing the health of all people and dedicated to serving the common good. Learn more about CHI St. Joseph Health at CHIStJoseph.org.

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BROBERG & BEETHOVEN The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra performs classic Beethoven, including Pastoral Symphony and Emperor Concerto with guest artist Kenny Broberg, a Cliburn silver medalist. The performance celebrates Beethoven’s 250th birthday.

Details: Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. $16 and $45. bvso.org.

Courtesy of MSC OPAS

FOREIGNER The rock band known for hits including I Want to Know What Love Is and Feels Like the First Time performs.

Details: Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $49.50 to $499. boxoffice.tamu.edu.

A CAPPELLA LIVE MSC OPAS presents this performance arranged by Deke Sharon, vocal producer of the Pitch Perfect movies and The Sing-Off television show. Singing groups include Committed, The Filharmonic, Women of the World and Blake Lewis from American Idol.

Details: Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $22 to $60. mscopas.org.

y p p a H s y a d i l Ho from

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

‘THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG’ MSC OPAS presents the award-winning Broadway comedy, billed as a blend between Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python, that is a murder mystery for all ages.

Details: Feb. 18-19 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $28 to $90. mscopas.org.

‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS’ The Theatre Company presents the cult classic musical about an alien plant, a wild dentist and an unlikely hero.

Details: Feb. 21-March 8. Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. $7 to $20. theatrecompany.com.

TWO EMILYS The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra presents the work of composer Aaron Copland’s Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson with soprano Emily Pulley. The symphony will also perform Mozart’s Symphony 25 in G Minor, K. Details: Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. $16 and $45. bvso.org.

‘BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL’ MSC OPAS presents the awardwinning musical that tells the story of Carole King’s rise to stardom in such songs as I Feel the Earth Move, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and You’ve Got a Friend.

Details: March 17-18 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $28 to $100. mscopas.org.

THE KING’S SINGERS MSC OPAS’ Intimate Gatherings presents the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble.

Details: Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. $30 to $56. mscopas.org.

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL Ray Benson and his longtime country band will perform with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Details: March 22 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $40. bvso.org.

‘AQUILA THEATRE’S 1984’ MSC OPAS’ Intimate Gatherings series presents Michael Gene Sullivan’s adaptation of George Orwell’s story about “Big Brother.”

Details: March 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. $30 to $56. mscopas.org., food,

Courtesy of MSC OPAS

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Special advertiSing Section

POLITICAL/EDITORIAL

CARTOONS

G

et into the holiday spirit this year at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Throughout the month, people are encouraged to take their family pictures in front of the Christmas tree located in the Presidential Rotunda. The 19 foot tree is magnificently decorated and will make a great Christmas card photo.

From the earliest days of our nation, political cartoons appeared as powerful tools of expression for both the powerful and powerless. Using symbols, imagery, and humor, cartoonists have played a special role in helping average Americans make sense of tumultuous and complex events we experience in our increasingly connected world. Featuring original artworks and artifacts, including collections from the Library of Congress, Wit and Humor: American Political Cartoons will show how cartoons have changed since the early days of the Republic. This exhibit will highlight important cartoons from artists regarded as giants in their field, like Thomas Nast and Patrick Oliphant. Located in the Ansary Gallery of American History, the exhibit will be on display through January 5, 2020. On a daily basis, editorial cartoonists PHOTO COURTESY OF JAY DANIEL deliver biting social commentary made

EXHIBITS ENDING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AT THE GEORGE BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

BY DAVID ANAYA George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

palatable through amusing and well-crafted illustrations. Lines with Power and Purpose: Editorial Cartoons features 45 original editorial cartoons from the nation’s great metropolitan newspapers during the Golden Age of print journalism. Included in the mix are six Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonists (Bruce Alexander Russell, Herbert Lawrence Block, Charles G. Werner, C.D Batchelor, Charles R. Macauley, and Vaughn Shoemaker), each demonstrating the theme of political commentary through editorial illustrations and addressing issues from the first half of the twentieth century. Lines with Power and Purpose will be on display in the Fidelity Gallery through January 5, 2020.

National service dog school, America’s VetDogs has commissioned renowned sculptor Susan Bahary to create a life-size, bronze of President George H.W. Bush’s former service dog, Sully, to stand proudly in the Bush Library and Museum. The monument is currently placed in the memorial section of the museum in the Fidelity Gallery.

The Bush Library and Museum will be closed at noon on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and closed all day on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day in observance of the holidays.

For more information about these exhibits and other programs, please visit the Bush Library and Museum’s website at Bush41.org or email info. bush@nara.gov

THE GEORGE H W BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM

SPEND YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH US! EXHIBITS ending soon Wit and Humor:

American Political Cartoons thru Jan. 5, 2020

This exhibit highlights important cartoons from artists regarded as giants in their field.

Lines with Power and Purpose: Editorial Cartoons thru Jan. 5, 2020

The Bush Library and Museum will be closing at noon on Dec. 24, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2019, and closed all day Dec. 25, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020 in observance of the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

This exhibit features fi y-one original editorial cartoons from the nation’s great metropolitan newspapers during the Golden Age of print journalism.

By the Numbers

5 There’s nothing quite like Christmas Day: opening presents, listening to Nat “King” Cole and Bing Crosby, gathering for a family feast, then settling down by the fire to watch everyone’s favorite holiday programming: the Pelicans at the Nuggets. That’s one of five NBA games set for Christmas Day this year. But hoops on this holiday hasn’t taken hold like football on Thanksgiving or baseball on the Fourth of July. The NBA season goes into June, so the stakes aren’t particularly high. And it must not be too much fun for the players.

Former San Antonio Spurs star David Robinson criticized the holiday games back in 1992, according to the San Antonio ExpressNews: “I don’t like it at all. I don’t think it’s right. We play every day at every time and I don’t think there is a reason to play on Christmas Day.”

25,000

Clark W. Griswold was justifiably proud as he gathered his extended family out in the front yard to admire his thorough decorating skills in 1989’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase’s character had strung 25,000 Christmas lights all over the family home, though getting them to turn on was a bit of a bumbling adventure. What would that amount of light cost? Real estate company Estately did some math that we were unwilling to do and came up with this figure for Texans: Using incandescent bulbs — which Griswold would have used in 1989 — it would cost $3,019 to light the house for five hours a day over one month. The efficiency of LED lights make it much more manageable at $35. That’s a far cry from Hawaii, which comes in at $7,552/$86.

$9.3 billion That’s the collected total from all the Star Wars films combined, according to the-numbers.com. Leading the way is 2015’s Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which brought in $2.05 billion worldwide. Surprisingly, what is generally considered to be the best Star Wars film — The Empire Strikes Back — was the least profitable of the original three films. It brought in $534 million. A New Hope made $786 million, and Return of the Jedi made $572 million. The other Star Wars films to clear the billion mark are Episode I: The Phantom Menace ($1.027 billion), Rogue One ($1.049 billion) and Episode VIII: The Last Jedi ($1.316 billion).

The final installment of the original Star Wars storyline, The Rise of Skywalker, arrives on Dec. 20.

$100 million For all of the bashing that fruitcake gets around the holidays, it is a $100 million a year industry, according to the Swiss Colony food-gift catalog. That odd thick loaf that seems to be filled with cherries, nuts, raisins, whistles, earrings and pencil erasers has had a bad rap thanks in part to years of mockery by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.

All jokes aside, Swiss Colony points out that it makes more than 66,000 fruitcakes a year in Monroe, Wisconsin. Closer to home is Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, which takes pride in its fruitcakes, going so far as to trademark DeLuxe® Fruitcake.

The bakery’s site says the holiday treat “has been a favorite since 1896,” and notes that Texas pecans make up 27% of the cakes.

(For those who are apprehensive, there is always the option of soaking fruitcake in booze.)

$700,007 For a glimpse at how the super-rich live, Neiman Marcus always comes through with its annual Christmas catalog. Some highlights from this year’s edition include a great gift for the dinosaur fan in your life: a 12inch Tyrannosaurus rex figure that is coated in gold, and includes more than 2,000 Swarovski crystals.

It can be yours for $7,000. A diagonal sable fur coat is $89,000 (but hey, free shipping). Over on the “fantasy gifts” section, there is the 007 Aston Martin, designed by James Bond actor Daniel Craig. Boasting “immense torque and extraordinary in-gear performance,” the car comes with a platinum Seamaster Diver 300M Omega watch and tickets to the premiere of the next Bond film, No Time to Die. Give them credit for the price tag, a Bond palindromic number: $700,007.

— ROB CLARK

THE EAGLE | BRAZOS360.COM

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Sandi and Christopher Lampo (left) were married in 2000. They first met at Christopher’s World Grille shortly after it opened on Boonville Road in 1999.

SANDI AND CHRISTOPHER LAMPO

C

Celebrating 20 years of international f lavors Story KENNY WILEY

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hristopher Lampo’s father, Johnny Lampo, urged his son repeatedly in the mid-1990s to start a restaurant in Bryan.

Christopher had spent several years abroad working as a chef on yachts that sailed around the world.

“He said, ‘Hey, I’ve found this old house that would make a terrific restaurant.’ I think my dad was looking for a way to get me to come back to Texas,” Christopher said with a chuckle.

It took some persuading, but he went for it, and set about an 18-month journey of renovating a century-old Texas ranch house known as the Andrews house off Boonville Road in Bryan, east of Texas 6. “As usual, my dad was right in the end,” Christopher said.

“When we decided to do the restaurant, we decided to do Christopher’s World Grille, to bring back these flavors from the travel experiences that I had of being gone for 11 years,” Christopher said.

“I wanted to bring those back to my friends and my family here in Texas.”

Christopher’s World Grille is an upscale restaurant that celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year. To honor those travels that spawned the restaurant, a “Dine Around the World in One Night” event was held Nov. 22. Guests enjoyed a six-course meal with dishes and drinks from France, Papua New Guinea and more.

The woman who is now Christopher’s wife, Sandi, came to eat at the restaurant with family and friends in August 1999. A few weeks

Photos LAURA MCKENZIE

before the fateful meeting, Sandi’s brother and sister-in-law came over to Christopher during a meal, he recalled, and said, “Oh, you have to meet our sister.”

“They brought her here a couple weeks later, and we said hello and talked,” he said. “I went straight to the phone and called my brother — the kitchen says I turned white — and said to him, ‘I just met my wife.’”

Both Christopher and Sandi’s families emigrated from Sicily a few years apart in the early 1900s. Christopher, 53, and Sandi, 49, went to the same church and graduated from Bryan High School a few years apart, but they didn’t know each other. They were married in February 2000. Their eldest son, Luke, is 18 and works at the restaurant.

Their younger son, Dominic, is 16.

In the early ’90s, aboard the private yachts on which he cooked, Christopher prepared a variety of dishes for his international cast of crewmates.

“Working with crew members from all over the world, I always wanted to know, ‘Tell me how your mom cooked,’” Christopher recalled. He would then, whether it was an Indian curry or a Philippine adobo, strive to make the dish how his yacht co-workers described.

“It inspired me to bring my friends, family and Bryan-College StaContinued on Page 12

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Continued from Page 11

tion community some of the things that I got to see,” Christopher said.

The rooms in the restaurant are designed to give an international flavor and also keep some of the original feel of the Andrews home. As it developed and took off in popularity, requests for large groups increased, so a banquet room was added to the original structure. It seats more than 120 people.

Early this year, an outdoor covered terrace was added.

Christopher said that as a young child, he demanded to cook his own breakfast, and recalled his mom helping him crack open eggs to do so. He made his first cookbook at age 10, though he said it “only” had three recipes.

“When my brother’s friends would come play in the yard, we had a little garage window and I would hang a menu out the window and sell snacks while they played football,” he said.

A friend of his parents suggested he look into culinary school. Christopher graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and earned a hospitality degree from Florida Atlantic University.

Sandi said that she loves to see Christopher doing the job he was “born to do.” She is a clinical associate professor of marketing at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M. She, too, loves her work, though it took her longer than her husband to find her passion.

“I love helping the students figure out what they want to do. That is the coolest thing — and to see them do things they never thought they were capable of, it’s inspiring,” she said.

“It’s a fun place in their lives to be able to watch them grow.”

Christopher said that working for former President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush was the pinnacle of his professional life.

For 18 years, Christopher was the Bushes’ personal chef when they were in town, regularly preparing meals for them at their residence on the Bush Library grounds.

He also cooked for a number of guests and dignitaries, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“You try to do the best you can in the career you choose, and for me, to be able to serve a former president and his family, and the international community — and they trust you to cook for the king of this and the prime minister of that? That’s pretty cool that they trust your skills and your instincts on that, because chef is a very personal role,” Christopher said.

President Bush’s most-requested item was a cream of mushroom soup, he said, and he also loved lamb and mint jelly. With a laugh,

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Christopher Lampo worked as a chef on yachts before returning to Bryan to start his restaurant.

Christopher recalled Mrs. Bush calling him ahead of time to make alterations to prepared meals.

“Getting the call from Mrs. Bush and hearing her say that, ‘No, we’re not having the bacon sandwiches for lunch.’ ‘Yes, ma’am.

Chicken? You got it, ma’am,’” Christopher said with a smile. “It didn’t matter that it was three hours before the function and we’d already prepared it.”

The Lampos said that the restaurant has served as an occasion spot for people in the Brazos Valley and in Texas more broadly, with numerous marriage proposals taking place there.

“We are the place where people are celebrating engagements, anniversaries and birthdays, so their special memories are part of our special memories, too,” Christopher said.

Both Lampos expressed gratitude for local community members and said they feel embraced by their home region.

“We both grew up here, went away for awhile, traveled, and found our way back here,” Sandi said. “Through travel, we have learned how special this Brazos Valley community is.”

Texas A&M personnel and other business leaders often bring people from out of town to eat at Christopher’s, Sandi said.

“It’s good from a university perspective,

whenever they’re bringing people in from all over the world and urban areas in the country, and we can show them what BryanCollege Station has to offer,” she said.

Ed Rister, an agricultural economics professor at A&M, heads the Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, which strives to give A&M students access to successful entrepreneurs and other business leaders as part of their educational formation. Rister said that he brings students and business leaders together to dine at Christopher’s, and that the program also hosts dining etiquette events there.

“We’re grateful for the value Christopher and his team place on creating such a welcoming space for our program,” Rister said. “The conversations that take place among students, entrepreneurs and mentors are always rich and substantive. The elegant setting, professional and friendly service and excellent cuisine ensure every dinner is special and meaningful for our students and guests.”

In reflecting on the 20th anniversary of the restaurant, Christopher praised the staff members who have worked there over the years.

“This was local talent, and we could never have had our reputation without their passion,” he said. “Twenty years goes by really fast.”

Gift idea alert!

Give the gift of unforgettable experiences this year!

A MOVIE IN CONCERT the full length film with live score!

- STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE • April 26 in Rudder Auditorium • Select your seats on-line NOW! bvso.org

Official 2019-2020 Season Sponsor

This program made possible in part through Hotel Tax Revenue funded from the City of Bryan and City of College Station through The Arts Council. © 2019 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © DISNEY. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Warner/Chappell Music

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AP photo Matt Watson (left) had stripes and decorations from Texas A&M’s 1956 football team photographed and then made into decals for a 2016 throwback uniform.

MATT WATSON

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Digging into history to dress up the Aggies Story TRAVIS L. BROWN

n the rare moments that Matt Watson finds himself with a few minutes of free time, there’s a good chance he’ll have his phone out, scrolling through listings on the auction website eBay. Like a maroon-clad Indiana Jones, Watson hunts for artifacts of Texas A&M football past, hoping to add to his collection of historic Aggie equipment. If he comes across a helmet of years gone by, he’ll frequently make the purchase.

When a new helmet from the late ’50s to the turn of the century arrives, Watson first spins it upside down to see if he can recognize the familiar handwriting on its inner padding from his mentor and predecessor, Billy Pickard.

A&M has had just two head equipment managers since 1972. The handwriting routine is a reminder of the connection he has with Pickard and with the Aggie football program, and the lineage that traces all the way back to the Paul “Bear” Bryant era.

“I was fortunate enough that he handpicked me to come in and take over for him, and be his successor in this role, as somebody who worked for Coach Bryant back in 1953,” Watson said. “That’s a really cool six degrees of separation for me to be a part of this job.”

Watson was a walk-on in the A&M football equipment room when he came to campus as a freshman in 1992. Pickard, the head equipment manager at the time, didn’t have a scholarship position for him in the equipment room, but Watson eventually worked his way to

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Photo LAURA MCKENZIE

one after volunteering.

A love for football began early for Watson, including playing two years at Corsicana High School. But when he was told he was too small to continue, he stayed in the game working as an equipment manager.

It was not unlike the professional journey of Pickard, who first arrived at A&M as a student in 1952 and worked as a trainer for the football team during Bryant’s coaching tenure, including the team’s famous trip to Junction. He graduated in 1956, and returned nine years later as the head athletic trainer, and was given responsibility over equipment in 1972.

After graduation, Watson left Aggieland for a year to serve the equipment needs of Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith with the 1996 Dallas Cowboys. He was called back home to A&M a year later, handpicked by Pickard to serve as one of his assistants.

Former A&M head coach R.C. Slocum once told The Eagle that he jokingly called the elder equipment guru “nine-men Pickard,” because it would take nine men to replace him for all he did for the program.

When Pickard moved into managing facilities for A&M athletics in 2000, it was Watson that took over the equipment role. Pickard Continued on Page 16

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Eagle file photo

Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie

AP photo

Among Texas A&M’s recent special uniforms: a 1939 throwback (left), a 1998 throwback and an all-black uniform that the Aggies wore in 2012.

Continued from Page 15

retired in 2009, and died of a stroke in 2015 at age 81.

Watson earned the title upgrade of assistant athletic director for equipment and apparel three years ago.

“One of the best in the business and has been around a long time,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “Totally knows the game.

I like to say, sometimes those guys, they do their job so well, you don’t notice anything and that’s a good thing. He’s always around.

Always professional. One of the best in the business in everything he does.”

Athletic Director Ross Bjork said he bonds with equipment guys, “just because I think they’re the salt of the earth.”

“They really hold our program together, in many ways, and Matt is as good as any that I’ve worked around,” he said.

Watson has stood command over the A&M equipment room through the dawn and rise of the sponsorship era of college football.

A&M was one of the first programs to sign an apparel and equipment sponsorship with Nike in the ’90s, and was a marquee signing for Adidas in 2007.

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Nike owner Phil Knight’s focus on Oregon, his alma mater, resulted in a constant flow of alternate uniforms that changed the game for equipment managers across the country, Watson included.

“Once they started doing it, other people started doing it as well, so that expanded our role on that side of it,” Watson said.

Since 2012, A&M has featured seven full alternate uniforms, as well as other additions of flair, like American flag-themed helmet logos. Of those alternate uniforms, three have been a tip of the hat to the past. It is in this work that Watson’s passion for A&M history and his years of experience in the equipment room come together.

The proof is in the detail. Take the helmets that were featured as part of the 1939 and 1956 throwback uniforms. Watson had stripes and decorations from actual helmets of the era photographed, and then made into decals for the new helmets.

On the 1956 throwbacks, worn during the 2016 season, Watson had decals made of the vintage Riddell logo, just as it was on the original helmets.

Last season, A&M wore 1998 throwbacks, the year A&M won the Big 12 title. Watson

was granted permission from the College Football Playoff to display a vintage Bowl Championship Series sticker on the back of the helmets, as they were on A&M’s helmets during the team’s appearance in the Sugar Bowl. That’s part of the fun for Watson.

“That’s where we really dive into the history and the equipment stuff,” he said of the throwbacks, “and really getting into archives and access and Cushing Library here at A&M, and getting into yearbooks and pictures that they have online that you can access.”

Watson’s memories of Aggie football go back to his childhood, staying at the Ramada Inn at the corner of Texas Avenue and University Drive, picking up cheap tickets to watch the Jackie Sherrill-led Aggies play in Kyle Field.

Little did he know, decades later he would have a personal relationship with Sherrill, his childhood hero, and would serve as the equipment manager for five A&M head coaches.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work at a place that was my alma mater, but also to be in one place for so long,” he said. “So I’m blessed in more ways than one.”

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

Bridget Frank, who performs as DJ B, zooms in to better see her computer screen at Icon Nightclub and Lounge in Northgate.

BRIDGET FRANK

A

Facing challenges, pursuing her passion Story MEGAN RODRIGUEZ

work night for Bridget Frank starts at 10 p.m. and keeps her out until 3 a.m.

The life of a DJ can be a tiring one, including maintaining the upbeat personality that will keep clubgoers entertained. It also comes with an extra layer of effort for the 22-year-old Texas A&M student.

Frank is legally blind, but the Dallas native finds ways to overcome the challenges her visual impairment presents. Setting up her equipment at Icon Nightclub and Lounge in Northgate every Friday means getting help from staff members, and she has to zoom in on her computer screen to see her song selections. She takes her own DJ controller to gigs, because while she can’t see the knobs, she knows where they are.

It’s muscle memory, she said. The extra steps go unnoticed by most audience members.

|

Photos LAURA MCKENZIE

Understanding Stargardt Disease In 2009, Frank was finally able to put a name to what was making it increasingly difficult for her to see the white board at school — Stargardt Disease.

She had needed glasses since the third grade, and annual checkups before the school year were a normal part of her routine. Before she went to sixth grade, her eye doctor found what looked like specks on her retina.

Frank was sent to a specialist who said the spots were a fatty build-up that her body couldn’t properly flush out. It makes Frank’s central vision extremely blurry, while her peripheral vision is clearer.

It’s a genetic disorder under the umbrella of juvenile macular degeneration that will continue to deteriorate Frank’s vision, but will not leave her completely blind.

Frank said she can identify the basics — people versus objects, the general features of someone’s face. But if Frank’s mother was sitting one table away from her in a coffee shop, she would never know it was her.

Stargardt Disease has made everyday activities more difficult. Frank can’t drive, and has to depend on friends and ride-sharing services. She’s had friends ask why she didn’t acknowledge them on campus when they waved to her. She just didn’t see them.

Frank said she stays involved in school and work so she won’t focus on the challenges as frequently.

“You can maintain a relatively normal life with it, so I try not to let it hold me back,” she said. “I think if I was in my mind more, and wasn’t as busy, it would hold me back

Continued on Page 20

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Continued from Page 19

Hicks said Frank has changed a lot since they first met, evolving more. But I just keep doing things, from someone who was fairly shy to keep going. Everyone has their own becoming confident in her musical struggle. Mine is fine. I just work talents, and willing to speak about harder.” the challenges she faces.

“She’s honestly my inspiration,” Overcoming visual impairment Hicks said. “She has her visual The testing center in A&M’s disability, and people don’t really Department of Disability realize how inaccessible the world Resources was Frank’s deciding is when you can’t see, but she just factor when she chose to become goes about life just like she could an Aggie. The center is fully see. It’s been really amazing to see equipped with video magnifiers, or all of her growth in just a short CCTVs. The device is essentially a amount of time.” computer monitor with a camera at

the bottom. Users can place books, The road ahead papers or other materials under Frank was 18 when she started the camera, which magnifies the performing in Dallas clubs, and images onto the screen to make gaining respect took time. Early them visible to people with visual on, a club employee met her impairments. With the help of the with thinly veiled hostility, she machine, Frank was able to fill out Bridget Frank started DJing in Dallas nightclubs when she was 18. said, making remarks about her scantrons on her own for the first gender and doubting her taste in music as he helped her set up her time, and read papers she received in class. equipment. Halfway through her set that night, he apologized, saying Frank’s computer helps her get through the day when she doesn’t she was welcome back any time. have access to a CCTV. She downloads all her textbooks and school For Frank’s first two years in College Station, she focused material to her laptop so she can zoom in to read. Professors frequently on school, and only performed at a few events for her friends’ provide her with their PowerPoint presentations before class, she said, organizations. Eventually, she felt like something was missing. so she can have time to look at any graphs or charts that would be “I was lacking that creative outlet,” Frank said. “[After events] I impossible to see projected on a screen across the room from her. would be like, ‘I wish I could do this more,’ and then I said, ‘What is The laptop comes in handy at Icon too, when she is trying to quickly holding me back? Why am I not doing this?’” find songs she wants to play. Frank has mostly memorized her personal During the summer, Frank started performing at Icon every Friday, DJ controller that she takes to all her gigs, and if she is ever in doubt, making it the most frequent gig she’s held. She has continued to she uses a magnifying app on her phone to zoom in on parts of the develop her persona as a DJ at Icon — she goes by “DJ B.” board she is less familiar with.

Frank said she has had a love for music since childhood, developed That app helps in other situations, Frank said, as she navigates her in part by her parents’ eclectic tastes and her own fascination with time serving as a senator in the Student Government Association, and electronic dance music, or EDM. in Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. She frequently uses it to see items before Dubstep — the “metal” of EDM, as she describes it — is Frank’s she purchases them, read writing that is too small for her to see or to favorite, because it is more intense than other branches of the genre. better understand her surroundings.

The music she plays at Icon is mainly mixes of rap and pop music.

It’s second nature at this point, she said.

Frank said she wants to become a producer to create her own music

— she mentions Skrillex and Marshmello as examples — rather than Inspiration from home mixing songs. She is reading a music theory textbook to research how Frank credits her parents, David Frank and Pam Skaggs Frank, for to accomplish that goal. pushing her to find something she loves. David drove her to nightclubs After becoming interested in EDM, Frank said she realized the lack in Dallas when she was in high school as she started to pursue DJing. of female artists in the genre, and wondered if she had a better chance “They’re so supportive of me,” Frank said. “They’re never like, ‘I don’t as a backup dancer than a DJ. Now, Frank said she sees her dreams as know if you should be doing it.’ It’s always, ‘Keep going. Just see where achievable. it takes you, and if you’re not happy with where it’s taking you, then “It took me a while to realize that I can figure it out,” she said. “At find a different place.’ And right now, I’m thrilled with exactly what Icon, I’m not playing any originals, but I would love to and then I’m doing.” eventually grow from there.”

David said he has watched his daughter’s love for music evolve, In some ways, Frank said her visual impairment is an asset she starting when she took dance classes in sixth grade and when she needed to be a DJ. Without it, she said she thinks she would be started composing her own music in high school. He recalled being nervous to perform. Not being able to make eye contact with people shocked at the diagnosis in 2009. helped her have the confidence to wear the costumes that make up DJ “It seemed more traumatic for me and her mom, because Bridget B. handled it with dignity and grace,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. I never “It makes it feel like everyone is blurry and anonymous,” Frank said. really heard her complain about it. She never used it as an excuse.”

“I always think, ‘Nobody is looking at me. Everyone is on their phone.’

A&M senior Madeline Hicks has been close to Frank for four years.

That’s how I try to rationalize it. I’m trying to make the lemonade out They moved in together two years ago and worked together during the of the lemons.” summer when Hicks would help Frank set up her equipment at Icon.

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

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Santa’s Wonderland November 18, 2019  College Station

S

anta’s Wonderland off Texas 6 in College Station is celebrating its 22nd season of Christmas spirit with new additions. The holiday-themed attraction features millions of twinkling lights, hayrides, snow tubing, a gingerbread village and opportunities to meet Santa. It is open every day through Dec. 30.

Photos by Dave McDermand

TOP LEFT: People can stop in at Santa’s Wonderland BBQ and enjoy Christmas movies on a big screen while dining. TOP RIGHT: Santa’s Town is a shop selling all things Christmas.

MIDDLE LEFT: Parents Cameron and Katie Mohr cuddle with their 2-year-old daughter as they warm up by the fire in the middle of town square. ABOVE: Michelle Hernandez and Stella Alvarado pose with Marshall Frostbite, the official law man of Santa’s Wonderland. RIGHT: Victoria Bertrand, Karalyan Lejeune, Erica Lejeune (holding Ashton Spencer) and Courtney Beltrand pose for a photo in front of the giant Texas flag. They all made the trip from Louisiana. BOTTOM RIGHT: Doc’s Mistletoe Mercantile offers gifts and treats to Santa’s Wonderland visitors.

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

TOP LEFT: The Lonestar Grand Illumination attraction is full of giant polar bear statues suitable for sitting on and taking photos. TOP RIGHT: Paige Fuller, Krystean Poole, Ken Newbold and Joann Mason. MIDDLE LEFT: Santa’s helper Nora Cumpian readies stuffed reindeer at a display in the main shop. MIDDLE RIGHT: The main showroom at Santa’s Wonderland.

ABOVE: Karla Davoli and her mother, Lilliam Franco, both of Houston, share a funnel cake. RIGHT: Amy Petzel enjoys the warm atmosphere in town square.

FAR RIGHT: Visitors walk under a covered bridge to get to the north end of Santa’s Wonderland.

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Texas Renaissance Festival

November 17 ď ˆ Todd Mission

T

he Texas Renaissance Festival ran on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 1 in Todd Mission.

Every weekend had a theme, and there were more than 400 shops along with artisans, merchants, crafts people and food and drink vendors on the 55-acre site.

Performers included musicians, magicians, acrobats and dancers.

Photos by Dave McDermand

TOP LEFT: Dressed in chain mail and leather arm guards, Patrick Gaylor of Bastrop looks prepared for whatever he might encounter at the festival. TOP MIDDLE: Danielle Eason and Joshua Trenton McDaniel stand ready to serve at Uncommon Adornments, makers of hand-fashioned jewelry. TOP RIGHT: Gavin DeWolf, a jester from Oklahoma City, tries to attract patrons to his show near the entry of the festival.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Sholo the Nubian, who has been with the festival for 33 years, makes tip money from people taking pictures with him. RIGHT: A beggar named Skidmark plays the squeezebox and tries to collect coins from passers-by. FAR RIGHT: A parade of characters kicked off at noon every day of the festival.

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

LEFT: King Henry VIII spends time with Saga on the festival grounds. SECOND ROW LEFT: A parade of characters kicked off at noon every day of the festival.

SECOND ROW BELOW: The Time Bandits characters (Wally, Strutter and Randall) make merry with the folks at the festival. THIRD ROW LEFT: Charlotte Shorr and Tiffany Tadlock made the drive from Dallas to spend the day at the festival. THIRD ROW MIDDLE: The Three Wishes (Mystica, Emrys and Rhea) are a big attraction for pictures. THIRD ROW RIGHT: Wesley Norton of Buda plays his soprano recorder. LEFT BOTTOM: Gilgamesh, a vegetarian dragon, spreads his wings. (He only eats vegetarians.) RIGHT BOTTOM: Linna Mulkey and Rebecca McLindon have made an annual tradition of dressing in furs and having fun at the festival.

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Surviving and Thriving Luncheon September 26  College Station Hilton

O

lympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton was the featured speaker at this year’s Surviving and Thriving Luncheon,

which was held Sept. 26 at the College Station Hilton. The annual event is organized by Brazos Valley’s Pink Alliance, with proceeds going toward breast cancer awareness and research programs.

Photos by Dave McDermand

TOP: Scott Hamilton reacts to a standing ovation at Surviving and Thriving.

SECOND TO THE RIGHT: Cindy Donaway, Mary Kay Schroff and A.J. Saculla.

THIRD TO THE RIGHT: A packed house at the sold-out luncheon.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Pauline Jonasson, Megan Jonasson and Mia Jonasson.

PAGE 31, TOP LEFT: Adelle Hedleston and Brenda Sims.

TOP RIGHT: Scott Hamilton after his introduction at this year’s event.

MIDDLE LEFT: Donielle Mayer and Theron Park.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Hamilton shows he’s purchased plenty of raffle tickets as he visits with Pink Alliance president Doris Light and Reba Ragsdale.

BOTTOM LEFT: Sonny and Kathy Lyles.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Ann Saculla and Kathryn Berilla.

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

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Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival September 27-29  Downtown Bryan

T

he 13th annual Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival in Downtown Bryan Sept. 27-29 featured steak, beer and wine, along with children’s activities, grape stomping and vendors as well as a steak cook-off and live music.

Photos by Dave McDermand

ABOVE: Merrill and Paul Bonarrigo of Messina Hof were on hand for conversation and wine tasting. BELOW: College Station singer-songwriter Colton French performed. RIGHT: Chrystol and J.P. Winston. BOTTOM RIGHT: Cheyenne Hyman (facing) and Riley Taylor of Iola dance to the sounds of the Texas 105 Band.

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BRAZOS 360 | WINTER 2019

TOP LEFT: Magic Girl performed at the festival.

TOP RIGHT: Marie Valenta (center) with daughter Allison Widner (left) and niece Brittany Widner.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Jeff Virnao of Sealy gets his glass filled by fellow Sealy resident and winery owner Sean Homes. ABOVE: Business was brisk and smoky in the steak preparation area where people could sample cuts from different teams.

FAR RIGHT: Callie Whitbeck, Dagney Franke and Hannah Randal. RIGHT: Bryan police officers at Texas Reds.

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L

POLITICAL PLAYLISTS

When presidential candidates get a turn to play DJ

ike baseball players coming to bat and lovesick teens offering a mix tape to their crush, politicians can turn heads with music selections. But when the song choice goes awry, it can be a puzzling moment.

As a go-to track for President Donald Trump after rallies, The Rolling Stones’ 1969 song You Can’t Always Get What You Want seems to qualify.

A rousing political anthem, it is not.

The song’s opening, featuring the highpitched voices of the ROB CLARK London Bach Choir, rob.clark@ makes for an awkward theeagle.com fit amid frenzied applause. And the lyrics bring perplexing thoughts: Is he trying to say we don’t want him but we need him? Why would any politician acknowledge that anyone in a rally crowd doesn’t want him? And how do the song’s “Mr. Jimmy” and “the footloose man” play into all this?

It’s a trivial argument, yes. And to clarify, this is not a political opinion, just a music nerd’s take. For some of us, lyrical interpretation and song placement mean almost as much as foreign policy.

The Stones would seem to agree. Mick Jagger called Trump using the track “kind of weird” in a BBC interview: “It’s a funny song for a play-out song — a drowsy ballad about drugs in Chelsea!”

So what makes a good political anthem? First, avoid “drowsy.”

(Also “drugs.”) The song needs some energy; no one gets amped up for Air Supply. It should be recognizable; deep cuts won’t impress the masses. And since politicians are looking to inspire, some hope is usually required. That’s where the lyrics play a key role.

Hillary Clinton had big shoes to fill after husband Bill wore out Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop in the ’90s. She closed her speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention with Katy Perry’s throaty Firework — awkwardly skipping ahead to the

chorus — which felt more like an ego stroke than a hope-builder (“Make ’em go ‘Oh, oh, oh!’ / As you shoot across the sky-y-y!”).

The sometimes peculiar intersection of music and politics applies to talk radio as well. Rush Limbaugh has long used the bass-thump intro of the Pretenders’ My City Was Gone as his show’s theme song, yet singer Chrissie Hynde seems far from one of his loyal listeners.

Limbaugh addressed it in 2011, telling a listener that he had used the song since 1984, and chose it for its “unmistakable” bass line.

He discussed the irony that the song’s lyrics — which aren’t played on the show — target real estate developers, and that they run contrary to his own views. The band’s record label protested, he said, but Hynde didn’t care.

Limbaugh, who called Hynde an “animal rights wacko” in the segment, pays a licensing fee to use the song, and Hynde reportedly gives her royalties to PETA. Big & Rich’s Coming to Your City, which serves as the theme of ESPN’s College GameDay, is also now used to open Sean Hannity’s radio show. The country duo performed at a Trump inauguration ball, so this is a more natural fit. I don’t know how Hannity interprets the chorus’ nonsensical language, but my fingers are crossed for his analysis of “bang in your ying yang” and “zing in your zang zang.”

Naturally, there is a long list of artists who have complained over the years about their songs being used for political purposes,

Clockwise from top left: Big & Rich, The Rolling Stones, Chrissie Hynde, Katy Perry and Bono of U2. AP photos.

especially for candidates they oppose. Some have objected to the Trump campaign, including Adele (for Rolling in the Deep), Pharrell (Happy) and Neil Young (Rockin’ in the Free World). Members of R.E.M. were not pleased at his use of It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine), but let’s be honest: Trump playing that is kind of hilarious.

Given that an overwhelming majority of pop stars are firmly planted on the left, these objections are no surprise. But it wouldn’t be fair for Trump to be confined to Big & Rich, Lee Greenwood, Ted Nugent and Kid Rock.

Among the many Democrats that have popped up (and out) this election season, there have been some solid song choices — and we’re just praising the music here — including Cory Booker (Bill Withers’ Lovely Day), John Delaney ( Johnny Cash’s I’ve Been Everywhere) and Jay Inslee (Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr. Blue Sky). A few wild cards: Beto O’Rourke (thrilling the die-hards and confusing many others with The Clash’s Clampdown) and Andrew Yang (bringing new jack swing back with Mark Morrison’s Return of the Mack). The “Hey kids, I’m cool too!” award goes to Tim Ryan (Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road) and Kirsten Gillibrand (Lizzo’s Good as Hell).

Trump could do better by pressing pause on the choir. Though it would surely inspire another cease-and-desist letter, an easy solution is U2’s Beautiful Day. It’s not an original idea, as others have used it. But the lyrics burst with optimism and perseverance, it has a soaring, feel-good chorus, and it’s hard to top The Edge’s trademark guitar sound.

Better yet, blaze a new trail and forget the words. Throw a curveball with Booker T and the M.G.s’ classic instrumental Green Onions. It has an irresistible slinky groove, it’s fun and it’s recognizable.

And it would shut up geeks like me, trying to pick apart the lyrics.

It may not be what he wants, but he just might find it puts the zing in his zang zang.

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